Chapter 17: Brother, brother. 

*

"Once a brother, always a brother, no matter the distance, no matter the difference and no matter the issue."

- Byron Pulsifer -

*

The next few days went in a blur. Everyone at the Zaeef mansion were on high alert and the security had doubled drastically. Grandparent Zaeef didn't like the decision but they had to go with it once they found out about the attack on Zamaairah a day or so after the incident. 

That evening, the family set in the central living room over a few cups of tea. The grandparents were retired to bed, so were the kids and Amyrah had made frothy white tea for everyone else. Karmaan had taken the frothiest cup while Sahl glared at him. 

"It's okay, Sahl. Take the other one." Amyrah told him and the twin smiled appreciatively. 

"Where's Safwah?" Safwah looked up from the kitchen counter where he was sorting out cookies and pastries. Who? 

"Here." He called back, holding up the tray of pastries and walking out of the large kitchen. He walked around the living room, handing out pastries. 

The living room door opened and Zuwailah entered with a beam and open arms. 

"As salaam alaikum, my loves!" she was loud and this made Sahl wince. Safwah shot a smirk at him before turning back to Zuwailah. 

"Wa alaikum mus salaam. Where have you been?" he questioned her making Sahl groan and Zamaairah raise her eyebrows in question. 

"Paris. I had a pastry competition to attend." she informed him and walked to Qaidah to give her a hug. Qaidah hugged her affectionately.

Amyrah, Kulthum, Zamaairah and Aanabia huddled in one sofa, watching something on Kulthum's phone while the brothers were arguing over a game of scrabbles. Again. Safwah took his seat beside Sahl, watching him make new words no one else knew. 

"Did you win?" Amyrah asked Zuwailah, breaking out the small circle they had made on the couch. The other girls turned into the conversation too. 

"Oh no. I was there to taste as one of the elite customers of the café." The girls stared at her with incredulous expressions. Safwah, who was listening onto the conversation let out a small laugh and nudged Sahl making the twin turned to him. 

"Your supposed future-wife has been travelling to Paris for tea." Sahl stared at him with furrowed eyebrows. He pointed to himself and Safwah nodded. Oh god, please get the joke! Sometimes I question your smart- 

"Not my supposed future-wife!" he whispered back frantically making Safwah laugh and the boys looked up to him with a questioning gaze. 

"Ah right. I have booked the flights already and sent you guys the emails." Kayan informed everyone in the room. 

"When are you leaving?" Qaidah asked, her expression falling. Amyrah smiled at her mother-in-law. 

"Two days from now; Melbourne flight. But Karmaan is leaving tomorrow morning while Kulthum leaves in the afternoon."

"You packed already?" Aanabia asked Karmaan. The youngest sibling smiled and nodded. 

"I checked the flights long before. Don't worry."

"We leave the day after tomorrow," Yazdan informed them. 

"Can't you all go later on?" Qaidah asked them and the siblings smiled softly while glancing at each other. 

"We wish but, work." Kulthum informed her mother. Kayan sensed the disheartened atmosphere and decided to break it with one of his jokes. Of course, Safwah and Karmaan went on it while Yazdan and Kulthum simply laughed. They had successfully managed to restore the happy and joyful aura around them. Even if everyone's meant to leave for their various lives soon enough. 

"So what is your opinion on the bachelors that were at the party?" Amyrah asked the girls once everyone were in their zone. 

Zamaairah looked away towards the ceiling and lights, not wanting to divulge into the topic. Kulthum raised eyebrows at her sister-in-laws. Aanabia and Amyrah set in front of them with wide grins and frankly, it scared the other two women. 

"What bachelors?" questioned Zuwailah, turning into their conversation. The women shifted uncomfortably except Amyrah, who nodded at her. 

"The ones who were at the party."

"Ah I missed that one." 

"Did you?" Zuwailah looked at Aanabia with a shocked expression. 

"Yes. I had to leave that very morning for Paris. I hope it was a good one though." she said and Zamaairah wanted to tell her that it was a good one if they counted almost dying. But before they could speak more, Zuwaailah turned to the boys and called out Sahl.

"When are you leaving for home?"

"This is home."

"No, I meant for your place."

"Not any time soon." at the answer, Zuwaailah let out a satisfied smile, that the women were able to see through. She is planning something? 

By 11pm, the living room was cleared. Kayan requested the boys to meet in their den afterwards so they left while the women retired to watch korean drama in the main house theater. The boys were glad they had the west wing to themselves for a while. 

Safwah was the last to reach the room, shutting the door behind him. Yazdan and Kayan were on the couch, looking at the current news on the iPad while Sahl and Karmaan were by the large windows, chatting in low voices. Ignoring the older brothers, Safwah walked over to the youngest. 

"You have to understand the risks associated, K." Sahl was telling him and Karmaan obediently nodded along. Safwah frowned. 

"Risk?" he questioned, making the boys turn to him. 

"What risk?" Kayan questioned from the other side of the room. 

"Remember how Karmaan wanted to apply for the RAAF?" Realization dawned on the brothers faces as they turned to the youngest. 

"And?" Yazdan asked carefully. 

"We were supposed to discuss this."

"Right. We were. Except now, we cannot change his mind because he already applied." Silence ensued in the room. 

"I wanted to tell you guys but everything was messy since the beginning so I thought not to. I wanted to tell you guys on the day of the anniversary but it didn't go well." Karmaan defended himself. Safwah glanced at Sahl and understood what his twin meant. 

"Are you a hundred percent sure?" he questioned Karmaan who nodded in return. 

"Why?" Kayan's question startled them. "Why?" Only Safwah understood why, why Karmaan wanted to become an officer with the Royal Australian Air Force. 

"Why not? I have always wanted to go out there, do something for the people."

"Then you should've studied medicine or done volunteering, K! Not enlisting at the Air Defense!" Yazdan told him. Safwah looked over to Karmaan who looked flushed. He held onto Karmaan's hands, hoping to calm him down. It's okay. They'll take time to accept it. He remembered when he broke the special ops news to his family; they were furious. 

"You don't understand, K. When we almost lost Safwah, I saw what mom, abba, harmoni and daadu went through. I saw what all of us went through and worse, I saw what Safwah went through. You saw too, why would you still decide this?" Kayan blurted out, almost begging his brother to understand. Safwah felt his heart clench. Karmaan shouldn't be stopped because of me. 

"Bhaiyu, I understand you. But this is Karmaan's decision, right?" Safwah asked making Kayan and Yazdan stare at him in disbelief. 

"Yes which is why we are asking he re-consider." It was Yazdan who spoke. 

"No." Karmaan's objection rang loud in the room and the brothers turned to him. He stood firm with his hands beside him, shoulders broad and chin high. Safwah glanced at Sahl who stared blankly, back. There's no stopping him. 

"Why?" Kayan asked again. 

"Because I am old enough to make my decisions. Bhaiyu, listen-" Karmaan walked over to his older brothers and stood in between them. He held onto their hands and smiled lightly. "I wanted to enter after I graduated high school but when I casually said so, everyone objected. So I agreed and decided on my studies at Oxford."

"And that is good! You are doing so well there, K!" Yazdan informed him and Karmaan nodded. 

"I am. I love engineering and robotics and the mechanical bits. But air force is where I want to be."

"You studied all of that just to return and join the RAAF?" Kayan asked incredulously, as if having two brothers in special operations for the country weren't enough, the youngest also wanted in on the fun. 

"Karmaan, listen to me." Safwah finally spoke. Karmaan turned to him next. "It's your choice but their trainings are rigorous and harsh. There is nothing nice about being in the Air Force. And their combatting and SO trainings are top tier. If you can do it, then there is nothing to worry. So tell us, have you thought it through?" Karmaan was silent for a while and the brothers waited to bated breaths. 

"Does thinking it through for over 4 years count? I have been their cadet since I was 13 years of age! I always knew what I wanted. This is just a detour." Karmaan replied, looking at each one of them. He waited for their response, afraid they'd stop him again. Kayan was the first to speak. 

"So when are the selection results coming out?" Karmaan turned and grinned at the oldest before throwing his arms around him and hugging him. 

"Thank you, bhaiyu."

****

:) Another brother down in airforce 

I love you guys. 

| R - C - V |

Love,

Your Author.