Today was the day that she actually woke up happy. She was actually looking forward to the day.

Aaira Khan is excited for her day for once in her life. She took a day off work just so she can prepare for the day. Her friend- Raina was coming over before they have to leave.

Aaira spent a very long time without a sibling. It wasn't because she never had a sibling it was just because her brother always lived aboard with her uncle since she turned five. She remembers how much she had cried when her older brother was leaving. She had begged everyone to not do that. However, it was her parents decision to move her brother to America with her father's brother. Once her brother had moved, she hadn't seen him ever. She had grown up hearing his name and watching his pictures that her uncle sent but never directly from him. He was always too busy. Either in football, studies or job.

Today was also her birthday. She was turning 27. Her first birthday with her brother after ages. Her brother reached to her just a day prior saying he wants to meet her. She tried to ask about how he was or what he was doing but he said he just arrived back home and wanted to see her.

She was ready before time and so excited that she arrived early to the destination. It was a empty parking space of an old mall and her brother said he wants to meet some place quiet.

"Just wait and see how much of a racist they are". Nael (her brother) said as he watches his sister from the car

Nael was 30 now and living the best life. He fell in love with a girl from his university and he wants to marry her by all means. His uncle said he had to get his real family approval or he can't get married and he remember if not everything of his family that they are big on skin colour, race and other things.

Rani was a Princess of their city and a daughter of the most wealthy man. Her family were rich and they all
have darker skin shade. He didn't care about such things. He had fell in love with her brain. He was her partner for a project when it all started and here he was miles away from home but he can do everything for her.

He was a little afraid of Rani's brother - the Prince and soon to be the King of the city. Shayaan Haider was the most scary person he had encountered in his life. His body still ache from the beating he got from Shayaan when he first confess his love. Shayaan didn't take lightly to anything. He doesn't speak. When he speaks, he says few words. Everyone, even his family, is scared of him.

He wonder who will ever get past him. Shayaan gaze narrow at him, "Get over with it".

Nael throw a look at Rani before he walks out of the car towards his sister. He had never seen his sister beside in pictures that he was never interested in. His parents always loved his sister more than him. He kept Rani on a call so they can hear everything that he will speak.

Aaira turns around when she heard her name and she felt her heart beating loudly when she saw her brother. When he was near she quickly hug her brother having missing the warmth of her brother. She never experienced a love as pure as she had thought her brother will have for her.

"I missed you so much!" she said smiling as she pulls back and then she realized that her brother wasn't hugging her so she awkwardly steps backs, "I am sorry. I was just excited to see you".

"Yeah". Nael said taking a step back

"Its been so long since we saw each other. How are you? How is everything there? Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I have something to speak to you about".

"Oh. What is it?"

"I have someone I want to marry someone".

"Really? Who is she? Where did you meet her?-"

"She is of darker skin".

Her questions halts when she heard his words. It takes a moment for her to gain her senses back.

"Do you love her?" Her smile and cool demeanour vanishes in a blink of eye

There was something else that was famous about Aaira Khan, she was strict and cold.

"Of course. I do". He said irritated, "Why will I say I want to marry her if I don't love her".

"Will you stand by her by all means?"

"Yes".

"Ok good. Then I am happy for you. I want you to marry whoever you want. But I want you to always stand by her".

Nael was shocked. He didn't expect this. He was waiting for degrading comments. To have his sister shows his family values. This was not in the plan.

"You think your parents will accept us?"

"Why does it matter? If you stand by your wife there is no one other you should be listening to".

"So you mean they will not accept her".

"I don't know. You know how they are. You don't know what they will say. I haven't had a talk with them one on one for a long time".

"What do you mean by that?"

She shakes her head, "Nothing. Just speak to them and face them yourself before you go ahead with introducing her. She shouldn't have to be in a place where she might be disrespected".

Nael shrugged.

"Ok".

She nodded and with a slight smile she asks, "Is there anything else?"

"No".

"Are you forgetting something?" She tried again and her brother shakes his head

Her heart ache. She blanks her expression and she hears her friend calling for her.

"Let me know when you are planning to meet our parents".

She starts to turn around but her brother moves back first and her gaze collides with someone. It takes a minute of black spears to look at her as she turns away to walk to her friend.

After all these years, all her brother wanted was to inform her of his future. He didn't even remember her birthday.

"She didn't do anything you said". Shayaan said as he sits in his seat at his office

Shayaan can still remembers the sound of her voice. It was soft even when she turns icy cold. The way his eyes had sort her out after hearing her voice was not normal. He shouldn't be focusing on her. He shouldn't be able to see the wryry of her voice.

Are you forgetting something?

Those words keep ringing on his mind. He is angry with Nael because he wasted his time. He didn't want to waste his time on nonsense. He hates wasting time on fruitless things.

"Now what?" He asked

"I-I will meet my parents and ask them to bring my proposal to you". Nael said and he was getting agiated

He snaps his finger and in a moment Nael was gone. He had spent a vast majority of time creating his life. He was the hire of his family. He was the only one who had to live through betrayal and more to be who he was.

He kept his sister under his shadow and away from all of it. He had been working for the past 30 years for this position and everyone had eyes on him. Even his closest family was a risk to him. He couldn't trust anyone. Even if he knows he was bestowed to a lonely and isolated life, he had hope that never dies in him. Of something more. Of finding something more. He had prayed five times a day and sometime extra for his Lord to have mercy on him. He was patiently waiting for his mercy and he knows one day, it will be in front of his eyes and he will do anything to keep it.

A week passed by with no contact from her brother. She had texted him a couple of times trying to make him talk to her. She was becoming pathetic. That's what Ibrahim (her older cousin) told her. Apparently, Ibrahim saw her brother face that day and when he heard her narrate the story, he came to the conclusion that her brother had no care for her. Which stings, but, Ibrahim always keep it hard and simple. She had a little faith of reuniting with her brother which with passing days was becoming ashes of her hopes just like always. She honestly doesn't know why she keeps hoping and praying for a better outcome.

All of her life had been test after test. She had lived through enough heart ache and still she continue to hurt her already wounded heart. There was only so much she could handle. She heard the Azaan going off as she was coming back from her meeting and asked the driver to stop at one of the most beautiful mosque of all time. She hates the fact that some mosque she stopped by in the beginning didn't have a female section. Hence why, she had worked hard to make few more mosque and add into the existing mosque a female space.

Time to time she loves praying in mosque. It brings her clarity. While it is convenient and easy to pray at home sometime she starts to forget how a prayer should be prayed. She somehow starts to read her prayer faster and whenever she keep a balance between going to mosque and praying inside it helps navigate her prayer better. The momentum always gets fixed.

As she exits the car, she heard several voices around her. She turns in time to see someone walking past the people with few guards around him as he enter the mosque. She shakes her head, lowering her gaze as she enter the mosque too.

Just as the prayer were called, she heard the beautiful recitation of the prayer. This voice was someone she had been hearing everytime she comes to this mosque. It wasn't that the sound was alluring, no, she would stop coming to this mosque if the voice causes such feeling. It was the fact that his voice and every word he recite causes her heart to feel either heavy with pain or with peace depending on the Surah he would recite. She had cried a couple of times and some days where she would be at the bottom of despair - he had recited Surah that had reminded her of the blessings she had. Of what to come after the suffering. Today was one of those days again.

While she had a zero to null relationship with her parents and now a nonexistent one with her brother. She had come to realization that she will be forever alone. This was her destiny. This was her fate. She still believe that her Lord had written something for her. Even if it was a journey to be alone, he had provided her with other blessings.

After she was done praying and she sits in the mosque for a few peaceful moments lost in her thoughts when a woman handed her a water bottle and she looks at the older woman with a smile, "Thank you. Do you want me to help you?"

The older woman smiles with such warmth that her chest expands, "Yes, please. I bought foods and some items for the people in need and if you can help distribute them that would be very kind".

She nodded with a smile as she moves outside in the heat of noon. She watches as three big black vans with guards around were in front of the mosque. She moves closer and slowly with the older woman as she explains the guards that she will be assisting them today. She starts to take few items when she heard someone voice coming close with lots of noises. She turns her head to find the same man she saw before entering the mosque standing in front of her with a frown.

She immediately turn her gaze away and takes a step to her left to move away. She went towards the needy people handing out the items and following the same process avoiding the dark eyes that follows her.

He cannot believe this. This is not it. Was this a joke?

He was just thinking about her to eyes again this morning after his vivid dream he had been seeing for some reason. It is always the same dream he had for years. The only thing was that now instead of a ghost he can see her. It was weird to say at least. He blame it on his over imagination. But, what were the odds that he will find her in this mosque where he had been leading the prayers for years? Was she always here whenever he leads prayer? He didn't lead all of them just Duhr and Asr. Was she here when he leads prayer? Why does he feel this strange feeling knowing he was leading the prayer while she was there praying along with him? It shouldn't feel like this. He place a hand over his chest to stop the sudden expanding of it. It shouldn't feel this way. She was the sister of the man his sister wants in her life.

"Her name is Aaira". His mother gushed even after they left the mosque, "She was such a beautiful woman. Elegance and kindness in one".

"You can't know that just by meeting her for few minutes, Amma. Plus she might know you are the wife of the King".

"Stop doubting everyone you meet, Raja Sahab. Or life will be very dull".

"I hate when you call me that".

"Then stop acting like it".

He knows exactly who Aaira Khan was. She was a significant impact in the society. She had multiple businesses from importing goods to selling their lower class goods in high price to the world. Under her influence, the poor class was able to lead middle class life with benefits. She started from the bottom of selling goods from the local community and slowly built her business. He had looked into her because he wanted to make sure his sister was marrying into right family at least that's the reason he gave his friend who looked into her. Apparently, his friend, Zuhair was impressed by her. She was single so Zuhair believe he should be marrying someone like her. That thought didn't make him angry at all. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all.

Lies.

"We are going to have her family over our house soon for your sister proposal. Try to behave". His mother reminder him after he reveals who Aaira was

She had heard from her brother after three more days. He had said that he will come to meet their parents and speak to them for the proposal. She actually wanted him to come early so their parents had time to process and be better by the time they go ahead with the proposal. She had done a background check on the family and she was pleasantly surprised that her brother was in love with a Princess.

It's a mess.

Her parents were accepting of the fact that their son came back with a bride. She had seen the minute their smile melt away. It was a fact that as soon as Nael came in he was closed off. His parents had spent two days preparing his favourite dishes and Nael didn't even touch them. He wasn't answering to anything they say and out of no where he dropped the bomb of marriage.

That's when everything went down. Their parents immediately said no. That's when her brother started blaming her for everything. Of the fact that his parents choose over him. Of the fact that she had it all easy. Her parents never stood up for her but even they were mad. She didn't say anything.

"I told you they are going to be this way". Nael said frustrated as he sits in front of Shayaan, "I don't even want to be in contact with them. They are not my family".

His sister cried again, "We need to find a way to get their approval".

Shayaan leans on his chair angry at everything. He hate that their are people who still live in the world where they only accept white skin as superior. He hate that his sister was made to feel like a lesser person.

His jaw clenched, "What if we have a proposal for them?"

"What do you mean?" Nael asked

"What if I send a proposal for your sister? That way we can have them accept your marriage".

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Guess who is back? 😇

Life been soooooo busy lately. But here I am with someone favourite who made me write again after almost a year.

- your author

Faiqa.