The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the night sky, illuminating everything under its reach.

In the midst of that a petite figure trembled under the covers.
Sweat covering her face and hands clutching the duvet in a death grip.
Head shaking from one to the other side.

"n-nhi... NAHI esy nhi kro... NAHI... INAYAAA" her screams echoed in the vaste room.

Hazal opened her eyes while she panted and gasped for air.

A nightmare...
a nightmare that haunted her since the past year.

Hazal immediately reached for the glass of water sitting on her side table and gulped the content in one go.

And then she cried.
"kiun chor k chaly gy mujhyy" she whispered as sobs recked her form.
Her body trembling due to the cold wind kissing her skin.

She wiped her cheeks and got up from the bed, wore her slippers, draped a large shawl around herself and started walking downstairs.

She tiptoed towards the farthest end of the garden, where no one could see her from any corner of the house.

Just as she reached the place she saw a figure standing with his back to her.

Broad shoulders covered with a black shawl.

A faint smell of tobacco lingering in the air.

Hazal moved forward to look at the person but due to the movement the man himself turned around curiously.

Emerald green and  chocolate brown eyes looking at each other with a mixture of shock and confusion.

"cigarette sehat k lie accha nhi hota" she said as she came to a  halt near him.

Both of them looking at the wide night sky, filled with lights and colors.

"itny raat ko bahir kya kr rhy ho" he questioned ignoring her previous remark.
"neend nhi a rhy thy" she whispered.

Jalal neared her and lifted her chin up with his index finger and looked at her swollen eyes.

"Roh k ayi ho" it wasn't a question, it was an affirmation.
"Nhi to" she shook her head and wrapped the shawl tighter around herself.

And then he did something that had her heart bursting and breath racing.

He hugged her.

Hid her  body in his chest and wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders.
Her cheek squished against his heart.

"kiun chor k chaly gy wo hm sbh ko? Kya usko hm sbh ki bilkul fikr nhi thy? Aapki, Qainat ki, Ayaan ki" she sobbed.

Jalal felt her thin arms going under his chaddar and hugging his waist.
He kissed her covered head a few times and rested his chin on it.

"aap soye kiun nhi?" she questioned when she had calmed down a bit.
When he didn't respond she continued.
"kiun apny aap ko aziyat dy rhy hain aisy, sbh kch apny andar chupa k Jalal."

"main koi aziyat nhi dy rha apny aap ko" he said with determination.
"kisi aur ko btayen yeh sbh, jo apko janta na ho..." she looked up at him.

"aapko pta hai na aap kuch bhi bta  skty hai mujhy" she whispered caressing his hand that now rested on her cheek.

A moment of silence passed and then he spoke.

"hum main sy koi bhi uska Dard nhi smjh pa rha Tha Hazal, meri behen andr sy hi Mr rhy thy... Aur main kch nhi kr Ska.... Mujhy Ayaan main Inayaa Nazar aty hai... Wahi hasin, wahi ankhain... Mujhy apny choty behen dikhaty hai usmy." he confessed in a voice that didn't sound like his.

His eyes closed and arms tightly wrapping around Hazal's waist .

She caressed the area under his eyes as he exhaled a breath.

" mere na kehny k bawajood bhi usny Ayaan ko is Dunya main any dia... Aur aaj sochta hun to apny aap sy puchta hun k aghr Ayaan na hota to shayad abh tk main pagal ho jata... Inaya ki ek nishani hai wo aur chahy koi kuch bhi kiun na khay wo Mera hi beta hai...mera apna  khoon hai."

"Aap hi usky abbu hain Jalal...jitna pyaar aap ussy krty hain utna kuch saghy baap bhi nhy krty apny aulaad sy" she reassured.

"tumhy Pata hai tumhy mimi kiun bulata hai" the corners of his lips turning up.
She shook her head in no and looked at him for an answer.

"Ammi bulany ki koshish krta hai lekin bulaya nhi jata" he smiled and Hazal's hearts swelled with an indescribable emotion.
Her eyes turning glassy and her lips trembling.

"Ro kiun rhy ho" he asked a bit worried when she lowered her head and sniffed .
"Mujhy apny ammi manta hai wo..." she cried tears of happiness.

He smiled and lifted her head and looked in her eyes.
"To aur kisy many wo...uski hr zroort pury krty ho tum, subha uthty hi to wo 'mimi' krny lgta hai, tumny usy apny gaud main na dala ho to wo dood nhi peeta...aur koi wajhah bhi dun?" He chuckled in the end and Hazal fell in love with the deep sound.

She blushed and looked away.

He closed the gap between them by gripping the back of her neck and looking in her eyes.

She looked back at his dark chocolate almost black eyes that hid the most sorrow of all.
The one that had always hidden the worst and had never complained.

His lips found her cheek and lingered there more than a few seconds.
She closed her eyes.

He moved back after a little while and found her eyes closed.
He brought his face Mera her ear and whispered "so jayen Ayaan ki Ammi".

Hazal opened her eyes and finally her mind grasped what what had just happened.
Without thinking twice she ran towards the house leaving a smirking Jalal behind.

~~~~~~

"Khuda Hafiz Ammi" Hazal kissed her mother's cheek and sprinted towards the door.

"ary Hazal... Beta ruko... Yeh tiffin to rkhlo" rushed Rashida.

"koi baat nhi Ammi main kuch ly lun gy" Hazal whispered to her.

"beta dyhan sy..." Rashida kissed her head.

"aap fikr nhi kryn Ammi, Inshallah sbh tkh ho ga" reassured Rashida's daughter.

________

"kahan reh gye" murmured Hazal while standing in front of her brother's car.

"Hazal" she heard Rameez's voice.
"jee bhai" replied Hazal.

"Idhr ao" he asked her to come closer.
"jee... Kya baat hai" she asked worriedly.

"Tum Mery choty behen ho...aur tumhy Pata hai k mujhy boht azeez ho tum... Balky Faiz bhai, Saad bhai, baba ko... Sbh ky dil ka tukra ho." he explained and she gulped.

"jee bhai janty hun main... Lekin abhi aap yeh sbh kiun bta rhy hain mujhy..." she questioned while biting the inside of her cheek, something she did whenever she was nervous.

"wo is lie k main tumhara is kaam main saath zroor dy rha hun... Lekin tumny bhi yaad rkhna hai k tum hmary ghr ki izzat ho... Hmara guroor... Kbhi koi galat kaam nhi krna jiski wajha sy tumhary ya hmary khandan ki izzat mai farak parhy, main janta hun k Mery behen kbhi aisa koi kaam nhi kr skty jis sy hmara srr jhuky lekin tum abhi boht choty ho Hazal... Aur main tumhara bhara bhai hun... Mera farz hai tumhy yeh smajhana. " he explained while caressing her covered head.

" aap fikr nhi kryn bhai main bhaly hi sirf satra  saal ki hun aur thory buddu lekin apny khandan ki izzat py kbhi daagh nhi lgny dun gy" she said looking at him who smiled at her and kissed  her head.

"bhai aghr aap Mera saath na dety to shayad aaj main yeh kaam kbhi kr hi na skty." she told him sincerely.
"ary pagli main tumhara bhai hun aur aghr hm Aik dusry k kaam na aye to kya koi bahir sy ayega?" he smiled down at her and Hazal Thanked the Lord for blessing her with such brothers.

She turned around when she felt a tap on her shoulder and found Qainat in her abaya and niqaab.

" Hazal... Yaar kahin sy lgh to nhi rha na ka main Qainat hun.. Mera Matlab aghr koi ghr waly mil gy to koi oehchany ga to nhi" Questioned Qainat in an anxious voice.

"Nahi lgh rha meri jaan... Tum ghary main bheto..." Hazal quickly made her sit in the car and rameez started driving.

"mera niqqab tkh hai na?" Hazal asked Qainat.
"Han han tkh hai.... Lekin yaar tumhary ankhon sy saaf Pata chlta hai k yeh tum hi ho" Qainat said hesitantly.

Hazal gripped her head in her hands and cursed.

Why did she have such different eyes!!

"kya Masla hai" she murmured.

"Hazal pareshan nhi ho... Wesy bhi college main kon ayega hmary ghr ka." Qainat tried reassuring her.

Somehow Hazal calmed down and were now getting out of the car.
"jazak Allah bhai..." both of them thanked Rameez and rushed inside.

"accha suno" Hazal stopped Qainat.
"Han bol jaldiiii" Qainat urged her as the bell was about to ring.

"college k bahir jo canteen hai na wahan milty hai tkh hai?" she required conformation.
"Han han tkh hai.... Khuda hafiz... All the best" they both hugged one last time and went their ways.

~~~~~~

Hazal made her way out of the crowd with much difficulty and reached the canteen her and Qainat had decided to meet up at.

She tried searching for her here and there but instead of finding Qainat she found someone else.... Someone who's wasn't supposed to be here.

Her eyes widened in horror and she hurriedly turned around, to only find Qainat coming her way.

She rushed towards and and grabbed her arm and dragged her to the opposite side.

"Ary kya kr rhy ho" Qainat deadpaned  as Hazal continued dragging her.
"Tumhary bhaii aye hue haii wahan" she told her and Qainat's looked at her as of she was about to pass out.

"phone do apna....aghr Jalal ny rameez bhai ko dekh  Lia na to hum log Gaye" she mumbled scared.

"helllloooo.... Rameez bhaiii.... Us side py nhi ana please... Qainat k bhai jo wahan bank hai wahan ayen hain" she told him while she nervously looked around for any of Jalal's guards who might recognize them.

"Han please jaldi ayen" and she hung up phone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

" yeh madat krdy na yaar." Qainat grumbled.
"main computer science ki student hun mujhy iska ka kya pta she pointed at the drawing Qainat was sketching.

" Han wesyy Saad bhai ko boht acchy tarha drawing krny aty hai... Bulaun kya? " she teased and Qainat threw a cuscion at her  that was resting beside her.

"main Jalal bhai ko bulaun... Unky aty hi tery bolty band ho jaty hai" Qainat smirked and Hazal glared at her.
"main kbh chup hoty hun... Tu hi hai jo Saad bhai k samny sahi sy khary bhi nhi hoty" Hazal sassily stated.

"churail".
"tu churail".

In the middle of their bickering they heard a tiny voice at the door and surely there was standing a  little boy with ruffled hair and a teddy bear  on the floor who's arm was held by Ayaan.

"mimi" he called out and reached for her.
"meri jaan uth gayi" Hazal kissed his head multiple time while he snuggled in her chest.

"dudu" he mumbled.
"abhi Aya mere baby ka dudu" she stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

"bhook lgy hai mere bete ko?" she questioned and ayaan innocently nodded his head and then after a few seconds it hit her.

Mere bete ko

She smiled at him and kissed him all over the face.

Her small little bean

"Bari Ammi aap yeh Ayaan ko ek second Pakrain main kitchen sy ayi" she tried handing the baby to Maryam but he refused and started crying.

Hazal settled him on her hip and went towards the kitchen.
"Ammi" Ayaan looked at while saying the word.

Hazal's eyes widened and she looked at him the biggest smile.
"kya Bola apny baby... Phir sy kehna"

"ammi" Ayan said again and she Hazal laughed out of joy twirling Ayan and herself, making him giggle as well.

"ammi ki jaannnn" she kissed his face and ayaan laughed.

She stopped when she spotted Jalal leaning against the kitchen door with his arms crossed.
His muscles were hard to ignore for  Hazal's eyes when they were on full display.

She averted her gaze and went back to grabbing ayaan's feeder.

He chucked and wend behind her.
He kissed her head a few times and then grabbed Ayaan from her arms.

"main Dekhta hun isy" he told her and took him outside.

"mere paas bhi a jaaya kro... Hr waqt apni Ammi k saath hi chpky rehty ho" Jalal laughed.

_____________

(NOT EDITED)

OK BYE I HAVE TO STUDY😭🏃‍♀️