Goodnight or Good morning? 😂
It's another update whichever the case is. And guess who concluded writing this book right now?!! 😩🎉

"What are you doing here" His father asked, hands clenched by his side.

"Dad, please..." Sabrina muttered, wanting to stop their father before he does something that he might end up regretting afterwards.

Their mother blinked, closing her eyes for a brief second. She was happy to see Zayn after all the time that passed, yet she knew his presence there would only create a ruckus that wouldn't benefit any of them.

Zayn didn't let his father's expression get to him. "Sabrina texted. Said we're having a family dinner. She invited me" He explained. He wasn't there for arguments. No matter what happened between them in the past, he didn't want to argue with them because they are his parents. Besides, parents or not, they are still older than him, so he knew he shouldn't argue with them. Kulsum taught him that.

Granted, he was still furious with them, yet he didn't plan on showing it knowing there's no point. He was there for one reason, and the minute he gets his answers he planned on leaving.

His mother opened her eyes, deciding to speak before her husband could. She casted her gaze on Zayn, pushing her chair back as she stood up. With a warm smile plastered on her face, she walked towards him and once within arms-length, embraced him. "Welcome back home Zayn" She whispered, "You have no idea how happy I am that you're back. Alhamdulillah"

Zayn exhaled lowly, returning the embrace. Despite everything that happened, if there's one good thing that came out of what happened to Kulsum was that his mother and sister changed—towards him at least.

The father, not so much. People don't just change their habits overnight.

Although he doesn't show it, Zayn was happy to see his mother again. She had tried to reach out to him more than Sabrina does all these years. Albeit he ignored the calls, just like he does to everyone, he couldn't deny that being in his mother's embrace is soothing.

He didn't reply but when he pulled back, there was a small smile on his face.

Though he had pulled back from the embrace, she kept her hand on his shoulder. She needed that much confirmation to believe that he is really there, and not some illusion of hers. She seemed to be having a lot of that over the past few years. "You didn't have dinner, right?"

He nodded.

"Sit then, we're about to eat" Her smile widened, gesturing to the seat he was standing beside.

While Zayn pulled the chair back and sat, she headed back to her chair.

"Welcome back, Zayn" Hanif said from across the table, offering Zayn a small grin.

Zayn said nothing in reply, only offering him a curt nod.

"It's good to have you back home, Zayn" A voice came from beside him, one he was extremely familiar with. Aasim.

Zayn feigned ignorance, refusing to spare Aasim a glance better yet his attention. If there's one person he hated at the table the most, it's Aasim; and he wasn't planning on hiding it.

What's the point? Everyone knows already.

"Now that we're all here!" Sabrina spoke up, wanting to end the silence that filled the room. It was so thick that it was slowly becoming suffocating. "Let's dive in, shall we?"

Zayn looked up from his empty plate, only for his gaze to fall on the two kids that remain seated beside Hanif. He didn't need anyone to tell him that they are Hanif and Sabrina's children, they both look like an exact replica of both parents. The only difference is that while the one that looks more like Hanif seemed calm, the one that resembles Sabrina looks like a troublemaker.

The seemingly calm one offered Zayn a small smile while the other grinned cheekily at him. They both don't know Zayn, yet they could tell that he is an important part of the family.

Zayn simply offered both of them a small smile, before he moved his gaze away.

They had their dinner. Except, while they all expected it to be filled with laughter and happiness as always, it was anything but. Silence filled up the dining room—the only sound coming from there was that of cutleries clanking on the porcelain plates.

Apart from that, no one spoke. But, looks were exchanged except for Zayn, who paid none of them another glance.

~*~

After dinner, Zayn headed towards Kulsum's old room. The others knew where he's heading to, so they didn't stop or question him. It was him home too after all. Even though one person in particular didn't consider him so any longer.

He wasn't expecting much from it. Actually, he expected that they've cleared the room up and gotten rid of everything. So, he wasn't expecting everything to be in the same position as before when he flicked the light switch on. Except for the bed sheets and curtains which had been changed, everything remained just as he remembered.

She didn't have much adornments in the room before she passed away, since she broke everything in the room out of anger before going to rehab.

He blinked, remembering the days he spent in the room after she died. He didn't leave the room for three consecutive days. His mother brought food for him, which he barely ate. He simply spent those days with her diary and hoodie. That was before he decided to leave, before he felt suffocated in the house.

He didn't just leave because of the memories. No, he had a much bigger reason.

With slow, cautious steps, he walked further into the room. He knew the more time he spent in the room, the more his mind will force him to dwell on the events of the past so he headed the closet first. Pulling the handle, he opened it. He didn't know all the outfits Kulsum had but he could tell that most of them aren't there. It was probably given out.

The only few left are a couple of hoodies, and that was all.

Zayn shook his head, not wanting that to distract him. He pushed the hoodies to the side and looked all over. From the very first glance, he could tell that there's a possibility he won't find it there. However, he didn't plan on leaving without trying at least so that was what he did.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he searched, there wasn't any sign of the phone. It wasn't that hard to search considering most of the clothes had been cleared up, only a few were left in her closet entirely.

After searching it all over for the third time, he searched all other drawers in the room. He searched under the bed, under the pillow, every place he could possibly think of.

But, to no avail.

He sighed, sitting at the edge of the bed on the floor. The same spot he sat back then when he was last in the room. Burying his face between his palms, he released a loud sigh again.

"Thought you'd be here..." A voice made him snap his head up.

He looked up, his gaze falling on his sister who stood by the door with hands folded over her torso. Sabrina moved her gaze from him to the closet which he didn't bother to close. Her gaze then moved to the bed where he ruined amidst of searching.

Finally, her gaze fell on her younger brother again. "I guess I made the right choice by convincing Mama to not get rid of everything yet"

He flickered his eyes close, moving his head away from her. "Why are did you do that?" Everyone knows that she was never a big fan of Kulsum, so it's expected she'd be the first to get of everything that reminds her of the deceased.

Sabrina shrugged, "I know you'd want to be here and be reminded of her in a way. You wouldn't want to forget her even though it's been so long" Her voice came out soft, compared to how cold she used to speak back then. Uncrossing her arms, she walked into the room, only stopping once she stood beside him. "Tell me, what are you looking for? I might know where it is"

He shook his head. He knew that there's a possibility that she knows where the phone is, yet for some reason, he didn't trust her enough to ask her for help. Sure enough, she's his sister. But she was Kulsum's sister too. Yet, that didn't stop her from doing the things she did back then. Besides, how can he trust her to help him fulfill Kulsum's last will and find the person that had been taunting her for years. "Forget it" He pulled one leg up and placed his hand on his knee, "I'll find it myself"

Sabrina stared at him for a while, her lips curling into a small, barely visible, sad smile. She then released a small sigh and sat beside him. A couple of seconds past before she finally spoke. "Ahmad..."

Zayn's shoulder stiffened. Tilting his head slowly, his brows knit. He blinked rapidly, before he pivoted his head to look at her, mouth slightly hung ajar. He wondered whether he heard her right. Did she just call him Ahmad? For as long as he could remember, she had never called him that. Not once. It was always 'Zayn'. He always thought that she's most comfortable calling him that since everyone calls him with his second name rather than the first. However, there's this small part of him that always wondered whether there's a reason as to why she never called him that. At most points, other people did address him with his first name.

Except Sabrina. Never had she called him with that.

Until then.

Sabrina could feel his gaze on her, it only made her smile a bit prominent. "We all lost someone we truly loved, Ahmad"

Zayn resisted the urge to scoff. Loved is a strong word for her to use. He doubts she ever liked Kulsum, what more, loved? He simply kept his lips sealed rather than reacting the way he would initially.

She then turned around to look at him, chuckling slightly when she saw the stunned expression on his face. "It's nice to get an emotion out of you" She muttered, "You've been extremely cold. At times, I wonder where my warm hearted, care-free brother went"

Zayn looked away. "He's gone" Was his only reply.

Sabrina nodded slowly, looking away too. "You're right" She muttered to herself, "He's gone"

The silence took over again. The two were both lost in their thoughts. They should be chatting and catching up like normal siblings do. They should be laughing at old memories and teasing each other like other people.

Yet, they weren't like other normal siblings. They don't have any catching up to do. They don't have old memories to laugh at or tease each other about. Instead, they both have old pain they have buried in them.

Zayn glanced at his wrist watch, noting the time. "I should get going. It's getting late" He said, pushing himself off the floor. He picked up his jacket which he had left on the bed earlier while he was searching the room, and shrugged it on. "Bye" He walked out, without waiting for her reply.

On his way over to the stairs, he noticed his old room door opened. He stopped when he noticed a small figure in there. His brows drew in as his eyes squinted slightly. Just as he was thinking of going there, he shook his head and decided to just leave. Whoever it is, he didn't want to get involved.

He met his mother, Hanif and Aasim downstairs. He simply bid his mother and Hanif farewell, ignoring Aasim's presence. His father wasn't there, so he simply asked his mother to tell him that he'd left. He knew no good would come out of him trying to bid farewell to the man. So, he simply walked out.

Twisting the doorknob to the door open, he pushed it open. Immediately, a sound came from the other side. He stopped halfway, eyes widening.

The person on the other end moved away from the door that almost hit her, dropping what she held in her hand on the floor. Her eyes snapped to the person that caused it, only to fall on Zayn.

Zayn's expressionless façade returned when he realized who the person is. Aasim's wife.

His gaze then moved to the keys and pink doll that fell on the floor. The woman leaned down and picked it up, before returning her gaze to Zayn.

"I'm sorry" He said, "I didn't see you coming"

She offered him a warm smile, "It's okay. I'm glad I got to meet you before you leave. I never got the chance to express my condolence" She noticed the way his eyes narrowed slightly at her words. He seemed confused. So, she quickly added. "Your sister, Kulsum" She noticed the confusion disappear. "She was a good person"

Zayn's eyes narrowed slightly again, "You knew my sister?"

She nodded.

"Were you two friends?" If she replies with 'yes', Zayn wouldn't know how to react. He'd then be convinced that Kulsum had a bad choice in picking out her friends.

Her eyes squinted slightly as she shrugged, her smile still intact. "I wouldn't say we were friends, merely, acquaintances"

"You are?" He didn't care whether she'd think he's asking too much questions. Out of the questions he has, he wants some of them to be answered at least.

"I'm Hayra" Her warm smile widened. "Your sister and I met in rehab"