"Get down from the tree, Mahira. You're going to break your bones."

Seven years old Alizah Khan yelled at her best friend worriedly, who was trying to catch a dragonfly from the top of a tree. Her parents have gone shopping and no one was there to talk sense into her crazy best friend, who was unfazed by her scolding and yelling.

Mahira Hussain sat casually on the branches of the tree, patiently waiting for the right time to come, so she'd catch a fly. There was no valid reason for why she was catching them. She just wanted to and she will.

"Ali, keep quiet. You're going to scare them. I'm almost close to catching this. Don't disturb me." Mahira whisper yelled, her eyes totally focused on the many dragonflies flying near the tree.

"What the hell is she doing?" Ten years old Asad Khan asked his stepsister, with wide eyes as he came into their backyard listening to his annoying sister's screaming, which was audible from here till his room.

"Trying to catch a dragonfly," Alizah replied to her stepbrother with a huff and cast her best friend a glare. She's going to get her into trouble today for sure. Asad would make sure of that. God, she hated him so much.

"Your friend is stupid, just like you." Asad rolled his eyes.

"HEY!"

"Don't call her stupid." Alizah and Ameen Qureshi snapped at the same time, it was only then she noticed her brother's best friend, who stood behind him with worried eyes. He was a sweet boy, unlike her brother.

"Whatever. I'll tell your mother when she comes." Asad left with a smirk, making Aliazh widen her eyes, she ran behind to bribe him with something otherwise, he'd seriously tell her mother.

It was only Ameen and Mahira now. They have never talked before. They had no reason to. But looks like today they will, and it was making little Ameen feel so giddy and happy. For some weird reason, he likes that girl so much.

"Did you catch any fly yet?" Ameen asked after mustering up a lot of courage, and that finally caught Mahira's attention. She has observed him a lot during her every visit to this place, they've never spoken before though.

"I am going to catch it, just wait and see." Seven years old Mahira was very determined, stubborn and adamant. She felt something weird while talking with him but ignored that feeling, trying to concentrate on catching the fly.

Ameen looked on amusingly, still a little bit worried. What if she fell? He had to do something and his eyes shone brightly as a thought occurred to him suddenly. He ran upstairs to the storeroom with a grin and took the balloon swimming pool with him and ran back to the backyard. Asad was busy making Alizah clean his dirty room, so they both didn't notice his doings. For which he was glad.

A sigh left him, when she was still on the tree, sitting safely. He was glad that she didn't fall in his absence.

Just as he placed the balloon pool down the tree, she fell with a yelp and fell right into it. Tears streamed down her cheeks in horror as she recollected the memories quickly, but smiled when she realized that nothing has happened. And her grin only widened as she saw a struggling dragonfly in her hands, which was trying hard to fly away.

"You saved me." Mahira grinned at him gratefully whilst getting up from the little pool.

Ameen felt something weird inside him as she grinned at him, he felt like he has achieved a gold medal or something.

"I did."

"I'm Mahira."

"I know, you're Hira."

"It's Mahira." She corrected him with a shake of her head, her little ponytail waved in the air as she did that.

"Its a long name, I like Hira better." Ameen smiled almost shyly, she couldn't help but smile back. He was a sweet guy, unlike that donkey Asad. How are they even best friends she wondered but was snapped out of her thoughts by the dragonfly in her hands, "I will go and show this to Ali, thank you."

They both had no idea that it was only the beginning of something, something so beautiful and precious. They were oblivious right from the start.

***

"Ammi... Should I really come?" Twenty-two years old Mahira whined at her mother, who glared at her in return. The Hussains still don't celebrate birthdays but the Qureshis did. Every single year.

"It's your only niece's third birthday. Of course, you should come. You've already missed the first two birthdays. I'm not letting you miss this one too." Rashida Hussain added sternly and Mahira knew that it was final. God, she loves her niece so much even if she didn't meet her. But the problem was with her Chacha. She didn't wish to meet him. Not on her first day back at home at least.

She left the city four years ago to pursue her higher studies. Memories flashed back in her eyes making her tear up bitterly. She blinked them away and forced a smile on her face and got ready in a gorgeous red colour salwar kameez.

Before she realized it, her family was on their way to Qureshi mansion already. Her heart was thumping rapidly with every passing minute.

You've got this Mahi. She told to herself. But did she really?

"We're here." Ahil, her elder brother announced excitedly whilst parking their car on the porch. Mahira's breath hitched for a second as she eyed the place. It's been four years since she came here. Her mother nudged her to get down. With an inward sigh, she got down and followed her parents quietly.

"Are you okay?" Ahil asked her, knowing perfectly well of what she is going through. She did not have any close bonding with him but loved him dearly.

"I'm fine." She lied.

"You'll love little Abeera. She's a walking troublemaker. Always making our Mawra tired. She's got few of your genes somehow." Ahil tried to divert her mind, and he was pretty successful at it.

Mahira never got to see her older sister's baby live till this date. It was only through video calls and true to Ahil's words, the little girl has definitely got some of her genes.

A smile appeared on her face for the first time that afternoon and Ahil looked a little relieved at the sight.

"Let's go." Mahira was now excited to meet little Abeera Ibrahim Qureshi. She decided to ignore him, he doesn't matter anyway. Of course, he doesn't.

Well, that's what she told herself.

"Ohmigod. Is that my little sister?" Mawra exclaimed excitedly as she pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. It's been four years since they've met. Mahira was always rude to her back then. It was a phase. But loved her sister nevertheless. Like Ahil she wasn't close with Mawra either. Unlike her, both of her siblings shared a very close bond.

Ahil waited for his turn to hug his favourite sister, but looked like Mawra was showing all her sisterly love to only Mahira today much to her surprise, she hugged her sister back with a smile.

"You're all grown up." Mawra kissed her cheeks, making Mahira feel slightly awkward. She was never close with her sister, and suddenly being showered with her love felt weird but she wouldn't lie, she enjoyed it.

"I'm here too." Ahil smacked Mawra's hands but she ignored him with a look which said; I-see-you-all-the-time-but-not-today, and turned her attention back to Mahira, "I missed you, Mahi. Abeera is excited to meet her khalla. She's sleeping, I'll go and wake her up, she won't sleep in the night otherwise."

"Go and sit in the living room. I'll bring her there." Mawra mumbled excitedly, before disappearing to her bedroom upstairs.

Mahira glanced around the house, and walked ahead, being extremely cautious of every human being present there. Since it was Qureshi's first granddaughter's birthday, many guests were present already. And the party was only in the evening. The thought of spending the whole day here has terrified her, but she has to.

"You'll be fine. Don't stress it." Ahil muttered again, noticing his sister's behaviour. She has forgotten that he was there with her as well, faking him a smile she continued to walk.

When they reached the living room, her parents were already seated there. His parents were present there as well, they smiled at her warmly and she returned their smile politely with her salaam before taking a seat beside her father.

All of this could have been avoided if her sister did not get married in this family, but she didn't want to think about it now.

Akram Hussain patted her back assuringly with a small smile and she felt somehow relaxed, and the other people present there continued with their random talks, taking away the attention from her, for which she was super glad.

Half an hour passed, but there was no sight of him. Nor her niece.

"Abbu, I'll go upstairs and meet Abeera." Akram nodded his head surprisingly, the old Mahira would never ask for permission. She did what she wanted to do. But she's changed now, much to everyone's surprise.

Her father nodded his head, making her grin. With a nod, she left from there and walked to her sister's room. Even after four years, she remembered this place with all her heart.

Just as she was about to knock at Mawra's door, her brother-in-law Ibrahim, sneakily kissed her sister's cheeks, who looked distressed for some reason. Her niece was crying in her mother's arms. She pretended like the kiss didn't happen and made them aware of her presence.

Ibrahim glanced at her with a surprised look, slightly shocked to see her here.

Of course, he was shocked, Ibrahim Qureshi was his older brother after all.

"Assalamualaikum," she greeted him politely. He replied her salaam, still in shock.

"I'm sorry Mahi, I told you I will bring her down, but Abeera has been crying nonstop. I don't know what's wrong with her." Mawra rocked her daughter against her chest, who was still crying.

"Can I hold her? Maybe she will stop crying?" Mahira asked with a hopeful glint, she was eager to hold her niece.

"You can try, I think she is suffocated with all the people present here, I told you already Ibrahim we should have conducted an intimate party. What was the need to invite so many people?" Mawra ranted helplessly while passing her daughter to her sister, who stopped wailing for a second and observed the new person holding her.

"Thank God." Ibrahim squeezed his wife's hands, "she is fine, see. I think Mahira has become her new favourite person now." He smiled in relief, seeing his daughter play with her aunt's long hair. Mawra nodded in agreement with a smile of her own.

"I have to check upon the arrangements down, can you take her to the garden Mahi?" Mawra asked, to which Mahira nodded eagerly. It was a miracle that her daughter has stopped crying, she wants to use it in her favour and do some other works now.

"I'll help you." Ibrahim grinned at Mawra with love-struck eyes, even after almost five years of marriage, seeing her sister so much in love warmed Mahira's heart. Will she ever get that day in her life? The question has left her feeling bitter and she wanted to run away from here suddenly.

"I'll take her to the garden then," Mahira announced to them and walked out as fast as she could. Watching love-struck people made her feel sick even after four years of her break up.

***

"Awe, Abeera. Aren't you a cutie?" Mahira gushed as she watched her niece throw the ball excitedly. The little girl was in her own world, enjoying the alone time in the garden. Away from the people. Mahira can tell that she is not a people person.

Mahira immediately clicked few candid pictures of her adorable niece, who threw the ball so up in the air that it got stuck on the branch of a tree. Abeera began to cry, startling her a bit.

"Wait, Abeera. Khalla will do something for you." Mahira assured her animatedly and placed her clutch and phone down the tree before taking a look at it. She wasn't tall, definitely, hands won't help.

And she did the only thing which she could instantly think of.

She freaking climbed the tree.

It was difficult with salwar kameez, but she climbed it anyway.

Abeera watched the crazy woman with wide and curious eyes.

"Here you go." once she got hold of the ball, she threw it down but her eyes went wide when she saw him standing there as well.

Ameen Qureshi didn't know how to react properly seeing the love of his life sitting on a tree, like all those years ago.

Both of them were nostalgic for sure.

It was Mahira who snapped out of her thoughts first, with a huff she tried getting down but lost balance just like all those years ago. Instead of the balloon swimming pool. It was his hands, which caught her today.

They were both in a daze, too shocked to react to anything.

"Hira..." the name left his lips on its own and he noticed her face change colours. Wriggling out of his hold, Mahira furiously glared at him. He dropped her down carefully while Abeera continued playing with her ball, glad for having it back.

"Its Mahira for you. M-A-H-I-R-A." Snapping at him angrily, she sprinted out of there, away from him and everyone else.

Even after four years, it hurt her so damn much. Ameen Qureshi still had that freaking effect on her.