She was having a happy sleep at the mid hour of the night,when a thud and jumping of two pair of legs alerted her, even in this late hour of night. The room was dark, so she immediately but quietly grabbed the heavy vase kept on the corner table and hit in the air. By chance, it was a bulls eye,the accurate shot.

"Ah!", she heard someone whining and was almost confirmed in her head that it was a thief when she guessing switched on the lights, after opening the knob of the gate and was about to call everyone in the house, a hard hand came to her mouth and shut her.

Now, the lights were on but her eyes were tightly closed, as she was sure it was some thief or other non-social element. But after a second she opened her eyes and widened her eyes.


"Ummm!! Ummm!", she was almost choking in his hold and wanted to try something but it seemed that the guy was lost in something, she glared him with corner of eyes but he was not losing the hold, and was lost in something.

So she bit her hand and turned to face him, giving him a deadly glare at which another guy laughed in fits of laughter.

"Asad ke bacche phir aa gaye aadhi raat ko?", she chewed her words and put her hands on her waist.

He gave him fake smile and pulled her cheeks, "It's your birthday", and winked.

She too gave a fake smile and turned back, "And Haider you?I know he is dumb but how can you being a gentleman can enter a girl's room from the window, at this hour of night?"

"Zoya! Actually Asad told me to come with him so...", he tried to explain her at which she licked her lips and turned back to face Asad.

"I knew it. This foolish idea can belongs to Janab AsadAhmed Khan only", she sarcastically taunted him at which he opened her mouth in a perfect O shape and replied, "See, what's wrong in that bachpan se aise hi aata hoon tumhare birthday pe"

"Then do something new. Can't you?", Zoya taunted him back.

Between this sweet and sour conversation of two friends the new one interrupted, "hey, this year I am new", he stopped for a while and continued with a gloomy face, "and this smashed cake"

"Ye kaise hua", Asad asked worriedly.

"when Zoya hit my head", Haider replied and Zoya immediately asked for a sorry, "I am so sorry jyada zor se to nahi lagi"

"No I am fine", Haider smiled.

Asad looked at her and made an awful mouth, "Oh hello! Mere bhi haath mein lagi hai"

"Wo to tum bachpan se so called heroic entry lete honaislie", at which he hit her shoulder lightly.

Zoya smiled fake again and replied, "Abbu and Humeira are in their rooms, but at the home jag jate to?"

"Sorry!", he held his ears and asked for pardoning him and she smiled genuinely looking him like a child and shuffled his hairs and he gave her a friendly hug, looking which Haider's lips creep into a smile.

They wished her hugged her and then bid a good bye, "Okay will meet in the office, tomorrow morning"

"Bye", she waved her hand and muttered to herself with a smile, "Lucky you, Zoya Farrooqui"

Next morning,

"Ya allah! I have everything in my life I am so happy,thanks for everything. I just want one special gift to cherish my birthday that, make every birthday of mine a memory to remember, every year.", Zoya bowed down the head after offering the first namaz of the day and wrapped the rug.

She was just done with her namaaz when a sweet voice uttered, "Ameen!", she turned back towards the door and found her younger sister Humeira waiting for her chance to wish and smiled.

"Humeira!"

"Happy birthday aapi", Humeira ran and chirpily hugged her elder one in her arms, who pulled her cheeks at which she irked, "Aapi don't pull my cheeks or I will complain Abbu"

"Kar de mera kya hai waise bhi Abbu loves me more" and Zoya pulled her cheeks again and laughed at which Humeira pout.

A man in his early fifties coughed at the door, "What is cooking here?"

"Abbu!", Zoya left Humeira and ran to hug her father and he too wrapped her elder one in his arms and then wished, "Janamdin bahut bahut mubaraq ho aapko", and he did something so that skies keeps her daughter away from all the sins and evil eyes.

Humeira, who was, making gloomy faces asked, "Abbu you love me more na?"

"No. me", Zoya teased her at which Humeira replied like a kid, "No. me"

Their tease and denial session was going on when Gaffur stopped them, "Acchaa okay. I love you both equally. How can we calculate love?Kamaal karte ho dono", he hit both on their head and they bit their tongues respectively.

"aww!", In unison they said and hugged him back.

----

Zoya parked her car in the parking and humming a song she entered in the small firm belonged to her and Asad, her childhood friend. They were established as the co-owners of "the ARChitects" ,before two years, and currently were giving best to the city.

"Happy birthday ma'am", all the staff immediately stood up when she entered from the entrance, chewing her gum, so friendly and grounded.She bowed down like a friend and signaled everyone to sit down.

She frankly thanked everyone and entered to the cabin, where a lady was already present. Her eyes fell on her and she threw her bag on the table and tightly hugged her, "Happy birthday mera baccha!", the lady kissed Zoya's forehead.

"Dilshad Aunty you made my day, now my birthday is complete", she thanked her for coming holding her hands.

At which Dilshad smiled, "How couldn't I, it is your birthday after all"

"Haan bas aise hi sir chadhaya hai ise", Asad teased Zoya while entering inside the cabin when Dilshad and Zoya opened their mouth open.

At which Haider laughed, who usually work for legal advisory but today he was here to wish Zoya again and celebrate a little party with the friends.

Asad kept on taunting, "Bachpan se mujhse jyada isko pyaar karti hain", he made a child like face at which Zoya showed him some attitude.

"Oh my God! Ye drama yaha office mein bhi chalta hai?",Dilshad was not shocked but surprised at which Haider nodded his head monotonously.

"Do 4 saal ke bacche kabhi badal sakte hain", Haider gave this example and exchanged a laughing hi-fi with Dilshad.

At which the two left out kids exchanged a gloomy glare as if someone has stole their chocolate bar and hit Haider's head in unison and fought a friendly fight.

"I hope all you three remain same, especially you two, she looked at Asad and Zoya", Dilshad thought and smiled.

After, Rashid's demise in a suicide Dilshad wasn't alone;she had her seven year old son Asad and an unborn Najma in her womb. She had lot of difficulties in her life, the left out debts of her husband and the upcoming up and downs of life. But she has to deal with them anyhow.

So she chose to live for her children and started tailoring and embroidery work for upper middle class ladies. Once, a customer came with her little dotting daughter, Zoya who mixed up with Asad as if they knew each other since ages and since from there, they are friends.

---

Present:

By chance, a police van passed from the accident area and found the car lying in a dead condition. The police checked the car and two bodies lying one half on the road and half in the car. Whereas, another fixed with the safety belt in the car but stained with blood.

The police immediately called ambulance.

"What is the report doctor? Are they alive?", the police inspector asked.

"This is found from his body, his name is Haider ali Khan and he is no more, died at the spot" the senior resident hid Haider's face with the crisp white bed sheet and handed over his documents to the policeman.

The policeman nodded his head and asked again, "And the lady, what about her?"

"She is--- She is alive, will be fine soon, some wounds are their will be fine", the doctor replied sincerely at which the police man nodded his head, "lucky girl! Bahut heavy accident tha.", and licked his lips.

Asad on the another side of the universe, in the golf ground was discussing about Zoya with his friend Jack.

When Jack moved to gulped down some water, Asad thought about her and one thing came to his mind that not everything is fine and made him restless.

"What happen man?", Jack asked Asad confusingly, who was lost in something in his mind, about whether everything is fine or not, which was making him so restless.

Asad jerked his head and denied as he was trying to say,"Nothing!"

"Fine", the confused American guy didn't bother to ask once again due to his jean and started playing once again.

Whereas Asad licked his lips and gulped down a fresh juice glass in a single attempt, being so nervous.

---



On the other side of the universe, in the late hour of the night, the policeman asked his junior, "Have you found something in the car, or about the car owner?"

"Sir! This purse, I have found from the back seat, but there is some money,nothing else", he informed.

The policeman licked his lips and scratched his beard, "Then contact to the family of this man, who has died."

"Sir!", the junior followed the order and left for the address of the driving licence.

He buzzed the bell and an elderly lady opened the door, which seemed like a maid, "Haider Ali's house?"

"Jee. But sir and madam are not at home sir", she shaking answered, scared from the police.

"I know why they out were? Any idea?", the policeman asked.

The maid nodded her head positively and answered, "Today is mamsaab's birthday so saab wanted to surprise her, that is it, I know"

"Fine. Is there anyone else at home", the police asked.

"No sir. Saab and Mamsaab used to live together here. Bas no one else", the maid shivered at last.

"Koi family member nahi rehta yaha par? Quiet unbelievable",the policeman discussed with the constable but the maid intervene, "Our saab is orphan, isilie"

"Oh!", the policeman dotted.

The scared maid asked, "but what happen sir? Aap itni pooch taach kyu kar rahe hain?"

"Your saab is no more", the policeman simply said and she gasped with shock but the policeman lastly inquired, "tumhari mamsaab ka koi rishtedaar hai?"

She nodded in a yes, "Unke abbu or behen, Humeira"

"What is his name?", he asked again.

She licked her lips twice, "Gaffur Farrooqui"

"The famous defense lawyer?", he asked to confirm.

"Jee", and saying this she sat down on the sofa holding her head.

The police immediately reached Farroqui mansion to take the details about the person who died and to inform them. It was midnight hour when the door bell disturbed the slumber of the father and daughter duo.

Gaffur opened the door and the police informed him about the accident and the death of his son-in-law, "He has died before reaching the hospital"

Humeira who was massaging her eyes asked her father came,"Kya hua abbu"

"Nothing. Aap andar jao bacche", Gaffur did not want to share the sad news with her daughter at this hour of night, so he simply liedbut she caught him.

"Police is at home abbu, kuch to hua hoga na", Humeira asked again.

Gaffur looked here and there and when he thought he would get nothing by hiding the truth he narrated, "Haider....Haider is no more"

"Ah!", Humeira was in a shock and she immediately asked in tears, "where is aapi?"

"Mrs. Haider ali is in hospital, she has wounds but fine",the police informed her at which she cupped her mouth in tears so as Gaffur's eyes were moist.

And they immediately ran towards the hospital.

---

Past:

"Ah!", Zoya panicked in the morning jog when a glass piece pricked in her barefoot, as in she has removed her shoes on the acupressure surface.

Her foot was stained with blood, "Oh sh*t aapi aap dekhke nahi chal sakte", Humeira scolded her.

"It is paining really hard", Zoya said in tears, at the same time Humeira removed her scarf and tied it on her foot and Zoya immediately jumped on her scooter on the back seat to bandage the foot.

In one single bandage, Humeira scolded her aapi umpteenth times as she was her mother and bandaged it finally.

In the evening, a familiar voice came from the living area,so Zoya immediately hid inside the duvet and mocked as she was having a peaceful sleep.

"Kuch logo ko kaam par na aane ka bahana chahiye hota hai", Asad too mocked as he was serious.

Zoya rolled her eyes under the duvet but didn't react so much, as she wanted him to believe that she was literally sleeping.

Asad massaged his temples as he was confirmed that she was trying to act and wasn't having a sleep, so he tried to search for another idea and he got it too, "Nahi uthegi? Thik hai bhaad mein ja main chala and saying this he leave too.

By confirming this,she too left her duvet and took a deep breath and he immediately came, "Arey I forgot something"

And by this she caught red handed so she bit her lower lip,"Wo....main to abhi soke uthi when did you come", and yawned fake.

"Pehle ye to pooch bhula kya?", he asked sugar coated.

By scooping her in his arms he said, "Tujhe doctor ke paas le jana"

"Tum isi lie aaye ho?", she opened her mouth.

"Jee haan septic ho gaya to?", he asked and tossed her in his arms.

She made faces and looked at Humeira, "And who the idiot has informed you?"

"Hain humare jasoos is ghar ke kone kone mein", he said in the way as he was angrezon ke zamane ka jailor from Sholay.

She mocked him and warned her sister, "Tujhe to main dekh lungi,you know na mujhe injection se bahut dar lagta hai"

"Par koi dar humari dosti se jyada hai kya", he asked in a serious tone and she nodded negatively.

-----

Present:


Looking at the situation of Zoya, Humeira cried her heart out as she wasn't in a state to look at Haider's dead body, so Gaffur examined it in the morgue and confirmed that he was his son-in-law, and cried for her daughter.

"Aaj agar Asad Bhai hote yaha to aapi ko sambhal lete", Humeira murmured in her mind.

Gaffur gulped down the fresh saliva formed, "Humein abhi ye sochna hai ki Haider ke bare mein Zoya ko kaise aur kab batayenge"

Hearing this Humeira sobbed in his father's chest and said,"Why my aapi? Humesha unke sath hi kyu aisa hota hai?"

"Everything will be fine. Allah sab thik karega", he consoled her daughter rubbing her back and caressing her hair, and pray to the skies that whatever he is telling to her daughter will be true.



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A/N: Thank you so much for your feedback for the prologue. I hope you will be liking the chapter one as well. Please leave your likes and comments.

Thanks

Aditi