Chapter 3
It was 2 a.m. But there was no sign of Ayzel at home. Saliha visited the restaurant where she worked but to her dismay, Ayzel already left.
Both Arham and she were waiting patiently for her. They lured Farheen to sleep somehow. But their own sleep was gone. Saliha was having an estimation about Ayzel's whereabouts. But she did not want to voice her thoughts. Beavsue that would be the most horrible thing if Ayzel is with him.
"Aunt Saliha can't we look at the roads for Mama? Doesn't she have any other friends than you?" worried Arham asked her. Tears were already gathered in his eyes.
Little did he know, his mother had more enemies than friends.
Saliha shook her head in denial.
Suddenly a hard knock startled them. They both looked at each other. It could not be Ayzel, as she had the key for the lock.
Then who?
Scared Saliha, opened the door. And the answer to their questions was standing there. A lone tear escaped her eye. She understood the end time of her friend had come. That was why she did not return home. And now she would never return.
"Come in." Saliha allowed him to enter inside. Following her, Zain entered. Saliha went further and stood close to the couch.
Arham looked to see who had come.
"Papa!" his voice instantly brought tears to Zain's eyes.
Zain instantly sat on his knees and opened his arms for his son. Arham immediately went to him.
Zain inhaled his son's fragrance. What a moment was that for a father.
Before coming here many thoughts were coming into his mind about whether his son would recognize him or not.
He was eight months old at the time when he saw him last time. Now he was six years and a few months old. His father missed a big part of his childhood
"My little lion grew into a king. Papa missed you so much. Did you miss Papa?" he was crying. His son called him Papa. He recognized him.
"Yes, Daddy. I missed you so much. I love you." He was happy to see his father.
Zain kissed him left and right. He thought Ayzel would have filled his mind with hatred. But here the case was the opposite. He thought he would have to work hard to win back him. But it was not the case.
"I love you too, my lion. My life. My son." He kept his son in his embrace.
"Aunt Saliha, where is Mama?" the sleepy voice of Farheen gathered everyone's attention. She came out of the room with her teddy bear.
Saliha started to sweat. This was not supposed to happen. Zain's and Fairy's encounter. No, No, No.
Zain's full attention was on that little girl.
"Fairy, go to your room. NOW!" Saliha intensely ordered her.
With a pouting face, she looked to the side only to find a surprise.
"PAPA!" she exclaimed in joy and rushed to the Zain.
"My Papa is back. Yeahhhhh! My Daddy is here!" her excitement had no level. She was jumping and clapping in joy. Even Zain felt more warmth and excitement in her hug as compared to Arham's.
But who was she? And why she was calling him Papa?
He cupped her face and searched her eyes to find any clue of her paternity.
They were oceanic blue. Neither Ayzel had that eye color nor Sameer. Yet he felt a familiarity with her eyes.
Both were starting each other.
"She is not what you are thinking." Saliha's stern reply broke his chain of thoughts. Was he that loud?
"Papa, is Mama with you?" Arham asked her. How much he was concerned for her mother? Zain clenched his fist and nodded.
"Is she fine?" Arham asked him.
"Of course, she would be fine. she is with Papa, not with a stranger. He must be taking good care of Mama. Right, Papa?" She asked with her full smile.
Zain nodded only. What did she know, how much he was taking care of her mother?
"Arham take her inside. I will call you, later." Saliha instructed them.
"NO! I will not go inside. I will not leave my papa. Otherwise, he will go away again." Farheen refused straight at her face and put her tiny and skinny arms around Zain's neck. Like the Garland of her arms could stop him. She was shaking her head and crying.
They couldn't afford her crying. She was already very weak and got sick easily.
"Fairy, I promise We won't leave without you." Arham tried to coax her too. But she was already hiccuping with big fat tears.
Her tears affected Zain's heart for an unknown reason.
"Fairy!" Saliha tried to reason with her. But that little girl did not cooperate.
"Hey, listen to me. Stop crying. Okay! I won't go without you both. I will call you after talking with your aunt." After a very long time, he had spoken softly with a strange.
"Promise?" there was an uncertainty in her eyes.
"Promise," Zain assured her.
Only then did she go inside with Arham.
"She is adopted by Ayzel and me. She considers Ayzel her mother and Arham her brother that's why she mistook you for her father." Saliha answered his curiosity. She folded her arms on her chest. The anger for Zain was evident on her face.
"Looks like, your so-called friend has informed you so much about me," Zain smirked.
"You already have taken Ayzel with you or more accurately captivated her. Arham is your son, so you have every right to take him. But you should have not lied to Farheen." Saliha was pissed off.
It would be more difficult for her to separate Farheen from Zain. She will definitely create a fuss.
But how did she come to know about Zain when she and Ayzel tried very hard to protect her ears even from the word father? With just one look, she was calling him, her papa.
"Who said I lied?" He smiled evilly.
He must be kidding.
"No. She is not going with you." Saliha was not believing him.
"And who will stop me? Your dead body?" he exhibited his gun in front of her.
He was genuinely a psychopath. How would poor Ayzel survive his torture?
Saliha gulped.
The kids came out of the room without being called. Farheen was wearing her jacket and her shoulder bag. She packed the little belongings she needed. The teddy was still in her hand.
"Come on Papa. Let's go. It's already very late. You and Aunt Saliha can talk on the phone, later." she gripped his hand with her tiny hands and dragged Zain outside.
She just wanted to fly from here. She was not trusting any single moment here.
"Fairy, won't you give a goodbye hug?" Saliha's plea turned her, otherwise, she was almost out.
Saliha hugged the kids to her content and kissed them, inhaling their angelic scent. She had no idea when would she see them again. They were the tiny bundles of joy when they came into her life. Now they were leaving as the grown-ups.
The memories of four years flashed in front of her eyes. The time she saw for them, even they were not aware of it. Today if they were breathing, it was only due to her.
She was their Gardner. She grew their buds into the flowers. Now Zain was taking them away.
She had a big role in their life. She was going to be alone again. This thought alone jabbed her heart.
"Take care of her. You are her big brother." She told Arham. He nodded.
The driver took them outside. Zain asked her to pack some necessary stuff for Farheen. Everything was already prepared for Arham in his mansion. But Farheen's entrance was unexpected.
When Zain was exiting, carrying a duffle bag, in which Farheen's clothes were packed, Saliha's last question stopped him.
"Is she alive?" she asked about Ayzel.
"Yes, for now." He replied without looking at her.
"Would you let her return? After you are done? I mean after your revenge?" she gulped hard at the end.
"Why? Do you want to arrange her funeral? Don't worry, she will have a proper funeral. I will invite you too." he smirked and then left.
His answer paralyzed Saliha. She slumped on the couch. A lump formed in her throat. She was regretting why she let Farheen go that easily. He had been blinded in revenge.
"Ya Allah, what should I do? Ayzel trusted me with one responsibility and I failed it." She clutched her head in her hands.
How would she save Fairy from Zain's clutches? If he was not sparing Ayzel, even though she was the mother of his son. Then fairy has no chance at all, once her truth is exposed. Arham was not big enough to protect her, now.
She could only pray for the life of her friend and her daughter.
A miracle that would change Zain's heart.