Setting sun promises end and ending promises pain. But not always. Some endings are beautiful. No matter how agonizing the journey might be, destination could be as beautiful as the night sky galore with twinkling starts dusted over the glimmering moon.

Even though Ayyan had gotten his lost yet found family back, he still hadn't let go of Safa; keeping her close to himself. In his sight all the time. He had gotten used to her presence around him ever since he took admission in the school. She had always been that understanding teacher that always motivated him and loved him as if he were her own child. The love he had never gotten in his house. So succumbing to the outside world was his only resort. This is human nature.

You always go to people who love you. Even if they are strangers.

His father was also very well acquainted with the bond his son shared with his teacher. So not wanting to intervene, he didn't circle around him much. Ayyan had forgiven him and he didn't want to ruin anything for him now. His son deserved this much of liberty.

The entire day was spent with Mansha and Safa talking with him, playing with him, and conversing about random things. Mansha had told him about her joining the school and the look on Ayyan's face was worth million dollars on knowing his sister was finally doing what she had always dreamt of.

Everything was good but still nothing was good. There was happiness yet there was melancholy. There was hope which was nothing but a mirage.

"I think you should go now. It's already Maghrib (sunset) and you also don't know your way around the city. Don't wanna create any inconvenience for you. I'll spend the night here with Ayyan. Baba has already booked the room in hotel and will be back soon."

Mansha announced from where she was sitting beside Ayyan, ruffling her hand through his hair.

Safa wanted to protest but they were his family and she knew her limits. She didn't want to act like she cared more about him than they did which she did. She was still so scared about him. So terrified, her heart might as well just burst out.

With a heavy heart, she nodded. Both the siblings needed some alone time and she didn't want to prey.

******

Once done with his office work, he had gone to the hospital to check up on Ayyan. Also, he had to pick Safa up from there but on finding she had already left, his anger knew no bounds. She was his responsibility as long as she was staying at his place and he didn't want any dirt on his family's respectful name in case anything happened to her. The reason he had been keeping his torture tactics at bay. They weren't to be applied as long as she was living under their roof.

With his face contorted in exasperated expressions, he stepped in the palatial room and the next thing he heard didn't help lessen it either.

"Yeah, I was in so much daze that I was almost about to fall on the conductor as soon as I got up to leave the bus."

Safa's voice reverberated around the premises.

"Haye, conductor k mazey!"

(Ah, it must have been fun for the conductor!)

Raina chirped dreamily and Safa convulsed her head as she muttered "Astaghfirullah!"

Shaking his head, Azlan walked in with long strides and stood in front of them. Teeth clenched, and jaws stiffened, his fumed up face indicated he had overheard the conversation as he stood rooted there, tall in his intimidating and astute stature; coal black coat hanging lopsidedly on his sinewy forearm.

"AsSalamuAlaikum, bhai!"

Raina stood up with a cheeky smile while Safa timidly played with ends of her sleeves.

"WalaikumAsSalam!" He threw a glaring glance at Raina who staggered back, knowing he had heard her remark on what Safa had told her.

"Why didn't you wait for me? What was the rush?"

He accosted her with his authoritative but calm tone and she craned his head towards him.

"I wanted to come back so I did."

She announced sternly.

His lips pressed into a thin line but he composed himself. He didn't want to create any ruckus in his house.

"Look, Ms. Hayat, as long as you are under my roof, you are my responsibility and my family and I are the ones accountable for your safety here. Otherwise, I really do not care whatever you do or wherever you go."

Such calm tone. Such harsh words. But he was right. She didn't want to be ungrateful for their hospitality so she didn't make any snide remark and nodded, startling Azlan.

"Good!"

He rode up the stairs and strolled towards his room.

******

"I have asked Arham to bring your clothes here so you can stop wearing mom's."

The usual clanking of forks and knives on the dinner table was disturbed by Azlan's nonchalant jibe. Safa's hands stopped in the proccess of cutting herself a morsel of chicken. Her face deadpan.

"Azlan!"

Mrs. Shehryar's inflamed voice suffused in his ears who was so engrossed in eating that he stopped and raised his eyebrows in bewilderment as if he didn't realize the gravity of his words which he actually didn't.

"What?"

"What is the matter with you?"

Raina smcked him with the back of her hand.

"Who says stuff like that?"

"What?"

He rubbed his bicep where Raina had hit him.

"I just told her her luggage will arrive soon. What's wrong in that?"

"This is not how you announce things, Azlan bachay!"

Mr. Shehryar interjected from where he was slouched at the one end of the table. Sameena shook her head.

"Yes, dad!"

He bowed down. Arguing with his patents wasn't how Azlan Shehryar rolled. He knew how to respect his elders.

He turned his head towards Safa to reconstruct his statement.

"Your clothes will arrive tomorrow so you can start wearing your own."

Raina smacked her forehead while Mr. And Mrs. Shehryar convulsed their heads in synchronization.

So this arsehead really doesn't have any etiquettes, neither the right state of mind to realize his rudeness. I hope he bites his tongues accidentally.

"Ow!"

His sudden exclamation pulled her out of her haze.

"What happened?"

Mrs. Shehryar asked hurriedly as she poured him a glass of water.

"I bit my tongue."

Wow, that worked like a charm!

A soft chuckle escaped Safa's lips which he did notice but didn't rebuke back. This woman was gradually becoming the cause of him being scolded by his parents and he wasn't liking it.

******

"Wow!"

She exclaimed as she fingered the laminated frames hanging on the photo frame wall at the east wing of their palatial house.

"I know, right?"

Raina piped in, her hands akimbo.

"Bhai has always been so keen about photography. Reason why my Instagram is so aesthetic."

She said proudly.

"Hmm. I can see that."

Safa analyzed the scenic photography under her awestruck gaze.

Everything was so serene and perfect about each one of them. The angle, the saturation, the colors. Everything. Perfect. And it was making her fall in love with nature. Who could say the person behind these mesmerizing photos was just as much repulsive as attractive they were?

Then, she moved towards the second part of the wall which contained the pictures he had taken of himself. One thing she had noticed was that all these pictures were taken in the under constructed and low profile areas where people would starve to death. And he wasn't alone in either one of them. In each photo, ample kids were enveloped around him. Some hugging his muscular arms; one or the other would be propped up on his lean and broad shoulders.

The other thing common in them was that they all belonged to poor families which was vividly apparent through their shoddy apparels and shaggy aporeances.

What was his obsession with children? It was one thing that he wanted the youth to succeed in their lives. But it was something more than that. Something completely beyond that. The horrified look on his face when she'd told him about Ayyan flashed across her eyes. He was petrified. But why? Was did he care about children so much?

"Oh, look, there's mine and bhai's together." Raina perked up as she pointed on the said picture.

"The only one. We took this when we went on a trip to Thailand."

Safa's eyes shifted towards the duo. His hands protectively wrapped around his baby sister in a brotherly manner as she snuggled deep in his warm embrace.

That was the first time when she concentrated on both the siblings from so close. There was a stark difference between their eyes. Hers were hazel while his a deep combination of obsidian lit up with swirls of brown. Even the resemblance that was supposed to be there wasn't there. Maybe because of the gender difference.

"Alright alright. Don't stare too much. I know I'm very pretty."

Raina brought her out of her trance as she wounded her arm around her shoulders.

"Let's go have some coffee now."

******