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Tears cascaded down Raina's cheeks like a broken faucet while the perpetual hiccups didn't leave her side for once.

"Mera bacha! (My kid!)" Azlan enveloped her quavering body in his embrace as he stroke her hair, his chin resting on her dishevelled hair.

"I failed this one, too, bhai. I'm such a failure!" She cursed herself as she pulled away, her voice breaking into tiny fragments.

"Don't say that. You're anything but a failure, my love."

But she kept shaking her head, hysterically. His words meant nothing to her, right now.

"You're just saying that because I'm your sister." She sniffed. "When in reality, I'm nothing but a failure. A big one. I failed three tests, bhai. Can you believe that? Three tests? Three chances?"

"Exactly my point." He held her hands. "You were given three chances, Ray. But you still couldn't get in."

"That makes me feel so much better. Thank you so much!" She smiled plastic, hot liquid still pouring down her porcelain face akin to the cold one outside.

"No! Why do you always have to look at the bleak side, hun? The point is even after three chances, you couldn't get in which means it was not better for you, the thing was not meant to be for you in the first place. Alright, look at it this way." He shifted in his position as Raina waited from him to continue. "You took one year off, worked so damn hard, gave your 101%, right?"

She nodded, not knowing where he was going with all this.

"Now, you've scored 100/100 in that criteria, so let's leave it aside for a while now. But when it came to the result, you scored below merit. Now whose fault is that?" He arched his eyebrows up while Raina tried to fathom the answer to his question.

"Neither yours nor anyone else's which only leaves us with one option and that is, there was something in it that wasn't good for your cause. It could have been dangerous for you but Allah (SWT) saved you THREE TIMES, Ray, THREE FREAKING TIMES! Talk about favoritism!" He feigned to be hurt as he scrunched his nose.

Everyone had been telling her the same thing for days but it was the way Azlan had put it into words that made her see sense as she went silent.

"You have to understand not everything in this world is for you, bachey."

His words were making an impact on her and he could sense it. After a deep elongated silence, she finally spoke up.

"You're right." This time her voice didn't break. "Also, there are ample other problems in this world that need more attention. Mine doesn't even matter." She shrugged and a scowl emerged on Azlan's forehead. This was the exact mindset he was talking about. The mindset he had always abhorred.

Cupping her cheek, he proceeded.

"Don't belittle your problems, Ray. You matter and so do they. Don't run away from them. Acknowledge them. Let it hurt, cry over it, and then let it go. I never wanna hear this gibberish again, okay? Acceptance is the first step to letting go. You understand that?"

She nodded with a weak but determined smile.

"Good." He said as he dropped a chaste kiss atop her head.

******

"Would you mind if I asked you a favor?" Sameena said from where she was slouched in the couch.

"Of course, not. Anything for you, auntie!" Safa leaned forward.

"I know it's really mean of me but can you please stay here for a few days?"

Safa staggered as she opened her mouth to say something but Sameena beat her to it.

"I'm not asking forever." She said in haste, desperation written all over her face. "Just until Raina gets back to normal. You know, she's been locked inside these four walls for over a year now. I know she doesn't complain or anything but I'm a mother; I know she feels loney. Azlan is always busy in his work and all. Shehryar and I are not her age to accompany her. Our thought processes are always contradicting. She needs someone her age or around it."

Her words sounded more like a plea as they pierced through Safa's heart. How could she say no to a woman who put a roof on her head? A woman who treated her like her own daughter. A woman who didn't let her feel any less than the members of this house. No. She didn't have guts to say no to her.

"You know I saw that spark in her eyes when Azlan announced your sojourn in this house. That light in her eyes told how happy she was to find a companion. And let's be honest you had fun, too, with her, right? Besides..."

"Auntie." Safa intervened as she held her hands before she could go on with another of her long desperate convincing speeches. "I'm staying." An assuring smile had graced her lips which soon mirrored Sameena's.

"Thanks, my child!" Her eyes welled up as she left a lingering kiss on Safa's forehead.

Child. This word. This damn word which might not hold a plethora of emotions for many people out there but for her, it was like a balm to all her wounds; a lullaby to her yearning ears; dancing butterflies to her churning stomach.

It was the beeping of her phone that pulled her out of her stupor. Sameena wasn't there in the lounge anymore. Must have gone to arrange the dinner table.

She held the phone and Asmara's message flashed on the screen.

Bish, are you okay? I've heard the weather is going all Safa Hayat in Islamabad, right now.

WalaikumAsSalam, I'm good, Alhamdulillah! How are you?

Don't go all sanctimonious on me. Just tell me if you're okay.

No, I'm on my deathbed, right now. But still surfing through my phone 'cause priorities.

Aww shucks, I know I'm your No. 1 priority. You don't always have to remind me that.😌

Narcissist😒

Lol. The irony must be laughing somewhere in the corner.

Here. Take this my love.✋✋✋

Love you, too.

PS: Come home quickly. I'm fed up of throwing my tantrums on these walls that never bark back.

"Where's mom?" She was just typing her reply when Azlan interjected.

"Sir." Impulsively, she shot up on her feet. "Must be arranging the dinner table. I'll go check."

"No. You stay here. I'll go help her."

She just shook her head in okay. He had just turned around to go when suddenly stopped in his tracks. She stared at him confusingly.

"Also, you don't have to carry on with this façade of yours."

"What?" Her brows knitted in bewilderment.

"You know, calling me sir on my face! I'm very much acquainted with the lovely endearments you use for me."

It was as if someone had snatched her breaths from her while a triumphant smirk played on Azlan's unblemished face.

Busted. Will deal with Arham-the-snitch later. That trash!

But Safa Hayat wouldn't be Safa Hayat if she bowed down in front of Azlan Shehryar.

"Yeah, so what?" She held her head up as she folded her arms on her chest. "I've called you such lovely names on your face, too. So if you think, you can intimidate me with your "Oh look, I caught you!", then you're wrong, LUCIFER!"

She whisper yelled the last word right on his face as she stomped out while Azlan stood there with his jaws dropped to the grounds at the way she had turned his game on him only. Talking to her was nothing less than putting his head in a lion's den.

This woman is something.

A slight smile crossed his lips and soon vanished into thin air.

******