"Yumnah gave me reasons to love her more and more every single day."- Yasir Hosseini.

Fear.

Nervousness.

Intense excitement.

Those were just but a few of the many emotions that currently reigned Yasir's heart. There had always been an endless list of things he had always thought he would never get to experience in life...

Marriage.

Falling deeply in love.

And now...

Fatherhood!

As much as he was extremely excited and very much eager to hold his and Yumnah's child in his arms, deep down in his heart, he just had this fear.

The fear of not being accepted.

The fear of not being a good father.

The fear of just not being good enough for his son or daughter.

He of course had the inexplicable immense love for his child right from the special moment Yumnah had told him she was expecting but as the days had gone by and as her due date had neared, he couldn't help but doubt himself more and more each passing day. It of course was a much obvious fact that he was definitely not going to be like most of the 'normal' fathers out there and that is what slowly killed him day by day.

Would he be able to be the ideal father figure in his child's life? Would his child look up to him? Was him being blind going to affect his relationship with his child? Would his child ever question his blindness in the nearby future? Would he or she accept that their father was blind? What about...?

His thoughts were cut short when he heard Yumnah wince due to pain and he quickly took her hand into his squeezing it gently, his heart sinking when he felt her body tremble.

"Yasir...," she whispered, her voice laced with extreme pain.

"Yes, Hayati?"

"I don't think I can do this."

"Of course you can Yumnah. You are a strong woman and I think you...," he said only for her to quickly interrupt him.

"Yasir!"

"Yes?"

"I for sure do not want to come back here. This is the first and last child we are having! Okay?"

"But of course..."

"PROMISE ME!"

"Whatever you want Habibty," he whispered gently, knowing very well that she would literally slap him across the face if he, at that very critical moment, had the slightest bit of audacity to mention the twelve children SHE always wanted.

He bent down to kiss her forehead after which he dug into his shirt's pocket, pulled out a clean handkerchief and lovingly wiped off the excessive amount of sweat from her forehead. Yumnah slightly smiled at his thoughtfulness after which she said, her voice barely audible...

"Thank you Yasir but unfortunately I think you will have to keep doing that every two seconds."

"Isn't that what I'm here for Hayati?"

"What about my Mama? Did Khaleel..."

"She is coming. She will take a while though. There is lots of traffic apparently," he quickly lied hoping that she wouldn't see through his white lie because the last thing he wanted was to tell her that her mother had hung up on Khaleel the minute he had mentioned that Yumnah had gone into labour.

"But...but...its afternoon, there is no traffic right now...," she said as she cried out in pain once again, her heart yearning for only but her mother and poor Yasir could do nothing but gently squeeze her hand in reassurance.

"Yes Hayati but...," he began, honestly not knowing what to tell her and immediately let out a huge sigh of relief when he heard footsteps which he assumed were those of the nurse that was attending to his wife.

"Yumnah my dear," began the nurse only to be quickly cut off by a now extremely agitated Yumnah.

"WHERE ON EARTH IS THE DOCTOR?"

"Don't worry dear. He will be here soon."

"Excuse me? What do you mean by soon? He should have been here like yesterday."

"I am sorry, he got caught up but he is currently on his way as we speak..."

"Oh, trust me he is so lucky that I am also kind "caught up" right now otherwise Wallah I can already see myself egging his house with the rottenest eggs I can get my hands on and his house is going to stink and he stinks and everyone else stinks and..."

"Yumnah, please calm down," said Yasir as he once again wiped away the sweat that was continuously forming on is wife's forehead.

"NO!"

"Please?"

"I SAID NO!"

"Fine but it's honestly okay Hayati. The nurse did say that the doctor is coming..."

"EXCUSE ME? I am sorry but did you just say that IT'S OKAY? DID MY HUSBAND JUST THAT IT'S OKAY?" asked Yumnah as she turned to face the nurse questioningly who in returned only but gulped.

"Yumnah my love, listen...," began Yasir and was instantly cut off.

"GET OUT!"

"What?!"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

"But...but...," stammered Yasir, completely confused as to how things escalated so quickly and let out a sigh of defeat when the nurse said...

"I am sorry Sir but she seems to be getting more and more agitated by the minute. It would be best if you leave."

"But..."

"I am really very sorry Sir," said the nurse as she helped guide him out of the room and poor Yasir almost died of embarrassment because the minute the nurse opened the door to let him out, Yumnah shouted...

"AND GO GET YOUR TWELVE KIDS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST CHILD YOU ARE HAVING FROM ME AND DON'T YOU DARE MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN, YASIR. I WILL KILL THE BOTH OF YOU.TRY ME!"

"Excuse me, is he with you?" Yasir heard the nurse ask and he let out a huge sigh of relief when he heard Khaleel's voice who immediately took him by the hand and led him to sit on one of the hospital benches nearby.

The two brothers sat in an awkward silence, Khaleel totally not being able to control himself and it took him only a mere couple of seconds to blurt out...

"Bro!"

"DON'T!" exclaimed Yasir as passed his hand continuously over his beard out of frustration.

"But...but..."

"JUST DON'T!"

"But like..."

"NOT... EVEN... A... SINGLE... WORD... KHALEEL."

"But like TWELVE children seriously? Like really? What are you guys? Machines?" asked Khaleelo, as usual, not being able to contain himself.

"YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO SHUT UP, DO YOU?"

"Okay fine! But just know that you are really lucky that Khalo wasn't around and he didn't get to hear that. Otherwise, he would probably be lynching you somewhere, right now as we speak and...and I would totally support him. Sheesh, like I swear men can really be trash at times, like how could you even expect "poor" Yumnah to bear you twelve kids?"

Yasir took in a deepest breath he could, the urge to strangle Khaleel right there and then strongly coursing through him. He then turned towards his cousin, one of his eyebrows raised questioningly and asked...

"Between me and Yumnah, whom do you HONESTLY think would want twelve kids?"

"GOOD POINT!" said Khaleel after a while to which Yasir just but merely nodded his head.

"So umm...then..."

"So umm then what?" asked Yasir, now not being sure if he had been better off with Yumnah inside or with the 'extremely burning with curiosity Khaleelo'.

"So umm then why did you get thrown out?"

"I'm guessing it got to the part where she realised that it's all MY fault?" said Yasir with a sigh and Khaleel could not help but burst out in loud cackling laughter.

"Yeah sure. Laugh like a hyena. Your time will come as well and Wallah Khaleel I promise you on that day I will..."

"Can't wait for that day," said Khaleel as his eyes flickered to Asiya who had just entered the hospital's hallway, a large bouquet of flowers and balloons in her hands.

"What?" asked Yasir hoping he had heard right.

"Nothing!"

"If I heard right, you just said that you can't wait for that day, bro."

"So?"

"So that means you have someone in mind. Oh my God, you like someone, don't you?"

"NO I DON'T!"

"Of course you do. SPILL!"

"There is nothing to spill," said Khaleel as he mustered all the courage he had to tear his eyes off Asiya who was still quite a distance away.

"I might be blind Khaleelo but I am not insensitive, I can easily make out the change in your voice, so you better start spilling those BEANS...,"said a very much eager Yasir.

"Okay fine. I really really like this one girl okay?"

"Okaaaaay? ANNNNNND?"

"I don't think she likes me. I kind of even feel she hates me."

"What? What did you do to the poor girl Khaleel?"

"Nothing!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"Are you sure you didn't give her one of your many many opinions?"

"No, those are reserved for you and only you Habibi," replied Khaleel playfully.

"Stop flirting with me. My wife will kill you. You heard her right?" said Yasir and both he and Khaleel laughed.

"Okay so... this girl that you like so much...do you want to marry her?"

"Yes!"

"Have you talked to Baba about it?"

"Of course not. It's...it's...complicated!"

"How?" asked Yasir with a frown.

"First of all, from what I gathered, she is still studying and secondly I just don't know when it comes to her you know? When I wanted to marry Yumnah...," said Khaleel, quickly biting his tongue when he heard Yasir inhale sharply.

"I am sorry..."

"It's okay Khaleel. I know that you are the last person i should be insecure of when it comes to Yumnah but I am still her husband you know? The jealousy just comes naturally. I can't really help it. I am sorry and please do continue..."

"Are you sure?"

"But of course!"

"It's just that when I wanted to marry Yumnah, I didn't have any feelings for her whatsoever. All I saw was a good woman and that was it. But with this girl, things are different. İ don't know why but I am scared. I am literally hell of nervous. I don't even know if she wants to get married especially since she is studying. I dont want to be a distraction. And what if she doesnt like me back, you know? I dont know why but with her, it matters to me. I want her to like me."

Yasir remained silent for a while and as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Khaleel quickly shushed him down.

"Save what you have to say for later. Yumnah's friend Asiya is walking towards us right now. Be very nice okay?

"Oh!"

Wait, how did Khaleel even know Asiya and why on earth did he have to clarify to him to be very nice?"

"Khaleel how do you know...," began Yasir but by then Asiya had gotten to where they both were seated.

"Asalam aleikum," she said shyly, her voice barely audible.

"Waleikum salam," both the brothers replied in unison, Khaleel's voice obviously being the loudest.

"Uncle Bilal called to tell me that Yumnah went into labor and asked if I could come over. Yumnah is like my sister and I thought..."

"You don't have to explain anything Asiya. Yumnah will be very much delighted to have you here. Thank you so much for coming. It honestly means a lot to us," said Yasir while all this time Khaleel had his gaze fixed to the floor.

"I...I...I will sit on one of the benches nearby as we wait," she said and Yasir just but nodded his head in agreement.

Asiya sat down with a sigh on one of the benches a few metres away from the two men and as soon as she looked up, her eyes once again met with Khaleel's deep blue eyes. She immediately pulled out her phone pretending to furiously type something on it while blood rushed to her chubby cheeks.

"So about this girl you like," began Yasir once again but was once again hushed down by Khaleel.

"Khalo and Khaltu are coming our way."

"But what about...?" Yasir wanted to ask but stopped when his dear Mama rushed to him and engulfed him in the biggest ever, bear like hug.

"Alhamdullilah, I just cannot believe that my little baby boy is going to become a father today," said Yasmin, her eyes tearing up with joy.

"How is our dear Yumnah?" asked Hussein, his face full of concern.

"She didn't look too well last time i was with her."

"In Sha Allah, she will be fine. Our Yumnah is a very strong girl," said Yasmin as her eyes flickered to Asiya who was still seated quite a distance away from them and with the way her eyes kept looking everywhere but at that them, Yasmin could easily figure that the young girl was a tad bit too shy.

"Asiya!" she called out and Asiya quickly stood up and made their way towards them, her heart beating thunderously against her chest.

"Asalam aleikum," she said, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"Waleikum salam," replied each and everyone in unison and for a while Asiya was completely taken aback.

This was indeed a very special family.

"Hussein, this is dear Asiya. Yumnah's beautiful but extremely shy friend," said Yasmin as she pulled Asiya closer to her.

"MashAllah and why doesn't Yumnah's very shy friend ever visit us at the Hosseini Mansion?"

"I asked her the very same question but don't you worry. I now know where she lives and Wallah she will be part of all our get togethers from now on. Yumnah does need the company and guess what Hussein? Asiya is studying to become a doctor In Sha Allah."

"MashAllah. Asiya, I have three sons, you know? But all of them are as dumb as...," said Hussein but couldn't finish because Khaleel immediately got into the longest ever coughing fit.

"And they also...," Hussein wanted to continue but stopped when Khaleel shouted...

"YALLA GUYS. THE DOCTOR IS HERE!"

The doctor stared with much amusement at the huge family crowd in front of him and then asked...

"Mr. Hosseini?"

"That would me," said both Yasir and Hussein in unison and Yasir immediately rolled his eyes.

"That would more accurately be ME because I am the one having the baby and it's MY wife in there," said Yasir as Khaleel helped him to get closer to the doctor.

"I am Yasir Hosseini. Yumnah Saeed's husband!" he added, his heart beating thunderously against his chest.

"Well then congratulations Mr. Hosseini, you are now the father to a...

Beautiful baby girl!

***

PLEASE DO VOTE AND COMMENT!

HOW MANY SHIP KHALEEL AND ASIYA? THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A FLASHBACK TO THE TIME WHERE YASMIN AND KHALEEL HAD DROPPED ASIYA TO HER HOME BUT IVE BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY WRITING THAT PART.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU STILL WANT TO READ IT.

I HOPE YOU AT LEAST SMILED!

...

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

ASALAM ALEIKUM.