It was my last day at Khala's place and I was in my room getting ready to go to the railway station to pick Ammi. Yes, Ammi had returned from Hajj and she would be here by 11:30 at night.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and gave a thumbs up. I was wearing a white kurta with baby pink pants and grey hijab. I wore no make up but only lip balm. My eyes had the kohl from yesterday and it gave them the smokey eyes look. Its not that I don't bathe, it's just that my kohl lasts really long.

I looked at the wall clock and it was 10:45. There came a knock on the door and I went to answer it. On opening the door, I found Ahan standing in his formal grey shirt and black pants. His hair looked a bit disheveled and eyes seemed tired. But he still looked good...oh shut up!

"You ready?" He asked as soon as he saw me.

"Yes," I replied and came out of my room, "are you coming too?" He nodded and motioned me to go and wait outside.

When I reached his car, I saw nobody else standing there. "Where are others?" I asked as I saw Ahan coming out.

"Mom wanted to buy something for Khala so she insisted Arhaan and Ayan to accompany her," he replied and got inside the car. "Get in," he said when he saw that I was still standing outside and I obliged.

"Thanks," I said after a moment of comfortable silence.

"No big deal," he shrugged as he kept his focus on the road.

"No, I mean, for everything you and your family did," I said and he turned his head to look at me.

"Our mothers are best friends and just like a family. It was our duty to keep you safe when Khala wasn't around. So there's no need to thank anyone," He said with a straight face and I nodded.

Did I mention that Mr.Khadoos got back to his usual self soon after that incident. Khala kept telling me that he seemed a bit changed nowadays but I didn't think so. He was still his usual cold and rude self. We didn't talk anymore after that night but I did catch him staring at me few times. But I shoved those thoughts away. Who knows if this guy is suffering from bipolarity or something...

The rest of the car ride was accompanied by silence again. We reached the station and I jumped out excitedly. Ahan followed me and we joined Khala, Arhaan and Ayan as we saw them standing near the platform.

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Ammi kissed me all over my face and then gave me a tight hug. Her face was glowing and she seemed so happy. Aunt Yasmeen hugged me too and kept repeating how blessed they were to have had the opportunity to visit such a holy place. Both of them hugged Khala one by one and gave blessings to Arhaan, Ayan and Ahan.

"How was your journey, Khala?" Ahan asked Ammi as he picked up her luggage and gestured his brothers to carry rest of the stuff. He carried it with ease and placed it in the trunk of his car whereas Aunt Yasmeen's luggage was kept in the other car. She didn't have a car of her own so Arhaan was going to drop her home. Ammi, Khala, and I sat in Ahan's car meanwhile the rest of them sat in the other car.

Throughout the ride back home, Khala and Ammi chatted like two school girls who had met after their summer break. They forced me to sit at front whereas they hopped on the passenger seat. I kept laughing every now and then at their way of talking and Ahan, too, smiled a genuine smile whenever his name was mentioned.

We reached my house and we all came out of the car. Ahan took Ammi's luggage out placed it on our doorstep.

"Mariam, I don't know how to thank you for everything you did for my daughter. I hope she didn't trouble you much," Ammi said and I pouted.

"Of course not, Saba. If anything, she only lighted up our house with her antics and jolly behaviour. And what do you have to thank me for, isn't she my daughter too?" Khala said with a smile and hugged her. She then came to me and said, "Within the span of a month, I didn't realise when you became a part of our family. Your childish questions, your joyful laughter and your innocent rants, everything of yours made us happier than we were before. You gave me your shoulder when I needed one. You made me realise what it's like to have a daughter. Now that you won't be there anymore, I don't know how much I'll miss you but I'll try to make you ours soon." I smiled on hearing her words but her last line got me confused. What did she mean by that? I opened my mouth to ask her about it but found myself in her embrace.

As we pulled back, my eyes suddenly met with a pair of hazel ones. They stared at me with emotions that I couldn't keep my fingers upon. He didn't seem angry, he didn't seem happy but he didn't seem upset too. I lowered my gaze to make him look away but looked up when I kept feeling his gaze on me. It looked like he wanted to say something, moreover, I wanted him to say something but none of us spoke. Finally, it was when Khala said Allah Hafiz that I found him looking away. He didn't look back as he entered in his car. They drove away and were soon out of our sight. Ammi smiled at me we entered our house after one long and eventful month.