Double updates. Make sure to read the last chapter

"Let me give you one more piece of information," He said with a smirk.

"Your mother is a..," He looked somewhere then stepped back slowly and added, "prostitute."

I didn't know what that word meant but it didn't sound good. I released Asher's wrist and was about to step forward to punch him when there was a loud sound.

Bang!

Asher pulled me down on the ground and we looked behind at the school building. Block A of our was on fire where our class was. There was loud crying sounds of the children everywhere and soon more children came out of other blocks of the building.

"Where is he?" Asher asked, standing up and looked around.

"Kids move from here and go to that side where your teachers are," A guard ordered us, rushing towards us and pushed us towards the crowd of teachers and students.

Soon teachers separated all the students of different classes and took the roll call and counted the students. While I and Asher looked around in search of Haleef but he was nowhere.

Now I regretted not telling about this to my father soon. Mom was right that I was still a kid.

"Ma'am, no one is missing," Teachers reported the principal.

In half an hour, many teams and a big wave of reporters came to the school and parents also rushed over to the school.

"Little master!"

"Daniel!"

I heard dad's and Zamin's voice which made me turn around. Dad looked so angry and tensed as he stopped in front of me and by looking at Zamin, I knew he had told dad about Haleef.

"Asher!"

Asher's parents also came and he quickly went away biding me bye and father slightly nodded at his father then they left.

"Your mother doesn't know anything. Don't tell her what happened here. It will affect her health," Dad told me in his firm voice as he walked away angrily.

I looked at him silently because I knew he was feeling very angry at that moment. Dad went to the principal and told her something in anger or scolded her for poor security and much more.

I followed Zamin to the car like an obedient kid and waited inside for dad.

"Boss knows everything…," Zamin said with a sigh.

"I just completed my investigation and it wasn't good. So I had to tell him and at the same time, we received this news. He is angry," He continued, looking at dad without any expression.

"At me?" I asked him, also looking at dad with a frown and felt angry at myself.

"No, at himself. He thinks it's because of him that this happened. Because of his lack of attention to your security," He answered me.

My frown deepened.

Then I looked away from dad to Zamin who was sitting in front, on driving seat.

"Is mother fine?" I asked him, thinking about how strictly dad told me not to tell mother.

I looked from rear mirror at him and saw a smile stretched on his lips.

"This is something you should ask your mother. You will be happy after knowing," He answered me which was very strange.

"Why will I be happy if something happened to my mother?" I asked him and pressed my lips together, thinking and worried about mom.

• • •

Once we reached home, Dad locked himself in his study with Zamin and few other his best men. I wanted to what was the result of the investigation and what was true identity of Haleef.

I looked around the silent house and looked for mom. I saw Laila maa quickly coming out of the kitchen and blew over me.

"Laila maa! What are you doing?" I asked her, stepping back from her.

"Thanks to Allah! You are alright. Everyone was so scared about you but we didn't let madam know about this incident on sir's request," She said and looked for any injury or scratch on my body.

"Mama… Where is she? Is she OK?" I asked her, quickly.

She stopped and a smile stretched on her lips but she didn't answer me. Was everyone hiding something from me?

Mm.. I have to find out.

"Laila maa! Where is mama?" I asked her again.

"Oh! She is sleeping in her room," She answered me standing straight with a smile never leaving her lips.

She went to the kitchen while I sat on the dining table and waited for the maids to put my lunch on the table. I looked at the other maids that came out of the kitchen and put my lunch on the table. They also had a smile on their face and looked so happy.

My mood became sour because no one was telling me anything and mom was sleeping while dad was still in his study. Suddenly, I remembered the word that Haleef spouted after I finished lunch.

"Laila maa, what is prostitute?" I asked her, thought she knew about it.

But the plates from her hands slipped and fell on the floor. She and other maids stilled in the dining room and looked at me with wide eyes while I was still clueless.

"Who taught you this word?"

A startle voice of my mom came from behind which had nervousness and fear.

I turned around quickly and looked at her pale face which lost its color. There was a terrified look on her face mixed with fear and horror.

"Mom, I--,"

"Tell me from where you heard this word?" She asked me, strictly, cutting me and in loud voice filled with anger and rage.

Her eyes were turning red like she was controlling her tears. Her body was also trembling and her fists were tightly clenched. I took a few steps near her slowly without looking away from her and felt concerned about her.

"From someone. I will not use this word again. Sorry but please don't cry," I pleaded her, softly, trying to control my panic heart.

She didn't say anything but felt so close to breakdown and looked unfocused like she was remembering something. Something which was not good and it was making my heart to skip a beat. I quickly walked to her and wrapped my arms around her.

"Please forgive me," I pleaded her and pulled her down softly moving my arms around her neck, making her pulled away from whatever memories were flashing in her mind.

"Don't cry. I don't like seeing you like this. Please..," I rubbed her back and felt her shaking in my arms and soon her soft sobs echoed in my ears.

The maids around us quickly left us alone while Laila maa put a glass of water beside me then also went away. I pulled my face away and grabbed her face.

"Mama, it's hurt… to see you… like this," I struggled to speak because I was feeling her pain and it was seriously hurting me to listen to her sobs.

I wiped her tears and gave her water. I was feeling worried, not because dad would scold me but because of my mother who I hurt unintentionally.

I creased her cheeks softly and gently like dad used to do to calm her. Soon she calmed down and I made her sit on the chair then looked at her and thought to divert her attention.

"Mama?" I called her, softly.

She hummed wiping her tears and looked at me.

"You are not ill? Right?" I asked her, observing her face.

She looked at me with a frown and shook her head. But why was everyone behaving as if something happened to her? I looked at her from head to toe to make sure then looked in her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like this?" She asked me in her thick hoarse voice with a small smile stretched on her lips.

Thank God! Her attention is diverted.

"Because everyone is behaving as if you are ill and no one is willing to tell me," I told her with a frown.

Just as I finished, she chuckled softly and patted my head.

"Maybe you will soon have a sibling in a year," She said with a laugh and soon all the trace of worry removed from her face.

I was stunned for a second and looked at her with wide eyes full of surprise.

"Tell the doctor at hospital that I want a little cute sister. One with chubby cheeks and healthy like a balloon," I told her, quickly in excitement.

She put the back of her hand on her mouth and giggled. Her eyes shone with happiness which made me also happy but I was still worried about her.

"OK. I will tell them but what if they give us a boy instead of a girl?" She asked with an amused smile.

"Nah! I am enough for you. I don't need a little trouble making brother," I answered her with my nose scrunched, thinking about the future fights if doctors gave me a brother.

"But why in a year? Why not now?" I asked her in confusion as she giggled at me.

"It was just a day before yesterday when we gave our names to the hospital. Doctors said that they had many more parents before us so it would take time. Angels will give babies to those who registered their names first then they give you your sibling," She explained me which made me pout.

"But one year is so long… tell them we want a baby soon," I grumbled, looking away from her.

I don't want to wait that long to hold my baby sister.

"A-a! My baby, don't pout. Doctors said that you have to wait at least 9th months minimum," She told me, softly.

"But it is still so long. Can't angels give us baby a little early? I will ask Allah tonight to give me a baby sister in one month," I said, looking at her with determination.

She laughed again and wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes from laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked her, narrowing my eyes at her in annoyance but inside I felt happy and ease to see her laughing.

Slowly, she stopped laughing but pressed her lips to stop herself from laughing. Her shoulders shook as she looked at me and tried to look serious.

"So-sorry..," She apologized and looked away from me and again started laughing.

"Why are you so cute?" She asked, pulling my cheeks.

"What are you laughing at?" I heard dad's voice from behind me.

It no longer had any anger and frustration like when he picked me from school. I turned my body to look at him and saw him looking at mom without any anger.

Being with mom was safe than being alone when my dad was angry. Because he never showed his anger in front of her, just like now.

"I told him," Mom answered him, standing up, and walked towards him.

He wrapped his arms around her and looked at her softly then looked at me from her shoulder and his eyes turned into glare in a second. His glare meant that he would scold me later.

Mom pulled away from the hug and looked at him and his glaring eyes turned into soft gaze as he looked back at mom.

What a talent!

"Did you cry?" He asked her, narrowing his eyes at her.

I froze and looked at mom's back with wide eyes. Dad's voice was hard and cold, filled with anger that sent chills in my body and I knew if he came to know I made her cry, he would kick me out of this house and mom's life.

If he was taking care of me, it was all because of my mother who loved me infinity and he didn't want to make her upset by ignoring me or kicking me out of her life. My father was selfish who wanted mom all by himself and once I complained him about his selfishness.

And the response I got was,

“One day, you will be like me and understand how painful it is to share your wife's attention with your kids.”

"Hormones," She whispered with a smile.

I didn't know what she meant but anyone could tell she was lying and dad was no exception. But, nevertheless, he nodded his head, not wanting to make her upset then looked at me with a pointed glare before taking her away from me.

• • •

I paced in front of dad's study quietly and thought how to face him. Before I reached to any decision, the door opened and dad stood there, looking at me in anger.

"Come inside and tell me everything," He ordered me, without any emotion in his voice as he turned around and sat on his chair behind his desk.

I went inside and closed the door behind me and stood in front of him. I was afraid in front of him at moment which I shouldn't because that was the first lesson he taught me.

Lesson no. 1: Don't be afraid of anyone except your Creator.

I took a deep breath and told him everything about Haleef and all the things that he told me.

"And he said that… mom is a… prostitute," I told him in fear and looked at him.

He stilled and soon he was giving the cold murderous vibes which was giving me shiver and goosebumps. His eyes darkened like he wanted to kill someone.

"And… when-when… I was asking Laila maa about the meaning of this… word… momhearditandstartedcrying," I told him, gulping in fear and clenched my fists to myself from shaking in fear.

Thud!

He banged his hands on the desk as he stood up in anger and looked at me coldly. He looked away from me and walked to the door, controlling his anger.

"Never speak this word in front of your mother. Ever," He said as he opened the door and stopped for a second then went away, leaving me alone in his study.

There was a warning in his voice that was challenging me to go against his order if I wanted to die. I unclenched my fists and released the breath which I was holding without knowing.

• • •

Two days, I stayed at home and during those two days, Dad didn't talk to me. No one told mom about what happened in my school and hid the news of Haleef from her.

Dad told her that my school had given us few holidays because the teachers were going on a trip, in the Northern Areas.

"Little master, boss is waiting for you in his car," One of my trainer informed me as I was training with my other trainer.

I stopped and was a little shocked by hearing this. I nodded my head and quickly went to my room in the warehouse to change my clothes.

I walked out of the warehouse and saw him in his car. I sat on the co-pilot seat, beside him and buckled my seatbelt. The ride was silent and I didn't know where he was taking me.

"There are somethings about which you should be very careful and conscious," He said, calmly, breaking the silence as he drove his car.

"Your mother loves you more than she loves herself and even me," He said with a chuckle then added, "If you ask her to between the two of us, she will always choose you… without any hesitation. Do you know why?"

I looked at him silently and shook my head. Thinking about her, a smile stretched on my lips and also a smile played on his lips too, probably by thinking about her.

"Because she always says that I am an elder and I can take care of myself but you can't take care of yourself without her. For her, you are always first then I am. Sometimes I feel jealous because of you…," He said and laughed like he was remembering something.

He was looking so relaxed and calm like he had no worries.

"When you were born, I and your mother had first argument. Because I wanted to sleep with her but she threw me on the couch… saying she wanted you to on bed, beside her. And if I also slept on the bed with both of you then I would crush you under my weight. That time I wanted to throw you out of our room because of this… but the soft gaze of your mother stopped me from thinking any further. Her face glowed so much and held so much love when she was looking at you and talking to you in baby voice. You made so jealous that every time I tried to spend my time with her her, you started crying," He chuckled, softly.

"You were so little that the second time in life, I was feeling afraid. Afraid of holding you when your mother told me to hold you," He told me and glanced at me with a small smile.

"I feared that if I was failed to hold you in my arms or if you fell from my arms then your mother would hate me. Thank God a day like this never occur…"

I always knew he loved me because of fear of hating by mom.

"Daniel, I only want you to know that your mother loves you more than you think. She can be angry at me but never at you," He told me, softly.

Then there was silence in the car again and he looked deep in his thoughts as he drove carefully at the same time.

"There is no one perfect in this world. Not me. Not you. And not your… mom," He said in a quiet voice, breaking the silence again.

"Everyone has their flaws. If you love someone, you have to also love their flaws. Their scars. Their demons. And even the scary past and dark background. When you love someone, you have to hide their flaws with your love," He added, softly.

This was the first time he was speaking to me like this and it was quiet comfortable to listen to him. I never thought there would be a day when my father had a long conservation with me about something and showed me so many of his soft and gentle emotions.

"I fell in love with her at the first sight. She was scared of me because of her flaws and tried to run away from me because of who I was at that time... My elders. Your great grandfather and grandfather always taught me to never have any weakness or soft feelings. My heart was cold because of their training. So I didn't know what to do with your mother other than locking her in a room."

When he said the last line, I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. How could he locked my mother in a room?

He side glanced at me and chuckled before moving his one hand from the steering wheel to ruffle my hair.

"I know what I did at that time was wrong. But when you want something so passionately, you try to do everything to have it and did the same by locking her… After meeting your mother, my cold heart changed. From the day I met your mother till now, I agree with our ancestors that we should not have feelings for anyone. But except for the partner with whom we have to spend the rest of your life," He said, focusing on the road.

"You are intelligent, Daniel. And I know you understand everything very well. I will tell you the same thing… never have any special feelings for anyone except for the woman with whom you want to spend your life. Never invest your feelings uselessly on random women. And your mother is also exceptional. Never become like me. A man who was used to be a monster and a killer. Your mother have so much faith in you. She wants you to be happy and I.. I also want you to be happy because of her."