T w e n t y  N i n e
This one is for Witteewat
:)

Home isn't where you're from. It's where you find light when all grows dark.

-Pierce Brown, Golden Son-

☆

Mashal

With shaky legs, murky mind and glossy eyes, I glanced briefly at Sanan who nodded reassuringly and motioned for me to move in the ward.

Gulping the lump in my throat, I walked in behind the nurse with Sanan following me.

There in the tiny bed in that grey hospital room, lay Ibrahim with numerous tubes and needles connected to his arms and hands. His back was covered with white bandages. Anyone who saw him from behind, might mistake him to be a mummy from Egypt.
He wasn't lying on his back, rather on his side and judging by the condition of his back, I knew he wouldn't be able to lay on his back for a long time now.

"These are not the visiting hours but still you have half an hour to talk to him." The nurse stated before she turned on her heels and left the room.

The tension in the air was surreal. I glanced at Ibrahim once before hanging my head low.
With his sunken eyes, lifeless pale skin and tightly closed lips he looked so sick and vulnerable that I felt my cheeks getting wet. His beard used to glow but now it looked dry like a bush. It scared me to just look at him.

He was angry at me, I know that. I had not obeyed his orders and that is what caused all this.
Still, he saved me in that explosion. I didn't even get a single scratch.
In my guilt, I refused to look up and face him.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're stupid?" He mumbled in a low gloomy voice, in between his coughs.

Behind me, I could hear Sanan chuckle at this, clearly remembering that he had also called me stupid a little while ago.

Ignoring his mockery, I muttered, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He mused, "For getting all those people killed or for the ones who are going to be killed by that nuclear weapon?"

I tried to blink my tears away and walked closer to his bed. I sank down to my knees on the floor, beside his bed and took his hand in mine. Sanan's shawl that I had draped on my shoulders, slipped down and fell on the floor gracefully in the meantime but I didn't care.

I rubbed Ibrahim's cold, under oxygenated hand gently while he looked away from me in anger.
What I had done could not be undone. It could only be forgiven.

"I really am sorry big brother. I wanted to save us all. I know I'm stupid and I play by emotions but don't you think I already got my punishment?"

He didn't reply to my deeply voiced words so I kissed the back of his hand and continued speaking. "I already lost my parents, my husband is.....missing and my brother is in such a bad condition due to his love for me. Just because he wanted to protect me. Please don't be angry at me. I need you."

His eyes softened as my words hit his heart and a lone tear escaped his eye.
"You're not that stupid you know." He confessed, pressing my hand which was in his. "You said Sanan was good and you spared him even though the whole of Alnihayya was against it. If we had killed him, who would've come to our rescue today?"

I smiled at this, in between my tears, knowing that his anger was far gone now.
"I wish Zeyara could also witness this. Then he would know that his wife is also far fetched like him."
I didn't think before I said those words, they just came naturally but both, Ibrahim and Sanan grew white and silent with a strange tension in the air.

Taking Zeyara's name had become a forbidden spell in front of them.

Ignoring Zeyara, Ibrahim's eyes fell on the beige shawl that had fallen on the floor beside me. He pointed at it admiringly and said, "Nice shawl Mashal. Where did you get it? Isn't it for men?"

Immediately I dropped my gaze, my breath hitched and I felt a loss of words. What could I tell him? The answer was so simple yet so complex.
Ibrahim was staring at me intently, waiting for my reply when Sanan answered on my behalf. "It's mine. She was cold so I gave it to her. It's hers now."

I glanced at Sanan shyly, slightly nodding my head negatively trying to signal him that 'no I don't want it anymore.' But he just smirked.

"Thanks for helping my sister." Ibrahim said reluctantly, staring at me even though he was addressing Sanan. His eyes were making me feel like I had committed a huge crime. I knew he disliked Sanan but I thought he had forgiven him. Now it was clear, he would never completely forgive Sanan.

Nervously playing with my fingers, I attempted to change the topic. I turned to look at Sanan who was standing at the edge of the small room with his arms crossed in front of him, his black sleeves rolled back and his silver watch shining on his wrist.

"Uh- what's the time?"
A stupid question, but that was the best I could think of at that time.

He shrugged evasively and peeked at the watch on his wrist before replying. "6 o' clock."

I nodded and was trying to think of something else to keep the conversation going when Ibrahim huffed with an expression of extreme shock on his face. "6 o' clock! Then why are we still alive?"

Both me and Sanan jerked our heads towards him in confusion. "What do you mean?" I voiced in an eerie tone.

"It's been more than five hours. If the password worked, then why haven't they blown us all up?" He said quickly with wide eyes, forgetting all his pain.

"Yeah you're right!" Sanan replied as I watched his face change expression with realisation.

I stared at him with my brows furrowed, demanding an explanation.

"Once you have the password, it takes less than ten minutes to activate the bomb." He explained to me, as if it was quite obvious.

I looked from Sanan to Ibrahim in disbelief and then back to Sanan, trying to understand what they meant.
"What if they don't want to use it right now and what if they want to use it on some other country?"

"No." Sanan shook his head. "While I was in ISIS, the orders were to blow the bomb as soon as the password is found. It can't be some other country because it's too difficult to transport the equipment."

The way they both were explaining things made me feel that I really was stupid. "So what does this mean then?" I asked with a puzzled expression on my face.

Ibrahim took a deep sigh and exclaimed. "Either the weapon is not working or the password is wrong."

"The weapon cannot stop working so easily. If it was so easy to finish it, why didn't Naeem Ansar do that?" Sanan added as soon as Ibrahim finished his sentence. "The only reason I can see is that, Mashal was not the password in the first place."

There was heavy silence in the room as the three of us tried to absorb the conversation we just had. It was like someone had hit us all in the gut at the same time.

I was not the password the whole time?

I glanced between Sanan and Ibrahim, gulping the horror stuck in my throat. "If not me, then who?"

I heard a chuckle escape Ibrahim's lips that made me and Sanan turn to face him. "We are all so stupid." He scowled, "Dad was so clever. Everyone knew he loved his daughter so it was obvious that he would use his daughter's DNA. He used Mashal to distract everyone from the real password."

Yeah! It made so much sense. Why would dad use my DNA when he knew that I would be the first person everyone would think of. The password should be someone who no one thinks is important.

"Who-" I asked, my mouth slightly open and lose. "Who is the real password then?"

Sanan sighed coldly with his eyes creased and face tense as if in deep thought. "It can't be Ibrahim. It would be too obvious. It can't be Naeem Ansar because we already tried his DNA. It isn't Mashal either. The person would be someone who is smart, trustworthy and can hide his identity. Someone like...."

"Zeyara." I gasped, solving the riddle.

They both paused, contemplating what I had said. I knew by their expressions that they agreed to that. It all made sense. All the puzzle pieces set exactly in place if Zeyara was the password. All his efforts to hide his identity, not telling me that he knew urdu, having fake passports, it all made perfect sense.

Zeyara was the password and he knew it all along.

"And since Zeyara is dead, the weapon can't be used and we're out of danger." Ibrahim declared after a moment.

"He's dead?!" Sanan exclaimed in confusion because I didn't tell him how everyone thinks Zeyara is no longer here. I only told him that Zeyara was missing.

"No he isn't! Why do you keep on saying that Ibrahim?" I argued with my eyes begging him not to use that word for my husband. "I know he's alive. He's probably doing something we don't know."

I believe in him. Zeyara is the smartest person I know and he's up to something fishy. That's why he's hiding somewhere.

"Whatever the case " Ibrahim mumbled in despair. "What I'm saying is that your role is done here. You've wasted enough time, risked your life countless number of times and changed yourself in a matter of months. Now it's time you go back to Manchester."

"What?" I asked incredulously with my mouth agape.
I was about to start an argument. I even wanted to smack something but I knew I had already done a lot of damage so I controlled my violent urges.

"That's it. For once obey me woman! You are going back to England on the next flight and I'm not taking any excuses." His tone was strict and carried an air of finality as if no matter what I said, his decision won't change.

I glanced over at Sanan for help but he shrugged eyeing me as if to say, 'what can I do?'

I gave him a death stare in return and tried once again. "But what if Zeyara comes and I'm not th-"

Ibrahim shook his head immediately. "That's it Mashal. You're going back and that's final."

I bit my botrom lip to stop myself from saying anything else to heat the argument. I didn't want to disobey or hurt Ibrahim but I also didn't want to go back to where I started. After everything that had happened, going to back being a normal college girl seemed impossible.

"Okay." I whispered meekly, giving in just for my brother's sake.
"But I have a condition. I will stay at my husband's house, not at Minahil's."

"Mashal-" Ibrahim began speaking again, denying my request but before he could do so, I made that cute innocent face with wide eyes that I always used for him to accept my wishes.

"Pleaseeeee!" I said, batting my eye lashes, like a little kid.

He rolled his eyes huffing something like, 'this girl' before finally accepting. "Okay fine but only if they keep you."

I nodded happily and laid my head on the bed near his hand with the rest of my body still on the floor.
"JazakAllah khairun for spoiling me big bro."

He laughed half heartedly, patting my head with his hand. "Wa antum, fa jazakumullahu khairan"

Interrupting our emotional sister-brother time Sanan fake coughed in an impression to clear his throat.
We directed our gaze towards him and he began speaking.
"So uh- I should be going then."

Ibrahim nodded understanding his situation.
"Thanks a lot for your help and I'm sorry that I wanted to get you hanged."

He laughed it off. "It's okay. Back then, even I would've loved to kill you."

"Good to know. Can I ask you a favour though?" Ibrahim asked him with a smirk on his face.

As if Sanan already knew what the favour was going to be, he answered. "Don't stress. I know you can't get out of here for a while. I'll get Mashal a ticket and drop her at the airport."

"I hope I can trust you."

"You can, with Mashal at least." He smiled, glancing at me briefly before looking away. "I would never dream of hurting her."

I looked down, not wanting to face him. Ibrhaim had no idea that this little sentence of Sanan carried a lot of meaning.

"Is that so?" Ibrahim raised his brow.

"She is a huge reason I am who I am right now." He said in a deep throaty voice which made us all go silent.
I gulped in the hidden meaning of his words that Ibrahim was unaware of.

I desperately wanted the topic to change.
"I don't want to go until you're alright and out of this bed." I whined, narrowing my eyes at Ibrahim. "Who will look after you if I'm gone?"

"Didn't you see that beautiful nurse?" He chuckled teasingly.

I rolled my eyes at this unexpected comment. "Seriously?"

"I'm kidding. Astahfirullah. Honestly, I didn't even see her face but her heels were so annoying. She didn't let me sleep for a minute." He groaned. "When I get married, I'll not let my wife wear heels or I'll never be able to sleep with that cliter clatter going on."

"That is," I laughed, "If you get married."

"You'll see woman in sha Allah. I'm just twenty four anyways. I'm not a desperate love sick idiot like you who wants to get married so early." He stuck his tongue out at me like a child and for a second I completely forgot that he was an adult.

"You're just jealous. Admit it."

"Never."

We heard Sanan clearing his throat again to remind us of his presence so we stopped arguing and diverted our eyes towards him questioningly.

"I'm gonna leave now. I'll come tomorrow morning in sha Allah and then we can sort out the ticket." He explained in a plain flat tone.
Me and Ibrahim nodded at him positively before he muttered a "Ma'a Salama" and left the room.

As soon as he left, Ibrahim exhaled a deep sigh and ranted. "He might be good or changed or whatever but I still don't trust him. Don't let him come near you. I can never forget what happened in Pakistan. I still have those wounds and those words he used for you are still fresh in my mind. I talked to him nicely to let him think that I trust him but I don't. For all, he could still be a terrorist disguised to be a good person to know the secrets of Alnihayya and our plans."

I simply nodded even though I believed that Sanan could not be an imposter but I had no urge to argue with my sick brother.

We sat there in silence for a while before I felt extremely lathargic and took my veil off to get some fresh air. However, it was a bad idea because Ibrhaim started a huge lecture on how my skin had gone pale, how I had lost a lot of weight by stressing and not eating properly. I wanted to reply to him with, 'obviously I would be like that because I have been eating pigeon legs for three days.' But I decided against it.

For once, I let Ibrahim rant and stayed silent with my head still on his bed and my eyes closed. Somehow, even bus ranting soothed me.

Even though the nurse had given us half an hour but she came back after a whole hour when we both were in deep sleep but rightfully, just like Ibrahim said, the cliter clatter of her heels against the tiled floor, stole our sleep and we woke up groaning.

"The time is over. You should leave now." She muttered.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes I grumbled. "I'm gonna stay here with my brother."
To be honest it was more for the sleep and for Ibrahim's soft bed that I was using as my pillow, more than for Ibrahim.

She looked at me as if I had sucked the life out of her. "This is against the rules." She declared, anger clear on her heavily make uped face.

Ibrahim just stayed silent with amusement on his face, enjoying the cat fight.

"Who cares?" I rolled my eyes and threw my head back on the bed, adjusting it comfortably.

"I'll tell the security." She threatened, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Security? We are from Alnihayya. We provide security to the security." I smirked teasingly and closed my eyes, not leaving any room for argument.

The last sound I heard before I drifted off to sleep was of her heels turning away and leaving the room.

☆