With a heavy heart she took slow steps inside the house, looking all around, every corner of the place was connected to her. She clutched onto her bag, while she entered.

"Aayat?" Aamna spoke as she saw her. Without waiting even a second, she went and hugged her, Aayat stood there still for a minute, but later hugged her back.

"You came with bhai?" Maira asked confused, looking alternatively at Aayat and Zayaan, trying to get the answers to all the questions she had in her mind.

"I just came because dad wanted me to, I will go back soon." Aayat replied glancing at Zayaan once, and then looked back at Maira. Zayaan went to his room.

"I can't explain how happy I am, to see you back, but...." Aamna stopped while she spoke, and looked at her with teary eyes.

"Mom, I am sorry, you all have given me everything, things that I have asked for, and even the things that I never asked for, that's how much you all loved me. I got everything here, except what I expected to get as a wife. And now, even if I want to, I can't get back." Aayat replied slowly

"My dear, I don't blame you, I know, I am myself guilty..."

"You don't have to be mom, I don't want you or Maira to pay for the mistake that wasn't yours. You both are no where responsible for what happened with me or with Hania." Aayat said

"You are here as my daughter now, and this was always your house, and it still is." Aamna said smiling slightly.

~

As she entered the room which she called as hers earlier, she found everything the same. Nothing was changed, as though no one stayed there. There still was their picture together above the bed, and surrounding the whole room too.

Everything was the same, it was unchanged. For her it felt more hurtful at that moment, as the same thoughts would come to her mind. Four months she had tried to stay away from such memories, but it was of no use now.

"Y-you can sleep here, i'll go downstairs." Zayaan said as his sight shifted towards Aayat.

"I am going to sleep in the guest room, I just came here to..." She felt loss of words. She didn't know what bought her here, why she came back to place where she never wanted to return. What even bought her there?

But maybe she just wanted to recollect the good memories she made here. Time passes but memories don't.

How could she forget the ones who gave her so much to remember?

She remembered the time when they both were strangers to each other, that was one day and today was another, when she somewhere felt the same with him, but now a stranger with who she had so many memories.

"It is your room too, you can sleep here, I will go out." He continued

"It was." She spoke and walked downstairs while he stood still glancing at her walk out.

"Aayat where are you going?" Maira asked.

"To the guest room." She replied softly looking back at her.

"Why? You can sleep in your..."

"It's not mine anymore!" She cut her off.

"When I am here, why would you sleep in the guest room? Come and sleep in my room, you go, I will get water for you." She said, while Aayat looked at her hesitantly, but Maira looked back nodding, giving her an assuring look, and she went to her room.

"Maira, wait!" Zayaan stopped her, as Aayat closed the door behind her.

"You want something?"

"I want to talk to Aayat." He said while she looked at her brother.

"Bhai, please! She is not in a situation to have any conversations related to these matters, I request you to not talk about it to her, not now please bhai. Her father is in the hospital, and in this you shouldn't be talking about this." She said.

"I want to make her realize that she really matters to me, and that I will be there for her always, just let me talk once, I am already so helpless Maira!" He spoke

"You never showed all this to her when you had to, then why now bhai? It is proved now, that when the person is away, that's when we value that person. I wish you had realized it sooner bhai." He had not only lost the one he loved, but also his family.