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"Mama"

Ayat sat up in attention and her eyebrows furrowed at the sniffle that followed the small voice.

"What wrong?" She asked, alarmed at the possibilities that her child could be hurt.

"Come home" the girl on the other end said making Ayat frown and hold the phone tighter.

"But baby what's wrong?" She asked in a soft voice and the man's shoulder's stiffened at the endearment he heard from her voice from the threshold. With a raging heart he stomped out of there and busied himself in his work.

"I don't want to stay here anymore" the little girl mewled.

"Okay. I'll come meet you today but what's wrong?" she asked getting up and gathering her stuff already.

"You promised you'd spend the weekend with me" the girl whispered and Ayat's eyes widened. She bit her lip at the realization that in all this she forgot about her plans with her daughter.

"Okay. I'm coming. Now stop crying." She said softly walking out and stuffing her things in her bag.

"You're leaving?" A low voice spoke and she stopped, looking over her shoulder she straightened her posture and turned to him.

"Yes" she said making him eye her form before scowling at her.

"We're not done yet"

"Whatever is left I'll get it done from home" she said taking the clip out of her hair, smooth strands of caramel tumbled down her shoulder in waves and his body warmed up at movement.

Her hands twisted her hair and rounded it up in a bun, her clip clutched in her teeth as she did so.

"Why so suddenly? Is everything alright?" He asked with a raised eyebrow she turned to meet his eyes again.

"Uh... Yes.. sort of... I mean yeah. Everything's fine but I had plans for today." She said unaware of the tightening of his fist and locking of his jaw.

"With whom?" He asked before he could register what he was saying.

"With Mihr—" She stopped and looked back at him after zipping her bag and straightening her clothes "with someone" she replied.

Mihr.

His glare hardened and her heart beat sped up, avoiding his eyes she swung the bag over her shoulder and gave him a final look.

"Good bye" she said forwarding her hand and he stared at it, looking back at her eyes he took her hand in his, holding it a little too tightly and she but her lip in anxiousness.

"Bye" he said abruptly letting her hand go.

He watched as she walked out of his house, grabbing his phone from the table he walked over to the glass wall that overlooked the garden and pulled the ringing phone to his ear.

"Yes sir?"

"Follow Miss Ayat's car and inform me where and whom she's going to meet"

"Okay sir"

"Who is this Mir?"

Her heart lurched in her throat as she zoomed on tht nearly empty roads towards the house.

"Why could she be crying? Is something wrong? What's if the family misbehaved? But they're good people"

Parking in the small neighborhood she rushed out of her car and made a beeline for the door.

"Sir. She's stopped infront of an unfamiliar house" the guard in the car alittle behind hers said on the line.

"Hi İsmail" she greeted walking inside putting her bag on the dresser near the door she took off her shoes.

"A man had answered the door, she's stepped inside." he informed and Zaviyar's jaw clenched tighter.

"Leave now" he ordered and hung up. Rage unknowingly filled him and he refrained from punching his desk. 

"Is everything okay? Where's mihri—" her sentence died on her tongue as she rushed footsteps approached her.

"Mama" the girl squealed hugging her mother's leg tightly.

"Mihrimah. My baby. How are you?" She asked bending down and holding the ten year old in her arms.

"I missed you" the girl sighed inhaling her mother's familiar fragrance.

"I missed you more" Ayat sighed hugging her tightly.

"Why'd you call me here in a rush?" She asked once settled in the Khan's living room.

"She wasn't feeling well." Humaira - her foster mother - replied with a smile.

"What happened?" She asked worried and turned to Mihrimah who had her head hanging low.

"She got her period" Humaira said making Ayat's eyes wide.

"Today?" She asked, guilt settled in her heart as she realized she wasn't the one to guide her daughter through this and tears stung her eyes.

"Yeah. In the morning it was a chaos thank God Ghazala was there to guide her" the older woman said and Ayat turned to Mihrimah. The woman left then two together and gave them their privacy while Ayat hugged her daughter tightly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there" she said holding Mihrimah'a's hands.

"It's okay" the little replied. Her honey brown eyes looked back at her with reassurance but what made Ayat's heart bleed was the longing in them.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise" Mihrimah'a hugged her mother tighter and kissed her cheek.

"It's okay Mama. I know and I'll make sure of that"

"Oh really?" she said pulling away with a huge grin on her face and Mihrimah nodded excitedly.

"I can't wait to live with you and aunty Nuha" she squealed and Ayat's heart broke further.

"Let's go home today?" She asked and Mihrimah nodded.

"Come on let's go. My strong girl" she grinned and the little girl flexed her dainty biceps making her laugh at her.

Small figure with caramel hair skipped up the stairs happily to change while Humaira joined her in. A frown etched on her face.

"She really misses you Ayat. You're well off now, you can take her in" the woman pointed and Ayat's heart sank watching the stairs.

"I know I can"

"Then why do you keep making the poor girl think that you don't want her" Humaira complained, hurt at how the girl lived.

"Because if I keep her than there is someone out there who'll steal her away from me" Ayat replies shuddering visibly.

"What do you mean?"

"You know her father right?" Ayat questioned the woman who she trusted dearly with her daughter.

Humaira was a humble woman, a few years older than Ayat who fostered kids. Her and her husband İsmail had treated her daughter nicely ever since she Ayat was forced to put her into foster care. Not having anyone to look after her new born baby, while she struggled to pass the last year of high school and finding a job she found tht couple. A couple who understood her situation and gave her a helping hand.

"Micheal Raza?"

"What about him now, isn't he behind bara?" Humaira asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Not anymore. He's out on a look for his heir" Ayat replied, her posture, her voice cold and stuff unlike the usual Ayat.

"What do you mean?"

"If he finds out Mihrimah is alive, then he'll fight tooth and nail to snatch her away from me. I can bear the pain of staying away from my daughter but not the worry of having her in the hands of a man like him"

"But he didn't want her? Right?"

"He needs her now for his benefits. Wanting is out of question"

"Can't you get back to him?"

"Not after what he did to me. He doesn't deserve her." Ayat seethed, her jaw clenched and gaze hard as stone. A shudder raked Humaira's body as she saw how Ayat was.

"What exactly happ—" she dared but like always she was left unanswered.

"Let's go" Mihrimah cheered waving her small purse in the air like Ayat would imagine Nuha doing.

A chuckle escaped her lips and she grinned at her daughter who matched her clothes and looked like a smaller version of herself.

"Look at you my little fashionista" Ayat laughed and Mihrimah posed like a professional, credit going to Nuha for this.

"Let's go, first we'll go ruin aunty Nuha's sleep then in the evening we'll go on a long ride to our spot" Ayat narrated the plan and her daughter jumped in delight rubbing her hands together evilly at the thought of troubling her favourite aunty Nuha.

"I won a prize in the drawing and creative writing" Mihrimah informed and Ayat gave her a higher five.

"Good job. I'm so proud of you princess." Ayat grinned taking her small hand in hers she kissed the back of it.

"And you know Mama. This boy in my class gave me a card for Valentine's day" Ayat's eyes widened and she stiffened, but none the less she gave her daughter a long playful stare making the girl chuckled.

"Stop it Ayat" she scolded herself shaking her head.

"Did you say something?" The girl halted her rant about the boy and turned to her mom. 

"Woah. Mama. Are you okay?" She shook her arms after not getting a reaction out of her and Ayat snapped out the memory lane she was dragged to.

"I'm sorry. What?" She asked forcing a smile.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked tilting her head and Ayat gave her a shaky nod.

"Are you sure?" Mihrimah'a asked and Ayat nodded.

"Sorry. I just got lost in my thoughts" she said pulling away. Mihrimah'a kissed her mother's forehead and Ayat chuckled ruffling her hair.

"It's okay." Mihrimah'a said and Ayat nodded.

"Anyways we're almost there" Ayat said loudly pushing the gloominess away from her mind.

"Can we get McDonald's?" She asked and Ayat narrowed her honey eyes at a pair of similar caramel eyes.

"No"

"Pwease" Mihrimah exaggerated rubbing her face on her mom's arm blinking at her with wide eyes.

"We're getting mcdonald's yay" the girl cheered even before Ayat could say something, making the mom shake her head and change the route to a nearby mcdonald's.

"Yay" Mihrimah grinned and Ayat rolled her eyes as her.

Getting the desired meal for the little highness the two were on their way to the apartment. The receptionist nodded at Ayat as they made

"Aunty Nuha" Mihrimah yelled once inside the apartment and Ayat chuckled as she closed the door behind her.

"I'm back" she yelled running in Nuha's room and jumping on her bed making Nuha stir in her sleep.

"What the—" Nuha turned around at the sudden dipping of her bed. Her curses died on her tongue as she squinted eyes registered the girl on her bed.

"Yeah I'm hallucinating" she said turning her back to Mihrimah who rolled her eyes looking back at her mother. The two grinned evilly and jumped on the bed together making Nuha go flying off in the air and landing on her butt with a thud.

"The hell bruh?" Nuha grunted opening her eyes at the two females on the bed. Her eyes widened as she looked between the two of them and she squealed loudly pouncing on her niece.

"MiMah" Nuha cheered hugging the girl tightly and showering her face with kisses.

"Aunty Nuha" Mihrimah matched her squealing and Ayat sighed making the two overly dramatic women to glare at her.

"I started my period today. Now I'm a big woman" Mihrimah told and Nuha's eyebrows rose high up to her hairline.

"We have to celebrate" Nuha hollered "but after I finish my sleep" she yawned and laid back down.

"I'm also sleepy" Ayat said covering her mouth with her hand.

"But I don't want to sleep" Mihrimah pouted and Ayat gathered her in her arms.

"It's Okay, we can watch a movie till your lazy aunty Nuha sleeps"

"That sounds nice."

The two changed into their matching pajamas and got under the covers, pulling her laptop out she ignored the emails from Zaviyar and played tangled.

Half way through the movie Mihrimah was snoozing off in her arms and Ayat felt complete. Her child for once in her embrace, a moment with no fear of Micheal popping out and snatching her away. She caressed her daughter's shoulder length and tilted her head over hers.

"Mama?" Mihrimah'a whispered sleepily.

"Yes baby?" Ayat asked snuggling closer to her.

"I love you" Mihrimah mumbled against her chest, protective arms rounded around her figure and pulled her close. The bliss she felt holding her small warm body was something Ayat craved but like a deadly addiction was forced to keep it away.

"I love you more." She whispered against her silky brown hair.

At the brink of sleep Ayat noticed a figure sauntering over to the bed.

"What happened? Not sleepy anymore?"

"My baby's here and I can sleep there anymore. I'm crashing in" Nuha said shrugging as she got under the covers and hugged Mihrimah from the back.

The little girl was sandwiched between her two mother's who she knew would never hurt her. Sighing she fell into the most peaceful sleep she had ever had since last week.

Assalamualikum guys how are you all?

So here an update.
hope you like it.

Comment and tell me how it is.

Enjoy.

Allah Hafiz.

Love
Hafsa_tahir