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Flashback

Ten Years Old Kabir

Malik Residence:

His sweetie pie was the most beautiful version of the ugliest man he has not met yet.

Her face was his replica but what about her personality? He prayed to Almighty that it wasn't same too. A boy could only have so much patience. He didn't know what he would do if her personality was similar to that man too.

"Did you call me sweetie pie?" She asked in a confused voice, wiping her tears and nose with the tissue in her hand. Well, looked like she came all prepared to cry.

Stupid.

That's what he first thought. Who is all prepared to cry? And if she was, then why didn't she control herself? Doesn't she know that tears are weakness?

A single tissue wasn't enough to wipe away the rivers that were flowing from her eyes.

Stupid.

Once again he thought and offered her his hanker chief. She looked at him for a second before taking it and wiping away her tears.

Stupid again.

Who accepts things from a stranger without knowing his name? What if he was a kidnapper and gave her something to smell?

"Thank you so much. What is your name?" She looked at him questioningly.

Stupid question.

God she was really stupid, wasn't she? Hasn't she heard about Stranger danger? Even Ruhi and Amaan were more intelligent than her.

When he kept on looking at her without answering any of her questions she pouted.

He looked at her than at his hanker chief. Well, clearly he can't use that now or ever.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I will ask Ruksana aunty to give it back to you after washing it." She explained in her baby voice.

Stupid again.

Did she really think that he wants that thing back?

He wanted to shout it to her that she was thinking it in a wrong way. He wanted to yell at her for being so careless around a stranger. He wanted to fight with her for...for making him feel so...

Stupid.

Yes.

He was feeling stupid around her. He wanted to say so many things to her but when he opened his mouth nothing came out.

Absolutely nothing.

She was making him feel so many emotions and that scared him to the core because he hasn't felt them since his mother's death. He was feeling this over powering urge to protect her from anything that could possibly harm her in the slightest of the ways.

Just the way he felt for his mother. 

The realisation made him feel like he can't breathe. Like the world around him was closing, as if he was going to fall in the endless pit of darkness.

"Do you need something...? Can you speak?" She asked again, now feeling confused.

And just like that he was out of whatever thought spiral he was in. The darkness disappeared just by her voice because she was here, for real. This was the reality.

His only reality from that day onwards.

He took a deep breath before speaking, 

"I called you sweetie pie. That's what I will call you from today onwards. No questions."

He said the first thing that came in his mind and she made a weird face before nodding.

Stupid.

So stupid of her to agree to something she doesn't understand. She should have questioned him.

"I don't need that hanker chief. You can keep it." He added.

"But I shouldn't take gifts from a stranger right?" She finally said and Kabir sighed. So this girl knew something. All hope is not lost then.

"My name is Kabir Shah. You will see me very often from this day onwards. I'm here for some business with Mr. Malik." He replied in a calm voice.

"Should I call you Mr. Shah like dad instructed me to call all his business friends? But you aren't that old to be his business associate. " She asked in a doubtful manner and Kabir clenched his fist.

"Listen sweetie pie, and listen carefully. That man is not allowed to instruct you anything. Got that?" He asked in a calm yet dangerous voice and she got scared.

His voice was deep, scary just like her father's when he was angry; which was most of the times.

He saw her getting scared and cursed himself. She looked like she wanted to leave and even though he thought that she should have done that from the moment she saw him, he didn't like it.

Not a single bit. The idea that she might turn her back on him and run away was scary. He was as scared as the moment doctor told him about his mother's illness. He can never imagine what he will do if she ever turns her back on him.

"Bir. Call me Bir." He said in a softest voice he has spoken after his mother's death and she smiled. He missed being called Bir. Only his mother called him that and now his sister will.

"Bir and sweetie pie. Friends?" She asked with a smile and gave her hand to him. He smiled back.

"Friends!" He shook her hand.

"Would you like to come inside and have some milkshake?" She invited her new friend and just like that his smile completely disappeared.

"Well on the other hand, the weather is good outside. So we can wait here till dad comes back." She said and took his hand and made him sit near her beneath the tree.

"How?" Kabir asked frowning.

"How what?"

"How did you know that I don't like your previous offer?" He asked his doubt.

"Oh that. Well your face, it became scary. I could feel it." She replied shrugging.

"You aren't as stupid as I assumed." He finally said and she laughed.

It was a good sound.

"Just because I was crying outside and talked to you without knowing your name, you thought I'm stupid?" She asked in an amusing tone.

"Well yeah." Kabir said scratching his neck. He didn't know how to talk to girls and was not used to their teasing tone.

"Well Bir. I was crying in the backyard because no one comes here. I talked to you and took your hanker chief because we are inside my house.

See that window, well Ruksana aunty is working inside kitchen and is regularly looking at me in every five minutes. The gardener Uncle is not just cutting grass in the lawn but is waiting for me to go back inside after I finish my crying session. The driver Uncle is not only cleaning the car but looking at us from the mirror. The manager Uncle saw you walking here. The watch man Uncle knows that you came inside.

I may be busy in my crying session but I knew that someone has come. I thought it was one of the workers so I was surprised to see you. Bir, I'm not stupid enough to talk to a stranger or take stuff from him without knowing that I'm fully safe." She explained and in that moment she impressed Kabir with her intelligence.

Finally they have something called common sense in common.

"You look impressed." Sanaa said and he raised a questioning brow.

"Your eyes well they kinda say. Also your shoulders relaxed. Lips twitched a bit too. You exhaled large amount of air. You have beautiful eyes by the way." She answered his unasked question, one of many in future. He smirked fully now.

"Thank you Sweetie pie! Those are some great observation skills you showed. I have to admit I'm impressed." Kabir replied and she laughed again.

"Now about your crying session. Why was it for? And if all the workers here know you and take care of you yet they didn't come to console you that means these crying sessions are frequent and they are giving you space. Why so?" Kabir asked and now she got uncomfortable. Nothing escapes his notice.

He noticed that she looks sideways when she is nervous and observes the things around her before opening her mouth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering,

"Don't judge me like the last time, okay? I was crying because I had a fight with dad and mom. They wanted me to come for a party and I don't like parties. My sister does but I don't. And this happens for a lot of things and lots of times so it's not new. Do you think I should try to attend them again?" She said truthfully and Kabir immediately stood up and clenched his fist to control his anger.

Her words gave a burning sensation in his pit and he wanted to punch someone.

Really hard.

How dare he?

She was calling those people dad and 'mom'? These were her so called parents?

Disgusting.

They were trying to interfere with his sweetie pie's life. Few minutes with her and he knew that they were trying to change her and make her something she isn't.

Before coming here he didn't know what he will say to the man that destroyed his mother's life and took away her last hope.

But now he did. Now he got the purpose to stay here and face that man.

From this day onwards these people won't shape his sweetie pie's life and he will make sure of it. She is too naïve for her own good.

She is intelligent but does not have street smartness. She thinks of him as her friend and but he knows that she is his sister. He will tell her truth about their relationship soon after he talks to that man whose name is like poison to him.

Ansar Malik was a curse to his existence but Sanaa Malik will be his boon.

***

I live for this attitude of Bir!

And if you liked it too then you will love the next chapter where Bir will meet Mr. Malik for the first time!

It's going to be interesting (;

Btw who do you think is stupid between these two?

I think Kabir even if I love him. Because of what he did in future. Not understanding his sweetie pie.

I hope this chapter was interesting. The plot is now finally set and hence the story begins...

So till next time, vote comment and share!