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◇Chapter#3◇

      The two of them were at the table having their lunch; Sumaira and her mother Alina. Sumaira took out some of the boiled rice in her plate alongwith her favorite dish of chicken. Just then she heard her mother speaking,

      "Shehzad called today."

      "Really?!" Sumaira asked with excitement. Alina nodded.

      "He said that he would be coming today."

      "Wow! That's great! We would have so much fun together. By t—-" She was cut by her mother.

      "He isn't going to stay for the night even Sumaira. He will leave as he has important works to do, not just always chatting and playing around with you."

      Sumaira's smile faltered.

      "But that's —-"

      "Sumaira. No complaints." She clamped her mouth shut after seeing the glare of her mother.

      "This is not fair at all. Whenever he comes home, he comes as a sojourner. I am not going to leave him so easily.

      She mumbled under her breath before continuing with her food.

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      "Gurya!" The voice boomed in the house, clear enough for anyone in the house to hear but it was maybe inaudible for the one who was being called.

      One by one he peeped in the bedroom, the kitchen, the washroom and at last he came to the drawing room. There she was sitting, totally engrossed in the program broadcasted on the television.

     "Gurya!" He called her once he reached behind her.

     "Hmm..."

     "Did I ever teach you to hmm in response to elders?" He faked a serious tone.

     "Hmm..."

     He didn't wait anymore after hearing the same reply. He stooped and picked her up in his arms.

     "Aah aah! Papa, no!" She didn't like the interruption during the program, but that was soon replaced by laughters and giggles when he started tickling her.

      "You were not replying me huh. Now get this, okay." He did not stop.

      After much struggle she managed to get out of his grasp and sit on his lap with her arms circling his neck.

     "Papa I love you sooooooo much!" Her black eyes twinkled as she said so.

     "I love you too." He tapped her forehead with his finger and then rested his head on hers.

     "But how much do you love me?" He separated his head from the resting posture and looked at her intently, waiting anxiously for her answer.

      "This much." She spread her arms wide.

     He frowned a bit.

     "I still didn't get it Gurya. Explain me nicely that how much this much means." He pointed towards her open arms.

     "Hmph." She folded her arms, but then put up a thinking face.

     After much thought, she spoke something unexpected,

     "Dua told me that hew gwandfathew was going to leave hew and go to Jannah becaush he could not get an extwa heawt." She referred to one of her friends.

     "An extra heart? But Gurya, we can only use one heart at a time."

     "Oh!" She slapped her forehead and adjusted herself on his lap. "An extwa heawt meansh that he wanted a new heawt papa. His heawt wash not wowking. Undewstood?"

     "Oh!" He elongated the oh. "Okay." He had to be obedient to this little teacher of his.

     "So?"

     "So hew gwandfathew got an extwa heawt latew and he did not leave hew." She grinned as though she was responsible for providing Dua's grandfather with a heart in working condition.

     "Okay. So how does this explain your love for me Gurya?" He still didn't get the point of her narrative.

     "It is easy papa." She placed her hand on the upper mid part of his chest.

     "Hewe is youw heawt." She stated and he let out a stifled laugh after seeing his newly displaced heart.

     "What!" She spoke innocently on finding him laughing without any purpose.

     "Okay, okay. You continue." He suppressed his laughter and took up a solemn attitude. "Yes, here is my heart." He placed his hand on hers reassuringly.

     "Yes. So if you will evew need an extwa heawt latew, I will give you mine." That touched his heart. He had never thought of Gurya to say so.

     "And when will I need an extwa heawt?"

     "If youw this heawt dosh not wowk." She pointed to his chest.

     "What will you use then?" He asked with a plain face.

     "I will stay like Amna's gwandfathew fow some days and someone will give me an extwa heawt latew."

     "Gurya. We can also do the same thing if I take a heart from someone and you keep yours." He smiled and slightly rubbed her head.

     "No papa. You will not wait. You will take mine. I will wait fow a heawt. You should be complete always, for me." She hugged him lovingly.

     "Yes always, for you." He spoke grimly as he tightly hugged her little body and salty water threatened to come out of his eyes.

     Little did Gurya know that it was not easy to get a heart transplantation.

     He was touched by her love for him. Maybe she loved him even more than he loved her.

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      She looked up at the clock.

     3:30 pm.

     The clock seemed to be yelling at her to hurry with her homework. She wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

      No matter how disappointed she would be every time Shehzad came home, her gloomy mood would disappear in a fraction of seconds on giving a second thought.

      Trifle, chicken and marble cake. Trifle, chicken and marble cake. Trifle, chicken and marble cake. She had been repeating those things in her head since the lunch in order to not forget what to make for her only brother.

      All of a sudden, something struck her head. She left her pen on the table and rushed towards the kitchen, banging her room door against the wall in a hurry.

      "Watch where you are going Sumaira! Something has really got to this girl. I don't know when will she grow up." Her mother yelled the first part and mumbled the rest to herself.

     "Please mom. I am in a hurry. Sorry!!" She exclaimed as she stepped in the kitchen, only with the result of getting tripped by a chair and facing an unpleasant impact with the floor.

     "Ow!" It pained but she stood up and blamed the chair. "Mom, please tell Aunt Noori to never put this chair near the kitchen's entrance!" Aunt Noori had been working at their house for years and Alina didn't mind anything that Sumaira complained of Noori, because she knew her better than Sumaira did.

     "As you wish. You are always in a hurry Sumaira. Slow down. Shehzad won't eat you if you are delayed a bit."

     "He will." She chuckled and started opening the cabinets and the refrigerator to check the required ingredients.

      "Jelly, custard powder, fruits, flour, food colours." She found something missing.

      "Mom!! Where is the English cake that we bought few days ago?" She screamed from the kitchen.

      "You know that it is finished already Sumaira. What are you doing in a hurry? Either using your brain uselessly or eating mine."

      "Oh!" She slapped her forehead. "How could I forget? Okay, so cake. A chocolate one. Right, that will do good."

      She then continued her search.

      "Now where is this whipped cream?" She spoke to herself but her search for the cream went vain.

      "Okay, so I also need whipped cream. Mom!! I am taking some money to send Zeeshan to the shop." She lifted the mat placed over the refrigerator to reveal some money placed under. She took hold of a few of them.

      Turning around, she blindly pressed a switch on the wall that was supposed to ring the bell of Zeeshan's quarter at the back of the house. The lights got off.

     Ugh! I am a real stupid in a hurry.

      She switched on the lights of the kitchen and after having a proper look on the right switch, pressed it.

     A while later, she heard a knock on the window of the kitchen. She proceeded for the door of the kitchen that opened to the walkway situated by the side of the house, but within the house's territory.

     Zeeshan looked at her as she handed him the money. She was in her usual attire. A kameez matched with blue pants, a scarf loosely draped around her neck ended by a loose knot, brown hair tied up in a high ponytail and a fresh face without any makeup. In addition to this, two hands placed on both sides of her waist.

      "You have to buy whipped cream and make sure that it be of Betty Crocker. What else was there?" She tried to recall the things. "Yes, English cake too but a chocolate one and spongy as well. Go go hurry now. I need them urgently."

      She closed the door behind her and went towards her room. She could hear the driver starting the car to leave. Something came like a flash of lightening.

     Oh no!

     She scooted out of her room in an attempt to reach the car before the driver left. Stumbling by various items and getting hold of some more money from the kitchen on her way, she reached the porch but he was already out of the garage when she reached there.

     "Uncle Raheem!! Uncle Raheem!!! Stop Zeeshan!" She was out of breath and could find no more energy in herself to run further as she called the guard.

      As Uncle Raheem shouted and waved hands at Zeeshan to stop the car, she made another effort to run towards the car.

     When she reached the gate, the driver had already reversed the car to reach her. She bent to come on a level with the window of the car and face the driver.

      "Where were you hurrying to mister? Huh? You know how my leg hurts due to the crazy run now. There is no one running after you. Calm down." She had totally forgotten about her haste as it was she who had told him to hurry up.

      He couldn't help but smile.

      "Now what are you smiling at? Did I tell a joke? Funny." She stood straight to take a deep breath and then stooped again. "I forgot to tell you. You also have to buy lemons, about one kilogram and cocoa powder too, a whole pack. Got it?" She handed him the money.

      "Yes madam, anything else?" He asked.

     "No nothing else. Now just hurry. What are you waiting for like a lazy person. I need them urgently. You know that." She shut the door and went inside the gate.

     "Yes I know that." He chuckled. "She is angry, sweet, innocent and funny at the same time." He shook his head.

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      She wearily sat on her study table and picked up her pen to complete the rest of her homework.

     A few minutes later, she was sprawled on her bed, thinking about Shehzad. She didn't feel to study and had left it to be done in the night before going to bed.

      She clearly remembered how excited she was few years ago to know that her brother was going to join a university in another city. He had been doing his studies in a boarding school and college before; leaving her with merely a few chances to see or meet him. She never remembered anything related to his school or college years, she had no memory of their childhood moments together and they had no pictures related to those times too. It was only the last year of his college life that she remembered. And she wanted to mourn over her memory for keeping so little of her moments with her brother.

      She knew that he would be very delightful to see his favourite dishes on the table during the dinner. Baking and sweets was what she loved to eat and make; and making her brother happy made her happier even more.

      They barely talked on the mobile phone in a month. It was only when Shehzad visited home that she could get a chance to talk to him. He had such a busy schedule that sometimes she used to call him repeatedly, earning a rebuke in return. All of this used to sadden her a bit, but she got used to it gradually and this fact began to make a niche in her mind that he was aiming something high and it was for this noble reason that they didn't get to spend much time with each other. She could understand that.

      Despite all of this, she had developed this inextricable link with him and she loved him like anyone could love a sibling; in the normal way, the usual way.

      Thinking all of this, she was unaware when the fairy of sleep came and took her in her arms to let her surge into a beautiful but peaceful sleep.

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      "Vroom vroooooooom !!" The four years old boy played with his toy motorcycle as he produced its roaring sound. 

      "Kaboom! Dhaz." He mischievously smiled as his motorcycle went through the building of blocks, making it collapse.

      "Amir!!! My building! What did you do to it?!" Hira came running towards her collapsed stack of blocks. She looked at him with dismay and started crying.

      The loud cry in the playroom made Aunt Ameena rush towards it. She kept her things aside out of any child's reach and hurried towards the room.

      "Aww, what has happened?" She developed a consoling attitude that was necessary to make children stop with their crying. She took in the matter when she witnessed Hira's building's scattered blocks and Amir's motorcycle around them.

      By the time she reached Hira, a number of children had started crying. She was already expecting that. Some children had started crying after seeing Hira cry, though they had no reason to cry for.

      "Rida, Madiha! Come and lull these children. They are crying." She gave a call to some other working females of the orphanage and turned her attention towards Amir, but was astonished to find him a bit upset. She immediately spotted Umair beside him, holding an angry expression.

      "Umair, what did you do to him?" Appearing strict, she asked him.

      "Nothing."

      "Umair." She repeated her words.

      "I told him that I will beat him next time if he teases Hira." He nervously played with the buttons of his shirt.

      She smiled inside. A pleasant feeling enveloped her but she continued with the same stance,

      "Un-huh. That's not right Umair. You should just say him not to do that again. Okay?"

      "Okay." He spoke low.

      "That's fine. And Amir, why do you tease Hira? That's not good. Be a good boy. Aren't you?" Amir nodded his head innocently. 

      "Now, say sorry to each other and be good friends." She then instructed Amir and Umair to shake their hands as well.

      "I am sorry Hira." Amir took a step forward and apologized.

      "It's okay." She uttered as her blue eyes twinkled with the tears that had been flowing previously.

      "Okay come on come on. Be good children. Go and play. You also have to build a house Hira." She kissed Hira's forehead and ushered her to play with the rest.

      "Yes, I have to make a house. A big one." She smiled. "Come on. Let's make it." Her mood waa restored by then.

      She held a hand each of Amir and Umair and led them to where her toys were.

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      "Aunt Noori, please hand me that bowl on the counter while I take this custard off the stove." Sumaira directed Aunt Noori as she prepared the custard and jelly for the trifle.

      She had already sliced and laid the cake slices in the bowl. She carefully poured the custard over the cake slices uniformly. 

      Keeping the bowl aside, she pressed the button of the oven to get a bright view of the cake inside. She then turned over the chicken pieces which were being fried.

      Sumaira had got up late in the evening. She had not realized that she was asleep, unless she were woken up by a dream.

      It was a dream related to the previous ones and she knew it. A man and a little girl were always a part of her dream or her thoughts. She had never visualized them in real life but a question that used to bug her all the time was why did her dreams usually revolve around these two persons.

      She shrugged and continued with her cooking but somewhere, she was been constantly reminded of the dream by her mind.

      The man ruffling the little girl's hair, her laughters, she sat on—

      She was startled from her thoughts by a side hug.

      "Shehzad bhai!" She was relieved to find him beside her after a long time and hugged him with all her strength.

      "Oh oh! Ahem." He coughed by the hug. She hit him on his arm.

      "Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed his arm severely.

      "Don't pretend. It was not that tight of a hug to cough. Plus you have shown me your face after a very long time I guess." She tapped her chin with her finger.

      This time, he slapped on her arm.

      "Ow! Now what was that for?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

      "Don't pretend. How many times have I told you to call me simply Shehzad, no bhai. Plus you did not reply to my salaam." He mimicked her tone.

      "Okay then. Simply Shehzad, can you please leave the kitchen? The atmosphere is not so pleasant over here. Plus wa alaikum us salaam." She beamed while he rolled his eyes.

      "And why should I call you Shehzad only? You are saying so as if we have no relation between us. I can still afford to call you bhai." Sumaira snorted.

      "Because I am cool." He raised his collars and dusted them off. "Even if you call me Shehzad only, we still have a relation between us." He looked intently into her eyes with his black eyes which were a contrast to her brown eyes.

      "What is the use of dusting a dustless collar Shehzad?" She mocked him.

      "Oh this!" He looked at his collar and picked a small non-existing piece of dirt. "It's what we call efficiency." He dusted his hands together and smirked.

      "Okay enough. Just go already. I have things to do because you won't ever change huh." She started pushing him out of the kitchen.

      "Is this the way how you treat a—- wait, do I even need to change?" He turned about and all her efforts to push him out went fruitless. She folded her arms.

      "No, you don't need to. You are always perfect for me the way you are. And I love you for that." 

      "Just like my little doll." He disheveled her hair and escaped from there before she could get a hold of him.

      "Urgh! You are never going to change Shehzad!" She yelled from the kitchen.

      "I don't even want to!" He retaliated in her tone. A smile managed to creep on her face.

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      "Mmmmhhhh. Delicious." Shehzad detached a chunk of the chicken piece and ate it alongwith a spoonful of rice.

      "Are you appreciating the taste of the chicken or the rice Shehzad bhai?"  Sumaira gritted her teeth while having food at the dining table.

      "Umm, I think it's the rice. Actually, that's the thing that got into my mouth the most. So I believe it is the rice that is delicious." He emphasized at rice, clearly offending her.

      She dropped her spoon. "Mom! Please say something to him. He doesn't want to admire my cooking, intentionally."

      "Shehzad! Don't tease her. It's really tasty. The chicken. Sumaira has poured all her love in making it." Mom finally spoke in the matter.

      He glanced a look at Sumaira and observed his plate, "Really?! Now I get the reason for tasting something similar to blood. It's like, no spices, no salt. Just love, right Sumaira?" He wiggled his eyebrows as she knitted hers in anger.

      "Hmph. I don't feel hungry anymore." She pushed her chair backwards and was about to stand up when he grasped her wrist and stopped her.

      "Just kidding Sumaira. This is very mouth-watering. Perfect. I really love this." He spoke as he directed her to sit down and continue with her food.

      "Well Sumaira, that was not a part of good manners to display. Don't do that again." Her father slightly reprimanded her.

      Sumaira narrowed her eyes at Shehzad who smiled mischievously.

      "I didn't plan to do that before. But here is the deal, you call me bhai and I get to tease you." He spoke slowly in order to let only Sumaira be aware of it.

      "Just wait till you get married. I will see how you and your better half do this." She retorted. This time, it was loud. Everyone was taken aback a bit by this, but eventually returned back to the meal.

      "Save this talk for another time Sumaira." He seemed to get sobered by then.

      "Why is it always another time? Why isn't there a now?" She questioned him but got no reply. She finally turned her attention towards her parents,

      "Mom, Dad, please tell me whom is Shehzad going to marry. I know that you know that. It's no harm in telling me. Please tell me. I won't be telling anyone. You know me."

      "That's a suspense for now Sumaira. You won't be knowing it until a month before my marriage. Tsk tsk." Shehzad snickered.

      "But that's not fair." She pouted.

      "But you do love surprises." He seemed to know everything.

      "Ah! I know. I wish for time to fly fast to reveal the thing to me." She heaved a sigh.

      "She is as beautiful as you. Don't worry. I am not going to bring a witch with me. I am just waiting for some things to be settled. These will take a few years more. I am still studying you know." He lightly slapped her cheeks, leaving her in a whirl of thoughts about who could be her possible future sister-in-law.

      Belonging to a high class imposed no barrier in their talks or the topic of their talks. They were free to talk about anything, be it marriage or cartoons, either with adults or children. The Maliks had been living a carefree life free of worries.

      Except for Sumaira, she was now bothered to think about her future sister-in-law. She was so eager to know about it.

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      He shut the door of his car and looked at the school building. He took a deep breath and observed the little lunch box in his hands. He then touched his pockets to listen some crinkling sounds. Lifting his foot after much contemplation, he began walking towards his destination.

      Cool air greeted him as he pushed open the glass doors of the school. He went up to the lady sitting at information desk.

      "Assalam-o-Alaikum." He greeted her.

      "Wa alaikum us salaam. How can I help you?" She gave a warming smile.

      "I want to meet my friend's daughter in the kindergarten section. I want to give this lunchbox to her. She doesn't have any lunch today." He put forward his statement.

      "Okay, please let me know her name and I will make it sure that this lunchbox reaches her."

      "No, no. You don't need to do that. Actually, I want to meet her too. We call her Gurya. It is her nickname. Unfortunately I always forget her real name because of that, but her father's name is Hassan Riaz. So.....if you can call her here, that would be better." His heartbeat had fastened for a while but he quickly handled the matter.

      "Okay, I will go and ask about it. Please wait for a few minutes and have a seat." She left her chair and went in one direction, probably towards Gurya's class.

      "No problem." He smiled and took a seat. He knew that it was the recess time, so seemingly, he would be facing no trouble in meeting her.

      The lady returned after a few minutes.

      "Ma'am says that it is not allowed for the children to get out of their play areas and classrooms unless it is something of prime importance. If you want to come along to the play area, you can meet her."

      "Okay, that's right. I am absolutely fine with it. Children should be kept safe." He smirked when the lady had turned about, leading him towards the play area.

      Walking through few corridors and taking several turns, they reached a play area. The lady looked around and declared,

      "There she is. You can proceed further." She pointed towards a slide and gave a smile before leaving.

      He took slow steps towards Gurya and had seen few teachers, by his peeipheral vision, looking after the children playing around and enjoying the recess.

      "Gurya!" He held her by her back and carried her in his arms. She, who was enjoying the slide, was surprised by this sudden attack. She turned her head to see his face.

      "Who are you?" She was bold, he had figured it out by then. Unlike other children who would cry on such occasions, she was calm though a bit alarm could be seen in her eyes.

      He didn't want any of the teachers to detect any oddity in the encounter. He tried to cover all the traces of being strangers,

      "Don't you remember?" She shook her head. She was clear in her thoughts too.

      "I am Uncle Shaahi." He smiled as she murmured Uncle Shaahi, yet she was not tempted by anything. "See what I have brought for you."

       He opened the lunch box in his hand to let her get a glimpse of the toffees and chocolates in it, but then closed it as fast as he had opened it.

      She gasped.

      He tapped on his cheek as a precondition to have the toffees. She gave a slight kiss on his cheek.

      He opened the lunch box again. Gurya gasped this time too.

      He gave her one of the chocolates after unwrapping it. With her mouth full of the chocolate, she directed him to put her down and she ran towards some children.

      All he knew was that she returned with a crowd of little children. The teachers present at the spot also watched him distributing toffees and chocolates amongst the children. They enjoyed the spectacle.

      Gurya had a sweet and caring nature too. He had realized it by what she had done just then.

      A wave of sadness and guilt swept him but he quickly overcame it. He had to focus on his work at hand.

      "What if I come here after every few days to give toffees and chocolates Gurya? Will you be happy?" He questioned her once the lunch box and his pockets were empty of the confectionary items that he had brought.

      "I will be vewy happy!" She beamed, bouncing up and down.

      He noticed her cute face, brown eyes and dark brown hair. She was an angel, a little angel. Her two ponytails, on both the sides of her head, bobbed as she bounced. He was bound to acknowledge his keenness.

      She was, no doubt, pretty and cute.

      Gurya was very happy and he was happier, in a sense, that he was getting closer to his aim.

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That's the third chapter before you. How did you find it? :) I hope you liked it. I am so sorry for the really slow updates but I am a slow updater. Plus studies are a really tough thing to manage. It's a tough routine that I have. What can I do? :/

My finals are starting by the end of this month. I hope I clear them with distinction. :) Do pray for me.

This chapter is dedicated to @starryepiphany for the support on this book of mine. Though you may have read a single chapter only, but that means a lot as long as I talk of support. Thank you so much for that and I hope that you like this story as it proceeds.

Any questions other than the things not to be revealed now are welcomed! :)

Till a loooonng  then,

Take care,

Peace out!

Noty! :)