Six Years Later

"Wake up!....Papa wake up!!!" A cute little boy with big doe emerald eyes screamed jumping up and down as he sat over his father's back.

"Mmmm." Rehan mumbled in his sleep.

"PAPA!!! I'll be late to school!!!" He threw a fit punching his broad shoulders.

Rehan scowled groggily, annoyed now.
"What time is it?" He mumbled still with his eyes closed.

"7'oclock!"

Rehan's eyes shot open and he got up as the kid fell of his back and on the bed giggling.
"Papa you're soo big..." He was giggling.

"Murad! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" Rehan panicked and scrambled off the bed picking his not soo tiny son off the bed and made him sit over his shoulders being flown to the bathroom as his giggles filled the room.

∆∆∆∆
"Saif! Baby, Don't pull your sister's hair and Sara, shona, don't spoil your uniform!" Khushi was yelling at both her kids as they were making mischief on the breakfast table while she rushed to the kitchen to pack thier tiffins. Being a mother now she did learn to cook somewhat.

Yasir walked into the kitchen groggily and finding his wife, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind giving a sweet kiss on her cheek
"Goodmorning Jaan."

"Get off Yasir! I'm busy." She scolded sternly while making the sandwiches.

Yasir smiled and nuzzled her neck to annoy her more.

"Yasir!" She pushed him making him chuckle.

"Ok ok...sorry my Jaan... I love you! now where are my little angry birds?" He grinned going to the kids leaving Khushi smiling behind him.

Murad too ran out joining his cousins followed by Rehan.

"Oh bhai.... I'll get the breakfast ready in a minute for you too. Let me fill thier lunch boxes first." Khushi said hurriedly busy with her work.

Rehan walked to the kitchen and picked an apple patting her head.
"Don't worry about me. I'll get something on the way." He said seeing her working soo hard.

"No way.... you're not going anywhere today without a good breakfast." She scolded.

Rehan took a bite of that apple.
"This is good breakfast." He mumbled with his mouth full.

"No it's not! Go sit with the kids. I'll prepare the breakfast." Zarina walked in patting his back.

"No no no... you're not coming inside the kitchen today. You're still not well. Didn't the doctor asked you to rest? And why are you up soo early?" Rehan held her by her shoulders dragging her gently towards the room.

She turned around and slapped his arm.
"What does that doctor know? I'm still healthy as a horse."

"Of course, of course! The doctor is soo stupid and his degree is fake. Our Zarina ma is half a doctor herself, right ma?" Yasir teased only to receive a weak slap on his arm too.
His clenched his jaw trying to hide his disdain. She surely had gotten weak and her old age was catching up to her. For the past six years her health had been detoriating bit by bit showing not much signs of improvement ... especially after Muskan left. She took quite a shock.

The kids were giggling seeing thier father's getting beaten up by thier grandmother and both Rehan and Yasir quitely went and sat with the kids.

"Did you take your homework?" Rehan asked putting jam on the toast for all 3 kids.

"Yessss!" They all screamed. Being just a few months apart, all 3 of them were in the same class in first standard after all.

"Ok! Now everyone finish your breakfast and then I'll drop you to school in the new car!" Rehan announced dramatically exciting the kids.

∆∆∆∆
Murad screamed pushing the boy on the playground with all his strength as his big doe eyes narrowed with anger glaring at the boy and he was biting his trembling lip hand so as to not cry.

"Waaaaaaaa..." The boy on the ground was crying louder and louder holding his scraped elbow and the teacher came running out.

"What happened here?! Anzar, why are you crying? Did you fall?" She went to the boy helping him up.

"Teacher.... Murad pushed me...." He wailed.

She looked at Murad angrily who was pouting with his head down.

"Murad! You naughty boy! Always fighting with other students. Come with me. Let me call your father today!" She scolded and grabbing his hand dragged him to the staffroom as the other teacher tended to the hurt boy.

"Stand in the corner and raise your hands till your father comes!" She ordered and Murad silently obeyed.

"It's because he doesn't have a mother to discipline him he's like that!" She muttered to herself but alas, the child heard it and his pout grew as the urge to cry grew too.

∆∆∆∆
It was quite a popular school she had heard and according to the advertisement there were quite a few vacancies. It not anything she could atleast get a job of a kindergarten teacher.

6 years had passed and not many things were changed...the only thing changed was her. Her emerald eyes moistened but blinking them rapidly she took a deep breath and smiled.

Muskan Abdullah...a new life was about to start for her.

She walked through the corridors of the schools as she could hear students studying in thier classrooms. She passed by the standard first class listening to how the children were reciting the tables. Her heart clenched inside her chest.

Her son would be around the same age where ever he was though.

She shook her head and made her way to the Principal's cabin slightly confused. However, it was locked.

"Excuse me!" She called out to the peon who was passing by her in a rush.

"Jaldi bolo madam (say quickly madam)."

"Is the principal not here today? I can for this teacher's vaccancy and...."

"Heh? Teacher....go there there...." He pointed at a distance to the right and rushed away like the wind.

Muskan was confused now. There was no one around to ask either. So she just followed the direction and was completely lost until she saw the Staffroom board outside the door.

Maybe the principal must be here.
She was hesitant at first but then lifted her hand to knock the door. However, before she could, the door opened up on it's own revealing a tall lady maybe a couple years older to her wearing spectacles abd a sleevless grey coat over her patiyala suit with the school's emblem on it as they came face to face with eachother.

She must be a teacher. Muskan thought.

"Um.... excuse me ma'am. I was called here to meet..."

The teacher looked into Muskan's emerald eyes and smiled.
"Oh, you're here already? Good thing you came sooner. Come in come in..."

Muskan smiled. I'm in the right place. She thought and took her seat as she was ushered in.

"I thought Murad's father would come but it's a good thing you're here ma'am." She said taking her seat across the desk.

"Um.... I don't understand..." Muskan began utterly confused but the teacher completely ignored her words and began her ranting.

"Your boy is an extremely naughty child. He's always getting in fights with the other kids, not paying attention to his studies and always scowling like that. He doesn't even have many friends, only his cousins. Why don't you discipline him ma'am?"

Muskan blinked at her.
"I'm sorry....what? Who?"

"Tsk tsk....your son ma'am!" Hearing that Muskan's heart skipped a beat.
"Come here Murad!" She ordered and the poor boy quitely took his aching arms down and walked to the teacher.

Muskan's hands were shaking below the table as she looked at the child in front and her heart clenched seeing the striking resemblance. However, what convinced her more making her heart bleed was the beautiful emerald orbs resembling her own and her whole world came to a standstill.

Murad too looked at the beautiful lady in front of her blinking cutely with confusion as something inside him made him feel warm seeing her. Innocently, we walked to her and threw his arms around her neck climbing on her lap and Muskan's heart skipped freezing her in place.

"Aunty, please do acting of being my Mummy. Or else teacher will call my Papa and then he will not give me my birthday gift." He whispered into her ear. When he got back Muskan's eyes went to his id hanging around his neck and as she read the name, her whole body felt weak.

Murad Rehan Mirza...

Muskan gulped back the heavy lump in her throat and wrapped her shaky arms around his small frame as her whole body felt warm.

He was really her son!

Even the teacher was in awe of how those two were holding on to eachother soo lovingly as if meeting eachother after centuries.

"Uh....About Murad...." The teacher began subtly demanding Muskan's attention.
"....this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated. Today he pushed a fellow classmate hurting him, the other day he threw his shoe on a girl and before that he scratched a senior student. The child is may become even more aggressive in the future. He's only five years old."

"Miss, I will be 6 years old...."

"On Tuesday...." Both Muskan and Murad said in unison and he tilted his head cutely looking at her confused. Muskan smiled at him caressing his face oh soo lovingly.

"Ahem... I've heard that you and Murad's father have...um...parted ways, but such abrupt decisions tend to have a negative effect on young kids..."

Muskan looked at the teacher.
"I'll.... make him understand. He's still a child so please be gentle with him too." She said cutting her off.

She noticed how he was pressing his shoulder with his hand while still on her lap and she replaces his tiny hands with hers massaging his shoulders lovingly.

".... didn't you already punish him ma'am? This won't be tolerated by me either." She said bluntly and a bit sternly making the teacher flinch slightly.
"He's just a child. How long was he holding his hands up?" She questioned in a low voice yet with intimidation.

"Uhm.....uh....just for a while not much. Well, kids need to be disciplined after all so that they may remember thier lesson." She almost shuddered.

"Students must be disciplined not tortured!"

She flinched.
"I'll keep that in mind.... Thankyou for coming."

Muskan picked Murad in her arms and smiled as he kept looking at her.
"Shall we go?"

"He still has classes to attend." The teacher reminded sheepishly and Muskan's face dropped. She couldn't spend more time with him.

"Ok. Thankyou." She said and carried him out. When they were finally out she reluctantly put him down and crouched down on her knees to his level holding both his hands as she watched him from top to bottom to her heart's content. He had already grown up soo much. Alas, her heart could never be content in just a short moment. He was a piece of her heart afterall....a piece she had abandoned.

The tears she was holding back all that time made thier way out slipping down her cheeks. Not knowing what was making the beautiful lady cry, Murad wiped her tears with his tiny hands to which Muskan's eyes closed increasing the tightening of her chest as a sob she was soo difficulty holding back, escaped her lips.

"Why are you crying aunty? Don't cry... Papa cries like this too sometimes and I don't like it." He pouted his small lips and inflated his chubby cheeks.

"It's because... you're soo adorable I couldn't help but cry." Muskan responded smiling through her tears.

He giggled
"Papa says that too....but I know he cries because he misses my Mummy..." Then he gasped covering his mouth.
"I should not say that."

Muskan held onto her aching heart. Hearing about him almost broke her again.
"H....how is....your Papa?" She managed to ask.

"He's good...but don't tell him I told you his secret. Promise." He pulled out his tiny pinky grinning at her showing his broken front tooth.

Muskan quickly wiped her tears and hooked her pinky finger with his and brought it to her lips kissing it as her big fat tears fell on his small hand.
"P... promise." She breathed.

She then remembered.
"Murad...." She gulped. It was such a beautiful name too.
"...why did you push that boy? Isn't he your friend?"

The bell rang and Murad looked back.
"Teacher will scold me again if I don't go to class."

Fear settled inside her as she had to let go of him.
"Can't you....stay with me a bit longer?" She almost begged him.

He blinked at her.
"Aunty....what is your name?" He couldn't help but ask as she felt soo familer.

At this Muskan came out of her daze.
"I'll.... tell you some other time."

"Then I'll call you fairy aunty because you're pretty like a fairy." He giggled.

Muskan smiled caressing his face.
"And you are as beautiful as a little prince."

He giggled again.
"I know! I'm very handsome! Phupi says that too." He said proudly making Muskan chuckle.

She reluctantly let go of his hand.
"You should go now... or else you'll be late." She said fighting the battle with her heart.

His small mouth opened wide dramatically.
"Oh no! Bye bye fairy aunty. I will see you tomorrow!" He yelled waving her goodbye as he ran to his classroom.

There was no strength left in her to stand up on her feet as Muskan just helplessly saw her child running and soon disappearing from her sight.

∆∆∆∆
Rehan hissed looking at his wristwatch as he rushed towards the staffroom. The school was almost over and he was super late.

He knocked at the staffroom door and entered in.
"Miss Shirke?"
He called for Murad's class teacher.

"Oh... Mr Mirza."

"Sorry. I got caught up in work. Did Murad do something again?"

"Ah, it's ok! It's all taken care of. Murad's mother came to meet me instead." She informed with a casual wave of hand.

Rehan froze at her words.
"His.... mother?"

Dozens of possibilities were spinning inside his head but he didn't wanted to give himself any false hope.

"Yes, I immediately recognised her by her eyes. No wonder why your son has such pretty eyes." She smiled.

Rehan just gaped at her making the teacher feel uncomfortable.
"Uhm.... Mr Mirza?"

"Are you sure it was her?"

"Yes... I'm pretty sure. The way she was holding Murad and looking at him I could see the motherly love in her for him."

Rehan's eyes widened and his heart squeezed inside his chest.

∆∆∆∆
The children were all on the ground for PT so unable to contain his curiosity he called Khushi.

"Yes bhai?"

"Baccha....did you come to school today to meet the kids' class teacher?"

"That annoying woman?! No way! Even if someone holds me at gunpoint to talk to her.... I wouldn't. Do you know how annoying she is? Always complaining about my babies. Why? Did she call you to complain about my Murad again?! That bitch! Doesn't she have anything better to do? Always targeting my baby nephew!" She went ranting but Rehan was too dazed to listen to her.

"Khushi.....she said Murad's mother came to meet her."

Hearing that Khushi felt silent.
"Muskan?!" She breathed shocked.

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Last chapter tomorrow...