"Ten days and not even a text? Are you freaking crazy?! How could you do this to me, Melo?" Asha squealed through the phone speaker, her shrill voice extremely agitated.

"I'm so sorry, Ash. I swear I d--" I pinched my eyes shut and moved the phone away to protect my eardrum from her peevish scolding.

"You guys left me out in the cold!" Asha continued ranting and raving like the worried mother I'd never had. "I rang you and Akram like a jillion times and it went straight to voicemail and I almost had a heart attack! I thought you were kidnapped or killed or something even worse. I've been having nightmares, Goodness Gorillaz! Why the hell did you disappear like that?"

"It's a long story," I murmured.

"Alright, go ahead, I'm all ears. I have all the time in the world here and I'm planning on listening to your logically convincing explanation of why you freaking vanished on me, dumbhead!" she screeched at the end.

I flinched, flashing on that unforgettable day when Akram had flung my phone - well, his old phone that he'd given to me - from Laila's car. "I... I lost my phone."

"Seriously, that's your long story? So what? Superman's got one. Sell me something else, 'cause I'm not buying it."

I peeked at Akram through the glass door of the patio. He smiled at me as he fiddled with his mother's piano. He had gone inside a minute ago, giving me some privacy to catch up with my best friend.

"His phone broke before we went to your aunt's place, remember?" I explained, biting the tip of my thumb. "Really, we just got new ones."

Asha huffed audibly, her exasperation palpable.

"Okay. Listen." Her tone was serious and compelling. "You're either the most unlucky person on Earth, or you're hiding something from me. I will not have it this time, unless you give me a mighty good reason why you scared me witless for ten days, Melody!"

Asha had never called me 'Melody' since the first time we had met in her aunt's cafe. Definitely a bad sign.

My heart wrenched and the words came out strangled. "I'm so sorry, Ash. I can't say much now. It's not safe."

"Not safe? Ohmygosh! You okay? It's that witch again, isn't it? She's still after you? I swear I'll come back and bury her with my own hands, that sorry piece of..."

"She's dead." My voice broke.

Deathly silence erupted for a moment as my words seemed to grow heavier, filling the long distance between us.

"Holy...! Wait! Wait! Give me a jiffy to restart my brain." Asha paused for a second more, before she asked, "how did you know?"

I swallowed the lump that clogged up my chest whenever I remembered the accident. "I was there."

"You mean you saw it? With your own eyes?" Asha whispered gravely. "Gosh! What happened?"

Pressing my eyelids with my thumb and forefinger, I tried to unsee the dreadful flashbacks. The dire car chase. The groans of metal being crushed. The blood-soaked blonde hair. Another blood on my hands for the rest of my life.

"A car crash." The words choked in my throat.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! You were in an accident?!" Asha shrieked. "Were you hurt? And Akram? Is he okay? Dammit! I can't handle this! I knew I should've taken you with me! I wanna fly back right now! Dammit! Dammit!"

"We're fine, I swear, we're both fine. I just can't talk about it right now." My tears welled up and I sniffled. "I miss you, Ash."

"I miss you too, Melo." Her high-pitched voice softened. "Superman is there, right?"

I peeked at Akram again through the glass door. He sat on the piano chair, arms crossed over his basic black T-shirt, his lips slightly curved. The pleasant curve reversed and his back stiffened when he saw my expression.

"He's with you right now?" Asha persisted.

Pushing a loose strand behind my ear, I sent a reassuring smile for Akram and looked away. "Yeah. He's here."

"Just checking. I told him to babysit you for me and I hope he's doing his job." Her cute bossy tone returned. "Hey! By the way, did he make his move yet?"

My heart fluttered. "Umm! What move?"

"C'mon! I'm pretty sure you know what move. I've been waiting for him to speak up since he'd taken you out. Now you guys have been lovey-dovey for a while and I assume he's done some owning up and divulged his innermost, supermanly feelings?!"

My eyes widened, reflexively darting towards Akram. I blushed when I saw his gaze still fixed on me.

"Oh! You're silent! So, am I right? Did he? Did-he did-he did-he?!" She chirped in excitement.

I bit my lip, unsure how to reply to my best friend's pushy attitude. Akram still stared at me through the glass, his forehead lifting up as if he was waiting for my answer too.

"What is it? Cat got your tongue?" Asha teased.

I blushed harder. "Umm!"

"Come on, Melo! Tell me! Tell me ! Tell me! Did he say the L word?"

My heart accelerated and I turned away from Akram's consuming gaze. "Uh! Well, he kinda... Said the M word too."

"The M word? Other than your name and Mickey Mouse? Oh, Collywobbles! No way! No way! NO WAY! You've got to be kidding me!" Ash practically screamed. "You're trying to tell me he actually popped the question?!"

"S-sort of."

"Squeeeeee!" A clattering noise attacked my ear from Asha's end and the phone almost slipped from my fingers. Somehow, I pictured her jumping up and down in flip-flops, her long hair flying in the air. "Did you say 'yes' ?! Please! Please! Please, tell me you said 'yes'!"

I gulped. "No."

"Aaargh! Pinhead!"

I sighed in defeat. "You don't understand."

"The heck I do! You're a thick-headed, dimwitted moron! You said 'no' to Superman?!" She squeaked, then inhaled and puffed out the air slowly, apparently to calm herself. "Apologies, pinhead, but just look at the signs for a second, will ya? You rejected him and he's still there for you. Do you understand what that means?"

"I know, I know," I groaned, folding my arm across my chest. "Akram is so... out of this world. That's exactly why I don't d--"

"Shush! Listen to me, dear," she demanded, her all-knowing mommy tone back in action. "This guy is a keeper. He's not just some random dude looking for a good time. He's knee-deep in your hot water and he's okay with that. Don't you see? He's like Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty, which basically means he's willing to fight a dragon for you. They don't make 'em like that anymore, except once upon a dream. So, if you have one tenth of a braincell inside your skull, you've got to reconsider your stupid decision or I'll come and kick your stupidity off your..."

"How's your mom?" I interrupted, diverting the conversation.

"Okay, okay, okay! I see what you're doing here and I'm gonna drop it for now just 'cause I want to. Don't get used to that, all right?" She blew out another breath right through my ear. "Mom is fabulous. The doctor said she'll remove the cast next week. Gosh, I was so scared when I got here and saw her at the hospital! I would've lost the plot if it weren't for A.J."

"Oh! Who's A.J?"

"Ahh! Of course you don't know A.J." I pictured her rolling her eyes. "A.J is short for Ajoy. Duh!"

"A - joy?" I mumbled, trying to recall if she had mentioned the name before.

Asha giggled. There was a fresh ring in her laugh that made me smile. "Yep! His name is Ajoy. And you're not wrong. He's a joy to behold," she cooed dreamily. "He's stuck around since I've arrived. Ya know, it started like one of those family arrangements. They do that a lot around here. Anyways, it was more like a hospital visit arrangement, and guess what? I ended up liking him! Who would've thought? Aww! You've got to see him, he's such a cute nerd. He studies Computer Engineering and he also sings! Can you believe it? I think he might be my superman. Or my Prince Philip with curly hair and nerdy glasses! He kinda looks like Aladdin though." She finished with another chirpy giggle.

"Wow! So fast?" I panted. I was relieved Asha dropped the previous topic - which still rendered me at a complete loss - yet, my heart swelled to hear the genuine happiness in her voice.

"He's still under my microscope. Let's hope he proves me right, otherwise I won't be sorry when I break his heart... or his face. Whichever comes first." Asha managed to sound adorable, whenever she tried to sound aggressive.

I exhaled, feeling the heaviness in my chest ease up as we talked like we used to. "God, I love you, Ash. I'm so happy for you."

"Aww! Love you too, Melo," she trilled. "Can't wait to come back to squeeze you to death and tell you every tiniest bit of details. Life is so boring without you."

"You do?" I asked hesitantly. "I mean, you love me?"

"Of course I love you, stupid. Why do you think I've been pulling my hair out when I couldn't reach you?" Her answer came out readily, in a matter-of-fact way that I didn't expect.

Tears of gratitude filled my eyes. "Thank you, Ash."

"Don't thank me. Thank your knight in shining armor and for God's sake just say 'Yes'! Let your fate take its course, dumbo!"

"Too late for that," I mumbled.

"Ha! Don't hold your breath," she challenged. "You've got a persistent guy out there. You'll see. My intuition never fails."

Unintelligible background noises hummed on Asha's end and her voice shouted something, in Hindi language, I assumed.

"Melo, I'll have to go now. Mom needs me. Don't lose this phone too, okay? I'll kill you if you don't call me and I mean it! Bye now." She let it all out in one breath, then she ended the call.

I stood on the porch, staring at the cell phone in my hand. For a second, I resisted a ridiculous urge to cry. I missed Asha so much. And it dawned on me how much I loved her. I'd never contemplated that before. She was literally my only friend. I hadn't had a real friend my whole life, but she'd occupied that part perfectly. And she loved me, too! For some mysterious reason she thought I deserved her love, and that alone was a huge favor I wouldn't be able to repay.

"Is Asha all right?"

A heart-filling voice asked and somehow Akram materialized next to me. His presence was enough to keep the tears in check.

I couldn't help smiling at him. "Yeah. Her mom too. She said she's coming back soon."

"Great, then, I'll see you smile more." He brushed my face lightly, wiping a wet drop on my cheek.

"Sorry for being such a downer." My voice wavered. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see her again."

"Of course you will," Akram soothed, "she can visit you here anytime."

"That's a lot to ask," I looked down, twiddling my fingers. "I've already been an annoying house guest."

Akram sighed. "How many times have we talked about this?"

"It's been over a week, Akram. I can't stay here forever."

"Melody." He grabbed my hand, leading me to sit on the porch steps next to him. "You know I can't risk putting you in danger again."

"But what if I put you and your family in danger for staying here?"

"Don't worry." Akram pushed my chin up with his fingertip, looking earnestly into my eyes. "Akmal assured me we're secured. I have an obnoxious brother, but I trust him. He knows what he's doing."

"It's just..." I took in a breath as he captured my eyes. "I'm confused. I have no clue what will happen or how long I'm staying here. Your family is amazing, but I feel like a pest."

"Oh please." Akram pouted.

I bit back a smile at his animated response. "What's the plan when your school starts next week?"

Akram's face fell for a moment. "I'll be here every weekend to check on you."

My eyes went round. "I won't see you all week?!"

A warm smile stretched across his lips, but its brightness ended too soon. "I wish I didn't have to go, but I need to, eventually. It's my last year."

"I need to go back to New York too," I insisted. "I don't have much there, but... Asha, and the cafe."

"You will." He nodded, holding each of my hands carefully. "When it's over and safe for you to go back."

I squinted, determined not to lose focus as his thumbs massaged my fingers. "You don't want it to be over, do you?"

As soon as I asked, I realized it was a self-directed question and my cheeks warmed.

Akram raised his eyebrows, showcasing his dazzling puppy eyes. "I'm a certified hypocrite, but I'm not a liar. I like having you here."

I gaped at him and flushed fiercely. I didn't know whether I should be flattered, or furious. I was both, but his eyes distracted me and I almost forgot what we were talking about.

I jumped in my skin when I heard a rotary- phone-like ringtone blaring next to me. I still couldn't get used to the old-fashioned cell phones Akmal sent for us. Untraceable phones, he said.

Letting go of my hands, Akram shifted on the steps and pulled the tiny cell phone from his jeans pocket. "Hey, brother, anything new?" He asked as I watched his reactions.

His forehead puckered for a second. "Can you say the reason, or...?"

Akram pressed his lips for a few more seconds.

"All right." He sighed. "Is Laila coming?" He asked him, glancing at me.

"Okay. See you then. Salam." And he hung up with a neutral expression. "Akmal's coming this evening. He wants to talk to you again." His voice was flat and low.

"About what?" My pulse started ringing in my ears.

"He didn't tell me."

I swallowed.

"Hey! It's okay." Akram pressed my hand gently. "He probably wants to share the recent developments. Maybe they found your father."

My body tensed up at the mention of the man who messed up my life. I still couldn't get myself to forgive him for what he'd done.

"Laila's not coming, though," Akram continued, making a funny face. "Sorry you'll have to put up with Akmal without his muffler."

My pent-up tension eased up a little when I saw humor in his eyes.

"Is he always like that?" I asked.

"You mean the blunt remarks and the exaggerated British accent? Oh yeah! It was way worse when we were younger." He chuckled briefly, scratching his brow. "Akmal loved to 'take the mickey' out of his little brother."

"Take the what?"

"It's British slang," he explained. "It means he liked to make fun of me."

I slapped my forehead. "Wait! I just remembered this phrase from Harry Potter!"

Akram laughed. "Yeah, that was the mild version, actually."

"I hate to be nosy, but, uh, why the accent? You don't have one." I was curious to know more about his intimidating, older brother.

"Akmal's been living in England since he was eight. His mother remarried after she and dad divorced and they moved to London with his stepfather ."

"Wow! He acts like he just came out of a James Bond movie," I blurted out, and then blushed at my own stupid comment.

Akram's face gleamed and he uppercut the air with his fist. "Yes! Finally, someone noticed! He's been doing the 007 impression since I could remember. It drove me crazy and he always got away with it."

A short giggle escaped from my mouth. I loved watching Akram in those light-hearted moments, when he would open up and talk about himself or his family.

"Did he tease you a lot?" I prodded.

"'A lot' is an understatement." Akram wrinkled his nose, but his humor was prominent. "He used to stay over during Holidays. Dad assigned him to teach me self defense and he was having the time of his life bossing me around. God, he was relentless."

"Sounds like Asha to me," I noted, my lips twitching. "But, self defense? Why?"

"My father wanted me to 'toughen up'. He felt music wasn't a manly enough pastime, and..." Akram sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I was bullied in elementary school."

I gasped, my hand flying to cover my mouth.

"I was the shy, quiet kid, whose mom was a teacher at the same school, and I played the piano." Akram shrugged. "Bad combination."

I brushed his arm instinctively. "Oh Akram, I'm so sorry." I choked up, my tears ready to burst. I knew exactly how that felt like. I had endured bullying as an inseparable part of my whole life, but not him! Not Akram!

"It wasn't that bad. My hero was there to rescue me." He waved his chin towards the house.

"Akmal?"

"No. It's Mom. She's my rock." He smiled fondly. "I wouldn't have survived anything without her."

"She's a beautiful person," I acknowledged.

"She's..." Akram inhaled and tipped his head backward, as if he was searching the sky for the right word to describe his mother. "A fighter."

He looked down into my face and there was a strange glaze in his eyes. I knew there was something more to it. Something that made my chest ache. I braced myself for an explanation.

"Sophie's a cancer survivor."

I froze after his statement. An icy feeling squeezed my heart. It was like the world turned upside down and I could finally see Akram's reality. It didn't look the same anymore. His life wasn't as perfect as I'd made it to be and it hit me how ignorant and blind I had been.

Akram's throat moved and his head sagged. "She was treated for Leukemia five years ago and I thank God every day she's still with me."

I couldn't breathe. All I could do was stroke his arm. I wanted to hug him so much, but I didn't think it was acceptable.

Akram kept a detached stare on the ground. "I'd just started highschool and she kept me completely in the dark. She didn't want to scare me or affect my grades, but I was just an idiot, really." He frowned briefly. "She never complained or made me feel anything unusual. Mom's always been the dynamo of our family. She took on everything and more. She was always tired, though. I thought it was because Jannah was a handful, so I tried to occupy my baby sister when I could. It was dad who told me later. He made me feel guilty I didn't know."

I couldn't help shuddering whenever he mentioned his father. I was lucky he'd been on a business trip since I'd arrived.

"She's okay now, right?" I whispered, pressing his shoulder.

"Yeah. Thank God." He patted my hand that was soothing him. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Venting at the wrong time." He smiled, but his eyes didn't.

I dared to pull Akram's hand and embrace it in my palms. "Can I ask you for something?"

"Of course."

I took a deep, emboldening breath. "If you feel like venting, anytime, about anything, will you please talk to me?"

Akram only gazed at me, his eyes smoldering, his lips a gentle curve. I had learned to savor those moments and surrender to his gaze. It was a shame to look away.

"What are you guys doing on the steps? You'll get cold," a soft, motherly voice asked from behind us.

Sophie stood on the porch, her arms crossed. She had a tight smile that looked so much like her son's. Her eyes - the same, warm cinnamon irises - moved back and forth between the two of us.

My cheeks heated up.

Akram, however, rose to his feet. He took the steps in one stride and surprised his mom with a sudden hug. "Nothing. I was telling Mel how much I love you."

Sophie's eyes narrowed underneath the elegant, frameless glasses. "Me?"

She didn't sound convinced.

"Yes, you." Akram broke the hug and planted a long kiss on the back of her hand. "Does it look like I'm lying?" He bowed his head and unleashed the puppy eyes that seemed to work on his mother too.

Sophie chuckled, shaking her head. "How smooth!" She glanced quickly at me and back at Akram. "I need you to go pick up Jannah. Your brother's coming for dinner and he wants a high-protein feast. I should get started."

"Is it okay if I take Melody with me?" He was quick to ask her.

Sophie cupped his cheek, waving her head toward me. "Be polite and ask her yourself."

Akram laughed and kissed his mother's forehead. "Thanks, mama."

Their warm exchange was so beautiful to look at that I forgot I still huddled on the ground, staring foolishly while they talked about me.

My blush intensified and I pushed myself up, watching my clumsy feet.

Sophie walked over to me with a sweet smile and open arms.

"Come, dear. Don't you want a hug too?" Sophie held me warmly. "Go get some fresh air. You need it."

I nodded and peeked at Akram, who looked pleased by his mother's gesture.

"So, Miss, Summer. Would you please come with me to pick up Jannah?" Akram asked, a huge grin glowing on his face.

And so the sun was shining again.

******

A/N

Helloooooo dear ones! How are you all??

I hope you enjoyed this update. Akram is present and accounted for as promised 😁😉

Please share your thoughts on the chapter.

How do you feel about Melody's stay in Akram's family home?

Did you miss Asha?????

Why do you think Akmal wants to come and talk to Mel?

Any expectations of the coming events? What are you looking forward to know later in the story?

What caught your attention the most in the chapter??

Why can't I find interesting questions to ask???? XD

Ok , ignore me and focus on my children up there.

Also.....

💖💖 Happy Valentine's Day! 💖💖

Much love

Most_bay