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There wasn't much one could do on a lonely and rainy evening when everyone was advised to stay at home and enjoy a warm cup of coffee under the impression of a cozy night and a beautiful view of rain out their windows, well not everyone had the same impression of rain and as the khan brother took a long walk by the  Bosphorus with cups of Turkish tea and roadside snacks in hand Hamza and Zahan felt peace just walking with the sound of rushing waves against their eardrums. 

"How come you're all silent?" Zahan was the one to ask his brother taking note of his silence ever since he had moved in with him a few weeks back, it had been a good year since he had met his brother and now that the younger one was here he couldn't help but notice just how much he had grown up. 

"No reason" he spoke with a far away look on his face as he tilted his head back feeling the first drop of rain hitting his skin. Zahan smiled to himself before hooking his arm around Hamza's neck and dragging him forward with himself, the two of them laughed as they under the cloak of rain with the growing darkness that surrounded them.  

"Remember the time Ayan nearly drowned Minahil?" Hamza asked in a fit of laughter as they neared their house, the carefree environment died soon as a loud gunshot ran nearby, Zahan ducked his brother's head down flinching himself as the two made a beeline for the door. His heartbeat raised with every sound that rang in the area, and a series of flashbacks ruined his breathing rhythm.

"Bhai. Zahan Bhai" Hamza shook his brother awake from the pain he had been feeling unconsciously causing Zahan to move his gaze from the floor up to the familiar grey eyes of his brother that had been staring at him in concern making a smile come up to his lips as he tried reassuring Hamza that everything was fine but the younger version of himself was still shocked.

"What was that?" Hamza asked as the chaos settled down. Their minds were puzzled by the end of the show, and all they could do was stare at each other before shaking their heads settling for the fact that it must've been police fire or something else not meant for them to fret over.

"The house feels so quiet" Hamza muttered under his breath making Zahan nod with a nostalgic smile taking over his features.

"If it had been back home, someone must've been yelling from some corner of the house" Zahan chuckled remembering the time he had visited them at home, when they all have moved in from what took place in their lives, from the loss, from the grief and from people who were as good as gone by now.

"If this doesn't stop within the next second I'm going to--"

"I SWEAR TO GOD HAMZA" Shayla yelled making Zahan stare wide-eyed at the two wild siblings pulling each other's hair, it was one of those moments when he wondered how he had survived most years of his life in this household.

A loud shriek resounded in his room making him snap his head in his sister's -his very pregnant sister's- direction watching her shedding tears that were as fake as Hamza's mental stability, Zahan glared at Hamza and the eyes rolled his eyes before handing the large packet of lays back to his sister who's tears reversed into her eyes making Hamza glare at her.

"I didn't even like them that much" he retorted back while rolling his eyes, turning his puppy dog eyes to his older brother who stared at him with a similar fed-up expression. If weaponizing one's pregnancy was a skill, Shayla would've won countless Oscars for her performance during her seven months in.

Heaving another sigh the man pushed his black-rimmed glasses back up the bridge of his nose before burying it back into the book he was reading, but it was too much to ask for as the younger sibling started yelling again and he was yet again left to wonder, what was these two doing in his room?

"Enough!" he yelled silencing the two as he gently closed the book and placed it on his bed. turning his attention back to his siblings he raised an eyebrow asking them to explain what their problem was without another argument.

"Papa was calling you" hamza spoke making Zahan nod before turning to Shayla, he hated being strict with her but limits are limits.

"I saw chips" she mumbles innocently making him sigh and get up from where he was sitting on the left side of his bed.

There wasn't much that he could do except for sitting there with his head in his hands and sigh, having been left on his own for two years in a foreign country he had forgotten what it was like to live in a big family, especially with Hamza and Shayla, the ruckus these two cause is always a hassle to deal with. 

"I've only been here for mere hours and I haven't gotten a single breath of relief, can you two please leave?" he asked feeling the lack of sleep get to his head spinning it along with the whole. jerking himself awake he stood up to follow his siblings out of the room to walk towards his father's study which was located at the end of the long hallway. 

Zahan closed the door behind his back and ran his eyes over the white walls, rich brown and golden aesthetic of the house was on display in the form of paintings, pictures, and expensive vases. the familiar scent of home invaded his senses as he walked the length of the hallway on his left. his steps faltered as he came to an almost halt in front of the white door that held memories... hateful memories that he had always wanted to escape but somehow they would always haunt him. 

With an angry shake of his head, he hurried down the hallway to stop in front of his father's study and knocked twice before he heard his father summon him inside. it had been long since he got here and the warm smile his father passed him was enough to make him smile back and embrace the old man in a tight hug. he had been asleep when Zahan had come home, in fact, everyone but his mother had been a sleep, what else did he expect taking an early flight and coming home earlier than he had intended to...

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As planned by the two they were going out for shopping as per hamza said he needed a few new pieces for his wardrobe for the coming award show. it was a shock for the whole family when hamza had announced his love for acting in his final year of university, at first the family opposed deeply to the idea but when Zahan gave his final word about how hamza should be free to do as he pleased they didn't have much to say. 

After countless projects and long nights of shooting Hamza was finally nominated for best actor people's choice award and he couldn't be any happier. The whole evening was spent roaming around the mall and jumping from designer to designer to find the right suit that hamza would pick. 

"For gods sake choose something" Zahan groaned making hamza roll his eyes and keep looking for the perfect fit. 

"Stop being a whiny kid bhai" he retorted back and without much response Zahan went back to reading his book that e had brought along.  After being done with everything the two of them left, unaware of the set of eyes set on their retreating backs. 

"Do you want us to follow them?" 

"Yes" 

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Soft music played in the hall as the people gathered celebrated the win of those who won their well deserved awards, as the night grew darker the party came to life people came and went some even stayed after congratulating hamza for his win tonight making the young boy grin like a Cheshire cat melting the hearts of all ladies present there.

"Congratulations my boy" the director of the film came up to him and hugged him making Zahan smile dearly watching the two his mind took him back to the time when someone had  won an award and had smiled at him like she had the world in her hands, to the time when she had used  his laptop to search for her results, to all the times when she had won and the two had celebrated together, the memories his mind refused to let go left a bitter ache in his chest and his clenched his jaw.

"Hamza" Zahan took a hold of his arm pulling him aside. hamza raised his eyebrows asking him the reason for the frown on his face.

"I'm heading home" he said in a clipped tone making hamza furrow his eyebrows, Zahan's expressions were taut and strict reminding of the times when Zahan was still looking for her, after a long while when he had asked the search party to stop, he would always stay in his room and look exactly like he did right now, muscles strained and the vein on his temple surfacing.

"Is everything okay?" he asked making Zahan nod at him stiffly. 

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked his brother making the older one shake his head and offer him a small smile.

"I'm just tired, you enjoy your night" he said making hamza nod before turning back to his friends while Zahan silently left the crowd behind with a dull ache in his heart. 

"Hamza" the young man smiled at his seniors as he acknowledged him.

"I want you to meet, the owner of our production house" the man before him said looping an arm around his shoulders, the two men walked towards a crowd as his companion told him all about the woman who could help build his future even stronger. 

"Ma'am, Mr. Hamza Alam khan" 

Assalamualaikum guys, 

How are you guys?

So here's the first chapter of book. i hope you guys like it........

comment and vote..

Allah hafiz 

Love,

Hafsa Tahir