You are hiding a secret.

But that secret got revealed.

And now you don't know what to do.

However, you can't reveal the whole truth.

I know that you don't know how to react.

And that's exactly what Aram was feeling. He didn't know how to react.

Aram entered Ahsan's rental apartment, where he was staying to spend some quality time with his brother.

As he switched on the lights he found Ahsan sitting on his favourite spot, on the floor leaning against the blue wall which had a wide window.

"Ahsan, are you alright?"

"You guess."

"Umm... You are far away from being alright."

"Correct."

Aram sighed and removed his overcoat as well as Blue Kurta, leaving himself shirtless. He sat down beside Ahsan, who was still in his favourite Blue Kurta.

"Qainaat said something? Or directly broke up with you?"

As a reply, Ahsan began chuckling.

"Ahsan, has Qainaat hit you on your head that you are acting like a freak?"

"She has dropped a bomb on me."

"I knew it. You being an Indian and her being a Pakistani, I knew this love story will have a tragic ending."

"Bhai, stop being judgemental. We didn't break up. She wants to marry me as soon as possible."

"But she wanted to focus on her career first, right?"

"Right. But now she wants the Nikkah to be done now and Rukhsati when both of us will have stable careers."

"Why is that so?"

"That's personal."

"Personal? Already started keeping secrets from me. I'll pray to God that you both divorce in the very first year of your marriage."

"Stop being sarcastic. And talk to Zaid uncle about our Nikkah."

"Our Nikkah? Brother, incest is illegal."

"BHAI!!!"

"Okay, okay, I'll talk to Mr Raazdani about your and Qainaat's Nikkah."

"You have a very dirty mind."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Ahsan glared at his elder brother for one last time before getting up and ambling to his room.

Aram chuckled.

This mischievous side of him was reserved for only his beloved ones. And that is only Ahsan.

His thoughts drifted to Zahra. She isn't as innocent as she looks. It didn't take her long to find out that they are cousins.

🤍🤍🤍

"That we are cousins."

Aram applied the breaks all of a sudden listening to her words. He was shell shocked.

"It's false."

"So you think of me as a fool. We both have the same surnames. You knew my name even when I never met you. Aram, I googled about your family The Nawab family of Lucknow. And I got to know about the truth."

"What truth?"

"That my father Hanzal Ali Khan was the younger brother of your father Nawab Hamza Ali Khan. So now there is no need for you to pretend like you don't know anything."

Aram kept quiet for few moments before speaking up.

"Zahra... For now, let me drop you home. We'll talk about it later."

"Why?" She was getting impatient.

"I am not running away. You'll get the answers to your questions soon, but not now. It's difficult for me."

Not knowing what to say she simply nodded.

🤍🤍🤍

His dilemmas were increasing day by day. For years he is hiding the ugliest secrets of his family. And he is well aware that he still doesn't know how many other secrets are yet to disclose. Telling the truth to Zahra means the beginning of the destruction of his family. Because she will never stay quiet after knowing it. And it will ultimately result in Zahra going through what happened with his father and her father.

Death.

"I won't let it happen. Zahra has to stay away from me and my family."

🤍🤍🤍

"Zahra, Nia and Qaran haven't returned yet," Afifa said worriedly.

"Don't worry, Mami. Zania would be sitting in the nearby park. She likes to go there whenever she is sad."

At the same time, Qaran entered the house with an unconscious Zania in his arms.

"What happened to her?"

"Mom, she fell asleep while sitting in the park."

"Okay, take Nia to her room."

He nodded and headed to her room while Zahra followed behind, she needed to knock some sense into his head.

Qaran gently laid Zania down on her bed. Covering her with a duvet he caressed her cheeks.

"Qaran." He heard Zahra from behind. She called him "Qaran", not "Qaran Bhai". It was a clear indication of her anger towards him.

He turned around to face her. There was no sign of respect or trust in her eyes for him. She was looking at him blankly. Taking steps closer she stood in front of him looking straight into his eyes. And just a few moments later Qaran felt a sharp stinging sensation on his left cheek. She slapped him, the person who was like a brother to her.

Without uttering a word she left. Leaving him even more vulnerable.

Tears glistened in his eyes. Taking a last look at Zania he left the room as well.

🤍🤍🤍

Qainaat came out from her parents' room after telling them about her decision to marry Ahsan as soon as possible. Well, they had no problem.

She was now heading to her bedroom but her steps halted on their own in front of Qaran's room. As always the door wasn't locked. She entered his room and found him sitting on his bed with his sleepless eyes looking into infinity.

"Bhai."

Her voice caught his attention.

"Hmm... Yes, Qainaat?"

"Umm... How are you?"

"Nothing good."

She sat beside him on the bed and engulfed him in a protective hug.

"Don't worry. Everything will be alright, just keep trying to gain her forgiveness."

"I am and I will keep trying. But I can't stop this feeling. It's breaking me from inside."

"Try to sleep, hmm."

He laid down and put his head in her lap. Even if Qainaat was younger than him, he knew she is stronger than him. And he was grateful for that. Because there were times when she made him feel protected and strong when he was very close to his breaking point. It felt very awkward to him when it comes to express your love for your parents and sibling. But Qainaat wasn't shy. She would care for him like a mother when he needed it.

And like that he finally felt a little peace in his sister's motherly warmth.

🤍🤍🤍

The next morning, Qaran and Zania both were having high fever. Qainaat and Zahra were in the kitchen, making healthy food for their siblings.

"Zahra, is something going on between Bhai and Zania?"

"Yes, it is."

"Oh, so that's why Zania used to get angry when I would mention about your and Bhai's marriage?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you will understand as I understood on my own."

"Yes, I have noticed that Bhai is quite protective towards Zania but then I thought that it's because she is like a sister to him. This L thing never came to my mind."

"Qainaat, why were you always so eager to get me married to your brother?"

"Yaar, isn't it simple? I didn't want any outsider or stranger to marry my brother. There was a girl whom Bhai liked when he was in his teenage. He even dated her but she turned out to be playing with his feelings. So I didn't want it to happen again."

"How you got to know about it?"

"I read his diary."

"There is something called privacy."

"There is something called curiosity."

But Afifa interrupted them.

"If you both are done gossiping then go to your siblings. They haven't eaten anything for 24 hours."

"Yes, Mami."

"Yes, Mom."

And both of them went away with the trays of breakfast.

🤍🤍🤍

Aram was sipping his coffee while preparing to confront Zahra. In the morning he called Mr Zaid Raazdani and told him that Zahra got to know that they are cousins. And now he will do exactly what Zaid had told him to do.

That is...

•••
I honestly don't know what Aram will say as I haven't planned it. So I am myself very curious.