You can tell by the way she walks and talks, she has moved on and become a lady of class! 

~Queen

++++++

Ruqayyah 

i was freaking out the moment i stepped foot in Bloemfontein

Zahi clenched my hands tightly and Zaik held her hand as we walked out of the airport into the humid air 

Bloemfontein was known for its historic ideas, the museums and all- and i was never a history girl- sorry to say this but they are all gone- dead- past- i am not really into History- 

art is my thing- 

any kind of art is 

at one point i wanted to be an aspiring writer, at another i wanted to be a art designer and one high peak i wanted to be an interior designer  

but as usual, none came true 

We stood there waiting for my older brother to pick us up

a minute later, a tall figure, walked to us and grinned at me and the kids seemed frightened of him 

"Riyad!!!" i said as i waved to my brother and his face lit up 

smiling, he walked to me and following him was another lady 

Uzma?

She has grown up so much!!!

"Didi!!!" she said as she hugged me 

"As salaam!" said Riyad bhai and i greeted him back 

"So how are you?" he asked me as he hugged me too 

"Alhamdulillah, never been better!" I replied and Zahi shielded herself from my siblings by scooting behind me and using Zaik as her protective shield 

"Aww this must be Zaik!!" said Uzma as she pulled Zaik's cheeks and i chuckled

Zaik, however, did not find this amusing at all!

"Yes, thats Zaik and this-" i said pulling Zahi from the back "-Is Zahi"

Riyad bhai looked at her as if she was foreign 

"I remember you having one child...." he muttered and i sighed

Guess mothers effects are rubbing off on him 

"Aww aren't you cute- Zahi!!" said Uzma kneeling down to Zahi's level and Zahi studied her closely 

"Do yoh lwike spiderman?" she asked Uzma and Uzma seemed confused 

"Whos spiderman?" she asked me and i chuckled 

"No Zahi, she doesn't know who spiderman is!" i replied and Zahi took a step back and hid behind Zaik 

oh great 

"Shall we head home?" asked Riyad bhai and i nodded

"Umm we had no idea about Zahi so we don't exactly have child seats........" said Uzma and i nodded 

guess we will live without it for now 

we got in and Riyad bhai stared off for home

the alley seemed the same except more trees were here and the people seemed the same too 

"nothing has changed" i muttered and Uzma laughed

"Yes- nothing at all" she said as Bhai parked the car and we got off 

I dragged my suitcase behind me and held Zahi's hand in the free hand while Zaik held onto her other hand leaving her no room to drag her luggage, which Zaik dragged with him 

my parents had shifted, they lived in the same alley except a bigger house now- this one looked a two story house that was built Indian style and i liked it 

like always, people looked out of their windows to stare at me and the kids and i felt uncomfortable 

"As salaam!!" said ammi as she opened the doors and smiled at us 

let me tell you a quick fact about my family: My mother and sister were not Hijabi's but Allah knows best about their imaan 

My abba used to be my only hope that vanished the day i was married 

so seeing it in a different point of view- i have no one to turn to in this house- if something happens to me- no one will turn to me at all 

"Was salaam" i replied and my kids also did the same 

my phone vibrated in my hand and i choose to ignore it 

"Come in!" said ammi and i nodded 

we walked inside the house and she ushered us into the living space 

i occupied the sofa that had 3 spaces and my kids took the other two spaces on the same sofa 

"Umair!! Ruqayyah and the kids are already here!!" my mother called out to my father 

my heart ached to see him, to talk to him but i knew that he had left my side too when i needed it the most but nevertheless, he was my father, my father who i loved dearly 

His face came into the view, a few white hairs had gone into a lot of white hairs and his face had wrinkles and marks that showed his aging period 

I stood up and he walked to me smiling slightly 

he opened his arms and within seconds i was in his arms 

he wrapped his arms around me protectively and i felt like i was the 7 year old Ruqayyah again 

"I missed you habibi!" he muttered and i chuckled wiping away tears in my eyes 

"Take that niqab off, i need to see my baby girl!" he said and i laughed as i unpinned my niqab 

he held my face as he beamed at me 

"My little girl has grown up so much!" he said chuckling lightly but i knew that he missed me alot

he has not seen me for above 4 years now 

"Grown up and wiser than before!" i said laughing and he laughed with me 

"Oh dear Allah- i forgot the two kids-" he said as he walked to Zaik and Zahi 

kneeling infront of them, he handed them each a treat 

"Thank you" they both said and abba nodded standing up and turning to me 

"You have raised them well, I see..." he gestured to the kids and i smiled lovingly at them 

"They are my world.... my family- my everything" i said and abba nodded

"Go get freshed- we will have dinner together and catch up on many things!" he said and i nodded

"I will ask Uzma to guide you all upstairs to freshen up while i go pray Magrib at the mosque" he said and i nodded again 

Uzma walked out from the kitchen with three glasses for juice 

"Its coke- don't worry!" she said and i shook my head

"Don't give it to the kids- they are not allowed any fizzy drinks........ and i shall have water- don't bother making things Uzma, i am part of the family anyway!" i said and she laughed 

"Okay...." she said as she turned back to the kitchen 

Zahi walked to me and handed me my phone 

"Abba calling" she said and just then my mother appeared beaming at me

"So you decided what was best for you huh!" she said and i smiled at her 

"Yeah... i guess so" i said and she chuckled

"When did you reunite with Musawwir anyway?" she asked me and i frowned 

reunite?

does she not know about Iqraam?

"Uh no- i am not united with Musawwir- never will be!" i said, each word dropping with venom 

i hated that guy, his guts, his family and anything to do with him 

"So where did Zahi come from?" she asked me suspiciously and i had the urge to scoff 

oh come on ammi! 

"His daughter- Musawwir's daughter- when i left him, i was pregnant with her" i said and she nodded sighing 

"Ruqayyah, come here with me- Uzma guide the kids to the room!" she called to Uzma as she walked with me to the unknown halls 

She opened one of the doors and we entered an old looking bedroom with a king size bed 

when i compare this to my house, this seemed.............less luxurious but than again i am married to Iqraam Ibrahim........ okayy i should stop talking 

"Sit down" she said as she took a seat beside me on the bed

"See, this is why you should have remained with Musawwir!" she said and i knitted my eyebrows together in confusion 

"What?" i asked her dumbly and she smiled sweetly at me 

"Oh Ruqayyah....... if you had remained with Musawwir, you would not have to be running around, earning money for a living- and to come to think of it- you have 2 children, Musawwir's children!" she said and i sighed 

"Ammi I am-" i tried telling her but she cuts me off 

"No you listen first-" she insisted so i shut up 

anything happens from this point on, is not my fault because she was totally ignorant of the fact that i am married!

"-If you had remained with him, the kids would have shelter and you would have ruled your entire life like a queen!" she said and i chuckled 

queen- 

Iqraam 

"Its not a matter of laughing, dearie- sure your intimate life might have been....... alittle........ overboard- but that was just him pleasing his desires! We, woman, are made to please our husbands!" she said and i scrowled

"What Musawwir did to me was not mare pleasure to him, it was sexual abuse to me! he treated me like his slave, mama, not his wife!" i said and she sighed

"What will i do with you!?!" she muttered and i smiled at her 

"You can't do anything to me- i am already married" i said proudly and her eyes went wide 

'So its true!" she snapped, her demeanor changing in a blink of an eye

i gulped 

oh no 

"Yes-" i muttered and she went red from anger 

"You married a man for his money! I did not think you could stoop that low!" she said and i gasped 

"No that is so not true- oh come on ammi- there is internet- this news is all over the world- he loved me- he proposed me multiple times and i finally said yes coz maybe i also liked him and now i love him! and we are happy- isn't my happiness all that is suppose to matter here?" i asked her, almost begging her to understand 

"Ruqayyah........ our society is very small...... rich people and us- we don't belong together- and as for him, i guess we will see for ourselves who he really is over time" she said and with that she left the room 

sighing i stood up and walked out of the room and stood there wandering which way to go next

Uzma came laughing at me and guided me to the room 

"So i heard you married the billionaire?" she asked me and i sighed

"Let me guess, ammi said the rumors were true about me seducing Iqraam" i said calmly and she laughed 

"Guess so- anyways- get changed, dinner is in 15 minutes" she said and i nodded

closing the door she walked away leaving me alone with the kids 

unpinning my hijab, i stood infront of the mirror

my hand involuntarily grazed back to my collarbone where Iqraam had left his mark 

there were alot of his marks on my body but this was....... different -

he said it was remind me that i belonged to him forever 

I draped the scarf around my neck and walked to my kids 

"So how do you like it here?" i asked them taking a seat infront of them 

Zahi pouted and Zaik sighed

"Its okay.." said Zaik and Zahi smiled slightly 

"Did abba call?" she asked me looking hopeful and i nodded

"He called but- i did not answer, i was with grandma" i said and she pouted at me 

"Fine i will call later- now change, we are heading down for dinner" i said and they nodded

One by one, they took quick showers and changed into comfy clothes

several minutes later, i walked out of the bathroom, dressed in my Mint cream knee length dress and leggings with my long hijab, draped around my neck 

they were family so niqab was not necessary

"Zahi- where did you get that top? and the fluffy slippers?" i asked her as she set on the bed with her ABCD book 

her eyes perked up and she smiled goofishly 

i guess Iqraam is rubbing off on them 

"Iqra machis bwrought it fowr me" she grinned at me and i laughed

of course!

"Its masi, Zahi- Masi- not Machis!" said Zaik sitting beside her wearing his tees and shorts 

the weather here was not all rainy, it was just cloudy coz we can't see the stars 

"come on!" i said as i tugged the two kids hands and opened the door 

we walked downstairs and i looked for Uzma 

my phone safely in one hand and Zahi's hand in another 

Uzma walked out of the kitchen smiling at me

"Dinner is at the back- dining hall" she said leading us to the hall 

it was small and cozy 

"Take your seats, we will get dinner-" she told me and i shook my head 

"Kids take a seat- i will help Uzma Masi" i said and Zahi's eyebrows knitted together but she did not speak 

turning to Uzma, i smiled

"I am your older sister- let me help and stop treating me like a stranger!" i said and she laughed

"Nahh- its just that i am so used to being alone..." she said walking out of the dining hall to the adjoined kitchen with me 

i chuckled

"So what did you make for dinner?" i asked her and she smiled at me

"Lets see........ we have Biryani, Tandoori, SHISH KEBAB, fish fillets and roti and rice- oh and we also have fried rice" she said and i sighed

"You should not have made so much!" i muttered and she laughed

"You came home after so long, of course we would have a grand feast! even if its only us!" she smiled and i nodded

we took the dishes out to the dining hall and placed it on the tables 

Zaik seemed to be chatting with Zahi who listened to him very attentively 

"Kids- stop talking- greet grandma and grandpa when they come, okay?" i said and they nodded

Ammi and abba came followed my Riyad bhai and we all set down to eat 

with less to none conversations, the dinner finished and i helped in the washing up and soon i was back in the room with the kids 

the room had a balcony which faced the road infront of the house 

it was not such a pretty view and i was already missing my home, the city lights, the comfiness of my bed and of all the people, i deeply missed iqraam 

tucking the kids to sleep in the bed, i walked out and set in the balcony and decided to call Iqraam 

his calls went to voicemail and i sighed

maybe he is busy 

but then again it was past 9- maybe asleep?

as i was going to head in, my phone rang and a grin formed on my face

"Salaam" i said and he replied with a 'was salaam' 

"Hows everything?" he asked me and i sighed

"Great- but they did not question about my past and i am glad...." i replied and he chuckled

"Are they happy to see you?" he asked me and i sighed again 

"I am not sure....... i mean abba, Uzma and Riyad are but..... mother..." i said and he growled

"Who's. Riyad?" he questioned and i laughed

"My brother" i replied and i could feel that he was relieved 

"Oh great- so how are the kids?" he asked me 

my hands played with the hem of my dress as i talked to him 

"They are good, except they don't seem to get along with anyone here" i said and he laughed

"They are my kids duh- you can't expect them to!" he replied and i laughed

"So what are you doing?" i asked him and he went silent 

"Driving" he replied 

"Oh where to?" i asked him and he laughed

"Home?" he made it sound like a question 

"Okkaayyy" i said and then we just aimlessly chatted 

he would throw remarks about the occasional recent times of ours.... making me blush 

however i had a feeling he was hiding something from me, the entire time 

but i did not press the issue 

i guess i would have to wait until later for him to tell me 

we talked until 5 in the morning when i heard the adhan for Fajr prayer

he hung up and i did too, only to find out i was no longer going to pray 

damn it 

i hated leaving my prayers and quraan reading but i guess nature had its own plans 

with one last thought, i lay on the bed and dozed off to sleep 

++++++++

Heyy 

salaam 

so hows u al?

thank u for all the reads, comments and votes 

i appreciate it alot 

annndd its time for the big slash 

this book is coming to an end- 

not now- i guess 4 to 5 chapters long and if i cant cater alllll my story in it- i guess it will be shorter or longer- 

so yeah point is: Its coming to an end......

i love u all alott

RCV 

~Queen