"I like it when good unexpected things happen."

Playlist:

Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

Aaliyan's P.O.V.

Meanwhile, while Musca had gone to open the door, I scanned her lounge. Everything was the same as it was when Aunt was alive. Musca had changed nothing on purpose, but something had changed – just one thing was changed.

"Allah Allah, Aaliyan!" I turned around, smiling at Auntie Sabira's panicked tone. "How many times I have told you to not clean things, it's my work to do."

"But you don't do it properly; there was a little dust on this shelf." I chuckled and continued brushing the dust off the bookshelf that was attached to the wall and filled with Auntie Sabira's books.

She groaned in response and sat down on the couch. "Aren't you an annoying child? No matter how many times I clean this house your microscopic eyes would find a little dust somewhere."

"Point," I smiled and continued dusting the shelf. "Per aisa tou nahi na Pu..."

"Aaliyan Bhai!" {Brother Aaliyan}

A chorus of excited shouts brought me out of my memories. The little kids with Santa hats had crowded the lounge, shouting in unison. A bright smile made its way to my face, even if my head was pounding continuously, and my nasal cavity was on fire because of the flu.

All at once, all the little adorable kids jumped on me, hugging me and the closer ones gave me sloppy kisses on the cheeks. Aw, wasn't it adorable.

Eventually, they all got off me, and a very irritated looking Musca came into my sight. She was chewing on the inside of her cheek, while her arms were crossed on her chest. Means... yes she is angry again...

"How dare you?" She passed me a message with her narrowed eyes.

"Um," I shrugged innocently, sniffling.

A  cutelittle girl in a pink frock climbed up the couch and sat in my lap. I recognized her as Mr. Mohsin's daughter Aira who lived in the next street.

"Aaliyan Bhai," she cupped my cheeks with her little hands. "I miss you, ap ney promise kiya tha ap chocolate lao gey."

{You promised you'd bring chocolates}

"Oh, did I?"

She nodded furiously; triggering my laughter I quickly checked my jacket pocket and found the chocolate that I had originally bought for Musca. I handed the chocolate to Aira. Musca would understand, but it was better I didn't tell her that the chocolate was for her.

"Aap ka chocolate, ab meri kiss?"

{Your chocolate, now where's my kiss?"}

She leaned up and kissed my cheek soundly.

"I'm so jealous of this little brat," Musca hissed, glaring daggers at the poor kid. She walked to me and flopped on the couch. "Who gave you the right to invite them to my house?"

I tilted my head to have a better view of her stunning face."Oh yeah, your house?" I grinned, only if she knew.

Aira stared at Musca with confusion written all over her face."Who is she Aaliyan Bhai?" Aira cupped my face again, forcefully making me look at her.

"You remember the story I told you about the ice princess?" She nodded in response. I could feel Musca's stare, expecting me to praise her. "She is the witch of that story."

"Aaliyan!" Musca punched my bicep brutally and hurt herself instead. Immediately jerking her hand away, she winced, "Ow, dammit."

I bit my tongue to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape me.

Aira terrified of Musca's actions climbed off my lap and went to the other kids who were talking and laughing carelessly, playing with their Santa hats.

"Are you saying that you don't like them here?" I asked her because she seemed so aggravated.

"Yes, though they have brought a cake and wished me a Merry Christmas - that's so sweet of them - but I don't like kids."

"Haye Zalim!"I acted to be hurt by it. Trying to suppress her gorgeous smile, she pinched my cheek. Agh, it irritated me so much.

"Zalim?"

I huffed pretending to be annoyed. "Cruel, oppressor."

Her brows knitted at me.

"Why don't you like kids they are so--"

The smash of glass breaking startled me; I snapped my head in that direction and found Mr. Nasir's son Balaj standing terrified, and the tiny shards of glass scattered on the floor. Musca without any delay went to him.

"Step aside," she told him softly. When he kept staring at her like she was an alien, Musca cracked a smile and took his little hand into hers, and walked him to the other kids.

After that, she went to pick up the glass pieces, having standing up I walked to her and joined her.

"This was my favorite vase," she gritted her teeth, picking up the shattered glass and putting in the green dustpan.

I pressed my lips together, suppressing my smile that would burn her if she saw it on my face. "But it was Aunty Sabira's..."

"She is my mother duh..." Her hand stopped and her expressions fell. "Was..."

My breath quickened seeing her in sadness; a weird panic went through me. I didn't know why but my panicked self said, "This vase was mine..."

"What?" A muddled look covered her face as her twinkling grey eyes squinted. "Are you out of your mind?"

I chuckled at my stupidity. "I mean, I gifted her, this vase."

"Oh... you were so close to her." Musca stood up, after taking the dustpan. "And I wasn't."

I kept staring at her back as she went to the kitchen. A thousand thoughts rushed through my mind. I took a deep sigh. How much I wanted to her to be happy, watch her laugh, her beautiful laugh and that stunning smile always on her face. I would do anything for that.

She came back with a broom and swept away the remaining glass pieces while I still feeling low, walked to the kids who were giggling at something. I hope things go the way I want them to!

"Kya horaha hai?"

{What's happening?}

"Aaliyan Bhai, humein khelna hai..." Aashir pouted.

{We want to play}

"But Mama forbade us to go out in the snow." Nerdy Hira, who had her granny eyeglasses covering her half-face, said in a final tone.

"Aaliyan Bhai, please?" Aashir gave me his puppy dog eyes and that sweet voice melted my heart. It wasn't bad if we played in the snow. They all had warm clothes and each kid was wearing almost eight shirts and leather jackets, gloves. Typical Pakistani moms phew!

"Uh, okay wait for me and don't do something stupid..."

"Yes, of course, we won't else Musca will kill us." Hira honestly looked scared.

A laugh bubbled up in my throat. "She probably will." I raised my eyebrows at her, confirming her fear.

"Aaliyan bhai will save us." Aashir was confident.

"She'll kill me too," I laughed.

"But you're so big," Little Aira, widened her little arms as much as she could. She looked so cute; I wanted to kiss her cheeks but this damned flu.

"She has my heart in her hand, she will squeeze it and I'll be dead." My tongue stuck out on the corner of my mouth and my head fell back as I acted dead.

They all burst out into fits of innocent laughter. A wide smile spread on my lips. My face muscles hurt because of smiling too much. I was feeling on the top of the world and I couldn't wait for the night to come. I was so excited — over-excited. I believe in you Allah please help me, it's so difficult!

Musca's P.O.V.

"Argh Aaliyan!" I stomped. "Stop... it's too much, you're irritating me goddammit!"

He shook his head and took another oversized shirt out of my closet and slipped it on me, I put my arms in the sleeves, whining and shaking in irritation.

"Isn't this mine?" asked Aaliyan, as he put his hand on his face watching me playfully. Wow, his hands are so beautiful! Shit!

I looked down and realized I had my nightshirt on. That was his. I mentally facepalmed. Dammit!

"Uh, yeah," I nodded and immediately turned around to hide my embarrassment.

My eyes found Balaj standing near my dressing table, spraying my perfume on his neck. Though it didn't irritate me the way it should have, it was a great opportunity to ignore the awkwardness.

I fake groaned, going towards him."You don't use a girl's perfume, you're a boy." I took the perfume from his little white as a dove hand softly. I placed the perfume back and turned to him. My heart jumped up, staring at his big dark brown eyes.

"Oh God Aaliyan!" I placed my hand on my chest.

"What happened?" Aaliyan was at my side in a second, concern pouring from his words. "Tum theek hou?"

{Are you okay?}

"This kid is freaking handsome-- beautiful!"

"Control yourself Musca, you're scaring him." Aaliyan's playful tone made me narrow my eyes at him. The corner of his lips twitched as he tried to suppress that smirk.

Pressure increased on my chest watching him enjoy teasing me. I had to think, something. Think Musca think! An idea lit up in my mind that would get Aaliyan all burned up. See, it wasn't so difficult. I smiled mentally at myself.

"Aaliyan, I swear if he was your age I would have let him fuck..."

A slap, hard enough to shove some sense into my mind landed on the back of my head. Instead of getting angry, involuntary a loud laugh left my mouth. I accomplished my task.

"Don't you dare talk to me..." Aaliyan pointed a finger at me and took a step to leave.

I stopped laughing at his serious tone. "Oh Aaliyan, I was just teasing you." Another laugh bubbled up from my mouth.

"You were serious!" he stopped, turned around and chirped his reply.

"I wasn't, are you seriously getting jealous of this little fellow?" I pinched Balaj's cheek, who looked terrified by both of us.

He scoffed and walked to Balaj, took his little hand into his big one and dragged Balaj with him.

I followed him after a moment of laughing crazily. Though I couldn't walk as fast as him because of the twenty-two shirts and four pairs of gloves I was wearing. I must have been looking like a big bear and it was confirmed when I descended the stairs and my lounge filled with different kinds of girlish and boyish giggles, and Aaliyan's laughter was the loudest.

I glared at Aaliyan and turned back on my heels. Damn you Musca, I should at least have looked at myself in the mirror. Argh!

                                                                    *****

"This is marvelous."

Joining my hands under my chin after putting a red chilly as its nose I stared at the cute snowman. Even after my extra hard work, it still didn't look like Aaliyan. But, it was nice on the first trial. The green muffler around it and a brown beanie made it cuter.

"Yes," Aaliyan whispered in his raspy voice, near my ear, which caused a shiver to run down my spine. I felt my breathing stop. "Looks like you."

"It was supposed to look like you," I mumbled. Why are you talking like this? Where's your voice? I heard Aaliyan's laugh near my ear, his warm breath fanned my neck, causing goosebumps to form and damn! He was sexier when he had the flu.

Gulping, I stood up and looked around at the kids who were making their snowman. I made Aaliyan's and mine, he didn't help me a bit with it because he was so busy helping those kids who were breathing less and saying his name more. Brats!

My phone in my pocket vibrated. I took it out and answered. It was Asmat.

"Heard it's snowing," she said with her usual cocky, playful tone but now it had a mixture of fake seriousness.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah me too, so is it?"

"I don't know, it's too hot in here," she blew out a sigh. "Need ACs."

"Aha, what you want me to do then?" I suppressed a smile; she was always acting dumb to make me laugh.

"Where are you?" Out of nowhere, she asked in a solemn tone.

"Home, in my backyard, working on a snowman..."

"Aww, but you said it wasn't snowing!" she tried to sound hurt.

I rolled my eyes again saying nothing in response.

"Okay, bye." And before I could respond, the line was dead.

"Who was it?" Aaliyan was still standing there, but now he had his arms crossed on his chest.

"Asmat."

"Kon Asmat?" he seemed thrilled.

"Asmat, my friend."

"Kon Asmat, mai kyun nahi janta ussey?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. He took the message and translated it for me, "Why do I not know him?"

"Him?" I was taken aback.

"Yes, him, Asmat," A thoughtful expression came on his face. "Asmat bhai?"

A loud enough for my neighbors to hear laugh escaped me – I clutched my stomach. "Asmat... Bhai-damn it Aaliyan, you become blind in jealousy, don't you?"

He frowned.

"She is a girl, Asmat Fatima."

"Oh," a blush covered the side of his cheek making my heart flutter.

"Aaliyan Bhai!"

Someone had to ruin the moment. I groaned in annoyance, "Argh, yeah sure go Aaliyan Bhai."

Aaliyan stood still, a smirk on his face. "Did you just call me Bhai?"

My eyes widened, I bit my tongue. The word was on my mind and I involuntarily called him Bhai. Stupid, Stupid Musca!

"Yeah whatever," I huffed, composing myself. I gazed over my shoulder at the kids who were now capturing pictures with the snowman on their phones.

"Aao, let's take pictures with the snowman!" Aaliyan grinned, childishly and pulled me with him to the kids ignoring the roll of my eyes.

We took many pictures with the snowman, the kids and some of me and Aaliyan's alone and after eating Aaliyan's homemade Pakistani food and the chocolate fountain cake, the kids took their route to their homes, leaving me and Aaliyan with a mess of a house.

                                                                           *******

I was moving my hands quickly on the dishes, my only intention to get it done as fast as possible so I could go and talk to Aaliyan because he had to show me something or someplace.

I bared my teeth at the fact that he was sitting in the lounge on my couch lazily. Was he really serious? I was working alone and he was sitting comfortably. But he cooked the food and then you were not helping him...

Shut up, he is used to cooking – I'm not used to all of this! Damn, I really should buy a dishwasher. A giggle left my mouth. I sound like a housewife who can't afford a dishwasher...

After which felt like a decade, I finished washing the dishes and cleaned the kitchen counter. Taking off the apron I hung it on the hook near the kitchen door and went out.

The doorbell took my emerging into the lounge as a sign to ring. I groaned in irritation and glanced at Aaliyan, finding him staring at me with a questioning look. I took a deep breath, ignoring him entirely and smoothly started moving my aching feet.

My eyes widened when I saw the person standing at my door through the peephole. Little bombs of electricity burst in my blood in horror. Damn damn damn...

I turned on my heels and I had never in my life run so silently.

I jerked my hands in panic as adrenaline rushed through my veins, my voice got stuck in my throat but I managed to utter, "It's... it's Uncle Mubashir..."

"So what," Aaliyan smirked, taking pleasure from my state as his golden sparkled in mischief.

"He would fucking kill me with those odd stares if he saw you here, maybe he tells pappa oh God oh God!"

An evil smirk settled on his face as he spread his legs on the couch. "Let him tell your Pappa, I'm eager to see what would happen if he knows of my existence because you're always scared of him."

"Stop playing games Aaliyan, get up and hide somewhere."

"No," he pouted shaking his head, childishly. I gritted my teeth in outrage; the sudden urge to rip his chest apart was too strong that it made me quiver in anger.

Disregarding me completely, he took the remote from the table and turned on the TV. I took fast steps towards him as a pressure descended on my chest, my veins tightening in what I would call pure rage.

I took hold of his arm and pulled. He didn't budge an inch. I tried again, I failed terribly. Fucking bull!

The bell went ferociously making me whimper in fear."Please, please I beg you!"

"Beg what?" The innocent look on his face caused me to clench my jaw.

"Go hide somewhere!"

"It sure sounds like an order!" he increased the volume, again watching the screen with full attention.

"Arghh..." I groaned loudly. "I fucking beg you to hide somewhere."

"Where is please?" he offered a sweet smile, his dimple on display.

I stomped my feet so hard it almost cracked into two. Taking a deep breath, controlling my heavy breathing, I very politely asked him through gritted teeth. "I beg you to hide, please sir?"

"Okay as you wish darling," he pinched my cheek, offering me a smirk that turned into a cheeky smile.

"Hide," I whispered and took a deep breath.

Uncle Mubashir had snow on his shoulders when I opened the door for him. He gave me a tiny charming smile as he stepped into my lounge after taking off his dirty shoes at the side. I smiled at him; inside I was fuming that why the hell he thought to show here in this stormy snow.

"Kaisi ho Musca?" he asked, walking towards the couch.

"I'm good." I shook my head, trying to keep my calm. "You, in this snow haha." I fake giggled at him, making a tada pose with my hands.

He gave me a muddled look sitting down on the couch; I seated myself on the other couch that was placed opposite.

"I came to visit Aaliyan."

The moment his name stumbled out of uncle's mouth, Aaliyan showed up behind his couch waving at me. A gasp caught in my throat in horror.

"He said he would be back by this morning, but he was not at home, so I thought I should come to visit you, so you won't be alone on Christmas."

I nodded my pleading eyes on Aaliyan to hide somewhere, anywhere! So he wouldn't be caught by uncle Mubashir and things wouldn't get messed up.

Abruptly, Uncle stopped talking. "Is something wrong, Musca?"

My heart jumped up, as I gulped down hard, nodding my head furiously. "Sure... no ... yes, yes everything is fine."

I realized I was panting heavily if I had run a marathon. God, you fear uncle this much Musca? I never knew that until now!

I evened my breathing as I listened to uncle telling me about his tough routine and some new program he was gonna introduce for business students about stock marketing.

I dared not move my eyes from him, but my eyes kept twitching to take a glance at his side to make sure Aaliyan wasn't there. The try was in vain as I couldn't keep my eyes and they moved on their own accord finding Aaliyan listening to Uncle while smiling at me.

Damn it!

Before I could do anything to control the situation and mask the panic expressions that took place on my face Uncle had already tilted his head to look behind him following my eyes. That very instant I felt my blood stop circulating in my body.

I'm dead.