CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

AUTHOR’S POV:

The soft rays of sun have started to peek through the dining room’s window announcing the morning hustle, bustles of Monday. The dining table looks like a total battle field, like a war has ended just ten minutes ago. The constant shouts and yelling from the room upstairs and kitchen confirm that someone’s going to college today, and they have no clue where their things are. And so desperately wanted their mother to come out of the damn kitchen and find everything they needs. And of course, they also don’t wanna be hungry the on very first day of their college. So, yeah, this is happening.

“ummaa (moomm), please… come here and help your daughter”  a high-pitched sound which is undoubtedly of a girl, comes from upstairs.

A woman who is wearing what it looks like a cotton nighty and a scarf wrapped around her head hiding her hairs neatly inside, who looks not a day more than 45, comes from the hall next to the room of the battle field. She was about to respond when her eyes roams around and she gasps. She shakes her head, unbelievable about her daughters antics.

“hayriii what is this kizim (kazim)? What have you done?” the older woman asks

(dear / sweetie)

“ ummaaa, gel buraya, lutfen”. the girl upstairs pleaded again.

(please come here)

The older women just sighed in exasperation and climbed the royal marble, grand stairs by holding the royally designed wooden railing. The huge chandelier hanging down from the top roof of the grand royal house illuminates its light towards her face and her face glows. Her long eyelashes and hazel grey eyes and unmistakable beautiful face complexion  shows that she was not from anywhere around here, ie,. from India.

She reached upstairs and turned to the room of her dear daughter. She turned the knob of the room’s door and opened it fully only to gasp and to gape her mouth like she had seen a scandalous scene.

The clothes were scattered and dumbed in what it looks like a bed, but now, more like a textile shop’s table.., she closed her mouth and turned her head to other side of the room and placed her hand on her hip in disbelief and looked ahead.

And There., stand the ethereal beauty, her long hair wet and uncombed, which reaches upto her hip. And a huge fluffy bathrobe draped around her which covers her whole body, biting her fingers, looking into her closet like she is scared that she might have to go to college wearing the very bathrobe because apparently it looks like she got nothing to wear.

“hyrii, napiyosun sen, why are you still in a bathrobe instead of getting ready? have you seen the time canim (janim)”. The mother asks

(what are you doing),(dear)

The girl turned to her mother. She’s got green eyes, milk coffee skin, face complexion- mix of Indian and Turkish. Dark brown hair, small long nose. Small ears with three piercings and tree cute little rings on it. Small pinkish brown lips long eyelashes and a big doe eye just like her mother, and a small eye-catching mole on the end of her right eye. She was imperfect in a perfect way but she is a ethereal beauty of Turkish and Indian.

She turned to look at her mother still biting onto that fingers. She looked like she was anxious.

“ummaaaa...” she whined and sagged her arms down like she was so done with whatever she was doing. She started walking, head down like a puppy who’s sorry. She stands Infront of her mother and looks up with her big puppy eyes.. ohh! And that melt the older women like an ice and she forgot all about the fuss with the mess that her darling daughter created.

“ummaa., what do I wear ?” and that must be the most innocent question for her.

“you have a whole lot of clothes in this big closet and you’re asking me this ridiculous question?”…her mother exhaled sharply and loosened her hands on her hips.

The girl was pouting like she had been scolded very badly. Her mother held her shoulder as in reassuring her that everything was going to be okay.

Yeah, Hyrin had a whole huge 2year gap after 12^th standard, after a dreadful event. And she was going to college after 2 year without being with people and after two years of dreadful trauma, so of course, when she takes this huge leap, from where she thought she couldn’t do anything anymore, she was nervous.

Her mother smiled meekly “you’re going to be fine, my darling. You are not alone in this. Okay?”

Hyrin nodded like she gets it. “ I know ummi, but am just … just nervous”

Her mother gently smiled and cupped her cheeks “you are so brave my baby. And am so proud of you…come on, lets get you dressed up” Hyrin nodded as both the ladies went towards the closet for finding her a dress.

Minutes later her mother choose  a white shirt and a check skirt with a baby blue scarf for her.

“ Thank you ummiii” she did the little happy dance and kissed her mother’s cheek excited.

Her mother chuckled at her antics “ tamam, O zaman, ben gidiyorum. Your breakfast is only half way.” The older women hurried out.

(okay then, am leaving)

“Naziye teyze bugun gelmedi mi?(galmedime)” Hyrin asked.

(didn’t naziya aunty came today?)

“ hayir, its her daughter's first day as well. Bu yuzden ona izin almasini soyledim”

(no)(so I told her to take leave)

“uff … isn’t my ummi the sweetest” hyra said in a teasing smile and the women smiled shyly.

“ where is Hisham ka and Anwar. Ummaa” hyra asked before the woman could go.

“still sleeping like logs I guess”. Her mother said

“hmm.. let me see.” She went towards her brothers room.

She walked toward the left end of the hallway where her brothers sleep in their room. She yanked the door open only to see both brothers sleeping like a starfish with their prayer cap on. Slept after fajr she thought. Both their legs are overlapped one another. There lays two grown men one with very visible beard and moustache who looks like a he is in his 20’s . and the other man with slightest puberty moustache and small hairs oh his chin who looks like a teen.

She banged the door with her hand in order to wake them up. And it sure did wake them up.

“it’s the israeels” he gasped hard and jolted awake. Both hands on the bed on his back, supporting himself up. While the other barely opened his eyes and observed the source of the sound, when he saw it was his darling of a sister. He said exasperated.

“what is it Hyrii” he said closing his eyes feeling more drowsy

“ Get your ass up boys, its almost 8” she said folding her hands and leaning onto the doorframe. The teen guy was sitting in bed and hanging his head low clearly indicating he was sleeping. Hyrin had that mischievous smile as she neared him lowered her head towards his face.

She neared his ear and shouted “israeeeelll!!” that made him jump out of the bed in an instance and all his drowsiness was gone.

“OH. MY. GODDDhh, Zella Hyrin Hussain, what on the beautiful earth is your problem” she just laughed at his irritated self.

Well, that made someone else’s sleep evaporate too. “No yelling in the morning Anwar Hussain!” he warned like a big brother he is

“She started it”  Anwar  pointed Hyrin

“ oh, come on Hisham ka, he is just overreacting” Hyrin said, annoyed by her younger brother’s complaint.

“Oh my God! Can you two just stop! You just had to start in the morning itself, didn’t you?” he asked both of them. Anwar pouted and stomped his foot and walked away.

“Can’t you stop poking him every other day? Just because I defend you or doesn’t say anything means? You will just continue?” Hisham asked Hyrin, more like, a father teaching their children manners. Hyrin just pouted and hanged her head low.

Hisham just sighed “ Oh please… don’t do that. I didn’t even scold you” Hisham didn’t like tears in the eyes of his loved ones. And only his loved ones, others can cry a river for all he cares.

“ you are being mean to me nowadays” Hyra said pretending to be sad. Because she knows he can’t handle that. Such a brat.

“ please princeyyy don’t cry. Am sorry” he extended his one arm towards her welcoming her to his embrace and she was fast in getting inside the warmth her brother provided.

“But poking him unnecessarily was bad too Hyri, don’t do it okay?” he said like explaining to a kid of good and bad. And she nodded like she WAS a kid herself. Oh please… she was almost 20 , crying out loud.

……….

They wished her all the blessing before she was going to enter the car with the driver who is dropping her off to college. Hisham and Anwar would’ve gone themselves. But Anwar had school to go and Hisham had an urgent meeting. So, they promised her to go next time.

“Give a call if anything happens okay” Anwar said, his protective side kicking in. Hyra just nodded smiling knowing no matter how much they fight he cared fiercely about her.

“I will, Assalamualaikum and iye gunlar  everyone” she waved her hand in bye.

“walaikumussalam, iye gunlar canam”  her mother and brothers said bidding her byes.

(have a good day)

--------------------------------------------<3

The soft hum of the ceiling fan lulled them deeper into sleep. They were sleeping on their stomach clutching and draping the white duvet all around their body so that little bit of their long sharp nose and eyes with thin eyelashes touching their base of the eye and their prince like wavy hair could only peek through the warm blanket. Suddenly, like the storm disturb the wave’s tranquillity, their soft, warm, their only solace on sleep was yanked away.

There lays a beautiful man with light beard, lips turning into a scowl on the outrageous behaviour of the blanket. He groans and roams his hand around and try to find the duvet again but on not finding it near him, he suddenly opens his eyes like a possessed man...

“Raaaziiiiii …..” furious knowing that someone had dared to take away his peaceful slumber.

There comes the little chuckle of the other young man in the room who has the duvet on one hand and the other on his hip. He just came inside his brother’s room to wake him up. Like he always do.

“Get up. You almost old man, its getting late for your fajr and gym.”The young man who looks younger with a small subtle and a meek moustache on his face. He was wearing what it looks like gym clothes.

The man on the bed gets up and glare at the other young man in the room.

“why do you always have to be the one who ruins my sleep” he said irritated just by seeing his brothers face in the early morning.

“ well, sorry about that, but your Rajakumari sleeps more than you do, and you will have to wake her up. If she’s the one you are expecting to wake you up” the young man said mockingly.

The man groans and gets up from the bed and towered the young man. And the younger man give a uninterested look and shove the duvet to his dear brother. He was turning to go back when his brother spoke.

“ Raz… a cup of tea for me please?” his tone turning into softer one. Unmistakably of a tone used by elder sibling to younger to get them something… uggh annoyingly tempting because it’s a once in a blue moon that they talk nice.

Younger one turned, amused by the tone of his brother “ weren’t you the one who was annoyed with me” he placed his hand on his hip  and tilted his body slightly to the side.

The man smiled sheepishly and walked towards his now lovely brother, trying to coax him for getting him a tea.

“ bubbaaaa… you know I love you just as much I love her, no? am annoyed with you because, I have that freedom with you… now please get me a cup of tea, please naa?.. he pestered his brother then, leaned and kissed his cheek.

The younger one made a ‘disgusting’ face mixed with a little shy smile that he couldn’t hide like a school girl.

“Eeeww, Ishan ba… am not 12 anymore, am freaking 18 now.” he said rubbing his hand on his cheek where his brother had just kissed. Ishan laughed softly at first and then Shaked his head side to side  as in clearing his face of smiling and turned his face into a serious expression and smacked his brothers bum lightly and said.

“ Enough of the bromance. Now, get me a tea will you Mr. Imran Razik khan ” it wasn’t a question anymore it was like a command that elder siblings give to their younger one. The most arrogant one. As if he is doing the younger one a favour when its exactly the opposite.

Razi scrunched his nose and mouth as in muttering something and rubbed his bum with his hand and then turned and walkway.

“As if I was the one interested and started”. He muttered, mentioning the bromance word his brother taunted him about.

Ishan shaked his head with a soft smile and made his bed.

He always adored his younger ones equally. Well, of course, sometimes he had a little extra adoration towards his Rajakumari. But again, he shared a nice bond with his brother too. He is like guardian angel towards them. Always making sure they’re well enough, studied enough,  had food enough and list goes on. He was 7 years older than his brother. No wonder he cares so much. His brother came to his life right when he was the loneliest child of his age. On the tender age of seven all he wanted was anyone to play with him. So, he prayed. A lot. And he believed for a long time, that his brother was a requested gift send by god.

…….

He did all his morning routine, the sun now wide and awake barged through his window to announce its presence. Ishan was packing his white coat and stethoscope box in his bag, clearly preparing to leave for college.

 He wore a emerald green shirt with sleeves rolled up, not a veiny hands though, but a strong, masculine hand on display. His shirt was not suffocating his muscles unlike a gym addict but yeah, he had notable decent amount of muscles and sturdy chest and broad shoulders. His perfectly tailored black trousers didn’t stick to his thighs either, instead the look gave him a natural, well disciplined professional doctor. And he was a doctor. Well not literally, but practically yeah.

He wore his side bag through his right shoulder to his left hip. Like he usually does. And was about to step out, when a somnolent short haired, short girl in her pyjamas, rubbing her eye with her hand, came to the doorway of his room. She looks exhausted and drowsy.

“ still not feeling well darling?” Ishan asked as he walked towards her.

 He held he shoulders with both hands. She looks up at him for a second before burying her face in his stomach and putting hands around his waist.

She groaned softly and softly shook her head in ‘No’.

“Rest a bit more then. Okay,? You don’t have to go to school too if you are not feeling well.”

The girl’s head rose up sudden and said with full blown excitement “ Really?”

Ishan narrowed his eyes “ now you don’t look unwell to me Ms. Ishra shahid khan. Forget what I said. Get ready for school already.”…

“oh please!. Am not well yo! But who likes school anyways. Its not like ‘you’ enjoyed it.” she said stepping aside.

“I did not. But I wasn’t a lazy ass either.” He said in matter of fact. “whatever, don’t go if you’re not okay.” He ruffled her hair, she smiled. Then he turned and walked away.

She was fifteen and she was having her second period with a lots of unexpected cramps. As a doting brother he was, he couldn’t see his sister in pain. Though it was his first time taking care of girls with periods, he knows what to do and what not. So no she didn’t have any lack in menstrual care.

Ishan descended down the large stairs of his house making his way out. But on the way there was  middle aged- old women whose back was facing him as she as making the table for breakfast with help of the other much older women who looks like a hired helper of the house. Sight of the woman, even if it was her back made him feel a sheer ache of pain in his insides, like always. He was going to walk away when she called him out.

“ hey you, Ishan! I hope you are not joining the table today” she asked knowing too well that he won’t because he don’t. but she wanted to ask him again, oh ! and not because of her motherly instincts screams her to do so, but because she wanted him to know and acknowledge her despise towards him. Not just today, but everyday and anyday she sees him.

H stopped in his track, fisted his hand in a tight grip, not out of anger but out of disappointment and grief, of knowing or not knowing, why his mother behaves this way towards him and only him. Ever since when? Ever since after some years Razi was born!

He didn’t wanna retort or be disrespectful, so he said “ its university freshers day today, and I am in charge. So, I don’t have time for breakfast,” he said like he was explaining an excuse towards his mother, like he always did, everytime she taunted him. Which is why he avoids her as much as she can. Because he didn’t wanted her hate him more.

“like I wanted to know why.” She scoffed and muttered, then turned and walked away. But of course he heard her. And like everytime his heart broke a little more. He tilted his body to the side a little to watch her walkaway. The helper gave him a pity look and he smiled sadly then he asked.

“Zulfi aunty, how are you?”

She smiled like a mother would to her son “ am doing great bubbaa… are you going to be late today? Do you want me to pack anything?” her concern evident. She was here since he was a kid.

“yes I probably will be late aunty, lot to do. And no I don’t need anything. I’ll head out now” he said and watched the older women nod her head. And then walked away. He was passing through the living room, then he stopped seeing the man there, sipping his tea and doing some work on the tablet. The man looks older than 55. He had slightly wrinkled skin and specs on his eyes. Feeling someone’s presence he looked up to find Ishan.

“Aahh… look who it is… did you miss me my bubbaa?” he opened his arms for his son smiling widely, excitedly. Ishan smiled at his father’s antics and gave in to his hug. He had a very lovely bond with his father unlike the male species his age. Truth to be said. It was his father who was cooler than him to act like this. His father was away for a week in an business trip. He patted his son’s head lovingly

“aayyy old man, you are always like this, always clingy like a 2 year old. Its not like you were away for years.” Ishan said clearly joking.

“ So, you are telling me, that you didn’t miss me? Ooh… Okayy” his father playing along said in a mock hurt and turned his face away.

Ishan chuckled and gathered his father again in a warm hug. His father leaned into him like a small child.

“Men in my age don’t even do this. And here you are making me say I missed you too”

Hearing that the older man jolted and said “ it’s a privilege for you to even have father who plays along with your antics, my father would have burned my butt if I weren’t setteled in your age”.

“ohh!? And who is it that said that I can’t move out now? was it me?” he retorted back, of course having all fun. Yes, he was settled with having nice income from his own share of works in his father’s drug company (medicine).

“well, what about marriage Young guy?” his father asked seriously

“ bappu… we’ve talked about this. I can’t bring a girl home before my course is finished and never when I don’t know why mamma is behaving that way”.

Mentioning that made the old man at unease.

“hmm… okay okay… aren’t you going to college?” he said suddenly feeling sad about his son.

“oh so now you want me gone huh?” Ishan said lighting up his father seeing the grim face. He started to tickle his father.

“ oh please.. go on already” he said laughing.

“ take care bappu.” Ishan said standing up and kissed his father’s hand and shaked saying “assalamualaikum”.(peace and blessings upon you)

“walaikumussalam”.(peace and blessings upon you too) the older man replied.

Ishan walked giving a last glance to his father smiling.

And there awaits the whole another crew in his college.