𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝑺𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆

➌ ʀᴀᴢᴀ'ꜱ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ

Mirha's POV:

As I stood in the kitchen late at night, washing dishes, a loud knock echoed through the house, jolting me from my thoughts. "Mirha, go see who’s at the door!" Taai Ammi’s voice rang out from her room, sharp and impatient. Quickly, I wiped my wet hands on my dupatta and hurried toward the door. But when I opened the door, my breath caught in my throat. Standing there, with his familiar warm smile, was Taya Abbu.

"Surprise!" he exclaimed, his arms open wide. For a moment, I stood frozen in shock, but then, without thinking, I threw myself into his embrace. Tears spilled uncontrollably from my eyes as I sobbed against his chest. It had been four long, agonizing years since I had last seen him, and in that moment, the weight of everything I had endured crashed over me.

"My child, are you welcoming your Taya Abbu with tears?" he asked softly, his voice full of affection as he patted my head. I shook my head, unable to form words through the sobs that continued to shake my body. "I just got emotional seeing you after so long... I miss you, Taya Abbu," I finally managed to whisper between the tears.

I tried desperately to hide the depth of my pain from him. He cared so much for me, and I couldn’t let him know what I had been going through with Taai Ammi and Zara Aapi. If he found out, things could get even worse for me. "Why are you crying like this? You’re scaring me, my child. Is there something I need to know?" he asked gently, tilting my chin up to meet his concerned gaze. His thumb brushed away the tears on my cheeks, and I quickly shook my head.

"N... No, Taya Abbu, it’s nothing," I stammered, wiping my tears away quickly and forcing a smile. "I just got a bit emotional, that’s all." His eyes lingered on me, searching for the truth, but after a moment, he sighed and smiled, giving me a gentle pat on the head.

"I miss you too, my child," he said warmly, and those words made my heart ache with a bittersweet joy. It felt like for once, someone truly saw me, but I knew it couldn’t last.

Before I could say anything more, Taai Ammi’s voice cut through the air like a sharp knife. "If you recall, you also have a wife and daughter, aside from your niece," she said, her tone dripping with annoyance. I turned to see her standing there with her arms crossed, her expression stern.

Taya Abbu shook his head, a good-natured smile still on his face. He looked at me one last time, his eyes filled with reassurance, before he turned to face his wife. "How could I forget? If I do, you’ll always be there to remind me," he replied with a playful grin. Then he moved toward her and Zara Aapi.

We all entered the house together, and Taya Abbu made himself comfortable on the living room couch. Tuba Aapi quickly sat beside him, and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a warm embrace.

“Mirha, go get some water for your Taya Abbu,” Taai Ammi ordered, her voice cold and dismissive, as usual. I nodded quickly, but my feet felt heavy. I didn’t want to leave the room. After seeing him after so many years, I wanted to stay close to him, even if just for a little while longer.

Just as I was about to turn toward the kitchen, Taya Abbu’s voice stopped me. “Mirha, come here and sit with me. Sumaira, fetch the water,” he said kindly, his hand outstretched toward me. My heart skipped a beat as I glanced nervously at Taai Ammi, who stood frozen for a second, her eyes narrowing. But Taya Abbu’s tone left no room for argument.