𝐙𝐚𝐫𝐚- 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 (ON HOLD)

𝐬𝐢𝐱

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Malik Mansion, Delhi, India, 8:00 AM, October 25th

Today was a strange day for the Maliks. In the middle of this chaos, they couldn't hide their excitement, especially the twins. They were practically hopping on their way to the breakfast table. The others were taken aback at the excitement they showed. The real shock came when they saw Zain smiling while having his breakfast and Amir not throwing tantrums about not being able to go to work, silently eating. A lot had changed in one phone call and they could sense that a lot was yet to change.

Zahir, who was usually the happy child, looked like he was in deep thought today. Preet shook him by his shoulder and asked, "Where are you lost? I called your name 3 times?". Still in thought, Zahir muttered to his mother, "Woh, I was thinking about her. She must have had such a hard time living alone, right. No one to check up on her."

Preet smiled at her thoughtful son and said, as her eyes glistened with tears as she thought about her, "Zahir, she has always been strong. So very strong, I admire that." Amir commented, pain in his voice, as he said, "Yeah, so strong that she didn't even think of telling me before leaving that day. Just took off, ready to face everything, alone."

Aadil stopped him from saying anything further, "Amir, enough." Amir looked at his father dead in the eyes and asked, curiosity swirling in those eyes instead of sarcasm, "Do you ever think about her?". Aadil didn't answer, but Amir still continued, "I do. Zain might think that we should have given her a chance to speak up, but whenever I think about her, it pricks my heart that she completely cut me off. Like I was a nobody."

Farhan spoke this time, slowly, looking down at his plate, "She didn't cut anyone off, we cut her off. In this house, we avoid her mention like it's a sin. That day, the words that were spoken towards her were very harsh. As a 19 year old, if my family had behaved like that, I don't know I would ever be able to think of them in the same way again. She was a mere 15 year old girl. Instead of thinking about how you felt, what she did, put yourself in her shoes and understand her reasons, without misunderstanding her."

Saying that, he stood up, walking to his room when Arsalan called him back, "Faaz, come right back." Faaz walked back to the table and sat down. Arsalan pinned him down, his gaze deep, "What did you mean when you said misunderstanding? How was she misunderstood?"

Faaz looked at Farhan who nodded at him, Then he answered, "That day, after the fight, you guys completely stopped talking to her for weeks. Appi was trying to collect proof..."

Aadil frowned and sternly asked, "What proof? ". Farhan spoke, "Bade Abbu, she thought that the papers were forged. And when I went to her room one day, I heard her talking on the phone with someone. I don't know what the person was saying, but Aapi kept telling him she will leave, but only and unless he keeps his part of the promise."

Faaz continued, "That day, when she left for school, she looked happy. Before leaving, she told me that will sort this out and that today would be the last day of this misery. After everything that happened between you guys, we both went to her room and asked her angrily why everything was not sorted by now. Me and Farhan got angry at her and told her she was a bad Aapi and that she should leave. That day she looked at us dead in the eyes and said 'don't worry, I will. I don't have a reason to stay anymore. I lost against him, but this is the last time.' We didn't realize what she meant back then, but as we grew up, we started having a doubt that maybe she was innocent after all."