House of Ashes [Complete]

Bonus #1

He roamed around the roads under the scorching heat of the sun searing through the sky which had its claws deep into everyone's skin as their bodies dripped with sweat. It was the hottest month of the year but that didn't halt Azlan Shehryar from his search with a paper tucked carefully in his hand. It was a long list of toys and other things his daughter had given him to bring for her on his way back.

His coat was discarded in the car. With the top two buttons of his pristine white shirt undone and tie loose around his neck, he had rolled his sleeves to his elbows. A drop of sweat streaked down the side of his cheek as he went into yet another store. By this time, he had lost count of the marts and stores he had visited for his daughter.

Alyana Hayat Shehryar.

The light of his eyes and the center of his heart and universe. He had no idea if he could love anyone as much as he loved Safa but then came Alyana and he was left dumbfounded at the lengths he knew he could go for her the moment she had wrapped her chubby fist around his finger.

He could bend down the kings on their knees and burn down the whole universe for his princess.

Five years after their marriage, they were finally blessed with a beautiful girl. Though Azlan was skeptical at the idea of having a child at first given that both Safa and him were struggling to get through their past, and though they'd come a long way with each other by their side, he still wanted her to think thoroughly through it before making such a serious decision. Because after that there was no going back. Once the baby came into this world, it wouldn't just be their lives they had to navigate through but also another human's, and he didn't want to taint their child's life with the murky waters of their past.

Safa, however, remained persistent, assuring him that she'd never let their darkness dim their child's life. She direly wanted a child, especially after having lost one already. She insisted and guaranteed she could handle it.

Her pregnancy wasn't an easy one though. It came with its fair share of complications, especially because of her previous miscarriage and the injuries she had endured in the past. There also came a time when Azlan suggested her to abort the baby because it was affecting her health bitterly and there were other risks involved as well. He had put forward the prospect of adoption and though Safa was fine with adopting one later on, she didn't give up on the one inside her. She wanted to give birth to the child herself because she had lost one already. She was persistent in not losing this one.

After his umpteen requests when she still didn't listen to her, there came a point when he stopped talking to her, thinking this might make her drop her protest. He didn't want a child at the expense of his wife's life. And he knew if something happened to her, he'd have died along as well leaving their child without parents. But he couldn't remain distant from her for more than a week. He could see the pain in her eyes at his coldness towards her and it all but seared his own heart as well. She needed him. So he gave up in front of his wife's wish. Safa was confident she could do it. She had faith in her Lord, and he could only pray to Him—like he did all those years back when he couldn't find her.

And now here they were with their 6 years old daughter who had her father twirling on her little finger already.

After spending God knows how many hours, he finally gave up for the day and decided to come back the next day in search of the last item that remained on her list to be bought. He was deeply exhausted and all he needed right now was tea brewed with her wife's hands and hold both his daughter and his wife in his arms.