Umeed

Chapter 26

It was nearly 8:00 pm, and Noor had left a little while ago with Ayesha for the party. Shahzain had planned to come home earlier than usual today. He was trying to make sure Noor didn’t stay up too late, aware that her health hadn't been the best lately.

As Shahzain entered the house and greeted everyone, he only saw Faris sitting with Hoor and Ayaan in the living room. Faris responded to his greetings, glancing up from where he sat, noticing the exhaustion on Shahzain’s face. The younger children, Hoor and Ayaan, perked up at Shahzain's arrival. They rushed over, excited, their small feet tapping across the floor.

“Baba, chocolate!” Hoor said eagerly, her wide eyes full of expectation.

As part of their usual routine, Shahzain reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two chocolates. With a fond smile, he placed one in Hoor's hand.

“Thank you, Baba!” she beamed, before running off with her prize. Ayaan stood waiting patiently, and Shahzain handed him the other chocolate. Ayaan grinned, signaling for Shahzain to lower himself to his height. Shahzain knelt down, and in return, Ayaan kissed his cheek and whispered, “Thank you, Maamu.”

Shahzain’s tired face softened into a faint smile as he watched Ayaan race off after Hoor. For a moment, he allowed himself to forget the day's burdens. His eyes drifted toward Faris, who was watching silently, his expression unreadable. Nostalgia hit Faris—no matter how angry he sometimes felt toward Shahzain, he couldn't bring himself to disrespect him. Shahzain had practically raised him, filling the role of both brother and father, especially given the age difference between them. Faris remembered how, when he was young, Shahzain would always bring him chocolates just as he did now for Ayaan and Hoor.

Faris quickly masked his emotions, trying not to let the memories affect him. He remained seated, composed.

“Where is everyone?” Shahzain asked, though it was clear whom he was truly asking after.

Faris understood. He leaned back and replied casually, “Ammi and Noor have gone to the neighbor’s house. There’s a party at Mrs. Firat’s for Adeel. She invited us to celebrate his business success.”

Shahzain’s expression immediately hardened. He grew restless at the mention of Mrs. Firat, well aware of her past attempts to push Noor toward marrying Adeel. The thought unsettled him, igniting his possessiveness over Noor.

“Why wasn’t I informed about the party?” Shahzain’s tone was sharper now.

Faris shrugged, his eyes flicking toward Shahzain’s tense posture. “Bhai, you don’t usually like these kinds of gatherings. I thought it’d be better if Noor took Ammi with her. Mrs. Firat had especially invited Noor.”

Shahzain’s frustration simmered just beneath the surface. “When did they leave? Have they been gone long?”

“No, Bhai… they left just 15 to 20 minutes ago,” Faris replied, starting to sense Shahzain’s growing agitation.

Without missing a beat, Shahzain straightened up. “I need to discuss some business with Adeel. I’ll head to the party now.”

Faris furrowed his brow, confused. Since when did they have any business dealings with Adeel? Before he could question Shahzain, had already turned and was heading out the door.

-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-

Noor stood stiffly, trying her best to keep a polite smile as Mrs. Firat went on and on about Adeel’s latest achievements. Adeel, standing beside his mother, smiled smugly, clearly basking in the attention. Noor felt a wave of irritation but kept her expression neutral, though inwardly, she was counting the minutes until she could excuse herself.