Chapter 4

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Her parents—her mother with her kind, knowing smile and her father's steady gaze—were sitting casually on her couch as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Amina had been away from home for so long, focused on her studies and the busy life that came with it, that the sight of them in her small, modest space felt almost surreal.

Her heart skipped. The familiar warmth of their presence washed over her, and for a moment, she felt a rush of comfort—followed by a twinge of guilt. She hadn't expected them to visit, hadn't thought to tell them where she lived.

"Mama? Baba?" she asked, her voice full of surprise, a smile already tugging at her lips. "What are you doing here?"

Her mother stood up first, her arms open wide. "Humne socha, tumhe ek surprise de," she said, her voice full of joy and affection. "Itna samay ho gaya tumhe dekhe hue, hum dono tumhein bahut yaad kar rahe the."

["We thought we'd surprise you,"] ["It's been so long since we've seen you in person. We missed you."]

Amina felt a surge of happiness. "Maine bhi aap dono ko bohot yaad kiya," she said, hurrying into their embrace. Her father joined in, pulling her into a warm hug that felt like home, like everything was right again.

[ "I missed you too,"]

"But how did you get in?" Amina asked, pulling back to look at them with a raised eyebrow, a little confused but still smiling. She was glad to see them, but she couldn't quite wrap her head around how they had managed to get inside her apartment without her knowing.

Her father chuckled. "We have our ways." he said playfully. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes, and Amina could see her mother trying (and failing) to suppress a grin.

Amina laughed, shaking her head. "You two are impossible," she said, still in disbelief but touched by the gesture.

Her mother pulled her to sit on the couch next to them. "Hum jaante the ki tum school mein busy rahogi, but we thought we'd come for a little surprise visit," she said, her voice soft with pride. "It's not every day we get to see our daughter doing so well, far away from home."

["We knew you'd be busy with school,]

Amina felt her heart swell with love and gratitude. It had been hard, being so far from home, living in a city that was often overwhelming. But seeing her parents now, sitting on her couch, it felt like everything was going to be okay. Even if she was living a world apart from them, they still knew how to find their way back to her.

"Main khush hoon ki aap aaye," Amina said, finally able to speak without the lump in her throat. "Maine socha bhi nahi tha ki aap dono ko itna miss karungi."

["I'm glad you came,"] [ "I've missed you both more than I thought I would."]

Her father smiled, the lines around his eyes crinkling with warmth. "Hum bhi tumhein bohot miss karte hain, beta. Lekin jo kuch tum kar rahi ho, hum tumpe garv mehsoos karte hain."

["We've missed you too. But we're so proud of everything you're doing here."]

Amina smiled back, her worries about exams, deadlines, and everything else fading for a moment. It was just her family, together again. And for this moment, everything felt like it had fallen perfectly into place. Even though she was thousands of miles away from home, she knew she would always have their support—and their love—no matter what.

Amina knew how tiring the journey from India to London must have been for her parents. After all, it wasn't an easy trip. She smiled softly, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for their effort to surprise her.

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