love by chance

chapter 31

Five years had passed since Nadiya's tragic death. Irfan had been struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife.

Amaan was now five years old, and he was growing up to be a bright and curious child. He had started going to school, and he was learning new things every day.

One morning, Nouf went into Amaan's room to wake him up for school. "Amaan, wake up," she called out, using the affectionate term for "child" in their native language. "It's time to get up for school!"

Amaan groggily opened one eye, then the other, before quickly covering himself with the blanket again. "Please, Mummy, let me sleep more," he mumbled, his voice husky with sleep.

Nouf chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Amaan, you can't sleep all day," she said, gently tugging on the blanket. "You have school to go to, and you don't want to be late, do you?"

Amaan reluctantly emerged from under the blanket, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Why do I have to go to school so early, Mummy?" he complained, his voice laced with a hint of whine.

Nouf smiled patiently. "Because, you need to learn and grow. School is where you make friends and learn new things. Besides, you're a big boy now, and big boys go to school."

Amaan thought about this for a moment, then nodded his head. "Okay, Mummy," he said, throwing off the blanket and getting out of bed. "I'll get dressed and have breakfast. But can I have a hug first?"

Nouf smiled and opened her arms, enveloping Amaan in a warm hug. "Of course, dear," she said. "I'll always give you a hug whenever you need one."

Amaan hugged Nouf tightly, feeling safe and loved in her arms. After a moment, he pulled back and looked up at her with big, bright eyes. "Mummy, can I ask you something?" he said, his voice was curious.

Nouf smiled and nodded. "Of course, dear. What is it?"

Amaan thought for a moment, then asked, "Mummy, do you think my daddy is happy?"

Nouf's expression softened, and she looked at Amaan with compassion. "Why do you ask that, dear?" she said gently.

Amaan shrugged. "I don't know. He just seems sad sometimes. And he always talks about my mummy...I mean, my other mummy."

Nouf's eyes filled with tears, and she took a deep breath before speaking. "Amaan, your daddy loves you very much, and he's doing the best he can. He's still sad because he misses your mummy, but he's happy when he's with you."

Amaan nodded, seeming to understand. "I'm happy when I'm with him you, Mummy," he said, smiling.

Nouf smiled back, feeling a sense of pride and love for her young nephew. "I know you are, " she said. "Now, let's get you dressed and ready for school. We don't want you to be late!"

Amaan nodded thoughtfully, taking in this information. But then his expression turned serious again. "Mummy, why is Daddy always shouting at you?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry. "Even when you don't do anything."

Nouf's heart went out to her young child. She knew that Irfan's behavior had been affecting Amaan, and she wanted to reassure him that everything was okay. "Amaan, sometimes grown-ups get stressed or overwhelmed, and they might say things they don't mean," she said gently. "But that doesn't mean Daddy doesn't love us. He does, very much."

Amaan nodded, seeming to understand. Nouf finished getting him dressed and handed him his backpack. "Okay, dear, time to go to school," she said, smiling.

Nouf and Amaan walked downstairs to the dining room, where they found a gathering of family members already seated at the table. Amaan's grandma Khadija, great-grandmother, his aunt Noor, and his other grandma Malika all looked up and smiled as they entered.