After the truth

~31~

Zulfa busted into the apartment, panic filled her eyes. Her brothers were huddled together in the small space of Marwa's apartment and her mother had a kettle in her hands, pouring tea into small cups. She had an open envelope in her hands and she was shaking.

"Aaron isn't Lisa's father." Zulfa stated, throwing the paper at her brothers.

"What?" Zayn was surprised. "Hold up, why did you run a DNA test?"

"Marwa mentioned receiving a message from someone claiming Aaron to be Lisa's father. She was so worried and I mentioned a DNA test. I don't know how, but she got samples from Aaron and ..." Zulfa paused her shuffling and turned to face Zayn, "yours." She pointed at him.

"I've been trying to reach her but her phone is switched off." Zulfa was panicking.

"She sent a message, that we shouldn't worry about her and she simply went on a business trip." Their mother smiled, coming over with the tray in hand.

"Are you stupid?" Zulfa yelled. She was glaring at her mother. "Did she stop by the house to get clothes?"

"Don't talk to mother that way!" Zayad stood up, frowning at his sister.

"Oh shut up dumbass." Zulfa gritted. "I stopped by her work place and before I could ask about her, the lady at the reception told me that if Marwa was a family of mine, I should let her know that she could be fired anytime soon. She hasn't been at work for 7 days now."

"What?" Zachariah fired.

In Zulfa's impatience, she hadn't realized her other brother was in the room.

"Zach?" She paused.

"Marwa hasn't been at work all these days? What do you mean?" Zayn was the one asking.

"Something bad is going on. I can feel it."

The pen in Zayad's hands fell to the floor and the siblings turned to him. He was shaking and his breaths turned out ragged.

"Zayad?" Zulfa ran to him, tugging on his tie. "Zayad." She called out to him, loosening his tie.

"You said it the last time. She's in danger. I'll fail her again this time. It's my fault."

Zulfa stared at her brother, surprised to see him this way. She couldn't believe he was beating himself up over Marwa. Her mother pulled her aside and held Zayad in her arms like it had happened before. She whispered calming words and told him it was okay to feel what he was feeling but it was important to breathe.

Zulfa looked away from the two and saw Zayn with tears in his eyes. Her family was falling apart and she had been busy trying to win Imran's heart.

**********
"Haruni, Mama's brought you some cookies and milk." His mother's sauntered in with a tray.

He was standing by his desk placed in the office section of his room. His hands were balled up on the table and her voice irritated him to no ends.

"Mama. Please take it away." He begged without turning to look at her. He didn't want to offend God regardless of how his mother had tried to ruin his life. How could his father still love the woman he called a mother after all she had done?

"You haven't been feeling good these past few days and you've been ignoring me so I thought to bring your favorite snacks."

"Please take it away." His voice was heavy with emotions.

"You will really love the milk. It's fresh from the farm." He could feel her close.

Aaron turned swiftly and smacked the tray out of her hands. He was fuming. "You never listen! Are you deaf?! I do not want any of the poison you feed to me! Leave me the fuck alone!"

Her eyes were wide with shock and fear. She looked offended. How dare she be offended? What has he done that she hasn't?

"Do not talk to me that way." She suddenly said.

"Then leave me alone! You never listen! You do as it pleases you and you never listen! Whyyyy?" He yelled out.

"You communicate if you have a problem. Do not scream at me."

"I will scream at you and scream down this stupid house! How could you do this to me? YOU should have communicated. There were other ways to have helped me. How could you?"

"Aaron? What is going on?"

"I don't know how father could still love a monster like you. How did he even make sense of the nonsense that you did?"

"Oh. Of course your father has told you lies." His mum spat, frowning.

Aaron's brows creased. How could she keep on lying to him like she was innocent and had done nothing wrong. He pulled her to him by her wrist and held on tightly, ignoring her plea that he was hurting her.

"Then tell me, why you drugged me so much that the past seven years has been a blur." He stared into her eyes, tears rolling from his. He could see her eyes widen.

"Aaron! What do you think you're doing? Leave mother's hands now?" Mardiyah ran into the room. Without looking at the intruder, Aaron said, "Stay out of this! This is between Mother and son."