Over again

Chapter XXXVII

'Aayat is alive.'
Aaliya was just looking at him without blinking. She couldn't understand what he was talking about. How's it possible? She can't be alive. She saw her body, she saw her dead.

'What are you talking about, Zain?'
'Trust me. She is alive.'
'But... That's impossible. I saw her. That day I saw her.'
'Not everything you see is the truth, love. Trust me.'

Aaliya felt deasy and managed to sit on the floor. She was confused. No. That's not possible. She can't be. It's impossible. She looked up at Zain. He was kneeling next to her, his one hand on her shoulder.

'I would never lie about this Aaliya. Trust me, she's alive.'
'But.. how? Where has she been all this time?'

'I'll tell you everything. Come.'
He took her hand and let her sit down on the couch.

'It was last year. I was tired but I couldn't sleep that night. All I wanted was to run away from everything and everyone. But I had to stay there as I had to live my life. I was passing by my parents room when I heard their conversation. Fahaad and my parents were in there and were talking about something. I couldn't hear what they said but then Fahaad said that they should tell me the truth. It was time for me to find out the truth. My mom didn't want to tell me but Fahaad insisted. She still said no and asked him to go to sleep. That was when he opened the door and found me there. I guess they thought I already knew everything and mom asked me to come in. She has told me everything. Where Aayat was all this time, who took care of her, everything. I couldn't wait to see her and I went to her apartment.'
'Wait. You know her?'

Zain didn't answer her. He got up from the couch and asked her to come with him. Aaliya didn't ask him where. The answer she already knew. It was time to see her sister after so many years. She went into his car without asking him a question. It was almost morning. Driving through the streets of Mumbai, looking at the East. It was the new beginning of a beautiful day. She just didn't know it yet.

Finally he stopped his car after driving for good half an hour. She stepped out of the car. The breeze air touched her skin. Zain came closer to her and hugged her. She didn't look at him. He took her inside of the house that was facing the sea. Inside of the house was beautiful, it smelled like an apple and vanilla. Aaliya couldn't walk. She stopped in the hall.

At the other side of hall was standing a girl. Her hair was long, black and curly. She was looking at the sea and sunrise. The girl slowly turned to Zain and Aaliya and her lips curled in an adorable smile.

'Zain bhai.'-she called him out and ran to hug him.
Zain hugged her back and pulled away.
'How are you, darling?'-he asked with a wicked smile on his face.
'Don't call me darling you idiot. Go, get married and call your wife darling.'-she slapped his shoulder.

Aaliya was standing still, looking at the girl. She was beautiful. Just as Aayat should look if she still was alive. Aaliya couldn't accept the truth. It was too much for her. Her sister alive, happy and is standing right in front of her. And she doesn't even know it's her sister Aaliya who was standing there and crying.

Zain jumped a little at the sound of something falling on the ground. He turned to find Aaliya laying at the bottom of stairs. He was so excited and lost in everything what happened that he totally forgot about her.

'Aaliya!'-he ran to her and picked her up in his arms.
'Zain bhai, bring her in.'-the girl said and left the room just to be back a few moments later.
'Aayat, you're still just a student. Do you think you can do this all? Are you sure you will know to do this?'
'Zain, I'm almost a doctor. You know, it's almost done. Let me check her first.'

Zain was sitting at the bottom of the bed while Aayat was checking Aaliya's BP and her heart beat. Aayat still didn't know it was Aaliya, her sister. He was so deep in his thoughts that he almost missed the first few words Aayat said.

'You know Zain, I still can't get used to it that I'm not Mia but Aayat. I was a little girl when I was brought here. I accepted everything the people who were presenting as my parents learned me. That night when you told me who I am, I just couldn't accept it. It was so hard for me to accept the fact that my whole life was a lie. That summer I went to London to find my real parents but they left their house and moved to Miami. I knew it will be really hard for me to find them in that big city so I didn't want to search for them. At least, my fake parents told me the truth. Now I know my real parents didn't want me and they chosen my sister over me. But I don't hate her. I would love to meet her and see who's the girl my parents loved that much that they left me.'-she looked at Zain and weakly smiled.
'Now tell me who's this girl? Your new love?'

Zain was confused what to tell her. To say that it's her sister, or his only love so he finally choose to say:
'My wife. That's my wife. The only woman I love more than anything. My life, the reason I could kill for. My air, my Sun, my Moon, my Earth.'

Aayat smiled.
'I thought there was only one girl that was worth those words and it was my... my sister. It was time for you to move on. It's good that you finally found someone who's worth your love and attention.'
Zain laughed.
'You're so naive, Aayat. Just like your sister.'

'Hey!'-he felt a sharp pain in his arm 'don't ever say that again. Aayat is not naive. She is just confused.'-Aaliya finally spoke.

She didn't open her eyes but she spoke.
'Aayat doesn't know the truth. She doesn't know that her sister left her parents to go and find her. She left her city, her friends and family and came to Mumbai just to find a man who killed her sister. Aaliya didn't know the truth. She thought Aayat was dead and she wanted to revenge her death. Looking for her enemies, she found herself and the love of her life. She married him, left him, he found her, he found her and their son, he brought them back home and she found her sister.'-Aaliya opened her eyes to find Aayat looking at her confused.

Aayat came closer to Zain:
'I think she hit her head, hard.'
Zain burst out laughing.
'No Aayat. She didn't. She just told you her story.'

He stood up and kneeled down beside Aaliya and Aayat. She took her hand in his.

'Aayat, this is Aaliya. This is your sister.'