Eighteen-year-old Hayat Amanullah has it all: a loving family, a carefree life, and a future at the Ivy League school of her dreams. But her perfect life shatters when her oldest brother suddenly dies in a car accident. The tight-knit Amanullah family crumbles; now her mom never leaves her room, her dad buries himself in his work, and her middle brother is emotionally distant. Hayat goes from a happy-go-lucky teenager to the woman taking care of her entire household. Seeking comfort, Hayat grows closer to her best friend's twin brother, Rameez Khan, whose attention offers her a temporary reprieve from the loneliness consuming her. Yet beneath the fleeting happiness in his company lies the weight of guilt as she finds herself testing her moral compass and religious values. Further complicating her emotional turmoil is the intense, inexplicable connection she feels towards her late brother's best friend, Mikaal Zaman, whose kindness and shared grief draw her in deeper. As Hayat wrestles with complicated emotions, she begins to realize that by seeking connection, she's been running from the grief weighing her down all along. As she reckons with her own heart, Hayat discovers that healing is not a linear path, and her quest for peace might just lead her back to the family she's trying desperately to hold together. ~ #2 in revival: 3/26/24 #6 in startingfresh: 8/13/22