Broken Vow

Chapter 16

"Ammar, please don't do this to me. Can't you help your brother?" Tareeq pleaded.

"Nope, I can't," Ammar replied, shaking his head, his grin unyielding.

"Sweetheart, let's go," Ammar said, taking Hanan's hand, and they resumed their walk.

Hanan wondered why Tareeq was avoiding meeting Ammar's parents.

As they approached the front door, it swung open, as if anticipating their arrival.

"Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon, ma'am," a chorus of maids greeted them.

Hanan nodded in acknowledgment, but Ammar didn't even spare them a glance, let alone respond to their greetings.

"Assalamu alaikum," They greeted as they entered the living room.

"Waalaikumussalam," Ammar's parents replied.

Hanan's eyes locked onto Ammar's father and mother, and she immediately recognized his mother, seeing the striking resemblance between her and Ammar.

"Ummi," Ammar said, moving toward his mother and sitting beside her, wrapping an arm around her in a side hug.

"Hope you returned safely?" Ammar asked her.

"Yes, but it seems you've only decided to visit me now after I arrived yesterday morning," Hajiya Khadijah Nasir, Ammar's mother, replied in her distinct American accent.

"No, Ummi, it's not like that. I wanted you to rest," Ammar explained, and she simply nodded in response.

"How are you, my daughter?" Baba replied, whom Hanan had already exchanged greetings with.

"I'm fine, Alhamdulillah," Hanan replied.

"Good evening," Hanan greeted Ammar's mother, who was seated next to Ammar's father.

"How are you?" Ummi asked, her smile faint.

"Alhamdulillah. We hope you've been well?" Hanan inquired, and Ummi nodded in affirmation.

"Please have a seat, my daughter," Baba gestured to a chair beside him. Hanan stood up and gracefully took her place in the offered seat.

"Good evening, Baba," Ammar greeted his father.

"Evening, son. I thought you didn't see me since your mother is here," Baba joked.

"No, you know you'll always be my favorite. Even Ummi knows that," Ammar said, a meaningful undertone shared among the three of them.

"Thank God I have a daughter who loves me so much, unlike you," Ummi remarked, glaring at Ammar.

"Yes, you have your darling daughter, and I have my darling father," Ammar replied.

"By the way, where is Samreen?" Ammar asked about his sister.

Before anyone could respond, they heard Samreen Sheik's voice, thick with her American accent. "Ya Ammar, do you miss me so much that you're even asking about me? I must mark this date on the calendar, Ya Ammar missing me," Samreen walked towards them, wearing a smile.

Ammar scoffed at her comment.

"Ya Ammar, I miss you too," Samreen said as she sat on the arm of the chair, side-hugging him.

"Did I say I miss you?" Ammar raised an eyebrow.

"But you asked about me," Samreen countered.

"I asked about you as any normal brother would ask about his little sister. I didn't miss you," Ammar said coldly, causing the smile on Samreen's face to fade.