She Has His Heart (US#4)

||2.||

"Oh my Allah! Don't tell me I'm imagining my son," Mom whispered with tears in her eyes and her hands on her mouth.

Everyone also looked at me in disbelief and stood up slowly. Mom took small steps near.

"You are not imagining me, mom," I told her and quickly closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her.

"Weren't you leaving for an island for your work?" Mom asked me, with tears in her eyes.

"That was a lie. I wanted to surprise you," I told her and hugged her.

She hugged me back tightly and wept in my arms silently while I rubbed her back. I looked up at dad who came near me and patted my shoulder with a smile.

"Welcome home," He told me.

"I talked to Vivian and Elena but no one told me," Mom complained in my arms.

After stabilizing my mom's emotions and greeting everyone, I sat beside my mom and looked around.

"Sania mami and Zain mamu, where is Mehrun?" I asked them when I didn't find her with them.

I remembered she was their tail and would follow them everywhere.

On my question, everyone turned silent and looked uncomfortable. I looked towards Mohsin who was sitting beside Sania mami.

'Later. Don't ask more.'

He mouthed.

"She has some work. So she didn't come with them," Mom said, quickly.

"I forgot to ask you. How's my other two kids? My Vivian and Elena?" Mom added, changing the subject.

"Just like before, mom. They never have a good day until they fight together," I replied to her.

After mom changed the subject, none of us mentioned Mehrun in our conversation anymore.

• • •

Two days later, I and Mohsin met at the restaurant. With Mohsin, there was a girl beside him.

"Do you remember I told you once I'll be married soon?" Mohsin asked me with a smile as he took that girl's hand.

"Yes, yes. I remembered. Congrats to both of you!" I congratulated them.

"Her name is Lariab. And Lariab, meet Saim," He introduced us.

"How did both of you meet?" I asked them, causally because it looked love instead of arranged.

"Through Mehrun. She is Mehrun's best friend.. Her only friend," He replied and whispered the last sentence.

I looked at them and noticed Laraib's getting uncomfortable. This behavior reminded me of the day when I arrived home and asked about Mehrun. I looked at Mohsin and raised my brow at him.

"I.. I have once heard during childhood you said to Zain uncle that you wanted to marry Mehrun after becoming an adult. Do you.. Do you still want to marry her?" Lariab asked me with hesitation and avoided eye contact.

I looked at her in confusion silently then moved my eyes towards Mohsin. Not knowing or understanding why I was asked this question suddenly.

"Look I know this is a strange question and what one says in childhood is rarely true.. I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask this--,"

"Be honest, what I said at that time was in fit of rage after having a fight with Shaizum. I was too little at that time to have that kind of feeling towards anyone," I told her as I cut off her rambling.

After listening to my answer, they both sat in silence. Lariab looked lost while Mohsin looked at her with worry then looked towards me.

"She has changed so much. No one knows better than us what is the reason behind her change. Uncle and aunty had some guesses but due to fear of angering Mehrun, they never asked or said anything," Mohsin told me.

If I didn't get the meaning of their conservation wrong then the reason must be one person since I used to hear so much about him from Mohsin when I was in London.

"Shaizum!" I mumbled his name with a frown.

"Yes," Lariab replied, looking at the glass in her hand.

"No one knows when and why it started but as we grew up, I noticed Shaizum had pulled her out of her friend circle, never letting her go to any of our gatherings, even sometimes to a small family gathering too. Once she went out with me and Mohsin without telling him but later they got into a big fight and after that she only went out with Shaizum mostly. Now she isn't what she used to be," She told me and wiped her tears which slipped from her eyes.

"I came here with Mohsin to see if you honestly have feelings for her. I wanted you to help her out of that world. As she doesn't belong to the world where Shaizum lived," She added, looking back at the glass in her hand.

I sat there silently and thought over what I was told.

"If she stepped in his world with her will then I don't think anyone can pull her out. Maybe she also wants to be like him," I told her with an apologetic smile.

Everyone has their own opinions and knows what they want to do. Sometimes people don't like their opinions and sometimes they do.

Maybe she also didn't liked it.

. . . . . . . . . .

So, here's second update.

If you like this chapter, consider giving it a vote.

Take care.
Till next time.

And please if you know the solution of posting pictures, please tell.

Allah Hafiz! Bye!