To The End And Beyond ***ON HOLD***

How it all begun - Part 6

WRITER'S NOTE

Helloooo.sorry for leaving the previous chapter on such a cliffhanger, but where there's curiosity, there's a story right??! This chapter will be the end of the How It All Begun flashbacks and finalise what has been happening in the past 2 years. In the next chapter, we will be back to the present, where we found Aqsa and Zain in college/university. Enjoy the read!

RECAP

"What is it Dad? Is something wrong? What decision are you talking about?" Aqsa asked hesitantly. She rubbed his arm in encouragement as he looked into her eyes.

"Aqsa....I've decided to get married again."

Aqsa stared at her father, totally dumbfounded. "Is this a sick idea of a joke? Seriously?" She waited for her father to agree, but he remained silent, his eyes downcast. She moved her focus to her brother, who was still silently absorbed in his food. "Ahaan? Please tell me I'm involved in a prank here," she said, laughing nervously. Ahaan finally looked up, his eyes full of sadness and anger. Aqsa realized what she saw there. Her father was definitely not joking.

"But why?? Aren't we happy? Aren't we enough for each other? What are we doing wrong? Why would you even think bringing another woman would be ideal for our future? We don't need anyone else. The three of us are a family. No one can replace Mum," she burst out, tears streaming down her face.

Amir looked totally distraught. "Aqsa, of course no one can ever replace your mother. Not in the house and not in our hearts. She will always be there in our memories. The woman I want to marry completely understands that. She was also married. Her husband's name was Yusuf, and was a pilot by ambition, but also a spy for the country on an undercover mission. The people he thought were his friends and colleagues at the airlines, turned out to be terrorists against the country. He accumulated evidence against them and turned it all in to the Police and CBI. With all the proof, it was very easy to arrest all involved. But one of them escaped. The next day, the Police were alerted on 2 bodies in the sea. Yusuf and the escaped terrorist. No one knew what transpired between them, but the autopsies revealed gun shots on both bodies, and a ruptured vein in Yusuf's neck. Yusuf left behind his widow and 3 kids."

Amir paused for breath. Aqsa felt her heart tug for the children. She knew what losing a parent felt like. The pain was never-ending and nothing could fill the emptiness. But she still didn't understand.

"Dad....I agree that she has been through a lot. But isn't is possible to just assist her without marrying her? You can take over the responsibility of supporting her family financially." Aqsa tried reasoning with her father.

Amir smiled sadly. "That's what I had thought to do initially. But Yusuf was one of my closest friends and also a cousin by relation. His parents are unfortunately very traditional, and after his death, they're insisting one of the cousins marries his wife and becomes a father to his kids. All the other cousins are happily married and their families would just fall apart if they took this action. I'm the only widower. I talked to his wife, Aisha. She said she would prefer to live the rest of her life alone as she doesn't think she'll be able to love anyone else as much as she loved her husband. But there's too much pressure from the family. So she has agreed hesitantly. For the sake of the children, hers and mine. She has a son your age, and 2 daughters aged 13 and 11 years. I introduced her to you at Amaarah's wedding. Remember?"

Aqsa racked her brain, trying to recall. Then it hit her in a flash! The lady who had been staring at her, conversing with her friend about her, at the table with her father, the one Suhaila had been dared to talk to....Mrs Yusuf....

She sighed. "Yes I remember her," she told her father. Amir looked at her pleadingly, as he had looked at his son a while back. "Please understand that this relation will not spoil what we have," he told his children. "Infact Aisha has insisted that she and her kids will continue to live in their house even after our Nikkah, she does not want to cause problems here. Until you accept her willingly."