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*
Ahad
The bedroom door or Arhaan Bhai's room was slightly ajar, and as Zo and I worriedly approached it, a small figure rushed out and immediately came towards me, wrapping his arms around my legs.
"Chu!" Ismael looked up at me, his eyes filled with tears.
He couldn't say the word 'Chachu', so he called me 'Chu' sometimes.
I lifted him up into my arms and he buried his face against my neck, his small body trembling with fright. "It's okay, buddy. You're safe. Everything's fine." I told him, gently.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?" Ammi and Jazzy came out of my sister's room, looking anxious. If the situation was different, it would have been hilarious how similar they both looked with those expressions.
*"What's happening?"
Arhaan Bhai came out of the room, angrily. "Sadia is going to her parents' house tomorrow morning, and she will be staying there until she learns to respect my family." With that he strode past us and headed downstairs.
"Yeh kya ho gaya hai tum donon ko?" Ammi asked Sadia Bhabi, who now stood in the doorway, staring after her husband. "Aisi behaviour bachon ke saamne?"
*"What has happened to you two?"
"Behaving like this in front of the kids?"
"Ibrahim is crying, Bhabi." Zoya whispered and when Bhabi didn't move, my wife walked past her into the room and picked my baby nephew up. "Shh, baby, it's okay." She rocked him, almost a natural with him.
"Can you take care of the boys, Ahad and Zoya?" Bhabi sighed. "I have a severe headache."
Zo and I exchanged a look, before I slowly nodded. "Sure, no problem."
"You both go." Ammi told us. "I'll take care of them." She took Ibrahim from Zoya carefully, before turning to Ismael, who was still clinging on to me.
"Ammi, it's fine." I said. "I'll cheer Ismael up, and we'll look after them, no worries."
"That's right." Zoya nodded. "We're happy to look after these cuties."
We took the boys to our room, and Ismael didn't seem to want to let go of me. The poor little boy was terrified.
"Ismael, beta." I tried to pull myself away but he started crying, so I gave up and held onto him instead. "It's okay, buddy. Look, you are with Chachu and Chachi now."
"Poor babies." Zoya sighed. "Poor Arhaan Bhai. He's too good to deserve any of this."
"We are tested in life in various ways. I suppose that this is Bhai's test." I said.
She nodded. "May things become easier for him. Ameen."
"Ameen." I said, as Ismael began to fall asleep with my his head resting against my chest.
****
Jasmina
I went downstairs to check on Arhaan Bhai, leaving Ammi to keep an eye on Hania.
He was outside in the garden, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stood by the pool.
"Are you okay?" I whispered, stopping beside him, facing him.
"When all feels hopeless, you turn to Allah to remind yourself that 'hopelessness' is not a word in our religion." He muttered. "You turn to Allah in all circumstances of course, but if you turn to Him in the darkest of times, there is more reward for that."
"Bhai, can I give you a small suggestion?" I said.
He looked at me. "Go ahead."
"I think, instead of sending her to her parents' house, take her and the kids away for a while. And when it's just you and your family, talk to her." I said. "Marriage is too important. We should attempt to fix it before doing something to create more distances."
"When did you grow up, Jazzy?" He gave me a small smile.
"I don't know. All I know is that you're too important to me and I can't see you like this."
He nodded. "I'm going to give this a try. A lot of times we disregard advice from people younger than us, especially our younger siblings, but the fact is that wisdom can come from the most surprising of places." He ruffled my hair.
"May Allah make things easier for you. Ameen."
He looked up at the sky, sighing heavily. "Allah is very Merciful. Even if I have to suffer in life like this, I have faith that I will later be rewarded for it. I just have to be patient."
I was in tears. I've never, ever even had an argument with Arhaan Bhai. Every time there was a chance of one, he calmly handled things. Ahad Bhai and I, on the other hand, had always ended up yelling at each other like lunatics. He was spoilt in his own ways, and I was the 'pampered princess', as he always called me.
"Yo, siblings! What's up?" Ahad Bhai's voice made me turn and I saw him walking towards us, grinning lazily.
"Ugh! Him again!" I looked at Arhaan Bhai and rolled my eyes, and he laughed.
"I'm the coolest Sheikh sibling, shorty. You're just jealous." Ahad Bhai said. "Come on, let's have some midnight snacks like old times."
"Ahad..." Arhaan Bhai sighed. "I'm not in the mood."
"There's no 'mood' for food." I told him. "You can eat no matter what mood you're in, so come on." I grabbed his arm and tried to drag him inside, but he wouldn't budge. "Arhaan Bhai, come on!"
"We'll just sit out here." Ahad Bhai shrugged and flopped down on one of the loungers, and I sat on the one beside him.
Arhaan Bhai surrendered and took a seat on the third lounger.
"Look, Bhai." Ahad Bhai spoke up. "Everybody who knows us knows that you are the most sensible, the most mature, Sheikh sibling. You're so good that you make me and Jasmina look even worse."
I couldn't help laughing at that, even as I silently agreed.
"And good people are always rewarded, in one way or another." Ahad Bhai continued. "I know you are going through difficult times, but you're kindness and your wonderful personality will not go to waste. You will be rewarded for your patience and endurance."
"What happened to you two?" Our eldest brother smiled. "Last time I checked, Jazzy was always running away*, and you were always rebelling, Ahad."
*A reference to a lot of comments made by readers!
"Now you two are so mature."
"Life taught us lesson, Bhai. Life made us grow up." Ahad Bhai was such a Drama King. "But, in all seriousness, Bhai, I know better than anyone what it's like to stray off the right path. Deal with Bhabi patiently and kindly, and In Sha Allah, she'll become the same Sadia Bhabi that she was in her earlier days of your marriage."
"If she wants to change." Our elder brother muttered.
"Bhai, stop being so pessimistic and trust her." Ahad Bhai said, wisely. "When our spouses see that they have loving and supportive partners, they want to change for the better."
Arhaan Bhai didn't reply, but I could see that he had doubts about this.
"You know what? I'm hungry and cold. So, you two freeze your backsides out here and I'm going to grab something to eat." I stood up. "Otherwise, I will Iman that her Mamus are mean."
They both stood up as well, and we walked inside, my brothers on either side of me. No wonder Ahad Bhai called me 'shorty'. I felt even shorter compared to them, now that I was pregnant.
"Arhaan Bhai is the mean one. I'm the cool one, always." Ahad Bhai said, and received a slap on the back of the head from Arhaan Bhai as I giggled.
****
Zafar
I was called in for an emergency situation in the city early the next morning. Apparently, there were some riots going on, with the general public clashing against the police. An area close to my home had not been getting any electricity for the past two days, and obviously the people were frustrated and were trying to break into the local offices of the company that provided electricity.
Hearing this, Fari got so worried that she blew Ayat-ul-Kursi on me at least three times before I left, from head to toe.
We were given riot protection shields and headgear by our seniors, and we headed out to the area.
I had already warned my whole family to stay home, as well as Ahad, advising him to pass on the message to everyone. I knew that idiot so well, and he loved driving around the city on his motorcycle, so I advised him to travel to work by car today and to avoid this area completely.
I was in the midst of it all, barely avoiding getting hit by rocks and whatnot. I'm going to say this loud and clear: we police officers have a very bad reputation, but not everyone is bad. Sometimes, the actions of a few individuals make everyone look bad, similarly, we Pakistani police officers are made to look corrupt and useless. However, I work honestly, and as do the people in my team. We have made a vow to protect our society and the people, and we fulfil that vow with full dedication.
"Zafar, careful!" A colleague of mine yelled and I turned and saw someone about to hit me with a hockey stick. What the heck? I grabbed it and using my police training, I fought him off without actually harming him.
I was getting hit, but our protection equipment stopped me from getting hurt, although at one point, someone hit my headgear so hard that I got dizzy by the movement.
But then I saw something that made me stop. Oh, you've got to be kidding me. "Fawad Bhai!" I wanted to facepalm, but I walked over to him instead, where he stood by his car. "What are you doing here? Go home!"
"I was heading to Saira Phupho's." He sighed. "But clearly that's not a good idea."
"No, it's not. Go home." I snapped.
He looked surprised at my tone. "I have to get to Phupho's to give her the medication."
"The situation in the whole city is getting worse, so please, just go home!" I yelled. "You are a civilian and I'm ordering you as a police officer to go home before you get hurt."
"Zafar, I have to..."
I shoved him using both my hands, pushing him towards the driving side door. "Bhai, please. Just get the hell out of here!"
He turned to go, looking annoyed, but then stopped as he saw something. An elderly man lay on the ground, blood pouring down his forehead. A small little boy was cowering beside him, crying and calling out, "Dada Jaan!".
"Bhai, I'll handle it. You..." I hadn't even finished when Fawad Bhai rushed over to them.
I followed him. God forbid, if anything happened to him, all hell would break loose in our extended family. I guess stubbornness runs in the family. I thought. Because if Fari was here, she would have rushed to help as well.
In the chaos around us, the good doctor got down on his knees to help the elderly man, all the while reassuring the little boy. I acted as their personal bodyguard, standing behind my brother-in-law to keep him safe from all the riots around us.
Ya Allah.
****
Fariha
"Ahad?" I opened the gate, frowning in confusion.
His hands were in his pockets and he looked a little uncomfortable. "The situation in the city is getting worse every minute. Zafar's out there, so I stopped by to make sure you all are okay."
"I thought this was just limited to a small area." My eyes widened.
He shook his head. "It has spread out widely."
"Ya Allah!" I gasped. "May Allah protect my Zafar. Ameen. Come inside." I stepped back and let him through into the veranda, where my parents-in-law sat on the charpais, as usual.
Ahad greeted them and sat down on the other charpai to chat to them, while I stared outside, worried about my husband. Allah, please Zafar ki hifazat karna.
*Allah, please protect Zafar.
I was shaken up already, looking at the images on the news.
I can't lose Zafar. I thought as a tear ran down my face.
****
Zoya
Before Ahad had called us to warn us to stay the hell home, we were already at the bank. Ammi and I had some work there, and Arhaan Bhai had driven us there. Hania had come along because we had absolutely no idea how bad it was. None of us had bothered to watch the news early in the morning, and Papa, who usually watched the news at that time, was at work.
"Go home immediately!" Ahad warned me as soon as I'd told him that we were at the bank.
"What about you?" I'd panicked.
"I'm going to Zafar's. He's stuck in the middle of it all, so I figured that I'd check in on his family, as he would probably be worried about them."
"Just be careful. And stay there if necessary. Just stay safe, please." I begged him.
"Okay, but call me when you guys get home safely." He replied, before the call ended.
Suddenly, the shutters of the bank began to shut, while we were still inside.
"We've been ordered by local law enforcement to shut everything down to protect civilians!" The bank manager told the customers. "This is for your safety."
I glanced at my family. Ammi was clutching onto Hania, looking pale with anxiety. Arhaan Bhai looked tensed as he glanced towards the now covered windows. "It's okay." I told them. "We're safe inside here."
"I just hope everyone else is safe as well." Ammi whispered.
****
Jasmina
"Why aren't you answering?!" I snapped at the phone as Fawad, yet again, didn't answer my call. Last time I'd spoken to him, he was heading out to give medication to Saira Phupho. And the area were the riots were taking place majorly, was located between our family home and Phupho's house.
Fawad was out, Hania was out, and although I was safely at home, I was losing my mind with worry.
At the moment, it was just me, Sadia Bhabi and her sons home along, along with the maids.
Ya Allah, keep everyone safe! Keep our whole extended family safe!
I was heading down the stairs when my foot slipped a little. Although I kept my balance by grabbing onto the railing, I screamed loudly.
"Jasmina!" Sadia Bhabi appeared on the landing upstairs. "Are you okay?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Keep an eye out on the boys!" She ordered a maid, before rushing halfway down the stairs towards me. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
I was in tears and I was feeling a sudden pain inside my stomach, so I couldn't react to her concern. "It's hurting..."
"Okay, relax. Stay calm." She held onto me and led me downstairs and into the living room. "Lie down here." She instructed, and I obeyed, lying back and pulling my legs up onto the sofa.
Tears were glistening in her own eyes and I knew that she was worried about Arhaan Bhai as well. No matter what, he was her husband and the father of her sons. I knew that somewhere, deep down, she loved him.
"I would have recommended going to the hospital to have it checked, but I am not sure if even that is safe right now." She sighed. "But, I think you need to stop panicking, first and foremost. Stress is not good for Iman."
"Fawad and Hania are out there. How can I stop freaking out?!"
"Arhaan is out there too, but I am staying calm for my sons' sake." She whispered. "You need to stay calm for Iman's sake."
She stayed by my side until I calmed down, holding onto my hand. I suppose this is where her gynaecologist skills came in handy. "In Sha Allah our family will be fine, Jasmina. Everyone will be fine. Have faith in Allah."
The pain had stopped, and Sadia Bhabi suggested that it may have been caused by the panic attack that I had almost experienced. She said that once the situation was better, we should go to the hospital and have it checked out.
Sometimes, humanity really shines through in trouble and crisis. And Sadia Bhabi proved that she still had humanity inside her, and that we shouldn't give up on her.
****
A curfew seemed to have been placed on the whole city. Everyone was to stay inside, wherever they were. People were basically on lockdown, whether in shopping centres, workplaces or even schools.
Sadia Bhabi went up to feed Ibrahim, while I made a sandwich for Ismael, and fed him downstairs, along with giving him a sippy cup of orange juice (authorised by his mother, of course).
Zoya Bhabi had called me and told me that they were still at the bank, and that Hania was fine and was asleep in Arhaan Bhai's arms. So I was relaxed on that end. Ahad Bhai was at Fariha Bhabi's house, and everyone was safe there. My father-in-law was at the hospital, dealing with the medical consequences of the riot, and Fatima Ammi was safely home. Alhumdulillah that they're all safe.
The only ones that nobody had heard from so far were Fawad and Zafar Bhai, and Fariha was going crazy with worry as well, according to Ahad Bhai. Omar and Saad were at school, but due to the emergency lockdown, they were safe there.
Even as I fed my nephew, I was constantly praying to Allah to bring my husband (and Zafar Bhai) back safely. Actually, I wanted everyone back safely, but we at least had heard from the others.
Fawad.
My heart started sinking. Why did he have to leave the house? Why couldn't he have just stayed home in the safety of the Ali family home? Or he could have come here!
Ya Allah, mere shohar ki hifazat karna, please.
*Ya Allah, keep my husband safe, please.
I had never been this scared in my entire life.
What is going to happen? I'm feeling so uneasy. Ya Allah, mere Fawad... I controlled my tears in front of my nephew, but it was hard to stop them.
****
Ahad
"I'll go and look for Zafar!" I stood up, heading towards the door.
"Ahad, are you insane?" Fariha Bhabi snapped. "You are a civilian, and you're not allowed to go outside at the moment."
"I'm also a doctor." I shrugged. "I can just say that I'm going in an emergency."
"Ahad, beta. You can't leave right now." Farukh Uncle told me, firmly. "We all have to do as Zafar says in a situation like this."
The sound of the Zuhar Adhan almost made me jump because the mosque was almost directly opposite Zafar's home. After initially being startled, my heart felt at peace. "We can at least go and pray at the mosque."
Farukh Uncle and I headed to the mosque to pray, and at the end of the prayer, the Imam led a special prayer for the safety of everyone around us. The riots were getting too violent, and I was worried sick about my best friend.
By the time we got back from the mosque, Fariha Bhabi was in tears.
"What's going on?" I asked, confused.
"We just received a quick call from Zafar." Her voice was shaking. "And...?"
"And?" I asked, almost impatiently, as she didn't continued.
"Fawad Bhai was with him." Fariha starting sobbing. "My Bhai..."
****
Fawad
" I've dressed the wound, but we still need to get you to a hospital." I'd ripped my shirt to ease the bleeding on the poor man's forehead, remaining in a white vest which was now stained with his blood. "It's okay, buddy. We'll take your Dada Jaan to the hospital." I smiled reassuringly at the little boy. He must have been around four years old. I had no idea why an elderly man was taking such a small child out during this situation. I looked over my shoulder at Zafar. "We need to get him to a hospital. I can drive them. I want to be sure that everything's okay internally."
The man was dazed and confused, but he was conscious. He was hardly speaking, but he was holding onto his grandson's hand.
"Let me help you to your car." Zafar looked annoyed at me, but I didn't care. I had to do my duty, no matter what.
I couldn't have driven off after seeing someone injured. My profession and my conscience didn't allow it. I am not the person to just walk off without helping someone in need.
We helped the elderly man up and slowly led him to my car, barely avoiding the rioting people.
I had just helped the man and his grandson into the backseat of my car, when I heard a shout from behind me.
"Oi! Policeman!"
I turned and saw a couple of violent-looking people grabbing Zafar. "Hey! Let him go!"
"Fawad Bhai, stay back! I can handle it!" Zafar reassured me.
"Police officers are killers! Don't defend him!" One of the thugs warned me.
Zafar warned me with his eyes to leave.
And then they started beating my brother-in-law up, and I couldn't help myself.
I stepped in to defend my sister's husband.
And all hell broke loose.
****
Uh-oh. What happened with Zafar and Fawad?
This crisis was written to show how ultimately they all unite to support each other in difficult times. Even Sadia showed some humanity towards Jasmina.
Meanwhile, Ahad was looking out for his best friend's family, knowing that Zafar was going to be worried about them.
With the family scattered in various parts of the city, how will this drama conclude?
Will Fawad's humanity/dedication to his profession lead him and Zafar into a bigger mess?
Will Sadia finally realise the value of Arhaan in her life?
Would everyone be safely reunited?
Thoughts and comments?
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