5 years and a few months later
A petite girl was moping the floor of an average restaurant. The tiredness and exhaustion of many decades were imprinted on her face.
She was the same girl, on service of whom, many servants were present. With one click, all of them provided her service. But it was five years ago. It was before her mistake. A grave mistake that turned many heavens into hells.
Her paths were lost and her destination was humiliated.
She was praying for the return of only one person. May this prayer of her return like a fresh blow of cool breeze.
She looked up to show her Lord, her silent tears. To confirm whether HE was listening to her tears or not.
After one hour it was opening time. She opened the doors to welcome the customers.
She was just a lower-rank waitress in that restaurant. But her duty was tougher than anyone.
Every day she had to attend to customers of many colors. She usually tried to serve the table occupied by family. It was her strategy to avoid flirtatious and evil glares from boys but some married men did not refrain from gazing at her evilly. Some even tried to touch her improperly.
But helpless she could not complain either. She was dependent on the small tips, they offered.
He would have broken their hand and burned their eyes if he were here.
Only if he was here.
He was here, yet so far from her.
The whole country knew that he had returned, with more power and strength than before. Rumors were already spread that people who were involved in his destruction were nowhere to be found. Their name and existence were demolished.
But he did not come yet, for her. She was waiting for him. But for what he was waiting?
The other girl was none other than, Ayzel Skinder, wife of Zain Skinder. Mrs. Zain Skidner. But five years ago she lost that title.
She was about to serve coffee to a customer when a voice caught her attention.
"So Mr. Zain Skidner would you discuss your journey of establishing your empire again with more power than before?" the female host asked him.
Ayzel's full attention was on LCD's Screen.
Zain laughed a little. "It's a secret but the key ingredient is determination." He confidently said.
She was looking at the screen with a soft smile and a longing face. The host was luckier than her.
"Mr. Zain a few years ago, under the false allegation your business was affected. It says that your wife was involved in it too." the host said cunningly.
"No. Absolutely, No. It is also an allegation." Zain replied after chuckling.
Ayzel gulped a breath.
"Then where is she now? We have not seen her with you for a long time." She salted another question on him.
It was true, that Warda and Aliya Khanum had made public appearances. News of Burhan and Zikria being alive was heard too.
Ayzel started to shake internally. But would Zain reply now?
"She IS with me. All the time under my watch, in my mind. And soon you will hear about her." He said looking directly into the camera. He was delivering his message. There was a strange emotion on his face and a wave of intensity in his eyes.
Ayzel felt he was threatening her. Due to fear, the cup fell from her hand, shattering into pieces on the floor.
Soon she received an insulting blow from the restaurant's owner. The insult was so bad, that even the customer felt pity for her and interfered in between to save her from further insult.
Another tiresome day of her job ended. On her way back, she purchased a cheap chocolate bar from the tiny tip of fifty rupees she gathered today. Only five rupees were left from which she bought a toffee.
She entered a small but decent house.
"Arham, Farheen! mama is back." She called out loudly.
On her voice, two kids came out running out of a room, toward her. The trio immediately hugged each other and she kissed the faces of children.
The boy was seven years old. Arham Skinder.
"Mama, did you bring my chocolate?" The little, girl Farheen asked her. A cute girl with oceanic blue eyes. She was probably five years old. The innocence and cuteness of all the world were on her face.
"Is it impossible that Mama won't bring chocolate for her fairy?" Ayzel said beamingly. Then she took out the chocolate from her bag.
The little girl jumped and clapped her hands. Then she kissed her mother's cheek and thanked her. But when her mother did not take out another chocolate bar for her brother, her face saddened.
"Do I have to share with Arham?" she pouted cutely.
"It's okay, fairy. You can eat it all." Her brother relaxed her. And she ran inside the room, happily.
Ayzel just shook her head at her cute tactic. Then she took out a toffee.
"I bought something for my son, too. And you don't have to sacrifice it for your sister." She showed him the toffee.
"Mama, it was not necessary. We could have saved that money." He was upset. He was the son of a multi-billionaire, and here he was worried about wasting money on a small thing.
Ayzel's heart swelled with sadness and contentment at the same time.
"Ah, mera samjhdar beta." She again took him in her embrace.
(Ah, my smart kid).
The circumstances made him mature and sensible before his age.
"Has your aunt Saliha come back?" She enquired him about the fourth person living with them, or they were living with her.
"Yes, she is in her room taking a bath." He answered.
Soon Saliha came out too. They greeted each other. But there was a lost look on her face. Ayzel knew the reason but it was not the right time to discuss it in front of kids. They have to wait for the night.
At night after putting Farheen to sleep, She took Arham to the side and started talking with him. It was a serious talk.
"Arham, my baby boy, my little lion." She creased his hair.
"Your papa will be coming soon for you. He loves you a lot. More than your imagination. Promise me you will always love, take care of, and respect your papa. And will do the same for your great-grandmother, your aunt Warda, Your uncle Burhan, and your grandfather. They all love you so much." Deep emotions were in her eyes.
"And fairy won't come with me?" he asked with sadness. She shook her head. She was saying this to him on the day when he started to ask about his dad after Zain's return.
"You know it, already. Fairy has to stay with Aunt Saliha and take care of her. Otherwise, she will be alone." She told him the reason.
"Then where will be you, Mama?" he asked this question again with a teary voice. She never answered this question because she also did not know where would be she. Whether she would be alive or not.
"Mama will always be with you. Here." she placed her hand over his heart. And then kissed his head, engulfing him in her warm motherly embrace.
She put him on the bed too, wishing him good night.
She walked out of the room where her friend was already waiting for her.
Saliha, her only friend, in the last four years. She was a lawyer and ran a small business. If 4 years ago, she had not found them, Lord knows where they would end. Her hair was strong like her personality. Heavily curly and wavey and in light brown shade.
Ayzel sat on the couch beside the couch, where Saliha was sitting.
"I saw his interview today." Saliha initiated the talk. She was fidgeting with her finger and masking her teary eyes from Azyel.
"I know. I saw it too." Azyel said it softly and squeezed Saliha's hand.
Then she looked up at her face with teary eyes. Ayzel instantly stood up and sat with her.
"I..thought he had given up on his promise of revenge. He won't hurt you or come for you. But.." Saliha couldn't say anything further.
"You and I, both know that this is bound to happen. Then why these tears now? Hmm," Ayzel wiped Saliha's tears like nothing had happened.
"And it was your words, which have been keeping me alive for that day." Ayzel reminded her something.
"But..how I will live without..you? What would I tell fairy?" Saliha asked her.
"What other children are told in an orphanage. That their mother flew to heaven. And watching them from the sky." Ayzel replied with a smile. She was doing all this to lighten her mood.
"How would I take care of her alone? I can't replace her mother." Saliha asked her.
"No, Saliha. You can't give up. You have to take care of her. You promised me. I will be leaving Fairy in your protection after Allah. Only by this, I would die peacefully." She reminded her, of her promise. Both friends hugged each other and cried.
Ayzel was lying in between her children, holding them in her embrace. She was watching their faces to her full content. Another habit she adopted, after hearing the news of Zain's Arrival. Because she knew any day or night could be her last night or day with her kids. She wanted to hug them just one last time and memorize their faces.
Indeed, the lethal web of revenge was going to be knitted for her tomorrow.
********
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