(^Their home🥹)
- 6 years later -
It was soon to be Aarisa's 6 birthday and as much as Mikhail liked to deny it, that little girl was the devil's assistant.
Alayna would often find her daughter in the weirdest of situations, but more often than that she would be stood at the entrance of their home with yet another neighbour who was unimpressed with her pranks. Her partner in crime was the next door neighbour's son, Diego, who had an imagination wilder than her daughter's.
Alayna was awaiting for someone to knock on her door, the morning had been too quiet.
She stood at the entrance of her kitchen watching her husband expertly move around prepping the food for the big day ahead. She watched his muscles flex, his eyes blue and beautiful as ever forever staring straight at into her own, his smile with beautiful smile lines guarding it.
They were growing old together.
Despite her being dolled up in a beautiful lawn suit, with make up adorned on her face, and the silver jhumkas that Mikhail's had bought all those years ago, she wished to help.
She pulled her greying hair into a low bun, wanting to help.
"Oh no you don't."
She pushed in the opposite direction than she was intending to go. She was plopped onto a deckchair on their patio overlooking their pool. She was handed a glass of filled with fresh apple juice with ice, sunglasses were pushed onto on her nose, a table was pulled next to her which held her breakfast, and her current book was placed on her lap.
"Relax Mum."
She laughed, trying shake off the pain in her heart. Her little Cihan had grown, she did not know when but he had.
There was no longer a Cihan that hugged her legs, now stood before her was a teenage Cihan.
It hurt, she was never going to see her son that young and carefree again.
"Thank you beta."
He smiled, taking a seat on another chair.
He was wearing shalwar kameez surprisingly. She had bought herself and Aasira matching ones but she had no idea where he got his from.
It made sense when Mikhail came and greeted her, wearing the same outfit.
"Eid Mubarak Yana." He gave a soft kiss on her forehead.
His eyes caught onto her earrings and he smiled as his finger traced them.
"You've still got them!" He exclaimed.
"Yes, they are never leaving my hands." She laughed as he kissed her cheek this time.
"Ok, lunch is nearly done, don't eat too much. I've made loads of food."
He grabbed the tray, "Actually don't eat at all. I've made your favourite foods."
She laughed as he took the tray back in.
Her eyes trailed back to her son, who was still looking in the direction her husband had left in and smiling.
She took a sip, looking at him. He was quiet, you would have to instigate conversation, even if you were his mother.
"How was Eid prayer?"
"So good! My friends were there, and Aasira insisted we bring Diego, and the poor boy fell asleep half way through." But when her son started talking, there was no stopping him.
"Why didn't you come? Also Uncle Xavi came!" He was brimming with excitement as he spoke about his uncle who had reverted recently.
"I did want to go, but I feel unwell." As she aged, the craze of youth caught up to her. Chronic fatigue was one of the things she struggled currently. She was growing old.
"Also that's great! How is he?"
Xavier was a nuisance, he had moved out of the attic 6 months ago and moved into the house that Alayna had bought him. Since then he would provide his mischievous niece, before Alayna could lecture her.
This was why Alayna refused to talk to him most days.
"He's fine. He asked if you still wanted to chop of his head?"
"Yes, yes I do." My answer made Cihan laugh. "Did Aasira make it?"
"Yes but-" He looked at his mother nervously.
"But what?"
"She arrived at the mosque covered in mud."
Alayna burst out in laughter.
"This girl! How does that even happen?"
"I don't know, but I gave her my jacket to pray on so she wouldn't dirty mosque carpets."
"Good thing I bought a spare outfit for her."
"Mamu said they are coming soon."
Alayna's beloved bhai had come for Eid, she had insisted they stay in her house, but he didn't want to burden them, with his 5 children. So she paid for their hotel and gave all the kids and her bhabhi money, purposely ignoring her dear cousin, who was ultimately jealous. It was as if they weren't parents of multiple kids. They were just cousins, who couldn't live with each other nor without each other.
They had come from Pakistan two days ago. He wanted to make a holiday out of it as he hadn't been able to take his family abroad often.
"Mum when are we next going on holiday?"
"I was thinking of going on ski holiday, in the winter. How does that sound?" She looked to see him bursting at the seams with happiness.
"Yes yes yes!"
They carried on talking and eventually the doorbell sounded just as Alayna finished eating.
She walked through to find the kitchen spotless with all the food plated and displayed beautifully on their table.
He'd outdone himself, some dishes were from Pakistan, her eye zoned to the Biryani. Others from Spain, such as Paella. Her eyes stopped at one dish, a small one but stacked with the food.
Pelmeni.
A Russian dish.
She knew this as she'd tried making them after Mikhail had told her they were her favourite. Her attempt wasn't great but he had greatly appreciated her effort.
She remembered when she dished it to him that night, he had cried. He cried in her arms saying that missed his mother.
She couldn't take away the pain. She could only console.
She felt like crying, did he while he was making them?
Why was she never there for him at the right times?
She moved over to the door, Mikhail had beat her to it, meeting her family, and dealing with their daughter.
She stood wearing her brother's jacket and was soaked, from head to toe.
Their elderly neighbour, Mrs Gonzalez, was stood behind her.
Alayna hushed her brother and his family inside as she stepped forward knowing that Mikhail was going to defend his daughter no matter the crime.
"I'm very sorry Mrs Gonzalez, she's on house arrest starting today."
"Oh, there's no point she doesn't learn. What I'd like to know is why was she face planted in my vegetable patch in the morning and now she had disconnected my sprinklers and my grass is being unevenly watered."
It had made sense now.
For some reason Aasira had chosen this old widowed woman to be her constant victim to her 'pranks'.
The girl was stood with a smile as if she hadn't trespassed on someone's private property and potentially caused damage.
"I'm very sorry, she'll be there bright and early to fix those mistakes. I'm sorry that she forced you to leave the comfort of your house."
A loud roar of laughter erupted from behind them and Alayna watch the old woman's eyes light up as she tried to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
"Mikhail?"
"Yes?"
"Don't you think we have enough food for another person?"
"Of course!" He had caught on quickly.
"Why don't you join us? Its Eid Mrs Gonzalez!"
The old woman who made the mistake of hesitating, was pulled into the house by Alayna.
She sat her in the living room where everyone was.
"This is our neighbour, Mrs Gonzalez, please make her feel welcomed, Cihan get everyone drinks and I'll sort out Aasira."
Aasira dragged behind her mother, knowing she was going to get the same lecture. If her dad was here, he would have told her not to get caught next time.
But her mum liked to go on and on about everything.
After giving her a bath and attempting to remove the dried mud out of her hair, Alayna handed her daughter her dress.
"Here's your dress."
"I don't want to wear a dress." She was restricted with all the extra fabric.
"I want you to understand that I cought this dress for you to wear today, and I want you to waer it today. What's the problem with it?"
"It's itchy."
"You haven't tried it on."
"It's green."
"Green was your favourite colour yesterday."
"Now its not." She crossed her arms, ready for a battle. One that Alayna could not be bothered to deal with.
"Right what's it going to take for you to stop terrorising me and Mrs Gonzalez?" She was bargaining with a toddler, normally it was with incompetent rich white men, they were easier to crack compared to her daughter.
"Don't make me wear dresses and buy me a big girl bike."
"Will you promise to go to Mrs Gonzalez's house and sort out the mess you made?"
She nodded.
"Will you be less of a nuisance to the other neighbours and come home before sunset?"
She nodded again.
Alayna held out her hand for her to shake.
"If you break any these conditions, I will take back the bike and you'll be on house arrest for the rest of your life. Understand?"
"Yes, Ma'am." She saluted her mother, grabbed the alternative choice of clothing quickly putting it on before she began marching to the kitchen, leaving her mother to think about all the poor parenting choices she had made.
Just as Alayna was about to join everyone in the kitchen, the door bell rang again. She flung it open to find the infamous Diego.
"Is Leena on house arrest?" His little body stretched trying to catch a glimpse of his friend.
"No, we're having lunch. Do you want to come eat?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Quickly run over and tell your mum so she knows." Without wasting a moment he ran to his house and back again.
She walked into her kitchen with a panting Diego.
"Diego!" His partner in crime greeted joyously.
"Now everyone's here, let's start." Mikhail announced, cupping his hand.
He liked to make a dua out loud for everyone to follow.
As Diego had dined at their house before he followed suite as Mrs Gonzalez sat back and watched.
The room echoed with 'Ameens' as he finished the dua.
"Right, start eating everyone." Alayna said.
Everyone dug in but Mikhail.
He filled Alayna's plate before his own, and then made sure all the kids were eating as well as everyone.
A loud gasp was heard from Mrs Gonzalez.
"What's wrong?"
"What happened?"
"Are you ok?"
"Are you finally dying?" That one came from smart mouthed Aasira, who was rewarded with snicker from Diego and a glare from Alayna.
"Pelmeni!" She exclaimed. "I had these when I went to Russia and oh!"
She had taken a bite and was lost in the flavours.
"Alayna I must have the recipe!"
"I didn't make them, Mikhail did. They are a dish from his land."
The old lady raised her eyebrow, and leaned towards Alayna. "I spent my whole life serving my husband and here you have yours serving you. I'm jealous." She laughed.
Mikhail slid his arm around Alayna's shoulders.
"My wife deserves this and much more." He winked at his wife, pecking her cheek.
They carried on their lunch making odd bits of conversation here and there.
Afterwards, they sat outside ready to play. First it was musical chairs, Mrs Gonzalez understood where the young girl had gotten her relentless spirit as she watched Alayna squabble with her cousin as they tried to declare a winner for the game.
After wearing her cousin down and declaring herself the winner, Alayna proudly wore her gold medal. That she forced her cousin to put on her, to rub his loss in his face.
They started the pass the parcel for the kids and Alayna took a seat next to Mrs Gonzalez.
"Would you like to join this game?"
"No, I'm fine my dear."
They sat watching for a while.
"You have a beautiful family my darling." The old lady spent most of the time here reminiscing her own time with her family. It was spent in the kitchen, she didn't get to do what Alayna was doing, enjoying.
"I fought hard for it. I fought so hard that I nearly died in pursuit for it."
"I'm glad you did Alayna." The older lady pulled Alayna into a side hug, which Alayna instantly reciprocated.
"Thank you for inviting me."
"You're welcome."
Whilst Mrs Gonzalez sat thinking about her loneliness, Alayna sat rejoicing in this embrace. Since her mother died, she thought there would never be a chance for her to feel this motherly feel. But here she was, feeling it in this Spanish lady's embrace."
Her mind went back to the time when they went on family 'vacation' to Pakistan 9 months after Aasira was born.
She took both her kids when she went to see her mother. Originally she was going to leave her with Mikhail in the car, but at the last moment she decided to take them along. Looking back, she was glad she did that.
She stepped into the room and sat where she usually did. She did everything as she usually did, until Aasira started crying Ayla's head shot up at the cries.
After soothing her, Alayna brought her near Ayla. Instinctively, she lightly grazed Aasira's cheek with her knuckle.
"Khoobsurat."
Ayla Khan had forgotten everything except the fact that she was a mother.
She looked at Cihan who had started to whinge and smiled.
These kids wouldn't remember, but Alayna surely would and she still did.
Just as Ayla was about to turn away, Alayna grabbed her hand from her lap and kissed it, afraid of the reaction. When she got none, she leaned forward, the closest she had ever been to her mother, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"I love you Mom."
Ayla acknowledged the words with a nod, before turning away.
Alayna didn't see the tear that escaped her mother's eye.
A week later, they were back in Spain, when late one night Alayna got a phone call.
The staff had rang to tell her Ayla Khan had died.
Ayla Khan had died for the last time.
Alya Khan had died and not at the hands of Ismail Hussain.
Ayla Khan had passed in her sleep.
Peacefully.
Hopefully with little pain.
She would rest for the rest of eternity.
She had lived a life of grief and pain.
She would now get to rest away from all that suffering.
Alayna was on the next plane to Pakistan, unbeknownst of someone else passing away.
She touched down in Pakistan with her family and they found out Salman had died as well.
Exactly 28 minutes after Ayla.
(More a reminder to myself but the minutes represent all the time he spent away from her. It's actually supposed to be 36 but for some reason the years in ch 32 have messed up - I don't think they saved when I changed them. So I should sort this out shortly. Idk why I've written a paragraph."
He died with his lover, whilst she died in her sleep, he suffered a heart attack and a stroke.
He died in pain.
An attempt to suffer what she had, only hers was continuous and lasted til death. His pain was his death.
She buried them next to each other.
They had no relation, only a lover from one, nothing from the other.
They held no worldly relationship yet they died together.
And Alayna's last words were 'I love you'. She met her grandkids even if she didn't know who they were.
Ayla Khan had passed.
She had passed away and Alayna could only pray that all that suffering acquainted for something in the next life.
She buried her mother in Pakistan and when she left to come back here it was like she had left a piece of herself there.
"We both nearly died for this. But it was so worth it. If I hadn't fought then, I would never be enjoying these years of my life."
Mrs Gonzalez looked at the kids, "Alayna. We will always live in the ruins of yesterday. But we can make them look pretty for the present. And then rebuild them for the future."
The old woman had left Alayna stunned.
Soon enough, the sun had set and everyone travelled back to their homes.
They all curled up onto their sofa with an assortment of food and drinks, to watch a movie.
The lights off and all of them immersed in the movie that they failed to hear the front door unlocking and the slow steps.
The tv screen darkened, bracing themselves from a jump scare.
"Boo!"
They all yelled as Xavier laughed at them all.
"Damn, you really should be more alert."
Alayna threw a cushion which landed perfectly on Xavier's face, causing everyone to burst out in laughter.
"Give me the key."
"No! I like coming here!" He exclaimed.
"Do you not remember what you did last month?" Alayna was not one to forget.
He look down guiltily.
"Yes, so access to this house privileges are provoked."
He had encouraged Aasira to throw water balloons at everyone, only they weren't filled with water, it was expired milk and egg, curtsey of Diego's clever thinking. Not only had enocouraged it, he gave the two a perfect place to conduct the prank from, his balcony, as well as all the facilities needed. Majority of the neighbourhood smelt for a good while.
When she found out, she had chased him down to the beach where she had lost sight of him. Only for him to be sat in an ice-cream shop feasting on ice creams with his niece and her partner in crime.
She had gone in, dragged him out and burst one of the balloons over his head.
Since then, he had learnt his lesson, and had not been seen by Alayna since.
She have admitted that she was a bit harsh, but it had to be done.
He rolled his eyes and pulled out his bunch of keys. He pulled one off and handed it to Alayna.
"This is not my house key."
He pulled off another.
"Nor is this one."
He again pulls off another key without looking at it.
"We can do this all night Xavier."
"That's the plan, stupid." He shrugged his shoulders as Alayna sat down and held her hand out again.
"Right, kids do you want anything to eat?"
"Yes please!"
"Yep."
"I'd like a plate of Biryani and a samosa please."
"I want food as well!" Exclaimed Xavier.
"No, give me the key."
"I'll get everyone food because this isn't ending anytime soon."
So that's how they ended their night, playing 'find the key', with murderous glares from Alayna and giggles from the kids.
This was their end.
This was their forever ever after.