Before you begin,

Thanks for all the love y'all are giving to HOA. Honestly, I did myself a favor when I decided to write this book. Literally. I'm truly humbled and ecstatic at the same time!

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"Why don't you and ma'am come together, now? I don't like it when you guys come alone!" A scowl settled on Ayyan's forehead as he complained from where he was slid under the duvet on his bed.

It'd been two days since Safa had moved out from Shehryar house.

"Yeah, but looks like your ma'am doesn't wanna come with me." A hint of despondency and sadness made its presence known through Azlan's tone. He was sitting just in front of Ayyan.

"So now, you're blaming my teacher, hun?" He grumbled as he slumped his emaciated shoulders in disapproval.

A soft chuckle escaped Azlan's plump lips. "Oh, so now you can even see through people?" He arched a perfect eyebrow, playfully, as he softened the lines on Ayyan's forehead with the pad of his thumb.

"Of course, I can. I'm a man!" He said with full vigor.

Azlan eyed the figure slouched on the couch with stiff expressions, making him shift in his position nervously. His father.

"Really? And what does your being man have to do with this fact, hun?" He asked as he scooped the spoon filled with soup and put it in Ayyan's mouth.

"A man is supposed to be strong. Someone who knows everything. Powerful!"

Just how his innocent brain had been molded! Azlan threw another harsh look towards his father who looked at him apologetically.

"Well, I'll disagree here." He said as he wiped Ayyan's mouth with a napkin. "The words; man and woman, have both been derived from 'human' which means before man, you're a human. And just like humans are strong, they can be weak, too, irrespective of the gender. Always remember, that you're human before man. And humans cry when they are sad; they laugh when they are happy. These strong and weak traits aren't associated with any particular gender. You understand that?" He asked with a smile.

"Hmmm!" Ayyan patted his chin with his forefinger as if thinking of conquering the world. Azlan chuckled at his innocence. "You actually make sense. I used to think the same way, too, you know? Mansha Api does all the house chores and baba can't even make tea for himself."

"See? It only depends on how you perceive things." Azlan dropped a lingering kiss on his forehead. "You're a fast learner, my child. I'm proud of you!"

Ayyan grinned back with his toothy smile.

******

The almost scorching sun announced the arrival of summer as Mr. Shehryar waited for Raina by his car. Beads of sweat had materialized on his forehead which had worry lines prominent on it already.

As the swarm of students emerged from the black gate of the university, his eyes fell on his distressed daughter.

"How'd it go?" He asked with a soft smile but the grim expressions etched on her face had divulged him the answer beforehand.

"I panicked... AGAIN!" She seethed while her eyes welled up but it wasn't the time to put up a show in front of ample people, so she floundered to hold them back.

"That's alright! Don't stress out, my child." Mr. Shehryar solaced her as he opened the car door for her and she swerved inside.

Once settled inside, he turned the AC on but the temperature of the heated expressions on his daughter's face still didn't decrease in the slightest.

"How is it alright, dad? I wasted one whole year to prepare for these tests and this was my last chance. Last freaking chance! And I ruined it, too. Such a disgrace I am!"

If after MCAT, there was any hard and excruciating test that had been introduced in Pakistan, it was NET. Being the top notch institute, almost every student dreams to go to NUST. But dreams are not that easy to accomplish.

The institute holds three tests a year; three chances to accomplish your goals. But Raina wasn't that lucky. The first two she couldn't ace. Only one mark! One freaking mark decided her future both times and to say she was devastated would be an understatement. And now here she was, with the third one and was sure, she was failing this one, too.

Mr. Shehryar's heart sank on seeing his daughter's tattered form. If only he could make her understand it didn't even matter! But youth's minds are not that easy to change and with this kind of obssession, it was surely a lost case. He was helpless. His hands were tied as he saw his daughter going bonkers over something that wasn't even that important. It's the skills that matter, not the institute. He wanted her to understand that but knew his daughter's mindset better.

He patted her head and turned the key in ignition. Words are of no use when the other person doesn't even want to understand in the first place. He just silently prayed for Almighty to do what was better for her and her future. These lavish institutes and degrees didn't matter!

"You're not a disgrace!" He almost whispered since he knew his words would have no effect on his stubborn daughter, whatsoever.

******

The roaring black clouds spread in the night sky announced the first rain of the season. Another blow of lightening and Azlan stood up from his revolving chair as his mind took an impulsive stroll down the memory lane.

Taking small strides, he covered the distance of his palatial office room and stood in front of the large doused window. As his eyes drank at the serene outskirts of the capital enveloped in the cocoon of hills, his mind conjured up another vision in his head.

Terrace. Her. Rain. Unconscious.

Ever since he had dropped her in the hotel, his heart had been going haywire. So engrossing himself in his pile of abundant work was his only coping mechanism. It had always been.

But now the nature was hell bent on making him think about her and her only. And now the rain had proven to be the utmost factor. He didn't want to feel what he was feeling because he couldn't even comprehend it. It was weird. Strange. Because confusion and Azlan Shehryar were a mismatched combination. He had a firm hold on both his life and his brain. But now it looked like, in order to put these two things under control, he had neglected the control of his heart because now it was acting like a spoilt brat, yearning to see her, to check if she was even fine. Just a short glimpse. He could do with just a short glimpse.

One streak of lightening and boom! The downpour had started, intensifying with each passing minute just like his heart beat was, with only one face in his head, too stubborn to get out of there. Even her memory was just like her.

But no! He wouldn't go. He shouldn't. She dreaded rain. Good. She should experience that torment. Yes, she should. But what about his heart that kept muttering the opposite?

Shoving his hands through his hair, he clenched them tightly.

What should I do?

He was torn between two options; to go check up on her, or just turn his back like he deemed right.

Isn't this exactly what he wanted?Even though this was nothing in front of what he had decided to put her through. He wanted to drive her crazy to the point where she'd lose her sanity and start questioning her own conscience. And now when he wasn't even anywhere near any of those, his own conscience had woken up. Or maybe his heart?

Ugh! I don't want to feel this way. I want her to suffer. Badly. She deserves that only.

But now his heart was in action and when that happens, brain often has to take a backseat.

******