This chapter is dedicated to SHAZIAFATIMA99 for her lovely comments ❤

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"Mamma...this is exhausting."

My mother gave me an amused look, "What else were you expecting?"

I just sighed an remained silent, speaking up now wouldn't have been a smart idea.

She was my daughter, after all.

Rocking Muskaan in my arms, I glanced to the side at a sleeping Fariyal. Looking back at the baby in my arms, I noticed how much she resembled my sister, the button nose and full, pink lips. The only thing that wasn't Fariyals, was the baby's hair. They were a stark light brown, akin to Abaan's.

Muskaan. It meant a smile, and when she giggled in my arms, I smiled at her happiness.

I wondered if she could differentiate between me and her mother, she was usually a lot more calm in Fariyal's embrace. It did sting a bit, but then I realized that it's reasonable.

Laying her down in her crib, I walked out of the room and towards Husna, who was sitting outside with Sahil and Sahifa.

Sahifa was a pack of full blown energy and mischeif, and proved us all wrong with the fact that we thought she wouldn't ever mess up.

I took baby Sahil in my arms, who was now a month and a half old, and rubbed his nose against mine. My nephew was a quite kid, way more quite than Muskaan and a shy baby.

Sahifa nuzzled his legs against her palms and I smiled at her. I glanced at Husna to find her smiling at me,

"You know," she started, "Muskaan was meant to be your daughter."

I shot back a genuine smile, for once,"I know."

The calculative look in my sister's eyes told me that she was waiting for me to tell more, and a part of me just wanted to blurt out everything that scared me, but I controlled my insides, telling her would just lead me to give my emotions an upper hand, and Husna was too fragile to see me weak.

However, to my surprise, it was she who spoke up, avoiding my gaze,

"Zaidaan Bhai and you deserve a lot more, Kainaat. I don't really know what's been happening, I have a rough idea, but my fears are still not confirmed. And I doubt I ever want to confirm my thoughts, I grew up with you both, and this drama is just something I wouldn't want to acknowledge. Despite this, I pray you and Fariyal Di, both, get more than what you have right now. Especially our Di, Kainaat."

I sighed at her soft tone, this girl was just too kind,

"Husna, you don't have to worry so much. Whatever this is, it is a test. And Allah only tests those he loves, the harder the test, the more he loves us. InshaAllah, you will see how happiness will surround us soon."

She murmured her reply and an 'Aameen', and then went up to her room when she got an, apparently, important phone call.

Handing Sahil to Bhabhi, I sat alone in the livingroom, until I felt my head drooping down.

I was just about to fall asleep like that, when a strong pair of arms engulfed me in their embrace, lifting me up from my struggled position of comfort and into their arms.

My eyes shot open, wide, as I stared right into the all too familiar eyes of my husband.

"Zaidaan!" I whisper yelled.

His lips curled in a smirk as I struggled against his chest, my brain protesting my actions, too fond of his warmth.

"Walakumassalam, darling." He whispered back.

"Put me down!"

"No."

I gave up on my efforts, knowing it was of no use, and tried (but failed) to fight the blush that covered my entire face, and the warmth that spread and circulated through my entire body, like blood in my veins.

Reaching my room, he pushed the door open and gently laid me down on my bed,

"There. You can sleep better."

I shot him a grateful smile and he closed the door before coming back to me.

He took my hand in his and played with my fingers,

"Where's she?"

I raised my eyebrows,

"Who she?"

He shrugged and dipped his head lower, closer to my collarbone,

"Our daughter."

I gulped down at the emotions in his voice as he grazed my jawline with the tip of his nose,

"Zaidaan," I breathed sharply, befire patting his shoulder and gently pushing him away,

"What about the adoption papers? We need to get her legal custody."

He sighed, a bit dissappointed for ruining the moment,

"I'll manage that, you don't have to worry."

He then proceeded to get cozy, and kept his head in my lap,

"I missed you."

I chuckled,

"You see me everyday."

"But not all day."

I looked down at him, a smile breaking across my face,

"Two more weeks,"

He returned my smile, "Two long weeks."

He pulled me closer, and this time, I let him.

***

I watched as Husna crossed her arms and pouted at Daadijaan,

"I will not go anywhere without you, daadijaan!"

I shot them an amused look as dadijaan shook her head,

"It's your cousin's wedding, Hunain! What will I do there?"

Husna remained silent, but stubbornly crossed her arms like a kid.

Husna's maternal family was extremely huge, and she was the beloved of both sides of her family. But Husna preferred staying here for some unknown reason, mostly for daadijaan, and she hadn't been to her maternal sjde of the family for the past whole year.

At the news of her maamu's son's wedding, daadijaan urged Husna to go visit her mother's family.

Playing one last card to assist my grandmother, I leaned in and whispered,

"What if you see Arhaan there?"

Her head shot up in a second, eyes wide as she fought a smile and gave me a look that said 'I'd-rather-not-see-him', but her natural reaction just gave off a completely different vibe.

My creepy smile widened and I turned to daadijaan,

"Husna will go there, Daadijaan. She's just being a baby for now."

"For now? I'm always the baby!"

I rolled my eyes, "Of course. Until you get married off to someone who's not a baby."

Before she could smack me, I jumped up and sat behind daadijaan,

"Daaduuu, what if someone sends Husna a proposal after seeing her in Afzal bhai's wedding?"

She shot me a look that screamed she was going mad, but I shot her a mischievous smile and my grandmother, for once, sided with me,

"Well, that would be nice. I wouldn't have to worry about how the guy would treat my pearl."

I made an 'aww' face and rushed out before she could attack me, heading into the kitchen to find Fariyal and Zaidaan already there.

Fariyal held a crying Muskaan in her arms, and Zaidaan stood a few feet away from her, gazing down at the baby in horror, not knowing what to do.

The sight was rather amusing, and chuckling, I joined them.

I motioned for Fariyal to hand me Muskaan, and she gently placed her in my arms.

Zaidaan's eyes trailed every motion of mine, as I rocked the baby back and forth.

And within a few minutes, much to everyones surprise, she was quitely gazing up at my face.

Fariyal strode off after that, probably to sleep again, she's been doing that a lot lately.

My parents and Zaidaan resorted to giving me company in the kitchen, all either trying to make Muskaan laugh, or take her in their arms. Which I didn't really allow, it was kinda getting scary how I preferred having her close to me every second.

After dinner, me and Zaidaan sat together, the baby huddled against us, fast asleep.

He placed her finger in her fist, placing a light kiss on her tiny, small knuckles as I watched them.

I inched closer and placed my head on his arm, leaning against him.

I'd never felt much more peaceful in my life, ever.

There were so many, so many things I wanted to tell him.

Like how I loved hearing his heartbeat, how Muskaan smiled in her sleep when I talked to her about him, how we were now parents, how I couldn't believe anything.

I wnate dto tell him, over and over again, that I loved him, that we have a daughter, taht I was scared I'd be a bad mother, that I was not prepared for this.

Sure, no one was prepared for this,but I of all people had never hoped, nor dreamt, of a baby ever since then. But now I had the biggest blessing in any person's life, right in my arms, and Alhamdulillah, it was all just Allah's mercy on me, but it was still scary.

I had to be a mother, someone sh could come to anytime of the day and night, someone she isn't scared of. I didn't want to be her best friend, I wnated to be her mother.

There were just so, so many things to say, so many things to worry.

But one look at the two blessings beside me, and every worry that tried to fill my mind just faded away like it never existed.

One look at the two most precious people in my life, and every second felt the need to remind me that I could never be happier than this, happier than now.

One look at him, and I'm never me.

***

Two in the morning, we woke up to two things, Muskaan's cries, and a call on Zaidaan's phone.

As I tended to Muskaan, checking her diaper and, like a fool, asking her if she was hungry while Zaidaan groggily attended to his phone call.

I left the room to give him space to talk properly, waking up half the household with Muskaan's screams, to which even Sahil woke up.

Within six minutes, five people were trying to calm two babies in different corners of the house, and nearly one and a half hours later, we could go back to sleep.

Just as I was carrying Muskaan upstairs with me, I realized that Ziadaan hadn't come down.

Zaidaan only stayed over at my parents' home once a week, any day he had off.

He'd previously never left me alone when Muskaan was crying, or when she was being cranky.

An unsettling feeling settled in me as I reached my room, my heart feeling heavier with everything step closer.

Further confirming my fears, I saw Zaidaan pace the room, agitated, running his hands over his hair and pulling them in frustration,

"Why?!" I hear him whisper yell, "why just yet? We still had three more months on the deal!....No. You can't just do that. Ugh!"

He hung up and threw the phone on the bed, turning to me.

Wh3n his eyes landed on me, I was sure than eve rthat something had gone horribly, terribly wrong.

Flushed, he buried his head in his hands.

Placing Muskaan in her crib, I rushed up to him, my own heart faltering with every step,

"What is it?"

And his next words made me so dizzy and nauseus, I had to grab onto his shirt to stay put,

"Abaan. He's coming back."