If he can punch something he would but he didn't want to end in trouble anymore.

He once went to the cafeteria when he clearly doesn't like going following her. Just to find her hugging Azhar tightly which made him so angry that he would have killed him.

Thank the Lord he didn't.

It wouldn't look good if he punches her brother right?.

He sits in the class watching her scribbling the notes and the free time she draws something on her book. He had been noticing her usually drawing at different times to pass her time. He really wanted to see what she is making but he couldn't.

"You are my partner for the whole year". He said softly watching her shriek a little probably because she was concentrated on the drawing," Also, here".

He passes her the notes he did all weekend locked in his room specifically for her.

She looks down at them frowning, "What is this?".

"The work that you missed. You don't have to copy and waste time. Keep these instead". He said smiling

He sees her smiling a little and he can swear his heart stopped right then. When she turns to look in his eyes he can see the sincerity in them.

"Thank you. I knew you can do so much better". She said genuinely

"What?". He said confused

"Dunya Akbar to the principal office immediately". They heard the intercom say

She quickly packs her supplies but the turn to him, "You can do better".

*****

He looks down at the table it was just 5 minutes before this class ends but the whole time he had been thinking about her words.

He wonders if that day when he imagined her to be disappointed in him was she thinking the same thing.

Just as the bell rings he runs out of the class taking the assignment briefing as his feet take him to the direction of the administration. This place is pretty quiet and empty from the rest of the school.

When he near the place he heard the sound of soft crying. He walks inside the office to find Nour sitting there crying by herself. He stops for a moment and her eyes meet his. He immediately moves near her hugging her tightly.

"Bhai (brother)". Nour said hugging him

"Shhh. It's ok". He whispers in the gentle tone he never knew he had

After she calms down he pulls away wiping her tears.

"What's wrong?". He asked

"I was sick for a week so I didn't come to school. Because of that I didn't know my test today and the principal called Appi (sister) and he is yelling at her. My sister always cries when people yell at her". She said as more tears escape her eyes, "It's all my fault".

"It's not your fault, Nour. People are insensitive to others when they are in need of it". He said smiling sadly, "Don't worry. Your Appi (sister) is very strong I know she will hear those words from one ear and take them out from another. She will not like that you are crying so much and thinking it's your fault".

He sees her walking outside of the office with an extremely pained expression. He turns Nour away so she can compose herself enough to see her. He sees her taking a deep breath trying to calm herself down. The frown lines and the hurt on her face are still there. He can only imagine how hard it is for her.

His parents had been called many times.

He frowns at the thought why wasn't their parents here?.

"Appi (sister)". He heard Azhar called

He turns around to find the twins running towards them. Asim takes Nour from his hands briefly nodding at him as he hides him in her embrace protectively. Then he sees Azhar doing the same thing as he immediately wraps his arms around Dunya tightly.

Even if the twins are younger than him they are the same height as him. They are tall and that's the reason they are the best in sports.

Azhar motion Asim as he walks away from a little with Nour who looks calmer in his hold.

"Was he mean?". Azhar said his voice restrained

He had seen Azhar and Asim for a while and he realised that both the brother are different yet same. Azhar is the calmer one while Asim is the hothead but if Azhar is provoked he is worse than Asim.

He watches her nodding her head when he heard her sniffing.

She is crying.

His heart clench.

"He said all those things again?". Azhar asked

He sees her nodding again.

"I am going to kill him one of these days". Azhar said angrily

Azhar pulls away from her wiping her tears away.

"You know Nour will only calm down if you hold her right?". Azhar asked

"Yes". She said hoarsely

"Now, smile for me". He said smiling

Her lips form into the brightest smile he had ever seen making his heart skip a beat. He can see the love she has for her brother and vice versa.

She walks away from Azhar towards Nour who looks at her with tears in her eyes. She holds Nour in her hands and she immediately snuggles more into her.

"I am sorry". Nour said crying

"It's not your fault, baby". Dunya said softly, "I know it is never your fault".

******

He sees the siblings sitting on the table all laughing and smiling among themselves. Whenever he used to sit with his previous friends he always felt left out he wasn't even sure why he sat there.

He is not sure why he is here either. He promised he will not enter cafeteria again yet here he is.

He sighs.

"Aashir". He heard someone call

He turns around to find Zara standing in front of him with her usual smirk, "Would you like to sit with us?".

He grimaces, "No".

He sees her face fell and some gasps but then he only focus on some chuckle that came too. He turns to look at Dunya and her siblings silently laughing making him smile.

"Excuse me". He said walking past Zara towards their table, "Can I sit?".

He never asked people this question it was always the other way. Now he knows how people feel because he is so close to having a heart attack while they all look at him then one another. Azhar moves to the other side and the one empty side of Dunya nodding at him to sit on the opposite side.

He grins taking the seat.

"When is our practice?". Asim asked

"The next period". He replied

"What is your class?". Azhar asked Dunya

"Arts". She replied

"Good. So you can leave to get Nour then". Azhar said smiling

He narrows his eyes as he hears them talking a little confused.

"What do you have plans for the weekend?". Asim asked

"I don't have any". He said shrugging

"Woah! Here I thought you will be at Erin's party". Asim said

"I don't do parties". He said

"Sorry. I just thought like that". Asim said smiling, "Why don't you go out with us?".

"Where?". He said curiously

Asim shrugged, "We can decide as we roll".

"Ok. Send me your location then". He replied then turn to Dunya, "I have our assignment briefings do you want a copy or should I email you?".

"They hand them out?". She asked and he nodded, "No, I guess email me. What is the time limit?".

"The first one is about a month". He said thoughtfully as he tries to remember the correct time, "And it's long".

She sighs, "Right. So we have to start immediately. Where?".

He thought for a moment and he is pretty sure it cannot be his place, "Yours".

It wasn't a question because his house is out of context. He sees how the three turn to one another and the look on their faces.

"Ok". She mutters softly

"What is that you don't like Captain America?". Asim said suddenly then looked at him seriously, "Do you like him?".

He looks at Dunya who is actually looking at him too and he feels the burden of the question.

"I...I...don-". He stopped when he sees Asim face, "I mean...I lik-". He stopped again when he sees her face fell

"These two are idiot don't tell them if you don't want to. Tell me about yourself". Azhar said making them both groan

He chuckles.

"I am just me. There is nothing interesting". He said shrugging

"Everyone has a story". Dunya said more to herself but he heard it

"Tell me about yourself maybe I can find something I can share too then!?". He suggested

"Let's see I am 17 years old and I have three siblings. Dunya is eldest she is 18 and then I have a twin brother Asim same age as me 17 then we have our pure little angel Nour who is 7". Azhar said smiling

"Isn't your age above the classes you are in?". He asked

"We skipped a year". Azhar said shrugging adding a little after that before he can ask, "Family problems".

"Right. I am 18 like Dunya and skipped a year because I had to leave my homeland to come here and settlement took time. I have two siblings Khizar and Maha". He said briefly

They all frown looking at him like they were expecting him to say further but he has no idea what to say.

"Umm.... that was short. So what class are they in?. Ages?". Asim asked confused

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Khizar is 15 and Maha is 10".

"Ok.... you have some great relationship there". Asim said sarcastically receiving a punch from Dunya and glare from Azhar then he added, "Sorry".

"It's fine. We aren't really that good of siblings like you all". He said smiling

"Yeah. We are cool like that". Azhar said

"I wish it wasn't a necessity". Asim said

He frowns, "What?".

"Nothing". Azhar said too quick

He looks at Dunya who looks sad after hearing his words and Azhar seems to go into an angry man too as he looks at his sister and back at Asim.

Asim just sighs.

"Fine. Sorry". Asim said irritated, "So, what about your parents?".

He watches as both Azhar and Dunya pale a little at his words.

"They work". He said plainly

"What about yours?". He asked

He sees all of them losing their emotions at once and then pale further.

"What?". He asked

"Oh... they.... they are...". Azhar said trailing looking at others who seem mute

"They are away". Dunya said nonchalantly

He never has seen her like this but she seems weird.

"What do they do?. Where are they?". He asked curiously

"We have to leave". Asim said suddenly holding his sister hand already walking away

"Yeah. Sorry. We have something to do". Azhar said walking after them

He frowns looking at them walking away and then his curiosity starts.

******

She feels the pain that she always feels when she is alone. She is tough for the world but on her own, she is not that strong. The pain always stays no matter what or how much she tries not to have it.

She can feel her chest aching as the pain reaches above its limits suffocating her. She locates the place she places her pill at and immediately rushes to gulp them down.

Slowly her breathing returns as she sits on the cold ground collecting herself. The memories and the occasions always seem to put damp at her.

She wonders how her other siblings deal with it but she guesses they always have her by their sides to lean on.

She breaths concentrating on her breathing but she can still hear the screaming around her. She had heard them years ago when Nour was just 5 not known to the pain she will be exposed to.

At the tender age, they all lost their parents in a car accident.

It wasn't supposed to be like that. They were all happily coming back from celebrating Dunya birthday when a person hit them causing them to be without parents for life.

She feels someone wrapping their arms around her and she knows it's Azhar trying to hold her together. But, she can hear him crying and pleading to be back.

He is just a kid.

Their life took a turn they never wanted to take.

******

"Where are we studying?". He asked as he enters inside her house

The first thing he feels is the emotions around the house. It feels warm but then it feels lonely. It is too quiet even his house is louder than this.

"Here". She said softly pointing to the table

He nodded.

He looks around the house and he finds many pictures of their family.

All smiling and all happy.

He can see in each of their eyes the joy of being together. He looks through the series of pictures losing himself in between as he had wished all along for something this pure.

He turns to look at her when she stands beside him looking at the pictures with a distant look in her eyes. He sees the same pain as him reflecting in her eyes making him feel it even more.

Slowly she turns to look in his pain-filled eyes and their pain (same yet different) is clear to them.

"Where are your parents?". He asked