Mahrukh

30. Epilogue

Ten years later
Zain: 40 years old
Mahrukh: 33 years old

The past ten years had been full of happiness and bliss. Sure Zain and Mahrukh had had their differences and fights but they had always managed to come back to each other. Their love was adored by their kids. That is right. Kids. After Malika, they had a son, Arsalan who was two years younger than her. Malika and Faris were best friends and they were like two peas in a pod. Their bond was similar to the one Akbar and Mahrukh had shared.

"Abbu! Abbu!"
The voice of Arsalan ran through the house. Arsalan was sheriking. Zain was returing from a business seminar in England.
"Mera chaand,"
exclaimed Zain. He took him up into his arms and littered kisses all over his face.
"How are you?"
Asked the little boy.
"Fine now that I have you. Now where are your mama and sister?"
Arsalan just shrugged his shoulders. Having just come back from school the little child had no idea. Zain knew that there was only one place the mother daughter could be in. The kicthen.

Inside the large modern room, Mahrukh stood making some cookies with Malika. They were talking about Malika's day at school. She was telling her as if she had had a very important day with the highlight being her dropping water on the girl who sat next to her. Mahrukh and Malika were so engrossed in their chats that they had not noticed when Zain and Arsalan walked in.
"Looks like someone did not miss me at all," Zain uttered. Acting disappointed and hurt.
"Zain!"
"Baba!"
The words left their mouths at the same time. They ran to him and hugged him tightly at the same time.

Zain placed Arsalan on the ground and then picked Malika in his arms.
"How is my princess? I hope she did not disturb mama".
Malika looked at him as if he had committed a crime. The girl was notorius for pulling pranks on her mother.
"No baba. I was good girl. Ask mama". Mahrukh vouched for her daughter and then asked all of them to sit as she was going to begin serving lunch.

"Mama what is for lunch?"
An impatient Arsalan asked. The young boy was a spitting image of his father. The same hair and eyes. They two shared so many similar habits that at times Mahrukh felt overwhelmed.
"Beta I have made Biryani".
"Yummm".
Arsalan washed his hand before sitting in his chair. Zain smiled at his family with pride. Allah had clearly blessed him with the best.

They had moved into the quarters they had constructed in the back yard of the house sick and tired of Hooriya and Amal's constant bullying and fighting. The little cottage had three master size bedrooms. Mahrukh and Zain's room was pretty much the same as their room in the main home. Meanwhile, Malika had designed her room to be the envy of everyone. The pastel pink walls and white accents. The room was any girls dream. Arsalan's room was a mix of blues and purples. Full of posters of astronauts. The young boy was obsessed with them. Also he was obsessed with dinosaurs which explained the numerous books he had on them, which he had Mahrukh read to him.

The past ten years were a rollercoaster. Two months after Malika was born, Saad passed away in an accident on his way to Islamabad from Lahore. Mahrukh was devestated. She went into a severe depression. She forgot to eat and sleep. She would move around the home like a ghost. Only living for her daughter. But then Zain had shown her how wrong she was. There was way more to life. When one left another one would come. Life was a series of gains and losses. You could not stop for someone. So after countless therapist visits and the strong belief of Zain had managed to pull her out of the dark hole she had fallen into.

Aliya and Akram were alive and healthy. They lived in the main house that had been built in the days of their grandfather. The two adored their grand kids. They spoiled them and when they were stopped the only reply they would give was
"We are their grandparents. If we do not spoil them. Who will we spoil?"
And so they would have to become quite. The two were living their life to the fullest. But their was a void in their heart.