The prettiest smile hide the deepest secrets.
The prettiest eyes have cried the most tears.
And the kindest heart have felt the most pain.
______________________________

Both Sajid and Faikha ran back after locking the door and she gave the keys to Sajid to put it back in place.

They successfully reach the ground floor and just then the front door opens revealing her khala and shaziya. They turned in just under the wire.

They both scan the surrounding and look at her with narrow eyes. Faikha starts to panic thinking that she is caught red handed but then

"Now will you just keep standing and looking at us or get water  for us" Her khala glares at her.

She rushes to the kitchen to fetch water for them. Faikha comes back and handles them the glasses. Their was a knock on the door and her khala tells her to open the door.

She opens the door and finds Hamid. He gives her a once over look and she feels disgusted by his look. Their was something creepy about him. His eyes were filled with lust.

She runs back to the kitchen and continues doing work. She starts preparing dinner for everyone.

Sahil's pov:

*flashback*

"SAHIL BHAI! MAA! BABA!?" I heard Nadir yelling from baba's room. I wonder what had happened to him all of a sudden and why was he yelling.

All of us reached the room and saw Nadir holding papers and tears were flowing from his eyes.

"Bhai what is this? Is it true?"

"Kya hua Nadir what is it?" I moved forward to him. Why was he reacting like this.

He forwarded me a paper. I took it and I was shocked to see what it was.

Oh no no. He shouldn't have seen this.

This is not right. I will not be able to explain it to him.

I gave the paper to my parents and they had the same look of bewilderment on their face.

This was not right.

"Bhai tell me this is a lie.
Please tell me this is not true" he started begging me. My parents were not meeting my eyes. I couldn't tell him the truth.

"Why are you quiet bhai? So it's actually true?" he started shouting.

"I do not believe this. My whole life was a lie? How could y'all do this to me? Who are my parents? Why am I adopted? Why are you not answering " he kept on shouting and asking questions.

I was just going to answer him when he ran out of the room. I immediately followed him but it was of no use as he had already got out of the house.

I rushed to the door to find it locked from outside. Ya Allah this shouldn't be happening like this. I was not prepared for this.

Maa and Baba came out crying and begged me to talk to him.

"Sahil! Please bacha, please do something. We just couldn't get ourselves to tell him the truth even though you had asked us to tell it to him. Please talk to him" Maa started crying. I went to her side and hugged her. She looked pale and weak.

It makes me sad thinking that they are growing old. I wish I could keep them with me forever but I can't go against nature.

I looked at baba and he was also sad and maybe he was remembering his sister. Waheeda Phuphu.

"It's alright Maa, baba I'll talk to him and make him understand the situation. You don't worry" saying this I walked to the door and realised it was still locked. I saw some kids playing outside and asked them to come open the door. After almost 15 mins I was out and I went to the terrace.

I saw Nadir was sitting with a girl. Both of them looked like they were having a deep conversation. I was keenly observing both of them. And I hadn't seen that girl before. I was not able to see her completely as she had her back towards me.

Maybe she felt my eyes on her back and she turned. As she turned to look at my side I saw a really pretty face. She just looked like a fragile doll. Pari. She had pretty brown eyes and they looked like honey under sunlight. As she turned, her Duppata slipped from her head.

As she was adjusting her Duppata I saw bluish marks on her wrist. I wondered who would have hurt her. Nobody deserves to hurt a pari like her.

Nadir saw me and he came running to me and tackled me into a bone crushing hug.

"Sahil bhai!  I'm sorry for the way I reacted but it was a little too much for me. I realise my mistake and I'm sorry bhai" he started sobbing again on my shoulder. She was looking at us and smiling. Maybe she spoke to Nadir.

I was shocked as I thought that Nadir would be angry with us and even yell at me but he was being the quite opposite of it. I patted his back and again looked back at the girl standing in front of me. I had never seen her.

I wanted to ask her but soon sajid our little neighbour came running and gave my younger brother a bottle of water. I looked back at her. She had the most beautiful brown orbs and I couldn't pull myself from them.

There was something in her eyes that was wanting me to know more about her.

We could hear vehicle sounds downstairs and both sajid and that girl, whose name I still dint know looked at each other with a worried look on their faces and ran away to sajid's house.

I was not able to understand the whole situation. I came to console my brother but he was the one apologizing.

"Nadir kya hua yaar. You don't need to cry. I'm sorry for hiding it from you. I just didn't want to see you in pain" I kept rubbing his back as he wouldn't stop crying.

"I shouldn't have yelled at everyone. All thanks to Faikha as she made me realise my mistake but can you please tell me everything. I want to know about them bhai"

So her name is Faikha. A pretty name just as pretty as her. I would forever be thankful of her for doing this to my brother. I was scared to confront him but I was much relieved after listening to him. Well I think it was time to tell him the truth.

"You are my Phuphu's son Nadir. She had a very abusive marriage and while giving birth to you she expired. Baba didn't want to leave you with that man and he legally adopted you and brought you home. We are sorry for keeping it from you. Baba thought you would leave us and they didn't want that to happen, which is why they hid it from you. I'm sorry Nadir. I just love you too much to see you in pain" I said hugging him back. I didn't want to even imagine the pain he would have gone through. I will always be thankful to baba for bringing Nadir home, for giving me a little brother.

This little brother of mine was my life. I could do anything for him. Even if I was asked to sacrifice my life as well, I would do it for him.

He pulled back and was still crying. I knew it wouldn't be easy to handle such big news on a single day.

"May Allah grant her jannah for the trouble she went through. Alhamdulillah I'm blessed to have you and maa and baba. I will forever be grateful bhai"

"Aameen"

"Okay now tell me who was that girl with you? I've never seen her before" I was curious to know bout her.

"Oh her? She's Faikha and even I saw her for the first time. She is staying in Sajid's house from 3 months and bhai you wouldn't believe what Naseeba aunty did to her" he was back to his serious self at the end.

He narrated me the whole story about Faikha. I felt bad for her. Nobody need to wake up and feel unwanted by anyone. She didn't deserve all of this.

I wasn't expecting this from Naseeba aunty. She behaved oh so sweetly in front of me. And not to forget her chipko daughter Shaziya. How could they torture her.

Her life was a mess, but she was a masterpiece. Even after the mess in her life, she was smiling.

She had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

Behind her smile was a hurting heart and by the looks of it I knew she was falling apart.

But I wouldn't let that happen.

'Maybe I should confront her khala by myself' I thought.

But before that I need to talk to her personally and get to know more about her. Looks like I need to get sajid doing some work for me.

*3rd person's pov*

Hamid was just controlling his desires for the sake of his mother. But he couldn't control it anymore and plans on doing something about it. He knew she was beautiful and he wanted to break her for his own desires.

He sees his mother sitting in the living room and thinks of talking to her about his plan.

"Ammi I was thinking why don't you get me married to Faikha. Property will remain with us and also you will get a personalised maid for yourself"

Naseeba thinks about what her son just told her and starts to ponder about it. Maybe he was right. She could use her and take all her revenge.

"Sochte hein. I will have to talk to my brother about this" she agrees with her son but she knows its difficult to convince her brother. It was difficult to get Faikha to live with her and it would be even more difficult to get her married to her son.

"Oh you just leave it on me. I will handle him. He will definitely fall for my words" he had a sickening smile on his face.

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Assalamu alaikum dear readers
Hey how are y'all doing

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~Zoe