You Are Not Alone

The ladies of Laghari house were busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for their husbands and children.

When Sophia asked Huma to go and ask everyone to come and sit in the dining room for breakfast.

"Yeah, aunt Sophia I'm going" Huma left the crockery she had picked to set on the table and went upstairs to call everyone.

"Sasha, Taha come on finish your food, your bus will be here soon." Zubia like other mothers of Laghari house was shouting on her children, who were busy in fighting with each other instead of having their breakfast.

Zainab, Sophia, and Zubia the daughters-in-law of Laghari house were exhausted from their morning routine, which was not an easy task for them, and usually, this time is spent shouting at their children.

"I don't get why they all never show a sense of responsibility, we have to daily call or force them out of their room, give them all their belongings in their hands, and still we have to listen if they get late" Zainab let her frustration out in front of her sister in laws.

"Exactly and they never accept they were the reason for being late" Sophia was helping them in placing the dishes on the table."

Mrs. Nuzhat was sitting on the head chair of the dining table and was watching the news, listening to her daughter in laws conversation she shook her head and pulled her chair to stand.

"It's been years and you guys still fail" she went into the lounge of her house and standing there keeping her hands on her hips, yelled at her children giving them a warning.

"In a minute I want all of you downstairs, or else I will kick you all out without giving breakfast"

People of Laghari house knew if she is saying she will kick them out without giving them food, she will do that, therefore, just a few seconds passed and the doors of every person's room opened and they all came out running toward the stairs.

It was a game of a few minutes, and the noise of the young generation of this house could be heard along with the clinking sound of crockery, Mrs. Nuzhat was having her breakfast with them, she was enjoying their chattering, right after their breakfast, the man left for their offices while young generation left for their institutes.

-----

Heavy curtains on windows had covered the only source of natural light in this room, the room was completely dark and gave the night's look. The person laying on the bed had hidden her face in the pillow but the sound of sniffing tells that she is crying.

There was a knock on her room's door but she ignored staying in her same position, after a few seconds there was another knock on her door, this time the person didn't wait for permission and opened the door slowly peeking inside to see.

He stepped inside the room, shutting the door behind him when he saw her laying on the bed, shivering due to crying, sadness appeared in his eyes, it was painful for him to see her in this state.

He walked to her and hold her by the shoulder making her sit.

"Stop it Mahtaj, it's already been days you are crying" Mahtaj looked at him with her puffy eyes, but again tears rolled down her cheeks.

She lowered her head and was sobbing, Hadi hugged her, understanding the pain she is feeling.

"Okay, you want to cry, you think if it is the way of lessening your pain then I will not stop you. Just come downstairs and have breakfast, you have not eaten properly these days. All are waiting for you" Hadi stood and pulled her hand to make her stand too, but Mahtaj snatched her hand from his grip.

"I don't want to eat, and don't lie to me I know no one is waiting for me" She got angry at him for saying that to her.

"And I don't want to leave here, drop me at my mother's house" she rubbed her face with her hand back. Hadi was listening to her, standing at a little distance from her with the support of the wall.

He furrowed his brows at her but relaxed when he saw her crying, he falls his head back looking at the ceiling, sighing he walked to her and sat on her bed near her.

"Mahtaj listen to me, you will live here with us, with me and dad, try to make yourself get adjust to it, and about other people's behavior, ignore them," Hadi told her softly.

Mahtaj looked him in the eyes, she could see the care and sincerity in his eyes.

"This is your father's house, don't worry about what others are saying, and mom is no more, how would you live in that house alone?" Mahtaj lowered her head, her mother is no more in this world, these were the most painful words she has ever heard in her life.

Two days before when Mrs. Tania died in a car accident, Hadi went to her funeral and brought her little sister Mahtaj with him to the Paracha House, though no one in the house liked his act, he didn't care, his sister was his responsibility and he will take care of her from now on.

When Mrs. Tania died no one came from the Paracha house except her son Hadi, not even her Husband.

In these two days of her stay in this house, Mahtaj has hardly taken a few bites from the food which was served to her by the servant in her room, and she did not leave the room, Hadi was worried for her, so he sent the maid to bring her to the table but when she came alone, he was disappointed, he immediately stood from his place and went upstairs to talk to her.

When Mahtaj didn't say anything, Hadi stood from the bed and said to her.

"No come with me, let us both have our breakfast together," he said to her smiling, and went towards the door, Mahtaj wiped her tears and followed him.

Khizar was busy with his office work when Pareeshay entered his room pushing the door with her all force that caused the door to bang loudly and hit the wall.

Khizar stared at her angrily, only she and Shajia were the ones who dare to open his office door without knocking or bothering to ask permission.

"How many times I have told you guys to ask permission before entering my room and opening the door slowly, no need to barge in my office in this way, do you guys want to break the door?" Khizar scolds her, but she didn't care, instead, she grinned at him.

"Oh, come 'on, why you are getting so angry, it is not good for your health, cheer up, and for the door, if it's broken then you can replace it, in fact, you should thank us, we gave you the chance of having a new door." Saying to him playfully she slumped at three seated sofas in his office.

Khizar rolled his eyes at her.

"Tell me the reason why you have come here, and shouldn't you be attending your class at this time? You left the class?" crossing his arms he throws back-to-back questions at her.

"Yup, I left the class, and it is because I wanted to talk to you," she said to him.

"We could have talked at home there was no need of missing your class" Khizar definitely didn't appreciate her leaving the class, Khizar left his chair and went to sit with her on the opposite sofa.

"Hey, it's just one class, and you lectured me" she huffed at him.

"Well, leave this, I want to ask you, you were supposed to do my one work, what is the status?"

Khizar knew what she wanted to talk about, when his suspicion got correct, he instinctively holds his head in his palm.

"you've gone mad, finish your studies first and then do your stupid adventures, you have no experience we can't risk losing our money"

Pareeshay got angry at him and picked the vase on the center table to hit him before she hit him, Khizar raised his hand to stop her.

"Hey, that's what your father said" he exhaled when she kept the vase back in its place.

"Oh, that's what dad said, what is your opinion then?" Khizar looked at her and then at the vase, before answering her, he carefully took the vase in his hand.

"My opinion is also the same as your father" Khizar smirked at her, while she yelled at him.

"Brother" and she made a crying face, turned her face from him.

"Pareeshay listen to me" Khizar tried to make her understand.

"I promise I will not do any damage or loss, please talk to dad, I wanted to do that" Pareeshay pleads, upon him calling her to listen to him.

"I was saying keep your legs down, you are making my couch dirty" he ignored her pleading and mocked her.

His words ignite a fire in her, she picked up the cushion and throws it at him but he caught it.

"I knew you'd say dad to not allow me to do it, I shouldn't have talked to you first" she stood from the place and was leaving his room, Khizar sighed at her childishness, but she came back again.

"What did you forgot something?" he asked her, Pareeshay didn't say anything and rubbed her shoes on his sofa, marking her footprints on the couch's cloth.

"Now it is dirty, call someone to come and clean it" saying this to him she runs away from his room not forgetting to sticking out her tongue to mock her cousin.

Khizar sighed and shook his head, putting his weight on his knee to stand and go back to continue his work.

-----

When Hadi and Mahtaj reached the dining room, all the members of the Paracha House had already left for their work and only Tooba was sitting there, feeding her son his breakfast.

When she saw both of them entering, she smiled at them.

"Come you both and eat fast."

"Dad and Uncle had gone for the work?" While eating Hadi asked from Tooba.

"Yeah, they all left, well, uncle told me to inform you to reach early in the office, he has to discuss with you today's meeting agenda" giving morsel to his son, she delivered Ali Paracha's message to him.

Tooba shifts her gaze at Mahtaj who was quietly eating and was having a quick glance at her brother. Tooba pursed her lips to hide the smile that formed at Mahtaj's cute act.

"How are you feeling now?" Tooba liked Mahtaj, but she didn't leave her room that could give her a chance to talk to her.

Mahtaj looked at her surprised, it was not wrong though, since she had come into this house except Hadi no one came into her room or even asked her if she is feeling fine not even her dad.

Before she could answer her, she looked at her brother who was ready to leave, her heart dropped, she doesn't want to stay in this house alone, it was better to stay at her mother's house instead of living here.

Hadi was understanding the quiet message his sister was sending to him, but she has to adjust, there is no other place now where she could live.

"You spend your time with Tooba today, freshen up yourself, set your room, hang your dresses that are still in the suitcase." Instructing her he shifted his attention to Tooba.

"Please stay with her today and check her room if she needs something, place everything that is missing or if she asks you to provide, though I doubt she would ask, also ask the maid to clean her room."

"Don't worry I will do all this and will also take care of her." Tooba happily agreed to him.

"Mahtaj I will come home early today, then we both will sit and have a detailed talk, meanwhile you do what I had instructed you to, okay?" Mahtaj nods at him with a sad face, tears were ready to come out and show her emotions to her brother.

"I am leaving then" ignoring her sadness and tears, he picked up his laptop bag and left the house.

She was sitting with her friends after the lecture ended, there were only twenty minutes left in their other lecture, so they all skip lunch and preferred to take juices only.

She was doing MBA and it was her last semester, she was sipping her juice, and watching every table when her friend Anum nudged her shoulder to get her attention. Shajia shifted her gaze to Anum and looked at her questioningly

"Did you decide where will you apply for the job?"

"She doesn't need to decide or find a job, she already has her father's company which she could join" Dania commented on Anum's question, Shajia just got bored at her friend's stupid assumptions. She placed the empty can of juice on the table and crossed her arms on her chest.

"And why you thought that?" leaning towards her she questioned.

"Isn't it a simple thing to understand, your father owns a company why would you go somewhere else and work in a low position when you can be a boss in your father's company?" Dania shrugged her shoulders and shared her thoughts with them, Anum agreed with her, but Shajia shook her head.

"That's where you are wrong, I am not a foolish girl which will go into her father's office." She rested her back on the chair and surprised her friends with her statement.

"Why you won't go there? There's nothing foolish in this" Anum got curious, Shajia always does something different, which no one had expected from her.

"What? I don't want to be with them twenty-four hours, I already see them in the morning at dinner, that's already too much." Her friends looked at her with mouths wide open and exchanged looks with each other, none of them were able to understand her stupid logic when they know how sweet each family member is of the Laghari house.

Seeing their expressions, Shajia decided to explain it further.

"Listen, if I will go to my father's office he will ask me to assist my brother, working under him means he will get to know my every prank or my stupid acts, and he will definitely tell my dad, and from them, all the woman of Laghari House will get aware of this and after that, I can't tell you guys what will happen to me." Wiping off her unshed tears she said to them.

"Now you understood?" She asked her friends, who nods at her.

"Come on let's go for the class" checking the time on her watch, Dania said to them and they all stood from chairs making bad faces and commenting as none of them wanted to attend the next class.

-----

After getting free from the meeting, Hadi and Ali Paracha were heading to their office but got stuck in traffic, they starts talking about random topics to pass their time.

"Your uncle and aunt are not happy with your decision of bringing Mahtaj here." Hadi was looking at the road but he was all ears to his father.

When he said this to him, Hadi turned his head and looked at him who was already looking at him, he shifts back his gaze to the road, and instead of explaining his actions, he questioned back to him.

"And why are they not happy?"

"Don't act innocent, you know why they are not happy, the day you brought her here, and the scene your aunt created you have seen it with your own eyes." He said to him with bitterness.

"I don't care what issues they have and why, she is staying at her father's house and she has every right of living here, if someone is bothered that is not my concern," he said to him, Ali Paracha could sense the seriousness and stubbornness in his voice.

"Well, they are not happy, you told me but what about you, you didn't say anything about whether you are happy or not," Hadi asked his father, he waited for the answer but he just got silence, he turned his head, his father was staring at him blankly, Ali Paracha averted his eyes and starts looking on the road, he hides his tears from his son, he doesn't want him to see his vulnerable state.

He was already calculating his loss, which he has collected after spending his journey alone, keeping himself away from his wife, he felt the pain in his heart, the emotions he was going through after the death of his wife, he doesn't want anybody to know about it.

Hadi stopped the car at the Taj hotel's parking.

"You go ahead, I have to visit one place and then will go home from there." Ali Paracha nods at him and unlocked the door, before he exits, he asked his son, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"How is Mahtaj? Is she still crying?"

"Yeah, she was crying in the morning when I went to her room, she looks miserable, will spend time with her today." He informed him.

"Take care of her, and make sure she doesn't cry anymore, and if she doesn't feel good, take her to the doctor" instructed him, he left the car and entered the main entrance of the hotel.

"I know dad you are happy that she is living under your roof, you will be able to see her daily, you are just afraid of expressing it." Exhaling a cold breath, he reversed the car and geared it up to his next destination.