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T H I R D - P E R S O N

Isha's eyebrows knitted together with utter confusion. She questioned with a smile playing on her lips, "Who is she, Shahveer? Your friend?" Before Shahveer could answer her, a voice from behind intervened. Shaking the confidence of Isha as he interrupted, "She is my daughter, Isha."

Shahnawaz walked forward towards Sahar, keeping a hand in her back, filled with respect and love. "She is Myza's and my daughter, Sahar."

Just like Shahveer had said, the colour of her face drained looking at Sahar. Standing beside her father, Sahar looked just like Shahveer told earlier.

Powerful, Confident and just like a ball of blazing fire that could harm Isha.

Isha ganders at Sahar, flabbergasted. Not knowing how to react her face mutated to a chuckle saying, "Thank you for making me laugh after two decades, Nawaz."

Shahnawaz shook her head smiling as he took Sahar's hand, dragging her towards the empty couch. They sat down together in the maroon davenport. Sahar couldn't look at Isha. Her heart ached realising how much pain her mother Myza would have felt every time she looked at Isha but Myza never expressed enmity. Her heart was kind and forgiving but Sahar's was similar to Shahnawaz.

Arduous, mulish and benignant.

"It will be funny of you when you don't believe me," Shahnawaz smiled. "She is my daughter no matter you believe it or not."

Scared of the outcome, Jahangir and Zeenia passed a look at each other. Shahveer sat beside Sahar. A medium span of space between them. Isha laughed, "Are you serious, Nawaz? So you are believing anyone who claims herself as your daughter? What if she came here as bait? What if she is fooling your family as your daughter?"

"You are crossing the limit, Isha. You don't have to decide." Shahnawaz stated with a straight face.

"Where's Myza? After all these years, Where is she?" Isha asked rolling her eyes. She still didn't believe that Sahar is Shahnawaz's daughter. A moment of grief silence passed before Sahar answered, "She is dead."

Isha cast her eyes at Sahar. The sound of the fan hanging in the ceiling was the only thing that could be heard. Everyone eyed Isha, whereas Isha stared at Sahar's eyes. She felt scared for a split second. Scared of Akhirah when she faces Myza. What would she answer the almighty Allah (SWT) in the day of judgement?

However, she covered it up with a chuckle, "It says it all, Nawaz. She is lying claiming as your daughter. Myza isn't even present to correct. She is making up a lie-"

Afore she could say more, Zeenia gashed between, "Aapa! Sahar is Myza Bhabhi's daughter. She has been living with Hashir bhai's family all these years."

"I don't understand why you people are believing someone so easily," Isha stated with knitted brows, irritated at their behaviour.

"Phupho, please! You are crossing the limit of Taaya abbu. Sahar is his daughter. She is Meesha's and my cousin," Shahveer fumed gazing at Isha. She shook her head, "Prove it to me."

"Who are you? You are just my cousin. You have no right to ask that. She is my daughter and I am her father. You are no one that I should prove it to you or not just accept it or throw it out of your mind. It's not going to change the truth," Shahnawaz foretold with gritted teeth.

Isha looked here and there perhaps covering her angered face with a smile, she exalted, "Alright! As you wish then."

A girl in her early twenties entered inside the huge living room with a man of early forties, Tahir. She greeted excitedly without noticing the atmosphere of the room, "Assalamu alaikum!"

They looked towards the entrance to notice the presence of an intruder. "Walaikum assalam!" They reciprocated her greet with a smile.

"Come inside, Miraal. Come inside Chachu." Shahveer called them in. She smiled as she sat beside Meesha. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Sahar beside Shahveer. Sahar gazed at her with confusion so did she look back. Tahir just sat beside Shahveer, silently. He has always been mostly silent ever since his sister betrayed Myza.

Tahir was framed, he didn't have any idea when they purposely sent Myza to their room. He begged Shahnawaz's mother to let Shahnawaz trust Myza and him but Shahnawaz's mother never let him believe. Just after Myza shifted back to her family to a different place. Tahir went to his place breaking all the boundaries that stopped him and told Shahnawaz the truth. Alas, it was too late and Myza had already left the arena.

Shahveer noticed the confusion between them as he said, "Sahar, Meet Miraal. She is Isha Phupho's daughter and Miraal, She is Sahar. Shahnawaz's Taaya Abbu's and Myza Taayi Ammi's daughter. Sahar, he is Tahir chachu, Isha Phupho's brother."

Miraal was smiling at Sahar until she heard her introduction. She stared at Shahveer confused but foretold, "Nice to meet you, Sahar."

Isha and Miraal passed each other a look before Sahar replied, "It's lovely to meet you." Tahir got up without questioning anything, he just tapped her head with a smile. Sahar knew how he was. She just looked up at him with a small smile.

A man in his early forties entered the arena. Mr. Qureshi, Shahnawaz's assistant.

"You don't leave a chance when I am alright, do you, Mr. Qureshi? I am the president of the company. I am not needed all the time." Shahnawaz joked looking at his assistant walking towards him after he greeted him. "What can we do, Sir? Without you or the chairman, Jahangir Sir we cannot handle anything in the office. It's Shahveer sir who is handling everything. He always proves that he is the best CEO for the company."

"After all he is my son," Jahangir stared at Shahveer proudly. "Shahveer has always been the conqueror. So proud of you buddy!" Miraal stated.

"Thank you Miraal!" He smiled.

"He is the champion, indeed." Shahnawaz nodded saying as he got up and patted Shahveer's shoulder. Shahveer glanced up at him with a gentle yet lovely smile.

"Let's go the study, Mr. Qureshi," Shahnawaz dragged Jahangir and walked out of the living room. Sahar felt as if a part of her was taken away when Shahnawaz. Certainly, she had grown closer to her father in these two weeks. Spending time with him in his study, making sure he eats at the right time, listening to his favourite collection of music. Every time she is around her father, she felt at home. That feeling which she starved for after losing Myza completed momentarily with Shahnawaz.

She gazed beside herself, Shahveer. He had a pleasant smile spread on his face already looking at her. After Shahnawaz, she felt she could only trust Shahveer in this house. Even though she spent most of her time with Meesha in the evening after she comes back from her office.

Zeenia and Isha resumed their enunciation about how busy their kids have been lately. For a fact, Sahar could feel how important Miraal was in Shahveer's life. Meesha and Miraal were talking about how their mothers were overreacting perhaps Sahar also noticed how Meesha was ignoring Miraal most of the times she tried to talk. Meesha just kept nodding to whatever Miraal was saying. It was just Shahveer who replied to her, formally.

Sahar felt out of the place but Meesha stared at her and Shahveer with a smile. Sahar got up making their conversations stop for a while. "I have some work to do. I'll take my leave now," She smiled at Zeenia before going out. Isha's venomous stare towards her wasn't unnoticed by her when she left.

She strides up from the stairs without looking back. She couldn't help but stopped in the corridor to look back at the hall. For her, Miraal looked so perfect with Shahveer and the way they were talking, they did seem close to each other. Shahveer was being minimal while Miraal initiated a new topic every time one ends.

Sighing, Sahar moved towards her room but stopped when she saw the open door of Shahveer's room in front of hers. She stood at the doorstep, gawking at the vintage based interior. It looked out of the world. She turned around and gasped when she saw Shahveer, "You scared the death out of me!"

Shahveer giggled at her expression and walked towards her. "Why? Do I look so scary to you, Ms. Siddique?"

"What if I say yes?" She joked with a joyful smile playing on her lips. He nodded giggling, "Ohh, I see. So, Sahar Siddiqui finds me, Shahveer Siddiqui scary?"

"I didn't say yes, though..." She giggled folding her arms below her chest. "You are one of the naughtiest people I know now!" He started laughing along with her. "I just had a look at your room and it's fabulous. Do you like vintage by any means?"

"I love vintage by all the means-" he was cut off when a call interrupted. Shahveer took the phone excusing himself from her and she strode towards her room. She talked with her Nani Ammi for a while and took her laptop for the work she had to do. She needed her pen drive which was back in Izhaan's place. She took her phone and called him.

For some reason, she felt nervous when she heard the sound of the ring. Izhaan took the call after a while, greeting her with a salam. She reciprocated his greet.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Well, Allhamdulillah! What about you?" He questioned. She stroked velvety pillow in her hand. "Good."

"How was your day?"

"It was nice." She smiled thinking about how Shahveer had supported her and encouraged her to face Isha. "Izhaan, I need your help."

"Yeah sure. What is it, Sahar?" He questioned without waiting for a second. "I need my black pen drive. Can you bring it to me?"

"Alright. Where is it kept?"

"It's in the second drawer of the table beside my bed," she answered.

"Text me the address," he stated.

"Sure," she said soon after cutting the call. She got up and went towards the kitchen downstairs. It was time for Shahnawaz's dinner. The doctor told them he is doing fine and his health is doing a lot better than earlier. She helped the maids to arrange the trolley took his tablets kit and strode upstairs in a lift to his room.

He was sitting in his bed, surfing something on his phone. "My daughter never forgets about me." A smile spread on her face unknowingly. She went towards him and sat beside him. Giving him the food, he ate it silently ate it. Surfing something important related to his work on his phone.

As soon as he ate his tablets, Sahar sat near him and took his hand. "Thank you, Papa! For standing up for me today," Shahnawaz glanced at her, bewildered. She called papa for the first time. "Can you say Papa again?"

She chuckled, "Yes Papa. Thank you for standing up for me."

He smiled and pat her head saying, "You made me the happiest father in the world by calling me 'Papa'. If only I would have stood up for Myza back then. We would have lived as a happy family." Sahar nodded but grasped his hand. "It was destined, Papa. We can't do anything in front of destiny's game."

"Myza used to believe in destiny a lot," He said in a daze looking out of the window in front. "That's what she kept saying all the time. She never held a grudge against you. Even I used to fight with her for being so kind but she never came out of her destiny."

She sighed, "I forgave you, Papa. I know you did a mistake by not trusting Ammi but I have witnessed now how much pain you suffered all these years."

"You made the happiest father alive, meri bachi," He patted her head with kindness.

"I am honoured, papa."

The more she called him, the more it made him peacefully. He smiled heartily while she closed her eyes feeling the warmth of her father. A warmth she wanted from the day she was born.

Sahar got back to the kitchen and Shahnawaz went towards the garden where Shahveer was standing still gazing at the moon. The uncle-nephew duo stood together for a while talking about business when Shahnawaz asked,

"You like Sahar, don't you?" Shahnawaz questioned in the quiet green land of the mansion. Strolling silently beside Shahveer. He stopped walking for a minute staring at Shahnawaz. Confused at his sudden reaction, Shahnawaz turned and asked, "What's up buddy? Don't you like her?"

He was sure that he liked her but she was already engaged to Izhaan. He sighed walking up towards Shahnawaz. If only she wasn't engaged, he wouldn't have let her go.

"She is engaged to Izhaan, Taaya abbu," he stated. "I didn't ask you if she was engaged or not. I asked if you like her or not," Shahnawaz pointed making Shahveer laugh. "I do but she likes Izhaan. It's too late, Taaya abbu. Her happiness is my priority. If she is happy with Izhaan. I don't have any problem," Shahveer said. Shahnawaz stroked his hair while saying,

"She is the first girl you liked, isn't it?"

Shahveer nodded looking up at the moon. "You are going great, my boy! What's yours will find you."

For a while, Shahveer couldn't comprehend what Shahnawaz was saying but he knew it was for good. Sahar knew where is her better place and she is the one to decide her future.

Destiny had pushed Shahveer and Sahar in the ends where Izhaan stood tall in between without any question. Was it for good or not?

• ° • ° • ° • ° •

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