Author's POV:
Hiba rested her head against the door and closed her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek. This wasn't what she had thought to happen even in her nightmares. Looking at her daughter today, she was sure that she was not a good mother. Her girl had been suffering so much and she couldn't understand even once. That's not what mothers do.
Was Noor that good in lying and hiding her emotions? Or was she herself thaf indifferent to the feelings of her daughters? Looking at Noor's state today, she felt her world crashing down. She was so disturbed and her mother couldn't do a thing to help her. Why couldn't she ever see what she had been going through?
Those short conversations, those forced smiles, forced greetings, broken voice, dark eyes were a sign which she couldn't see through. Hiba knew her daughter was arrogant but she didn't know she was heartbroken. She knew she was not her chipry self anymore, but she didn't about the tornado in her heart.
Where Hiba hoped to be both father and mother for her daughters, here she couldn't play the role of one parent properly. It broke her heart.
"Main har gayi Mansur.."
She cried to her husband.
"Maine tumhein aur humari betiyon ko disappoint kiya hain.."
"Maine socha tha, main unki maa ke saath saath baap ki bhi kami kabhi nahin mehsoos hone dungi, par main toh..." she cried.
****
Noor opened her eyes because of the sun rays falling on her face. She scrunched her eyebrows. She slowly sat on the bed.
"Good morning.." Saad wished with a wide smile.
"Good morning.." Noor replied. Saad came to her and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"Kaisi rahi neend meri sleeping bandariya?"
Noor nodded slightly.
"Tu raat bhar soya nahin kya? Meri pehardaari kar raha tha?"
"Pagal hain kya? Tere liye main apni pyaari neend chod dun?"
"Wahin toh, main bhi toh teri best friend hi hun na.."
He chuckled.
"Chal chor, itna bhi importance mat de ab khud kon.."
Shaharyar entered.
"Aur yeh rahin Saad's special pancakes and Shaharyar's special coffee for the one and only Noor Khan Siddiqui.." Shaharyar exclaimed.
"Wohoo.. Maine khud apne inn pyaare pyaare haathon se tere liye pancakes banai hain. Aur woh bhi bilkul teri recipe ke hisab se.." Saad said dramatically.
Noor rolled her eyes smiling.
"Saad, main bimar nahin hun.. Aap dono ko yeh sab karne ki zaroorat nahin hain.."
"Dekha bhai, maine kahan tha na issko yeh sab drama lagta hain.."
"Noor, ek toh Saad ne pehli baar koi dish jo sachme usne khud banai hain use apna kahan.."
Saad gasped loudly.
"Bhai, aap aisa bol rahe hon?"
"Haan.. Aur tum use ek baar taste bhi nahin karogi?"
"Dekh bandariya, jaisi bhi bani hain tujhe khana hoga.. Maine aaj tak hamesha tere saare experiments sahe hain.."
It was Noor's time to gasp.
"What do you mean 'sahe hain'? Main itna bhi bura nahin banati okay? It's eatable.."
"Yeh tumhari khushfehmi hain.." Shaharyar joined.
