The Ignescent

Chapter 4

The sun shone brightly on Afiya's birthday, but little did she know that her brothers, Shahzad and Shahzain, had a mischievous plan up their sleeves. They had decided to pretend they had completely forgotten about her special day to create the ultimate surprise.

As Afiya woke up that morning, she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. Birthdays were always a big deal in their family, filled with surprises and laughter. But as she made her way downstairs, she noticed that Shahzad and Shahzain were unusually quiet, avoiding any mention of her birthday.

Confusion clouded Afiya's face as she sat down at the breakfast table.

"Assalamualaikum Bhaiya. Aap log aaj kuch bhool nahi rahe?" she asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

Shahzad and Shahzain exchanged knowing glances, suppressing their smiles.

"Walaikum assalam choti. Nahi aaj toh kuch nahi bhool rahe. Waise yaad aaya aaj hamari aik bohot badi important meeting hai." they replied, feigning ignorance.

"Bhaiya meeting ke alawa bhi kuch hai aaj. Aapko sach mein yaad nai aaraha?" she said trying to make them remember.

Meanwhile their fathers come to breakfast table and wished Afiyah

"Happy birthday Princess. May Allah fulfill all your wishes on this special day". Said Imad while hugging and kissing her forehead.

"Thank you Baba". Afiyah replied happily.

Hashim clears his throat while trying to gain her attention. Afiyah chuckled and went to hug him.

"Happy birthday Darling. May Allah bless you with joy and prosperity on this special day." Said Hashim while hugging her.

"Thank you Chotte abba." She said while hugging him.

"Mera gift". She said excitedly while forwarding her palm to them after breaking hug.

"Haan bhai haan de rahe hain. Bhala hum apni laadli ka gift kabhi bhool sakte hain". Hashim said cupping her face.

They both presented their gifts to her. She excitedly shouted after seeing her gifts.

Thank you baba aur chote abba. Aap log best ho. She said while jumping and hugging them. They chuckled seeing her reaction.

She then turn to Shahzad and Shahzain who was watching all this drama with a small smile on their faces. She raised her eyebrow as if trying to make them realize something.

"Oh! Happy birthday choti". They both said while smiling sheepishly.

"Ab yaad aagaya aaplog ku mera birthday". Afiyah said while showing her disappointment.

"Sorry Choti. Kaam ke chakkar mein hum tera birthday bhool gaye. Par agli baar se chahe kuch bhi ho hum tera birthday nahi bhoolenge". Shahzad said giving her a side hug.

"Choti we have back to back meeting today. Inform our mothers that we would come home late today and ask them to not to wait for us. Okay!!". Shahzain said patting her head lovingly.

Afiya's heart sank a little, but she decided to keep quiet as she knew her brothers are very hard working. It was the first time they forgot her birthday. So, throughout the day, she acted as if it was just an ordinary day, even though her heart longed for the usual birthday celebrations.

As the day progressed, Afiya started to miss her brothers. But deep down, Afiya started to wonder if her brothers had actually forgotten about her birthday.

Doubt crept into her mind, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. She missed the usual excitement, the joy of being showered with love and attention.