JASMINE ✔️ (Unedited Version)

Ch : 5

The sky was hidden by long, soft, puffy white clouds. It seemed like huge cotton balls are floating with the melody of air. Which gives a soothing sensation to eyes.
When you divert your eyes from sky to earth and notice your surroundings. You will find yourself in the middle of the park. Dewy grass under your bare feet as you walk around observing the scenery. Tree, flower and earthy smell of wet soil affects your senses the most. You look around and your eyes landed on a girl who was wandering lonely beneath the clear-cloudy sky deep in her own world. Her dress flaps whenever wind caresses it gently with a soft touch. Her ponytail dance with the same rhythm. She stopped in the middle of the bridge and stared at the far end of the artificial lake. Since her early teens, she use to come here. This place always ease her up and often she had solved riddles of her life here.
There were so many people around but fortunately, she found a peaceful spot away from the crowd she set there under a tree. She leaned against it and stretch her legs forward and took a book out of her bag and start reading it but soon she put it back because she was not in the mood to read.
She gives a thorough look at her surroundings. Everyone was busy in their life. A group of children were running after each other. A couple was sitting hand in hand. She smiled.
But what caught her attention was an old man playing with a little girl probably she was his granddaughter. She was kicking the ball towards him and he kicked it back towards her she came forward but tripped over the ball and fell down her grandfather came to her and pretend to scold the ball and hit it she smiled at him with teary eyes. She was too cute with her curly hair held back by a hairband, big eyes which were twinkling with innocence and her little figure dressed in yellow frock makes her a cutie pie! She kept on looking at them with a genuine smile dancing on her lips

Again she had found the answer to her misery here!

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Lauren's PoV

"After three months Daniyal's wedding functions are starting and I want all of you to be there " brother Younus words hit my eardrum like stones.

"What!" I exclaimed. " This can't be happening... My all blessings are with him but Bhai how can we be there our presence is always kept as a secret I don't want to reveal it " I said panic was visible in my voice.

" No, Lauren! It's time that you should take a positive step, how long will you keep your existence as a question mark? Now you should be part of our gatherings, we are family ." Yusra said who was sitting beside me.

" Yes, sis, Yusra is right, it's better for you and even for girls to meet up with them as soon as possible because it's already been too long . " Brother Humza said.

" I am promising you, that I will take care of everything before your arrival
And everything will be okay ."
Brother Younus tried to convince me.

" I Know that our existence there really matters but I am too afraid of any mishap during events " I voiced my fear.

" Oh, sis, I am promising you that nothing much will happen there and father will accept you wholeheartedly, In Sha Allah! " Brother Younus said.

" I need some time to think about it? "

" Okay! There is no hurry! "

I dejected a sigh I hope everything goes smoothly I don't wanna create a drama. Yusra gives a gentle squeeze to my hand with an assuring nod. I passed her a smile which didn't reach till my eyes.

Let's swim in the fire pool!

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Me! Lauren Yousuf Khan! Mother of two lovely daughters! Now a Muslim was first known as Lauren Flora Cullen, daughter of a librarian Andrew Paul Cullen, a Catholic Christian.
My whole life was spent in Manchester, England. Yes, it's a very beautiful city. With history, knowledge, and secrets.
You all probably be thinking how Yousuf end up there! And How we met?
As my father was a librarian so many students use to visit his library. I also used to work there. At that time I was eighteen. I had given up my studies after high school cause we can't afford it. My mother died due to a heart attack. Indeed we had a tough life then. Hard times!
Ah! Leave it! So ... Yeah, Yousuf! He was a regular visitor and soon Dad got fond of him. I don't know what attracted him towards him. They use to have coffee together play chess and cards. I was the reserve one so I never participated with them but I was happy seeing him happy.
Then one day my father collapsed, he was a heart patient too. We instantly took him to the hospital but the doctor told us that he don't have much time.
So he spare us some time with him
Dad asked Yousuf to take good care of me he kissed my hand and everything finished the end.
Soon his funeral was done and I was left alone grieving with no one in this world but Yousuf uses to keep a check on me as Dad has told him but I was not in my senses to note his presence.
After a month of Dad's death, he came to me and proposed me to marry him cause he wants to take me at his place but religiously it was forbidden to live with him without any legal relation.
So I agreed and married him.
Days turn into weeks, weeks into months everything was coming back to normal and slowly I was getting obsessed with him and soon our obsession turn into Love, which is beautiful!
I was nineteen and Yousuf was twenty one when Alizey was born I named her Jasmine, Alizey Jasmine Khan because it was Yousuf's favorite flower and she was so soft, white, fragile just like these little Jasmines which are placed in a pot in front of me!
Her presence scented our life and give it enchanting fragrance.
After two years Alina was Born I named her Blossom. She refreshed us with her laughters. Her giggles again decorated our house.
Yousuf belongs from a noble and rich family of Pakistan so he monthly got his expense and after university, he used to work part-time. We weren't living a luxurious life but it was peaceful. Then soon the day came when Yousuf has to return back with his degree.
If I say I was horrified then it will be an understatement.
He tried to compose himself too but I know he was nervous as hell.
No one knows about our existence, our being.
He called his sister Yusra and told her everything. I don't know what conversation takes place between them but instead of going one month after, as he had planned, he bought early tickets to Karachi.
And we flew off to Karachi. At that time Alizey was four and Alina was two.
When we met Yusra at the airport she seems to be a nice lady. She was covered in black long scarf holding the hand of a little girl with short light brown hair dressed in pink jumpers with a smile on her lips. A handsome young man was also with her whom we now know as brother Humza he was carrying a little boy who was a bit younger than the girl.
They met so lovingly that my all nervousness drained away.
At first, we lived with them for almost a month but then Yousuf bought an apartment with his saving so we shifted there.
In the fourth month in Karachi Yousuf told me that he has to visit his family in Peshawar because according to them he should be there up till now. I can see the guilt in his eyes on hiding so many things from his parents and Elder brother. Yousuf was the youngest of them.
As he had told me brother Younus was a 7-year elder and Yusra was 4 years elder than him. So now it was the time to reveal his secret.
Explosions!
He went to Peshawar. And lived there for almost 7 months and then he came back but not alone, with brother Younus and his son Dawood who was 10 at that time.
That night Yousuf told me that he told everything to brother Younus he was cross but soon understood the delicacy of those circumstances and urgently made his mind come and meet us but His dad doesn't know anything but what he told me next my soul left my body. He said
" He wants to take Alizey in Dawood's Nikah "
Then he told me its better because by this we will be bonded with them and after me, there would be someone to take care of you. At that time I couldn't understand what he tried to say but now I know!
My five years old little Alizey was now wife of Dawood Younus Khan.
Then they left and I didn't see Dawood again. But brother Younus use to visit us often.
Then time passes we were living a happy life in our little Heaven with our two angles.
Yousuf's Father had inherited him his Karachi company on his demand so he was working here. He also gifted him an apartment where he use to spend his time usually because his people were keeping a check on him but he also tried to spend as much time with us as he can. As he had told me that his father is very strict with his rules and regulations so he doesn't want to create trouble.
Soon I got fond of Yusra and we become really close and our children too.
We all were at good terms and enjoying every flavor of life but then some work came up and Yousuf had to visit his parents. I wasn't getting a good feeling, I don't want him to go but nonetheless, he had to.
His plane flew and before it lands on its destination it crashed no one lived and my only shadow, my love of life, was now smoke. Ah! I don't want to recall that!
At that time I was pregnant. I lost my husband and my baby too. It was hard, too hard!
Hard to get over it!
Hard to collect my scattered self!
Hard to stand for my little girls!
I was all vulnerable, a mess, senseless.
We didn't found his body but some scattered body parts.
We couldn't even attend his funeral but according to his will, he was buried in Karachi so after that we visited him.
Yusra and brother Younus become my support and took me out of that trauma and made me realize my responsibilities that nothing is ended I have a reason to live, to stand again. My little girls!
For few months we lived with Yusra, she took good care of me and my daughters but I can't depend on her so I start gathering myself, at just the age of twenty-five I felt older like my whole body is hollow! Vacant! Empty!
But I compose myself for the betterment of my little girls.
We shifted in our home but it's every wall was grieving and telling its own story of sorrow. Now at my home, I don't feel at home cause my home was sleeping peacefully under the piles of sand.
Oh ! I am sorry I again started it.

"Mama! I am home " Alizey's voice broke the chain of thoughts. I instantly wipe my tears.

She came in the kitchen and pour a glass of water to herself and look at me before she took a sip she lowered it and said.

" Is everything ok? Were you crying? " She came and set beside me on the chair and took my hand in hers.

" Mama, I know you are too worried about our visit but can't you just trust in Him who had planned all this for us? Maybe it's for our own good and honestly speaking I really wanna face it. And live a peaceful life. For How long we will be undercover like we our some sort of agents? It's truth and in the end, the truth has to be unveiled ." She passed me her glass of water I took a sip.

" You are right but what if something bad happens? Or you or Alina got hurt. "

" Mama, don't stress yourself and don't think too much because it always leads to negativity " she smiled and hug me.

I smiled back " Oh ! Alizey you are grown up ." She broke the hug and laughed.

" Mama, you realized it too late " while standing up she winks at me.

" Okay, so as you are better now please give me food, I am starving to death! I am just coming after freshening up "
Saying this she walks out of the kitchen.

"Drama Queen! " I shook my head

It's good to voice your fear sometime and express everything which is piling up inside you to a trustworthy person. It eases you up and makes you breathe again like their positively is penetrating in you with their every word.

Let's face it!

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Asalam o alikum!
Sorry for the late update!
I was busy with my studies (TT)
Hope you like this chapter.
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I love you all!

Hania ❤