House of Ashes [Complete]

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The door flew open few minutes after he had rung the bell and a dramatic Raina revealed her presence, her hand snug around a half empty jar of Neutella, a spoon in her mouth as she licked on to it.

Her eyes bulged out of her sockets as her hipster glasses slid down her slender nose a bit. "MOOOOOOM!!!" She yelled on top of her lungs and Safa staggered back. Azlan shook his head. His baby sister was no less than a drama queen.

"Why are you screaming, Raina. What happened?" Mrs. Shehryar splintered inside the lounge with long strides, her face puce in fright.

"Remember I told you bhai's secretly married and you didn't believe me? Well, here's a proof." She pointed towards them standing at the threshold. Mrs. Shehryar eyes fell on Safa while she convulsed her head in haste. I was right. This family is a bunch of maniac!

Azlan rolled his eyes at her sister and her theatrics. She smirked back at him.

"Raina!" Mrs. Shehryar howled at her and she hawed.

"What? It's your son who ran a girl away from her house, not me." She shrugged as she threw her hand up in air and stepped back. Mrs. Shehryar shook at her.

"I'm sorry. She's a walking drama of our house." She told Safa with apologetic look. Safa gave her a faltering smile, findling with the tussles of her cahsmere. "Come inside, my love." She beckoned her inside with a motherly embrace and tears scratched against Safa's throat. This woman reminded her of her own mother. Ever since she left her alone, she'd never been addressed with such care and love by an elderly woman.

"You must be freezing. Here, take this." She wrapped a shawl around Safa's shivering body once she had settled on the sofa and Azlan had narrated them everything. It was as if she had a knack for being a mother to everyone. This woman had something so serene about her. She felt like huging her.

"Ow!" Raiana's shriek caught their attention as Azlan smacked her on the back of her head. She tightened up her pony tail. "Keep your 50 KGs hands off of me."

"Then try not to speak bullshit next time." She scrunched her nose.

"You must be hungry. We were just going to have breakfast. Come on." Mrs. Shehryar gestured her towards the dining area. Raina had reached already and was already eating. If only she could eat the entire kitchen!

"I'm gonna go freshen up." Azlan said before heading up the stairs. Her gaze followed him until he was out of sight.

"I hope you didn't mind me. I just have a running mouth. No one takes me seriously, anyway." Raina chirped as she sipped her chocolate shake.

"It's alright." She smiled meekly, her hands cloaked around the cup of coffee, inhaling the warmth inside her.

"Anyways, I hope my brother doesn't irritate you much. I know he can be the real pain in the gut." She nudged Safa playfully and a cup fell lose from her grip, splashing the coffee all on her shirt. She instantly stood up.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry." Raina clamped her mouth.

"Raina, how many times do I have to tell you to not do that?" Mrs. Shehryar fumed at her.

"No, it's okay. I wasn't holding the cup tightly." She said as she tried exorcising the rivulets of coffee out of her shirt. Almost the half of it had been ruined. Raina stood their with her puppy eyes as if all the innocence in the world ended on her.

"No, it's not okay. Raina, go and give her something else to wear."

"Yes, mom." She nodded like an obedient daughter she wasn't. "Come." She led Safa towards the staircase.