A short while later, the party was at its peak when Samad Shah stepped into the lawn. But everyone's eyes widened in shock the moment they saw Aryan entering right beside Samad.
There was a sense of calm on Samad's face; he did not consider it necessary to mention the fire incident that had happened at home just yet. He didn't want to mix that terrifying moment with the happiness of the party.
Both of them walked straight to the spot where the rest of the family was gathered. Zain, who was already irritated, exploded with anger when he saw Aryan with his father. Controlling his rage, he asked:
"Papa! You... you came with Aryan? Why is he here?"
Samad Shah shot a cold, sarcastic glance at his son and replied in a flat tone,
"Because my own son is a complete idiot. He wouldn't look good walking beside me, so I brought him along instead."
Hearing this, Zain's anger shot through the roof. His face turned red, but in front of his father's authority, he couldn't say a word and just clenched his fists.
Meanwhile, Aryan's eyes scanned through the crowd and stopped in one direction. Sara was standing there, holding a tiny doll in her arms. The baby was innocently looking around at the colorful balloons tied everywhere, giggling happily. In the entire party, those balloons were the biggest attraction for the child.
Aryan, who usually had no particular attachment to children, found himself drawn toward the baby. Perhaps there was some magic in that innocent face-something that could melt even the hardest heart. Aryan reached closer and, moved by her innocence, extended his hand to touch her soft cheeks.
But fate had other plans.
Just as Aryan's fingers came close, something on his hand (perhaps a ring) pricked nearby, and a balloon beside them burst with a loud bang.
That ear-splitting sound terrified the baby. She flailed her arms and legs and began crying loudly in fear. Sara, who had been relaxed seeing her baby playing, was startled by the sudden blast and the baby's screams. She immediately stood up and moved away to calm her child.
A little while later-
Suddenly, a host announced enthusiastically,
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Now it's time for our little stars - the 'Kids Couple Dance'!"
Hearing this, Tanya and Mazid began gathering all the children and taking them toward the dance area. In the same crowd, Aliza-who had already been quite impressed by Aryan's "hero-style" entry-jumped excitedly and ran to her father, Samad Shah.
"Papa! Papa please... tell Aryan to dance with me!" Aliza requested sweetly.
Smiling, Samad Shah looked at Aryan and said,
"Aryan beta, go on... make Aliza happy."
Aryan's expression was worth seeing. He absolutely hated spinning around with kids, but Samad Shah's favor and authority were such that he couldn't say no. Poor Aryan, forcing himself, walked toward the dance area with Aliza like a sacrificial goat heading to slaughter.
On the other side, Saad was having the time of his life! As he looked through the crowd, his eyes landed on Zara. She was wearing a beautiful white frock, and her curly hair framed her face in a way that made her look like a fairy descended on earth. In every sense, she had become Saad's "moonlight."
Since the party belonged to Zara's family, she appeared quite confident. Saad thought to himself, "Saad, the iron is hot - strike now!" Without wasting a second, he fixed his hair, straightened up confidently, and walked toward Zara.
"Hi Zara! You look so pretty... will you dance with me?" Saad asked, placing his heart on his palm.
Zara tilted her head and thought for a moment, as if making a very important decision. Then, with a mischievous smile, she said,
"Yes, why not! I will!"
Saad felt as if violins started playing in the background. He couldn't believe his ears that Zara had agreed so easily. Immediately, like a gentleman, he extended his hand toward her, eyes full of dreams.
But... Zara was Zara!
The moment Saad extended his hand, Zara quickly stepped aside. Saad's hand stopped right in front of the girl standing directly behind her.
This girl was the most boring and weird girl at the party-just looking at her made Saad anxious. The situation was such that Saad had already extended his hand in front of everyone, and that girl (who was already waiting for a partner) shyly stepped forward and held Saad's hand.
Away from the noise and chaos, in a quiet corner of the hall, Sara was unsuccessfully trying to calm her beloved daughter, Sahar. The baby refused to stop crying; her sobs pierced Sara's heart. Mahad, worried, followed behind them. Exhausted, Sara sat down on a long, soft sofa nearby, but the baby continued to cry.
Just then, a soft yet confident voice echoed:
"Please be quiet, Angry Bird!"
Sara froze. She and Mahad looked at each other in shock. Hearing such a strange name for her daughter, Sara turned around and saw a 6-7-year-old boy sitting there. He looked quite "cool"-a camera was hanging around his neck. Surprisingly, Sahar, who had been impossible to calm, suddenly went silent and stared at the boy with her tear-filled eyes.
Sara smiled gently and said,
"She's not an Angry Bird, she's my daughter."
The boy looked at Sahar, who had now started smiling at him, and said stylishly,
"Okay, sorry! But she's very cute, just like a parrot."
"But she's not a parrot," Sara corrected him again.
"She is a parrot! Look, her nose has turned so red," he said, pointing out how Sahar's nose had turned bright red from crying.
Sara was amazed. Sahar was now giggling and stretching her tiny hands toward the boy.
Laughing, Sara said,
"Alright, if you're giving her a nickname, at least give her a nice one."
He thought for a moment and said innocently,
"Okay... she's just like a little squirrel, so tiny... or maybe a little bird."
Sara burst into laughter. In such a short time, the boy had given her daughter so many cute names.
While playing, Sahar grabbed the shiny ring hanging around his neck. Seeing the fascination in the baby's eyes for the sparkling object, he understood that she liked it. So that she wouldn't start crying again, without thinking twice, the 6-7-year-old boy removed the ring from his neck and put it on the 4-5-month-old baby girl.
Sara asked in surprise, smiling,
"You gave her such an expensive gift?"
Mahad and Sara were still enjoying this sweet interaction when a heavy, authoritative voice called out:
"Ahaan!!"
Everyone looked forward and saw Azhar standing there. Dressed in a three-piece suit, hands in his pockets, his aura was quite intimidating. Ahaan immediately stood up and went to his father.
Azhar placed his hand on his son's head and said,
"Go to your mother now. There are many guests waiting-go meet them."
Mahad was shocked to realize that this child was none other than Azhar's son.
Azhar slowly stepped closer to Sara and, looking at Sahar's innocence, said softly,
"She's nice... just like you."
Mahad understood that Azhar hadn't said this to Sara, but to him. But the very next moment, a sharpness entered Azhar's tone as he looked at Mahad and said,
"But... keep her very protected from certain people."
When it was time to leave, Mahad once again started looking for Ahaan. He wanted to gift him a photo frame he had taken from Mazid, since it was the first time he had met him. After searching a lot, he finally found Ahaan and went up to him.
"Hi!! Ahaan."
Ahaan looked at Mahad, and Mahad immediately handed him the packed gift. Seeing it, Ahaan asked for permission,
"Can I open it here and see what's inside?"
Mahad allowed him, saying,
"Yes, okay, you can open it."
As soon as he opened it, Mahad was shocked. Inside should have been a photo of his mother, Suhana, but instead, it was Sahar's photo-where she looked extremely beautiful and was laughing brightly.
Seeing this, Mahad said,
"Oh, maybe the gifts got exchanged. But since you like Sahar, consider this as your gift."
Ahaan smiled at Mahad and said,
"Thanks, Mamu!!"
and walked away.
Hearing that word f
or himself, Mahad was quite stunned, as if someone had just taught the child that he wasn't an uncle.
- To be Continued
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