After a three-hour discussion, the three were standing at the main gate of the Bayg family house. They took a deep breath and Azlaan took the lead inside with the ladies at his tail.
Saira had played her cards beautifully, wrapping both siblings around her fingers. She was once a famous deal maker after all. She never in her life lost a contract. She had realised one thing the moment her eyes fell on the bill and the currency, she must rely on someone to get by till she finds a way to fend for herself. The system here looked quite similar but it wasn't exactly the same. These were the only people who were willing to help and she could goat.
The family meeting was as chaotic as the siblings thought but not as extreme as Saira had feared. She was wide-eyed at how they were talking to each other. She always knew happy families existed, but never had she seen one first-hand. The experience was rich and stunning for Saira.
"You rest here." Sana led her to a room straight away and closed the door behind her. It seemed like a guest room, the design and color was one of a kind.
She heard people talk outsilde as she dozed of on bed.
"Who is she?" Mrs. Bayg asked.
"A friend of mine. Saira. You remember Saira from school?"
"No I don't. What is Saira from school doing in our guestroom?" Mrs. Bayg was already suspicious of a long twist coming ahead.
"Well, I asled her to stay wigh us for sometime."
"She didn't even greet anyone."
"She is sick. She has a high fever. So I took her to rest direct. She'll of course greet when she wakes up."
"Sana why do I think you amd your brother has taken a homeless home?"
Gulping their fear down, one nodded, while other shook her head.
"What!?" Mr. And mrs. Bayg were too stunned to process at first but as their feared realization sunk in they were angry and all over the place.
"What do you both mean!? You really brought a homless street dweller home!? What were you two thinking!? Semd her away right very now!!" Mrs. Bayg could be heard by the end of their street at this point.
"Mom! Stop yelling! You are so embarrassing!" Azlaan pulled her in to a chair and brought her water. "She isn't some homeless person. She really is Sana's childhood friend. She is an architect. Search her online if you don't believe me. Saira Anees. Go search her."
Saira's heart dropped in the room. What if she isn't on the data here?? She wanted the floor to open up and engulf her whole. All the sleep was gone amd she was wide awake now.
For a long moment there was absolute silence.
Saira almost burst opened the door and ran to explain. But then she heard finally Mrs. Bayg say: "still you can't bring someone home like this."
"What could we do. She just returned Buddul from abroad and got acammed off everything. Her brother doesn't want him. Her parents both dead. She has no place nor person here to go to. What could we do when we saw her. Should we have left her on street. A person of such high status, robbed of everything in one night. What could I do as her friend. It's just a matter of time.." Sana pleaded.
"But why does it says she is 30?" Mr. Bayg asked.
"She was a senior at school." Sana replied. "She is.. actually bhai's classmate!"
"Azlaan, you knew her?" Mrs. Bayg asked in shock.
"Yes, yes. She was my classmate but her friend.." Azlaan confirmed her with a slow sturdy voice after a pause.
Saira took a sigh of relief and was astonished too. So she could be searched? That means she is still somewhere in her own world perhaps? Cause a lightning realization was hitting her; what if she was in a parallel world..? Somehow her door became a portal and she ended up traveling to this world from hers. But then how can she be searched.
It was just an idea, but it was wcary to even think of. But what else could it all be..?
She wanted to search alot but she had no mobile, no laptop.
"Here it says she has won many awards and all.. is she really this famous architect?" Mrs. Bayg asked.
"Yes my dear mother. Don't worry." Sana said.
"How do I not! You brought in a sickly woman home without asking or saying anything. How long will she be staying?"
Saira thought she'll say further, 'what will people say when they see an unknown girl living with us!? What will society say?'
But she never said that. No one did. Since the moment she met this family, no one made her feel lost and alone. No one cared what everyone will say. The children were scared of what to explain to their parents. Parents worry if the children are making the right choices, interacting with right people. So normal. So very normal. She couldn't hear what they said or not after it.
Tears started streaming down her face. How much she had wished her family to be like that. How many times had she fall asleep in hopes when she wakes up next day people in her house will not be there. Her family will be new. Her's. The memory of last night once again playing in her head. She remembered now. She had so much wanted to die last night. The pain was too much to be alive that she had to do it. It had always been her way of relieving her pain. She had to cut herself. It didn't make her die, it's never deep enough, that was but just how she had passed out. She had bled.
She quickly looked at her arms and wrists. Scars after scars. She was not suicidal. She'd explain this as her way of slacking some ease to her soul from unbearable pain. She hadn't done it in a long time. It's had been 7 years.
Suddenly the door burst open and poeple rushed in.
She realized she was sitting on the ground sobbing and crying. She quickly covered her arms. But the panic had started.
She couldn't breath. She felt as if someone had erased her lungs from her body. No way for air to enter her body. She wanted to stand and hide from the crown but couldn't see a things. It was all dark.
An abyss.
They pulled her up, sat her on bed, gave her water. She could make zero sense out of everything.
Why does she still love them? Why does her heart still hurt for them?
She kept staring in nothingness.
'Why..'
She remembered the drawing she had made when she was a child. The drawing of a family. Her family. Mom, dad, Sameer. Her family. People she still love.
'May be, he's sorry for all that. May be he'll apologise for his actions. Perhaps I should try to go back. Yes.. yes.. they love me too. They just don't know how to show.. yes..'
" Lemme go back.." she said trying to break free of the hands trying to hold her.
Mrs. Bayg was hugging her tight. She was seeing someone familiar in Saira. Her heart broke for the girl.
She asked Sana to bring in some sedatives. They've kept those for Azlaan of 4 years back.
She was recognising it. Saira was having a breakdown. She was unable to see and understand her surroundings.
Sana slept with Saira that night. They didn't want to leave her alone.
Saira dreamt of her dream. A happy place.