Episode 16

* 7 years back*

Zinat's p.o.v

It was the first time I went to Aayat's house. She lived in a beautiful house; her parents were very sweet. Her dad loved to tease her mom while her mom would always fight back. After enjoying Pizza, when we reached, Aayat changed into a comfy Pink pyjama which made me cringe. She was always the girly type. We spent time in her room then came out for dinner. The menu was ravishing, who would refuse to eat butter chicken and dhal makhani. There she saw a guy completely immersed in his phone. He had messy hair, and his eyes were shining.

Suddenly, he lifted his gaze from his phone and looked at me. I quickly looked everywhere else aside from him. " Zinat, why are your cheeks red?" asked Aayat. This girl would drag me in trouble. " I don't know" I whispered as I sat next to her. The guy was sitting opposite from me and had a smile plastered on his face. " Zubbu, why are you smiling now?" she asked innocently which made him choke his drink. I held back a laugh and patted the back of my innocent friend. Sitting next to Zubbu, was another guy, he was tall and was laughing incessantly.

"Kayra Aayat Ahmed, introduce your friend, at least!" ordered Aayat's mom. I frowned at the name as I never knew she had two names. " Oh well, this is Zinat, and Zinat here is my mom, dad, Zubair, my brother and lastly this is Aditya his best friend," she said pointing to each individual as she took their names. "Zinat" I saw him whisper and smiled.

Aditya heard him and winked at me. I wanted to dig a hole and hide away from them. After diner, Aayat and I joined the boys in the tv room and we began to play Monopoly. At around 9.30 I left for my house as I did not get permission to stay. However, that night, my thoughts and dreams were haunted by Zubair.

*present*

Aayat was eating the naan and butter chicken that Aditya brought for her. "Aadi you know exactly how to get me to eat! Thank you!" she chirped. Aditya smiled and patted her head. "Psycho, you know I missed you and Zubbu every day, tell me something about him" requested a sleepy Aayat. "well, he was your brother, shouldn't you be the one to have more stories to tell?" he teased. He knew very well that Aayat was completely oblivious about things around her. Therefore, her brother kept a lot of things from her. Aayat pout and looked away.

"Okay, fine but close your eyes," he said taking a seat near the bed. On impulse, Aayat closes her eyes and turned to him. " Now start!" she said childishly, which made Aditya laugh. " You know who gave you the name Kayra? It was Zubbu who decided to name you like that, he said that this identity was for your kind and princess-like nature. That princess who was calm and composed, who would spread some love around her but at the same time would not let anyone step on her. He refused to let anyone call you Kayra though this was your official name, because he said, that only when you reached that status, then only you can acquire that name," he narrated. Aayat was still listening as she knew there was more to it.

" But then, though you do spread some love around you, you were always impulsive and you were fragile, that is why he never called you Kayra. But now, I want to accomplish his wish, turn you from Aayat to Kayra! And until you reach this step, you will still be Aayat" he whispered the last part as he realised that Aayat fell asleep. Aditya sighed and went to meet Zinat and found her crying silently. She was playing with her engagement ring. "He would not want you to cry like this. It's been two months now; you need to move ahead in life. Take a break from everything, find yourself again because this is not the Zinat I know," he said and wiped her tears. " But Aayat? How will she manage? She is still weak," protested Zinat.

" Before you say you'll handle her, there is no way I am leaving her, not until she is strong and healthy again," added Zinat. " Fine, but when she is back on her feet and ready to fight, you'll be training to take Zubbu's place in the company. I know this was not your plan, but as his fiancée, what was his is now yours, he asked me to do that before he left and I waited for you to recover but it seems like you stopped living too," he instructed. Zinat sighed and nodded.

She had promised Zubair to take care of his sister and she felt like she failed somewhere in her mission. As if reading her thoughts, he said, " You have not failed, you are the reason why she is willing to fight, you always were." Zinat smiled and replied, " and this was why Zubbu loved me, I was turning Aayat into his Kayra."