The following morning, Maya woke earlier than usual.
A strange heaviness lingered in her body. Instead of getting out of bed, she remained still, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Fragments of the previous day drifted through her mind—the unanswered message in the family group, the silence that followed, and, above all, Zain's unusual concern.
The more she thought about it, the more perplexed she became.
After a while, she pushed the thoughts aside and stepped out of bed.
As she entered the lounge, she stopped abruptly.
Zain was sitting comfortably on the sofa, leisurely sipping a cup of coffee.
Instinctively, her eyes moved toward the wall clock.
Nine o'clock.
A faint crease appeared on her forehead.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been at the office by now.
"That's strange..." she murmured under her breath.
Zain noticed the confusion on her face.
"What happened, Maya?" he asked, setting the cup on the table. "Why do you look so surprised?"
Before she could answer, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Oh, I see," he said. "You weren't expecting me to be here."
Maya remained silent.
"I took the day off from work," he continued. "And judging by that expression, I don't think you're very impressed with my surprise."
Maya looked at him, a multitude of unspoken questions lingering in her eyes.
After a brief pause, she said, "I must admit, this is unexpected. Your taking a day off from work is surprising enough. The fact that you've chosen to spend it with me is even more surprising."
A faint trace of irony lingered beneath her words.
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked toward the kitchen.
A short while later, carrying her breakfast, she returned to the lounge.
Zain was still sitting on the sofa.
It seemed as though he had been waiting for her.
"Maya, come and sit here," he said. "We need to plan our trip."
She quietly took a seat beside him.
For several minutes, the room remained silent.
Maya focused on her breakfast while Zain occasionally glanced in her direction, as though searching for the right words.
At last, Maya broke the silence.
"What changed?" she asked softly.
Zain frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Maya lowered her gaze to her plate.
"You've been unusually thoughtful since yesterday."
A faint smile appeared on Zain's face.
"Are you trying to say that I've never been thoughtful before?"
Embarrassment flickered across Maya's expression.
"No, that's not what I meant."
Not wanting to prolong her discomfort, Zain gently changed the subject.
"By the way," he said, "I haven't seen Sara or Azan online lately. Have they been keeping in touch with you?"
Maya hesitated.
Then she replied quietly,
"Not really. I suppose they're busy with their studies and exams."
Throughout the conversation, Zain's attention seemed divided.
Although he was speaking to Maya, his eyes repeatedly drifted toward his phone. It was as though he were waiting for an important message.
A few moments later, his phone vibrated.
He unlocked the screen, read the message, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Maya noticed the change in his expression.
Her curiosity deepened.
Turning his attention back to her, Zain said, "Maya, as I told you earlier, my leave has been approved. In two days, we'll be leaving for the northern areas."
Maya parted her lips to object, but Zain raised a hand before she could speak.
"No arguments," he said firmly. "This time, my decision is final."
Before Maya could respond, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and immediately stood up.
"I'll be right back."
A few minutes later, he returned to the lounge.
"I've arranged for a few maids to come and do a thorough cleaning of the house today," he said. "Would you mind supervising them?"
Maya looked at him suspiciously.
The request felt unusual.
Zain rose from the sofa and picked up his car keys.
"I have some urgent work to take care of," he said. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."
Then, after a brief pause, he added,
"And Maya... wear something nice today."
A puzzled expression crossed her face.
"Why?"
A faint smile touched Zain's lips.
"Because we have some special guests coming over."
Before Maya could ask another question, he walked out of the house.
The sound of the closing door echoed through the lounge.
For several moments, Maya remained seated on the sofa, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
The cleaning, the phone calls, the mysterious smile, the unexpected guests—
Nothing seemed to fit together.
Eventually, she pushed the thoughts aside and began supervising the maids.
Later, she returned to her room and opened her wardrobe.
After a moment's consideration, she pulled out a purple outfit and carefully ironed it.
Just as she finished getting ready, her phone rang.
It was Zain.
She answered immediately.
"Maya," he said, his voice carrying an unusual excitement, "make sure you're ready."
There was a brief pause.
"We'll be home within an hour."
She was still standing before the mirror.
After placing her phone on the dressing table, she studied her reflection for a moment.
"I look different today," she whispered softly. "Perhaps because I got ready after such a long time."
Yet her thoughts refused to settle.
Zain's unusual behaviour, his sudden leave from work, the planned trip to the northern areas, the mysterious guests—nothing seemed to make sense.
A faint frown appeared on her forehead.
With a deep sigh, she pushed the thoughts aside and instructed the maids to leave after completing the cleaning.
The house had barely fallen silent when the doorbell rang.
Maya's heart skipped a beat.
Slowly, she walked toward the front door.
As her fingers touched the handle, she realized that her hands were trembling.
She took a deep breath and pulled the door open.
The world seemed to pause.
Sara and Azan stood before her.
For a moment, Maya simply stared at them.
Her mind refused to believe what her eyes were seeing.
"Azan... Sara..."
Their names escaped her lips in a broken whisper.
A smile appeared on Azan's face.
"Mama," he said gently, "this isn't a dream. We're really here."
Maya blinked several times, as though she feared the scene might disappear if she looked away.
Then, without thinking, she stepped forward.
Azan wrapped his arms around her, and a moment later Sara joined them.
The embrace broke something inside her.
Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them.
For several seconds, she could do nothing except hold her children close.
Sara laughed softly and wiped a tear from Maya's cheek.
"Mama, are you planning to keep us standing outside all day?"
At that, Azan and Zain burst into laughter.
Maya shook her head and smiled through her tears.
"No," she whispered. "Come inside."
And for the first time in many months, the house no longer felt empty.
They all made their way to the TV lounge.
Only a day earlier, every corner of the house had been drowned in silence. Now, the same walls echoed with laughter and cheerful voices.
Yet traces of melancholy still lingered behind Maya's smile.
She glanced thoughtfully at Zain before shifting her gaze toward Sara and Azan. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Now she finally understood the reason behind Zain's mysterious behaviour.
The phone calls.
The cleaning.
The unexpected leave from work.
Everything suddenly made sense.
A stream of thoughts drifted through her mind.
This is all because of the message I posted in the family group.
A wave of embarrassment washed over her.
For years, she had taken pride in facing life's hardships without seeking sympathy from anyone. Yet a single message had exposed the loneliness she had worked so hard to conceal.
Lowering her gaze, she whispered to herself,
"I should never have sent that message."
Before her thoughts could wander any further, Azan interrupted.
"Mama," he said with a grin, "how do you like our surprise? We wanted to make this birthday special for you."
Maya forced a smile and replied softly,
"But because of this surprise, you've all missed your favourite dinner."
The lounge immediately filled with laughter.
Zain shook his head.
"Maya, you worry too much," he said. "I've already ordered dinner—and a birthday cake as well."
A look of surprise crossed Maya's face.
The laughter grew louder, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to forget the questions that had been weighing on her heart.5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0LS5oXb3F
and then Add to home screen.