Anees broke the quiet room with the most obvious question on everyone's mind: "Now what?"Ahmed Mamo rubbed his temples, looking at the stock they had just brought in. "Thanks to Mariam's pantry, we found enough supplies to last us about a week." He let out a heavy sigh, the weight of the future bearing down on him. "Well, it's better than nothing."Saad leaned over to Mariam, keeping his voice low, though Ashad was listening closely. "To be honest, how much do you guys even eat? We have food meant for a week, but we are thirty-one people in total here!"Ashad gave Saad a sharp nudge with his elbow. "Don't tease her, man. She's not in a good mood right now."Hey, I was just trying to lighten the mood and make her happy," Saad retaliated, defensive but playful. Both boys glanced over at Mariam, who actually had a faint, genuine smile on her face. Saad smirked at Ashad, pointing a finger at his own chest. "See? I made her day a bit better by telling her one of my wholesome jokes."Mariam chuckled softly. "Actually, Saad, your jokes are much better."Saad puffed out his chest, looking completely blessed and victorious."Yeah, better at being awful Dad jokes," Ashad mocked. But Saad didn't give a damn. A girl had just validated his humor. In the universe of young Pakistani guys, if a girl says a single word of praise, a boy completely loses his mind with happiness. Ashad shoved Saad, who waved his hands in the air like he was receiving royal blessings. "Oh, fuck off, Saad."Saad turned around, flashing a grin, and silently mouthed the words back: 'Fuck you too.'As they squared up, they suddenly realized the entire room had gone dead silent. They turned their heads and saw all the family elders staring at them flatly. The two boys cleared their throats instantly. "Uh, please continue," they said in unison. Ahmed cleared his throat to get the meeting back on track. "We need to plan our next move. And since I am the oldest brother, I should take charge as the leader."Instantly, Uncle Haseeb, Hasan Mamo, and Anees shifted uncomfortably. Haseeb and Hasan stood up, joined by Anees. "Hold on, we are elders too. The leadership shouldn't just default to you."Before the family quarrel could escalate into a full-blown desi argument, Ashad stepped into the center of the room. "Let's just do a vote. It's the fairest way."The elders muttered in agreement. Ashad pointed to different sides of the spacious living room. "Alright, everyone who wants to vote for Ahmed Mamo, form a line on his side. Those voting for Uncle Haseeb sit over on his side. And do the same for Hasan Mamo."The voting began, and with thirty-one family members casting their preferences, the final tally was clear:
Hasan Mamo 1
Uncle Haseeb 12
Ahmed Mamo 18
Ashad had to actively bite his lip to stop from giggling at Hasan Mamo's single vote, which had quite obviously been cast solely by his loyal wife. However, the urge to laugh vanished the moment Ashad caught a glimpse of his mother Ayesha's terrifying death stare from across the room.Hasan Mamo shrugged gracefully, trying to save face. "Even if I had won, I would have handed the leadership over to my brother Ahmed. I am far too young for this burden anyway."Saad leaned into Ashad's ear, whispering in a low tone, "You know what, I'm actually beginning to like this guy."So, Ahmed Mamo wins," Ashad announced clearly."Fair enough," Uncle Haseeb said, stepping forward to shake Ahmed's hand respectfully."Here is my plan," Ahmed said, gesturing for everyone to listen closely. "There is a supermarket nearby. The initial chaos out on the streets seems to have gone silent for now. We will head out at the very first light of dawn tomorrow to gather bulk supplies."Uncle Haseeb nodded grimly. "We must be exceptionally careful. Law and order have collapsed, and humans are turning against each other. If other survivors see us looting the supermarket, they will fight us for it. "Exactly," Ashad added. "A market is an incredibly high-risk place. Everyone will have the same idea, or a dangerous group might have already taken control of it."Saad stood up to back the new leader's play. "But we have to execute Mamo's plan tomorrow. We can't afford to wait around and risk our current food running out completely."The room fell into deep thought. Ahmed looked around the circle of faces. "Let's execute this tomorrow at dawn. Shall we?"A collective nod went through the room; the plan was set.With the meeting adjourned, it was time for a much-needed rest. Ashad, Saad, and Areeb were selected to stay awake on the first watch. It was currently 2:00 PM, and the elders requested to be woken up by 5:00 PM so they could catch a quick afternoon nap.While Saad and Areeb stayed downstairs to distribute extra pillows and floor bedding to the massive crowd, Ashad slipped away to the rooftop. The burning stress of the day was catching up to him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a hidden pack of cigarettes, placed one between his lips, and lit it. Taking a long, deep drag, he felt the nicotine hit his system, finally relaxing his nerves after a hectic, terrifying day.A moment later, the rooftop door creaked open, and Saad and Areeb walked out. Areeb immediately pulled out his own pack, lighting up a cigarette of his own.Saad rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Well, look at that. It seems I am officially the only one left in this family with A1-quality lungs."Ashad laughed, blowing smoke into the afternoon air, while Areeb gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Oh, hush with your stupid jokes, Saad."Suddenly, the distinct sound of footsteps coming up the concrete stairs echoed through the stairwell. Saad peeked over the ledge and panicked. "Shit, it's Mariam! Throw it away, throw it!"Ashad's eyes widened. He aggressively flicked his glowing cigarette over the edge of the roof just as Mariam stepped out onto the terrace, her hands hidden behind her back.She walked over, her dark eyes scanning the boys suspiciously. "Were you smoking, Ashad?"No!" Ashad gasped out, his heart hammering as he braced for impact.Mariam crossed her arms, her eyes practically flaming. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop smoking?"Ashad quickly guided her to a shaded bench under the rooftop canopy, trying to soothe her. "I promise, I'll completely stop the exact day we get married." You'd better do it before our marriage, Mr. Siddique, or you are completely doomed," Mariam warned, though her tone softened slightly.Ashad smiled happily, snapping his hand up to his forehead. "Yes, boss! As you command."Areeb chuckled from the side. "Wow, Mariam, you sure are angry today."Mariam whipped her head around, her finger pointing sharply toward the edge of the roof. "And why are you still holding that? Throw it away, Areeb!"Areeb's jaw dropped. "Hey, why me?!" he complained innocently, but he quickly threw the cigarette over the ledge anyway."If I catch either of you smoking ever again, I will personally kill you. Am I clear?" she demanded.Yes, sir!" the two boys replied in unison.With the boys thoroughly scolded, Mariam finally let out a long, deep breath and sat back. But as the adrenaline wore off, the crushing reality of her morning came rushing back. Her eyes welled with tears, and she began to cry softly. The three boys immediately gathered around her, trying their best to comfort her."I miss them so much..." she sobbed, thinking of her parents.Saad rushed downstairs and returned a moment later, handing her a glass. "Here, drink this $H_2O$. Science says it helps calm the nervous system!Mariam sniffled, initially shaking her head to refuse it, but Ashad gently took the glass and held it out to her, his voice incredibly soft. "Drink it, Mariam. Just a few sips."She took the glass, swallowed a bit of water, and took a deep, shaky breath, slowly stabilizing herself."Everything is going to be okay soon," Ashad reassured her, wiping a tear from her cheek.Hoping to change the mood, Areeb grinned. "Well, I actually have something that might chill us all up." He dashed back downstairs to the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with four ice-cold bottles of soda. "There you go!"He handed them out. Ashad cracked his open, taking a refreshing sip. "Wait, where did you get these? I thought the kitchen drinks were finished."Areeb sat down on the floor, taking a long gulp. "Oh, yeah, I secretly hid four bottles in the back of the fridge earlier so we could actually enjoy something while staying up on guard duty."Mariam looked up at the sturdy fiberglass roof shading the terrace. "Thank God you installed this roof structure up here, Areeb, otherwise the afternoon sun would have roasted us alive."No thanks required," Areeb smiled. "By the way, what's the time?"Ashad glanced down at his wristwatch. "Five more minutes until it's 5:00 PM."Areeb stood up, stretching his arms. "Alright, let's head down and start waking everyone up."Yes, we should," Mariam agreed, wiping her face.They headed downstairs and systematically woke up the resting family members so they could prepare for the Asr prayer. Once everyone had performed their Wudu, Ashad stood in the hallway and delivered the beautiful, echoing Adhan. The family stood tightly together, shoulder-to-shoulder, as Ahmed Mamo stepped up to lead the prayer. After concluding the Salah, they raised their hands, repeating the emotional Dua Ahmed had made during the Dhuhr prayer.With the prayers completed, Ahmed Mamo called everyone into the drawing-room to assign official household survival duties: Guard Duty (12:00 AM to Asr): Ashad, Saad, and Mariam.Night Guard Duty (Isha to Fajr): Anees and Karim.Combat & Self-Defense Training: Anees (utilizing his martial arts background to train the family).Child Education & Schooling: Tania and Mariam (ensuring the kids didn't lose out on stability).Kitchen & Rationing Management: Ammi (Ayesha) and Aunt Farah.Since their immediate shifts were clear, Ashad, Areeb, Saad, and Mariam finally went to get some real sleep. The boys crashed heavily on the extra mattresses laid out in Saad's room, while Mariam joined Tania in Mahnoor's old bedroom.They woke up again at 6:15 PM, roughly half an hour before the Maghrib prayer. Ashad dragged himself out of bed ten minutes early to prepare for the Adhan. After the evening prayer was completed, the exhausted teenagers went straight back to their rooms to rest.Finally, at 8:15 PM, the household gathered one last time to pray the Isha prayer. Once the carpets were rolled away, the core team assembled in the central hallway to finalize the logistics for tomorrow's dangerous supermarket run.Ahmed Mamo looked around the circle. "Alright, who is volunteering to come outside with me tomorrow?"Instantly, Ashad stood up. Saad and Areeb rose right alongside him. Anees stood up next, followed by Omar Mamo, Ahsan, and Uncle Khalil. A total of eight capable men volunteered for the strike team, while the remaining adults were tasked with barricading and protecting the house while they were gone.Ahmed unrolled a rough piece of paper on the table, pointing to the layout. "Now, listen to the plan. It's simple and structured: Team A (Medicine & First Aid): Myself, Ashad, and Ahsan.Team B (Food & Rations): Saad, Areeb, and Anees.Team C (Perimeter Guard & Security): Omar and Khalil."We move fast, grab what we need, and get back to the car immediately."It was a solid, effective plan. As the general family members began to disperse to their rooms, Ahmed called the seven volunteers close, his voice dropping into an incredibly low, deadly serious whisper so the women and children downstairs couldn't hear."Listen to me carefully," Ahmed said, looking each young man dead in the eye through his glasses. "If things go wrong out there... if we lose someone... we retreat. Do not try to be a hero. Do not even try to recover them. You just turn around, retreat, and bring the survivors back to safety. Am I understood?"The hard, chilling words hung heavily in the air—a brutal reminder of the world they were now living in.