Back in the villa, the situation was still heavy with grief. When Zafar's body was taken away, Aliya fainted, and now some elders of the family were trying to console her while the doctor, bought by Ibrahim to keep the story of a "heart attack of Zafar" intact, checked on her. In the Rahman family, post-mortem was considered disrespectful to the dead—it showed hatred, not love—so no one dared to question the cause. Everything was handled quietly, exactly as Ibrahim wanted.
When he returned from the graveyard, he searched for Samir and Zainab. He hadn't taken Samir to the graveyard. At only twelve, the boy was far too young to carry such a scar in his memory.
He went upstairs and found them in his room. A few other children of the guests were also there. The sound of little laughs was there, but Zainab's face quickly changed when she saw Ibrahim enter.
"Ibi… thank God you came," Zainab rushed towards him, "Nobody asked us for food. I'm so hungry. I didn't eat anything since morning. My stomach is making sounds. Samir also didn't eat. We are waiting, waiting, and waiting, but nobody gave us even a single bread."
She was too young to understand grief, but she could feel hunger. The house was filled with guests, rituals, and sadness. And in that crowd, children often got forgotten.
Ibrahim bent down to her level and wiped the corner of her teary eye. "It's okay, Zainab. They are serving food downstairs now. After funerals, it is a ritual to feed the guests. Go and eat with the other kids."
The children ran out happily, like birds flying from a cage, but Ibrahim held back Samir and Zainab by their hands gently. "But wait, first listen to me. Then you two can go."
Samir looked up at him, "What happened, Ibrahim? Will you say Dad will come back again? Maybe he will surprise us?"
The eldest brother sat down on the floor in front of them so he could speak face to face. Both little siblings sat. Ibrahim put one hand on Zainab's shoulder and the other on Samir's knee.
"No. Dad won't come now. Every person has a time in this world. When that time finishes, they don't come back. Not for a surprise, not for anything. It doesn't matter how much we love them or how much we wait. They never come back after that. I want both of you to understand something very clearly. Don't ever ask Mom where Dad is, or when he will come back. Mom is going through the hardest time of her life. Her heart is broken in a way we can't imagine. If you ask her these questions again and again, she will lose her mind completely. She will not be able to bear it. Do you understand me?"
The little siblings nodded. Zainab whispered, "But Mom is crying too much, Ibi… every time I see her, she's crying."
Ibrahim sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, "That is why I'm telling you this. You both have to be strong for her now. She doesn't need more pain, she needs strength. You two are her strength. If she looks at you and sees you hopeless or asking for Dad, it will crush her even more. But if she sees you trying to be brave, eating, studying, living… then maybe she will find some courage to go on. Promise me you both will try?"
Samir looked down, his fingers fidgeting nervously. Zainab wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Both of them nodded slowly.
Ibrahim pulled them closer, hugging them tightly. For the first time since the burial, he felt how heavy Zafar's absence truly was—but he also knew, from now on, he had to become both a brother and a father for these two.
He sent Samir and Zainab downstairs. Their little feet ran happily, finally able to eat after hours of waiting. Just then, Amir entered. He had been handling Ibrahim's unfinished work—not only in the graveyard, but also around the house.
He had made sure the guests' rooms were cleaned, the leftover flowers and wreaths from the funeral were packed away, and even organized the dining hall. He locked the door behind him.
Ibrahim took off his dusty coat and hung it carefully. Then he sat in front of his study table, opening his diary and picking up a pen.
Amir stood silently near the table for a moment, "Aunt Nafisa came to the grave after everyone left. She brought Nayla with her..."
Ibrahim froze mid-sentence. His hand stopped moving across the paper, and his eyes narrowed. "From when has that woman become your aunt?"
"Don't be childish, Ibrahim. She is older than me, and I have to address her properly. You… you need to meet her at least once. She has a child. And she has been completely dependent on your father for everything. She needs monthly expenses—her life, her child… it all comes from your father. And now… it will be your responsibility to help her. I know it's not easy, but she's part of his life now, whether you like it or not. They need support. It's better to face it now than let them suffer."
Ibrahim's eyes darkened. He leaned back, gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white, "Today, everyone told me I have grown up like him—like Zafar. They said I will be a good businessman one day, like my father. Do they see what I see? No. They don't. They see only the outside. They don't know what he took from me. Do you know, Amir. He stole everything! My chance to be normal, my chance to trust, my chance to love freely! One day, if I try to love someone, I know the darkness inside me will take over. I will betray her. I will cheat her. I will break her heart and shatter her life, just like my so called Dad did. Every thought of love now… every dream of a family… it dies inside me before it even begins. Because deep down, I know who I am. I have his blood in me. I have his thoughts, his anger. One day… I know… one day, I would become him. And I would destroy everything I love. How could I ever bring someone into this world knowing that?"
He slammed his fist lightly on the diary. "And now… now you are asking me to send money to that woman… and her child? I will never give a single penny to her. Not a single one! I would be… happier… if they both disappeared from this world. If the mother and her child… were gone, I would be relieved! I would not even think twice!"
Amir wanted to calm Ibrahim down that night, to take the fire out of his words. But before Amir could say anything more, Ibrahim turned his face away, almost begging, "Leave… please… I want to be alone."
Amir stood there for a moment, but when he saw Ibrahim's shoulders heavy like a man carrying the weight of a thousand lives. He nodded quietly and left the room. Amir knew it was a mistake to bring Nafisa's name that night. He should have waited. He should have talked later. The wound was still fresh, and Ibrahim's heart was still bleeding.
One month later the Rahman family came back to Kuala Lumpur. The house didn't feel the same. Nothing was normal—but everything had to be. Life, no matter how unfair, went on.
Ibrahim was not ready to continue his studies in London anymore. He had dropped everything and stayed close to his mother, helping her with the business, standing beside her in every situation and taking care of Samir and Zainab.
Younger siblings too slowly began returning to their routine lives. Samir started focusing on school again. Zainab, however, felt the change more deeply. The man who used to scold her, the one who often ignored her was no longer there. And strangely, in that absence, she felt both pain and freedom. Her days became lighter. Everyone only showed her love and care. But sometimes little Zainab realized how deeply she missed the one who used to discipline her. Love from everyone could never replace the sharp absence of one person. She missed the familiar harshness.
Months slipped. Before Ibrahim's semester began again, Aliya urged him not to waste the year. If he skipped, he would have to wait another full year to reappear. Reluctantly, Ibrahim agreed. He returned to his studies, knowing it was necessary for the future. And here work helped Aliya. It stopped her from crying every night while staring at Zafar's picture.
Years passed. Ibrahim completed his graduation, then his Master's degree. During his Master's, he met Faisal. Their friendship began when Ibrahim intervened to protect Faisal from seniors who were bullying him. From that day, a deep bond was formed. Meanwhile, Amir, caught up in a serious long-distance relationship with Mia, could not spend much time with his friends. This allowed Ibrahim and Faisal's friendship to grow even stronger, built on loyalty, trust.