1 Chapter One

A large house was filled with the racket of people. Little kids ran up and down the stairs, colliding with adults and each other, having their own fun. The grownups seemed busy and pressed for time, yelling at the teens with frowns, yet an excitement couldn't be hidden on their faces.

"Why are they acting like this?" Sitting in the living room was a group of girls. They were young, yet older than the teens. They wore simple clothes; salwar kameez's. They didn't have much makeup on, yet they all looked pretty like dolls. "Don't your parents visit your brother like three times a year? Plus, you go and visit him like five times a year." Of the group of girls, one of them had light brown hair with a small nose piercing. Her hazel eyes were large and attractive, and her skin tone was somewhat lighter then the others. In her hand was a phone a bit bigger than her small hands. In the group, she sat closer to a girl around the same age as her, yet that girl was holding a little baby girl. The question seemed directed towards her rather than the group.

"Well, unlike the other times, my brother isn't going to be working most of the time, plus he hasn't come to this house in maybe eight years now. He was too busy with university, work, and so much more." The girl with the little girl smiled and explained, while gently caressing the child's cheek. "Of course they would be a bit anxious, other than my parents and me, my brother hasn't met my aunts, uncles, and cousins in eight years. So, most of them are a bit excited."

Listening to her explanation, the pretty girl nodded her head. "I haven't seen him in a while, but I don't remember being so important in his family. No offence to him or anything, but wasn't your brother always just doing his own thing, maybe sometimes hanging out with his cousins?"

"Well yeah, but…" Thinking a bit, she smiled a little with helplessness. "I can't really explain it. He isn't the oldest boy in the family, nor is he the most loved, but everyone kind of considers him the next head in a way. Even my bhaijan considers him as the head of the family. His importance is different, I don't know. It's complicated." She didn't know how to explain it. It was a weird situation in the family that only people in the family would understand. It couldn't be explained with words.

"Whatever you say. Still though, why do we all have to go on this trip?" The pretty girl complained a little. "Anya, can't you tell your parents that Aliya is unwilling or something?"

"Inari, whether Aliya wants to go or not doesn't really matter." Anya spoke with a smile while looking at the little girl in her arms. "Saamir is obsessed with Aliya, and my mom knows this, so she is going to bring Aliya no matter what. Plus, Aliya loves to hang out with my brother too, after all he spoils her the most out of all her uncles."

"Fine." Inari sighed. She silently watched everyone rush around the house with a bit of annoyance. She would normally be happy, but being forced to wake up early in the morning, then being dragged to her friends house, just for a family trip, would make most irritated. Especially, if they knew nothing about it.

Time passed by slowly for Inari. She spoke with Anya and the rest of the girls, but it wasn't as fun since they were all tired and sleepy.

"Kesar, come here for a second." She called out to a teenage boy who was casually sitting on the stairs. He looked like he was barely in highschool.

"Yeah." He walked over with a bit of confusion. He also seemed tired, but his face showed a bit of fright.

"Why do you look so worried? Everyone seems so happy and stuff since Saamir is coming back, but you…" Inari was a little confused. This was Saamir's younger brother. She knew Saamir treated him well and even raised him in ways. Kesar even went and lived in America for a few years with Saamir.

Before Kesar could say a thing, a middle aged woman suddenly appeared behind him. "He's scared Saamir is going to beat him when he gets here." She laughed when she said this, yet didn't seem to be wanting to comfort the teen.

"Oh really?" Inari smiled at Kesar and asked teasingly. "What did you do?" Inari was close with Saamir's family, mostly because her mom and Saamir's mom were basically best friends. Plus, she was also best friends with Saamir's older sister, Anya. Since she knew the family well, Kesar was like a brother in some ways to her.

"I didn't do anything." He frowned and said, looking a bit jittery. "He just wants to hit me because he finds it fun."

"Saamir isn't going to hit you, relax." Kesars mom spoke while rubbing her son's head.

"Who will stop him, you? Dad? You guys let him do whatever he wants." He snorted a little, but didn't say anything more. It wasn't like he could do anything about his situation. Lifting his hand against his older brother was a big no. Not only was Saamir stronger than him, but he could never disrespect his brother like that. Saamir beat that into him of course.

Inari looked at him smilingly. "Why is your brother so aggressive? I thought he was a scaredy cat?" She was maybe a year or two younger then Saamir, but they knew each other well, atleast eight years ago, they met many times. From her memory, he was never the aggressive type, if anything, he always seemed like a yes man.

"He is a psychopath." Kesar said with a frown. "Once, he slapped me in the face just because I didn't bring him a glass of water. Actually, this didn't happen once, but so many times. He hits me for fun, not because I do bad things."

"That's horrible." She felt bad for Kesar. "Aunty, shouldn't you atleast tell Saamir to be a bit nicer?"

"Kesar is not even telling the complete truth. Saamir has never hit Kesar with the intention to hurt him." She snorted while grabbing her son's ears. "Did those slaps ever hurt? Huh? Of course not, Saamir never hits you hard. His is actually protecting you from your dad. If Saamir hits you, then your dad won't need to. Keep in mind, Saamir has never hit you hard, even when you got bad grades." She let go of his red ear and pushed his head away. "Get lost for now, go and pack your clothes. Once Saamir is here, I'll tell him what you were saying."

Kesar showed fright and quickly ran away. The relationship he had with Saamir was a little weird since there was a huge age gap between them; about ten years. Since this was the case, his mom and dad always let Saamir do what he wanted with him. It was a pitiful life, truly.

"Inari, where are your parents? They aren't picking up their phones. They were just supposed to grab the plastic plates and cups, where did they go?" Inari shook her head to the question.

"Not sure, after dropping me off, they just left." Inari was just told to wait at the house before leaving for the trip.

"Alright." Sighing a little, Tani aunty, Saamir's mom, got up and went back into the kitchen. She and some other aunties were supposed to prepare a bunch of food for the trip. It was a trip, but unlike the ones where one would go to a new country, the group were just taking a long road trip. They were going to explore Banff, one of the most scenic places in Canada, maybe even the world. Alteast, that's what Saamir's dad always said.

*Krrrrrrrrr*

Suddenly, a loud sound came from outside. It went quite quickly, but everyone in the house understood that it was the sound of a car.

"Saamir is here." Inari saw Tani aunty running to the door. She couldn't help but laugh a little seeing the sight. Especially since her hands were covered in a yellowish past.

Inari didn't follow, rather she watched all of Saamir's cousins, aunts, uncles, and even his two siblings rush outside. It would be weird if she ran out too. She didn't meet the man in eight years, and even back then they weren't close per say. Plus, her dad would get mad if she tried to do anything inappropriate, not that she would.

She waited a few seconds before seeing everyone coming back inside with smiles. 'Why would they rush out if they were going to come back in either way? Brown people are really weird.' Yet, she was a brown person herself. She also did this exact same thing when her dad would come back from work, when there was no reason for it.

"Saamir, why didn't you atleast get a haircut? Look at it, it's all messy. You look like an animal more than a human." Inari heard Tani auntie's voice. It seemed irritated.

"I just got here." Inari was a little surprised by this voice. It was a lot deeper from what she remembered. "Why are you always trying to make my hair short? I like it like this, it's not even that bad."

"I don't care. Everyone is going to be here soon. Hurry and have Anya cut your hair." She spoke angrily, completely contrasting the excitement and happiness from before.

"Are you serious? Mom, I literally just got her, let me atleast rest." His deep voice showed helplessness.

"No, also go and shave or something. Seriously Saamir, why can't you take proper care of yourself? You're not a kid anymore." The argument was funny to listen to. Inaru listened with a smiling expression. It was funny how easily Saamir got into trouble.

'Seems like that will never change.' She smirked and thought. Even back then he was always bashed at by his mom for never caring for his appearance. His mom always forced him to get haircuts, and when he started to grow a beard, he never kept it lined up, so he was forced to go clean shave. It was hilarious watching him get into trouble for these things back then.

"Mom, it isn't that I don't care for myself, it's just that you don't like my style." He retorted a little.

"Oh yes, the lazy look, right?" Anya's voice came suddenly. "You do know that you have to be atleast decent looking for such a look, right? Plus, what you call the lazy look isn't actually lazy, it's ugly."

"Screw off. No one's talking to you." Suddenly, Anya and Saamir began to bicker.

"Saamir, stop wasting time and get ready. Hurry up. Your dad will be home in an hour. Rest all you want until then." His mom suddenly growled, causing the other two voices to quiet down. Inari watched from the side as a man finally appeared in her line of sight. He was tall. His black hair was tied into a messy man bun, while his rough beard looked truly unkempt. She couldn't see him well since she was in the living room, but she could see his smiling face as he walked up the stairs. There was a bit of exhaustion on it, but what could you expect from someone who drove all the way to Calgary from California. It was a long drive which would make anyone tired.

After Saamir went up the stairs, everyone began to go do their own thing.

"Anya, should we show him the pictures now or later? I want him to choose within the year and hopefully get everything done as soon as possible. Saamir is twenty eight now. He's only getting older." Tani aunty began to speak in a hushed voice, but Inari could hear her nonetheless.

"Show it to him during the trip when his mood seems fine. You know how he is, if you irritate him, he gets riled up and begins to make a scene. Dad would get mad and slap him or something. Everything would just be bad from there." Anya answered her mom silently. "But still, I don't know if he will want to even go ahead with it. You know what his plans are, he isn't willing to stay here nor in California for too long. He's been talking about moving away for years now."

"Why is he such an idiot? He doesn't even need to work anymore, so staying here or in California wouldn't stress him out. Money isn't even a big issue anymore for him, so why does he keep persisting?" An annoyed sigh escaped Tani aunties mouth as she spoke quietly. "Talk some sense into him, he won't listen to me. If your dad talks to him, that would make things worse."

"He won't listen, he doesn't listen to me either. Maybe you should call his friend, Harsh. Saamir always says that Harsh knows him best and that they are like brothers, maybe Harsh could knock some sense into him." Inari silently listened, but didn't understand much of what they were talking about. All she could pick out was that Saamir wanted to leave somewhere, but his family didn't want him to.

Soon enough, the conversation ended. Anya walked into the living room and sat on the sofa near Inari. "Hey, what's going on?" Since they were best friends, Inari knew most of the ins and outs of what went on in the house, yet this was something she didn't know about.

Anya sighed and gave Inari a quick run down. "It's Saamir, he's twenty eight, yet unmarried. My mom has a bunch of potential girls he could marry, but the issue is, Saamir says he wants to go and live in Pakistan once he is around thirty five. He doesn't want to stay here anymore."

"Why? What does Pakistan have that would interest him?" Inari became even more confused. She knew Pakistan was a different environment, but she didn't think it was better than North America.

"He says the reason is peace and relaxation. He wants to open a clinic in Pakistan and be a casual doctor rather than work here in America where he finds it stressful." Anya showed an irritated expression. "The last time he went to Pakistan was when he was a little kid, I don't know why he thinks he could find what he wants there. Plus, Saamir makes enough money to live a stress free life here, I don't know why he is being so persistent."

"Weird." Inari also became a little confused. Most people who knew Saamir understood that he was a very wealthy man. He was literally a self-made millionaire in America. Though, it wasn't rare per-say to have such wealth in America, it wasn't common either. Saamir lucked out since he made a large sum from doing real-estate with his friend, Harsh. Both of them moved to California to do their degrees. Saamir went into medicine, while Harsh went into veterinary. They bought their first house together, then sold it for a large sum, then bought two more slightly smaller houses, placed those under rent, etc. It was a long process that took the two about ten years. Yet, they succeeded in the end and both became millionaires, of course, they were nothing when compared to true millionaires, like actors/actresses, and those big shots. Still, it was better than lots of others.

"Anyways, whatever he decides, I will support him. Even though my mom and dad aren't really against him moving to Pakistan, the issue is that who would be willing to marry such an unambitious person? Like, think about it. Would you prefer to live in Pakistan for the rest of your life, or stay in North America?" Anya massaged her temples while trying to wrap her mind around the thoughts of her younger brother.

Inari understood the issue and knew her answer right away; she would rather stay in North America. She didn't have anything against Pakistan, but it wasn't as safe, nor as clean, nor did it have as many opportunities, especially for females. Not now atleast. Another big issue was kids. People moved out of Pakistan to give their kids better opportunities in North America, that was what her parents did and Saamir's parents. She felt that if someone moved back to Pakistan and had kids there, the chances of big success would be much lower. "Your brother is an idiot, no offence."

"I know." Anya smiled helplessly. "Anyways, I'm going to double check my packing, you should double check as well. We won't be back for a week, so it is better to make sure we have everything ready." Inari nodded her head and followed Anya as they made their way to the letters room.

The room was large, but messy. Clothes were all over the place. "Anya, Tani aunty is right, you are a dheet."

"Shut up." Anya spoke with a slightly red face. "I got busy packing and my room just got this way. I'm not this dirty usually."

"Whatever you say." Inari smiled teasingly, making Anya even more embarrassed and ashamed.

"Well, since you're so concerned, help me tidy up a little. Also, just grab whatever you think we may need for the trip." Inari sighed but nodded her head. Soon enough, they began to clean the room.

------------Saamir's hair was unfortunately shortened. Although he looked great, Saamir wasn't happy with it. "I thought my long hair was great, why is mom always making me cut it? I swear, I'm going to grow it out to meet her length just to make her mad." He puffed out while getting up from the seat. His cousins looked at him with smiles yet didn't comment too much. "And my beard, why does it have to be lined? Like, the messier it is, the better, atleast that's what I like."

"Why are you complaining? You look great and more clean like this. The word human can finally be used to describe you." One of his cousins spoke while wiping his nape with a towel. "Quickly take a shower and shave a little more, the ride is going to be long and you'll be driving your car yourself the whole time. Yout don't want to stink."

"Yeah yeah, I know." He sighed and got up from the seat. He was topless while only wearing shorts. His hair truly was better than before and he looked more appealing as well. Matched with his toned body, he looked handsome. Of course, in his group of cousins, he couldn't be considered the best looking. If anything, the most handsome person in the room was actually his oldest cousin, the one who cut his hair. His name was Qasim. His hair was a light brown, unlike the inky black that Saamir had. Qasim's ears had earrings while his two dimples stood out when he smiled. His beard was lined neatly. Overall, Saamir was nothing next to Qasim when it came to looks.

"Saamir, you should know the significance of your trip this time, right?" Qasim was a married man, he even had two kids. Since he was the oldest boy, he also knew that Saamir was to be married somehow this year.

"Yeah I know. I actually know my mom has a few girls picked out." He sighed. It wasn;t that Saamir didn't want to get married, it was actually the opposite. He achieved what he wanted, so settling down was his next goal, yet the place he wanted to settle down didn't appeal to most people. He wouldn't force anyone either. "Bhaijan, you know my situation a little. I won't force someone to come and live in Pakistan with me, but that is the place I want to settle."

"Why do you keep talking about that? North America has so much more to offer, not only for you but even to kids you might have in the future. Why would you waste their futures?" Qasim frowned at his younger cousin.

"Why does everyone say that Pakistan would waste the next generation? I'm not the most patriotic person, but I believe that if a person has enough skills, then they could do something great with their life, no matter where they're from." He truly wasn't patriotic at all. It was just his way to convince others to let him do as he pleased.

Seeing him still be so stubborn, Qasim sighed. "Do whatever you want, but it will be hard to find anyone who is willing to settle down in Pakistan. The place is great and fun, I grew up there, so I would know. But, North America has more to offer. That's all I will say." Aftering saying his piece, Qasim walked Saamir out of the room and let him take a shower. He passed him a tank top and a pair of shorts. It was hot, so breezy clothes would be best for the ride.

It took Saamir about fifteen minutes to finish showering. After getting himself clean and fixing himself up, he finally looked pleasing. "I miss my old hair." He looked into the foggy mirror and sighed.

He walked out the washroom with his clothes on. "Aliya, where are you." He called out with a smile. He truly loved this niece of his, afterall, he had seen her birth and she was his first niece. Her importance was high for him.

"Mamu, when did you come?" Aliya was around five years old, yet she looked more babyish then most kids her age. She referred to Saamir as mamu since that was the blood relationship between them. Kesar was referred to as the chote mamu since he was younger than Saamir.

"Did you just wake up?" He walked over and lifted her up, planting a big kiss on her cheek.

"Yeah, mommy said we're going on a trip?" She rubbed her eyes and looked at Saamir with confusion.

"Yup. We're going to see the mountains, go on a boat, go on a mountain, and so much more. Are you excited?" He asked with a bright smile. She was truly the cutest girl he had ever seen.

"Sure." She didn't show too much excitement and just shrugged. It was weird to see a five year old act like this when normally they would show great approval or just straight rejection. Aliya was just a more indifferent little girl, her likes and dislikes were simple. The mountains and such didn't fall in line with these.

"How about this, you sit in my car. You can help me drive the car. We can also buy lots of candies and drinks from the gas station. You can even put on your favorite show on my tablet and watch it." He smiled and said. Her reaction didn't surprise him. Aliya was different from the rest, but her uniqueness made him like her even more.

"Alright." She finally showed a good reaction. "I don't want to sit with nani and baba, they are boring." She said with a frown. She loved Saamir's parents, but they were old and not the most fun in the car.

"Yeah, they are boring." He smiled and agreed. "Sit with me, we will have lots of fun. Let's go grab your stuff and put them into the car, alright?���

Both of them headed towards Anya's room. With a few knocks, they gained approval of entrance. "Mommy, where are my things?" Aliya ran in and began to shake her mom's hand.

"Aliya, it's over there." Anya smiled and pointed at a small pink bag. Sure, it didn't have all of the little girls clothes, but it had a few. Most of the items were actually with Anya in her bag. "Saamir, since you're here, can you take my things to the car as well?" She passed Saamir a large black bag which was very heavy.

"How many things are you bringing? We are going to relax and have fun, not moving houses." He spoke with a bit of annoyance.

"Why do you care? I'll bring what I want." She spoke with snort.

"Then why would I carry your things?" With a smirk, Saamir looked at his sister.

"I'll tell dad." She spoke with her own smirk.

"What will dad do? Hit me? Yell at me? You know he won't do a thing." With his smirk still plastered on his face, Saamir answered her threat.

"Oh really?" A wicked smile appeared on Anya's face. "What if I told dad that your jeej asked you to do this, but you declined him? Do you think dad won't beat you then?" Saamir's parents put great importance on Anya's husband since he was their damad. Both culturally and relationship wise, Saamir had to respect her sister's husband. Not doing this would be extremely disrespectful.

Snorting slightly, Saamir placed the bag over his shoulder. He then turned his head and looked at the only other person in the room; Inari. "Hey…" He became a little awkward. He didn't know this person, it had been eight years after all.

"Saamir, that hurts. You already forgot about me?" Inari got up from the bed and walked over with a smile. "I'm Inari, remember?"

"Inari?" Saamir didn't remember right away, it was after all many years ago, plus he wasn't close with too many people. "Oh yeah." He finally remembered, but then a weird smirk appeared on his face. "So you're still stuck like glue to Anya?"

"Saamir, screw off." Anya frowned and kicked Saamir on his thigh. The latter smiled bitterly before running off with Aliya. "He's still a kid. I don't know when he will grow up."

Inari smiled a little, yet her hands were clenched a little. Although Saamir didn't have any bad intentions, his words made her mad. She was twenty seven yet unmarried. In their community, this wasn't a good thing. Yet, what could she do? Her dad was strict when it came to who could marry her, plus anyone who did gain her dad's approval didn't meet her standards. So, she had stayed single this whole time.