Aakifah and Haya started cleaning the house while their mother began preparing food. By afternoon, their eldest aunt (Razia Pupho) was coming over with her entire family. Razia Pupho was the typical aunt—always ready with taunts, giving commands, and indulging in emotional blackmail.

Marzia Pupho was going to come tomorrow with her entire family. She wasn’t like Razia Pupho; she was very loving. But her daughter was just like Razia Pupho’s daughters, always taunting Aakifah and haya and making them work all day.Haya would always talk back to them and outright refuse to do any of their tasks. But Aakifah, on the other hand, would quietly complete whatever work was assigned to her. Perhaps that was the reason why Razia Phuppo was more irritated with Haya than with Aakifah. Whenever Razia Phuppo taunted both Aakifah and Haya, Haya would always respond boldly and never listen to her silently, whereas Aakifah would quietly endure her harsh words.

There was always a clear difference between Aakifah and Haya. While Haya never backed down from fighting for her rights, Aakifah always used patience and silence as her shield.Aakifah believed that the reward for patience comes only from Allah, who is the best decision-maker.

Since childhood, Haya had been outspoken, but Aakifah, perhaps because she didn’t receive the same love from their father that Haya did, had grown into a timid and reserved girl, always fearful and hesitant.

"Allah, I’m doomed, Appi! What should I do now?" Haya suddenly cried out while cleaning, throwing the broom to one side.

"What happened, Haya? Why are you screaming?" Aakifah asked, looking at her in surprise.

"Appi, I was supposed to submit my assignment today!" Haya said, grabbing her hair in frustration.

"Then submit it tomorrow; I also have to go to college tomorrow to submit mine," Aakifah replied calmly, bending down to clean the carpet.

"No, Uncle (Taya Abbu) is coming tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere tomorrow!" Haya said stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"Alright, fine. Give me your assignment; I’ll submit it for you," Aakifah said softly after thinking for a moment.

"Oh, my sweet Appi! You’re the best!" Haya exclaimed happily, jumping and hugging Aakifah.

"Okay, stop talking nonsense and get back to work, or Grandma (Dado) will scold you again," Aakifah said, smiling as she gently scolded her.

"She does that every day! She only notices the two of us. She never says anything to Samiya Appi, Mehreen Appi, or Saniya!" Haya complained, scrunching her nose in annoyance.

Aakifah and Haya, after finishing their chores, were lying down on the sofa to rest. Their grandmother and mother are also sitting nearby when there’s a knock at the door. The knock at the door broke the quiet chatter in the living room. Aakifah glanced at Haya, who sighed and got up to answer it. Standing at the threshold was Razia Pupo, a wide smile on her face, with her two daughters .

"Assalamualaikum!" Razia Pupo's voice rang out as she stepped inside, her face lighting up as she spotted the girls' grandmother seated on the sofa.

“Walaikumassalam, Razia!” their grandmother replied warmly, opening her arms for a hug. Razia Pupo hugged her tightly, patting her shoulder affectionately.

“Oh, Ami, it’s so good to see you,” Razia said with a wide smile. “You’re looking younger every time I visit!”

Her daughters greeted their grandmother and hug her warmly. The grandmother, overjoyed, hugs them back and showers them with affection. “Oh, my beautiful granddaughters! You’ve grown so lovely and charming!” she exclaims.The grandmother beamed at them. “Mashallah, don’t they look beautiful? So well-mannered, so graceful. My heart is full just seeing them.”

Razia Pupo’s gaze shifted to Aakifah and Haya. “Oh yes,” she said, her tone polite but tinged with something else. “Assalamualaikum, Aakifah, Haya, and… Fariya ,” she added, turning to their mother with a thin smile.

“Walaikumassalam, Baji,” Aakifah’s mother replied, forcing a smile of her own. “Baji, please sit. How was your journey?”

Ignoring the question, Razia Pupo settled on the sofa , her daughters following her, their flashy outfits and heavy makeup contrasting sharply with the simplicity of Aakifah and Haya’s attire.

“So, this is how you two greet your elders?” she asked, addressing Aakifah and Haya. “No trays of tea, no snacks? Didn’t your mother teach you anything about hospitality?”

Aakifah opened her mouth to respond, but Razia Pupo didn’t give her a chance. “Look at my daughters! Always so well-mannered, always making sure their guests are comfortable. But you two? Sitting here like queens, as if the world owes you something!”

Haya’s face flushed with anger. She crossed her arms and retorted, “Well, Pupo, we didn’t know you expected a grand feast with a red carpet. Next time, we’ll make sure to roll it out for you.”

“Haya!” Aakifah hissed, gently grabbing her sister’s arm.

Razia Pupo’s face darkened, her lips curling in disdain. “This is the kind of backtalk you’ve learned? How disrespectful! No wonder—”

“Let’s go, Haya,” Aakifah interrupted softly, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to the tension in the room. “We’ll prepare some refreshments.”

Haya muttered under her breath but followed Aakifah to the kitchen. As they closed the door behind them, Haya let out a frustrated sigh. “She gets on my nerves! Did you hear her? Praising her daughters like they’re some royal heirs and belittling us!”

Aakifah placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know, Haya. But answering back only makes things worse. Let’s just do our part and stay quiet.”

Haya grumbled but helped Aakifah prepare tea and snacks. Razia Pupo was still gushing over her daughters. Aakifah silently prayed for the strength to endure her pupho ,also hoping Haya would hold her tongue.

As Aakifah and Haya worked silently in the kitchen, preparing refreshments, the living room filled with Razia Pupo’s sharp voice.

“Really, Fariya ,” Razia Pupo said, her tone dripping with mock concern. “You haven’t taught these girls anything. Look at my daughters—so polished, so well-mannered. But these two? They don’t even know how to greet their guests properly.”

Aakifah’s mother shifted uncomfortably, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. “Baji, they’re still young. They’re learning—”

“Young?” Razia Pupo interrupted. “At their age, my daughters were already hosting parties, organizing dinners, and managing everything perfectly.”

Meanwhile, Razia’s own daughters lounged lazily on the sofa, engrossed in their phones, barely acknowledging the elders in the room.

“And have you heard?” Razia continued, her tone shifting. “My elder brother is finally coming tomorrow with his family after twelve long years! Imagine! From Australia, no less. Two handsome sons and his wife.”

Their grandmother’s face lit up at the mention of her eldest son. “Yes, yes! I’ve been waiting for this day. He’s such a gem, always so caring despite being so far away. And my grandsons? Mashallah, they’ve grown into fine young men.”

Razia nodded enthusiastically, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Ami , I’ve been thinking. What could be better than my daughters marrying their cousins? It would keep everything within the family, and my daughters deserve nothing but the best.”

The grandmother beamed, nodding in agreement. “Yes, that’s a wonderful idea. We’ll see how things go when they arrive. But I’m certain my grandsons won’t say no to such a match.”

At that moment, Aakifah and Haya entered the living room, trays of tea and snacks in hand. They placed everything carefully on the table, moving quietly to avoid disrupting the conversation.

Before the sisters could retreat, their grandmother turned to them, her tone suddenly stern. “Go and take their bags to the guest rooms,” she ordered, gesturing toward Razia’s daughters. “And check if the rooms are properly cleaned. I don’t want any complaints.”

Aakifah and Haya exchanged a glance. They had spent the entire morning scrubbing and organizing the house, yet it seemed their efforts were invisible.

“Yes, Dadi,” Aakifah replied softly, nudging Haya to follow her.

In the guest room, Haya finally let out her frustration. “Can you believe this? We cleaned every corner of this house, and still, it’s not good enough for them!”

“Just let it go,” Aakifah said, trying to stay calm. “It’s only for a few days. We’ll manage.”

“But why do we have to ‘manage’ every time?” Haya fumed. “Look at them! Sitting there like queens while we run around like servants. And now they’re planning to marry those stuck-up girls into the family?”

Aakifah sighed, adjusting a pillow on the bed. “Haya, please. Let’s just focus on getting through this. We’ll talk about everything else later.”

The evening dragged on, with every small mistake magnified and every effort ignored. For Aakifah and Haya, it was another lesson in patience, another test of resilience in a house that often overlooked their value.

But in the quiet moments they stole together, the sisters reminded themselves that no amount of criticism could diminish their worth. They had each other, and that, for now, was enough.