Aveline opened the envelope and saw it was a dossier on her.
She read it and realized that they were details of her past before she had been adopted.
Tears started running down her cheeks when she saw the details of her sister.
"Camille? Camille is my own sister?" Ava asked looking up at Zayed and he nodded with a small smile on his lips.
They heard footsteps running along the corridor and looked up to see Camille running towards her with teary eyes.
"Bebe" Camille whispered looking at Ava
"Cami" Ava whispered
They hugged each other as if their life depended on it and cried their lungs out.
Then Salim explained how Zayed had been digging up Ava's past ever since he knew Ava was adopted. And how surprised they were to find out last week that Camille and  Aveline are long lost sisters.
Salim also apologised to Camille, for not using his resources and trying to find her sister long back.
Ava looked up to see Zayed standing in a corner with Salim and looking at them.
When their eyes met, he averted his gaze making Ava ache.
"Momma. Can we cut the cake?" Zahir asked excitedly
Ava looked at her son and smiled.
Never in her life had she celebrated her birthday, cutting a cake?
Because she never knew her birthday. And her adoptive parents were financially not well off, that there never was a choice of birthday celebrations.
But her mother used to make sweets for her, on the day they adopted her.
"Yes momma. Let's cut the cake" Zada said clapping her hands in glee.
"We will buy a cake and then cut it, darlings" Ava said with a soft smile
"Oh but we have a cake. Uncle Basim showed us the picture of the cake, this morning. It has a photo of all of us" Zahir said and Basim face palmed again
"One should learn from Zahir, how to ruin surprise" Basim said with a shake of his head
"There is a cake?" Ava asked in surprise
"Ofcourse yes Ava. Do you think the husband who went to all these lengths to give you a birthday surprise, will miss out on the cake?" Basim asked chuckling
Ava felt her heart ache.
"Oh" that was all Ava could say
Soon, the cake was brought from the refrigerator.
It was a red velvet cake, and a photo of them taken during the party held in honor of Sheikh of Alazhar, was printed on it.
It was a very beautiful picture. All five of the looking lovely together.
"Zahir. No" Ava looked up when she heard her husband's voice at last.
She saw that he was looking at her naughty first born, who had the remnants of the cake icing on his index finger.
Zahir being Zahir, had dung his finger into the cake as soon as it was brought
"But momma is taking so long to cut the cake. It looks yummy" Zahir complained making his parents roll their eyes
"Come on, bebe. Cut the cake already" Camille said
Ava smiled hearing that endearment. Her sister used to call her bebe when they were little girls.
It feels so good to hear that again.
Soon, birthday wishes were sang and cake cutting was done.
After that, Camille pulled Ava to the couch and started talking about all they have missed about each other.
"They look so happy. I should have tried to find Camille's sister long back." Salim said
"They are together now. That's what matters" Zayed said, patting his brother's shoulder.
"No. It never occurred to me Zayed. I was so caught up the political issues and the council's demand of me taking a second wife. I barely managed to keep them at bay. And Camille knew how difficult it was for me. So she never bothered me with her problems too. But now I can see how much she had yearned for her sister all these years" Salim said
"Atleast you kept her happy" Zayed said in a self disgusting tone
"Is everything alright, Zayed?" Salim asked
"Ofcourse. What could go wrong?" Zayed asked
There never was anything right to go wrong!
"You and Ava? How is it going?" Salim asked and Zayed let out a sad sigh.
"The scars I left in her life and too deep to heal Zayed." Zayed said
"There are no scars that love cannot heal" Salim said
"Maybe my love isn't enough" Zayed said
"Zayed. Try harder. Mistake was yours. And only you can right them. Don't give up" Salim said
Zayed couldn't look into Aveline's eyes anymore.
Her words were like a dagger into his heart.
And yet he deserved it, didn't he?
It was nothing compared to the horrible words he threw at her after taking her innocence.
What had he ever done to make her happy?
It was him who married her seven years ago. No one had held him at gun point to marry her.
Yet he condemned her for what happened, as if it was her fault.
It was him, who misunderstood her and hurt her.
It was him who let her go six years ago, believing the worst in her.
And after knowing the truth, what did he do??
Instead of apologising and begging her for forgiveness, he had forced her into staying married to him. That too by blackmailing her using their babies.
When had he become so selfish?
Ever since he met Aveline, all his actions had been selfish. Aĺl he thought about was him, his feelings, his pain!
Never once he thought what she might be feeling.
She was a simple eighteen year old girl. She wouldn't have even understood what is happening with her. The change of emotions, desires. Everything might have been new to her.
And yet she fell in love with him and embraced that love heartily, giving herself to him, only for him to trample on her feelings mercilessly
He killed that love with his own hands.
He had been gifted with the most precious gem in the world and he had threw it away.
If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they are yours. If they don't, they never were!
Maybe he should let her go!
Give her, her freedom
But can he ever be selfless enough to let her go?