HE WASN’T THE MONSTER BUT CAME FROM ONE

"In Plain Sight"

It was a calm Saturday morning. Sunlight streamed softly through the windows of Tia and Kia's living room, painting the space in a warm, inviting glow. The faint hum of the TV filled the room as the twins sat comfortably on the sofa with their brother, Kamal, a bowl of popcorn between them. They laughed and smiled, completely absorbed in the show they were watching.

After a few moments of laughter, Kamal broke the silence, leaning back and raising an eyebrow at his sisters.

"Kia... you guys haven't gisted me about Mustekim's mom's birthday. How was it?" he asked, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

Kia grinned, nudging Tia lightly. "It went well!

We had fun. And... Tia seems happy. More like her old self again," and Tia eyes sparkling as she watched her sister.

Kia's cheeks flushed slightly, but she smiled, brushing off the comment. "Brother... guess what? She sat right there, the way she always sits, and... face-to-face with her brother. Ismail came to meet Tia... like a celebrity visiting my twin sister, brooo!" she said, laughing at herself, clearly amused by how dramatic it sounded.

Kamal looked at her, raising his brow, but kia's infectious grin softened his expression. "Like... she's not dating a CEO as well," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief.

Kia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm dating a CEO, and I'm also a CEO. But Mustekim? He's not a celebrity. We're talking about dating someone known by a lot of people," she corrected, laughing lightly.

"You're mistaken, Kia. We're not dating, just friends," she said quickly, almost defensively.

Both Kamal and Kia said together, teasingly,

"But... you like him."

Tia couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head at their svnchronized teasing.

Kia, sensing the perfect moment, leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. "Brother... sister... you know me and Tia's dream, right?"

Tia turned to her twin, raising an eyebrow.

"Which dream?" she asked, amusement and curiosity mixed in her tone.

"The one about us marrying the same day, remember?" Kia said, leaning back with a grin.

Tia groaned playfully. "Guy... you're coming too fast. Get back with Mustekim and stop dreaming! Did Ismail tell you he wants to marry me? No! He just wants to be a friend, that's all," she said, waving her hands as if to emphasize the point.

Kamal chuckled, leaning forward seriously.

"We men, Tia... we know what we want. If you weren't my sister, I'd choose to marry you.

Same with Kia," he said with a grin.

Both twins shrieked in unison, "Awwwwn!" The room erupted into laughter, the playful energy making everything feel light and joyful.

But then Tia's smile faded slightly, her voice quieting as she admitted, "But... I'm scared to get involved. Ismail wants me to visit him at his house... and I can't see myself going."

"You know I can't," she continued, glancing at her siblings. "He wants to come here, but... words spread taster than legs. I don't want the recognition, you know?"

Kamal leaned back thoughtfully, chewing his lip. "He can come... ever since the first time he saw you, which was when he came to his friend Khalid's house," which is here, he said, shrugging.

"Yeah, but we all know Khalid isn't around," Tia said, shaking her head slightly. "And he can't come here again."

She shifted on the couch before continuing.

"The first day he came here - the day he saw me -

he thought nobody would recognize him. He was so careful. He didn't even stay long."

Kia and Kamal were listening closely now.

"But to his shock," Tia added, "someone anonymous posted his picture online."

Kamal frowned. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Thankfully, he was spotted with a guy," Tia continued, "and some of his fans know Khalid as his childhood best friend. So the attention shifted there. People assumed he was just visiting Khalid." And which is true

She paused for a second.

"But if he comes here again without Khalid around... it won't look innocent."

Tia groaned, burying her face in her hands for a moment. And you people know the reasons why I can't go anywhere, brother. It's like... everyone's watching, even when they shouldn't be." I'm still scared

Kia reached over and squeezed her twin's hand gently. "Don't worry, Tia... we've got your back. Always," she said, her voice soft but firm, reminding her sister that no matter the chaos outside, inside this house, they were safe.

The room settled into a warm quiet again, filled with laughter from the show on TV, the soft clink of the popcorn bowl, and the unspoken bond between the three siblings.

Outside, the world carried on, but inside, the twins and their brother created a little pocket of safety, joy, and playful chaos — the kind that only family could provide.