Broken To Become Stronger

Chapter 1•~A moment of solitude

Chapter 1:•~A moment of solitude

"Days will pass,and you will abandon things that you were addicted to,and leave someone, and cancel a dream,and finally accept a reality".

*Nizar Qabbani*

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

"So shall I expect to see your homeworks complete by tomorrow"?The teacher of Islamic theology asked the students and the entire class replied a 'yes' in chorus. Picking up his files from the teacher's table he gestured Hera to meet him in his office. He was an elderly man in his late fifties,the teacher of Islamic studies and also the founder of the school. The story of him building a school for girls was very famous in the entire town because it involved a lot of struggle and sacrifice on his side to make him achieve his goal.

Education in that town was something that was thought to be exclusive for the boys. Girls were not allowed to attend the schools. They were banned from having any formal education. In the midst of all these rules and strictness Ustadh Abdullah who was a fresh college graduate from one of the college in the city spoke for the girl's education for the first time. This drew a lot of anger and opposition from the elders of the town but after a lot of persuasion from the higher authorities of the city, the head of the town agreed to his proposal and from then on began a new chapter in the history when the parents started sending their daughters to attend the school. Though,most of them from the lower sections of the society still do not let their daughters to attend the school but that was an issue which was suppose to be solved with bringing awareness among them and it certainly is going to take some more time.

In the beginning the school was woefully short of teachers but gradually alhamdulillah more and more teachers,who were dedicated to serve the people selflessly started to join and today it is one of the best school for girls. Majority of the students were from property owning class and very few were from the working class including Hera,the girls of higher class would often try to subjugate the girls from the weaker sections of economy. Specially from the past three months a group of girls from the neighbourhood town was transferred to this school and they were having a dominating attitude, wanting to rule over the other girls in the school. In particular Hera was a thorn in their throat because she was too tough for them to put her down by intimidation.

'Come in'. Came the voice after Hera had knocked softly on the door. Glancing up over his spectacles he asked her to take a seat.

"No it's okay,I would rather listen to my complaints Standing". Holding the top rail of the chair she muttered,this was the fourth time in the month that she was called in his office for her behaviour with the girls from the neighbourhood town. Although she was not to be blamed but since they came from influential family so everybody were quite intimated by them and some of them were helpless to oppose them because it was necessary to maintain a good relationship for the sake of keeping this school going smoothly.

" So you are aware of why you are here."He was not the least bit of surprised over her answer. This girl among all the other girls held a special position in his heart because, first of all she was his late closest friend's grand daughter and her mother had also remained a very good student of him. She was like a family to him,and he was a guardian to her family especially when they have no elder to look after them. She continued to look at him,waiting to hear the new complaint against her.

"This time it's not the girls, but I have a beef about your behaviour". He exhaled deeply and leaned back in his chair. With a pause of few moments he carried on,"Why am I receiving,not very good talks about you lately"?Why is it that every other girl has a problem with your attitude?"

"Because I don't keep quite like the other girls do. I have a mouth and i use it to speak against the wrong and why must I be silent?" She had finally told the truth because it was the time to tell him,all that she had been feeling instead of bottling up inside her.