Assalamualaikum lovely people! Extremely sorry for making you all wait for this update. We have reached the end of Rehan and Rida's story, Jazakumullahu Khairan for everyone who stuck through out this journey. Insha Allah I will try to update the epilogue before Ramadan but no promises.
And since Ramadan is nearing, make the best use of the month. Make lots of Duas and do remember this poor soul in your prayers, for I am in need of them.
May Allah accept your fasting, your Duas, forgive your every sin and grant barakah in your lives.
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Difficult times In Islam are defined as a test by Allah SWT. He tests the ones who are loved by Him. One who seeks help from Salah and have patience, Allah will reward him and rescue him out of hardships.
Never in her life had Rida felt so nervous, not even when she was getting married, but today she was at the peak. She didn’t knew what she was going to speak or do but all she knew was that she was doing it for Rehan and that mere reason was enough to calm her down.
She would continuously look out once in a while, Kaif quietly driving while she played with her phone when she felt it ring startling her. Looking down she noticed Rehan’s name flashing on her phone that made her tense. She had not informed him about anything for she was scared of his reaction.
“Pick up the call Rida, Rehan might be worried. It’s ringing for the second time.” Kaif bugged in snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced at him, who had his eyes fixed on the road before looking at the call. Taking a deep breath she picked up his call, not uttering anything.
“Assalamualaikum,” Rehan greeted her calmly, before he could start the conversation and hearing his calm voice brought a small smile on her face. She greeted him back, not questioning anything further because she knew he would be up with many questions.
“Whose address did you ask me to come? I don’t remember any of your relative staying there.” Rehan kept his thoughts thinking hard about it and when she did not say anything he called out to her knowing something was not right.
“You trust me?” Rida questioned him making him furrow his eyebrows at her question, “More than myself, but why are you suddenly asking me such a question Rida?” He answered sincerely, an unsettling feeling developing within him.
“Then please come, we are on our way.” She said and he nodded his head before, realising what she said, “We?” He questioned and Rida nodded her head before taking Kaif’s name, glancing at him who grinned at her.
“Rida this is not something related to me or my past, right?” Rehan questioned making Rida to dread to answer him, “I’ll be waiting for you.” With that she ended the call, making Rehan anxious. He knew something was up from the past few days, her behaviour had said it all but he had not thought much about it till now. He was scared not for him, but for her. He knew how his father was and to what extended he could go to harm people.
He once again called Rida, in the process taking his car keys and walking out of his cabin, informing the receptionist about his leave when he heard her voice.
“Don’t end the call until I reach you okay.” He said more like ordering Rida and she responded in positive nodding her head, glancing at the house that they had reached.
Turning around she noticed, Kaif parking the car at a distance while there were few more houses around but in a complete different condition. While the house she stood yelled nothing but riches the others were normal, making her think of how much they had spent on a house.
Muttering a Bismillah she started walking, opening the gate and stepping inside. Glancing around she noticed three cars parked in a line making her to have a double look. The cars, each one of them were expensive for she didn’t even know such cars existed in India.
“Wow, this woman has some standard.” Kaif whispered from behind her lancing at the cars. He had noticed such cars before too for in London they were pretty normal, but in a country like India he had hardly seen them.
“She must be very rich.” Kaif said following Rida to the main door while she gave him a small smile before pressing the bell and that was when she could hear the thudding of her heartbeat. She noticed her phone that was still on, and kept it on her ear to see if he was talking to her but when she heard a honk from it, she knew he was on his way.
The door opened revealing an elderly woman that was dressed up in a simple salwar kameez, her hair in a side braid while a dupatta around her arm on one side tugged.
“Yes?” The lady asked bringing Rida out from her checking out. She glanced at Kaif who nodded his head at her and she smiled at the lady whom she assumed the caretaker.
“Is this Marwa’s house?” She questioned not knowing how to start the conversation. The lady gave them a nod before shutting the door on their face taking them by surprise. They looked at each other before looking back at the door to find it close.
“Knock the door.” Kaif said and Rida slowly knocked the door waiting for someone to open it up for them, when her eyes fell on the name plate making her astonished. She called out to Kaif pointing to the name plate that was besides the bell button away from any sight.
“How is that possible?” Kaif mumbled looking at the name plate and just when they were staring at it, the door opened revealing the same lady asking them to follow her. Hesitating, the two followed her, Rida glancing at her phone more than once.
The lady led them to what seemed like a fancy living area, asking them to sit. They sat down on the huge couch glancing around the room when a lady walked in. She was decked up in a heavy dress, her face covered with makeup while her hair was on her right side.
Rida easily recognized her to be Kaif’s aunt for she resembled his mother more and if would wear a hijab they would look similar in looks.
“Assalamualaikum, I am Kaif and she is Rida.” Kaif introduced standing up in a form of respect while the lady nodded her head before taking her seat, her eyes casted on Rida.
“How may I help you both?” She questioned dropping her gaze from Rida to Kaif, giving him a wide smile and the two exchanged glances, Kaif nodding his head, “Oh I see you have found yourself someone else huh?” Rida closed her mouth as soon as she noticed Rehan’s father stepping into the living area while she controlled the urge to fight him back.
“Marwa meet Rida, Rehan’s wife… oops Rehan’s soon to be ex-wife, isn’t it?” He turned to Rida with an ugly smirk on his face that Rida wanted to wipe off and she exactly knew how she could do it.
“I am not divorcing Rehan.” She spoke confidently witnessing his smirk turn into an angry glare making her give him a victorious look.
“She loves to see her husband tortured.” The lady said giving her a smirk before throwing a glare at her while Rida stood up coming face to face with Rehan’s father.
“You are not supposed to be talking in our family matter so please stay out of it.” Rida warned glaring at the lady who looked taken aback at the confidence while Kaif smiled inwardly before his gaze fell on Saif and Safa that had made their way inside.
Saif was confused when he had received a message from Rida asking him to reach to a certain place with Safa but never had he thought that he would see his nightmare in front of his eyes. He felt himself shiver when he noticed Rehan’s father standing face to face with Rida while they was no sign of Rehan but he noticed Kaif standing a little at distance. He felt himself losing his calm when he noticed those dangerous eyes on him making him to take a step back but then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Turning to his left he noticed Safa giving him a nod, that calmed him a little but right now he needed Rehan who had always saved him from this vicious monster.
“Oh look who we have here! Saif what a pleasant surprise! And your wife is here too, should have brought your daughter too.” He said with a smirk, the colour draining from Saif’s face. He couldn’t believe that he had been keeping track of his life.
“I cannot... I...” Sweating profoundly, Saif mumbled to himself unable to stand the man, turning around to leave when he noticed Rehan walking in.
Rehan looked ahead of him to find a very worried and scared Saif, making him alert. He rushed to him to only witness his father and Rida standing face to face. He looked at Saif who looked shaken for reasons well known to him. They might have left behind their past but it have always haunted them.
“And Rehan is here too. Is this some kind of a reunion that you have planned?” Rehan’s father asked glaring at Rida who sighed in relief when she noticed Rehan standing firmly in front of Saif.
“I won’t beat around the bushes and would directly come to the point for which I am here.” She said turning to have a look at his aunt who was now standing, all the while a hard look on her face.
“I want you and Rehan to undergo a DNA test.” She said her gaze fixed on his aunt, who lost her face colour the moment she heard Rida letting her to conclude things she had doubts on.
“What? And why would he do that? It has already been proven that he is not his biological son and is an illegitimate child of Saif’s father.” She said earning a gasp in response.
With a horrified face Saif glanced at the lady that had spoken such a thing, before gazing at Rehan's retiring back but what shocked him more was Rehan’s silence but before he could speak something Rida beat him up.
“HE IS NOT, YOU UNSTABLE WOMAN!” Rida yelled gaining everyones attention. Everyone looked at Rida and the woman terrified, while Safa tried controlling her laughter. She knew her best friend always lost her mind when it came to her closed one and would always speak without thinking, regretting later but the look on the woman’s face did not help her, letting a small chuckle to escape her mouth but she was surprised when she heard not just her but one more laugh, making everyone in the room to turn to Kaif, who stopped laughing when he witnessed all eyes on him immediately apologizing.
“How dare you to call me that?” She asked walking towards Rida, raising her hand to slap her that Rida was quick enough to catch while Rehan walked towards Rida standing by her side.
“Dare you to raise your hand on me. You have spoiled Rehan’s and Saif’s life but not anymore.” Rida said and the four pair of eyes rested on Rida in confusion waiting for an explanation.
"Stop with the fight Marwa, I will just go and get this thing done." Rehan's father said looking at his wife who looked ready to faint while a faint smirk appeared on Rida's lips, "I hope you will then divorce Rehan," He ordered and Rehan clutched her hand in his shaking his head at her with fearful eyes while all she did was blinked at him before answering, "Deal."
"Assalamualaikum," They heard a yell of a girl making every head to snap at her while she too was taken aback looking at the guests in her house, "Ya Allah the Saif Khan and Rehan Shaikh standing in our house! I am honored to meet you both, I am a business student and I look up to you both," She started mumbling turning her head in between the two while they silently gazed at her, Rehan noticing the similarities in her.
"Minaz, go to your room and don't come out till your mum or I say so," Rehan's father said and he looked at his father wide eyed who now stood besides the girl, "But-" Pouting she looked at her father's stern face and rushed inside, not before grinning at everyone.
"Shall we?" His father broke the silence and Rida nodded her head, but before they could move they heard Marwa, trying her best to change her husband’s decision but failing miserably.
"What is the matter khala? Why are you stopping him?" She asked her voice extra sweet and Safa picked it up on it knowing something was definitely wrong, "Yeah let the genetic test be done and since you already know that the report will have the same result watch Rida divorcing Rehan in victory." Safa added to the fire and Rida was glad for such a friend.
"Oh just shut up! I struggled years to have Rafiq and you are saying that I should let this test be done, so that my entire plan backfires me?" Marwa said making every eye to focus on her. She realised what she had said and gasped, turning to look at Rafiq who looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, "Now that you have already spilled the beans why don't you explain us your plan too?" Rida questioned and Marwa turned to look at her with her eyes blazing with anger.
"You," She pointed her finger at Rida but stopped midway because right now her concern was Rafiq who was gazing at her with doubtful eyes, " Rafiq, don't listen to them they are just playing with your mind so they can get you arrested." She said rushing towards him and despite having his doubt he nodded his head at her, turning to Rida.
"Stop playing with her mind, you are here for the test, let's get done with it." He said glancing at Marwa who looked worried while the rest too gazed at her. Rafiq took few steps forward almost making his way out, fearing what was about to come.
"Rehan is your own child," She spoke slumbing down on the couch, her face in her hands while Rafiq felt as though someone just poured a bucket of cold water over him. He stood rooted to his spot, his eyes still on the woman who had just spoken the bitter truth of his life, "He is your own biological son." She spoke and Rida tighten her hold onto Rehan who too looked shaken, not understanding what life was throwing at him.
"Why?" Rafiq whispered the only word he could utter, "Because I loved you!" She exclaimed standing up, Rafiq looking at her in disbelief and before anyone could comprehend, he had slapped her.
"You destroyed their life because you loved me?" He questioned shaking her by her shoulder while she pushed him away, "I NEVER WANTED TO DO THAT BUT YOU LEFT ME WITH NO CHOICE!" She yelled pushing him away while tears rolled down her eyes.
"I had always loved you, from the time we were friends but you fell for Minaz. I tried my best to forget you but I couldn't and when Minaz died during giving birth I thought that I could have a chance but he," She stopped turning to Rehan taking dangerous steps towards him while Rida moved a little closer to him alarmed, "He came in between us. You loved him so much just because he was your and Minaz’s love and when I tried moving into your life you shut me down and that's when I decided that I will get him out of your life. And I did exactly that." She said laughing dangerously, "I planned everything. From the reports to everything. But I was confused as to whom I could blame and that's when his father came into play," She said turning to Saif and he gazed at her wide eyes, his palms already in a fist.
"That man came to know my plan, and he warned me to disclose it to you so I killed him," She spoke and Saif stumbled while Safa looked at him in pain. The father who he had always thought had left his mother and him in misery was killed, "I killed him and delivered a letter to your mother saying he left so that she doesn't doubt it. And then I started playing with Rafiq's mind. I showed him the reports but he did not believe me. But then to clarify he went to your place and found your father missing and that was it. I had succeeded in filling his mind with the thought that his wife had cheated behind his back with his best friend." She said and everyone looked at her with pure disgust while Rafiq looked at her in shock, grasping the truth.
"I got married to him but even after our wedding he was keen on keeping you. I asked him to abandon you but he did not even do that, he kept saying that he wanted you in front of his eyes so that he can remember the betrayal and one day when I was working, a boy had come to me saying that he was molested thats when it struck me that I could do the same with you. I put this into Rafiq's mind but he kept refusing yet I once again succeeded. We use to get so much money from one client the reason I left my job but he would just do it once in a week, which resulted in a lot of conflict in between us but then Saif's mother died and I planned to get Saif involved in it too since his mother had given his responsibility to him." She said and Rehan shut his eyes, remembering their past, the life that still brought him nightmares.
"Everything started falling in place. Rafiq was very ignorant to Saif, because he remined him of his father so Rafiq started taking his revenge on him but this boy, he always had this habit of snatching away my happiness," She said taking one more step towards Rehan, but Rida stood in front of him glaring at her.
"He managed to escape Saif that riled me to the extend that I wanted to kill him, but Rafiq stopped me. I sent people to hit him, everyday when Rafiq was out of station due to his work, but he too escaped." She spat the entire room silent, not being able to digest the venomous words spoken by the lady. Rehan glanced at his so called aunt, who had so much hatred for him. The lady who should have loved him as a mother had turned out to be the villain in his life, plotting and planning against him her entire life.
"But Rafiq I did this all because I loved you, I love you. See how happy we are in our life with our daughter. Everything is fine now. We do not want this Rehan in our life. We will go away from here and live peacefully." She said holding her husband’s hand and he looked at her blankly, unable to understand how he had fallen in traps of such a lady.
"After all that you have done, you think we will leave you just like that? I wouldn't live in peace until I have you arrested," Safa stated and the lady glared at her but ignoring her words she mumbled things to her husband who stood with no energy within him, "Don't listen to them, they have no prove against me or you we can still carry on our lives with Minaz." She said gazing at the man, who sat on the couch, with his head in his hand.
"Leave them bhabhi, we don't want to file a case against anyone." Rehan spoke tiredly and glanced at Saif who nodded his head. His eyes moved to his father and for the first time he looked at his face that was devoid of any anger, or hatred. Just as they were about to leave, they heard a rush from behind them. Turning around they found the cops standing making everyone to look around in confusion.
"I informed them," they heard a voice and every eye turned to the voice, a teary Minaz walking inside. She gazed at her mother who looked at her in shock while her father gazed at the floor, "I wish I never was your child." She spoke to her mother before walking towards the cop informing them about everything and handing her phone to them with the evidence.
"Arrest them," the man said and the lady cop walked towards Marwa, who started fighting to let her leave but instead she was pulled away with them, not before threatening Rehan while the other cop walked towards Rafiq, who stood up silently walking with them but stopped asking for a minute, "Forgive me." He said with his head low, unable to look into his own child's eyes for the sins he had committed, before walking away.
Rida glanced at Rehan who was witnessing his father being taken away, before turning to the girl, who was crying bitterly sitting on the floor. She rubbed his shoulder, taking his attention while she eyed the girl, asking him to move to her. Rehan and Rida walked towards her, sitting down next to her and she looked up at Rehan with her black eyes, that the two had inherited from their father, she folded her hands, trying to ask for forgiveness, but Rehan pulled her hands away taking her in his arms, while his own eyes welled up.
He couldn't believe that a single lady that destroyed so many lives yet they had been blind to it all the while. He rubbed Minaz's shoulder, glancing up at Saif who was looking at him and despite trying his best to smile at his friend he couldn't. He broke down for the first time in front of everyone. For everything that he had gone through for something he was never at fault and now one more person adding to the misery.
Saif walked towards Rehan sitting down next to him, wiping his tears for the first time. He had always been the coward from the two, Rehan always protecting him from his father but now as he saw his best friend breaking down he knew the damage was more to him then his own self.
"Let's leave? Mum and dad are waiting for us." Kaif spoke once Rehan had calmed down. Rida looked at Rehan, who too glanced at her. Smiling she nodded her head and stood up, extending her hand to him, which he gladly excepted. The two glanced down at Minaz who sat there with her hands around her knees, not knowing what life had stored to her when she noticed a hand being extended in front of her. Her eyes flickered to Rehan who was giving her a soft smile, with awaiting hand and that broke her more. She cried hysterically thinking about how her mother had destroyed his life.
"Cry as much as you want, but never shed tears again for something your mother did." Rida said pulling her up and wiping her tears while Minaz hugged her letting her cry on her shoulder. Rida could feel her own eyes welling up but she controlled her tears. She glanced around the room to find Safa along with Saif and Kaif walking out while Rehan gazed at her. She parted away from Minaz, holding her face in her hand,
"Your brother and bhabhi will always have your back, remember that." She said and Minaz looked up at Rehan who nodded his head and with that said she walked with them out, to start a new life, a new journey.
Rehan glanced around the room, finding Kaif filling in his parents about everything while they silently heard to it, once in a while having glimpse of Rehan who looked calm. He glanced at Saif who was sitting silently, with Safa besides him; while one part of his was relieved knowing the man who had destroyed his and Rehan's life was behind the bars yet the other part did not wanted it to happen. However hard he tried denying, he knew the man was Rehan's father and knowing his friend he knew he couldn't live happily while his father was punished for something he was not completely at fault.
Rehan glanced at Rida who was feeding Minaz, who was completely shaken from the event that took place today, he couldn't help but admire the lady. She had accepted Minaz as his sister without asking. She had fought against every odd to get things normal in his life. When he thought he had loved her every side, he found a new side of her, for which he felt proud of. Her brave side made him love her much more. He now understood the meaning behind the quote; with every hardship came ease, for; his Rida was the ease, the happiness, the light, that he had craved for his entire life.