--------------Central city east, Los Angeles, California.
------------------------ 100 S Santa Fe Ave, 3:40pm.
" Thank you sir" I said as I hurriedly got down from the taxi and paid him his fee. I looked around the busy area and stood right in front of the address Najmah was kept, Tasha's diner. Why were they keeping her in a diner?. There were tall buildings all around, probably residential apartments.
I pushed open the door to the diner after reciting Ayatul-Qursi and walked in with shaky legs and heard a chime. I was frightened to my core but I had to control myself if I wanted to get Najmah out of all this mess. This place was empty. There were chairs, tables and everything that made it a diner but there was no one around.
" Hello" There was no one to respond to me. I moved to around to see if I could find any clues or anything but I got nothing. Were they trying to trick me or something?.
Najmah's loud cry resounded in my ears over and over again and I looked around to see where it was coming from. My baby was here. " Najmah" I called as I followed her cry to a door that led to the diner's kitchen. There was nothing there. " Najmah" I yelled again and I could hear her cries become louder and louder. I know I'm not hallucinating, I can hear her. " Najmah" There were big tears rolling down my cheeks as I moved around the kitchen throwing the pots away so I could find a way to get to my daughter. The only door that led outside was locked and her cry was becoming louder and was going crazy looking for her.
I stopped pacing and tried to calm myself so I could properly hear where her cry was coming from. It was coming the right extreme end of the kitchen, where the gas cooker was. I rushed to where it was and heard her cry coming from beneath the gas cooker. There was a metal chain underneath the cooker. That was where she was. I tried my best to push the cooker away, and with much effort, I did.
Grabbing the chain that was connected to a wooden part of the concrete floor and pulling it up with all the strength I never realized I had, a flight of stairs that led to a dark space was revealed. Najmah's cry was coming from there. She was in there. I had nothing with me to light my path in and I was scared. Najmah was there so I had to brace myself, I was going to take her home.
In Sha'a Allah.
After reciting Ayatul Qursi again, I stepped on the first step of the stairs, staring into the dark with shivering legs. Lights suddenly came on in the dark space and I walked further in to get a closer view. It was an old deserted parking lot.
I followed Najmah's cry further in and found her.
I found my baby and she was locked in a big cage right at the middle of the parking lot. The pretty face that looked exactly like Khalid's was right there, crying her heart out in a cage and she was all alone in the dark. Why won't she cry that loud for Allah's sake.
They were treating my baby like an animal. That witch.
I ran as fast as I could to Najmah and a smile spread across my face as I stopped in my heels and knelt down to see if I could open up the cage.
" Mummy's here Naj Naj" I said as I dried my tears and tried to open the cage. It was open.
Something was wrong.
I opened up the cage and looked closely inside, Najmah was right there but it looked like she wasn't. She didn't stop crying and she just sat there, in one position. I reached inside to touch her but my hand went right through the image.
No.
It was a hologram. The device was right there and there was a speaker behind the image of Najmah.
Oh my Allah.
" Aaaaaah" I kicked the cage continuously on the ground with immense anger. She was trying to make me suffer and it was working. What was I thinking?
She was definitely not going to give Najmah to that easily. The speaker was still repeating Najmah's cry over and over again and I picked it and the hologram device and smashed it on a wall and it stopped. " why are you doing this to me?" I screamed in the lonely parking lot. She was definitely watching and mocking me right now. " You witch" I cried as I fell to my knees. They tricked me and I fell right into it. " Najmah" I cried again and palmed my face.
I saw her right there, crying and it really wasn't her. They were torturing my baby and I.
I heard footsteps coming towards me and I rose my head up almost instantly. There were huge men coming towards me. All 10 of them were trying to surround me. I stood up to my feet and tried to run but all I did was get closer to all of them.
She wanted them to rape me. That was why she told me to come here alone. Why didn't I think things through?
Subhanallah. " Please stay away from me" I cried as they kept moving closer to me with creepy smiles on their disgusting face. I watched with teary eyes as two of the men removed their shirts.
I couldn't fight 10 men off me and there was nothing I could use to defend myself here. There were no stones or wood or anything. I was stranded Subhanallah.
A very tight hold on both my wrists made me screamed as loud as I could and tried to bite their hands off me but there it wasn't helping. They slapped me hard on the face instead and threw to me to ground with full force and images of what Khalid's father did to me flashed through my eyes.
My coat was aggressively removed from me by three of the men as I struggled to get away but I was like an ant compared to all these gorilla's. I couldn't be raped again, Ya Allah please help me. " please stop" I cried as I felt some hands on the button and zipper of my jeans and another set of disgusting hands, tearing my shirt and doing all what they could to get me naked. They tore my veil off my head swiftly and a blasting headache engulfed my head. It was happening all over again. Their holds on my arms and legs were hurting me so much.
A strong punch hit my chin as I tried to kick them away again and I began to lose consciousness. I was suffocating and I was trying my best to keep my eyes open but it was hard. Very hard. My voice couldn't be heard because of the very rough hand on my mouth.
I was stranded.
Khalid
I held the gun Zarah gave to me tightly as I got down from my car and rushed into the address that was sent to Faryah's phone, a diner. The police and ambulance were right behind me and were surrounding the entire area. Miss Hae Soo could be here.
There was no one inside the diner as I looked around and went into the kitchen. Where was she?. An open space on the concrete floor right beside a gas cooker caught my attention and I looked inside, there was a flight of stairs that led further inside and I could hear faint voices coming from there.
Faryah was definitely in trouble. I rushed down the stairs as fast as I could and found multiple men holding one woman down to rape her. Those bastards.
" Get your damn hands off her" I raged as I shot at one of the men and watched him land on Faryah.
My Faryah. She didn't think things straight before coming to this kind of place alone.
The men were all letting go of their holds on her and I shot two of them again as they lunged towards me with weapons they removed from unbelievable parts of their bodies. " Drop your weapons. You're surrounded" Director Malcom called from behind me and I turned around to meet him coming down the stairs with more police men.
The goons surrendered on sighting the police and I rushed to where Faryah struggled to get up on her feet and pulled her into a hug. If I was late by a minute, she would have been raped. She looked lifeless. " Khalid" She cried onto my chest as I patted her rough, dark and silky hair. They tore her scarf off her. " you're safe now Faryah" I whispered calmly into her ear.
I was going to kill that Miss Hae Soo at the first chance I got. She was making the love of my life suffer. She had no right to do that to her.
I let go of my hold around her and scanned her body. Her face was bruised and her shirt was torn. She was shivering with her eyes filled with warm tears. I found a coat that belonged to her, lying on the ground and I picked it up and wore it on her so it could cover her torn shirt. I zipped up her jeans and buttoned it.
" I'm sorry Khalid" She hugged me tight again, not wanting to let go. " It's okay Faryah. Let's get you out of here and get your bruises checked" Holding her in my arms anger made all the anger I was feeling go away. It was like pouring lots of ice on a blazing fame.
She quenched my anger. She was so small in my arms and I felt so happy that I got to hold her again in my arms even if it was going to be for a few minutes.
I picked her up bridal style as the police came to us and asked if she was okay and I nodded. We had to get her to the ambulance.
" I'm so sorry I ran away from the house like that Khalid. They sent me that address, Miss Hae Soo and she told me to come here under 30 minutes and alone or else Najmah was going to be dropped down a chipper and I was so sober and frightened. I couldn't think straight. I got here and I heard Najmah cry loudly. I got to that massive parking lot and I thought I saw her in a cage but then it was hologram and a speaker" She ranted and wept as I helped the paramedics clean her bruised face. That woman was definitely a psychopath. All she wanted to do was to make us suffer because of the death of her children that we didn't cause.
We sat side by side on the ambulance and I made sure she was properly attended to. She had a sore eye, bruised lip, a sore face and a headache. Luckily that was it, nothing more. I was glad she didn't lose her memory or voice again. " We're going to find Najmah soon. If anything like this happens again tell us please. For everyone's safety and for my peace of mind please" she nodded with a small smile as the paramedic left us.
The goons were already being taken to the police station for questioning and Director Malcom was investigating the owner of the diner. They could probably lead us to Miss Hae Soo. Faryah needed to give them her statement and it was high time I got my PI involved in this. There was no sign of miss Hae Soo around here but they were still searching for any evidence they could find.
" I thought I was going to bring her back home to me, to all of us. I saw a tiny replica of your face and she was crying loudly. I was so eager and this is what she really set out for me. I almost got raped again" She was eager to see Najmah so her coming here and abiding by Miss Hae Soo's orders wasn't her fault.
She was a mother so she definitely wasn't going to be at rest until she found her daughter. " It won't happen to you again. I promise" She needed comforting and I was the only one here for her. I couldn't stay away from her this time. " You want to stay away from me so how can you keep that promise?" She asked and I felt her eyes on me. " I can keep that promise even if I'm far away from you"
" How?"
" with my prayers to Allah for you" I answered and looked at her beautiful beat up face. She was smiling. " I know I said I want you to stay away from me and that my happiness was with Khalifa but I was wrong" Oh my goodness, I knew she still loved me. I just knew it. " You hurt me a lot Khalid but then I realized it was because of the immense love you had for me. We all make mistakes and you tried to fix yours and I found that irritating at first but deep down, it was all I wanted to hear from you so I could forgive you and I have forgiven you"
" I know that you have forgiven me and all of us for all what we've done to you but then the trust you have in us gone.."
" What if I said I was willing to give you another chance again because of the love I have for you?" She cut me off and I was left speechless. Who thought me giving up on her was actually going to bring her back to me?.
" I know I might be confusing you right now but lately my emotions have been confusing me and leaving me at a horrible state but then I've figured everything out now Khalid. Even though I know I'm going to hurt Khalifa's feelings, I am willing to because my happiness is with you and not him" She was standing right in front of me, crying .
" You have called me all sorts of names that I didn't deserve Khalid. You have said a whole lot of painful words to me but I still love you. Very much. Even though the trust we have between us is broken and we've been through a lot of pain, I am still longing for you by my side again" She was trying to force the tears out of my eyes.
" Khalifa is an amazing person and he deserves to be loved wholeheartedly and I just can't give that to him. I wanted to try and build a family with him because he did all he could to please me and he was honestly there for me when I needed you but still he's not you Khalid. He was going to give I and Najmah a good home but I wasn't going to be truly happy even if he was going to shower me with all the love in the world and that's because my heart belongs to you alone Khalid. It has always belonged to you alone " she was with him because of pity. I was beginning to feel bad for the guy.
" I can't keep lying to myself anymore Khalid. I was blinded by his care and affection and also the fact that you hurt me, but true love comes with great pain and that's you Khalid. That's us. I've seen your efforts and I appreciate all of them. I don't want you to stay away from me anymore please" She cried and I pulled her into a comforting embrace as I got up from where I sat. I couldn't believe she was mine again.
After all the pain I caused her. She still loved me, very much.
" I love you so much Faryah. I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you. I promise it won't happen again. I am so sorry" I tried to act manly but the tears were stubborn. " It's okay Khalid. Thank you so much" She said as she let go of my hug and I held her hands in mine and stared at her. I honestly thought I lost her for good.
I thought she was going to be happy with that dude. She pushed me away and it felt like she detested but truly, Faryah Mustapha still loved me.
I was more than delighted. Everything was happening so fast and it all felt like a dream but it wasn't. This was real.
Faryah was back to me. " I'm so glad I poured my heart out. Keeping that inside me for a long time was going to kill me" She said with a little laugh as I caressed her cheek.
Faryah was mine again.
Oh my Allah. I felt like jumping all around and screaming to the whole world that I was happy.
And I did.
I jumped round the whole surrounding squealing sad and I was all smiles with the police and paramedics.
I was happy. We were really meant to be and look, Allah brought us back together.
" Let's get married again Faryah" I said after I stopped jumping and came back to where I left Faryah. Her smile was so perfect, I never wanted to stop looking at it. " Yes please" She answered with a laugh as I hugged her again. " I have to talk to Khalifa first though. I really hope he understands...."
" So when's the date?" We heard a voice ask and I felt Faryah quickly let go of me. I quickly turned around to her side and my eyes settled on a heartbroken Khalifa.
Shit was getting real.
Khalifa
I came all the way from Dubai to show the woman that was supposed to be my fiancée all the support and care in the world but I guess I wasn't needed anymore.
After leaving the airport and calling Faryah up and getting no answer, I drove to Sophia's place as we planned but all I found was a Sophia in distress, with her husband and baby. They were heading out. Apparently Faryah ran away from their house to go meet up with Miss Hae Soo. I was scared when I heard that and I drove behind them to where she was.
That was where I realized that I had lost her, to the man that hurt her feelings. The man that left her behind because he didn't trust her enough. They were already planning on getting married.
I really couldn't believe Faryah could do this to me. I loved her with all of my heart and I did everything I could to make her happy. We were going to build a family together and here she was, trying to run off with someone else.
I couldn't take this heartache.
I didn't deserve to be treated like this.
" Khalifa please let me explain things to you" She said as she walked closer to me and away from Khalid. Her face was bruised. " What happened to you?"
" don't worry about it. Just let me explain things to you"
" why shouldn't I worry about it?, because Khalid has it under control?" I snapped at her. " Faryah for goodness sake, all I wanted was to make you happy. Both you and Najmah" I was trying hard to hold back my tears but I just couldn't.
I was hurt.
Very hurt.
" I'm aware of that and I am so sorry Khalifa you don't deserve any of this"
" Of course I don't. Faryah we're getting married. Right?"
" We can't push through with that anymore Khalifa. I am so sorry" No. I had already planned everything. I had planned our future together and I couldn't bear losing her. " Khalifa I have been unfair to you. I wanted to make us work and I blinded myself from my true feelings but I can't do it anymore. I am cruel for doing this and I am sorry Khalifa please forgive me. I have never stopped loving Khalid. I did all I could to try and forget about that feeling with your help but Khalifa, I can't do it anymore. I am sorry. You don't deserve any of this. You deserve to be loved passionately and I am just not the right person for that Khalifa. You tried all your best and I am so sorry Khalifa" I knew she still loved him and I tried to act cool when he came back into our lives but deep down inside me, I prayed day and night for her not to go back to him. I prayed day and night so my efforts won't be wasted but here she was, planning to get married to someone else. I was trying my best to control my anger when I was around her but I honestly don't think I could do it this time.
I was still going to try.
" Faryah this man hurt you. He wasn't with you when you needed him and he only came back when you filed a divorce. You can't trust him again please"
" Khalifa, Khalid wronged me and that's a fact but he has accepted his mistakes and I have forgiven him but I still love him, with all of my heart. Isn't it logical that I give my heart a chance to love him again?" That was it.
It was all I needed to hear. I didn't even know what to say anymore. After everything we went through together, this was how it was going to end. The Khalid dude didn't even deserve Faryah's love but if it's what she wanted then fine.
" May Allah be with you Faryah" I uttered and walked back to my car. I needed to calm myself down before I could conclude anything. For now, I just had to accept that I lost her and pray that she wasn't making a horrible decision.