Fatima and Bilal talked for about an hour then went to eat their breakfast. They tried to act normal but couldn't, Fatima could feel pity and guilt in their eyes especially in Aziz's. She tried to behave normal and tried to make them forget about that.
She was playing with Amna when a bell rang. Bilal and Aziz didn't went to office today, they just couldn't go after seeing Fatima's condition. Noor went to open the door, Fatima was giggling the whole time while playing with Amna. Aziz was just looking at her from far without getting noticed by any one.
Nida took Amna as she have to feed her, Fatima was going in the drawing room to see who came but she froze at her spot. She was just moving back and stumbled, she was about to fall but Bilal held her.
"Bhai, why is she here?" She was a little scared.
Bilal was confused for a minute then looked who came and understood why Fatima was scared.
"Maybe just to meet." He said calmly looking at her.
"Can you please drop me back, I want to go home."
"Relax Jerry relax. You were never this scared of her what happened now?"
"Before baba was there to protect me or just stay by my side but now it's not the case. I don't want to see her."
"Don't worry." Aziz said from behind. She looked back but immediately looked down seeing Aziz. She just nodded in response not wanting to disobey him. He went from there.
"Relax Fatima, everything will be fine. You can trust me." He said looking at her. She nodded and hugged him. Bilal felt like as if he achieved the most expensive thing in the world. It was fatima's maternal grandmother, they never had a grandmother and granddaughter relation. She is a woman of old thinking.
Bilal held Fatima's hand and they went to drawing room. She was shocked first but made a disgusted face looking at Fatima. Fatima greeted her awkwardly but she didn't replied. She looked at Bilal and smiled widely.
"Why is she here?" She asked with bitterness in her voice.
"It's her house she can come anytime." Aziz said this time shocking Fatima. She tightened her grip on Bilal's hand, he was just caressing her hand.
"Don't you remember your humiliation Aziz."
Bilal and Aziz were saying something but Fatima cut them off.
"I'm sorry." She said in a low voice.
She scoffed "this is nice anyone can run anytime and come back to say just sorry."
"It's not your problem Mrs Samreen." Aziz said in a Stern voice understanding that Fatima doesn't want to tell anything. With that nida came with Amna and greeted her. Fatima took Amna and placed her gently on her lap.
"How many children does she have?"
"None." She said looking at Amna.
"7 years and not a single kid, doesn't he regret marrying a girl like you."
Again Bilal and Aziz was saying something but Fatima interrupted them.
"I was divorced." She said with out feeling any emotions.
"No doubt." She said making Bilal anger to burst. He was saying something but Fatima held his hand and shook her head.
"Bete, why are you giving that daughter of yours to her. She is already a divorcee and you are making her like her aunt. Don't let her spend time with her, she will also run away one day. That's why I told you to kill or give to others, in the first place, she will be a disgrace like her aunt. Keep her in her limits from now on or you know what happens." She said making Fatima burst into anger.
"Excuse me what is your problem. I've done sins that doesn't mean every girl will do that and don't you have any heart she is just a 5 months old baby. Who are you to even decide to keep her or not. I was quiet doesn't mean that I'll always be. Don't blame Amna for anything and don't you know that girls are Allah's precious gift. If you have this problem with girls then who are you? A Nobel man. Don't forget you are the same. She will never be like me, she will be the blessing and gift for her family. Don't ever say a word about her, I kept quiet but I'll never let her." She was so angry. Everyone was so shocked because she never talked to anyone in this tone and they never saw her getting this angry.
"See, I told you Noor keep her in her limits don't give her freedom but you never listened, now see she is here being a burden on you. No doubt he gave her divorce seeing the tongue she have."
"First of all stop blaming maama for everything, and for your kind information it was me who took the divorce and I'm married. I'm not a burden. From starting you are blaming me and telling me I'm a burden and weak. Only because of women like you we really think we are burden and weak and what have I ever done to you. I never liked cooking but I practiced it so that you will not taunt maama. I started doing all the girly thing to just listen a good praise from you. But you are still same you still blame me for being a girl. I loved doing karate and self defence but you make me leave it, do you know how much I regretted it. What do you always tell, make food or do this or that so that you can do it in your in law's house. You know what, there are maids to do that work in my house. My in laws never tell me to do any house hold work, they never taunt me like you. You can never understand me. You always had problem when maama come to your house so, why are you even coming in your daughter's house, don't you feel ashamed to eat your son in law's food." She was so angry at this point. It was the lava which was building her from 25 years of her life.
"Fatima." Noor said glaring her.
"You are just an old thinking and narrow minded woman and don't even think about taunting bhabhi or Amna. I kept quiet that doesn't mean everyone will and don't you dare tell my niece she is a disgrace and mistake."
"Fatima." Noor said again.
Fatima got up taking Amna in her arms and stormed out of the room. She drank some water and sat on the couch breathing heavily. She turned Amna to face her and kissed her gently. Fatima smiled looking at her as if she took all her worries. She gave light kisses all over her face making Amna to giggle. She smiled widely looking at her smiling face.
With that Bilal came and sat beside Fatima. She was just playing with Amna and tickling her. They were just silent without saying a word. Fatima's full concentration was on Amna and Bilal was looking at them both.
"Fatima are you fine?"
"Yes."
"I never saw you this angry before."
"I know I overreacted but I'm not regretting any word I said to her."
"You never stood for yourself, you never even say more than two words infront of her then what changed."
"I know I never stood for myself, I would never have done it today but she came for Amna and I just couldn't tolerate it."
"Amna is really very lucky to have this protective and supporting aunt."
Fatima just smiled, she never once looked at Bilal her focus was still on Amna. She gently layed her on her stomach and was patting her back gently. Within minutes she slept on Fatima.
"Bhai I know you are really good father and husband but please stand for bhabhi no matter what. I know you will but still, she left everything and came here for you then you should also make her feel special and protected. Without listening I know how many times she might have suffered because of grandma. I know she might have taunt her for not giving birth to a boy. Bhai she needs you in every step of her life. Only you can give her confidence and make her feel she is safe and protected." She said looking at him.
"When did you became this big." He said and side hugged her.
"I will promise you that I'll always be on her side no matter what. I thought I was doing good but I was wrong I still have so much to do. How did you know all of this?"
"Hasan. He is like that to me. He makes me feel safe and protected everytime. Because of him I became this confident, he takes my side everytime no matter who is infront of him. Not only him but his family make me feel that daughters are never a burden but instead it's a blessing. I'm glad Hasan married me even before knowing anything. I never thought I can be this confident and happy with him and his family." She was smiling all the way telling everything. Her eyes were sparkling when she was talking about Hasan.
"You really love him so much." Bilal said with a chuckle.
"More than my life." She said under her breath.
"Bhai?"
"Yes."
"Do you think maama and baba will be mad at me?"
"I don't think that instead baba will be happy seeing you taking stand for yourself. Don't worry nothing will happen." He was assuring her.
With that nida came.
"I'll take her." Nida said looking at Fatima.
"No no it's alright and she is already asleep." She said with a smile.
"You might be tired Fatima."
"No bhabhi I'm fine." Fatima thought for a second then her smile faded thinking about something.
"Bhabhi, please don't take her from me. I promise I'll not let her make like me, I'll never do anything that can spoil her upbringing. Please don't take her from me, please." She was on the verge of crying, she tightened her grip on Amna as if it might be her last time holding her. Bilal and nida were just shocked listening her.
Nida came forward and hugged her tightly.
"Idiot.! Why will I take her away from you. I want her to be like you brave, strong and confident. We all are very lucky to get you back in our lives. Spoil her as much as you want." She was smiling widely looking at Fatima and Amna.
"Really?" Fatima was surprised.
"Ofcourse. I thought you might be tired." she said with a grin.
"Thank you thank you so much." She said with tears.
"Why are you this sensitive." Bilal said wiping her tears.
"Do you really love her that much?" Nida asked.
"So much, I can do anything for her." Fatima said and kissed Amna's head.
Bilal and nida chuckled at her. They talked for sometime. Nida and Fatima were going upstairs to Bilal's room. Fatima again stood outside the door.
"Why are you standing there come in." Nida said.
Fatima went inside and carefully placed Amna on the bed and covered her with her baby blanket. She kissed her forehead gently and caressed her cheek. She smiled and sat on the couch beside nida.
"Thank you so much Fatima."
"For what bhabhi?"
"For standing for us. It really meant so much, you really have no idea about how happy I am right now. It felt like someone is there for me who understand me. It's not like Bilal is not there but sometime even he can't do anything. I'm really thankful to you."
"Please bhabhi don't thank me it was nothing and I will always be there for you. Even if you fight with Bhai I'll support you." She said with a grin making nida laugh.
"Don't ever think that I'll take away Amna from you. You have all right on her, you can come anytime to meet her. I'm really happy that she got the best aunt." She said making Fatima blush a little.
"Thank you so much bhabhi."
They talked for an hour and Fatima went to terrace and sat on the chair. She called Hasan and he picked up immediately.
"You have no idea I was about to call you." He said excitedly making Fatima laugh.
"Assalam ul alaikum hubby."
"Walikum as salaam sweetheart, how are you? Missing me?"
"Stop smirking." She said with a grin making him laugh "I'm fine and yes I'm missing you so much, it feels like I haven't saw you in ages."
"Oo.!! My baby is missing me so badly." He teased making her smile.
"Did you ate?"
"No."
"What do you mean no.."
"Wait wait I had my breakfast I was talking about lunch." He said with a laugh making her blush.
"Good boy."
Hasan laughed at her.
"Baby, is everything alright."
"Alhamdulillah everything is fine Jaanam, I actually have a question."
"What is it baby?"
"If someone talked rudely to elder will Allah give punishment."
"It depends on situation baby. What happen tell me?"
She told everything and Hasan listened to her calmly without interrupting her.
"Okay so first thing are you fine? Do you want me to come."
"I'm absolutely fine Hasan and no need to come I just had this question. I know I've talked rudely but what she was saying was also not right so what do you think I did right or not."
"Jaan, you have done a great job. You stood for the rights of your niece and your sister in law. There is nothing wrong in that, and what she said was absolutely unfair to you and to Amna. I'm proud of you that you stood for yourself, nothing is wrong in that. You've opened her eyes, maybe your tone was not right but your intentions and words were true so don't think much you haven't done anything wrong."
"Thank you so much Hasan. I knew you will have every solution to my problem. You are really so nice."
"Only for you sweetheart."
"How was the surgery?"
"We have done everything let's leave rest to Allah."
"Insha Allah he or she will be healthy."
"Insha Allah. So when should I come to pick you up?"
"Are you not coming for dinner."
"No Jaan I'll eat at home. Whenever you want to come call me and if you want to stay more then you can."
"You want me dead, I'm already missing you so badly and you are saying me to stay more and I don't want you to get a habit of living alone without me."
Hasan laughed loudly making her smile.
"Don't worry Queen. I'll never get the habit of living alone without you especially I can't sleep without you." He said making her blush.
"Omg Hasan." She said in a low voice making him laugh again.
"Now stop blushing like crazy and I'll call you back in an hour I've to check some patients."
"Okay hubby take care and eat your lunch."
"Okay baby you too love you."
"I love you too Allah Hafiz Hasan."
"Allah Hafiz sweetheart."
They cut the call and Fatima was blushing and smiling cheekily. She was looking at sky and admiring it. With that Aziz came.
"Can I sit with you?" He asked.
"Yes." She sat straight and said in a low voice moving a little. Aziz sat beside her, there was a lot of distance between them. Fatima was rolling the corner of her hijab due to nervousness.
"What are doing here alone?"
"Just talked with Hasan." She said in a low voice.
"It was true."
"Huh?" Fatima looked at him confused but immediately looked down seeing he was already looking at her.
"You can come here anytime."
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry bete."
"Please don't be." She said in barely audible voice.
"I know I have done a grave sin, and nothing can change now. I even know you will never forgive me because how can you when I can't do it for myself. I know the crack I made in our relation can never be filled like before. I just want one thing from you, if you can. I just don't want you to feel scared of me. It really feels so heartbreaking. I'm so sorry bete I'm so sorry." He had tears in his eyes and by this time tears were rolling down from fatima's eyes.
"I'm no one to forgive you or anyone it's alright everything was in past." She said wiping her tears. She was just looking at her hands.
"Princess can you look at me for once." He said making fatima's heart beat raise and tears to flow countinously. She started picking her skin and her hands became cold. She hesitantly looked at him and looked down. He came a little closer and kept his hand in air, she flinched and shut her eyes tightly.
She was waiting for the slap or punch to come but instead she felt hands wrapped around her shoulder and was pulling her closer. She opened her eyes and got little surprised. Aziz was hugging her. She didn't do anything she was just froze at her place.
"I'm sorry princess I'm so so sorry." He was just repeating this continuously pulling her more closer and hugging her tightly. She sobbed harder on his chest, he was gently caressing her shoulder with tears rolling down his face.
"I'm regretting everything and every word, I'm sorry princess I'm really very sorry." He whispered. She just shook her head in his embrace. She clutched his shirt and was crying mess. After about 5 minutes she sat straight. He wiped her tears with his thumb and kissed her forehead, he again hugged her, this time she hugged him back making his heart at peace.
"I'll do anything to show you that how much I am regretting it. I really had broken your trust into pieces, I'm really sorry for not protecting you and I'm so sorry for not listening and beleiving you, I'm sorry for blaming you for everything when not a single thing was your fault. I'm sorry for scaring you, I'm sorry for not standing with you. I'm sorry for not saving you from that bastard and I'm really sorry for abandoning you when you needed me the most. I'm sorry for everything princess I'm really very sorry. I know you can't just forget everything and forgive me in one day but please try it. I will do anything to gain your trust back. I know I can never deserve your forgiveness but still I'll ask for your forgiveness everytime. I really doesn't deserve a great daughter like you. I'm sorry princess I'm so sorry."
She was just looking at him with countinous tears rolling down her eyes remembering every moment of her past and she would've been saved by her father but couldn't.
"I forgave you long back, it was all Allah's wish." She said with a hiccup wiping her tears.
"I know everything happens with Allah's plan but this was my own mistake. I'm thinking about when you called me with a lot of hope thinking about getting free from that torture but the way I crushed everything. I can never even imagine your pain or how you felt."
"I'm sorry for Hasan's behaviour, he was just angry. It really wasn't your fault and please forget about it, it was just a horrible past of mine."
"His every word was true, I'm to be blamed, I can never imagine how much you suffered every single second. I should have just listened to you, I'm so sorry bete."
"Please just leave it and forget about that." She said in a low voice.
"You think I can ever forget that, your yesterday's state is countinously roaming in front of my eyes. Do you think it's easy for me to forget everything and move on like it never happened or I could've saved you. You are still suffering from it, you didn't forget about it then how can I knowing I'm to be blamed."
"Baba please."
"You are really so innocent Fatima. We don't deserve your love and care, I can't believe how can you forgive me so easily. How you are still so pure and innocent? How can you forgive this easily after everything."
Fatima just stayed quiet. She doesn't know what to say.
"Fatima."
She looked at him.
"I know I spoiled our relation but can you please give it a chance. Not in a rush but slowly. Know that I'll always be there for you in everything, I know you don't believe any of my word but I'm sincere now. I've already done a biggest mistake of my life. I'll never do it again. Sorry for abandoning you princess."
"You are such a bad luck wherever you go something bad will definitely happens."
"Don't you think I'm a bad luck?"
"I'm sorry I'm so sorry, you are my lucky charm you can never be a bad luck in anyone's life." He hugged her caressing her shoulders.
"I'm the worst person to not believe and understand my own daughter. I should've trusted you."
"Do you trust me now?"
"More than anything in this world. How can I do the same mistake again of not trusting you, I trust you princess I trust you."
"I don't have any daughter, you are not my daughter. I feel ashamed calling you my daughter. You are dead for us Fatima and I already warned you to never call me again, I regret not choking you to death when you were born."
"Don't you regret calling me your daughter." She asked slowly.
Aziz made her look at him, she was looking at his face, his eyes were saying many things, so many things which he can never say loudly.
"I know every word I told you is still fixed in your mind but nothing was true. My every word was a lie, I regret calling myself a father, you are the best thing in my life. I know I rejected my blessing and I'm regretting it every single moment."
Fatima was silent again. They were sitting in complete silence for more than half an hour now. Fatima was just looking at the sky and Aziz was looking at his daughter. With that Bilal came.
"Here you are..ohh." he thought Fatima was alone but stopped looking at Aziz.
"Maama is calling for lunch. Come fast." He said and went from there.
"I'm really sorry princess, I don't know when I will get a chance to talk to you like this but know that this time your father is always by your side. From now on you are never alone, you can always come to me for anything at anytime." He said keeping his hand on her head.
"Thank you." She said in a low voice looking at him. His every word felt true. She smiled at him and he smiled back and kissed her head.
"Even I'm sorry for everything."
"Why are you even saying that, nothing was your fault. The only person who was not at fault was you. You are my bravest and strongest daughter I'm so so proud of you."
"Really? You are proud of me?" She was little shocked.
"Yes I'm so proud of you, you are so brave and strong. Now c'mon let's go and eat or else your mother will start scolding." He said with a chuckle, Fatima just smiled at him.
They got up and was going down.
"Baba."
"Yes princess." He said and turned back to face her.
"I missed you."
"Even I missed you so much. Can you please do me a favour."
"Yes ofcourse."
"Please don't be scared of me, it really break me into million pieces, don't forgive me it will be fine but please don't be scared of me, I'll never harm you in any way." He said with pleading eyes.
"I'm sorry baba. I promise I'll try my best, it's just I'm scared of everything it's nothing because of you."
"I know bete but I promise I'll never ever harm you in any way."
"Thank you."
They went down and Fatima went to her room to offer her prayers. After about 15 minutes she went down for lunch.
"Come bete." Noor said.
Fatima went to her usual seat and sat on the chair. It was beside Aziz, they all were shocked. Aziz made her a plate and kept it infront of her, she thanked him and they started eating. They were just talking randomly.
"Maama I'm sorry." Fatima said.
"Why bete?"
"For talking rudely to your mother."
"No problem sweetheart, you did right. I didn't knew you suffered so much because of her."
Fatima just smiled at her. She always have this thing, when we insult someone in public then we should also apologise in public.
"I was thinking we should go out for dinner." Bilal asked and everyone replied with a yes.
"I'll ask Hasan and tell you." Fatima said.
"Okay and invite him also."
"I will but I don't think he will come."
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