Anyone want to take a guess as to what unfolds in this chapter?
No? Ok, Have a nice time reading them. ✌️
Something jolted through her veins.
Adrenaline.
It was adrenaline.
Her steps hastened, as her body tried to regulate its with constant shivers down her spine.
This can't be real.
It can't be.
Nothing will ever be the same if it is.
But the demeanour of the person was uncanny. Everything was in line with what Alayna was thinking.
Her mouth dried as she was approaching closer.
The woman lifted her chin in Alayna's direction.
As if she knew.
As if an invitation.
It was her.
The lips, the hair, the nose, the cheeks, the smiles lines, but most importantly the eyes. The eyes that were a direct mirror back into her soul.
Alayna had made it to a few feet in front of the woman.
This wasn't the way she wanted to meet her mother.
She was hoping she'd rejoice in reunion with her up in the highest heaven.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Yet this was how it was unfolding.
She was sat beside the woman now.
Her eyes refusing to move from her, as if she was a mirage.
It was her.
An aged, fragile Ayla Khan sat beside the daughter that had mourned her for years. Those tears of pain were now replaced with tears of immense happiness.
"Why are you crying kuri?" Questioned the elderly lady, with her coarse voice.
Ayla cocked her awkwardly in the direction of her daughter.
"You look familiar. Let me look at you." Her hand grabbed Alayna's chin in her soft palm. She moved her hand around scrutinising every feature.
"Nothing is coming to mind. Yaad nahi aati, but my heart is telling me that I know you. Do you know me?"
Tears kept steaming down her face as her heart thumped frantically wishing to be freed of its cage. She spilt open her lips to speak but the voice that emitted was merely a croak.
"I know of you, I never had the privilege to know you." She whispered.
Ayla's eyes widened in shock, "why would you want to know me?"
Alayna's heart dropped, she had a sliver of hope that her mother might recognise her, remember her. But that hope had shattered.
"The people that knew you always spoke so highly of you, you have alway remained my role model." She thought back to the times where her 'perfect' family would tell her about her mother, they told her of her adventurous childhood, her resilient nature and her kind heart.
The fact that she thought she'd die but never did.
Has she been suffering longer than Alayna had assumed?
Would Ayla's suffering ever end?
"Excuse me Ma'am." A high-pitched voice called out from behind her. "What are you doing here? This is private property."
Alayna looked back to the nurse who she had just seen with her mother. The same nurse who looked taken aback with the similarity between the two.
Alayna smiled, "I apologise but I think have relations with her."
"I see."
*
Soon enough, Alayna was seated in the waiting area of the elderly care home. This is where her mother had been, she wasn't buried six feet under, rather she had been living right underneath her nose.
"We need you to prove you are who you say you are in regards to one of our patients."
"I have a copy of my birth certificate."
She showed them that as they examined it.
"As its a digital copy we've got no way of ensuring that its real. We can't verify this unfortunately."
"Can I request a DNA test, I will pay but you may choose the clinic so you can the reassurance that the results aren't tampered with."
After a moment of silence, she met with a nod, "Sure, we can do that. However, I can not permit you to meet her until the results are in."
She nodded, "I shall be meeting you again in a couple of days." As she shook his hand firmly.
*
The DNA had been sent off.
Now, the wait had begun.
The days had been lonely, the nights even worse.
She didn't know who to turn to.
She had learned that he had dumped the girls with the orphanage children, they had been so relieved when they saw her.
He had attempted to lie to them, but it was a disastrous attempt. Especially as the case was getting intense coverage.
She was yet to attend to her business, the thought of it daunted her. It was going to be horrifically hard to sort it out.
Her name has been disgraced, dragged through the mud, though having proved that she was innocent, nothing would extinguish the flame that had been ignored by the boy in front of her.
She had bumped into him, or maybe he had planned this, it didn't matter for now.
"Let's do a DNA test, I am not your mother."
The sulking teenager, yes teenager, he was only 17 years of age, had confided that his aunt, the infamous Halima Malik, had told him that Alayna had dumped him on her, when he was an infant.
Alayna had explained where she was and the fact that she had been a widow for a while and would have known if she was pregnant at that point. And that his mother could possibly only one person: Hala. She only had a first name, no other information about her.
"Why did you help me even though I did it?"
"Did what?"
"Ruined your perfect life."
She smiled solemnly, he was being brought up with hate engraved into the walls of his mind, he had no way of snapping out of it.
"Sometimes, your life has to be ruined for you to discover truths that you didn't know were "
He looked at, teary eyed.
"I'm sorry. I wouldn't have done if I'd known the truth."
"You had no way of learning the truth."
"Its fine."
The same words I uttered echoed through my head as I sat alone in my apartment.
I had a family.
I'm supposed to be with them.
I can't even say that I'm disappointed in Mikhail, because I saw it coming.
He was ready to flee.
What sort of mohabbat is that? He flees at the first sight of discomfort.
I'd like to know. I really would.
What sort of love is it?
Or rather was it?
Her body inclined forward as her eyes began to close. It was time for her to finally rest. To heal a little.
The shrill ringing of her phone awoke her from her slumber, instantly she grabbed the phone, swiping the screen and pushing the phone against her ear.
"Hello?" her gruff voice called out.
"Hi, I'm one of the nurses at the Aiza elderly centre, I would like to discuss the DNA results with you, if you have a minute that is?"
"Yes, of course." She nervously fiddled with the hem of her top awaiting to hear what was going to unfold.
"So we have the results and they state a match with the DNA samples taken. So you will be allowed to meet with the patient from now on."
She let out a breath of relief.
"We have a few procedures in place, so I'd like for you to come in so I can discuss it in in detail."
"Sure."
After a few more minutes, she cut the call and relaxed her shoulders. A smile adorning her face.
She was to meet her mother.
Her mother.
She would sit beside her and make up for lost time.
She would sit beside her and pray for her.
She would sit beside her and act as her daughter, fulfilling all her duties. Even if her mother did not know who she was.
Alayna knew and she had enough love for the both of them.
That was all she needed for now.
*
The days had gone by and she spent more hours with her mother.
Hours she didn't know could have existed.
Hours that could have saved her sanity before.
She sat in the waiting room, taking a moment to breathe before she went into that room again.
She had expected something else but had received something of the complete opposite.
She wished to be able to bond with her mom, but it just wasn't happening.
Whenever Ayla would see Alayna, she would scream profanities, as if seeing a ghost of the past.
Constant fear in her eyes, anxiety shrouding her form, fists ready to be thrown at any moment in defence.
She needed to take a minute, she felt exhausted.
It felt horrible.
The one woman she has wanted to know her entire life, hadn't had a peaceful death, she was stuck here, with a mildly functioning brain.
If I had the power to turn back time. I wouldn't let you go near Ismail Hussain.
She sat zoned out, until a gruff voice spoke, "These are for her."
Her eyes zoomed to the side of the room that he was stood.
Her uncle Salman.
She pulled herself to her feet instantly, calling out to him before he stepped out of the building.
"Khalu."
She watched his body tense up at the sound of that relation.
But she didn't know what else to call him.
He slowly turned to her, his face slowly brightening as her face registered.
"Alayna?" He gasped, in complete shock, which slowly melted into happiness.
He pulled her into a hug instantly, to which she instantly reciprocated.
"Why didn't you tell me you were back in Pakistan?"
"It was a last minute trip." She figured he didn't know about what had happened.
He pulled her out of his embrace, and held her at an arm's length, looking her over.
"I'm so happy you're here."
She smiled.
"How long have you known she was alive?" He looked down at his feet instantly, shrouded by guilt.
"A few months."
She stood staring at him.
"How long?" She repeated.
"8 months." He confessed.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" She calmly questioned.
He knew she was ready to explode at any point now.
"Cause I wanted to be selfish for once. Just once Alayna. I wanted to keep her a secret because once everyone else knows, I won't be able to see her again."
"Did you ever get to meet her?"
"Yes, she was sat in the garden on a bench. I spoke to her. She seemed...peaceful. As if she was at ease."
"She's never like that with me."
"I don't know what to tell you Alayna."
"Have you met her since?"
"No, they didn't allow me."
"They didn't?" She mocked.
"I couldn't prove to be related to her."
She simply nodded.
"Do you want to meet her?" He nodded eagerly.
"Why?"
He opened his mouth to answer and then stopped.
"To confess my love to her."
"Even though she will never understand what you mean nor recognise you."
"Yes."
"Come with me."
She walked through the doors towards her mother's room.
He was gripping onto the flowers a little tighter.
She pushed open the door, staying put in the corridor.
"Are you not going with me?" He asked, a sudden rush of nerves overcame his being.
"I trust you won't do anything bad to her, and if you do," she leaned forward with a menacing smile, "you know what I've done in the past."
He walked in and the door shut behind him.
Her attention wasn't anywhere near the door.
She was looking out of the window.
He cleared his throat in hopes that she would turn to look at him. Just once.
One glance would be more than enough for him, even if it was brief just something that would tell him that she acknowledged her.
Nothing.
"I brought you a present."
He set down the fresh white roses that he had grown in his garden.
He spent his time arranging the flowers into a bouquet and wrapping that bouquet up.
"All I'd like to say Ayla is that I loved you. It seems weird because I was with your sister and you thought of me as an older brother. I desperately tried to bury those feelings. But when the night came round and I laid down all alone in my room I was unable to find love given to me. I was forever giving love out, when was I ever going to have anyone reciprocate? It turned out to be never. I would never have anyone love me. I will die an unlovable man, but I gave my heart to you, and I wanted to tell you that. I love you Ayla, and I wish I could have stopped every injustice against you. But I couldn't. I was helpless. I am helpless now, unable to help now. And I will forever remain a helpless man. But Ayla, with Allah as my witness, I have loved you."
He swiftly made his way to the door closing it shut behind him. He looked over to see Alayna having an argument with the staff. He shook his head, and moved over to her, knowing she wasn't going to back down ever. He lightly pulled her with him to the exit and they sat on a bench.
He watched her take deep breaths, struggling to control her anger.
"Why did you lash out at her?"
She stayed mute.
"Is it something to do with Mikhail?"
She closed her eyes, wishing everything would just melt away.
"Tell me Alayna, I'm listening."
So she did.
She talked. He listened.
"You might despise me for te words about to come out of my mouth-"
"Then don't say it."
"I have to. I can't let the both of you just give up on the relationship you both worked so hard to maintain and the life you worked so hard to build. You and Mikhail have something special, please go and talk to him. Talk it over just once, please."
*
He had never seen a storm quite like it.
The wind was ferocious, the rain was never ending.
The electricity was likely to blow out soon, and he couldn't find any matches to light the candles.
He rumbled through the next couple of kitchen cabinets to finally get his hand on a box just as the lights cut off.
He got to work lighting the candles and placing them around the house. Cihan was hot on his tail, trembling in fear of the storm.
"When's mom coming back?" He whined in a small voice.
Mikhail scooped him up into his arms, and whispered a soon to try and soothe him. But looking at his face it clearly did nothing.
He moved through the rooms and eventually found a torch that worked.
They took it to Cihan's room alongside some snacks, pillows, sheets and 2 chairs.
Both father and son, toiled hard creating their ideal den to 'hide' from the storm which had began to calm.
They sat there eating, playing shadow puppets and reading.
A rapt, unmissable knock was heard at the main door. Cihan immediately tensed jumping back into his father's arms.
"It's probably a neighbour." He said stroking his son's hair, "Do you want come with?"
To which his immediate answer was a frantic shaking of his head.
He chuckled and told him he will be back.
Mikhail closed the door of his son's room and slowly made his way to the door. His hand hovering the cricket bat conveniently beside the door.
He flung the door open, letting the cold in to play.
His eyes looked at the dark figure stood with a suitcase in hand. The head raised and his heart fell as he looked into her eyes.
"Alayna." He whispered.
"MOOOOOM!" Cihan appeared out of nowhere but was quick to throw his arms around his soaked mother. Whose eyes bore into Mikhail's.
Hatred.
Disgust.
Enrage.
******
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Also, FREEEE PALESTINE!!!!! 🍉 🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉
If you side with a genocide honestly go dig yourself a hole and live underground pls x
Please keep speaking for Palestine, don't let their cries of agony enter one ear and leave the other. Pray for them. Attend the protests. Boycott those who funding the terror state (BDS website) if you need a link tell me I'll give it to you.