Road To Jannah

Chapter 25

"What runs down from the eye is not water, but a soul which melts and drips."

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"If you do not heal the wound of your childhood, it leaves a scar which lasts forever." said Abu Bakr standing at the door way of Nikita at her house.

Nikita who had been shaken with the sudden manifestation of her father, couldn't hold herself and ran down to her house in solitude. Until now she had been living solemnly then why did he came back to destroy the amount of peace she had gathered to at least struggle through this life. A lot of people take their family for granted but only those who have broken families knows the real worth of it. A loving family is the most valuable treasure whose key is given to the most blessed.

"I don't know who you are, please go away." screamed Nikita with a picture of her mother in her hand.

"I am your father."

"Father? Where were you when I cried myself to sleep craving for you? Where were you when I was extremely ill at mid night and there was no man to take me to the hospital? Where were you when my teachers asked about you during those parent teacher meetings? Where were you when I was awarded as the brightest student and also when I managed to hold top positions in my class? Where were you when my face as well as my soul was damaged? And where were you when I lost my one and only lifeline, my mo..th..er?" cried out Nikita while her legs did not accompany her and she broke down on the floor with a fit of shiver through her spine. Her father ran towards her and sat on the floor just in front of her and raked his hand slowly on Nikita's head.

"I am sorry Niki beta.." said Abu Bakr while his manly voice was witnessed to be cracking. He stopped and then said "I know that I am the worst father in the world but please at least talk to me." On hearing this Nikita's heart felt heavy and for once she directed her head on the lap of her father and cried her heart out to lighten the burden she had kept all her life.

"Believe me I had exhausted all the means to find you. I did not even know that Aparna is no more." said Abu Bakr while swaying his hand on her hairs.

"I know, Mom hid me from you so that you could not find me."

"You used to cry like this on my lap when you were small complaining to me about your mother."

"I loved you more than mom, but then you betrayed us just because you became a Muslim?"

"I did not leave you both, but it was the situation that made me leave your mother. But you? I would have never left you but she took you away from me." said Abu Bakr and Nikita sat straight after raising her head from his lap. It was now that she had keenly observed her father. How much had he changed. He had wrinkles on his face and he seemed to have turned weak. Years before when she had seen him, he was clean shaved but now he had long beard.

"I do not want to hear anything about her. She was the one who took care of me when you were away." said Nikita.

"Yes I am glad that she took care of my little girl but if you sit in a room enveloped with darkness and say that the sun has not risen today then you are fooling who? You or the entire world?" said he and Nikita just looked at him. It was true that she has never heard her father side of the story. It was true that she just hated him because it was what her mother told her. It was true that she did not want to face the ugly truth.

"Aparna and I had a love marriage since we met in a school. We were both Hindu and also shared the same caste. We got married and were blessed with a beautiful daughter. We were a normal happy family."

"Then you converted to Islam and got married to some Muslim women." said Nikita.

"Yes I did that but you need to listen to the entire transformation." said Abu Bakr and she nodded her head.