This chapter is dedicated to Deedi--, my love❤️
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...both families will now have to choose, to save Jasmine or Muslim...
After maghrib prayer at the hospital, mummy had to go home after being convinced by Muslim that she needed to rest. The drive back home was a silent one, only the low soothing voice of Tariq Mohammed reciting Surah An-noor from the holy Quran could be heard, that too when great attention is paid to his recitation.
Sa'eeda was looking at the window, indulging in the peace of the night though it wasn't really tranquil, not actually paying attention to what she was seeing, her facial expression numb though her face clearly showed that she cried. So this is how we are going to watch her die in great dilema and quandary, only Allah knows what she kept deep inside, how she sleeps every night, maybe she cries her self until she finally knocks out. Something has to be done as soon as possible, or so, Sa'eeda thought.
Mummy didn't say anything, she wasn't thinking of anything, neither was her mind in the reality. She felt she was the worst mother on Earth, she was ready to face anything to mend things but how?
"Where have you been Nooria? When did you start going out without my permission." Usman asked Nooria as soon as she went into the parlor. She kept quiet, looking into his eyes with tears eyes.
"Good evening daddy." Sa'eeda said appearing from behind.
"Hold your greetings. Nooria is anything the matter, why are you crying it's breaking my heart." He said and approached his wife, he held her hands and helped her to sit. Seeing that, Sa'eeda left them.
Nooria didn't say anything, she was just sniffing, trying to find her words. When her effort proved futile, she cried into his chest as he hugged her and stroked her back.
"Enough of the tears noorie, tell me what's wrong, crying will not solve anything, it will add more to you situation, it will give you headache and I don't want it, speak to me please." He was concerned about her tears. Where did she even go to?
She sniffed and said in a shaky voice, "as if you're going to do anything about it, as if you care, as if you know what's right or wrong to decide for your family, we failed as parents. Ya lal ajab!" She completed in Arabic and ran up the stairs.
Her husband followed her because he was worried, if there's anything he hates is seeing his wife in discomfort, talkless of a whole her being in tears, that broke him into gazillion pieces.
"Nooria what's wrong? Please let me know, I'll see what I can do" He said as he entered the room.
"Our daughter is dying all because of our selfishness." Her voice was broken.
"Selfishness? What selfishness?" He sat close to her on the bed.
"The marriage we forced her into. You were asking where I have been to huh? I was in the hospital. The doctor said Jasmine's heart will definitely fail if she continues like this. We pretended as if everything was fine during the wedding, we were extremely happy while our daughter was sad. By the way we are not the ones to live the marriage for her but because it made us happy we did it and now...my daughter has been unconscious for what she didn't do. We failed as parents. What are we doing Usman?" She voiced in between sobs and for the first time in forever, she called his name.
Usman was speechless, he couldn't say anything but then, he wasn't feeling a pinch of regret in making Jasmine marry Muslim since that was what his only brother, Omar, wanted.
