Stand by me

21. Being a woman.

The final year's exams result was out and despite being the youngest in class, Safiyya Suraj Pahnwar had the best result. After returning from the phone boot and telling her Ammi about it, Safiyya couldn't help but dance around the house.

"Safiyya!" a thunderous voice made her flinch and halt in her footsteps. There they sat in the mmmm, her father, elder brothers, and an unfamiliar man with thick beards. He stroked his beard and scrutinized the young lady because despite being fifteen, a woman was blooming right there.

Her black full-length hair cascaded on her back and shoulders with some curls adoring her beautiful face. She was in a lemon green shalwar, standing there with a dazed expression.

"Will you stand there like an idiot or leave?!" her eldest brother, Malek who shouted earlier, hollered again.

Safiyya gasped and her watery eyes turned to her brother. She was already scared that a stranger was in their house and saw her without her hijab and all her brothers could do was yell at her.

"Safiyya, to your room," Suraj finally spoke with gritted teeth. He saw the look the man gave his daughter and that irritated him. It's better if she leaves immediately.

Safiyya turned around and ran back to her Ammi.

"Sorry about that," Suraj apologized for the misunderstanding. The man gently shook his head. How can he be offended?

"Ammi!" Safiyya ran into the room and fell on her knees before Ruwaida. Ruwaida was astonished and dropped what she was doing. This was her daughter that was rejoicing earlier. So why is she crying all of a sudden?

"Ammi," Safiyya cried even more, burying her head into her mother's lap.
"It's okay. It's okay," Ruwaida patted her daughter's head fondly with a worried expression. Did someone say something bad to her just now? Safiyya raised her head with puffy eyes and looked at her mother.

"What happened beta?" Ruwaida cradled her face and asked in a whisper.

"I...I...." Safiyya hiccuped and bit her lips.

"Come on. I am your Ammi. So, you can tell me anything, " Ruwaida persuaded her calmly.

"I was happy after seeing it result and rushed outside. I swear if didn't know that Abooh had a visitor in the house and he...he saw me like this Ammi. Abooh will punish me," Safiyya cried even more.

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault, " Ruwaids said and hugged her. Her brows furrowed at the thought. They might have scolded Safiyya just now and scared her. She wished the men in this house were more reasonable.

The door was suddenly knocked harshly and the men trudged into the room. Safiyya gasped and clutched onto her mother's shawl.

Ruwaida glared at the three boys who were in her step sons and her gaze stooped on Malek.
"Is that how you are supposed to enter a person's room without the salam? I should expect something better from you Malek!" she scolded.

"I didn't hear you teaching that daughter of yours the same thing, " Malek retorted and glared at Safiyya.

"You know she wasn't aware," Ruwaida said, already used to his disobedience.

"I doubt that. Who knows, she was just showcasing herself to the man," the youngest, Nivzad chirped making Ruwaida's eyes widen.

"I would never!" Safiyya shouted back indignantly. How can her brothers accuse her of such? She glanced at Raoof who was less violent but he just stayed quiet.

Malek was offended when she shouted at them and stomped toward the mother-and-daughter duo, snatching his sister from her mother.

"Don't hurt her Malek!" Ruwaida warned.

Safiyya shook her head at her brother who looked like a fierce lion right now.
"So you learned to speak back to your brothers? Apart from being an annoying girl, I didn't expect you to be a disobedient one!"

"I swear by Allah that I didn't know. Believe me, brother," Safiyya pleaded.

"You are still talking back!" he barked and she felt a stinging pain on her cheek.

"Malek!" Ruwaida cried out and couldn't help but slap him back.

"What the...." His eyes turned red and tried retaliating but heard their father's roar.

"Do you want to hurt your stepmother too?" Suraj glared at his son. Malek smacked his lips and pointed at Safiyya who was crying in her mother's embrace.
"She needs to learn some manner Abooh,"

"I am her father. Not you, " Suraj said and turned to Safiyya.
"Safiyya. Look at me," he said in a stern voice and her tears-stained face looked at him.

Suraj was pained by the treatment his daughter was getting but he held it back. She did fault this but they can't blame her. Only if he can support her.
"Non-mahrams can enter this house anytime, so any time that you leave your room, make sure that your hair is at least covered. I don't want today's incident to repeat itself. Understood?"

Safiyya swallowed a painful lump and nodded weakly. "Yes Abooh,"

Suraj gave Ruwaida a glimpse before saying to his sons. "Let's leave!" The men left and Safiyya turned back to hug her mother tightly. Ruwaida closed her eyes tightly as tears rolled down her cheek. She can endure maltreatment but she hates it when it happens to her daughter.

Safiyya was not bawling anymore but her hiccups sounded in the room.
"Have patience beta. It's over now." Ruwaida said to her.

"Ammi, Abooh hates me even more now right?" Safiyya muttered.

"Why would you say that?" Ruwaida frowned and pulled her back. She wiped the girl's face and said, "Your Abooh gave birth to you, how can he hate you?"

Safiyya pursed her lips and returned dejectedly, "Abooh never supports me and he let my brothers scold me all the time for even the tiniest things. I've learned that a girl's father and brothers are her protectors but in my case....they just hate me. Is it because I was born a woman?" a rueful smile adorned her face and she quickly wiped her face. She started at her mother who had her head bowed and whispered,

"Ammi. They all stand together but push us apart. I just don't understand why they don't act like Muslims. Surely Allah gave us equal rights, so what's their problem? If...If I had a choice, I would choose to be born a boy or never...."

Her voice was caught shut as Ruwaida placed her fingers on her lips.

"No Safiyya. No," she shook her head seriously. "A female child is a blessing to every family. Don't ever regret being born one. If they don't treat you as a princess, have you forgotten that you are the princess of Islam? You are a queen that Allah praises in the Quran. A woman is a daughter, a wife, and most importantly, a mother. Any man who looks down upon a woman is the most ungrateful being in this dunya because he was born from a woman. So, don't ever regret it okay?" she said softly.

"Okay, Ammi. I love you so much," Safiyya declared and embraced her mother again.

Ruwaida hugged her back and added, "Even if the whole world rejects you, your mother is always with you. I will never leave you even after my death because my blessings will always be with you. I adore you so much beta and you should never forget that."

Don't cry🤧 We are special. Girl power!