Elanur held the faded violin in her hands as she read the quote Semrah had written on it. "For the day when you'll grow your wings and fly.  For the day when you'll go wherever the wind will take you. For the day when you'll break free. For my Elanur, who was born to fly." Elanur closed her eyes as more tears fell on her. The cycle abuse not only took her dreams from her but even the relationships she once cherished. Between all the chaos of violence, Elanur lost her bonds with her mother, with her sisters, and even with herself. But no more, tonight she'd do what she wanted.

The little boxing glove hung from her violin case as the lights flashed on her, telling her she was going live soon. She touched the little white glove. Tonight she'd perform for herself. Tonight she'd perform her original. The man started speaking in her earpiece and she nodded. She was about to wreck herself, but it was only when you broke something that you had the courage to build something new.

Thousands of eyes on her, in the studio and on TV. Beneath the bright lights, she stepped to the mic. The mask was placed on her face. The black dress cinched on her sleeves, and so it did around her wait then flowing around her until it reached her feet. The princess standing there to conquer her throne. Elanur brought the mic closer to her lips.

"A lot of people are dedicating their performances to the ones they love. I want to dedicate this to one person I truly fell in love with through this journey. Someone whose courage gave flight to my wings. Someone who I forgot needed love." She smiled behind the mask. "This performance is for me. I realized I didn't need anyone to love me or my dreams. That the person who deserves all my heart is me. That I can only love someone else when I have learned to love myself. No, it doesn't mean I'm narcissistic." She chuckled as the audience laughed along with her. "It's just I think sometimes we forget that the person who needs love and rescue is the one staring back at us in the mirror. The only who can rescue the one in the reflection is the one staring back at reflection. So this one's for me for rescuing myself."

Elanur held her bow and violin in one hand and touched the edge of the mask with the other. Elanur Rana. The world needed to know the girl who was her own protector. She closed her eyes and removed it. The gasp from the audience made her shiver, but tonight was not about anyone. It was only about her so she forgot all else and took her place, fixing the violin. She'd play with all the will and fire within her. It didn't matter if she made a mistake or not. It only matters that Elanur Rana discovered the girl she always wanted to be and she was in love with that girl. That girl was living her dream tonight without any fears.

" This is my original piece and I dedicate it to myself. I named it... " Another long breath she snapped open her eyes. "To Elanur, With Love."

The videos and texts spread like a wildfire amongst the family and around the country. Elanur Rana, a pakistani girl, made it to International competition and today she was returning home. Bareera phupo as always, dressed in her long flowy clothes, stood there, receiving her with a big bright smile.

"I'm proud of you." Elanur almost crushed her in hug, breathing in the warmth and love she missed.

"Thank you."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bareera Phupo's eyes flared with fear. "I don't know if you are safe. My stomach is lurching at just the thought of it."

"I did everything for myself and my happiness, but I need to do something for Rovan and Raniyah at least. I need to make sure my mother knows her daughter is strong and happy. I need to do what Semrah did for me. I need to be an older sister. I need to look my father in the eyes and tell him I'm a violinist. I need him to know that even if someone is miraasi, there is nothing wrong with that."

Elanur walked along with Bareera phupo yet her eyes searched for two people who stood by her and started all this mess. Especially the one who carried boxing bruises and scars, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Elanur!" Raniya ran to the doorway. The younger one wrapped her arms around so tight, Elanur couldn't breathe.

"I missed your hugs." Elanur smiled in her hair. The scent of home wafted around her, but still there was no warmth to it. The coldness bit her and warned of the dread that was awaiting her.

"I missed you so much. You have no idea."

"Where is mom?" 

"Dad is here." Raniya's lip wobbled a little.

Elanur froze for a second. She expected the storm and war with her father, but not this soon. The moment she glanced behind Raniya, her blood turned cold. Rovan stood there with her red eyes. She shook her head slightly, terrified to make even a sound. Her mother's jaw was turning purple. Everything crashed around her as the violin case fell from her hand. 

"Mere izaat ka janaza karva ke tumhari himmaat kaise hui yahan aane ki." The words rumbled through the hallway, followed by the man who spoke them. Shavez Rana's eyes burned with the need to commit murder in his eyes.

"Dad..." Confused between the dream she lived for the last few months to crashing back to reality. Elanur's resolve fell apart.

"Tumhari maa ka beghairat khoon hai tumhari ragon mein. Jiss din tum paida huwi thi uss din tumhe zameen mein dafnana chahiye tha," Her father lurched forward, but her mother tried to hold him back.

Elanur's eyes filled with hot tears and fear, but it all flowed away when he pushed her mother. Sarwat wrapped her hand around his arm, but he pushed her into the wall. Elanur sucked in her breath.

"Tumne wapis yahan aake ghalti ki hai aur iss ghalti ko mein khud sudharoon ga. Jaane aur kya haram kaam kar ke aayi ho aur kis mitti mein apni izzat kho baithi ho." He raised his hand to hit her, but the rage was much worse in Elanur's eyes. She stepped back and wrapped her hand around his arm.

"Bas!" He tried to force it out of her hold, but tightened her hand further. "My entire life I have seen you belittle my mother, my sisters, and me. You accused us of every nasty thing one can imagine on this earth. You hit her." She let her father's arm go and he stood still in shock. "You hit for the things that weren't even in her hand. You act as if you are an angel of God. Have you ever stopped for a second and thought about the way you treat us."

"Deen, Imaan, Izzaat, values. Yeh sirf aapki nahi hai aur na he aap ko viraasat mein milli hai. Allah granted them to everyone and he commanded the followers of his religion to respect others. You used his religion to advantage of you and abused it and you forgot Allah is the one who is watching you." She wiped her angry tears. "If I'm commanded to respect you, I have equal rights as your child and I'm allowed the equal respect."

"Semrah, Rovan, Raniya, and I, we never disrespected you even after what you did to my mother. Yes, I lied to you. Yes, I dreaded coming home, not because I needed to go do something wrong. It was because this place is not even a home. It is a hell and you made it a hell." Elanur looked in the eyes of her father for the first time in her life and maybe for the last with the words she was uttering. "If your kids dread coming home, or they can't wait to leave it, it doesn't mean something is wrong with them. It means something is wrong with the home they live in. Something is wrong with the system they were raised in. So no, I'm not guilty for running away from this place to achieve my dreams"

She stood with her held as high as she could and her eyes didn't waver from the ones that were still in shock

"I'm sorry that you can't see me and my dream. I'm sorry that you'll never be able feel the love I once had for you. I'm sorry that your love only comes with conditions because you are losing four people who loved you like no other. I truly do feel sorry for you because at the end of the day you are my father, but I'm not sorry for finding myself. I'm not sorry for standing up for myself. I'm not sorry for standing up against the rules you pick and choose for us. I'm not sorry for questioning your Islam because you only remember it when it fits your narrative. I'm not sorry. I'm proud of myself." Elanur hung her violin over her shoulder.

"The culture and religion you use to abuse us, is the one that gives me the right to live myself. Allah doesn't discriminate between man and women because he only judges them on their beliefs and He knows who I am. He also gives me the rights to stand up against violence and oppression and I choose to stand against you."

"For all the talks and words, you have yet to prove yourself. Ek competition jeet jaane se zindagiyan nahi guzarti. You won't even survive in the world without a man's hand on your head."

"You're wrong and I will prove you wrong. I won the competition all on my own, my talent, and my hard work. I won the competition. I have a medal and money to travel. I won't bother with asking if I have a safe space in this house because I know I don't. I got a full ride scholarship to music school. I'm leaving tomorrow." She smiled at her father as she held her medal, but she walked past him to her mother.

"You deserve better than a love given to you in pity. This one is for you." She put the medal around her mother's neck. "I don't know what your decision is, but a relationship which only hurts you everyday is not worth it. If he threatens you everyday with divorce, then you know there is nothing left."

"Jo bheek mein maangi ya di jaaye woh mohabbat nahi hoti. Mohabbat woh hoti jo pure dil se, izaat aur ehteram se di jaaye. Aur woh izaat jab tum khud apne liye nahi chunti tab tak tumhe koi nahi dega. Kal ko tumhari betiyaan bhi kisi se mohabbat karein gi aur shaadi karengi. Unko yeh maat sikhao ke mohabbat aur shaadi ka matlab maar khaana, khud ko maar ke ek aadmi ko zinda rakhna, aur zillat hai." Elanur kissed her mother's forehead, caressing her jaw with her hand as she looked into her distraught eyes.

This time when she crossed the threshold, her feet didn't waver. She crossed them, leaving behind the world that shackled her feet to the corners of these four walls. She left behind the cage that suppressed the music of her violin with abuse, violence, and screams. She looked over in her father's eyes.

"We'll meet again. I promise. When your hands are filled with repentance and desperation of being forgiven, but by then it'll be too late. I desperately hope someday you'll come watch me play at the center of an auditorium because I want you to know that I won against you and all your so called honor."

She held the passport and a small bag along with the case of violin that carried all her memories and her victory. Her eyes caught the white glove on the case. One last regret that he didn't come see her. So you didn't wait for me? They had their calls and texts in between and he knew of her arrival, but still he didn't come meet her.

"So Musab was right. Once you get all famous and fancy, you'll ignore us."

She whipped her head around and there he was sitting next to her with a bandage on her nose and bruises all over.

"Did you win the game or lose it?" She inspected his bruised hand.

"Ehhh I might have been a little distracted by the arrival of a celebrity, but I won." Elanur rolled her eyes at him, but a sheepish smile found its way on her lips.

"Why didn't you come see me?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You got a girlfriend or something?"

"My girlfriend wasn't here for a few months so I thought to give her a bit of an attitude." He raised an eyebrow at her, leaning back in the chair.

"I'm sure she ignored you because you didn't inform her about your calculus results. So the uncertainty is still hovering over there somewhere-"

"HOW DARE YOU NOT DEDICATE THAT PERFORMANCE TO ME?"

Elanur's smiled stretched further and Husam facepalmed at the exact moment his friend decided to make an appearance.

"So now you are famous, you don't even remember me." Midget Musab crossed his arms at her. "Is that how it's going to be now. Ahsaan Faramosh." He pointed at her, accusing her of all the bad things and more.

"Once I'm famous and have money to do a concert, I'll do a whole concert in your name. Every single song dedicated to you for giving me a chance at your recording studio. Now, can I be forgiven." She stood up to hug her, but she turned his face, nose in the air. "Come here you little Midget." Elanur pulled him in a bear hug.

"You know that is redundant right, Screechie. Little and Midget." He returned her hug but not before a threat. "If you didn't fulfill that promise, I'll spread the rumor that it wasn't you behind that mask and you faked everything." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"We can't risk that, can we?" She glanced at Husam who was still shaking his head and laughing.

Musab disappeared again somewhere leaving them to spend a few hours together. Her hand curled around her case as the announcement finally echoed around her. Last time Bareera Phupo consoled her, but this time her mother and sister needed her more. Her legs trembled as she had no idea for sure this time what awaited her.

"It's time." Husam whispered stepping closer to her.

"So what now?" She forced the words out of her lips. Her eyes reflected the mist his eyes held. They hadn't skirted around what was between them and where it was going.

"Go fly Elanur. Be a wanderer you always wanted to be." He leaned forward and placed his lips lightly on top of her head.

"And you?" She closed her yes, tears falling from her eyes. "I'm going to miss you."

"Why will you miss me?"

"Huh?" She furrowed her eyebrows, now look at their intertwined hands.

"I started working at the Country Club. I'm saving money so I can come see you in Summer."

Her eyes snapped up, looking into his. The ever serene smile decorated his lips, the warmth  in his eyes engulfed her.

"I also applied for scholarships for boxing. I don't for sure, but there might be a chance for me too. Go now. I promise I'll come see you and steal you from every other guy that'll fall in love with you."

Elanur stood there for a second too long staring into the eyes of the boy who restored her faith in dreams. She pulled him another hug and then turned around to leave. As she walked a couple feet, her phone vibrated. She furrowed her eyebrows, a text from Husam. She swiped the screen and laughed.

His calculus results. He had passed the class with B-.

She turned around and he was standing there with Roses. What? How did he get roses? Of course the midget had disappeared for a reason.

"The question?" He reminded her of the promise she made him. A smile broke on her lips as she walked back without even a thread of hesitance.

"Will you marry me someday?" She whisper-yelled at him. His eyes slightly widened as Musab's jaw hit the floor.

"The day I pass Calculus II." He teased her as he handed her the roses and she groaned at the lost case.

Years later Elanur Rana sat in the middle of the stage in Vienna. Her concert was sold out. Of course it was because of her talent but Musab contested that it was because his name was splashed on the sponsors list. Elanur took a long breath and stared at the central balcony. Though she could hardly see anything past the bright lights, she still smiled.

"This one is for my husband, Husam Khanzada. I love you and thank you for everything."

She closed her eyes, holding on that smile of love and pride, and it got wider because she knew her husband stood in that balcony like he promised her. They wandered from cities to cities alternating between boxing arenas and concert halls. They held each other's hands as they followed their dreams and fell more in love each day... with each other and with their dreams.

*******************
Whew! That was EPIC! @saltysarrah

Get ready for our final story on the 8th of October, next Thursday ✨

Are you ready to end this with a bang?