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"......"

Long silence fell between the two ladies who laid on the beach with their hair a wild and their bodies soaking in the warmth of the sunlight.

"What?" Ayat found herself asking as she felt the untold accusations her best friend was throwing at her.

"Are you seriously going to wear a dress? On the beach?" Nuha asked lifting herself up on her elbows casting a look at the girl playing with a boy her age.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Tan lines" she deadpanned shaking her head.

"I don't mind" Ayat said rolling her eyes under her shades.

"There are so many hot guys here" Nuha said looking around and waving at a man who stood in a distance.

"And?" Ayat asked sitting up, leaning back on her hands making her hair tumble back in beautiful waves.

"Come on baby. That guy's been gazing at you for ages" Nuha said pointing in the direction of a brunette who stood at a distance flexing his muscles.

Ayat lowered her shades and looked him up and down making him smirk at her but her rolled her eyes and looked away flipping her hair back and running her fingers through them.

"Sassy" Nuha breathed fanning herself and turned on her stomach propping her head on her palm.

"Isn't he hot?"

"No. He's giving me severe body complex right now" Ayat gaged shaking her head.

"Oh come on. You'd die to touch those abs" the black eyed woman fanned herself making her friend exhale a deep breath.

"Oh how I wish I had that desire" Ayat sighed.

The crowd chatted and children squealed, a happy vibe resonated in the area, with bright smiles and loud music blaring somewhere in the background.

Ayat's eyes looked around to fall on a familiar small figure, the honey haired girl looked up to a man dressed in jeans and black leather jacket - all that she could see from a far - who seemed engrossed in a conversation with her.

Sitting up straight she pushed back her shades like a headband and narrowed her eyes at the duo. A pale expression overshadowed her face and she found herself standing on her two feet already making her way to the man who was holding her daughter's hand in a steel grip.

"What happened? Where are you going?" Nuha asked but the woman in a white sundress was on her way to the man who she could only now see in her worst nightmares.

Mihrimah tried to squirm away from the guy with blazing brown eyes and a devilish smirk.

"My... My mom's looking for me. I... I have to go" she stuttered trying to pull away but he pulled her in his arms hugging her tightly - almost crushingly - making her eyes water.

"Baby I'm your Dad. I'm your baba. Didn't your mom tell you about me?" He questioned pushing her back a little still keeping her in his hold.

"I... I want to go" she said feeling her defenses soar up high.

"Come on then. You can come with me. Your mom's not a good woman anyways." He said cupping her face pushing her hair back. Micheal was in awe seeing his daughter but the resemblance she shared with her mother made his grip on her arms tightened.

Ayat Sukhera held a huge part of his heart, the woman with long wavy caramel locks, bright smiles and strikingly beautiful honey like eyes made his weak to his knees, but what she did to him all those years back made him burn in rage and hatered for her.

At one glance he suspected Mihrimah was his daughter, he had met her before in her school and her age said everything he needed to know.

"Don't you talk about my mother like that" the girl in front of his roared and for a moment he saw a glimpse of himself in her temper.

"She's brainwashed you. Mihrimah, janan I'm your baba. Your mother is vile woman, she—"

"Stop it." Mihrimah shouted shoving his hands off her "you might be my baba, but you can never be like her for me. I won't listen to you—" not expecting the girl to shout he covered her mouth with his hand, dragging her a little away from the crowd.

"Don't you dare yell" he gritted in her ear making tears leak her eyes "I was trying to be good to you but I guess you're just like your mother, if you do not listen to me your precious mommy would have to pay the prince for you." he threatened making her whimper. His eyes turned a deadly shade of coal and she feared he would turn into a demon she saw in movies.

"I'm ten years old, you can't do anything without my permission" she yelled thrashing in his hold but her struggle came to an end when she spotted her mother running in her direction.

"Mihrimah" a voice that Micheal Soomro couldn't love without a decade ago shouted. Turning around just enough he caught the sight of the woman who looked even more ravishing now year after that he was seeing her.

"Who are you?" She asked still from a distance but her shoulders tensed up knowing exactly who stood up tall with that kind of arrogance.

Her hands started shivering and heart beat quickened, her long strides started to fail and slow down but she forced her eyes away from his back to her daughter who had tears glistening in her eyes.

Rage filled her body and she strode over to the man pushing him back and engulfed her little support angel in her arms protectively.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" She asked making the child shake her head in negative.

"So that's what you've feeding her brain with. Why are turning her against me?" He said taking a hold of Ayat's arm and pulling her away from Mihrimah.

"She knows enough of what she should know about you" Ayat seethes trying to prey his hands off her.

"You won't have her for long" he threatened.

"Why are you so sure that she's your daughter? For all you know and care is that I cheated on you didn't I? She could be another man's child" Ayat said pushing him off her.

"I know she's mine. And even she knows not to stay with a woman like you" he spat making her clench her jaw and pull Mihrimah behind her.

"Say whatever you want but I won't let you near her, not anymore" she replied making him scoff and smirk at her.

"As delusional as always, Ayat" he said running a finger down her face. A shiver ran down her spine as an image of them being young flashed in her mind.

Her eyes burned as the man infront of her seemed to have been lost too but it was soon over as he went flying to the side.

Her haze broke and her eyes met Nuha's black ones. Her eyes widened and she tried to hold the raging woman back but she had charged at him full force.

"Why don't you die already." Nuha screamed charging at him and Ayat stood back not wanting to to stop her.

Mihrimah on the other hand hugged her mother's leg tightly making the older version of her look down at her.

"Nuha. Stop" she said trying to get the wild woman off him.

"Get off me" Nuha shouted, harshly pushing her friend back.

"How dare he come back in your life." Nuha yelled making a crowd gather around them.

"Is everything okay?" A man asked.

"No. This bitch was harassing my sister and her daughter" Nuha gritted while being dragged back.

"Are you done?" Ayat asked tilting her head to the side as she watched Nuha wince while looking at her bloodied knuckles.

"No I'm not. I would've killed him" she gritted before her mind registered a fact and she slapped Ayat.

"What the fuck Nuha?" Ayat yelled.

"How dare you behave civil with him? Who the fuck do you think he is? The fucking president?" Nuha screamed.

"He isn't a threat—" another slap graced Ayat's other cheek and this time her eyes teared up.

"But he's definitely an asshole" Nuha remarked making Mihrimah cringe and look around of anyone saw.

"You should stop hitting people" Mihrimah said making the two women look at her.

"Your mom deserves it for being an idiot"

"There's police here. You'll get arrested for beating a man and slapping a woman" Mihrimah said making her aunt roll her eyes.

"Look she's crying" Mihrimah whimpered looking at her mother.

"Why are you crying?" Nuha asked making Mihrimah point to her mother.

"Because she's crying" Nuha huffed before taking Mihrimah in her arms.

"Come on baby don't cry" Nuha cooed rubbing her back and gave Ayat a nasty look.

Nuha grinned ear to ear and made a run for the water with Mihrimah still in her arms.

The little girl squealed as her aunty launched her in the water. The cold water soaked her shorts and tank top making the duo play happily in the water as Ayat stood in a distance watching them with tears in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath she went a little closer to them and stood in the water, letting the water caress her legs soothingly.

"Why are you still crying?" Her friend asked making her roll her eyes and turn her gaze away from her.

"You slap me twice and still have the audacity to ask why I'm teary eyed"

"You deserved it" Nuha yelled making her roll her eyes yet again.

"I was just not trying to make a scene out of it" she said making her friend mock her.

"Trying not to make a scene out of it.... Blah blah blah."

"Come on we should head home. I'm tired" Ayat said walking a little further into the water.

"Just a little longer." Nuha said waving her off.

Sighing the lady went back to her previous place feeling her heart get heavy with every passing second, a sudden urge to cry her heart out made her insides churn. Blinking her eyes more than normal she chewed on her lip wanting to retell someone what had happened on repeat till the feeling wore off but she knew not to do that.

Breathing in deeply she looked around to make her anxiety settle down but it didn't. She smiled brokenly as she watched her daughter enjoy with her aunt but her own happiness faded away the moment she laid her eyes on that man.

"We'll be a forever they'll talk about" tht young man had said keeping her engulfed in his arms, his fingers drawing patterns on her skin.

"Promise?"

"I can break anyone's promise just not yours" he smiled softly down at her.

A smile settled on her lips as she's leaned against his bare chest.

Her eyes taking in the shed of snow flakes from the sky, white coat covering the ground and she scooted closer to his warmth.

It was as if the weather has taken a harsh turn the smooth falling of the snow flakes turned into a snow storm, freezing her soul.

"Micheal. I'm pregnant"

"It's not mine"

"How could you say that? You know I've only had you in my life"

"Oh for fucks sake. Someone who can spread her legs for me can do it for anyone else too"

"How dare you" she lifted her hand to slap him but he pushed her back and took a hold of her chin.

"If you want me to stay with you, abort it. I don't want another man's filth near me"

Whispers got louder and the touches got violent.

"Yo. How much?"

"Come on make a film with us too"

"The janitors closet is empty"

Her eyes snapped back into reality when a chorus of squealing filled her ears, her tears and heartache went back inside her as she watched her family coming forward.

"You're still crying over the slap?" Nuha asked plopping down beside her making her nod.

"My face hurts you moron" she said with her voice cracking.

Nuha gave her an all knowing look but didn't say anything because of Mihrimah.

"I'm tired" the younger girl said making her mother nod hurriedly.

"Yeah me too." Ayat said swiftly.

"Yeah let's go" Nuha said gazing at Ayat who avoided eye contact. Her dark eyes softened at her friends red nose.

The golden brown haired woman packed up everything and got up to leave with Nuha following behind her.

"I know you're listening to me Allah. Help her win her case. She deserves it. She deserves a stress free life, please help her" she mumbled under her breath slowing down behind her friend and niece with a sad smile on her face.

"If it had been my mom she would've left Mihrimah a long time ago but she stayed with her. I get it she messed up. We all messed up somewhere, but you forgive everyone right. Please forgive us" her whisper cracked as she turned her head up heavenward.

Grey clouds covered the sun and a loud clap of thunder rang in the atmosphere. She grinned pointing at the sky as droplets of mercy washed over the crowd.

"Hehe. You heard me" she yelled excitedly and ran towards their car.

"What are you grinning about?" Ayat asked making her shake her head.

"Secret" she winked making her friend shake her head and speed to their house.

Reaching home the three of them parted ways to wash away the residue of their picnic.

Once showered Ayat called Mihrimah to herself.

"Yes?" The girl asked her mother.

"Mah have you met him before?" Ayat asked making Mihrimah avoid eye contact.

"Mah?" Ayat pressed.

"Yes?" Mihrimah said hanging her head low making Ayat sigh and bring her closer to herself.

"Where?" She asked calmly.

"He came to visit me in school" Ayat nodded feeling helpless.

"What has he been talking to you about?" She asked calmly making her daughter make a guilty eye contact with her.

Tears fell from her eyes and Ayat frowned. Her hold on Mihrimah's arms tightened a little too much and the little girl whimpered making her mother loosen her grip on her.

"You can tell me" Ayat said softly caressing her arms.

"He said..." Mihrimah hiccuped

"He said you'll leave me. He said you don't love me. Is it true Mama? Do you not love me?" Mihrimah asked making Ayat's heart stop. She froze for a long moment and slowly pulled her daughter back.

"Do you think it's true?" She asked brokenly.

"I don't know" Mihrimah said making her leave her arms and pull back.

"What do you...." She paused to take a deep breath "what do you mean?" She asked.

"He said you left me with Humaira maa because you didn't want me and you didn't love me. He said you're only keeping me with you so you can prove a point to him and black mail him for money. Are you really using me?" She asked making Ayat blink her tears away and push Mihrimah away a little.

"He, he said. You're not a good person and he'll save me from you. He said he'll take me to a good place, he said wants to keep you with him and he's been trying to get you to forgive him but you're holding a grudge against him." she informed her mother who was on the verge of breaking down.

"And?" Ayat asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Mama why can't you live with him? He's a nice man. He said he'll keep us happy. Mama. Why can't I have my papa with me? Everyone else's papa lives with them. Why can't I have mine? I get bullied because I don't have a dad. You know all those girls make fun of me and call you names because you keep me away from my papa." Mihrimah went off, she had been keeping it all in for far too long. She asked the question Ayat has always dreaded to answer.

How does one explain to a ten year old that their father was a lier, a heartbreaking man who would make the life of her mother a hell.

"Mah. There are things he didn't tell you, okay. He's nice, because he wants you to believe it. I'm not trying to turn you against him but. He's not what he seems to be. Believe me. Whatever he said is just his part of the story. We can't go live with him" she tried explaining making Mihrimah pull back.

"But why? What's your part of the story then?" She asked.

"I don't know how to explain it to you Mah but he left us. He left me when I needed him the most, I can't go live with him"

"Then I'll go with him."

"Mihrimah?" Ayat yelled loosing her temper making her daughter flinch back.

"He said I'll just have to go spend sometime with him" she said making her mother's hold around her tightened.

"No." Ayat seethed with tears in her eyes.

"But why?" Mihrimah shouted.

"You're going no where near him" Ayat yelled holding Mihrimah's arms tightly making her whimper.

"What's going on?" Nuha barged in and her eyes widened at the sight.

"He told me you'll say that to keep me away. That's why you never keep me with you" Mihrimah yelled back with tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Is this what it cost me to love you unconditionally?" Ayat yelled raising her hand in her fit of panic.

"Have you lost you mind?" Nuha yelled pushing Ayat away and embracing the sobbing child.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Ayat?" Nuha yelled trying to console the child who was hiccuping in her arms.

"Who fucking gave you the right to raise your hand on my child?" Nuha yelled pulling Mihrimah up in her arms and hugging her tightly whole pecking her shoulder "it's okay. Mah. I'm here now"

Nuha took her niece out of the room and lowered her gently on her bed.

"Something must've happened. She would never hit you Mah. She would take a bullet for you but never hit you okay. Give her some time she'll explain everything to you" Nuha tried explaining her but the other girl just nodded and laid down hiding her face in Nuha's pillows.

"What did papa do to make her like this?" Mihrimah asked looking up from her pillow.

"Let me tell you a story Mah. It's the right time" Nuha smiled softly climbing in bed with her.

Mihrimah nodded and hugged her aunt tightly.

"Once upon a time there was a small town.....

In that town lived a girl and a boy. The boy was the prince charming of everyone's dream with confident smiles and good hair. The girl you can was your average little lady with big dreams, simple wishes and a good looking best friend..." Nuha flipped her hair and Mihrimah smiled inwardly "like you?" She asked her aunt.

"Obviously" Nuha exclaimed making her niece smile contently.

"One day while on their way to their school the two met each other. They exchanged pleasantries and the boy played with the strings of the girls heart with his smile. The girl blushed and walked away and soon a few weeks later the two were together. They were madly in love and we're going strong for years to come now. It was in highschool did things went wrong. One night the boy held the girls hand and asked if she trusted him.."

"What did the girl say?"

"The girl looked back at all the days, weeks, months and years they had spent together and said yes. She loved him with all her heart and she smiled at him as she gave him every right over her, they spent their nights together and the two were living their life like a fairytale but then an evil person came between them."

"What happened then?"

"That evil person turned out to be the reason why they broke apart. I don't know what happened exactly but the boy turned against the girl, he started hating her and he did something one should never do. He passed secrets of the girl around making people hate her, mock her and use her for wrong. He made people see her as an object and then one day..... A miracle happened. Just when the girl was about to end it all she found out she had a baby inside her. A small little bean who would change her whole life."

"Was that baby me?" Mihrimah asked. Nuha smiled at her rubbing her head.

"Did she want me?" The little girl asked.

"The girl didn't know what to do, she was scared, she was shaking, she told the boy but he made fun of her, he bullied her, he told everyone that she was lying and trying to trap him and she didn't know what to do then, she wanted to die but she couldn't. She wanted to hurt herself but she couldn't. She would try but then a small little voice would tell her don't do it, I love you, I'm with you. And she would stop. She would stand infront of the mirror for long time and look at her belly growing, just running her hand over it feeling the little bean love her from inside. And then one day, the girl collapsed. She didn't know what happened, her friend took her to the hospital and they told her she wouldn't survive. The friend was terrified...." Nuha breathed blinking into space, the fear she felt that day coming back to her as she took in a deep breath.

"The friend started crying and didn't know what to do when the doctors ran in and out of the operation theatre. They were yelling and screaming that the girl wouldn't make it, and that the bean and the mother both might end up dead. The girl did almost die but she came back for her little bean. She woke up and broke down crying as she saw the baby for the first time in days. She was so happy and ugly crying at the same time" Nuha laughed at the end, Ayat who was listening from the other side of the door chuckled as she wiped her tears. Guilt filled her whole as she got back in her senses and went to check up on her daughter when she stopped hearing the story of her life being narrated.

"The girl and her friend swore they would protect the little bean with their lives but something traumatic happened that changes their lives, one unfortunate day they were attacked, they didn't know by who but it was clear they wanted the bean dead and that scared the shit out the girl and her friend. They were crying profusely in the hospital - where the almost a year old bean was admitted - when they met this beautiful couple. They fostered kids and they were marked to be good care takers. The girl didn't want to repeat what happened to her happiness and enrolled the bean in foster care and handed the girl to them. The girl worked her ass off to make enough money to bring her bean back home and hide her under her wing, she built herself strong for her baby but she was still that anxiety prone idiot inside who lost her mind on minor inconveniences which made her a little crazy and insecure about what if she was not the best mother to her girl. Her friend, well she was as awesome and ever ready to beat the crap out of the people who attacked her bean but she was held back because she needed to build a life for her first and then go to jail. But anyways. The bean was kept away from tht girl for protection, protection from anyone who could be a suspect." Nuha concluded.

"That means?" Mihrimah asked.

"That means that the girl loves her bean to the moon and back but she's scared and tired of being scared every minute thinking someone will come and take her little baby away from her. She fighting Mah, she just doesn't know how to deal with anyone else knowing about it.

She wants her beans support, she has a hearing in three days and she wants her bean to tell tht judge that she wants to live with her mother. She's not stopping anyone from meeting their father she just doesn't trust tht boy enough to let him keep her only source of life.

Trust the girl bean she loves you too much for her own good. She'll die for you but she won't let you get in the wrong hands, not till her and I are alive. We're just protective baby girl, we want to keep you safe till you can carry on the legacy and save yourself. I know. I know what it feels like to have people bully you because your parents left you. I know. Trust me your mom's better than so many woman I've seen who don't even deal with their kids. She just got scared that maybe she wasn't a good mother after all and that she failed at being a good mother. Don't judge her too quickly" Nuha explained making Ayat cover her mouth to stop her sobs.

"You mom's not the one using you it's Micheal. He's using you because you needs a heir to retrieve his property not because he wants you. I'm not trying to sound bitter but this is the truth. He's not as he seems. He's a cunning man." Nuha whispered making Mihrimah look at the door where a shadow caught her eyes.

She got up and left Nuha behind her. Nuha frowned at her and watched as she opened the door. Ayat was about to walk away when small footsteps caught her senses.

"Mama" Mihrimah whispered feeling guilty for yelling at her.

"Yeah?" Ayat asked wiping her tears and pulling up a stoic face.

"I'm sorry" Mihrimah said looking down at her feet.

"I won't come between you Mah. The decision will solely be yours." Mihrimah looked up at her with confusion "I'm no one to keep you away from your father but I just want you to know that I would never use you. I'm still better that way. I will keep on loving you tht same way as I do now." Ayat said calmly making Mihrimah's lips wobble.

"You're going to let me go?" Mihrimah  whimpered.

"It's up to you. The judge will announce the final answer based on who you think should stay with you. I can only try to negotiate with you but I can't possibly turn your mind" Ayat said coldly making Nuha watch the two and gulp in anticipation. She had never seen Ayat this cold and serious.

She had witnessed her friend, laughing, crying, yelling, being angry but this was something she hasn't witnessed and didn't know what to do.

"I don't want to to go. I won't even ask you to let me meet him. Please talk to me. Mama I'm sorry" Mihrimah cried hugging her mother's leg tightly. Ayat took in a deep breath to stop herself from crumbling.

"I can't stop you Mihrimah"

"I'm Mah" Mihrimah sobbed making Ayat look down at her with vulnerable eyes.

"I promise I'm not pressurizing you" Ayat said kneeling before her.

"I'm not pressured. I promise I want to live with you only." Mihrimah cried holding her mother's shoulders.

"I love you mama" she cried and wrapped her arms around her mother tightly.

Ayat hugged back and rubbed her back but she felt as though she was guilt trapping Mihrimah into staying with her. She didn't want to be that person.

"You can still meet your baba if you live with me. I just.... I just can't let you stay with him for longer than a few hours" Ayat stated making Mihrimah nod violently.

"I promise" Mihrimah nodded her head.

Ayat nodded and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry Mah" Ayat whispered in her ear "I won't ever do anything of that sort again. I promise" Ayat said and Mihrimah tightened her hold around her mother even more. Their tears fell on each others shoulder and they both showered one another with kisses.

"Hello?" Nuha butted in "anyone home?" She sang clasping her hand together infront of her and the two ladies smiled before opening their arms for her.

Nuha hugged them with tears in her own eyes. The family was complete. They didn't need anyone else here. They completed each other......

Assalamualikum guys how are you all?

So here an update.

And here I come.....

hope you like it.

Comment and tell me how it is.

Vote on all the chapters if you haven't already come one I know y'all can do it.

Enjoy.

Allah Hafiz.

Love
Hafsa_tahir