~Murree,Punjab~

~Hooriyah

The silent and complaining horizon was still dimly lit as the sun innocently peeked out of the green hills which were half hidden behind a thick blanket of dark tumultuous clouds. The chilled breeze immediately embraced me with affection and empathy as the car entered into the territory of Murree. The leaves of the tall alpine trees were still glimmering with the dewdrops from last night.

Everything was silent, serene and tranquil!

Except my heart!

As Khan Baba silently drove across the unpaved roads of the outskirts of Murree, I didn't fail to notice that constant gloomy look upon his face. He didn't speak a single word to me, throughout the journey unlike he did when he picked me up, two weeks ago.

Finally, the familiar beautiful cottages started to appear before my sight as I silently watched the glossy slippery roads with my swollen and tired eyes.

"How happy I was when I was passing through these roads, just two weeks ago!" I smiled to myself as Khan Baba looked at my teary eyes through the rearview mirror.

"May Allah grant you patience, daughter!" He murmured innocently.

"Ameen!" I responded weakly.

"You are very strong Hooriyah. I wish I had a daughter like you! " He smiled.

I remained silent, still confused how was he aware of everything.

"Your strength is admirable!" He added.

"I had never expected that Chotey Sahb would stoop so low!" His voice started to tremble.

I gasped him with horror. How did he know?

"I was in the farmhouse, that night, dusting and cleaning the other rooms until I started hearing loud and angry voices. I witnessed everything that night!" He finally answered my unasked question.

"You did?" I barely whispered with embarrassment.

"Yes I did. And I think coming back to Murree is possibly the best choice you had opted for. Isn't staying at a place where there is no one to respect you, itself one of the greatest stupidity?" He asked.

I nodded in agreement.

"Although I know that I neither have that status, nor that worth to give advice to anyone, but as I consider you just like my daughter, I would always want you to remember just one thing! And that would be enough for you to spend your whole life with happiness." His eyes twinkled with affection.

I nodded, without saying anything.

And then after a silence of few seconds, he said something so soothing, that it was enough to spread a layer of peace throughout the depths of my soul.

"إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ"

He smiled as he recited the most encouraging Ayah from The Quran.

"Surely, Allah is with those who are patient" I smiled while translating it, to which he nodded.

"With that being said, I would like to end our journey here, as we have safely landed at your beautiful house!" He smiled energetically making me realize that I had finally reached my home.

The beautiful wooden cottage flawlessly stood tall as a layer of tranquillity enveloped it wholeheartedly.

But there was something different!

The quietness!

I had never seen my house this dull and quiet before!

The flamboyant birds which used to visit us daily at this time, were nowhere to be seen. The butterflies which used to flutter along my favorite plants and flowers had long left the garden. The white pigeons which used to come daily to pay a visit to the nearby lake which was connected with our veranda, were nowhere to be seen.

Where had they gone?

"I should leave now, there are lots of chores at the mansion to be done. I wish you nothing but success in your future. Stay happy beta!" Khan Baba placed my luggage outside the entrance and patted on my head, finally turning to leave.

"Khan Baba!" I stopped him.

"Yes dear?"

"If by any chance you could give this letter to____"

I paused while taking out an envelope from my bag and forwarding it to Khan Baba.

He stared at the envelope blankly.

"If you could give this to Sh...Shahveer, I would be really thankful to you!" I stammered.

"Don't worry, I will give it to Chotey Sahb! " He smiled as he took the letter from me, not asking why was I doing this.

Maybe it was the last way through which I could make him believe that my heart is still yearning for his love and what his existence meant for me!

And it was perhaps the last attempt of my stupidity!

Khan Baba smiled and finally sat in the car to leave.

As I looked at the disappearing car hopelessly, a lonely tear escaped through the corner of my eye.

Coming back to my senses, I slowly rang the door bell.

I waited for few seconds, but there wasn't any answer.

I rang the bell for the second time.

"They must be sleeping!" I smiled as I mumbled under my breath, but then I immediately realized that it was 9 a.m and my family wakes up at 8.

I rang the door bell again. This time longer than before.

But still, there wasn't any answer.

"They are not at home!"

An unfamiliar voice made me jerk from my position.

Not at home? But where could they go at this time!

"They haven't come here since two days." The man from our neighborhood informed me, making my body stiff with immense fear, all of a sudden.

"Do..Do you know, where have they gone?"
I asked him with nervousness.

"Yes, they are in the hospital since two days as Jahangir Sahb wasn't feeling well since a week!"

The bag in my hand immediately fell from my grip as my senses started to betray me once again.

My mind started to spin wildly. Why did they hide this from me? Why didn't Iman told me anything?

A storm of questions started to create a throbbing sensation in my head.

I immediately left all of my luggage at the doorstep and ran towards the main road in order to stop an auto or taxi. After a wait of fifteen awful minutes, a taxi thankfully appeared.

"Civil Hospital!" I blurted out as soon as it stopped.

Within twenty minutes, I finally reached my destination and ran towards the receptionist.

"Mr. Jahangir Khan?" I breathed heavily as I asked the receptionist.

She immediately informed me about the room where my father was.

I ran as fast as I could, murmuring as many prayers as I could. My eyes were nothing but just a pool of tears as my body trembled with immense fear.

As I walked along the long corridors of the hospital, the strong smell of bleach and spirit entered my nostrils making my stomach churn with anxiety.

And that's when I stopped in my tracks as my gaze finally fell upon my sister and my mother.

They were sitting on a bench, traumatized and terrified.

Iman had rested her head on Mama's shoulder as she cried like an innocent child. Mama was continuously caressing her hair in order to calm her down.

"Mama!" I barely whispered.

Both of them turned towards me and immediately stood up as they saw my horrified state and swollen eyes.

"Api!" Iman hugged me immediately as I stared her with horror.

Mama looked at me with sympathy.

"Where is Baba? What happened to him?" I asked with my shaky voice.

"He's fine Hooriyah, don't worry!" Mama hugged me while patting my head.

"Tell me everything Mama! Don't hide anything!" I begged.

"He....He suffered from another cardiac arrest!" Iman cried as she informed me with a horrific news.

The floor beneath me immediately swept away.

"Cardiac arrest?..... how is he now?" I stared at her blankly.

"He's still unconscious. The doctors are saying that he needs a heart surgery. But.....but we don't have money Api! We don't have money for his surgery!" She burst into tears as my heart ached with immense pain.

All I wanted to do was bury myself under the floor which I was standing upon!

"Why ???? Why didn't you guys tell me for once? Why?????" I shouted angrily as I looked at them with my red watery eyes.

"Because your Baba asked us to stay quiet! He wanted you to enjoy Alizeh's wedding without any tension. But why are you here Hooriyah? Wasn't it Alizeh's wedding today?" Mama asked me worriedly.

" I.....I ..." I opened my mouth to speak something, only to shut it once again.

" Where is Baba, I want to meet him." I immediately changed the topic while a stream of tears cascaded down my cheeks as I begged Mama to let me have a look at him.

" The doctors have not allowed us to meet him yet. The surgery needs to be done within 24 hours or else it would cost his life!" Iman cried mercilessly as she broke another soul shaking news upon my head.

" How much do we have to pay for the operation?" I asked nervously.

"5 lack rupees. And that's half a million!" Mama murmured hopelessly as she slowly sat down on the bench once again, making me recall the biggest irony of my life!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Tch Tch Tch......And do you know how much my father earns?" He lowered his voice while raising one of his eyebrows.

"N....NN..No!" I shook my head as I hiccuped between my painful sobs.

"Half a million per month, and that's twenty times more! " He gave me a sympathetic look.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

As my back collapsed with the wall and I rested my head on it, I closed my eyes tightly as those painful words rang like a bell inside my mind, reminding me of my actual worth and an extremely low class status, and how much I was drowned in the pool of abasement. If I was that much capable of earning something which could be enough for my family, my father wouldn't have to face such a critical situation. But no!

Shahveer was right!

My face wasn't even worthy to be spat upon! The face of a daughter who couldn't even earn enough money for her father's treatment was surely not worthy to be even spat upon!

"The patient's condition is deteriorating by every passing second! Please arrange the amount for surgery or else it would be too late!" The Doctor immediately announced as soon as he came out of the ICU, stopping my heartbeat simultaneously.

"Oh my Allah, Mama, what will we do now? Mama please say something!" Iman started crying like a small child as she shook my mother who had already lost all sorts of hopes.

"Doctor, please start the surgery! I will arrange the amount!" Without thinking for a second, I finally decided to blurt out.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes, please start it, we will give the payment within an hour!" I answered courageously.

"Are you mad Hooriyah? Where will you bring those five lacks from?" Mama scolded me with immense anger.

"There is only one person, who could help us." I immediately took out my mobile phone and started dialing Mr. Shehroze's number.

But there was no answer!

I dialed again and again.

Still, there was no answer.

"He would be busy in the wedding chores! " I made an excuse as my mother and sister looked at me with lots of hopes.

"I'm afraid we have to sell the plot, Jahangir had bought to build a school!" Mama's eyes dwelled up with tears.

It was my father's biggest dream to build a school and name it after me! He wanted to educate every underprivileged child in our vicinity through this beautiful gesture.

But it was necessary to kill that dream now, in order to save the life of the dreamer.

"You are right Mama! You should come with me, we will sell the plot! Iman, you stay here and do update us about everything!"

I along with my Mama immediately left the hospital in order to pay a visit to the property dealer.

Without any delay, I signed the papers and sold the plot! Sold the dreams which belonged to Baba! Sold the happiness, which truly and merely belonged to Baba!

But for me, his life was more important than his dreams!

We thanked Allah as soon as we were given the money. Without delaying anymore, we came back to the hospital and as soon as the payment was done, the surgery began.

.
.
.
.
.

It had already been two hours since the surgery had started and I was still sitting in the prayer room, crying my heart out in front of the One, Who was my Best Friend.

The Almighty and The Most Merciful!

"Ya Allah! Please grant my Baba with a long healthy life! I am nothing without him! I'm just a heap of trash without him! Please heal his wounds! I don't need anything from you! I don't need anyone! I will never be stubborn again! I will never insist or beg for Shahveer again in my life! Just recover my Baba soon! I need him the most at this time! I will die without him Ya Allah! Please show some Mercy on your Hooriyah! She is already broken because of your arrogant and ruthless mankind! Please show some Mercy! Please show some Mercy! Don't give me pain beyond my patience! I can bear the pain of the loss of Shahveer's love, but I can never bear the pain of Baba's loss! Please, tonight I am asking you for the Ajr in return of any of my good deeds! Please grant me that Ajr in the form of Baba's health and long life! Please show some Mercy My Lord! Please show some Mercy!" I cried mercilessly as I begged my Lord until it became extremal difficult to breath.

My eyes started to sting with tears as I cried continuously.

I finally joined my small family which was sitting outside the operation theater, praying and crying simultaneously.

I hugged Mama and Iman as I tried to spread a layer of positivity and hopes around them.

We kept on sitting like this for the next few hours until the doctor came out of the operation theater.

All three of us immediately stood up from our seats and stormed him with a bunch of questions.

"How is Baba! Please tell me doctor how is he?" I kept on asking again and again.

"He's under critical situation!" He announced apologetically.

"I'm sorry, but due to the delay in surgery, chances of his survival had drastically minimized! Although he has gained consciousness, but still he is not fine! All we can do is, pray! I am sorry!"

He immediately left after informing the horrible news.

Mama and Iman burst into tears as Baba was shifted towards the ICU, but I stood there calmly, because I knew that I had prayed to my Allah, and he will fulfill my prayers! He will never leave me stranded like this! He will definitely accept my prayers!

"Who is Hooriyah among you three?The patient is calling her name again and again." The nurse came out of the ICU an hour later, making my heart feel extremely happy.

"Look, I told you both, Baba will be fine!" Mama and Iman immediately wiped their tears with happiness.

I quickly entered in the ICU along with the nurse as my heartbeat raced wildly.

"Baba!"
I barely whispered as my gaze fell upon his weak, fragile and vulnerable state.

His pale weak eyes immediately twinkled with ecstasy as soon as they met mine.

"What have you done Baba? I just left you for two weeks and you ended up here?" I started crying like an innocent child.

He smiled as he called me by stretching his arms, just the same way as he used to.

I slowly walked towards his blissful existence and laid my head on his chest as he wrapped his weak arms around my back while hot tears fell down from his eyes and cascaded down at my forehead!

He was crying! I knew how much he had missed me!

"I love you Baba!" I cried and mumbled under my breath.

"Love you too princess!" His weak and painful whisper came out through the oxygen mask and entered into my ears like a soulful but soothing lullaby.

I laid my head on his chest for few more minutes as the sound of his heartbeat made me feel relaxed and extremely happy.

"Where has that shine, which always used to dance in my Hoor's eyes, gone? Did anyone steal it in these two weeks ?"

He murmured through his oxygen mask, making my heart dwell up with uncountable painful emotions. It seemed as if someone had sprinkled a pinch of salt or a tablespoon of lemon juice upon my wounds.

"Not at all Baba! It's still the same!" I lifted my head up from his chest and immediately plastered a wide grin over my lips.

" Did he hurt you dear?" He asked with a painful voice making my eyes widen with horror.

"Who, Baba?" I feigned innocence.

"The one whom you loved since your childhood?" He chuckled.

"There's no one other than you whom I had ever loved Baba!" I responded sternly.

"But there is Shahveer! Isn't it?" He smiled again.

I remained silent.

"I have never seen this dullness in your eyes before, Hoor! Your eyes are telling that how much you are hurt because of the one whom you loved the most!" He caressed my cheeks.

I immediately burst into tears as it was useless to pretend in front of him anymore!

"Come here! " Baba wrapped his arms
around me while I cried mercilessly as my head rested on his chest.

"He broke me Baba! He broke me!" I cried my heart out as he patted my back affectionately.

"Shahveer destroyed your Hooriyah, Baba! Shahveer destroyed your Hooriyah!" I hiccupped between my painful sobs as he tried to calm me down.

"Shhhh!!! Stop it now! Shhh! My Hooriyah will never cry again! Promise me?" Baba wiped my tears with his fragile fingers as I looked into his teary , pale eyes.

"Just know one thing!Never let anyone dull your shine again! You are strong! You are beautiful! You deserve heavens! This world is just an illusion. The real life will begin in the Hereafter! What if you are crying for a moon but Allah had planned the horizon and galaxies for you? What if you are crying for a drop of water but Allah had planned the whole ocean for you? What if you are crying for a flower but Allah had planned a garden full of rose beds for you?" He smiled.

Slowly and gradually, his words started to heal my wounds. It felt as if someone was washing away all the dirt from my heart and blessing it with happiness and peace!

"Just know one thing dear! This heart attack is nothing in front of these pathetic tears of yours! The more you will cry, the more it will tear my flesh apart and the more it will cause pain to my soul!" He smiled as I stopped crying immediately!

"You will be successful in every aspect of your life, you will embrace happiness in ever moment of your life!" We both chuckled.

But finally his expressions started to change.

"I don't want to see these tears in your eyes again Hooriyah! I know I won't be there to wipe them off, but I want you to be a strong woman, a strong daughter, a strong sister and a strong lover!" He smiled as a stream of tears cascaded down his cheeks.

My heart immediately sunk into my stomach.

"W...What are you saying BABA?" I started panicking.

"Although I won't be there to see you smile, but remember one thing, the more you will stay happy, the more it will grant peace to your father's soul!" He cried.

"Stop it Baba! You will be here with me every second and every minute till my last breath!"

I squeezed his hand with affection and fear.

"Whenever you feel alone, just look at the sky, you will find me there smiling at you, blessing you with uncountable prayers!" He cried more as his body started to tremble with pain.

"Baba, should I call the doctor?" I stared at him worriedly.

"No, just listen to me and just remember one thing! You will succeed in your life and will see your true desires being fulfilled in front of your own eyes! No matter how successful you become in your life, no matter how much you grow old, you'll always be my little princess!" He smiled again
as I wiped his tears off.

The sound of the beep on the heart rate monitor started to become louder and faster as he coughed and trembled fiercely.

"I.....I love you princess!" He smiled as his hands started to turn white and slowly released themselves from my gentle grip.

The haphazard and irregular waves of his heart rate started to become regular until a loud continuous sound of one single beep immediately swept the floor away from beneath my feet as I stared him with horror.

The waves eventually transformed into a straight line as he breathed his last while his lips curved into a beautiful smile.

His lovely gaze was still glued upon my traumatized face!

The nurses and the doctor rushed inside the ICU with their horrified faces as they saw the most strong and amazing man on Earth, finally returning happily, to meet his Lord!

I stared at him blankly.

I slowly came forward and kissed his forehead affectionately, until I realized that my world has just ended, tonight.

"I...I love you too...Baba!" I whispered in his ears as I watched him with my dead eyes, while the nurses slowly dragged me out of the ICU.

I hated to admit that, but it was the biggest and the bitterest truth of my life that I had started to doubt my Faith from this moment.

"You have done what you wanted to! Dear Allah, are you happy now?"

I looked at the sky high above and complained to the Almighty.

The Belief of His Existence which used to be the strongest in my heart, started to weaken and collapse all of a sudden.

I was doomed.

Completely doomed!

Indeed, it was the most painful thing to admit, but my world had completely collapsed tonight!