"Healing was going to be a way lot harder than expected because I was nothing but a prisoner of my past!"- Hisham Hosseini.

There was warmth.

There was happiness.

There was peace.

There was also, not forgetting to mention, lots and lots of different types of...

EXTREMELY STICKY JAM!

There was plum jam, strawberry jam, cranberry, raspberry – all his literal favs but what really caught his eyes making his to heart swell with profound joy was the sight of nothing else but his daughter.

His cute, five-year-old daughter.

Who seemed quite the bit busy, sitting on the kitchen's huge countertop with both her tiny hands stuck arm deep, down two different jars of jam.

A huge smile lit up his face upon seeing how truly adorable she looked and on moving just a tad bit closer to her, he whispered...

"Hey, my love."

"Hey, Baba!"

Tears immediately stained his eyes while his much fragile heart got flooded with so many different kinds of emotions, making it nearly close to impossible to even try to describe how truly overwhelmed he felt, the second he heard that word...

Baba!

The one word that sort of made him feel grounded!

Making him feel like he was finally worth something or someone.

Making him feel inexplicably different and it was only him and him alone who truly knew how long he had waited to feel this way.

He amusedly watched her for a while as she playfully covered herself with jam and when he was just not able to contain himself any longer, he asked...

"Hayati?"

"Yes, Baba?"

"What are you doing, my love?"

She immediately turned to face him with a cute little smile that showcased her perfect set of white milk teeth before cheekily replying with...

"Nothing Baba!"

"Are you sure?"

"YEPPPP!"

He knowingly smiled at her trying his very best not to laugh out loud when he noticed how she quickly pulled out her tiny little hands that were still stuck way deep down the different jars of jam and cutely hid them behind her back.

With every single step he took towards the kitchen counter, her cheeky smile would only but widen and upon getting to the very edge, he once again asked...

"Are you sure you are doing nothing Hayati because from what your Baba can see, I would say you have been quite the bit busy getting sticky or should I say messy or..."

He however was not able to finish what he was saying because she immediately pushed herself towards him and much to his delight, placed both her sticky hands on either sides of his face.

He playfully scrunched his nose pretending to be disgusted and the second he heard her burst into laughter, he couldn't help but laugh along with her as well.

"Hayatiiiii!" he loudly exclaimed, the second her felt the sticky jam on his beard.

"Babaaaaa!"

"Why would you?!"

"Baba, listen..."

"But..."

"Just listen..."

"But...but..."

"Just listen okay! Let's play PRETEND," she whispered as she cutely laid her forehead against his.

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah!"

"And what exactly am I supposed to be pretending?" he asked amusedly, knowing exactly where this was heading.

"Pretend you didn't see anything!"

He immediately threw his head back in laughter upon hearing her response, raked his hand through his hair a couple of times and then asked...

"Should I now?"

"You totally should!"

"Well then for you Hayati, this Baba of yours can pretend all his life," he said as he lovingly cupped her jam covered cheeks.

He then quickly grabbed a butter knife along with two slices of bread and gently propped himself on the kitchen counter with her.

He smiled when she adorably laid her head against his chest as she keenly watched him expertly spread jam on one of the slices but then stopped to quickly ask...

"Hayati?"

"Yes, Baba?"

"Which is your favourite jam?"

"Plum jam," she replied and his eyes just couldn't stop twinkling as he whispered back...

"Mine too Hayati. Mine too!"

He of course without question made her take the very first bite of the sandwich he had made and tears couldn't help but stain his eyes while his heart soared tremendously when she instantly opened her mouth asking for a second bite.

She had clearly loved it but then again why wouldn't she?

She was his daughter after all!

They shared the sandwich in amicable silence with Hisham from time to time, lovingly wiping away the tiny crusts of bread that would stick to the corners of her mouth and as soon as they were done and before she could protest in any sort of way, he quickly picked her up and gently placed her in the kitchen's sink.

He laughed loudly when he heard her shriek the second he splashed warm water all over her face not at all knowing that all the happiness he was experiencing was short lived or better still...

It was literally over!

As he scooped more water to splash on her, all the energy in his body literally got sucked out of him the second he heard the one person he hated with all of his heart and soul, call out to him.

"HISHAM!"

He immediately turned round, beads of sweat forming on his forehead and the only thing he could do was whisper back...

"Zulekha!"

"When will you ever learn to share, Hisham?"

"She is mine, Zulekha!"

"She is mine as well, Hisham. She is mine as well. Don't you ever dare forget that!"

He quickly looked around and picked up the butter knife he had been using and with trembling hands, pointed it at her, all the blood instantly draining from his face when he heard her call him...

"MURDERER!"

"I am not a murderer, Zulekha!"

"You are! You tried to kill me."

"I...I...did not!"

"You did!"

"I would never..." he said as he quickly dropped the knife to the floor and grabbed a wooden ladle instead.

He cringed when he heard her laugh heartlessly and vigorously shook his head when she asked him...

"So, you will now choose to abuse me right in front of our daughter? It's even better Hisham. Prove to her that her father is nothing but a coward who abuses women..."

"I never abused you Zulekha. You are the one who abused me. EMOTIONALLY! EVERY SINGLE DAY," he said as tears began to flow down his face.

With a much broken heart, he watched as she picked up his little girl and he just couldn't understand why he couldn't do anything to save her.

All he felt was helpless!

Nothing but helpless!

He tried to move but he couldn't.

Everything was in a literal standstill.

He buried his face in his hands somewhat knowing what was to follow and indeed it didn't take long before there was...

Darkness!

Darkness followed by screaming.

A lot of screaming!

He woke up screaming his heart out, his entire body drenched with sweat and the only thing he kept whispering was...

"Zulekha don't do it. Please do not do it!"

He sadly stared down at his trembling empty hands, tears streaming down his face and slightly jumped when he heard a loud knock on his door and before he could even answer, his entire family streamed into the room, shock evident on their faces the second they saw the state he was in.

Literally all of them had been unable to sleep a wink after knowing what he had been through and deep down they all knew that he had still not opened up about all that had really happened.

"Yasir!" he screamed holding out his hand for his brother and Yumnah immediately pushed Yasir towards him and within an instant, Hisham engulfed him in a hug while crying his heart out on his shoulder.

"Yasir...," he cried out.

"Akhi, what is wrong?"

"I...I...can't..."

"What is it Akhi? Tell me. I am here with you," said Yasir and all the blood drained from his face when the only thing that Hisham was able to whisper before blanking out was...

"HELP ME YASIR! HELP ME!"

***

PLEASE DO VOTE AND COMMENT!

I WAS PLANNING TO WRITE A PART ABOUT ISMA AS WELL BUT IT WAS TAKING LONGER THAN EXPECTED.

IN SHA ALLAH IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS ONE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE!

ASALAM ALEIKUM.