The sun was beginning to set when Zahid walked out of the masjid. As the gentle rays of the sun slowly bid the world goodbye, he felt a sense of calm overtake him like none other.

It seemed as if ages had passed since he had felt this... peaceful. There was no weight upon his head and no pressure pulling him down.

He knew that there was a week left till the final hearing and the judge's verdict would put an official stamp on the case- but Zahid had done everything he could. 

After the meeting, he had pulled Farhan to the side and handed him a report. Much to his surprise, Farhan did not need to look at it to know what it is about. "I read the article," he said, apologetic, "We're already looking into Harris' case. I am so sorry for your loss- but I assure you, I will personally look into it and make sure that we go through it before the final hearing."

As Zahid drove back home now, he wondered what the article was about. He himself had been far too busy to pay attention to raising any sorts of social uproar on that matter. Perhaps someone from Harris' family had contacted a news agency?

Zahid parked the car, feeling as if he had been away from home for too long and had now finally returned. He walked inside, his observing gaze taking in every bit of his house. The keys jangled as Zahid opened the door, suddenly overwhelmed by feelings that slowed his steps.

He found Eddie waiting for him in the hallway. His heart reached out to the furry ball of a cat, and Zahid bent down, petting Eddie under his chin. As the ginger cat purred at his touch, rolling over to allow Zahid to rub his stomach, Zahid felt a smile crawl up to his face.

He picked Eddie up, making his way into the living room- his searching gaze roving about for who he really knew as home.

Zahid found her on the sofa. She was asleep- her head positioned at an awkward angle. Her phone was right next to her- half of it still in her hands, and Zahid figured that she must have gone to sleep while waiting for his call.

Lowering Eddie to the floor, he moved closer to Amal. Her legs were curled, and he inhaled sharply, looking at her face and realizing how long it had been since he had really looked at her.

At times, Zahid wondered why all of this had happened to him right after his marriage. How come Samra Syed had come to him only after the appeal and not before- and how come this storm had come into his life right when he was planning on taking a break to go to his honeymoon?

Now, as he raised a hand to Amal's face and softly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, he finally understood. He understood the wisdom behind Allah's plans- for if Amal hadn't been by his side while he fought this battle, Zahid knew he could never have made it.

And here, in all her glory, Amal slept, unaware of how vital she had been for him. How her words, her support, and her presence alone had given him the strength he lacked, and with the sudden surge of gratitude and love, he felt the guilt seep into him as well.

At a time when Amal should have been enjoying her marriage- learning how to settle down and deal with the problems normal newlyweds faced she had to bear all of ...this.

He had left her alone for hours at times, absorbed only in his work, and with no one to keep her company. When she was there for him, Zahid realized that he was never there for her as he should have been.

What did I do to deserve someone like you in my life, Amal?

His fingers brushed against her cheek- when, quite suddenly, Amal's eyes blinked open. For a fraction of a second, their gazes clashed and the moment could have been beautiful, had Amal not sat up- her forehead colliding with his.

Zahid hissed in pain, leaning back and rubbing his forehead. Amal, however, did not even seem to feel the pain. "How did it go?" she asked, her voice breathless and her widened gaze fixed on him.

When he did not reply right away, she paled. "Oh no-" her expression fell but she was quick to pull herself up again, "No- no, it's alright, at least we tried. We can try again, evil does not flourish for long-"

"Amal-"

"Don't you dare feel like you did not achieve something, okay? Yes- yes, the end result matters but you gave it everything you possibly could, Zahid! Maybe Allah has a better plan of how Raza will pay for his deeds-"

"Raza is arrested."

"There must have been some sort of bribery involved-" Amal's head snapped towards Zahid, as if only just realizing what he had said. "What?!"

So Zahid filled her in on everything- how Shamoor had come in at the last minute with a video and had stood as a witness, and of how Raza was immediately arrested. Zahid narrated the details of everything, and by the time he was done, Amal was almost in tears.

"Alhumdullilah, Alhumdullilah, Alhumdullilah," she whispered, collapsing back on the sofa.

Zahid watched her, his heart weighing heavily in his chest as Amal put her face in her hands, repeating her gratitude to her Rabb over and over again.

"It must have been hard," he whispered and Amal's gaze flitted towards him. "We did not get to go on our honeymoon, and I was never really there for you."

Amal's gaze softened. "What has passed has passed, Zahid. This was a crazy ride, but I learned so much. Alhamdulillah, it's over now."

Zahid lowered his gaze, a flutter of a smile appearing on his face. Perhaps he did not deserve someone as wonderful as Amal in his life- but Allah had given her to him and Zahid wasn't ever going to let her go now.

He slowly intervened his hands with hers, a sudden wave of exhaustion coming over him as he too leaned back on the sofa next to Amal.

"Wallahi, I love you so much," he whispered, a long-awaited peace overtaking his heart.

If only it were to last.

~~~

The hearing date had been extended. Hoping it was because they were overlooking Harris' case, Zahid continued to pray... but it was clear that this fight was coming to an end.

Harris' funeral was attended by many- apparently (as Zahid had discovered later) the article Farhan had mentioned was one written by Amal and had soon been spread all over social media platforms, till Harris' name became well known and quite a number of people attended his funeral.

Amal's confession about the article had taken Zahid by shock and he had spent days, even, asking her again and again if she really had written that article and when she nodded for the hundredth time, her face no longer flushing like it had the first time she had confessed- Zahid dropped on the sofa, awed.

While the scar of having lost Harris was permanent- much like the scar of having lost his parents, Zahid was beginning to heal. As time passed, the heaviness in his heart lessened- but he continued to visit the graveyard every day, praying for Harris and promising to continue his legacy, as well as visiting his family on a regular basis.

Of course, there were days when the happenings of the past few months dawned on both Zahid and Amal and the overwhelming emotions would weigh upon their hearts, tears, and frequent tahajjud prayers helping them get through it... but the fact of the matter is: Life goes on.

And thus, as life went on for the two of them, they both awaited the hearing with apprehension and eagerness and made plans to leave for Islamabad right after the meeting, for they needed escape at this point.

Unbeknownst to them... not all was over.

In a prison cell in the very city they lived in... a man appeared outside the bars. He did not speak, his gaze fixed on the man within the cell who did not even bother looking at him.

"You're here..." Raza said, his voice almost bored.

The man nodded as Raza raised his head to meet his gaze. His eyes were wild... devilish... as if the man behind the mask he had tried to hide from the world was now out into the open.

"What did you do about Shamoor?"

The man lowered his head in shame. "I- I could not locate him, sir."

Raza cursed, hitting his fist against the bars of the cell. There was a brief pause before he spoke up again.

"Damn Shamoor. He was nothing but a pawn anyways. You know who's next- and this time, don't you dare give me crap about not being able to locate him. We already know his address."

The man's eyes widened and his face paled as he looked up. While he would once obey Raza's commands without an ounce of fear, the echoes of Raza's imprisonment instilled terror in his heart.

"Sir, you haven't had the hearing yet. You still have a chance- after something like that, all suspicion would go on you-"

"Chance," Raza scoffed, unbothered, "I would not be in jail if I had a chance, you fool. I cannot see the look of satisfaction upon the lawyer's face at the hearing-" He raised his head, looking the man straight in the eyes. "If I go, I do not go alone, you hear me?!"

The man gulped- his fear of Raza overtaking his fear of imprisonment.

He nodded.

~~~

"Phupa? Me?!"

Amal looked at Zahid pointedly. "No. I was talking to the car."

Zahid, however, still looked both awed and horrified at the thought. "Ya Allah. I never imagined myself as an uncle, you know... especially a Phupa. It even sounds weird."

"Well, I'm more of a sister to Bhabi than I am a sister to Usman Bhai anyways," Amal nodded in agreement, thinking of how Khala sounded so much more homely than Phupo did- more so because of the way society presented this certain relationship. "But I'll be the best Phupo in the world," Amal immediately took back her words, "I'll change the way people think about Phupos!"

"Nah. I'll be a better Phupa," Zahid said as if he had not just claimed that Phupa sounded weird, shooting Amal an innocent grin through the rearview mirror.

"Not better than me, obviously," Amal tilted her head, "Anyways, you'll be a Phupa because of me- so if you turn out to be a good one, I'll still be the better Phupo for marrying you."

Zahid's brows drew together and the lawyer had to take a moment to understand the logic behind Amal's words- only to realize that there was none because... well- Amal was Amal.

A day before the hearing, the two had turned towards the Ring Road for a long drive after visiting the mall and buying gifts for both of their families for when they would visit Islamabad. Amal licked at her ice cream cone- teasing Zahid for not getting one for himself every time he would ask her to share.

"Sharing is caring, love," Zahid tried to make a point as he gestured for her to let him have some.

"Exactly. I need to care about myself by sharing this ice-cream with myself," Amal said solemnly, about to continue with her philosophy on ice-cream and sharing when Zahid wrapped his hand over Amal's and pulled the cone towards him.

"Zahid!" Amal gasped, trying to hold in her giggles as he ate almost half of the cone in a single bite. "How could you?!"

"C'mon," Zahid grinned sheepishly, "I was getting jealous of the ice cream. How come you don't look at me the way you were looking at that cone?"

"No, you weren't you... you waffle," Amal's eyes narrowed, "You just wanted to eat ice cream-"

"-from your hands 'cause I'm too lazy to eat it by myself-"

"You evil human," Amal said, shaking her head, but the very next second, she had straightened up. "Buy me one more."

"First tell me you love me-"

"I love you."

That was quick. The things this woman would do for ice-cream, Zahid thought, shaking his head. He was in a playful mood though, for he tilted his head. "Mhmm. Do you really want more ice-cream or are you just saying it because you want to prolong this drive?"

Amal grinned smugly. "Because I want to prolong this drive," she said without skipping a beat and Zahid's smile fell. Anyone could see that she was saying that to butter him up.

"You don't mean that."

"Sure I mean that."

"No, but you don't mean that from the heart-"

The two went back and forth for a while, but it was a win-win when Zahid promised to take a round-about at the next stop so they could go back for some more ice-quality time together.

Their long drives had become such a routine that the guard at the junction raised a hand and saluted Zahid as they passed him by. Both Amal and Zahid chuckled over that, as their car took a turn to an almost vacant road.

It was then that it happened.

One second, the road was vacant and the next- a truck appeared from the other road, blocking their path horizontally.

It happened all at once. Zahid's eyes widened and he slammed on the break, turning the steering wheel. The car jerked towards the right, the sound of the screeching brakes and the tires skidding off the road shattering the silence on the street.

The car spun out of control. The last thing he saw was the wall that they collided against- the shatter of glass and his arms aching to reach for Amal- somehow protect her from the glass that cascaded upon them, but all he felt was the brush of her hand against his and the whisper of the shahada from either him or Amal before everything went black.

~~~

A nightmare. The flashes of light, sirens of the ambulance, excruciating pain, but more than anything, the desire to know that she was alright.

A nightmare. That was the first thought that crossed his mind when he awoke, unable to open his eyes. The accident was only a dream. I will wake up in my room, and everything will have been a stupid nightmare.

But who was he kidding?

He heard the beeps of the machinery before he opened his eyes. He felt the pain that shot through his body, but more than anything- he felt her absence.

Zahid's eyes blinked open.

The sudden light blinded him, and his eyes squinted, struggling to see. He heard the nurse first. "He's awake."

By the time that he could make sense of the hospital room, the two nurses had rushed towards his side. They were saying something but Zahid did not seem to hear as he raised his head.

Amal. Where was she?! As Zahid tried to raise himself up, his gaze wildly roving about for any sign of her- one of the nurses seemed to understand because she instantly stepped forward, pointing towards the bed next to his. It was only then that he saw her. At that moment, all he saw were the drips and the wires stuck to her and all color faded from his face. He tried sitting up but the nurse was quick to speak.

"She's alright, sir. The hit wasn't too bad, Alhamdulillah."

The nurse went on to explain how the two of them had been scarred by the glass which was now removed, and Amal had fractured her arm- but there was no other damage done.

Relief flooded through Zahid's body and he slumped back again, as if only just realizing the toll his body had taken after the crash. He was bandaged everywhere- but Zahid was a lawyer for a reason, and in spite of the rest that his mind demanded of him, he had started to connect the dots.

The truck had come in just as they had turned around the corner almost... almost as if it was waiting for them.

The name rang in his head- like a fire alarm going off. Shahid Raza. Zahid's fingers curled into a fist, when- quite suddenly, another thought hit him.

The hearing! It was the day of the hearing!

Zahid's eyes widened. His gaze snapped towards the clock in the hospital room. One forty-five. There was still an hour left before the hearing! With a sharp intake of breath, he got up from the bed, pulling off the drip connected to his body. He was oblivious to the gasps of the nurses as they tried to stop him- only one thought in his mind as he put on his shoes.

He had to be there.

"Please, take care of her," was the only thing that he managed to say to them before he stumbled outside.

~~~

News reporters filed outside the court.

The courtroom was filled with the murmur of politicians and important figures. All news channels streamed only one thing live and the echoes of the question reached the whole country:

What was to become of Shahid Raza?

The tension hung low, and as Shahid Raza was brought inside, everyone grew quiet. Had Raza been a man with the slightest shame- he would have at least felt embarrassed at losing his image in front of the world but all he looked for was that one lawyer.

And when he failed to find Zahid, Raza felt the smugness rise upon him. He did not appear nervous even when the judge arrived and not when the court commenced.

He had had his revenge. He had been brought down but he had brought down the man responsible for his downfall as well. Nobody got away with causing harm to Shahid Raza.

As the politician delved into his own arrogance, other people were beginning to notice Zahid's absence as well. Samra Syed excused herself, moving to the side and trying to call Zahid but to no avail. Farhan, too, asked somebody to contact Zahid in his law firm but they too got no response.

The murmur echoed across the audience and reached the news reporters outside. Where was the lawyer? Where was the man who had fought so diligently against Shahid Raza? Where was he now that the fight had come to an end and the result was to be announced?

The court decided to wait for a while. People held their breaths, Samra Syed and her supporters sitting with their hands clasped and their gazes fixed on the courtroom doors as they prayed for his arrival.

But no Zahid arrived.

Eventually, the judge hit his gavel. "We will now begin with the hearing." Everybody grew quiet and Samra, who was still trying to call Zahid for she did not want the lawyer who had worked relentlessly to bring her husband's murderer to justice to miss the hearing- was forced to put her phone down.

"In August 2019, Shahid Raza was charged with the murder of Syed Manzoor. While he was declared innocent in the district court- the plaintiff's appeal was accepted by the High Court-" The Judge went on to explain how the Suo Moto action had later been taken and the Supreme Court had gotten involved.

As the judge paused, everybody sat up straighter. Now for the verdict. People held their breaths as the judge too, took a while to speak up.

"After careful examination of the evidence we found at the Suo Moto action, and with the help of our police in chief, the Supreme Court has reached the final verdict."

The tension was thick. Once again, Zahid's absence was felt more than ever and some people murmured amongst themselves. Where was the lawyer? Should he not have been here?

To silence the court, the judge banged his gavel once again. Shahid Raza, while he was beginning to feel the impending doom that awaited him- kept himself distracted by telling himself that the lawyer was not there. He fought diligently but was not there to see the result of his fight. The thought almost calmed him when- just as the judge was about to announce the verdict, the courtroom doors opened.

All faces turned around, gasps echoing across the room as Zahid stumbled inside. He was not in his suit- but that was hardly what surprised people. It was the bandages on his body, the side of his shirt that was still bloodied, the limp with which he walked in, and the paleness of his face.

Zahid looked like he had come from war.

Raza's eyes widened to the size of saucers and his face lost all color. His hands clenched, shock plastered on his face. This could not be!

Some people got up in greeting as Zahid walked towards the front of the courtroom and took his seat. "I'm sorry I'm late, Your Honor," he said once he felt the clear attention he was getting.

"In that state, Mr. Zahid, I am even surprised how you're here," the Judge said, finally getting over his surprise. He smiled at Zahid- and his eyes relayed one thing and one thing alone. Respect. "We'll question your condition later, but for now you are exactly on time. The court was just going to announce the verdict."

People who had been trying to gather what had happened to Zahid all shushed. Everything grew so silent, Zahid could hear his heart pounding against his ribs. 

So it all comes down to this moment. 

"After a thorough examination of the witnesses and evidence against Shahid Raza- the court declares him guilty for the murder of Syed Manzoor."

An audible gasp echoed through the crowd. Raza's face grew red and Samra's hand flew to her mouth, tears of relief threatening to fall down her cheeks.

Zahid, however, did not react. His gaze was fixed on the judge, his heart in his throat. The judge met his eyes, and there was an exchange of sorts before he spoke up again-

"- and for the murder of Harris Mureed."

This was all Zahid needed to hear. His eyes squeezed shut and he paid no attention as Raza was sentenced to death by the court. How could he? When his heart rang with a melody so much more beautiful; praising His Lord who had made this battle against injustice a success.

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً

"Allah is Most Great and much praise be to Allah and glorified be Allah at the beginning and end of the day."

~~~

The hospital room was empty when he walked in. It seemed suddenly as if the whole world was silent... or perhaps his heart was just far too loud.

He walked towards Amal's bed. Her eyes were still closed and she was bandaged at several places but all Zahid saw at that moment was the woman he loved and God, how beautiful she was.

A sudden exhaustion slowing his movements, he got into bed next to her. Zahid's breath caught up in his throat as his gaze roved over the scars on her face and his heart clenched painfully inside his chest.

He felt suddenly overwhelmed... everything that the two of them had been through playing in his head like a broken record... one that was now labelled 'a battle that they had won.'

Amal's eyes blinked open.

Their gazes met and a hundred or so emotions flashed across their eyes. As their orbs drank each other, they did not need to say anything.

Some emotions require no words.

Zahid felt a lump come up to his throat just as Amal's eyes pooled with tears.

"We won," he whispered, gently wiping her tears with his thumb but what was he trying to say? A lone tear streamed down his cheek as well and suddenly, both Amal and Zahid were completely vulnerable in front of each other... they were warriors who had fought so relentlessly, who were now broken and bruised, but they were fighters who had not lost faith- and now... now they could only weep at the mercy of their Rabb.

Zahid's arm wrapped around Amal- almost as if he was afraid of letting her go ever again, and he pulled her close till their foreheads touched and their tears blended into each other's.

As the gentle rays of the setting sun penetrated through the window, the dust particles danced in the spotlight.

It is said that there are millions of dust particles in the air at all times... but the only time we see them is in the spotlight of the sun's gentle rays. These dust particles fight and struggle for the truth but most of the time, they go unnoticed.

Yet... each has their own story, and sometimes, when they fights hard enough... a ray of light might just hit it.

Because hope exists.

Hope always exists.

Assalamualaykum. 

Yes. This was the last chapter of TAOTR. As I sit down now to write the author's note, I realize that I have no words left. I feel too overwhelmed to say much of anything except that I hope I did justice to Zahid and Amal's story and relayed what I hoped to relay through their story: That hope exists, and humans can always change the world. 

At times, the evil in this world seems far too scary, far too big, and intimidating to be affected by someone as small... as worthless as we think ourselves to be. What can we possibly do? we think, failing to realize our true worth, and the effect a single act of rebellion can have. 

So please, I beg of you. Do not ever think yourself worthless. You might just be a dust particle, one that no one sees- but Wallahi, Allah knows your struggles. He knows the hardships you face and the will inside of you that aches to do something big... so keep on fighting. Stand strong against every evil this society encourages and stay true to your faith. 

Because even if you do just that... you play a role in making this world a better place.  

[P.S heads up for the epilogue]