Broken Souls ✔️

Chapter 15

The sun had given permission for the moon to come out and the sky darkened and the stars started twinkling.

Yet the operation did not end. The surgeons worked tirelessly around Alisha, trying to not let yet another life slip through their hands.

But its Allah who decides who lives and who dies, not them. It was never in their hands and that's what a lot of people don't understand.

Jawad had gulped down yet again another cup of bitter black coffee. The operation had felt like it had been going on for days. The boys had started falling asleep and Hania was struggling to keep her eyes open any longer.

He needed to let them get some proper sleep. And the only option is his own house.

His mom wouldn't mind, right?

He called Sadia Baji, to inform her and to ask her to set up beds for all of them.

Then he made a quick call to Saleem to ask him for a few police officers to guard his house for the night, so they would all feel somewhat protected.

When everything was done, I stood up and woke up Hania telling her to follow me.

I grabbed the elder two boys and Hania has the youngest in her arms. I carried them to the car and placed them on the backseats. I took the younger one and placed him in the front and asked Hania to sit at the back to take care of the other kids whilst I jumped into the driver's seat.

I started my engine and started driving to my house, occasionally glancing at all the kids.

We arrived, and I took in the boys to my room which Sadia baji had set up by replacing the bed sheets and laying an extra mattress on the floor. I placed both the younger brothers on the bed and the eldest son on the bed.

I then woke Hania, or tried to. She was a heavy sleeper, or she was clearly exhausted. I couldn't leave her in the car. So I carried her from the car to Laila's room.

A room, who's door had been bolted shit for years on end.

On the way there, I didn't fail to catch my mother's scrutinising gaze. I'll explain everything to her after I've settled them all down.

I laid her on the bed, covered her with the duvet and left the room to check on the boys, one final time, but was stopped by my mother.

"Tell me what's happening Jawad." She ordered.

"Ammi, could you please go and sit in your room whilst I quickly check on the boys and then I'll explain. Everything."

She nodded and started moving towards her room quite reluctantly but not before saying "I know you won't let me down", with a tight smile and she walked away.

I quickly checked the boys who were all sleeping on my bed quite comfortably. A small smile made its way on to my face unknowingly, imagine this being my everyday routine. A life tgat I didn't know I yearned until....now.

I wish to see my children, my grandchildren, my great grand children. I wish to build a home with that special someone. I wish to check up in my kids like this every night.

I wonder when Allah will bless with all this.

Snapping myself out of my thoughts, I briskly left the room and made my way to my mothers room.

I had lots to explain to her about.

I entered the room nervously. Trying to make sense of everything that has happened and how I was going to tell my mother. I sat at her feet and laid my head on her lap. She started threading her fingers through my hair and I sighed.

This was always where I wanted to be.

I had never yearned this feeling more than anything else in these 3 years. To feel safe in my mother's arms.

She understands me. She always did. No matter how many people stood against me or challenged me she always believed.

"Tell me everything," she whispered.

And I did just that.

Is at up, "Mom do you know my real reason for returning?"

She shakes her head.

"I came back to avenge Laila. I wanted justice for Laila." I say with determination laced in my voice like a drug.

"How were you planning to achieve that?"

"Through his wife." I say looking at the floor.

She gasps, "Jawad! What have you done! Tell me honestly!" She commands.

"I contacted her, claiming that I was going tot write about her work, as she's a well known writer in Pakistan. And she accepted."

I looked at the ground, disappointed in myself for plotting such a thing.

"I met her with the intention to ruin her. She was the only wife who was both alive and healthy and she had his children so I thought she would be with him. But when I found out more, he....he hurt her more than our Laila." I cried.

Ammi had tears in her eyes. "What...what's happened to her?"

"He murdered her soul. He hurt her, abused her and forced her. Yet she still managed to turn it around. She didn't let him control her successes and I've decided I want to marry her." I say looking my mother in the eye.

She nodded slowly.

"Is that girl you were carrying, her?" I shake my head.

"Her sister, they live together. Sh...she is admitted in hospital" I started weeping. "Why didn't I think things through, h..he had stabbed her and raped her and he ruined her house which she bought with her hard earned money." He weeped for a woman who he had no right to cry over, yet he still did.

"And those boys are all hers?" I nod my head. "Children she claims she can't give a mother's love to but nonetheless they are her's."

"She's practically a living corpse." Yet she masks it so well." I say before abruptly getting up and brushing my tears away.

"Ok mom, I'm going now. I need to wake up early to buy them food and go visit Alisha in hospital."

"Beta," she sata softly stopping from doing anything else, "get both your Alisha and Laila the justice they deserve."

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How was this chapter?
Took me a week to write😬