*بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اَللّهِ الرَّحْمن الرَّحِيم*

Ameen ya Hayyu ya Qayyum

•••••

Fahad Ibrahim laughed loudly, he'd been waiting for that and it sounded like music to his ears.

"You're sick." HSM stated from his position on the burgundy cushioned chair.

He gave him a look but didn't reply. He was still finding it strange to see the man's face, he has seen Khadijah's father and there wasn't any facial difference between the two, he guessed it was in the head.

"You are my mentor." He finally spoke after a few beats.

He rounded the corner and took the other seat then proceeded to cross his legs, one above the other.

"Is that the only punishment he's getting? I'm sure that lady you like wouldn't be too happy with it. I have seen the damage he did to her daughter."

HSM breathed in and out slowly his brows creased in thought, what Fahad and even Batool didn't know was the guilt that was crippling him.

Every single time he received the medical history of Khadijah, it was a new story every time.

It had taken a whole lot for him to not find the miscreant and send him to his grave as soon as possible.

He'd been the one to push the idiot on her but then he'd thought he was a sensible man, turned out he was a sadistic psychopath that had almost killed her.

She didn't know the multiple times she'd been passed out in the house, he was the one that helped her by sprinkling water on her so she would wake up and then get the hospital staff ready to receive her.

Her go to person was always Sadiya so he kept her phone available always, he might have thought himself a stalker then but he knew he'd saved her life multiple times.

He didn't deserve the credit of course because he'd been the one to put her in that situation in the first place.

Suleiman's father a desperate politician who was in need of power pleaded with him to be given support, a back hand or a God father. What it took to be the under the care of one of the biggest criminal organisations in the world, the price had come at a really low and sweet price, a marriage between his son and the man's niece.

No one knew of his other son and he knew the legal accepted child of his did not deserve her but he'd never prided himself with having a conscience and he went through with it.

The deal had been put in place for a very long time, even her father hadn't known that and his refusal to get her married immediately after her SSCE was what saved her from the marriage.

Everything had been strategic, thier first meeting and everything in between.

He was supposed to woo her but he never had a soft spot for women, at least women from good backgrounds.

Things progressed and he won her mother, whom he'd learned was obsessed with getting her married and would push any available man on her since she didn't seem ready to find one herself.

That was the guilt HSM carried but he didn't let his brother or Batool know, of course she found out later and for a moment he'd thought that was his end.

Outraged and indignant she'd left with a single assignment.

"Fix the mess you made."

Suleiman wasn't willing to divorce her even after he wa taken to court so he sent the boy's father a message and that was it.

His relationship with Batool during that time had been rocky because she still harboured anger over what he did.

He didn't blame her, she was a mother and seeing her daughter in those unfortunate situations took a toll on her.

No one was allowed to sleep over with her in the hospital but she knew how to bend the rules so she was always with her, her doctor then, Abdulhameed that had feelings for her knew of that but there was nothing he could do, that was why no one knew.

She left before morning so Khadijah didn't know she was there, rare times she regained consciousness in the night, she'd thought it was her mother, well the mother she knew anyways.

"He would wish for death."

Fahad rolled his eyes at the older man's words.

"I've only been in his presence for a few minutes but I can tell how much he likes life." He shook his index finger in a no motion. "So no, I don't think he'll wish for death."

He didn't offer any reply, rather he pointed to Fahad to follow him and they went back to the room Suleiman was kept.

It was on a lower level than the basement, not much people knew of it, even those living in the house.

His screams of agony welcomed them even before they were fully down to the level he was.

"What are you doing?!" He screamed, you could hear the terror in his voice and they all knew it mirrored the one in his eyes.

"Let go of me you crazy woman!" Fahad couldn't help the small chuckle.

He thought they were going to the door but HSM took a turn and they passed a few doors before he stopped and unlocked one, using his thumb print this time.

"Where is this place?" He asked his voice lowered.

Everywhere was white save for the mirror that he was sure was semi transparent, meaning the person or well, people on the other side couldn't see them.

The other side was pitch black though, a total contrast to the bright room they were in.

"So, your idea of torture is darkness? How fucking genius." His tone was dry making the sarcasm impossible to miss.

"Will you be quiet?" Again, Fahad rolled his eyes but he did shut his mouth.

"Darkness is not the point of it, it's what is with him in the dark and the anxiousness of not knowing what to expect."

Fahad made a face like he struck gold, who knew sarcasm could be written on one's face, well he made it possible.

"Oh now I get it." He chirped excitedly. "So borderline, your whole idea is the darkness." His tone started high before ending with a sarcastic note.

HSM had smoke coming out of his ears, it would've been visible had he been a cartoon character and for the millionth time he wondered why he dragged the stupid boy into his schemes.

"Just shut up." He flicked a switch and the other side brightened.

Before Fahad could peek in to see what was there they heard a scream like shriek they had to admit had become quite familiar to their hearing.

Every single nerve in his body was on alert in the dark room he was held a prisoner.

He could say he has been there for maybe ten hours or more, he couldn't tell.

There wasn't even a single opening that let light in and after that crazy person jumped on him, he had been on edge.

It was a feat getting her off him and no matter how much he screamed, no one came to his rescue.

That was why he was trying his absolute best to move away from her reach at least they had been nice enough to not bind him to anything.

Now after multiple hours in fear of her attacking him again and almost successfully gouging his eyes out, for some reason she always aimed for his eyes, they might come to his save him, or his father. He hoped though it seemed unlikely.

He guessed them saving him was even more promising than his father but he would keep his mind open.

He was lost in his thoughts with his eyes closed when he heard the unmistakeable scream which had him jumping up in fright, he opened his eyes and felt the pressure in his head because of the sudden brightness.

He was almost blinded and he wasn't even being dramatic, the other occupant of the room didn't give him room to recover from the attack of the light when she lunged again with a battle cry.

The were both screaming loudly, him trying desperately to get her off of him while trying to stop her from clawing his eyes out.

Tears were streaming down his face and he wasn't so sure what it was from the immense fear that was swallowing him whole or the woman's devil like hands that kept attacking him.

After ten minutes that he could've sworn felt like ten hours he finally pushed her off.

She landed on the floor with a loud thud, he didn't bother to check for damages when he moved back gasping for breath.

It took him more than five minutes to get his bearings right and stop turning to see if she would lunge for him again, she was laying in a curled form so he couldn't see her face but she was breathing not that he was very happy about that.

But the thought of her dying and being left in the room with him changed his mind and he was thankful for that.

He slid to the floor again trying his best not to look down and see the hell he was sitting on, he pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around it.

The position felt so familiar not that he'd done it, the image of Khadijah in that position many times because of him crossed his mind and he mentally screamed, promises and vows of destruction sent her and her husband's way.

The moment he got out of that hell, he would bring his hell to them and they will realize this hell he was in, was heaven.

A low grunt caught his ears and his gaze moved to his roommate, guess he had to call her that.

She coughed a few times before sitting up, she turned so he could see her face and when their eyes met, his widened while she looked furious, it was like she was looking at him but she wasn't seeing him.

He didn't know when the words left his mouth.

"Ma?"

Fahad Ibrahim glanced at HSM whose eyes were still on the image before them.

"What the hell?" He asked his mind swirling with many incoherent thoughts.

When he didn't get a reply, he looked back at them hoping if he paid enough attention, he would understand whatever it was that was going on.

"Ma, what are you doing here?" Suleiman asked again, taking in his mother's tattered clothing and muddy face.

She probably hasn't had a bath in a month, the foul smell that had kept them company had been coming from her.

He crawled to her desperately hoping to get her to say something.

The moment he touched her she attacked him by dragging his ears and squeezing it hard, he was scared she would pull it off, she didn't look like she cared and proceeded to hit him with her free hand, when that wasn't enough she released his ear and started slapping him.

"You stupid woman. You ruined my family. I am going to kill you I swear it I am going to kill you." She kept hitting him eliciting loud cries from his mouth.

He loved his mother but right at that moment he didn't want to be even six feet close to her

"I made sure they killed all your children. You were not supposed to give birth. How did you do it you dirty witch? You broke my charm, you made my husband send me away. Wallahi today I'll end your life." She was making good on that promise with her hand around his throat.

Suleiman was crying and choking, praying for the first time in months for Allah to save him from his own mother.

"Erm, shouldn't we intervene?" Fahad Ibrahim asked dancing on his toes, HSM didn't bat an eyelash.

"We wouldn't want to interrupt a family reunion." He said like it was taking everything in him to let the words out.

"Yes but if we don't do anything, she'll kill him."

"Takes the job off my hand. She made him and she can take him for all I care." Fahad wanted to argue and seeing that he let out a loud irritated sigh.

"She wouldn't kill him because she is not that strong, he is just a dramatic son of a bitch." With that, he turned and exited the room leaving Fahad behind, the latter wasn't so sure about that because looking at the two, he could tell she had a pretty good grip on his neck.

Like HSM said, she let go and fell to the ground after a minute, what he didn't know was if she was sleeping or passed out.

He switched the lights back off as per HSM's orders before leaving and closing the door behind him, he didn't press anything but he heard the locks lock in place with sounds of metal hitting on something.

He walked back to the room he and HSM were in initially, the older man was seated with a fat cigar in his mouth.

He didn't drink but the amount of tobacco he inhaled on a daily Was enough to open a factory and he wasn't even kidding.

"Are you sure your lungs are still intact?" HSM rolled his eyes then blew a puff of smoke to make a statement.

"We're all going to die in the end, I'd rather it not be at the end of a barrel."

*******

Fahad rolled to his side a soft sigh leaving his mouth.

He blindly reached for the object that was interrupting his sleep, when he finally got to sleep.

He picked the phone and blindly swiped hoping to God he answered the call or better yet, rejected it. People had no regards for people's sleep these days.

Not hearing anything on the line made his eyes snap open, he prayed under his breath before getting off the bed when he realized it was his alarm for fajr.

It was surprising he slept through the whole night, that thought was the least of his worries when his eyes landed on the empty bed.

His heart rate quadrupled it was a miracle he didn't have an arrest because of the fear that overtook his whole system.

"Calm down," He muttered to himself then proceeded to say the ta'aweez before stepping out and heading for the door opposite his, where he hoped Khadijah was.

With everything that has been going on, her not being in his sight scared his whole being because he couldn't handle the guilt if anything happened to her because of him.

He really needed to find a way to get rid of those men so he can go back to his slightly normal life, then at least all he would have to worry about would be the crippling guilt.

It was peace to him since the paranoia might die down, even if just a bit.

The door opened the moment he got there and she looked up at him, her eyes widened in surprise.

She was wearing a forest green hijab, floor length as usual.

"Are you okay?" His voice didn't hide his panic and she was taken aback but she nodded looking down.

She didn't know how to feel now that he knows everything, the vulnerability she tried so desperately to mask so she wasn't seen as weak.

She had bared everything to him the night before, her very soul and she was scared of what he would do with that power over her.

She had to admit she was ashamed of her thoughts but she has only ever been close with one man whom had been supposed to be protect her but he'd damaged her boyond words, she didn't believe in second chances or things like that.

Fahad had been speaking to Khadijah but she seemed lost in thoughts which scared him, he was afraid she was having an episode or something of the sort.

From experience he knew sometimes opening up wasn't the best bet because it meant accepting all your fears, welcoming your demons, you had to be a certain type of strong to accept that and he hated himself for not making sure she was ready, he'd just made her dive right into it.

When he called her name thrice and she didn't even blink, he reached out and touched her arm.

Khadijah jumped back in fright and he quickly let go, scared he'd triggered her he moved back apologizing.

The single act tore through his heart and he didn't know what exactly he felt but for a moment he considered seeing a cardiologist because the pain he felt wasn't normal, it shouldn't be borne from a rejection. But it was and he hated that it hurt him as much as it did.

He liked being her safe space, when she would turn to him for security, this new act was something he would have to teach his heart to get used to.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He added when he saw how she was sizing him up with her eyes.

Khadijah only nodded before going back to her room and locking the door.

She had no idea why she did that but when she'd woken up wrapped in his arms, it made her feel things that weren't positive and the only thought her mind could register was that he was a man and they were all the same.

He may be good and all but he would run out of patience soon enough and it wouldn't take long before the beast that resides in him decided it was time to stake his claim on her.

Her mother had always said, a marriage is not finalized until it has been consummated and nothing scared her in the world like that single act thanks to Suleiman.

She had prayed raka'atainul fajr and headed to get water before the iqamah was called and that was why she headed out, now she definitely knew she wasn't going to get that water, not as long as he was in the house.

<<<>>>

Her phone ringingmade her turn from where he was keeping her folded hijab.

She reached for the phone just in time before it got cut off and she slid the answer button, feeling a sudden brightness in her whole being at her best friend's name.

"Dee, are you okay love? I heard what happened to Baba, may Allah grant him quick shifa. Ya Allah, I am sorry I'm not there with you Dee." Layla's rambling worried voice came the moment she answered.

"Everything is fine Layla, please breathe." She said with a small chuckle and heard Layla take in a deep exaggerated breath

"I've breathed now, tell me the truth now. How are you? Not the automated answer Khadijah, I want the whole truth." Khadijah sighed and pulled the ruffle from her hair, letting the strands fall to her shoulder.

"I don't know Lee, I'm so scared." She whispered feeling her eyes brimming with tears.

"What are you scared of?" Layla asked softly.

"Everything. It all scares me."

"Pray Khadijah, there is nothing I can say right now that would make you feel better more than prayer Khadijah, recite the Qur'an and let yourself know peace." She advised and though Khadijah understood where she was coming from, she didn't know how to put it into action so she asked.

"How?"

"Let yourself be taken care of, you can't keep carrying this burden alone."

She shook her head even though she knew Layla couldn't see her.

"But it is my burden to bear, why give someone the responsibility of dealing with that? It isn't fair." She wiped the few tears that slid down to her cheeks.

"You don't have to bear it alone Khadijah, that is the truth. That's why we have partners and soulmates, we have a second half to take care of us."

"Layla," She called accusingly and her friend made a sound.

"Did your cousin call you?" She asked in the same tone.

"What cousin?" Layla asked playing dumb, or maybe she was confused for real which she doubted.

"You know who I am talking about." She heard a sound and knew even though she couldn't see her that she rolled her eyes.

"He actually didn't call me, at least not tonight. Hamma Shaheed told me your dad was admitted and with how my family can't keep their mouth shut, someone mentioned you being in the hospital."

"Which of them?"

Layla whined before replying, "Promise you won't tell them I told you but it was ya Farhan. He said not to tell you or worry you."

Khadijah's brow creased in thought, how did he know?

To her knowledge only Fahad knew of that seeing how none of her sister's said anything about it, that and she also knew he wouldn't have told them just then seeing her father's situation.

"It's nothing serious, just the panic attacks." Layla made a sound