ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Khan Hifza Sajid is a postgraduate student of Statistics at Mumbai University with a passion for storytelling that challenges societal norms. Through her stories and poetry, she sheds light on the double standards deeply rooted in our culture. Her writing not only reflects harsh realities but also carries a message of strength — encouraging readers to face difficulties, survive them, and emerge as winners.

—

Tides that return.

SHACKLES

The rustling of leaves can be heard, it is raining heavily as if clouds are shedding tears and thunderstorm is screaming with clouds the pain the agony with clouds someone else is also shedding tears, she is standing near the window her eyes are closed but trails of tears are flowing freely on her cheeks, like clouds she also has thunderstorm within her which is also screaming her pain, agony.

It isn’t something which is rare, her standing like a lifeless person near the window or her walking in corridors at night since six months from the day she was discharged from the hospital. Today when her inner soul was screaming, she felt the wind whisper something faintly, “Pray Khadija, Pray!”

She closed her eyes and on her own her feet took her to the washroom, she found herself standing in front of the sink, she started her performing ablution, once done she exited the washroom and stood in front of her cupboard, opened it and took out Musallah.

She started praying when her nose and forehead touched the surface of the musallah she broke down but this time her tears are the one who are complaining of her agony, with every tear she felt relief washing over her. She raised her hands to pray to ask her Lord Almighty Allah the most precious blessing, peace. Once done with Salah, her soul decided to restart her prayers because with every sujood relief washed over her, the relief which she craved for six months.

People will abandon you but your Allah won’t. From that day she started praying but still she was just breathing not living. It has been a week since restarted her Salah. It is three in the morning and surprisingly she is in deep slumber. Today nightmares aren’t haunting her, she woke up with a jolt and her lips whispered, “Dadu.”

She closed her eyes the dream started replaying like a video, “She saw a very handsome man wearing white crisp kurta and payjama , the old man was in his 60’s he was smiling at her with so much warmth in his eyes, Khadija’s eyes widened in surprise the man was none other her Dadu . She rose to her feet to hug him but he took a step back and subtly gestured her not to come near him, her were filled with tears seeing her favourite person’s rejection, it has been four years since her Dadu left for heavenly adobe, and in these four years she is seeing her Dadu first time in her dream, she started to take steps towards him again this time with a smile he asked, “Who are you?” Khadija felt as if she was drowned in ice cold water. She opened her mouth to speak and only her tongue could whisper, “Dadu, I am your Khadija.” Her Dadu subtly shaked his head in denial, her lips again parted in shock hearing his next words, “No you are not my Khadija, you just look like her but you are not her, my Khadija was a fighter she used to find route in the dark nights and courage to survive and become warrior in the stormy nights, but you are shackled in these four walls and peoples judgment,  if lie threw trials and tribulations towards her she tackled them commendably, you are not her, who are you?He was speaking all this while smiling but his eyes had sadness and one was longing to see his old Khadija and like that she saw him fading she ran to hold him but his figure faded away and her eyes snapped open.”

She glanced at her wall clock, and realized it’s Fajr time. This time she prayed Salah and this time she not only asked for peace but also freedom from this cage in which she has caged freely unwillingly. She couldn’t forget her Dadu’s disdain. In the morning she gathered the courage to step out of her room and stood in front of her father’s room her hands rose to knock his door she heard a faint “come in”, she pushed the door knob and stepped inside she stood near her father who glanced at her pausing his pen which was scribbling something on notepad his eyes held surprise seeing her in his room after six months. He stood from her seat, walked near her, took her hand in his own and took her to the couch. They both settled on the couch. He knew if she had gathered courage to come here it must be important he wished may be its time to face her demons. He put hand gently on her head caressing it as if providing her silent strength to speak, she glanced at him, her hand clutching the hem of her dupatta, she took a breath and opened her mouth to speak, “Abba Am I still your Khadija?” she saw her father frowning, she told him about the dream. Her father understood, “Khadija you are still my Khadija, just her another version, dear you have become quiet but it's normal after the situation you have faced. “But then why was Dadu so disappointed?” She asked with utmost confusion. Her father smiled, “How you behave now is understandable, it’s okay to grieve, it’s okay to cry, it’s okay to be sad but you know why your Dadu was disappointed, he paused to see her expression she shook her head in denial, but it’s not okay to let that grief consume you or sadness filling in your mind and heart, it’s not okay to hold yourself accountable for the thing you aren’t at fault?, he again paused to her expressions her eyes are showing disparity and tiredness, he continued, listen Khadija you were your Dadu’s pride, his princess without crown what has happened is long ago passed now it’s time you must rise on your feet and fight the war for yourself, for your self-respect, for your peace and for your rights.” He exhaled slightly now waiting for her to speak, he heard her mere whisper, “Society and people.”  He looked towards her softly, “let them bark, there is no one to tell you whether you have the right to blame you for something you didn’t do, to make you feel like a discarded thing or make you believe it’s the end of your story. Your Dadu was disappointed because you let them decide the ending of your story.” He rasped firmly but with softness in his tone. “But am I not tainted?”, she asked with a trembling voice. She saw a flash of pain passed through her father’s eyes , “Tainted is the person who took your innocence not you, you were victim Khadija for Allah’s sake stop blaming yourself, he said with a helpless begging to her to believe his words, you are still victim but now you have to become a survivor dear your Dadu and I want you to be a survivor.” Her father told her tenderly that it should be grave in her mind. He saw her in deep thought then he took her both hands in his own hand, “You know what does survivor means?” It is someone who faced a tragedy, cried in agony, fell several times but still stood up, faced the challenges but courageously gave themselves a second chance.” He slightly pressed her hands as if telling her I will always be with you, repeat after me, “I am not a victim, I am a survivor.”                                                                          She looked at him, her eyes blinking her tears back, she shook her head in denial, stood up and rushed back to her room. Her father sighed heavily and his eyes welled up tears. He prayed for his daughter’s peace. 

She reached her room, closed her doors, slid down on her closed door, she started feeling as if someone’s throttling her, she gasped for breath, her chest unevenly rising up and falling down. Her hands found her dupatta which was wrapped around her head, she clumsily unwrapped it and threw it on the floor and her hands started rubbing her neck, she felt suffocated franticly her eyes started searching for her medicines, her legs took her towards her dressing table and her hands found her bottle of medicine, struggling with the cap of medicine  somehow opened the bottle, and taking out two pills and gulped it without water, she slid down beside dressing table her knees close to her dressing table, her hands still unconsciously rubbing her neck, her door fled open  there standing her elder brother Ammar and her elder sister Dua , they glanced around the room, it is neither small nor big but spacious having a quite large window just opposite the door ‘ near window her study table once piled with stacks of books now empty abandoned. Beside the study table was a single bed on which sophisticated sheets were spread evenly. In front of bed there is a dressing table on which the products are clustered unevenly, and then their gaze found her hair open, dried tear marks , her dupatta laid near the sofa which is placed near the dressing table their hearts ached seeing her disembodied.

They ran towards her when her brother shook her shoulder. She came out of daze. The siblings embraced each other without a word. No questions, no explanation.

They stayed for minutes like that. Then her sister Dua pulled out a hug and guided her towards the bed with the help of Ammar. Once settled with fake enthusiasm that he is taking them to a nearby park for outing and ice-cream, earlier reluctant, but seeing her brother’s obstinate she gave in. Like these days are passing still her father’s words are echoing continuously in her ears, her Dadu’s disappointed gaze flashing every day.

One day her sister took her to the orphanage where she saw many specially abled children, someone lacking ability to hear, to speak, to see, to smell but still freely embracing the difficulties with open arms. And they all didn’t have family still smiling and accepting Allah's will.

She realized she has a loving family and every ability she decided it’s time to free herself from the shackles of the past. Her Dadu’s disdain, her father's words, the willingness of children to live a life .

She closed her eyes with a serene smile she said to herself, “I am not a victim I will be a rape survivor.”

…….

FATE

SEVEN MONTHS AGO…

“Offo Ammi, I am getting late please spare me today”, Khadija whined because she wasn’t in the mood to have breakfast today. Her mother got hold of her earlobe and twisted it, “You think you can step out without having your breakfast, your father can’t deny me. So madam who are you to deny having it?”, her mother said with a smirk. With a dramatic huff she sat down on the chair and started having her breakfast once done she asked her brother to drop her school. She was on her threshold of the house when her mother Asiya called her back. Her mother hugged her a little longer. Asiya's heart felt heavy and she didn't know why her heart wanted to stop Khadija from going to school.

Khadija was a bright student, currently studying in 12 standard. She topped her class every year. This year her goal was to become district topper, little did she know fate had other plans.

Khadija’s friend Asima wasn’t present so after class she had to walk alone to her home. While coming back to her house she felt someone was following her she was scared she knew something was terribly wrong, she quicken her steps but it was too late a hand suddenly grabbed her waist and a chloroform enriched handkerchief came in contact with her nose, she struggled to come out of the hold but within few second she was unconscious.

The guy glanced around the corner as if making sure that no one had seen him. With his two friends , he took her into the car. The car sped after a few minutes. It stopped in front of an old factory, they took her inside the factory after making sure no one had seen them and then it happened, the cruelty which is enough to crush someone’s soul. The only thing man does when they can’t tame the animal within them, sometimes under the influence of alcohol or drugs, sometimes to prove their superior masculinity, sometimes to practice the actions they have seen in adult content and sometimes just to punish a soul. 

They left her after crushing her spirit, tainting her dignity they left her battered, bruised and bleeding. During the cruelty twice she was in a semiconscious state, her mind did register the actions but her body was too weak to fight, still she tried but the animals were showing their cruelty.

Once done, “See, this is what happens to girls like her who reject our proposal. I wanted to make her my wife but she didn’t accept it, so I taught her the lesson. Ahil Shaikh taught her a lesson remembering whom her soul will tremble, and in the end she will regret rejecting me. Women are pathetic, they deserve this for speaking too much now who will accept her.” Ahil said with venom. They laughed and left. For their some minute pleasure they gave her the wound of lifetime.

At her home, her mother was feeling uneasy, her mind was again and again wandering towards Khadija and when time surpassed her returning home time. She called Anima’s mother to ask whether Asima  reached home or not but she got to know about her absence. This spiked her anxiety more. Like this sunset time arrived but there wasn’t any trace of Khadija, her family was frantically searching for since her mother informed Ammar and Khadija’s father Ashfaque . They went to school and asked every person but no clue was found. They returned back home because the police weren't registering a missing case since it hadn't been 24 hours since she was missing.

Around 11 pm at night her home’s landline ranged Ammar answered the call, “Am I speaking with Khadija Ashfaque parents”, very professional voice came through phone , “Yes I am her brother”, Ammar voice was shaking 

….

Sobs and screams and a chance

"Come to Lifeline Hospital, XYZ. Khadija has been brought in emergency,"

And the call was cut.

Ammar's hands were shaking. He felt as if the ground was yanked beneath his feet. But he somehow managed his inner turmoil and turned towards her frantic, panicked, and scared parents. He informed them. They rushed to the hospital.

Those 25 minutes were as cruel as if the clock hands were taking some kind of revenge from them by moving too slowly.

The poor receptionist guided them through emergency wards. There stood a man, who looked like  a labourer, and a doctor talking to the man and a police officer.

Her parents understood something was terribly wrong.

With shaky legs, they reached near the door.

The doctor took them inside their cabin,

"I presume you all are here, Ms. Khadija's family?" a middle-aged woman asked them.

Too stunned to speak, they nodded.

With a soft and professional tone, the doctor began, "Your daughter was brought here by the man you found outside; he found her in an abandoned factory near the highway." And after doing necessary medical examination we came to a conclusion that your daughter was  gang  raped. A shrill cry echoed in the cabin; her mother collapsed while crying; her brother's tears were falling but first and jaw were clenched, emotions clouded. Her father was frozen ; the doctor felt pity for them, but it was very common  for them to see this situation every other day because for some minutes' pleasure many innocent   lives were ruined.

Ammar somehow gathered the courage and took his parents toward Khadija's ward; they saw her in hospital clothes; multiple wires attached to machines were connected; her face was adorned with bruises, and she lay lifeless. Their reverie was broken by a policeman.

Through him they got to know a labour was going through the road along the steel factory.

He heard a whimper, he became alert and when entered inside the factory, he saw a girl trying to cover herself with her school uniform dupatta.

He averted his gaze and covered her body with the bedsheet he was taking for his home. Khadija flinched — still too weak to react. The man wasn’t alone with him; his wife, daughter were also present there; they somehow managed to bring an auto-rickshaw. With the help of an auto-driver they took her to the hospital. The man’s daughter picked Khadija’s school bag and ID card, and through it they contacted Khadija's parents. The hospital authorities informed the police.

The police team took the things into custody. The doctor informed Khadija's family about her  condition which was  quite critical due to immense blood loss & overdose of chloroform. Doctors left from there so the police.Her parents and her Ammar sat outside the ICU whole night.

Ammar somehow informed Dua about it. She was at her in law's house . Amira was married, living with shaking hands with her brother happily with her husband. The news shook her to the core.

In the early morning  Khadija gained consciousness but still her vitals weren't stable.

Doctors only allowed one person to meet. Her parents weren’t in the condition to meet her. By seeing their condition, Khadija will panic more.

Ammar went inside.

When Khadija’s eyes found him, he saw a distant & lifeless corpse.

Her eyes were dead, and the once  mischievous girl was just looking at him as if she hadn't had any wish to live.

With shaky hands, he tried to caress her head, but he saw a flicker of panic. His hand was halted in the air. He understood her panic. His heart broke.

He just whispered only for Khadija to hear, “It’s alright, I won’t harm you my love ” and frustratingly he ran out of the ICU.

Like this, 5 days passed.

Now Khadija’s (vitals/stats) were stable .

She was shifted to the normal ward.

Only her brother and her sister came to meet her in the ICU.

Today her parents are gonna face their daughter.

In the room, her father was sitting on the chair near the window, her mother reached near him and stood quietly.

“We have to meet her today,” her mother began after that silence again.

That's how her father was for 5 days.

He still hasn’t uttered a single word.

Her mother’s hands wrapped around her father. Her mother stood in front of her father, her hands cupping his both cheeks.

“Ashfaque, we have to meet her today.”

Asiya's husband’s eyes found her Asiya’s eyes  she nodded, the dam broke, a tear, then a trail of tears rolled on his face the dam broke.

A tear, then a trail of tears fell on his cheeks,

He sobbed, he cried like a baby.

After some moment he asked,

"How will I face her Aaiya?

I couldn't protect my Gudiya.

How can I face her when I failed her?"

Ashfaque's muffled voice was heard.

Asiya shook her head negatively,

“No you didn’t fail her, if she will see you crying like this, she will get angry.

She won’t talk to you. Ashfaq can you bear her silence,” Asiya asked with a shaking voice.

“That's what  I am bearing Asiya, since 5 days she hasn’t opened her mouth", Ashfaq whispered hoarsely.

A man too weak to stand today because his precious part is in enormous pain. He knew her Khadija, she is broken beyond repair.It will take a month or year to gather her pieces. But with Asiya and his family, he will gather her.

They cried in each other's embrace, mourning their innocent daughter’s plight.

In hospital room, the door creaked open

Slowly, Khadija’s eyes found her father’s charcoal black eyes.

And as if something shattered she saw her father for a minute, then

a flicker of pain passed through her gaze.

Her lips parted, her IV attached hands gestured to her father to come near her.

Her father’s feet speedily ran towards her and he took her hand in his own.

The dam broke, with parted lips and shaking voice she said, she told him everything —

“Abba they touched me Abba”

“They slapped me Abba”

“They digged their nails in my hands”

“They said I deserved it”

“Abba I tried, I really tried, they didn’t stop”

“Your Khadija was weak”

“She is weak”

“She is pathetic.”

She said with a muffled voice.

Her hands were rubbing her body.

She snatched the IV. The hospital walls heard her sobs, her screams ,her plea and her pain.

But like her, they were also helpless.

Her father took her in his embrace.

She cried and cried, screaming, keeping her head on her father's chest.

Her father whispered her sweet words which she wasn’t listening to.

Her mother also hugged them sobbing, crying helplessly. The nurse entered and gave her tranquilizer through I.V.

She slept but her words echoed.

Her every word shattered her loved ones.

As if it cut their heart without mercy and left without aiding to bleed.

In the evening, the police came, they asked her questions, she remembered their faces so, she told them the names.

After two days, police informed her parents that the 2 boys aren’t in the country. The criminals were freely moving somewhere.

Only 1 boy was in custody, he told them it all happened with her consent.

“Sir, she knew what was happening, she was the one who called us.”

“She is like a slut,” the boy’s parents said.

Using contacts, the boy’s parents bailed him out.

Police knew that they were the culprits but they were bound & helpless in front of those who were in power. The case was shut with lack of evidence in the 10th day.

But they weren’t in trial, but Khadija was. After discharging from hospital she came back her house, she heard whispers, people murmuring,

“I used to think she was a good girl, but she herself called those boys,” one murmured.

“But wasn’t she raped?” another asked.

“No, she herself called but when one of them refused, she herself staged the whole drama after they denied her giving money  and everything happened consensually, but she blamed them later.”

She heard, she heard it all,

With each murmuring, her soul was crushing into pieces, day by day.

Her heart was bleeding raw,

The tears were dried now,

She was a corpse, a living corpse —

She somehow started believing that

It was her fault. She must have done something because of which boys raped her.

Because that is what one of her relative said — “May be she lured them,

and when Ahil proposed to her, she rejected. So he is a man, he will be enraged.

Her physical wounds were healed but her soul bore many raw unhealed wounds.

Her family tried bringing her out of it all

But she raped once

But every single day society was killing her by giving silent poisons in the form of words, gazes and gestures.

She decided to not give her 12th examination.

She stopped talking, she refused.

Her father convinced her to take therapy

They gave her space.

……

It's You

Present

She was standing in front of the mirror looking at herself.

She decided she will not let this world decide the ending of her story.

She will take the command, she will lead the race and she will rewrite her story.

And how can she forget she was named Amma Khadija R.A. the most firm and one of the strongest women of history. She will give herself a second chance. If she is alive it means she has a purpose which she hasn't discovered.

She thought a lot and after dinner she told her parents and siblings to gather in the hall.

They were looking at her waiting for her to speak.

"I have decided to give the 12th board examination this year" she paused to see their reaction. A glint of surprise can be seen in their eyes except her father's who as if knew she would say this, he nodded in her direction.

"Bhai please fill the private form." She looked at her brother who looked delighted by hearing her words.

He just came and embraced her.

After that, "What changed babu?" her mother asked.

With soft inhale and exhale she replied,

"Amma, they may have torn me physically, but they couldn't tear  my courage and soul. You named me after Amma Khadija R.A.

She was  firm, strong and courageous, so how can I be a coward?

Her mother kissed her forehead.

Khadija burned midnight oil and scored 95% in the 12th board exams.

 The difficulty arises she has to go to college but still she fears people. She gave her 12th privately, so it didn’t cause any interaction with people except in examination hall.

She still remembers how she flinched when she saw a boy sitting behind her in the exam centre.

Her breath laboured but somehow she calmed herself.

She was scared of the male invigilators. But still she faced it!

Now going to a college in the same city where people murmur about her, she wasn’t ready.

So she decided to go to another city to complete her graduation but she was still afraid to live in a hostel.

Her brother requested transfer of job and moved in with her in Lucknow.

There she pursued her graduation in maths, statistics and  computer science.

She faced difficulty while interacting with males but therapies helped her a lot her family support and love mattered.

One day she woke from a nightmare and her brother heard her scream, he knocked on the door, she didn't open it, he opened it with a spare key.

He saw her pale, shivering, she was chanting something, her lips were moving too fast. When he neared her he just heard

"Please, I beg please leave me."

"Please... please beg."

Her brother understood she was re-living that day .

He shook her shoulders; she came out of daze, then she pushed her brother.

"Don't come near me Bhai, I am tainted, I am not pure."

"I will... I will taint your image, dignity."

Her brother Ammar was stunned and too shocked to speak.

He gathered himself, "Listen Khadija. You are pure," she shook her head.

He firmly gripped her shoulders and made her look at him.

“No listen babu, you are pure.”

“Repeat after me, loudly,” he said.

“I’m pure.”

She looked at him for a second.

Then his lips moved,

“I am pure.”

He continued, “You are as pure as you were earlier.”

She repeated in a muffled voice.

While crying, she slept.

Ammar helplessly saw his sister and he sat down near her bed so that she wouldn't get scared again.

The next morning, he called his parents and informed them about the night.

Her parents came to cherish her, to love, to adore her.

She visited her psychiatrist.

She was healing, not fully but gradually.

Her father made her understand she was never at fault.

She  accepted,  it wasn’t her fault.

Her first year result came,

She topped the University.

In college, she merely interacted male classmates, she talked to a professor only if necessary. And moved to Lucknow for her to support her she was a senior sine dhedij- took a degp.

In the classroom, Khadija made a new friend Afiya, a soft badass diva but a girl whose aura scream touched her then saw the consequences.

Like this 2 years passed,

On day in semester break Khadija came to her house, she went to a market with her mother, there she spotted him -Ahil, she was rooted to the place, her mind  went back to 4 years back  into the trauma ; she ran she ran as if escaping that day as , she could hear her mother's voice calling her name ; but  she ran ran to her house.

She was gasping for her breath, she reached her home ; she entered the house and went to her room and locked it. She stood too numb in her room then she closed her windows as if Ahil would come through the windows. She switched off every light in her room, drew the  curtains , and sat down near the dressing table.

She doesn't want her shadow to be seen by him.

"Her mother came home from the market rapidly following her. She knew something happened which triggered Khadija as she knocked on her door but no reply. She frantically called her husband, and informed him about it. With a spare key she opened her door, she saw a broken Khadija Asiya's heart shattered. She went inside and sat near Khadija and wrapped her arms around her shoulders and unintentionally Khadija leaned on her mother's shoulder. Her mother whispered "you are fine sweetheart" Ammi is there,  abba is coming! After a few minutes her father arrived he  crouched beside her, he just caressed her head, After some time they heard a whisper 'He is back abba." Their  bodies stiffened.

They  figured out  who she was talking to. They gently pressed her hand as if  giving her strength to continue. "I saw him freely moving in the market, where I can't freely still sleep, her  parents felt heartache "I saw him laughing , where I still barely laugh.

 She pulled out of their embrace. Why? Why? Why? They are living freely.

 And here I can't freely live.

 Why? Why? Why? If  his so-called male ego can't take rejection? so I had to bear the consequences. Why? Why? Why? they escaped, I was caged, Why? Why? Why? society questioned me and left them to live  freely? Because they were men .

Being human  isn't it my right to deny someone's proposal if I don't like it. I didn't play with his feelings. I'm just being polite. Why was I punished? Why can't our system prove them guilty? Why? 

"Why? Why?  She screamed with agony, with pain, then one hand of hers was taken by her mother and another by her father. She wailed like a child by keeping her forehead on their joint hands. She slept like this. 

Next morning, she woke up , after breakfast she found her father sitting in the hall with her mother. She tiptoed and sat near them. .They smiled, her father began  "You asked why our system failed to prove them guilty?" Khadija frowned at her father's words, because that is how it works: a call from an influential person  they escape. My baby, if you want to get justice and give justice to people, earn it by becoming a part of the system, by doing something for Khadija like you. She understood his hidden meaning behind his words."

Her mother began, " Babu sometime in life it's you who face the pain and save others from going through the same . And if they have gone through the same it's you who understands them and does something to relieve their pain and end their suffering to help them get justice.

So my babu you have to avenge yourself and others.”

……..

Khadija

            

That night she thought a lot about what her parents said.

By morning she was sure what she had to do. She went back to Lucknow and completed her semester. And enrolled herself in an online program of Civil services she paid the fees by tutoring kids her father wanted to pay but she denied because it's her new chapter.

Burning mid oil she cleared her preliminary, mains and interview in first attempt and became IAS .

It was tough specially the training but with regular therapies, her family support, will power and her constant faith in Allah she did it .

After joining she opened all the rape cases of the area and scheduled fast trials and helped girl to give themselves second chances by helping them , continuing their  education, helping them to get therapies with the help NGO.

She still flinch when a man sit next to her,

She still gets rigid when a man interacts too much with her.

But that doesn't stop her from achieving something .

After 2 years her parents found a soulmate for her Ashir Siddiqui a man initially reluctant her father scheduled a meeting with him 

She still remembers that cafe meeting.

" Khadija right?" Ashir began.

She nodded , "Ashir."

She directly came to the point ," Why are you marrying me?"

But instead of answering he asked her, " Why should I not marry you?" With a serene smile .

"I hope you know about my past." She asked with confusion.

He nodded

"Then?" She asked.

"I admire you khadija, After whatever you have faced you still stood tall and gave yourself a second chance. Build yourself again piece by piece.

I am doctor, I see a lot of rape victims and most of them loose themselves forever in the shades of grief.

But you, every time you fell you stood up again .

That shows your courage and ability to face any situation , if life throws lemon at you you squeeze them and make chilled lemonade.

So why not you Khadija."

He said it all with utmost sincerity.

Khadija smiled for the first time when she felt comfortable with a man who isn't her family .

Later on they got married.

Now standing together in the hall to receive an award khadija for her enormous social work.

Her name was called and she received the award and the anchor asked her to share a few precious words.

" Life is full of turbulence so be a pilot who will pass through them.

An ocean in which high tides can come anytime but still sailors navigate through them .

Life is neither hard nor easy. It's a continuous test in which you may have a graph of marks which can be too peeked at some point or flat at some point but never steady until you stop.

So give yourself a second or trillion chance because until you are alive you deserve it."

She descended from the stage and stood in front of husband who held her hands as if telling you to lend me a shoulder to lean I will hold you.

Still sometimes khadija get nightmares but with Ashir by her side she gave it with a bright smile.

Khadija is like a tide who returns to her shore.

_______________

The End