"You only realise someone's true value when they are gone..."

S O U N D of 'beep' surrounded her as she couldn't understand where she was. Her head was hurting so badly. She opened her eyes with great difficulty and closed them as soon as they made contact with the lights. She opened them slowly and saw a white ceiling very different of her house. She touched her forehead and felt a bandage. She tried to move her heard left and right but hissed as the pain shot through her body.

Shahzain ran to her and help her. She wasn't understand the situation she was in. "Calm down." He said only. She didn't reply and a female doctor came inside the room checking her files. As soon as her eyes met with Shahzain's she glared at him, making him avert his gaze. "You need to go out Mr.Shahzain." She said in a professional tone and he obeyed though he didn't want to.

"How are feeling, sweetheart ?" The doctor with the name plate - Miral asked lovingly.

"I am fine. My head is hurting but why am I here ?" Dilainoor frowned in curiousity. "Tell me what's the last thing you remember before you fell unconscious ?" The doctor questioned back.

"Mhmh...I fell from the stairs because I was feeling dizzy and I missed a few steps..." Dilainoor lied smoothly with uncertainty in her voice.

"Okay I see. That's quiet normal. I have a bad and a good news. The good news is that you are fine but you need complete rest. You didn't have any severe damage which is very good but..." The doctor stopped, she doesn't know how the patient will react.

"Does your husband abuses you Dilainoor? Don't be scared. And tell me did you really fell or did someone pushed or hit you ?" Dr. Miral got a little suspicious and asked. It was clear that Dilainoor didn't fell from the stairs.

"No, my husband wasn't at home at that moment. I fell accidentally..." Her heartbeat was fast, she lied do not get into trouble. She was having a weird feeling as if the bad news was going to hurt her.

"I am sorry, but...you lost your baby. You were four weeks pregnant Dilainoor but the impact of the fall was enough to kill the foetus. I am sorry, but you can still concieve, don't worry." Dr.Miral squeezed gently Dilainoor hand who seemed numb from the news. She always loved child and especially babies. She always wanted someone from her flesh, someone she could call hers.

But fate played a horrible game with her. Shahzain never used protection because he didn't care and somewhere in her heart, Dilainoor wanted to become a mother so that she can have someone who will care for her. But slowly this hope was going and now that it came...it vanished before she could know. She is broken - but most of all shattered. And somewhere she does blame him for this. If he would have listen to her and took her to the hospital when she ask him to she would've been more careful. She caressed her stomach which was once the home of her baby.

And he was the one who pushed her. He is her baby culprit. The one who killed him. Her cheeks became wet as she started to sob and hiccup. Life is not always fair. She doesn't have anything yet there is always something that she lost. "Dil." He said as he saw her crying. It was not the first time he saw her crying but it was the first time he was consoling her leaving his father teaches and advices to the side as well as his manly ego.

"Shah...Sha-shah-...zain." She uttered but her voice held pain and bitterness. "I...lost...-my-...baby..." As the words left her mouth, he froze. It was like his whole world crushed in front of him. And suddenly everything made sense to him. Her feeling nauseous, her vomiting, her uneasiness and her sickness he was just too blinded by his father that he never took care of her and now that happened. It was the second time. And it was again his fault.

The second time she has a miscarriage. The first time was last year but Dilainoor doesn't know because he never told her, to afraid to break her heart though he broke her every day - little by little.

~ ~ ~

Izhar Safwaan - a man of his words and a man who consider women inferior to man race. He thinks women are useless and incapable of doing anything. They can just fulfill their husband needs and are a baby making machine. Nothing more, nothing less. Perhaps that's why he never treated his wife with respect and love yet Rafia was there for him when his own family left him on the roads mercilessly.

She always stood beside him and for him but he never cared. He didn't treat her with love yet he treated his daughter with much more love. But wasn't Zehnab a woman as well ? She is, but she is his blood, his own flesh in contrary of his wife. Rafia craved for his love all her life but never got it. If she was here today - with him - it was only for the sake of children.

Izhar Safwaan somehow managed to put the same shit into his elder son - Shazain Izhar mind. He told his son that he should never let his wife control him, be frank with him. She should know her limits because women are worthless. He told him 'Women are men slaves. They should only serve us and nothing else. They are stupid, if a woman falls in love with you she can sacrifice her everything for you but if a man falls in love with a woman, can he risk everything he has for her? Never. That's why they are stupid. Don't get attached to her. They're useless.' And unfortunately Shahzain listened to his father's words blindly though he shouldn't have.

Rehan Izhar - Izhar Safwaan's younger son, he is the only one who never listened to his father's shit talks because his mother raised him very well and taught him how to respect women. Perhaps, Rafia failed to put the same thing in her elder son mind because her husband was brainwashing since his childhood. The irony is that the younger brother is much more mature and intelligent than the elder one.

Even in Islam, women are considered as blessings. They are blessed. When a daughter is born, she opens the door of Jannah for her father. When a woman becomes a mother, Jannah is under her feet. When a man marry, he completes half of his deen through his wife. Even in Islam, women are protected and blessed yet there is still trash men who thinks they are superior.

Men and women are not equal. They cannot never be equal because a women is women and a men is men. They are different. They cannot be the same in this world. But both deserve respect and love. And most of all they are equal in front of Allah.

Shahzain ignored, manhandled, disrespected her but she never bothered to complain. Why? Because she has no one. But soon he will realise how wrong his father was. And how wrong HE was. He never thought what will he answer the day of judgement.

~ ~ ~

Shahzain exited the room without a word and went to the doctor cabin. He knocked and after hearing a faint 'come in' he entered the cabin.
"Mr.Shahzain ? Come sit." She said and the files aside.

"Actually doctor, I have a question." He asked, his voice filled with guilt and pain.

"Ji boleye. [Yes, say it]" She answered, very confused.

"Will...will Dilainoor be able to conceive again ?" He said afraid of her answer. What if...no he can't live with that guilt all his life.

"Yes. Don't worry Mr.Shahzain. Just give her a break and she will be able to." Dr.Miral smiled faintly and assured him. He nodded and thanked her before stepping out the cabin. He sighed in relief but the guilt was still here. She looked like a broken doll and he knows how innocent and pure her heart is - though he crushed that same heart into million of pieces.

Everything seemed wrong to him now. From ignoring her to using her and throwing her. Treating her like slave. Manhandling her. Everything he did felt wrong now.

He walked to her room and helped her get up. She can be discharged now. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and took her hand with his free one. With baby steps they walked to the parking where his car was parked. He helped her sit and sat on the driver seat. Shahzain started the engine, and the journey went on. There was complete silence. Only their heartbeats were heard.

~ ~ ~

Dilainoor sat on at the edge of the window in her room gazing at the sky. It was empty. No clouds. No stars. The moon was far away from her. Just darkness filling the sky, like her life which was now filled with darkness. She grabbed her secret diary in which she writes all her wishes and heart talk. Then grabbing the pen beside her she started to wrote.

'' 10th August,
I've lost a new reason to live today. I've lost my child, my blood, someone I could've call mine. I have no one in this world. I always thought to have a baby, I always wanted one but Allah has other plans. He doesn't want to give me my share of happiness. Don't I deserve to be content and happy in my life ? Shahzain hates me. My parents left me alone in this world, I miss you mama, baba. I miss you...why did you left me ? You're so selfish, you got free but left me in this prison in form of life. Shahzain doesn't care about me mama.....But it's fine. I am used to. And why would he care? I lost my child, he didn't lost anything. I will never be able to forgive him for killing my child...''

A few drops of water fell on the page. It was her tears. She closed the diary with a lighter heart but the pain was still here. The pain of loosing someone close. Someone she could love. Someone she could protect. But that someone was gone, and it will never come back.

She bought her knees closer to her chest and put her head on it. Staring into an empty space. Only she knows how much it hurts, no one else. For Dilainoor, it was only one person's fault. If he would have taken her to a doctor nothing like that would've happen. If Dilainoor knew she had a life growing in her she would have been careful, very careful. Whatever Shahzain did with her, she accepted it as a game of destiny but where was her child fault in all this ?

Nothing. She/he was innocent yet Shahzain did this to her. He never cared for her but if that one day, when she asked him something for the first time he would've agreed then she wouldn't be here.

That night she decided to leave him...

~ ~ ~

"Noor ?!" Zubia said in disbelief, it's been so long since she saw her best friend. But what was Dilainoor doing here at this time of the morning ?

"Tum is time par kiya- [What are you doing here at this time-]" Dilainoor didn't let her finish and hugged her tightly letting her pain go. She cried for her fate and Zubia hugged her back feeling her aching heart.

"Bas Noor, chup ho jayo meri jaan. Andar ao. [Enough Noor, please calm down my love. Come in.]" Zubia took her friend with her in the house along with the suit case. She made her sit on the couch and gave her a glass of water which Dilainoor gulped in a go.

"Now, tell me. What are you doing here ?" Zubi said squeezing her hand in assurance.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Dilainoor pouted cutely and Zubia just chuckled and pulled her cheeks.

"No, meri jaan. I am very happy. You can stay here as much as you want but tell me did Shahzain do something ? I will kill this guy. How dare he make you cry ?" Zubia cheeks and nose became red of anger.

"And this bandage ?" She touched her forehead and caressed it carefully. Too afraid to hurt her.

"Zubi...I don't want to go back to him. I can't.." She hiccuped. "Please Noor, tell me. I will fix everything. Don't you trust me ?" Zubia held a soft voice as if she was talking to a child.

Dilainoor told her everything. From her sickness, his violence to her miscarriage. She even told the truth of their marital life. How Shahzain treated her from the beginning and Zubia couldn't believe her ears. She was fuming in anger. She trusted Shahzain with her most precious gem and he betrayed her. No one knew the truth behind Dilainoor fake smiles. Her acting was too good.

"Zubi, kon tha ? [Who is it ?]" Came the voice of Zubia's husband - Zacki as he descended the stairs clipping his watch on his wrist. As soon as he saw Noor, he smiled. She was just like little sister he never had. Being an only child, he never had siblings. And when Dilainoor wasn't married yet she used to live with them and she had a special bond with her brother-in-law who was fatherly figure to her.

And Zacki never had bad intentions about her. She was just a sister for him and he loves his wife a lot. "Noor! Tum yaha? Kesi ho bacha ? [You're here? How are you kiddo ?]" He asked patting her head affectionately. She smiled at his excitement.

"Zacki, ap piche hatte. Mein abi us Shahzain ke bache ko sabaq sikah ke athi hon. Aj to mein uska kattal kardon gi ! [Zaki, step aside. I will that Shahzain a good lesson. I will murder him today!]" Zubia got up and pushed her husband aside but he didn't move a bit. Of course she was 5'5 and he was 6'1 tall.

"What happened ladies ?" Zacki asked with concern. The helpless face of his sister and the angry bird aka his wife wasn't suiting well with him.

Zubia didn't waste a second and narrated everything to him but she mostly highlighted Shahzain's abuse on Dilainoor. Zacki clenched his fist at the story. He couldn't protect his only sister. How pathetic.

"I am sorry Noor. I couldn't protect you." Dilainoor shook her head as tear flow on her cheeks. Zacki kissed her forehead. "You will stay here from now on. I will take good care of this Shahzain. He will learn his lesson."

At that moment Dilainoor felt like the most blessed person. She was wrong when she thought she has no one. She has a loving brother and a soul sister.

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As-salamu alaykum readers !

Ignore the grammatical errors English is not my native language.

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Till next update Allah Hafiz ❤️