His Precious Gem

The wind blew as it slaps the leaves harshly, making them to leave the lively life on tree to fall on ground lifeless. The half bloomed flowers shed tears of their own with rain water as its petals now lay dead on the mud. The lightning again roared in sky, making the poor cat frightened back to small bin, that was it's shelter.

Her pillow soaked her tears as her mind replayed the earlier events of the night. Her eyes tightly shut as she gripped her pillow harder in order to not scream out loud. Her mind was numb. She was in pain both mentally and physically.....

She didn't wanted to believe what happened to her earlier.....She wanted to forget it like some bad nightmare....Yet she knew she can't escape the bitter reality.....

She opened her drenched eyes as she looked disgusted at the purplish blue bruises marks that adorned her pearly white skin of her wrists.....

Her mind replaying ruthlessly the painful memories of tonight events.....

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Nayyab was very excited. Tonight was her welcome party at Queen medical University. She laughed with her friends as they all chatted merrily.

She was very happy today. She was wearing a knee lenght red frock with embroidery on sleeves and neck. Her makeup was done by her friend Farah and altogether she looked simple but good.

There were many guest of honour called at tonight's event but Nayyab didn't bother about them. She listened to the speech of Chairman and then resumed eating her food without paying heed at anything else.

After some more chatting and clicking pictures, Nayyab decided to use the washroom. As she made her way to the hallway she noticed that almost no one was there and it was almost dark with only one light switched on in the whole corridor. A chill creep up in her body with fear and cold but she resumed walking to the washroom that was on the other side of the building.....

A sudden voice from behind halted her step and she turned her head to look what was the source. To her luck, the hallway was empty. Relieved, she sighed and turned only to scream loudly...

A tall man stood in front of her. Startled, she lost her balance but before she could have fall, a pair of muscular arm held her. With a sudden jerk, her body was flushed against his. Smells of rich perfume and cigarette filled her senses and she grimaced at their sudden intimate contact. Disgusted, she tried to pull back, but the man arms suddenly tightened making her alert and angry.....

"Don't touch me!!" She screeched loudly as she punched at his chest lightly in order to make space between their flushed bodies.

"It wasn't I who ran into someone...." the man voice was calm but his grip loosened enough for her to back away. She couldn't look at the man as it was very dark.....

Nayyab was embarrassed nonetheless she didn't wanted to admit that it was her fault.

"Don't ever touch a girl like that again!" Her voice stern as if threatening but the visible hate and disgust didn't go unnoticed by the man making him narrow his eyes at her.

Though he couldn't see the girl properly in dark he knew for sure that she is short heighten and knew she is curvy as there bodies flushed together earlier, making him smirk.

"If I remember correctly your bone would have been broken or there could have been a dent on your head if it was not for me to grab you in time." His voice was furious now. He was furious at the unthankful girl who dared to threaten him.

Nayyab was still flustered embarrassed of how this man touched her. Her anger refused to listen to her rational side that says 'he was only helping' and without thinking much she started to spout insults at the man.

"What a pathetic excuse of touching a girl! You are so shameless!! How could you stoop so low to touch a girl so cheaply! I wonder how your mother gave birth to such shameless person—." In a moment she was harshly pinned to nearby wall. Breath knocked out of her.

"Enough! If you so want to accuse me for something that was unintentional then better accuse me of something I did intentionally." With that he pinned her arms together above her head and next moment his lips landed harshly on hers.

Her eyes widened as she struggled to free herself but the man held her face with his other hand and kept on molesting her. Tears ran down her eyes as the man pressed his lips against her harshly for the second time....

His hand trailed down her side of hip and her breath hitched.

"Do I show you how low I can stoop to touch a girl?!" He asked in a gruffly tone realising her lips from the merciless torture...she breathed heavily as a loud sob and then another escaped her mouth....

His hand squeezed her waist lightly and she shouted a "No" in horror....

The man backed away and left her arm resulting in her falling to ground lifelessly as she placed her head on her knees and cried miserably.....

"Don't ever dare to falsely accuse someone when you very well know of the reality of the matter....." with that ruthless statement passed, he walked away leaving a wailing girl behind....

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5 years later;

The window rattled harshly making Nayyab to wake up from her slumber. Her half open eyes looked at the window with irritation.

She got up lazily from her bed and made her way to washroom. She pressed the switch to open the light but much to her disdain there was no electricity. Shrugging the utter feeling of irritation and frustration she walked inside the dark washroom.

As she came out, the creaky sounds of door and window was all she could hear with loud swishing of wind and thunder that roared time to time.

"Nayyab..." her mother, Sadia Rehman, called her name softly. She was laying on the left side of bed looking exhausted.

"Yes Ammi (mother)" Nayyab said as she tried to make her way slowly to her mother in the darkness.

"Dear, fetch me a glass of water." Her soft voice made Nayyab smile in the darkness. The voice of her mother always acted like a wand to lighten up her mood. After her father's tragic death due to heart attack, her mother was all she had.

"Yes ammi!" With that, she made her way to the old wooden sight table where a plastic jug lay with a glass.

Filling the half glass so that water doesn't fall out, she handed it to her mother. After laying on her side of the bed, she stared at the ceiling and looked at the static ceiling fan without blinking. It was the middle of summer, the month of June, and it was blazing hot but she was thankful that this night she didn't sweat due to heat as the weather was rainy but there was suffocation in the room.

"Nayyab..." her mother called out again as she turned to Nayyab, on the bed. Nayyab averted her eyes to her mother.

"Dear sleep now....tomorrow is a big day for my baby...I know you are stressed but don't my dear....what God has planned for you will be best I know Now sleep, my dear." Her mother caresses her cheek lovingly, knowing the inner turmoil her daughter is facing.

Tomorrow is the result. The result will decide where the future will lead her. The result which will decide which hospital she is to join and its scares her....what future hold for her...

"Yes ammi.," she said as she moved closer to her mother and cuddle her to sleep escaping the restless thoughts.

"Ammi I-I am selected at the top hospital of the city. I am so happy Ami.... I can't wait to hug you! I am so thankful to almighty God that He blessed me with so much...." Nayyab gleeful voice rang in her mother's ears. Her eyes widened and a smile broke on her lips. After some chatting, she cut the call and headed to the kitchen to prepare her daughter favorite dish.

She was beyond happy for her daughter.

Nayyab was returning home when a fast moving Land cruiser passed her side and all the contaminated muddy water on road now was soaking her form. Her irritation surpassed all the levels as she stared at her now dirty clothes with anger.

Nayyab gasped as the car reversed back and a young man who was the culprit stepped out.....

She glared at the tall man with so much frosty that he stilled for a second and then smirked amused at the audacity of the short girl who barely reached his chest....

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"Dear how did your clothes got dirty?How did the accident happened?" Mother asked the question that was nagging her with worry since the arrival of Nayyab in a very messy state.

"Ammi...." she started telling as anger dripped with every word and tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled what a horrible incident happened earlier....