“And walk not with arrogance. Indeed, you can never tear the earth apart, nor can you surpass the mountains in height.” (QURAN 17:37)**************************I sat on my bed, slouched over, while still in the nikkah attire. The heels of my hands pressed against the socket of my eyes; as I tried to piece together how and where did it all start to go wrong. The earliest memory, I could trace back to, was when I was 4 and for the first time witnessed the horrors of my world."Now you will tell me what to do and what not to—?!! I think you've forgotten your place—I'll have to make it so, you never make the same mistake twice—" I stood on top of stairs watching Dad hit Mom through the railings. I was in bed when the loud noises scared me and I got out to check them—"Naveed Baba!!" I was pulled back with a jerk by my Nanny who picked me in her arms and dashed to my room."Buwa—buwa—why was Daddy hitting Mommy? Did Mommy do bad—?" I asked between sobs, while Buwa helped me change out of m

“So he invoked his Lord, ‘Indeed, I am overpowered, so help.’” (QURAN 54:10)**************************I had dropped down to my knees. My voice was breaking with tears and I was crying through hiccups while gazing up at her, whose eyes were devoid of all warmth and held nothing but contempt."All my life—I have never asked you for anything—No matter what you said, I have done everything you've ever asked me to do—Never once, have I complained to you about anything—You were absent my whole life—Whenever, I needed someone to guide me or help me through the hurdles of life, I never once found you there to help me—but—but please—just this once—please— I am here, on my knees begging you—I am your daughter—Your flesh and blood, for God's sake—! I have no one else to turn to for help—You're my mother—if you won't help me—then where else would I go—Please—! Please Mom—Don't make me marry Navi—" My vision had become blurry but the tears were nowhere near ending. Yet, I continued to clutch my h

“They forgot Allah, so He forgot them.” (QURAN 9:67)**************************I sat on the floor to the far end of the room, out of sight from everyone else and listened intently to Haadi's heart-rending Qirat; resonating throughout the room."—and said: Get down, both of you, (that is, man and Satan), and be out of it; each of you shall be an enemy to the other. Henceforth if there comes to you a guidance from Me, then whosoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor suffer misery—But whosoever turns away fr

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.” (QURAN 17:23)***************************1 YEAR & 4 MONTHS LATER"You were calling out his name in sleep, again." I looked up from my knitting at Haadi's voice to find myself at the receiving end of her full attention. Looking away momentarily, I tried to colle

“Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and [that] you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper?” (QURAN 2:107)***************************"Yes, Safir?" It was almost evening and I was wrapping up my work in office to leave when I got interrupted by a call from my agent in the Intelligence bureau. I had employed him after coming back from the States to keep tabs on Aasiya. He was the one who had helped me get the intelligence report on Captain Hadi. Following that, I had asked him to keep an eye on him just to be sure, in case he makes any sudden move. I picked the call assuming he had called me to give the latest report on Captain Hadi's movements."Sir—I got intel on Miss Aasiya today. I was wondering if you wanted me to look into it?" His usual clipped tone was replaced with a hint of uneasiness. Upon hearing her name, I immediately turned my full attention to him."What intel—" I began slowly, unable to hold out the edge from my v