NOORULKALEEM
You can do it Noor! You have to be strong for Hidaya. And you shall succeed!.
I took a deep breath and exhaled making Kaleem who's standing opposite to me to chuckle.
He relaxes my tensed shoulders."you are being scared for nothing, things will just flow on their own and I'm here for you hmm?"
I nodded smiling "Yes Hidaya's dad"
He laughed and kissed my forehead. "Ok, let's go Hidaya's mom"
The door opened when we're about to leave and my eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the person I least expected.
"Husnah!!" She ran and took me into a hug.
"I'm so sorry for not being there for you dear"
I know that i have Kaleem with me and he's supporting me in every possible way, but having Husnah here with me really makes me feel at ease, like no matter what i have, i still need that childhood bestfriend.
"It's more than enough that you're here" i break the hug. "How's your grandma doing"
"She's much better now, she even insisted that i should be here for you. Mama is taking care of her"
"Great!"
Aneel and Zahra entered through the opened door. "Where's Hidaya's mom?" She acts like she's searching for someone in the room while I'm standing right before her.
"Oh! You here?" She pursed her lower lip. "My gutsy younger sister that dared have a child before her older sister you're here?!" She gasped playfully and everyone laughed. "Okay let's go and claim my child's cousin" she rolled her eyes.
"Seriously thanks for being here Yah Zahra" despite being mother's daughter. I added mentally but she understand what i meant.
"Don't mind, my husband have more power over me now than mother, so she cannot stop me from coming".
Just then Hudah entered for the first time ever,'with a salam'. She briefly look at us before she put her head down, none of us utter anything as she walks to Kaleem standing behind me.
She surprisingly got on her knees.
"Hey what are you doing?" He took a step back.
"Please save me yah Leem, save me Noor" she turned and hold the edge of my skirt.
I furrowed my brows "save you from what?"
"What did you do?" Kaleem added.
She started crying and fold her hands pleading. "Wlh i didn't do anything to Hidaya and i know nothing about her rape case. I'm just.. just a witness and nothing more"
"What???! So you know Hidaya all along yet you acted nonchalant?"
"I was just scared of getting involved in her case, but I'm sure i can't escape it today because her cousin assured me that he's taking me to prison with him, I don't want to go to prison yah Leem, please save me. I promise i will tell you everything I know but I'm the only one left for my mom, yah Yasmeenah was long gone you know that, so please save me please".
I tilted my head to see Kaleem's reaction, and as expected, he was lost at the mention of Yasmeenah!"........
......
I almost run crazy when the judge announced that we can't directly get Hidaya's custody because she's still scared of Kaleem and that might affect her already damaged mental health. Even though she stick to me the whole time like a gum.
Our competent lawyer did his best and finally convinced her to give us a 6 months trial. If Hidaya is still not comfortable with him then she'll decline the adoption request and send her to an orphanage.
I was still happy at the decision because i believe we'll make it in those 6 months but it's not easy as expected.
We returned home as a family of 3 and our normal life goes on.
First from Kaleem's perspective. Things got really easy for him now working his architecture like any other employee and he still work from home whenever he wishes, But! Hidaya is his only problem, yet he loses peace of mind.
From my perspective, well.. hmm.. first!
I now have more duties and responsibilities. I have to take care of my house, Kaleem, Hidaya, my studies and myself.
I do some of the household chores myself even though i have a maid. I cook for everyone, clean Kaleem's bedroom and toilet everyday, bathe Hidaya, get her dressed and feed her like an infant else she won't eat. After that i will bathe, eat and get myself dressed then drive Hidaya to her therapist and drove back to school to write the exams i partially studied for. I'm not even sure if i will pass half
Of the courses but i really don't want to drop the semester.
I would return home exhausted and cook again then i will be confused as to whom i will give the rest of the energy i have to. Is it Kaleem? Hidaya? Or myself?!.
From Hidaya's perspective. She's having a tough time adjusting with the new environment and myself. Don't even talk about Kaleem because their shadows resent each other. He now have no rights over me to the extent that Hidaya could turn the house upside down if he dared touch me.
I tried much to explain to her that he's my husband and the owner of the house we're both living in, but it's like I'm telling her to hate him more. She would throw tantrums if she unfortunately Bumps into him on the way, so he make sure to stay away.
She doesn't allow me to sleep with him anymore because she won't sleep if I'm not beside her. She won't even allow me to go to him when he needs something, even simple couple things between us isn't possible now. And in no time Kaleem turns like a lost puppy in his own home.
I tried to give up Hidaya once but he stopped me consoling me that Hidaya is just being protective, because of her earlier trauma, she's trying to protect me from experiencing what she went through and advised me to be patient, that everything will become history one day.
And so it happened.
Kaleem stopped avoiding Hidaya's tantrums and started confronting her. He will wait for her to finish her cries then hand her a bar of chocolate or pack of sweets. She wasn't accepting it at first, but as time passes she started accepting things from him even if she won't smile, talk or go to him, she will still eat his chocolate.
He made me teach him how to make basic meals like, omelette, sandwich, oatmeal, cereal and noodles. So he started making breakfast for Hidaya while i rest in peace.
As time goes by, he started driving her to school, taking her to the theme park on weekends and sometimes even taking her for checkup.
The only mistake we've made is that, now that Hidaya is comfortable with Kaleem she also call him Baby K.
And when i insist that she should call him daddy, she now combine all the 2 and call him Daddy baby K!!!.
It finally comes to a point that he sometimes bathe, dress, and feed her when he's less busy.
So I'm now certain that, baby K is ready to be a DAD.
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Much love ❤️
Ummu Najma 🥰