The lights were dim in the small whitewashed hospital room, the windows were open, as the girl with a shattered heart sat quietly on the hospital bed. The white curtains that covered the windows billowed in the breeze. The moonlight drifted in through the slightly pushed curtains as the whole family stared at the girl with both anger and tears in their eyes.

"Papa...Ammi... I am very sorry...." Nuska spoke unable to bear the silence anymore but she got no response from them.

"Papa... Ammi.... please... I am sorry" she said again.

"Nuska, what you tried to do was completely wrong. Promise us that you will never do this again. We shall forgive you only then." Nisthar said holding her hands.

No I don't want to live, her mind screamed .

But do you want to hurt your family?, her heart questioned.

No, her mind replied.

Having no other option than promising them, she replied, "I promise"

But papa, if there ever comes a situation where I have to break your promise, Then please forgive me..., She thought.

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"No.. Sir... please don't..." Nuska screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Nuska... Nuska....it's alright..." Saima hugged her tightly, consoling her.

"No... please..." She screamed continuously, not hearing her Ammi's words.

"Nuska... it's me, Ammi. I am here with you." Saima whispered into her ears as she tried to console her.

"Nuska, wake up. It's just a nightmare" Saima tapped on her cheeks trying to wake her up from the nightmare, she herself panicking because of her daughter's condition.

Nisthar who had entered the room along with Abdullah at that time had ran to them and tried to wake Nuska up by sprinkling water on her face.

"Wake up dear. It's just a nightmare" said Nisthar while saima held her in her arms, controlling her own tears.

"Nuska.." Nisthar tapped on her cheeks again and this time she opened her eyes.

"Papa.. Ammi.. He.." She stammered, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"No Nuska... it was a nightmare.." Nisthar was saying when Nuska interrupted him, "No papa... He is here... He hurt me.."

"No dear. He is not here and he will never hurt you again. I promise." Nisthar said not knowing who she is talking about. Not one, two people had broken her completely. They had hurt an innocent soul for their own need.

"No papa... he.." She was continuously repeating the same thing while hugging her Ammi.

Nuska's parents were heavily submerged into sorrow by seeing their daughter's health worsening. They blamed KSE and especially Zaid for all these even though he is not at fault. They believed that he only showed her doors to fly and later cut her wings.

After few minutes of Nuska's continuous crying and rambling, she finally calmed down because of the words of her Papa and Ammi.

"Nuska, drink some water" Saima offered her a glass of water. Nuska gulped down all the water from the glass and lied down again on the hospital bed. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Nisthar walked towards the door and opened it.

Nisthar who was already angry at KSE, turned more angry upon seeing Ravi, Aadam and Zaid standing outside the hospital room.

"I am sorry if this sounds rude but please I don't want anyone of you here" Nisthar spoke trying his best to stay calm.

"But why, Uncle?" asked Zaid utterly disappointed.

"Because both KSE and you are responsible for all that happened to my daughter so please leave my daughter and us alone." Said Nisthar.

Zaid who had been blaming himself for Nuska's illness had not been surprised upon hearing those words from Nisthar.

"I am extremely sorry for what happened to your daughter and I accept it is all my fault that this happened to her. Please can I see her just once" He pleaded but Nisthar was not ready to let anyone meet Nuska.

"Nope. I cannot let anyone see her"

"Please uncle, just one time"

"No Zaid. Do one thing, if you accept that it is your mistake then please pray for her because her health is worsening. I don't want to lose my only daughter." Said Nisthar.

" I will pray for her but please let me see her once. Please uncle" Zaid begged.

"Mr. Aadam, please explain this to your son, I cannot let him see my daughter" Nisthar said controlling his anger.

"I am sorry for troubling you and your family and KSE is responsible for your daughter's health so don't worry we will make sure that nothing bad happens to her. And yes I will keep him away from your daughter. No worries." Aadam smiled at Nisthar.

"It's alright. Thank you for understanding" Nisthar said and after exchanging a goodbye, Aadam pulled Zaid away from the place even after his continuous pleadings.

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Fate always plays an important role in everyone's life but can fate be very cruel at least for some people?

The answer should be yes because that's how bad Nuska's fate had been.

Nisthar tiredly sat on the little sofa placed in the hospital room as he looked at his beautiful yet broken family.

His eyes landed on his beautiful daughter who was already looking at him. He gave her a sad smile to which she smiled back at him and continued listening to Abdullah who was busy explaining her about his school concert.

Nisthar rested his head on the sofa and closed his eyes and just like that the most horrible memory came back rushing in front of his eyes.

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*flashback*

"Papa, I don't want to go please", 18 year old Nuska whined.

"But Nuska, you are weak in computer science so please my child attend this class" Nisthar explained.

"No, I don't want to go to any extra classes" she whined.

Well, who would want to go to extra classes!

"My child, please attend this class. Your sir himself had personally called me and had asked me to send you to his house so he could teach you well. Your friends too will be there, that's what he said so Please listen to me and go to class." Nisthar yet again emphasized the importance of going to the class.

Nuska who was not interested in going for any extra classes, pouted at him but nevertheless she agreed to go because what her papa was saying is true. She is weak in computer science and definitely need some extra classes.

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After an hour, Nuska and Nisthar both were infront of Aadarsh, Nuska's computer science sir's house.

"Papa, come early to pick me, okay?" Nuska said for the fifth time. Nisthar who had been patiently replying to her every single time she said this, yet again replied to her with an okay, patiently.

They walked towards the main door of the house and rang the bell and waited until Aadarsh open the door.

After a few seconds of waiting, Aadarsh opened the door and welcomed them.

"Oh.. Great to see you Nuska and Sir Nisthar. Welcome home" he said joyfully upon seeing them but his eyes had some wickedness in it that both Nuska and Nisthar failed to see.

"Great to see you too, Sir Aadarsh." Said Nisthar with a smile.

"Did my friends come here, sir?" Nuska asked still in a grumpy mood.

"Yes dear. They are here" Aadarsh smiled at her.

"Okay then, I shall leave now. I'll come at 5 to pick you, Okay Nuska?"

"Okay papa" Nuska said and after giving her a hug, Nisthar left the place.

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Not an hour had gone since he left Nuska in Aadarsh's house, Nisthar was getting a call from him. He was surprised but nevertheless answered the call.

"Papa... papa.." He heard Nuska's voice from the other side. Upon realizing that she was crying, Nisthar panicked but still calmly asked her what happened.

"Papa... Aadarsh... Sir.... he..." Nuska said in between her hiccups.

"Nuska, my child, what happened?" This time Nisthar lost his calmness. He got off from his office chair and hurried out of his room.

"Papa... come fast..." she cried.

"I am coming, my child. Please tell me..." As he was saying the call ended.

Panicked and scared on what happened to Nuska, he tried calling Aadarsh's number again but to his disappointment it said 'The Mobile you are trying to call is currently switched off. Please try again later.'

"Where are you going, Nisthar?" Saima asked upon seeing her husband walking hurriedly outside.

Having no patience to reply to her, he got into his car and drove towards Aadarsh's house.

Upon reaching there, he hurried towards the main door. It was slightly opened so without any second thought he walked into the house and upon seeing the view infornt of him, he was beyond shocked.

He found Aadarsh dead on the ground and Nuska sitting far away from him, her sleeves in the dress torn.

He hurried towards his daughter and tapped her on her shoulders but got no response. He turned her face towards him and that's when he found her eyes closed and her breathe reducing. He panicked looking at her in that state and without a second thought, he picked her up in his arms and rushed to the hospital.

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After 24 hours of waiting, Nuska finally opened her eyes and looked at her family surrounding her. As her eyes landed on her father, she started sobbing and tried to say something but saima stopped her and consoled her broken daughter.

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"Papa, Aadarsh sir.... hurt me... papa.. he tried to touch me..." she said in between her hiccups. The police all around her scared her more as she hugged Nisthar more tightly and cried on his chest.

"Nuska, did you hit him on his head?" Nisthar asked her softly while caressing her hair. She didn't respond but instead cried more.

"My child, tell us what happened. We are here for you, nothing will happen to you hereafter."

"Papa, he tried to touch me.." She cried.

"Okay Nuska. Tell us more of what happened. These police will not leave until you tell us everything. Be strong and tell us, dear" He softly told her after which Nuska started saying the whole story.

"Papa, after you left, he took me to his room and then locked the door. I asked him.. why he locked it.... but... he didn't say anything. And that's when I realized none of my friends were there and that he had lied to me... He then asked me to sit on the bed and then walked towards me....." She said hiccuping every other time.

"He then asked me to take my books and he started to explain me chapter 2.... when he was teaching me he touched my cheeks...." She added.

"I then pushed his hand and walked towards the door and tried to unlock but...." She cried unable to say more. Nisthar was breaking little by little after hearing each and every word she was saying.

"Don't cry, I am here with you. Stay strong" Nisthar calmed her down.

"Papa... then he tried to touch me more and when I tried to run away from he him he pulled me and that's when my dress tore.... I somehow opened the door and ran out of the room but he caught me and pushed me down... I tried to get up but he slapped me three times and tried to kiss me so I took the vase which was nearby me and hit him on his head..." she cried.

"Papa.. after Few minutes when I checked him... he was dead.." She cried, holding Nisthar tightly.

"Papa, I didn't kill him purposely... I didn't..."

"Yes dear, you didn't kill him purposely. He tried to molest you so you hit him in order to save yourself so it's not your fault. Since you are still a child, no actions will be taken against you even though he died from your hands." One of the police officer explained to her.

"Nuska, you have a bright future ahead so stay strong" the police officer said and after having some talkings with Nisthar and signing few papers, the police officers left the hospital.

"Nuska, I promise I will protect you and no one can ever harm you again" Nisthar promised and hugged her.

Deep inside he was broken and blamed himself for all of this fault because had he not forced her to attend the class, none of this would have happened.

*end of Flashback*

And even now he blamed himself for all that happened to Nuska because he had promised her that he would protect her but he had failed miserably.

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Three days had passed and Zaid had been locked in his own house so that he couldn't go back to the hospital to see Nuska.

He had been very emotionally drained out and the only thing he wanted to do was to talk to someone. Just then he remembered that he could ask father Joseph for some help.

He immediately got up from the swing he was sitting on and walked to his dad who was in the living room.

"Papa" he called.

"Yes?"

"I want to meet father Joseph."

"No, just stay at home" Aadam said thinking that he is again making an excuse to get out of home so that he could see Nuska.

"Please Papa. I only want to meet him. I wont go to see Nuska" He started sobbing.

"Okay. Stop crying, I will take you there. Get ready" Aadam said and walked away to his room.

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Zaid and Aadam walked into the church and upon seeing them, father Joseph walked towards them and greeted them.

"How are you father Joseph?" Aadam asked to which he replied, "I am doing good Aadam. How are you and how are you my son?" He asked smiling at Zaid.

"We are fine Father Jospeh." replied Aadam before Zaid could say anything.

"Glad to hear" He smiled at them.

"Actually, Zaid wanted to meet you so I brought him here. I would be talking to the kids over there while both of you can have a talk" Aadam said.

"Okay, Aadam" Father Joseph said and with that Aadam walked away while Zaid and Aadam walked to the bench where they always have a talk.

"You don't seem to be fine like Aadam said. Tell me, how are you?" Father Joseph asked.

"Yes Father. I am not fine. I can't be fine. Everyone who I love is leaving me, Father. Why does this happen only to me? I love Ammi and then God took her away from me and now I love Nuska and again God separated us before it could even start. Why? Don't I deserve some love. Father, I am not loving anyone hereafter. Father, do you know nobody is allowing me to meet Nuska. I want to go to her father" Zaid cried.

"Why didn't they allow you to meet her?"

"Because...." Zaid was thinking and then continued "I... I couldn't protect her from Bhushan." He said.

After observing Zaid for few seconds, Father Joseph said, "Listen to me son, all that happened was God's plan. I am telling you, you don't even know why you are accepting her ill fate on yourself. The answer you gave was not a good one. You did nothing, Zaid. This isn't your fault. Are you getting me?"

Zaid nodded and Father Joseph continued, "And who said everyone you love left you? Don't you love your papa? Don't you love me? Don't you love Varshith? Don't you love you family? Don't you love your friends? Aren't we all with you? Or don't you love us?"

"No...no... father Joseph. I love you and everyone."

"Good. Now tell me did everyone you love, leave you?"

"No" He shook his head indicating a no.

"Good. Trust God, Zaid. Everything will be alright. If Nuska is written for you, you will get her even if she is miles away from you but if she is not written for you, even if she is very close to you, you will lose her one day. Nuska wouldn't have crossed your path for reason, God has a plan Zaid. All you have to do is pray and put your trust solely on God and most importantly wait patiently."

After few minutes of pondering over the words Father Joseph had said, Zaid finally spoke but this time with a smile, "Father Joseph, you never fail to Relive my lost hope. Thank you for your words, God had some plan, I will wait and hope for the best."

"No problem Zaid. You are a pure soul and God loves you. I am sure you will get more than what you ask for" He said patting on Zaid's shoulders.

"Aameen" Zaid said smiling.

"Zaid, no matter how many times you keep repeating the same problem to God, he will never get tired of listening so spill out all the pain in your heart to God and he will listen and heal you"

"Okay father"

"Stay strong and remember God loves you. Don't lose hope."

"Sure father. You are amazing. I Love you sooo much" Zaid said smiling.

"I love you too Zaid. You are amazing too" He said and with that the call for prayer was called and Zaid and Aadam , after bidding goodbye to father Joseph went off to pray.

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Hii/ Assalamu Alaikum
Hope you are doing good : )

What do you think about this chapter?

I promise the next chapter is going to be more interesting.

But I can't promise to give quick updates but I will try my best.

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Till the next chapter,
Take care,
Byee
-Nuska Nisthar ❤️