“As the sun set in the west, casting long shadows, she gazed out the window with a heavy heart. There was no sign of relief anywhere. She looked at Abba, his face etched with worry, and she couldn’t find any trace of courage within him. Two men in the room remained silent, their faces reflecting the gravity of the situation.

She turned to Umma, who had tears in her eyes, and then to Kakar, who spoke softly, ‘For God’s sake, let’s not lose hope. We have no idea who did this. What harm have we brought upon ourselves? What led us to this point?’

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she looked at Kakar, her voice trembling, ‘Please, Kakar, let’s just hope it’s a nightmare, a cruel illusion. I wish I could wake up and find it was all a terrible dream.’

With a sigh, she left her room and went to the living room. She wished she could escape this reality, but she couldn’t bring herself to open the door, despite the persistent knocking. Time seemed to stand still as she clutched her phone tightly, ignoring missed calls and messages. One message stood out: ‘Is that you on social media, Nihad?’

She removed her SIM card and cast it aside, as she had no intention of reading the messages or answering the calls. It was overwhelming. She longed for everything to go back to normal. But, it seemed that fate had different plans.

As she heard the knocking on the door, she hesitated to open it, her heart heavy with dread. She hoped Umma was right, that things would eventually get better. She also wondered if Abba would ever forgive her.

Umma finally opened the door, and Nihad saw Abba waiting there, his eyes filled with uncertainty. She knew she had disappointed him, and there was no escaping the weight of her actions.

Umma’s words rang in her ears: ‘It’s okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them. Let’s rebuild everything. God will guide us.’

Abba followed Umma into the living room, and Nihad knew she had to face the consequences. It was time to make amends, to regain her family’s trust.”