HER CRUSH

Chapter53

Zarah...
We were raised in love, pampered, and adored by the family. Everyone doted on us...especially me. Ummi was Abba's fourth wife, whom he met in Bahrain during a business trip. Despite having three wives already, he fell in love with her. Their marriage shocked many, but Abba was proud, and for years, we lived happily.

I was Abba's favorite. I can say it without shame. He carried me everywhere, spoiled me, and sometimes the other wives whispered that I was his weakness."

I tilted my head, watching him. "And you liked that, didn't you?"

A faint smile tugged his lips. "Who wouldn't? But Zarah... that love became the very reason we suffered. Jealousy brewed like poison. The more Abba adored us, the more his other wives despised Ummi."

He fell silent for a moment, plucking at the grass between his fingers.

"One day everything changed. I was just a boy. Anty Rukky and I came back from Islamiya... only to hear shouting. We entered the sitting room and found Abba hurling insults at Ummi. It was the first time I ever saw him that way. I rushed forward, begging him to stop.

Do you know what he did?"

I shook my head slowly.

"He slapped me." His  voice cracked. "His own son. I can still hear the sound of it. From that day, I knew someone had gotten to him...witchcraft, manipulation, I don't even know. But Abba wasn't himself. He divorced Ummi within weeks. And suddenly... we became strangers in our own house."

I instinctively reached for his hand, squeezing. He gripped back tightly, almost too tightly.

"They treated us like trash, Zarah. We weren't allowed to eat with the rest, weren't allowed to play with our siblings. They called us bastards in our own home."

He gave a hollow laugh. "I was only ten."

I bit my lip, unsure what to say. My chest ached just listening.

"The only person who showed us kindness was Mami...Ya Sadeeq's mother. She fed us, protected us... sometimes even risked punishment just to sneak food into our room. Zarah, wallahi, if not for her, we might not have survived."

He paused, his jaw tightening as memories flooded back.

"One night, I begged Abba not to separate me from my sister. I held his legs, crying, promising to be good.

Do you know what he did instead? He ordered his guards to beat me. They locked me in a dark room...no food, no water....for two days. I thought I would die there."

My throat tightened. "Abdul..."

He shook his head, forcing a bitter smile. "

When they finally released me, I was never the same. Something inside me broke. I became... angry. Uncontrollable. Doctors later called it a mental illness. Abba didn't care. He insisted I be sent to boarding school, far away from my sister. That was his way of getting rid of me."

He exhaled deeply, rubbing his face. "But Mami saved me again.

She helped Sadeeq smuggle me and my sister out to find Ummi. That was the day I met Sufyan, right at the gate of Ummi's house in Asokoro. He smiled like he had known me forever. From that day, he never left my side."

His eyes softened as he mentioned Sufyan, and a little warmth crept back into his voice.

"We grew up like brothers. Boarding school, university, everything...we were inseparable. We even fought over silly things, like a stolen pencil."

He chuckled faintly. "But he always knew how to calm me down. He could read me better than anyone."

He fell quiet, then turned to me, his gaze heavy. "You see me smiling now, Zarah, but inside... I'm still that broken boy. I've had episodes so bad that even
Ummi begged me once to go find another mother.
Can you imagine? The woman who gave birth to me..." His voice trailed.

Tears stung my eyes. I shifted closer and laid my head on his lap, clutching his hand tighter.

"You've been through so much," I whispered.

He  looked down at me, biting his lip. His voice softened for the first time. "And yet... when I saw you again, something changed. I didn't even remember you at first. But when you sent me your picture..." He gave a small, boyish smile. "I thought, 'Subhanallah... this girl is stunning.' That's when I knew...maybe Allah was finally sending me peace."

I blinked up at him, heart racing, the world quiet except for the wind rustling the trees.

He bent his head a little closer. "Zarah, you are the only one I've ever told all this. Don't ever forget that."

I swallowed, my lips parting, searching for words. "And you... are the only one who makes me want to believe in love again."

His laughter was soft, almost shy. "Then maybe... I should thank that stolen pencil."

I rolled my eyes, shoving him lightly. "You're impossible."

"Impossible?" He caught my wrist, pulling me back. "Say that again and see what happens."

I giggled despite the heaviness of his story. "Abdul, stop! You're supposed to be all serious and tragic right now."

He smirked, brushing his thumb across my hand.

"Not when you're here. You make even my scars feel lighter."

And in that quiet, broken, beautiful moment, I believed him.

We heard Abdul sad story
Mehn he suffered alot 😭