Different but one

Chapter 26

Author P.O.V

FLASHBACK

Jannat came home from work and there she saw that they had some visitors. "Jannat, come," her stepmother said while looking at her with a glare. She took a deep breath and walked into the living room where an older couple was seating with a young guy around Jannat's age beside them.

He kept looking at Jannat with lustful eyes, he looked at her up and down and licked his lips but no one saw it. "Jannat, meet Mr and Mrs Singh and their son Bashir" "Assalamu Alaikum" They smiled at her while she sat beside her stepmother, "They've come for a marriage proposal for you"

Jannat looked at her mother shocked, how could she think about it without talking to abbu about it? She thought while almost tearing up "M-Marriage proposal?" "Yes, we really like you dear and we want the best for our son and couldn't find a better one," The old woman said while smiling.

Jannat looked at them and then at their son, "You may not know but I have a son" "Yes dear, we know that and we accept him" She looked at them and then at her mother who was giving her glares.

"Does abbu know?" "No, but we'll tell him after you accepted the proposal," Her mother said and gave her a warning look. She put her fake smile on her lips and nodded her head agreeing with them.

END OF FLASHBACK
"I didn't like him, from the day I saw him he gave me weird looks, I-I tried telling my mom about but she didn't listen to me. A-Abbu wasn't happy about the marriage a-and one night they all went out while I was left alone home with Zain.... Z-Zain was sleeping and then he came.... H-He didn't, he didn't stop e-even when I begged him to stop... I-I tried, I tried to save myself, b-but I-I couldn't and-and then everything ended that day...... E-Everyone arrived home and w-when I told them everything no one believed me except my dad, h-his parents said that, that I seduced him and-and that it was all my doing"

She cried while remembering her dark past, which she tried so much to forget but it was always hunting her. It was that dark past that she never talked about and never wanted to talk about, but she is talking about it today.

She turned to look at Makson and saw him staring at her, "B-Believe me Makson, I-I didn't do anything, I-I tried saving myself b-but I was too weak! I-I was humiliated, p-people started saying t-that I was the one at fault, b-believe me i-it wasn't my fault!"

She had held this in for so long that everything was coming out. She never shared her pain with anyone, thinking that people would judge her which they did.

Makson kept listening to her, he wanted to hug her and let her know that that was all the past but he knew his limits. "W-When I told ammi about it she blamed me for it, she didn't support me b-but I had my abbu beside me... W-When people around us got to know about it, t-they all blamed me for it, why? Because I'm a girl, it wasn't my fault that I was raped but I was still blamed for it... I-I almost lost hope on myself but then....."

She smiled and turned around and looked at Zain who was looking at all the flowers. "This little guy helped me overcome my nightmares, even when I had lost hope I still believed that it was all a test from Allah, I knew that I had someone who needed me.... I knew that Allah had greater plans for me ahead"

She once again looked at Makson who was trying to hold her hands. She smiled and held onto his hand, "If you are disgusted by me then you have all the rights, if you don't want to be with me anymore then that's also fine, but... When you confessed this is what was on my mind. You deserve better, someone who isn't as dirty as me"

"The respect I had for you just grew much more, it grew so much more. You're really the strongest girl I've met in my whole life, no woman would live up to this but you stayed strong and fought back without saying anything. You showed people that you weren't wrong in any way... I'm happy that I loved you Jannat, I'm proud of myself to say that I love you with my whole heart"

He showed her his biggest smile while she couldn't control her tears, He wiped her tears away and patted her head "And you know what? The best thing you did was to have trust in Allah"

They didn't say anything and just looked at each other. The love they had, the respect they had for each other showed in their eyes, they didn't have to say anything anymore because their eyes were enough.

"Mommy, did you cry?" The little cute Zain asked his mother while looking at her with worried eyes. She smiled and helped him sit between her and Makson.

"No baby, something went in my eyes" He kissed her cheek and smiled at her. "I'm going there mommy, tell me when we'll have dinner," He said before running away while smiling.

"So?" She looked at Makson confused. "I know this isn't how I should propose, but.... Will you marry me?" "You know my answer Makson, you need permission from my mom"

"Which mom? The one who didn't even believe your words? Why does her opinion even matter, when you needed her the most she ignored you and now I need to ask her permission to marry you" He said angrily while standing up.

"Makson she may be my stepmother, but she is my mother and no one can change that. She isn't like before, she changed herself, she even told me to talk to you"

"How can you believe her so easily?" "I've always wanted mother's love, I may sound greedy but that's what I've been craving for" He sighed before holding her hands.

"Don't trust her this easily" She smiled and shook her head. He didn't want her to get hurt once again, he wanted to marry her and give all the happiness to her but he couldn't without her mother's permission.

"I know she has changed"

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"Ammi, I can't act anymore," The girl said while jumping onto the couch. "I can't be this nice to her, whenever I look at her I just want to kill her" Her mother chuckled and shook her head.

"Just wait a little bit more and then everything will be just the way I wanted"