𝔇𝔦𝔞𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔰

𝔍𝔞𝔠𝔢𝔶𝔟𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 & 𝔈𝔵𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔡 𝔄𝔣𝔣𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔰

"Shut up."

"You're being stupid Amina!"

"You should've listened to your family in the first place!"

"You're dumb."

"You weren't being a good wife."

"You called him a bitch so his actions made sense."

"You deserved it."

Mina cried harder and harder as the thoughts that crossed her mind sucked the life out of her.

Whatever energy Mina had left, she used it to pray.

She prayed and prayed for a while and luckily, it put her at ease.

But only for a moment.

Though Mina was used to sleeping fully clothed, for the first time in three years, she removed her hijab and laid in bed.

The feeling was extremely foreign, something Mina wasn't used to despite sleeping without her headscarf for the last twenty one years.

Or at least when she lived with her parents.

The door was still locked ever since Mina stormed off during the argument and Kai never even came to apologize.

While Mina hadn't eaten for almost six hours and had nothing but some water and a half eaten granola bar in the room, she didn't feel the least bit of hunger.

Maybe it was because she spent the last six hours crying and didn't have the strength to bring up an appetite.

Or maybe it was Mina's intrusive thoughts telling her she was better off losing weight and not eating, so Kai would love her more.

It was stupid to still love someone who wished death upon you, but Mina couldn't help it.

Kai promised her so much.

Being abandoned from her family left Mina with no one but him.

In that time, Mina felt that Kai truly loved her.

He treated her so kindly and made her feel like the most important person in the world.

If only things could go back to the good times.

********
Vegas 1990

After a long year of saving up money, Mina finally achieved her goal and was soon able to experience one of her biggest dreams.

The Las Vegas Police Department training program for teens.

Sure it was just a random program, but for Mina?

It was one of Mina's dreams to become a police officer since the day her mama and baba were protected by an officer, after getting hate crimed and threatened by an angry American.

Mina's parents immigrated to the US from Pakistan, wanting to give their children a better life.

Though Mina's parents absolutely detested the idea of her choosing any career that put her life at risk, Mina just couldn't help it.

She loved the idea of helping and protecting others.

If she could put her life on the line for someone, Mina would.

And while her entrance to the police program was initially a secret, Mina finally told her parents the day before graduation.

Even though she created a massive argument between her parents, Mina was sure they'd still come and cheer her on.