Mafia and Muslimah: A journey to iman

part:24

Hayat stepped out onto the terrace, her gaze falling on Jeon Ali, who stood at the edge, looking up at the night sky.

The stars above twinkled with a cold indifference, a stark contrast to the storm of emotions brewing within him.

His broad shoulders, usually strong and confident, seemed to sag under the weight of an invisible burden.

She could see the tension in his posture, the way his fists clenched at his sides. But it was his eyes—red and weary—that truly spoke of the turmoil he was trying to keep hidden.

With a soft sigh, Hayat approached him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly at her touch, as if he hadn’t realized she was there.

When he turned to face her, his expression was a mixture of anger, pain, and something deeper—something she knew he rarely let anyone see.

Hayat’s heart ached at the sight of him like this. She reached up, caressing his cheek, her thumb brushing away the wetness that clung to his lashes.

“Ali…” she whispered, her voice laced with concern.

For a moment, he said nothing, his jaw tightening as he struggled to hold back the flood of emotions that threatened to overtake him.

But she could see it, the battle he was fighting within himself. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and strained. “I don’t know how to forgive him, Hayat. How do I forgive someone who caused so much pain?"

" He abandoned me… my mother… when we needed him the most. And now he comes back, thinking a few words of regret can erase the past?”

Hayat listened, letting him pour out his pain, his resentment. She knew this wasn’t easy for him—opening up like this.

He was a man who had built walls around his heart, protecting himself from the hurt that had once nearly destroyed him.

But now, those walls were crumbling, and she knew he needed her more than ever.

“I understand, Ali,” she said softly, her fingers still tracing soothing circles on his cheek.

“I understand why you’re angry. Why you feel betrayed. But you’re not just a son anymore… you’re going to be a father now.”

His eyes flickered at her words, a momentary break in the darkness that clouded his gaze.

Hayat took that as a sign to continue, her voice growing firmer, more determined to reach him.

"You know better than anyone what it means to be a father. You’ve said that no father should ever abandon their child.....Same goes with child."

" Children should also not do this. And now, you’re about to become a father yourself. Don’t let the pain of the past poison the future we’re building together."

Ali’s breath hitched at her words, the weight of her truth sinking in. She could see the conflict in his eyes, the way he wrestled with the idea of forgiving a man who had hurt him so deeply.

But she pressed on, knowing that this was the only way to heal the wounds that still bled inside him.

“I know your father made mistakes,” she continued, her voice gentle but insistent.

"Terrible mistakes. But, Ali, we all make mistakes. And when someone is truly sorry, when they are genuinely remorseful, we have to find it in our hearts to forgive."