ILLITERATE EPISODE 08

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Zuhair’s arrival, once a beacon of hope in Muzammil’s dim world, quickly proves to be nothing more than a fleeting illusion. The veil of expectation shatters as Muzammil discovers that his cousin, far from being a refuge, is merely a mirror reflection of the oppressive family he had long suffered under. The warmth Muzammil had once hoped for fades like the last remnants of daylight, replaced by the cold indifference of a relative who, in every way, shares the same heartless disposition as his aunt. Zuhair’s presence becomes yet another layer of suffocating pressure, further cementing Muzammil’s sense of entrapment.

Muzammil, struggling to make sense of this cruel twist of fate, watches helplessly as Zuhair aligns himself with the same venomous disdain that has shaped the household’s behavior. The family’s cruelty, once directed solely by his aunt, is now reinforced by his cousin, turning Muzammil’s already unbearable existence into an even darker nightmare. Every word of support he had once imagined Zuhair offering slips away, leaving him stranded in an ocean of scorn. His heart, once full of fragile hope, now echoes with the silence of rejection.

Zuhair, with a voice that is as cold and sharp as ice, speaks the words that shatter Muzammil’s already fragile sense of belonging. “Why don’t you just leave if you are so unhappy here?” The words land with the force of a thousand stones, crashing against the last remnants of Muzammil’s dignity. There is no kindness, no compassion in them—only a callous dismissal, as though Muzammil’s pain is not only undeserved but an inconvenience. His heart sinks with an intensity he has never known, as if every ounce of warmth he had left is drained in that single, crushing moment.

In the suffocating silence that follows, Muzammil is left to grapple with the devastating weight of Zuhair’s betrayal. The question hangs in the air like a dark cloud, mocking his very existence. Leave? Where could he possibly go? To whom could he turn? The world around him is closing in, its sharp edges cutting deeper than ever. Yet, despite the coldness that now surrounds him, a small ember of defiance stirs within Muzammil’s soul. The cruelty he faces may break his heart, but it will not break his spirit.

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