Strangled

CHAPTER TWENTY.

Wrong decisions?

                 We're all going to die at the end of everything.  Each and every fibre of our being will be feasted upon by maggots,  but with all these thoughts at the back of our mind the will to live a life that'll be remembered even after our death is a need.
A life that we will be proud of, a life that our families will be proud of and that's when determination comes in making a change in our society no matter how little it is, this is a thing to look into, making a positive impact that will be remembered even after you're gone and lastly  as they say little by little great things come to pass so start small and everyday is a chance to make a change.
    She walks into the dining room and stares at the eyes staring back at her as if waiting for her to say something.  She moved to pull out a chair to sit  and they all gave a deep sigh as if dissapointed or something.  Confused, she looked around but convinced herself that all was alright as long as she's no longer married to Hameed all was well.  The deafening silence continued till the end of breakfast and everyone went to their various places of work. 
   Immediately after Magrib prayers, her mother walked into her room and interrupted her movie “your father wants to see you now. ” she stated and left with her daughter following behind.
She said salaam as she enters her father's sitting room making herself comfortable on the plush carpet, the old man looked from his daughters face to the news he was watching and stood up to off the TV. “Wa alaiki salam” he replied her and at that moment she knew that whatever was coming her way was something she never prepared for and curiosity ate her up.
“well I called you here to discuss an important matter with you ” he stops mid sentence to breath “few days ago Junaid came to me and showed interest in marrying you,  I'm sure you're aware of this? ” and she nodded “so what's taking so long to reply? ” at this point it wasn't the question she was asked that mattered.  It was the fact that her fingerprints has actually become fascinating and sweats was actually coming out of them she'ld rather count  her the prints  and discover how sweats come out of them than to answer this question “are you still here ” her father asked bringing her out of her thoughts “I want you to know that I've always wanted the best for you but you should know that I'll never Impose anything on you ” he left for his room after this statement.  Alone in the sitting room she let her mind take control .
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It's been two months, two hectic months and all life could offer was limes.  Layla leaned against the car at the hospital parking lot,  eyes sunken in,  dark circles were making it obvious that she hasn't been sleeping much.  She cried her eyes out in pain as she was alone.  She couldn't allow her siblings to see her in tears,  sinking onto the floor sobbing slowly she couldn't care less she's given up on life “may I sit?”  she looked up to see where the voice was coming from and she nodded wiping the tears off her face and trying but failing miserably to sober up .“Go ahead and let the pain out,  you can cry ” he said sitting close to her.  There and then she cried like she's never did before, by the time she was done her breath hitched.
“Sometimes it's better to let it all out ” he said,  smiling but a painful smile “So what brings you to the hospital? ” he asked. Layla was too busy thinking about why he was sitting here trying to start a conversation with her “my mom is admitted here, she was diagnosed with cirrhosis and she knew about it right from its early stage but she kept it away from us and now it's at its final stage.  I really don't want to loose her.    I wish I had loved her more all those years,  I wish I had listened to her when she said education first before everything but now is too late she's too weak to even... ”  she slid into another crying section,  saying it out loud was like reminding herself of the opportunities she wasted and how she's been and at one point she hated it. 
The stranger watched as she cried again but this time he tried his best to calm her down. “it's not too late you know. You can still make up for everything and remember there's always a second chance but this time don't misuse it ”  his words made her feel better and she felt a positive vibe and made a promise to herself to make most of the last days she'll spend with her mother and after her death she'll protect her siblings with her life. After an hour or two of sitting on the cold hard ground she decided to ask the stranger her own sets of questions “well, my name is Zayd and I actually don't have a patient in there I'm just a philanthropist and I have seen you once or twice on one of my few visits here ” he had the shiniest set if teeth Layla had ever seen , she smiled a real smile and said “thank you for this,  it really meant a lot ” she hadn't smiled since like forever because she had no reason to but today Alhamdulilah was all she could mutter after she left Zayd who promised to come and see her from time to time.
She walks  into the hospital and sees her two siblings leaning against the door to her mother's room “what's going on here?” she asked,  “Yusuf, why are you outside? ” she yelled pushing the door open.  She let out a shrilling scream as she sees the nurse covering her mother's face with the blanket and recording the time of death. “what are you doing?” she asked glaring at the nurse who gave her a sympathetic look, yanking away the blanket from her mother's face she touched her face and felt his cold it was “mama, mama!  Wake up.  Please wake up ” she says shaking her gently her voice was barely a whisper . When she saw that her efforts were useless she turned to look at Nana Aisha's tear stained face nodding at her and then her younger brother's wiping a lone tear.  It was too hard for her to believe. She felt her lungs constrict and she fell to the floor unconscious.