Scarred For Life

Chapter 83

*

Azra was a bright-eyed, polite, little eleven year old who couldn't meet anyone's eyes when she was brought to the house by Adnan. Afrah, who had been discharged three days prior, watched from her window as he drove into the house with the little girl sitting beside him.

Looking at him, she still didn't know what exactly she felt. Of course she still despised what he'd done, but she didn't necessarily hate Adnan himself. Forgiving him was hard. It was probably the hardest thing she would ever learn to do. But it would be worth it if they would learn to live happily for the rest of their lives.

Azra's mother had been much too happy to let her go. They had been struggling to provide for the little girl with her new husband, who was significantly less-wealthy than Adnan. Layla knew the girl would have a better future with her biological father. When she got the call from Adnan, a part of her wanted to hang up on him. But since it concerned his daughter, she'd listened to his plea and let him take Azra.

When Adnan first led her into the house, Azra kept gawking at the high ceilings and lavish furniture. Their apartment back home had been a dingy old building which housed nine other families. But here, she could picture herself getting tired before she reached the back door.

"This is your new home," Adnan said, stepping in behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder. The little girl flinched under his touch, but she blew a breath and convinced her nerves to settle. This was her father after all. She would learn to love him soon enough.

Afrah was happy to meet the girl, surprisingly. Azra curtsied when she greeted her, and she kept her eyes on the ground as Afrah asked her if she enjoyed the flight.

"It was fine, Alhamdulillah," she replied. She noticed how Afrah was crouching, and the injection port in her hand. But she kept her mouth shut.

"This is your home, Azra," she said. "You should feel free to do whatever you want. There's no need to be shy or nervous around any of us. We're your family now, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Azra said quickly, still not meeting her eyes.

She would change. Afrah knew that. Moving to a different country to live with a father who never wanted you in the first place must have been hard on the little girl. She could only imagine what was going on in her head. But she found herself wanting to make the girl happy. Perhaps it was the mother in her, wanting to nurture and care for. Either way, she would make Azra happy. She'd never pictured herself as a stepmother, but for Azra she was willing to try. She was Adnan's daughter, after all. And she loved Adnan far more than she could ever love another human being.

Azra and Hafsah would share a bedroom. Adnan didn't like the idea of giving her a separate room, because he wanted both girls to grow close to each other. On Hafsah's part, as soon as her parents told her that Azra was her new big sister, she dashed towards the older girl and threw her hands around her. Then she dragged her to her bed where she proceeded to show her all her Barbies.

"They'll love each other," Adnan said beside Afrah. "I can feel it."

She said nothing. After the hospital, they hadn't discussed his revelation anymore. It would take time, but maybe soon enough she would be able to look him in the eye and not feel the sting of betrayal.

Her parents did not support their actions however.

"How could you let him do that?" her mother whispered harshly when she came to check on them. "His daughter from another woman? And you're letting her stay here? With you?"

"We all have our mistakes, Umma," Afrah said, watching Azra and Hafsah sitting at the dining table. "Shouldn't we try and make amends for what we did in the past?"