The situation in India is heartbreaking. I really hope things get better soon. No country deserves to go through such a big crisis. All my thoughts and prayers go out to the ones suffering. May you all heal and breathe soon inshallah ❤️

5k words. I guess it's a nice chapter with a twist. I worked pretty hard on it. Thanks for being patient.

Make sure to vote and comment. Tell me what you think.

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Haya.

Two knocks and an angry snap later, she found the door to her bedroom open and she turned around to snap one more time. As she realised who it was, her mouth closed shut and she stood up from the bed, finding her father's eyes on her. If he had heard her curses, he pretended that he hadn't. She didn't remember the last time her father was ever in her private space, maybe it was on the night of her leaving for her studies abroad. She had been in his chambers thousands of times but he had hardly ever came to hers.

Even now, he had asked for her two to three times and she had still not gone to talk to him. It was only then that the King realised how serious the matter actually was for Haya.

If his daughter was refusing to see him, if his daughter was actually trying to avoid him, it meant that she had a lot to say and a lot of hurt in her heart. She didn't want to burden him with her problems for now but he knew that the moment he came into her sight, she would say everything that was bothering her.

Her face expression changed the moment she looked at her father, and he walked towards her with slow and steady steps. He looked thin and weak, but the encouraging smile on his face was still the same.

"My daughter has been avoiding me, hasn't she?"

He questioned as he sat down on the seat placed in front of the bed. She walked upto him and sat by his side with a nod. 

"She has." Haya affirmed, as she found her father look around the whole room.

"I don't even remember the last time I was in your room. How many more times did I need to call you?"

"Are you asking as my dad or as the King?" She retorted, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I always ask as your father, Haya."

She knew that. Her father loved her the most, he always told her that even if the whole world turned against her, he was still stand by her side. A father was a daughter's first hero and she could proudly say that her father would always remain her first hero.

She shrugged, throwing everything that her mother said out of the window. This was her Dad. She didn't need to lie to him about something that was hurting her heart.

"Mom told me not to tell anything to you, because you'd be stressed out." She said, telling him about the conversation she had with the Queen just a few hours ago.

Her father did not looked surprised as he only hummed.

"Does she not know that I know my daughter better than everyone else?" He questioned, causing her to sigh.

Haya was thinking about how she had just told her family that she didn't need anyone. In reality, her family was her biggest strength. She couldn't imagine surviving without the support of her mother and her father, and even her brothers.

It was just the fact that their support couldn't solve anything right now and hearing her own brother doubt her commitment effort for her own relationship, it turned everything even more sour.

The King waited for a few seconds as he found his daughter pondering before she literally burst out with information.

"Amir and I had a fight, he found out about the abortion and he wasn't happy. He told me that he wants to move back to the Palace because he didn't want to stay in the same place as me."

She narrated, looking straight ahead. If her father was surprised, he didn't let it show.

"I tried to convince him, I apologized and asked for forgiveness but he wasn't ready to give it to me. When I left, he didn't even ask me to stay. It was like he just wanted me to leave."

She further added, feeling like a dam was about to flow from within her.

"I know everyone thinks that I'm the one to ruin everything because he is perfect and maybe I am, it's my fault for hiding it but I really tried, Dad.".

She turned to look at him, hoping that she would see some sort of faith in his eyes for her. It was all she needed right now. She needed someone to tell her that she tried her best because even after trying her best, her own mind was playing games with her. Her own heart was convincing her that she could have tried harder. She needed someone to believe that she gave her all to her marriage and her past was not her fault.

"I love him. I didn't want to leave him but how could I even stay when he didn't want me to?"

She asked, when her father didn't say anything and only looked at her like he was waiting to hear more.

"And then you know what happened? I was going out and I heard Yusuf talking with Aaliyah, even he was saying that it was all my fault, because I probably cursed and made Amir lose his patience."

She told her father, because she had and complained about anyone in a long time and right now was perfect..

"And Illyas? He didn't even take it seriously. He thinks it's not even a big deal when it really is!"

She exclaimed, her annoyance seeping through.

"And mom put this idea in my head that if things don't get better, it will be devastating for our country, that my problems will stress you out."

Her mother had been so supportive and loving towards her but at the same time, she had hinted towards her problems in marriage could affect the country. Haya wanted to add it to her list of complains.

"And Aaliyah, who is supposed to be my best friend went on the island instead of staying with me. She even agreed with Yusuf instead of defending me."

Once again, Aaliyah hadn't really been a bitch but it was hard for Haya to have her best friend in the palace and not by her side. On other days, she would have been happy about it but she was just bitter right now.

"Shahid is the only one who actually understood me and you sent him away too,"

She really had nothing wrong to say about Shahid. He really was the best of them all. When Haya shrugged again and told him that she was done talking, she found her father smile at her.

She had told him all the misery that existed and he was smiling? Haya frowned.

"My daughter has so many complains, it's hard to keep a count. You had so much stored up inside and you still didn't want to see me?" He enquired, she clicked her tongue.

"I wanted to be an adult about it, I wanted to solve everything. You warned me that it wouldn't be the picture perfect relationship and I married him anyway."

She replied. There was just something about her conversations with her father. They were always show organic and words usually flowed so naturally out of her. Sometimes, when she couldn't understand her own thoughts, she would go and talk to her father and literally find out what she was thinking and what it meant.

"And I know how good things have been for Buredaan ever since my marriage. Our stances are stronger because Maraaish supports us, our export import has increased, Illyas and Adil working together has proved to be incredible. I didn't want you to hold me responsible if things got screwed up."

She told him another truth. She didn't want to be responsible for anything wrong. Amir's words were imbedded in her head. He had told her who held the power in their marriage and their diplomatic relationship.

The King slightly frowned when his daughter started to talk about the country and the problems that could exist, but then he let out a sigh asked his daughter the most important question.

"How are you feeling, Haya?"

she heard her father question, and the seriousness in his voice caused her to look at him with a soft frown.

"What?"

"In your heart, how do you feel?"

She smiled a little, despite the heartache and the hurt. She knew everyone cared about her in their family but her father, his care meant the most. The fact that he was the King of Buredaan but his first concern wasn't how his daughter's marriage trouble would affect his diplomatic relations with Maraaish, was what made him a great father.

"I'm feeling everything a little too much." Haya admitted, taking a deep breath.

"I'm feeling so hopeless, so misunderstood and lost. I don't like anything or anyone."

She felt hopeless the moment she came back home.

She felt lost the moment she laid on her own bed and there was no one lying next to her.

She felt misunderstood when she heard Yusuf talk about her being the trouble maker.

"I feel so alone, Dad. It's like, I've never really felt this way before."

And loneliness.

It hadn't been many days. She had lived more than two decades of her life without Amir, and she had lived so happily.

Yet, she felt alone even when she had people around because she hadn't talked to him or seen him in the past four days. It sucked.

"And I just cant believe that he hasn't even called. it feels like I haven't heard his voice in an eternity and it's eating me alive and all I want to do is cry."

She told the man, watching as he nodded in understanding. 

"But I can not cry because it's weak and I am supposed to be so angry at him." She seethed, feeling angry at her own self for being so weak that she was ready to cry again.

When she took a few more deep breaths to stop the tears, the King shook his head and put his hand around Haya's shoulder.

"Crying isn't being weak, Haya." He murmured, continuing.

"Do not deprive yourself of feeling how you feel. If you want to cry, just cry. It's alright to cry. It's alright to let it out."

"And you know what? I won't tell a soul that my daughter cried in my arms, I promise."

When she put her head on her father's shoulder and let the tears out, he let her.

So Haya cried, because she missed him and she was angry at him and she hated him and she wanted him to call and she wanted to yell at him and she wanted him to be sorry and she wanted him to forgive her.

After a little while, the king removed his hand from around his daughter's shoulder and poured her a glass of water himself. She was the only one he had ever poured a glass of water for.

She thanked him as she took the glass, taking a few sips before she put it back down on the table.

"Look, Haya. I am so proud of you that you kept your promise. I am so thrilled by the woman that you have become, the one that I prayed you to be every single day."

She had just cried in his arms and he was telling her that he was proud of her? What was there to be proud of? She was literally crying for a man.

"I know you wanted so much more from life but all I really wanted for you was a man who treated you like a Queen and loved you with everything he had. Amir is that man, despite all the differences."

When Haya tried to protest, he shook his head and asked her to remain silent so only he could speak.

"When you chose to marry him, I was just as afraid of how you would handle marriage then I was of the cultural differences you two had. But the way you handled your relationship, it's made my heart extremely big with pride."

She never thought her father didn't have much faith in her when it came to marriage. She couldn't say she was surprised.

"Haya, you accepted him just as he was and tried to do everything you possibly good to make him happy. I don't know the reality of your relationship but what I do know is that your love for him is the purest form of love I have ever seen,"

Her father explained, or atleast tried to.

This was the main difference between Amir and Haya. Her love was free, his wasn't.

"Your love is not bound by anything. It's just love."

She gazed at the man in confusion, not really understanding what he was trying to say. 

She didn't know what King Najaf knew.

His son-in-law had called him two days ago and told him that he needed some time to think but Haya was his wife, he would never do anything to deliberately hurt her. At the same time, the Crown Prince had apologised for Haya's sudden visit back home. He told the King not to worry, because both of them were mature adults. He also assured the man that no matter what happened in their private life, it would never impact their relationship diplomatically.

At the end of the call, the Crown Prince had requested the king not to tell anyone that he had called, especially Haya.

Amir didn't mention anything about knowing the reality behind Haya's abortion, or the fact that Haya had hid the truth from him because of a promise she made to her father.

At the same time, Amir didn't sound like the Amir he was usually accustomed to hearing. He sounded professional and straightforward, like us only calling to make sure that there wouldn't be any problems politically. He was holding a grudge and the King could easily make it out. Still, he appreciated that Amir had called nonetheless.

"On the other hand, he loves you in the best way he knows how to and he is bound by so many factors in his life." The King elaborated, because he could understand Amir's situation as well.

"I am so sure that he has defended you and stood for you in ways that you cannot even imagine. The fact that he didn't marry a girl from his country but chose to marry you, I am quite sure he put up a lot of fight for it."

He explained, as his daughter listened.

Haya didn't know whether Amir had put up a fight or not. Didn't he once say that his father had given him the authority to choose whoever he wanted for marriage? Were there a specific kind of women he was allowed to choose from.

"He is an obedient son and yet he went against his family's traditions because he loved you. You know the extent of your love, you compromised on your ego and pride and asked for his forgiveness."

She knew that she was the first foreign woman to marry a Maraaishi Royal. They had never really married outside of their country before. Or according to Amir, atleast the first wife needed to be from Maraaish. It was quite stupid according to Haya.

"You were not a compromising soul before, Haya. The amount of times you have apologized to even me, I can count them on my fingers."

Her father lifted up nine fingers. She was very sure she had apologized to him many more times but he was trying to make a point and she understood that.

"I am so proud that you are still giving your one hundred to your relationship. You asked for his forgiveness and you chose to come back. If he chooses to forgive you, he will come and take you back."

He stated, she let the disdain show on her face.

"And if God forbid he doesn't, then you will know the extent of his love." Her heart squeezed as she heard that, she twisted her face in agony.

"What if he comes back and I am not ready to forgive him for hurting me the way that he did? The words he used? The way he didn't even stand upto his fake mother for me?"

The King winced at her crude tone. Fake mother? He shook his head at her.

"Don't say that, Haya. If he respects her as much as the woman who gave birth to him, you need to do so as well. You don't have to like her but you have to respect her." She heard her father advise.

She wanted to roll her eyes but didn't.

"My heart isn't as big as yours, Dad." Haya remarked, the King let out a sound of protest.

"Yes, it is." He disagreed with her words and told her what she needed to hear.

"When things get better and you see him in front of you, you will know what to do. You can choose to forgive him or not forgive him, he can choose to do the same. Just know that you are never alone, I'm always by your side."

Haya nodded, because it was the one thing she would always remain sure of.

Her father would never abandon her.

"You won't talk to anyone there, right?"

She asked instead, because she hadn't really faced a situation like this before. She didn't want the families to talk about a problem which existed between her and Amir. It was humiliating enough that his family continuously poked their nose in their married son's business.

"Not at all, Haya. Not unless anyone else initiates it." Her father assured her.

"You and Amir are both grown up adults. I will not interfere in your relationship or question anyone on your behalf."

He added.

"That's the biggest difference right there, you know. His family is so different from ours. My life wouldn't be so messed up if his family hadn't interfered." She grumbled, the King let out a soft laugh.

"I will not backbite about anyone's family with you, Haya. If you want to do that, I'm sure Aaliyah is around here somewhere." He suggested, standing up.

Haya did the same.

"I don't want to see any of them. She isn't my friend, she is just my sister in law now." She said, but she didn't sound as mad as before.

"Once again, I will choose to stay out of this. You are both my daughters." Haya actually rolled her eyes this time and found her Dad only shaking his head, like he was so used to her being this way.

"I have to go now. It's time for Suhoor."

She groaned out loud upon hearing the name, even though her father had said it in a whole other context.

"What happened?" The King asked, concerned.

"Suhoor. That's a whole other problem." He frowned, not understanding.

"What do you mean?" She didn't want to get into that and have Illyas busted right now, so she simply shook her head and smiled at the man.

"Nothing, Dad. Thank you for coming here and talking to me. I feel better."

"Better enough to come and join everyone?"

"Okay."

"Why do I even try when we all know you only listen to your father?"

The Queen said the moment she saw her daughter enter along with the King, who only smiled and sat on his designated chair as Haya did the same. She sat on her father's side, on the chair that was kept for Yusuf but she had always being stubborn enough to sit on it. Every time her older brother wanted to tease her, he would sit on the very same seat and watch her whine and yell and curse.

"Twenty six years of birthing me and you still doubt that he's my favorite parent, mom?" Haya asked her mother as she sat, throwing her a playful look.

She looked better than before, her mother was glad to see that.

"I did give birth to you after hours of labor pain." She pointed out, Haya hummed.

"Because you were scared that you will gain weight if you went through an operation." She shot back at the woman, who gasped in utter offense.

"Haya."

If there was anything that the Queen was conscious about, it was being called old or fat.

"Where are the children?" The King diverted the topic of conversation, and before his wife could answer or the servants could call for them, Yusuf arrived in the dining hall with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, Dad. I was on call with Jordan's Prince,"

Haya let out a sigh upon hearing her brother's voice. Why was he here? Ugh. She shouldn't have agreed to come for Suhoor.

"I condemned everything that was happening and told him that Buredaan is here to mediate and help in every way we possibly can." He added, eyes on his sister as he took the seat by her side.

"Haya, how are you?" She didn't look at him, instead she crossed her arms and leaned back against the chair.

"Did you not get the answer I gave to all of you before?" She mentioned the earlier conversation they had, her brother shrugged his shoulder.

Inititally, he was angry.

But the more he thought about the way his sister had said that she didn't need anyone, the more his heart ached for her. There was a certain vulnerability and hurt in Haya's voice that he hadn't heard before. It overpowered his own anger at her.

"I don't know about the others but I am choosing to let it go." He replied, she rolled her eyes.

"Haya, don't roll your eyes at your brother." The Queen chastised.

"Mom, he literally bitched about me." Haya retorted, and Yusuf shook his head.

"I didn't. All I said was that he is a patient man and it must be something big for you to come back home like this. Have you even told us what the problem is? You haven't."

He still didn't know what had gone down between Haya and Amir for her to return home.

"And you will not ask her, Yusuf. It's her personal life." It was the King, Haya gave her brother a smug look.

"It is her personal life but she interfered in mine so I can do the same." Yusuf interjected, continuing when the King looked at his son.

"And not to mention, Dad..her personal life is connected with all of us." He mentioned, once again using the words that Haya hated at this point.

"Just say it in simple and plain words, Yusuf. You care more about how it will affect the relationship between Buredaan and Maraaish than how I am feeling."

Haya pointed out, angry at her brother again. Yusuf let out a huge exhale, getting annoyed himself.

"Because I don't know what the problem is, Haya."

He stated rudely, their father glanced at both of his children.

"Both of you, enough." He firmly said this time,

"Yusuf, your sister is upset and she's fighting hard for her relationship. You need to have some faith in her. She's not a teenager who doesn't know what's good and what's not."

It was her mother this time. Yusuf sighed out loud.

"You both always defend her. I'm not blaming Haya at all. I just want to know the problem."

How could he even support his sister when he didn't even know what was wrong with her?

Haya stood up, as the chair scraped against the floor.

"I got pregnant when I was 17 and I had an abortion done. He found out about it and he doesn't want to let it go. There, now you know."

She snapped, watching as her brother's face twisted in shock.

"He told me he doesn't want to have a child with me. He told me he wants nothing to do with me. He told me I could leave if I wanted to leave. Okay?"

She further added, seeing how her parents were sitting with disappointing looks on their faces. They had never really been this dramatic in front of their father before. She was so sure he would just storm off without saying a single word at this point.

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Yusuf mumbled, trying to absorb all the information.

Thankfully, there wasn't any judgement on his face.

"What's going on?" Once again, Haya wished she had just stayed alone.

Illyas arrived in all his glory, giving his phone to one of the servants as he looked like he had just ended a phone call and didn't want to hold onto his phone any longer. He looked annoyed too. Haya wondered why.

"Right, The other brother is here too. Let me repeat the script. I got pregnant when I was 17 and had an abortion, Amir found out."

She quickly said, a little taken back by the reaction of Illyas.

If Yusuf looked shocked and overwhelmed by the news, Illyas' face hadn't even twitched.

"Is that why you came back?" He causally asked, walking on the other side of the table as he sat by his mother's side.

"Did you hear any other reason?" Haya questioned back, he shook his head.

Illyas ordered a shake for himself and let out a huff.

"He'll get over it." He told Haya, like it wasn't a big deal.

"You knew about this?" Yusuf questioned, because how was Illyas taking this so damn lightly?

His brother nodded, remembering how shocked he was when he heard it the first time.

"I knew about it the day after she had the abortion." He stated, seeing how even his father's head turned towards him.

Haya felt her eyes widen. He knew?

"What? How? Only mom and Dad knew." She stated, he hummed.

"Mom was talking to Dad over the phone and I heard it." He replied.

"And you never talked about it with anyone?"

"There was no need. It's her life, not mine." He answered his mother, finding how Haya's head had dropped down at this point.

She really didn't know what to say. He threw a date in her direction.

"Haya, we have all done things in the past that we cannot change. It's made us and grown us into the people that we are today."

He said, as she clicked her tongue and put the date away. Illyas only smiled at her annoyed antics.

"I know I have also made mistakes that I can't change. I haven't cared enough for things that matter to other people."

She knew what he was trying to say. She understood.

"What happened in the past should be in the past. You shouldn't be held accountable for everything that happened before your marriage. You hid something huge, yes but you have given everything to your relationship. I'm sure he'll realise that at some point."

Illyas' words brought more comfort than she had thought they would. When he stood up from his seat and came towards her, Haya only frowned.

When he let out a sigh and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, she felt her lips quiver.

"If we can all see it, then Amir can as well." He softly added, giving her an encouraging look.

When she felt another hand on her right shoulder, she turned to look at Yusuf.

"You're our sister, Haya. We're with you whether you need us or not." He said, she swallowed the bile down her throat.

"I don't want you to ever think that I care about the country more than you.  Everything will be fine."

Yusuf told her, she felt a laugh bubble in her throat despite the overwhelming feeling she felt a few seconds ago.

She looked over to her father.

"Dad, he says he doesn't care about the country." She said, chuckling when Yusuf looked panicked for a moment.

"I do! Dad, I swear I do." He defended, causing both the King and Queen to laugh as well.

Haya nodded at Yusuf.

"Thank you. I guess I misunderstood you before."

She thanked him, and he only smiled in return and sat back on his chair.

"So I gave a whole ass speech and he is the one you thank?" Illyas grumbled, walking back to his own chair.

As he sat down, he gazed at his mother who was actually wiping away her tears.

"Mom, are you crying?" He gently asked and the Queen shook her head instantly.

"No. I'm not." She denied, looking at three of her children. She wished her youngest son was here too.

"I am just happy that you all love each other." She murmured, Haya hummed.

"Occasionally, other times they're just annoying." Haya added, taking a sip of the orange juice. It tasted too bitter. She scrunched up her nose and put it away.

"Who is fasting then?"

The King asked the question that all his children usually dreaded.

"I actually have a meeting really early in the morning." Yusuf excused himself.

Their father looked at Illyas next.

"Dad, you know my blood pressure falls if I don't eat every two hours." He made a lame excuse too, and all eyes fell on Haya.

She bit her lip.

"Dad, I'm upset." She mumbled, putting her head down. Her father turned his head to look at the Queen.

"You?"

"I'll fast." She assured the man, who hummed in content.

"Mom, you know that eating when no one's watching doesn't count as fasting, right? Haya teased the older woman, who sighed and nodded.

"Yes, Haya. I know."

"So you will remain hungry until maghrib and then also pray after breaking your fast?" Illyas asked next, the woman let out another sigh.

"And you won't even take the vitamin tablets that make you glow?" Yusuf enquired next, even the King laughed.

"Hell awaits the children who tease their mother."

"Dear sister in law, Am I allowed to come in now that your anger has cooled off?"

She heard Aaliyah's voice while she was going through an article online. Haya looked up, finding Aaliyah in her night dress with a sheepish look on her face.

"Dear sister in law, fuck off."

Haya gestured her to come inside, even though she had told her to buzz off initially. Before Haya could even question what Aaliyah was doing, she was already hearing the soft hum of their favorite national singer.

Aaliyah walked towards Haya, sitting on the opposite side of the couch as she pulled her legs up.

"I know you has alot of conversations today so why don't we listen to some songs and bitch about life instead?"

There were no complains. No anger. No ego. It was always like that between them. Haya was happy that nothing had changed.

"Okay." She murmured, humming along to the song.

When the song ended, Aaliyah gazed at her best friend with an understanding look on her face.

"I did defend you, I would never relish in your misery. You know that." She said, causing Haya to nod.

"I know." She murmured, Aaliyah sat up straight and looked at Haya.

"And we'll always need each other, no matter what." She assured, finding Haya groan out loud instead.

"Just play another fucking song, Aaliyah. I'm in no mood for sensitive shit." Haya snapped, causing the girl to pout.

"So a hug would be too much right now?"

"Yes."

"Bitch." Both the women rolled their eyes at the same time, then laughed because the next song that came up was about heartbreak and misunderstanding and it was quite fucking ironic.

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@Haya : ramadan is a holy month and to see the news is nothing but depressing. A Muslim man beats, then his wife right before breaking his fast because she didn't make the dish he asked her to make. Is this really the face of a virtous man? Shame.

@Haya : I know my twitter handle hasn't been very active but I would just like to say a quick hello and also tell everyone that I'm just about to post a few articles that are completely pathetic and a shame to journalism. Enjoy :)

@Haya : the sun and the mirror are the worst tabloids in the world's existence. They've always written the worst things about me with no evidence or proof at all. There are no sources, it's all fake. Please don't believe everything you read. Be smart.

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@Haya : soaking up the sun in my home land ❤️

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Whattttt????👀👀👀👀👀👀
Hope you enjoyed ❤️
Next chapter amir is back. I'm so excited for it.