"Forgive me, my daughter. Forgive your father..."

Some will say forgive, so that you can forget, right? But what if the same person hurts you again and again? Will you forgive them?

Aliya was shocked at how Hamza was acting towards her for the past two years, she had been working for him. He stopped giving her useless files to correct.

A leopard never changes its spots. Hamza is still the same person as he was before everything.

"Aliya, could come into the office, please?" Hamza asked through the intercom.

Aliya was shocked when she heard him say the word, please. He has never said that since she started working there.

"Okay, I will be right there."

Bismillah.

Aliya got up from her chair and gathered the documents that Hamza had asked her to correct. Thankfully, she had corrected them before he called her.

She then knocked on the door and walked in when she heard him say 'Come in'.

"Take a seat, Aliya," Hamza said without looking at her.

Aliya sat down but her guard was up as always when she was in his office.

"I called here because I want to talk to you about letting you go. What I mean is that you can stop working for me, from today..."

"What game are you playing, Mr. Hussien? If this is one of your games, then count me out," Aliya said, surprising him. "If this is you plan to take me to jail, why did you make me suffer for almost three years. I get it, you hate me. Why are you changing now?" She asked.

"I am not taking you to jail, Ali..."

"You have no right to call me Ali. My name is Aliya...not Ali. And as for working for you..."

"You are fired, Aliya. From now, you don't work for me. You can collect your things and leave at the end of the day," Hamza said looking at her. "And I am sorry for everything that I have don't to you. I know that it might be too late but I wish I could change what I did or said to you," he added, surprising Aliya.

Aliya looked at Hamza trying to figure out why he was acting like that all of a sudden. She knew that something happened for him to change his mind after almost three years of being mistreated by him.

"I have one question. Why now? What changed?" Aliya asked. "And I deserve the truth," she added, firmly.

Hamza looked at Aliya trying to tell her the truth but he knew she wouldn't handle it.

His father warned him not to reveal anything to Aliya but he needed to let her go.

"You are right about everything and I hope you can forgive me. Maybe we could be friends as we used to be," Hamza lied. "I want our friendship to be the way it was before," he added, smiling.

"I..."

"Take your time, Aliya. But for now, go and gather your things and you can go. You are free," Hamza said.

Aliya didn't even know what to say except she get up from the chair and place the files on the table.

Before walking away, Aliya turned to face Hamza one last time before leaving.

"Thank you. And I do forgive you but I dont think we will ever be friends again," she said leaving him dumbfounded.

Aliya walked out of the door feeling lighter than she ever felt.

I hope you will forgive me Ali for everything I did to you in the name of revenge. I didnt hurt anyone but you and I. If she were here, I would want revenge because of the way I treated you all of these years. I pray that you will give our friendship a chance once again. In shaa Allah.

As Aliya packed her things, she couldn't help but wonder why Hamza changed his mind about the revenge plan he and Rukiya had. She remembered the day when Rukiya visited Hamza almost a year back. She never did forget the conversation, she overheard.

Flashback.

"Are you sure that this plan will work?" Rukiya asked.

"Yes, I am sure. As I told you my plan to hurt her will be enough for her to leave and never come back," Hamza said.

"She needs to pay for what happened to my daughter. My innocent daughter, Alina."

"And don't worry she will pay."

Aliya could see the smirk on Rukiya's face when she saw her outside the office but she quickly turned it into a sad smile when she saw Hamza looking at her.

End of flashback.

Aliya stared at Hamza who was walking out of his office and wondered if this was also part of his and Rukiya's plan.

I won't fall for it, Ali.

She remembered what Red and Zayn said whenever she would tell them about Hamza changing.

Meanwhile, Zayd was already informed that his daughter was free from the revenge plan that his wife and Hamza were planning.

He was thankful to Hamza's great-grandfather for his support in getting justice for Aliya and Alina from Rukiya. He drove to Hamza's office and waited there for his daughter so that they could talk.

As Zayd was about to give up, he saw her walking outside with a box in her arms. He quickly got out of the car and rushed towards her.

"Let me help you," he said taking the box before she could answer him.

Aliya tried to protest when she saw people staring at them. She reluctantly followed him to his car without making a scene as everyone knew who he was.

"What are you trying to do? Could your family just leave me in peace?..."

"We need to talk, please. I need to explain myself, Aliya. Please, can we go somwhere and talk?" Zayd asked hoping that Aliya would agree.

Aliya thought about it and knew that it was time for the two of them to talk once and for all.

"Fine but I will share my location with my Uncle and cousin. I don't trust you and I might never trust your family," she said.

"Okay, I understand. You can share the location with anyone you wish to."

Aliya did exactly that to her best friend and cousin but she didn't want to share it with her Uncle or Nanny as they would start to get worried.

But sharing with Red and Zayn wasn't going to be a problem especially when they can keep her secret for now.

"I want to start by saying that I am sorry for what Rukiya did to you all those years ago until today. I wish I could go back in time to change everything that I didn't do for you, my child..."

"Please don't call me that. You disowned me the day I was born and when my mother died. So you don't have a right to call me that, Sir," Aliya said interrupting him. "And as for forgiving you, my Nanny always told me to forgive because I would want the same from Allah. So yes, I forgive you but I don't want a relationship with you," she added trying not to let him hear her voice break.

Zayd understood why Aliya didnt want a relationship with her and it was all because of Rukiya. He knew that she still didn't know that Alina was still alive as no one had told her.

Hussein and Zayd have been trying to locate where Rukiya has kept Alina all these years. He couldn't dare ask her knowing that she might run and take Alina with her.

But Zayd needed his two daughters to be by his side when he confronted Rukiya about everything, she had done to them. Alina was also a victim of all of this. She wanted the love of her parents so it was easier for Rukiya to manipulate her.

"I understand but could I ask you for something? I would love to get to know you as a stranger and someday you might see me as a father?" Zayd asks hopefully.

Aliya knew that this day would come when he would beg for her attention and love just as she did when she was just a child.

He would push her away repeatedly until she gave up the idea of having a father figure in her life. But that role was filled by her Uncle Aryan.

Aryan never made her lack anything she would need in her life. Whether it was a fatherly hug or advice. He would give her and treat her as his daughter.

"Okay, I will give you a chance, Sir..."

"You can start by calling me Uncle. I know that I can't force you to call me Dad. I will be content with you calling me Uncle instead of Sir, please."

This surprised Aliya but she nodded making Zayd smile.

At least it is a start. Some day I will get your love again, my dear. But for now, I will be content with knowing you on your terms.