She came closer and I was standing just before our door. So, if she wanted to go in, she had to pass me. And that was what I wanted. She stood in front of me and smiled, taking a step to give me a sign to step aside. I didn't move and raised my eyebrow. She looked questioningly at me.

"Can you please be so kind and move?" she said. I looked at her, just daring her. I didn't know where this confidence came from but I liked it. She rolled her eyes and touched my shoulder to get past me but I didn't move.

"Look, I don't know who you are and what you want, but just shut up and let me in" She said. Oh, now she was not so nice anymore? I still didn't move. She was about to touch me again but I shoved her arm back.

"Who do you think you are?!" She said angrily.

"Who do I think I am? I am Sahra Osman" and for the first time my full name came out of my mouth. It was so weird, calling myself by Aneel's surname.

"Am I supposed to be scared now? Just step aside and I won't tell Aneel" she said, trying to get past me but of course, I didn't let her.

"You are so funny, you know that?" I said, taking a step closer to her.

"Not realizing that you try to get into my house, without my permission. Not realizing that you want to go to my man, looking me in the eyes. Don't you have self-respect?" I told her smiling. Her eyes widened and her mouth went slightly open. I felt bad, I really did. But I didn't care. Someone had to tell her that he was married, right?

"You are lying. Now, step aside and let me see my love" she said. I took a step aside, but she didn't move.

"Your love?! He stopped being your love the day you lied to him. He was moving on, he was doing great so you better go where you came from and leave us alone!" I yelled. I was angry, I really was. Not at this girl, no. I was angry that once she was going inside, everything would be over.

"It's really none of your business. It's between me and Aneel" she said and that was when I heard another voice from behind me.

"Actually, it's more her business than yours. Because of you, he threatened her so bad. If you didn't leave or die or anything, they would've been happy. They were actually, so go back to where you came from so that they can be back to the way they were. No one wants you here" Masara said. She was looking deadly at Maryam and Maryam just looked like we were from another planet. Masara raised an eyebrow and Maryam turned around, walking away. I smiled slightly, feeling a bit bad for her, but covering it. I worked so hard to be just normal with him so she couldn't come and ruin it.

"Wow, didn't expect her to go" I heard her. I looked at Masara and smiled.

"Come on, I am going to take you somewhere." She said a bit nervous. I asked her where to but she didn't answer. I didn't really want to go anywhere just because of the things that had happened but thought better of it. We walked over to her car and stepped in, me still wondering where we were heading to.

We were standing in front of a building. A house, to be exact. A house that was my thruth.

"Why are we here?" I asked Masara, still looking at the house. It looked so warm and nice, I felt like I needed to go inside. Masara just grabbed my arm and tugged me to the entrance. She knocked on the door and I felt nervous. It was like the first time, like I came here to see them. The door flew open and I closed my eyes. Voice come on, come on, come to me, I need you, I silently prayed but nothing. I saw Humeyra smiling at me.

"Salaam girls, come in!" she said happily and took a step aside for us to come in. Masara went in and they hugged and told their names to each other. Masara was so social, it always made me a bit sad why I couldn't be like her. To just smile everyday. 'You can actually. If you can dream it you can do it. Nothing is impossible', I smiled. The voice.. I took a deep breath and smiled at Humeyra. She came over to me and hugged me. I hugged her back, feeling weird.

"Sahra, stay here till Yessin comes, okay?" Humeyra said and before I even could react, they were gone to the living room. I wanted to follow them, not feeling really comfortable being alone but I stayed anyway. After a few minutes I felt someone putting hands on my eyes. I didn't need to look up to see who it was.

"Yessin.." I said and he removed his hands and laughed.

"How did you know?" he said, coming beside me and hugging me. I hugged him back, feeling too safe and too comfortable.

"What's happening?" I asked him. He just smirked and grabbed my hand, leading us to the living room.

"Its not really funny, come one tell me bef-"

"Surprise!" I heard. My head snapped up and the first person I saw was her. I looked around and saw balloons and other stuff hanging on the ceiling. I looked over at the table and saw a cake. I was shocked. It was bad. No, I couldn't.. It reminded me of the times, the bad times..

Ibrahim was sitting in front of me, with a piece of cake in his hand. It looked so delicious. I wanted to reach out. To just touch it, maybe taste it. Even the thought about it made my heart skip a beat. But I couldn't reach out. I was chained to a chair. My hands were tied and it did hurt.

"Mmm, this is just so delicious. It's a chocolate cake, for my birthday. The chocolate just melts in my mouth. Its too delicious" said my 10-year-old brother. He was eating it in a way that my mouth watered.

"Just a little piece.. I've had no food since yesterday.." I whispered. Maybe, maybe he would give me. I looked at the cake, which was no much left of. He looked at me and licked his lips. I've never had cake before, only seen it. I've heard that its really delicious and people eat it with birthdays. That's what grandma told me. Maybe she could steal a little piece for me..

I looked over at the cake and saw that it was a chocolate cake. My eyes teared. Not because of the cake, no, because of the memories. I looked up and saw everyone looking at me with a bit worry. I shook my head, walking over to the table. I did something I never could do before. They didn't allow me to. They never let me have a bit of fun. I grabbed a piece of cake with my shaky hand and placed it in my mouth. Tears were streaming down but I didn't care. It tasted good, too good. I took another piece with my other hand, wanting to enjoy the taste. Maybe it wasn't that delicious. Maybe I just wanted to feel something I wanted to feel when I was younger. Maybe I wanted to fade away all the wants I had when I was younger. I started to hear little cries. It felt familiar and I figured it was myself. I then sat down on the floor, closing my ears. I didn't want to hear his voice telling me it was delicious. I didn't want to hear myself begging for a little piece. I wanted it to stop, just..stop.

I felt someone wrapping arms around me. Tightening his hold. Yessin. The only one I felt too safe with. I wrapped my arms around his neck, being scared that he might end up like Ibrahim. Being scared that it was all a joke and that they were going to kick me til I couldn't breath.

"Sshh.. Its all in the past. Its us now" I heard his soft voice. I looked up at him and he smiled. He placed his forehead against mine. It was like his eyes told me that he knew what I went through. It was so weird, yet so comfortable. I felt myself slowly calm down. His eyes just helped me to calm down. After a while I nodded, signing that I calmed down. We stood up, his arm still around my waist.

"So Yasmin. Today its your and Yessin's birthday!" I heard Humeyra cheer. My eyes widened. Birthday?

"Don't look like that! Have you never celebrated your birthday?!" she asked in a sarcastic voice which hurt me. I didn't..

"I actually didn't.." I said quietly. Yessin turned to me and smiled.

"From now on, we will celebrate it together. We will spend so much time together to fill the years we couldn't. One day you are going to beg me to go because I will be always by your side" he said and I laughed. I love him. For the first time, I realized what the feeling love was. I looked over at the woman who came closer to me. She.. I think I could never get used to her.

"Yasmin.." her beautiful voice said. Just the sound of it made me shudder and I just ran up to her and wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face in her chest. The feeling felt just so right, I couldn't even believe it. I was scared of it, but it felt so right too.

"I am sorry.. So sorry that I wasn't there for the past eighteen years.. Please forgive me.. We didn't give you away.. They took you, they took you from me.. Please, I need your forgiveness.." she cried. Do you think I could say 'no' to this voice? I looked her in the eyes and she was just begging me with hers.

"I forgive you, but I need time.." I said and she smiled. It was so beautiful, so...motherly..

"Come on, cut the cake now I'm hungry!" I heard Yassir yell and Masara grabbed my hand to cut the cake. Yessin came and stood next to me. I looked at it. It was beautiful. Our names were written with white stuff. I didn't know the name of it. We looked at each other and smiled, cutting the cake. I felt not complete, there was a person who should be here too..

I waved at Yessin and went into the house. I couldn't take the smile off of my face. It was such a special day. When I went into the living room, I placed my presents on the couch. It was not much, like I had seen in movies, but I was happy with it. I didn't need it, the thought of it was enough. I looked around to find Aneel. I wanted to tell him about today. I looked in the room and in the bathroom but he was nowhere to be found. I looked in the other rooms but no, he wasn't home. I went over to the living room and my eyes fell on a silver piece on the table. I went over to it and grabbed it. It was a necklace. A beautiful one. It was silver with a little butterfly. It was really the most beautiful necklace that I had ever seen. It was not that I had seen so many of them. But whose was this? Could it probably be Maryam's?

~~~~~

Final Editing Done (04-11-2016)