~°°~Unlike the uncountable stars in the sky~°°~

Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy 18th March, 2022. 5:09 pm ~

°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ Every person has that moment or two in life when he or she wants something but will not be able to get it.

That was exactly the situation that happened to Shafiq Buraid Muhammad, he was compelled to walk away without a word which he later regretted but as he had no reason to, he never turned back.

Driving in his car with no direction nor destination, he kept reminiscing everything that happened in a short period of time, less than a month. How he ended up in a foreign country with no one he knew except his mother.

It all started the day he went back home from the hospital. Yes, the day they found Tauhida with the dead bodies of her family members and took her to the hospital.

If he had known, he wouldn't have gone home that day because the moment he stepped into his home, he regretted ever going back at that moment.

He heard the screeching voice of someone shouting whom he believed was his mother because he recognised those shouts even without being told.

He was used to hearing those shouts ever since he had known his parents and was forced to get used to them but not anymore. Shafiq decided there and then not to tolerate anything his abusive father will ever do to his mother again since he saw how painful it was for Tauhida to have lost her family. Family is precious and he decided he wouldn't let his suffer because his mother was his home, and his family too.

Just like he expected, Shafiq found his abusive father in his mother's room beating her up with a cable wire, a thick one. Not that he wasn't used to the sight because it had been happening since he was 5 but that day, the anger burning inside of him was particularly different.

For someone who knew he wouldn't let his mother suffer again, especially in the hands of a father whom he saw on his bed with another woman at the age of 9, he ran and pushed his father till he was on the ground.

Shafiq knew his decision that day wasn't a wrong one because a disgusting father like his deserved what he did, being cruel to your family like that is definitely unacceptable.

"Buraid, don't you dare ever place your filthy hands on my mother again" Shafiq shouted helping his mother up from the floor to stand on her feets.

Alhaji Buraid Muhammad was shocked to see that reaction from his son, one thing he was sure about was that his son would never even talk about how he treated his mother but what he did at that moment proved his thoughts otherwise. He quickly got on his feet too and slapped his son on the left cheek.

"You insolent, how disrespectful of you to push your own father to the floor, I see you've grown wings" Buraid said to his son whose eyes were bloodshot already due to anger.

"The wings are not of today Buraid Muhammad Dawud, they have been here for as long as I have known you, I was just waiting for the right moment to fly with them and I guess today is the day" Shafiq voiced with a hushed yet venomed tone.

"I have had enough of whatever you are doing to me and my mother, I let you to realise your own mistake to mend it but no, for over 25 years now all you did was make yourself worse than before. I wouldn't say you didn't change but you changed into a bigger monster than I knew you to be. We have always been patient to see how you'll change but unfortunately it isn't in our favour so now I have decided that we have had enough of your disgusting behaviours, we won't tolerate them anymore insha Allah" Shafiq shouted with deadly stares to his father and no doubt, it made the man develop a sudden fear towards his son.

"Is this what your good for nothing mother taught you, to shout at your fa....."

"Not a word against my mother Buraid if not by Allah I'm going to commit the sin of killing you today" Shafiq coldly stopped his sentence midway. "You two can't live without me" Buraid chuckled with a smirk on his face.

"You might as well reconsider that sentence of yours because I wasn't joking when I said I had grown my wings long ago" Shafiq said before picking up the hijab on his mother's bed to help her wear it. "And today will be the last day you slap me, beating my mother again won't happen even in your dreams. I am off to fly" Shafiq voiced again before holding his mother's hand as they walk towards the outskirt of the house, his mother limping due to the beating she received.

"Shafiq, Shafiq stop right there, don't make me repeat myself" Buraid kept shouting but neither did Shafiq reply him nor paid heeds to his words as they entered his car and drove out of the compound.

Shafiq took his mother to an apartment he bought not long ago before heading to the police station to file a complaint which he did.

He wasn't going to allow him go just like that and he definitely would not let his mother roam around with the marriage of that man on her.

Three days from that day, they sat in court and of course Shafiq won the case with the many but countable medical reports his mother got every time she was beaten and also the testimony of two witnesses, Shafiq and the maid at their house.

Buraid got 20 years imprisonment and also, his whole properties were transferred to Shafiq as he was his only legal heir.

A day after they won the case, Shafiq picked his mother and they left the country to Italy probably forever because he didn't have any intention of going back as of that time.

~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~

Deciding he had had enough of the journey with no destination, he took a turn which he knew would lead him back to his home there in Pescara. His home there was where he lived with his mother, away from everyone they knew in their past life.

Driving into the compound of the house, the gateman rushed to his side and opened the door to the car for him even before he turned to ignition off. Shafiq nodded to show appreciation before stepping out of the car. He tossed the key to the gateman before moving into the house. How he trusted his gateman even after hearing that Tauhida's family was ended by their gateman was still a mystery to him.

Stepping into the parlour, Shafiq froze at the sight of his mother with another man holding hands as they sat on the couch watching a movie. He didn't know how to react to that because when he looked closely, it wasn't Alhaji Buraid.

"Get your hands off my mother" Shafiq voiced making the two couples to turn his way.

"Shafiq greet him" His mother; Muneera said standing up to face him. "What?" Shafiq asked because he wasn't going to greet someone he didn't know even though it wasn't a part of his principle and moral upbringing.

"Hello my so......" The man started. "let her answer me first" Shafiq cut him off mid sentence.

"He's your father Shafiq greet him" Muneera said again. "You got married again?" Shafiq asked because that was the only reasonable explanation that could be possible at that moment. "No Shafiq, he is your father, my first husband before I married Buraid" Muneera said to clear his misconceptions but unfortunately it made him even more confused as his anger surfaced.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you because it is definitely not to me" Shafiq said between gritted teeth, it is something he always did to keep himself from getting angry.

"It's not a joke Shafiq, He is your father" Muneera said.

"And you never cared to tell me?" Shafiq asked, Muneera had understood that he was already angry. "I did it to protect you Shafiq" Muneera replied. "No mother, you didn't do it to protect me instead I ended up being hurt. You left us to suffer in the hands of a father who valued only money and it made me weak. My whole life I was left in the dark only to realise now that I kept seeking for the approval of a man who is not even my father?" Shafiq shouted making Muneera to shiver in fear. The only two time she saw Shafiq's anger was that moment and the very one they left home.

"If only I had known earlier then I wouldn't have let you suffer in his hands nor will I suffer in his hands. How could you have thought I wouldn't be angry when you tell me the truth" Shafiq shouted again, all the while both parties involved were just looking at him in surprise.

"Shafiq I would have but....." Muneera started but was cut off by Shafiq.

"But what Ummi, but what? Don't you think I have the right to know" Shafiq said. "I'm sorry Shafiq, it's all my fault. It's true that you have the right to know I was just not responsible enough to give you your rights" Muneera said holding his hands into hers.

No matter how Shafiq wanted to be angry, it wouldn't take him long to calm down. His mother was not someone he had the right to be angry at for a long time and he knew it.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you" Shafiq apologized. "It's okay my son, I am the one at fault not you" Muneera said after hugging him, Shafiq hugged her back exhaling and inhaling deeply as his anger subsided.

"We got remarried though" Muneera said. "That is obvious because of how you held him earlier" Shafiq chuckled making Muneera to laugh.

The only man who had been standing in the room like a statue joined their hug as they made new promises in their hearts. Shafiq found a new reason to be happy, happiness which he knew wouldn't end soon. It was a gift given to him by Allah, a gift only he had.

He found those special stars in his life in a matter of days, the stars that are unlike the uncountable stars in the sky.

~°°~Unlike the uncountable stars in the sky~°°~

~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ Just thought you should know why Shafiq gave up that easily on Tauhida, why he wasn't around at the most difficult moment of her life.

I guess it was for the best.

Do you like the chapter? Mind if you suggest what I'll make of Shafiq's life. I don't want him to continue like this, so I might just cook up a story for him.

I really didn't intend to make this book longer than 30 chapters but as it is, the ideas in my head are not even close to finishing but I think I won't write more than 40 chapters though, keep anticipating.

Wattpad is doing me shege these days and it still didn't stop even after updating it.

Maybe it will stop on its own just like it started on its own. I just hope it doesn't affect my books.

The next chapter will be at the court, finally getting justice for Tauhida.

Okay, I guess that's it. Please vote, comment and share my book to friends and family. Lots of love,

Deedi--❤️