— Still Their Daughter
That night, sleep did not come easily to anyone in the house.
The atmosphere remained heavy long after the conversation ended.
Even the walls of the small home seemed burdened with emotion.
After dinner, Rihannat quietly excused herself to her room while her foster parents remained seated in the living room, both lost in thought.
Neither of them spoke for a long time.
The fear sitting in their hearts was too deep for ordinary words.
Finally, her mother wiped her tears and whispered shakily,
"What if they take her away from us?"
Her husband lowered his gaze.
The question alone was enough to make his chest ache.
For over nineteen years, Rihannat had been their daughter in every way that mattered.
They had watched her grow.
Watched her take her little steps in their home.
Listened to her childish laughter.
Comforted her during sickness.
Prayed over her.
Sacrificed for her.
Loved her.
And now suddenly…
Another family had appeared.
A family with blood ties.
A family with wealth and influence.
A family who had every right to claim her.
Her foster mother broke down again.
"What if she leaves and never comes back?"
Her husband immediately held her hand tightly.
"She won't."
Though even he was not fully certain, he still said it firmly.
Because he needed hope too.
Soon afterward, the couple spread their prayer mats side by side.
The small living room became quiet except for soft recitations and muffled sobs.
They prayed for mercy.
For guidance.
For peace.
And most importantly—
That Allah would not separate them from the daughter they raised with all their hearts.
—
Meanwhile, Basit and Faridat were preparing to leave when Rihannat's father stopped them.
"It's too late," he said kindly.
"You both should sleep over and leave tomorrow morning."
Basit initially refused politely.
But Rihannat's mother insisted immediately.
"No, no. You have done too much already. We cannot allow you travel at this hour."
Faridat smiled softly.
Truthfully, she was exhausted already.
And Basit eventually agreed after seeing the sincerity on their faces.
The older couple spent the next several minutes thanking them repeatedly.
Especially Basit.
Her father shook his hand firmly.
"Thank you for taking care of our daughter."
Basit smiled faintly.
"You don't have to thank me, sir."
But the older man continued emotionally.
"And for bringing her back home."
Those words made Basit glance unconsciously toward Rihannat's closed room door.
His chest tightened slightly.
Because he knew—
No matter what happened from now on, her life would never remain the same again. Her decision will either bring ease or pain to those who loves her.
—
The next morning, sunlight filtered softly through the curtains.
And surprisingly…
Rihannat looked completely normal.
Too normal.
Faridat nearly dropped her spoon during breakfast while staring at her.
Was this the same girl who cried herself breathless yesterday?
Rihannat sat comfortably beside her mother helping arrange plates while casually teasing her father about the way he folded his cap.
"Daddy, this your folding style is becoming suspicious."
Her father blinked.
"What is suspicious there?"
"You fold it like secondary school principal."
Her mother laughed unexpectedly while her father stared at her dramatically.
"So now my own daughter is insulting me early morning?"
Rihannat grinned.
"Correction. Your beautiful daughter."
The atmosphere lightened immediately.
Even her foster parents relaxed little by little seeing her smile again.
Though deep down, both of them knew she was trying hard for their sake.
Rihannat herself knew it too.
The pain had not disappeared.
She had simply locked it away temporarily.
Because if she allowed herself think too deeply again, she might completely break down.
Later, while preparing to leave for school, she stood beside her father near the entrance.
"I'll tell them to pay you a visit," she said gently.
Her father looked at her quietly.
"Don't worry," she added softly. "I'm still your child."
Emotion flashed across the older man's eyes immediately.
"And they won't say otherwise."
Her voice carried calm certainty.
"I'll come visit soon too. But they might come before me."
She adjusted her bag before smiling faintly.
"I haven't known them for long…"
Her expression softened.
"But I know they are good people."
Those words eased some of the fear buried in her foster parents' hearts.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough for them to breathe again.
Her mother hugged her tightly before they finally left for school that afternoon.
—
Inside the car, both Basit and Faridat remained unusually quiet for several minutes.
Mostly because they were still trying to understand the girl sitting beside them.
Yesterday she had looked completely shattered.
Today she looked calm.
Composed.
Sober.
Like someone who had cried through the storm and somehow decided to stand afterward.
Faridat kept staring at her suspiciously.
"You're seriously okay?"
Rihannat laughed softly.
"No."
The honesty surprised them both.
"But I'll survive."
Silence settled briefly again before Rihannat suddenly turned toward Basit.
"Thanks for—"
"Don't you dare complete that sentence."
She blinked immediately.
Basit kept his eyes on the road.
"I've told you several times already," he continued calmly, "whatever I'm doing for you is also for myself."
Faridat's eyes widened slowly.
Cheesy.
Her brother was actually being cheesy.
Was this truly Basit Abbas?
The same cold-faced man who intimidated half the university just by walking past them?
Meanwhile Basit continued speaking casually.
"And besides, you've said so many thank you this morning that I've lost count."
Rihannat looked at him quietly before smiling despite herself.
Faridat nearly gasped dramatically.
Ah.
So this was love.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
To hide her amusement, she quickly turned toward the window.
But internally she was screaming.
Basit suddenly spoke again.
"My parents have seen you now."
Rihannat looked at him.
"If you see them outside next time, will you recognize them?"
She blinked before laughing softly.
"Yes."
"Good."
He nodded seriously.
"Because my mother will personally arrest me if you ignore her outside."
Faridat burst into laughter instantly.
"That woman already likes you too much."
Rihannat smiled shyly.
And watching that small smile return to her face made something ease inside Basit's chest.
Because he knew.
She was pretending strength right now.
Pretending calmness so everyone around her would stop worrying.
But beneath it all, her heart was still heavy.
Very heavy.
Yet even after discovering her wealthy biological family…
Not once had she looked down on the people who raised her.
Not once had greed crossed her eyes.
Instead, she worried more about her foster parents losing her.
Basit glanced at her quietly.
And for a moment, he found himself wondering again—
How could someone like her exist?
A girl who had struggled through life.
Who had known hardship.
Who suddenly discovered she belonged to a wealthy influential family.
Shouldn't she be happy?
Shouldn't she be excited?
Shouldn't she be eager to leave her old life behind?
But instead…
She was comforting the people afraid of losing her.
Basit smiled unconsciously.
That was exactly the woman he chose.
And somehow—
He knew he would choose her again and again without hesitation.
As the long road back to campus stretched before them, their conversation slowly became lighter.
Not because the pain disappeared.
But because sometimes…
The people beside you make difficult roads easier to survive.
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