Chapter 24

------------- Los Angeles, California.

-------------------- Lily's Hospital(next morning)

I opened my eyes again as I looked around my room. It wasn't the one I was in yesterday. It was more furnished. There were couches and a table with magazines and some other pretty flowers. It was all more beautiful and much more comfortable.

Yesterday was the best and worst day of my life. Yeah I was very happy I got my voice back, that I could finally say words out loud now. It had been a long dream of mine and It had finally come true. The happiness I was feeling couldn't be expressed in any way.

The Coma I fell into made me remember my past, who I truly was, my true Identity that GrandPa hid from me, for a reason I didn't know of, a reason I couldn't bring myself to try and understand. Why would he possibly hide that I wasn't his real granddaughter and that I and Khalid aren't supposed to be in this situation. Firdaus was the one that was supposed to be married to him. Not me. Their blood didn't run in my veins, they had been deceiving me all this while. I have never felt this angry in my life, like ever. Why would they possibly hide me from my family?, for my safety?. My mind raced to what I remembered as I slept through my Coma.

Flashback

--------------Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

---------------------- July 19th 2003.

Afternoon

I was enjoying my sweets as I sat on my small chair in the salon, looking at the mirror. This was my favourite salon, they had free gummy bears and lollies for kids like me. I was almost done treating my hair. Ummah had sent me and Nanny Aisha to the Salon to treat my hair because I had dandruff. It made my hair itchy and Ummah decided for Nanny Aisha to take me to the Salon.

" Fauziyyah" Nanny Aisha called as she came to where I sat. " We're done okay, we'll head home now" She said as she helped me take off the cover cloth that was put round my neck to avoid dirt on my dress. " Yayy!!, I'm going to play with Farouky" I squealed as I got down the chair with Nanny Aisha holding my hand tightly.

The lights suddenly went out in the Salon, everything became a little bit dark. Everyone in the Salon began to make complains. We suddenly heard a small squeal come from beside me, I widened my tiny eyes with fear as I watched Nanny Aisha fall to the ground beside me. I gasped and the other ladies screamed and rushed out. I wanted to follow them but I couldn't leave Nanny Aisha here alone. I bent down to help her get up, we didn't even see the person that hit her clearly. I felt a hand tighten their hold around my waist as they used a small hankie to cover my nose as I inhaled a nice perfume on the hankie. I slowly closed my eyes as I inhaled the perfume.

Night time

I groaned as I opened my eyes to meet myself in pitch darkness. Darkness creeped me out, ghosts and funny clowns could jump out of nowhere and eat me up. " Hello" I called and heard my voice echo back to me. How did I even get here?. " Is anyone here?" I called again and I got my same question as an answer. I heard a door lock being turned and opened and the lights in the area I was were finally turned on. I was in a large room, there were many hospital beds around and I was crawled up in a corner. " Hey kid" I heard a man say as I got up to get a closer look at him. He was very tall like Abbah. He had dark long curly hair. He knelt down in front of me and placed his hand at the top of my head.

" Are you lonely?" he asked with a sweet voice as I looked at him straight in the eye. I nod my head and looked at my purple converse. " Where's my Ummah and Abbah?" I asked as I looked at him again. " You can't see them again, they are gone" he answered as he poked my cheeks with his pinkie. I moved a little away from him and he followed. " My Abbah and Ummah can never leave me alone" I whined. " They did" he said again. " They did not" I cried again, my Ummah said she wasn't going to ever leave my side. " My Ummah will never leave" I screamed as I raced towards the door. He caught up with me and I felt a sharp pain go across my left cheek. I fell down on the floor due to the pain. " You think you can run huh" he yelled at me again as I felt a kick in my stomach. I winced in pain as I held my stomach tighter. He knelt down beside me as pulled a chunk of my hair making me look into his eyes. I needed to think quick. I bit his hand and he let go of my hair chunk and I rushed away from him. I needed to find my Ummah.

" You bitch" He snapped from in front of me and twisted my arm as he swung a punch that hit my jaw. He let me go and I fell to the floor in pain. Didn't he consider that I was only six years old. Why was he beating me up like this. I watched him take off his belt and I felt a lash on my neck. I cried my lungs out immediately more kept on coming. He lashed my back, arms and leg a thousand times. I couldn't bear it, the pain was too much. Why was he doing this to me?, what did I ever do to deserve this torture.

He finally stopped beating me and left the room after taking off one of my purple converse, slamming the door shut. I crawled up to side of the wall as I touched my scars on my arms and legs. It hurt so much. I laid down on the bare cold floor, I didn't know when I fell asleep.

Next morning

" Wake up" I heard a horrible voice order as I felt two kicks hit me below. I winced as I held it, I was in pain again. " Get up" he snapped as he pulled a chunk of my hair dragging me up to sit down properly. He made look into his face, he was a handsome man yes, but I couldn't bear to look at him cause of the pain he made me go through. What did I do to deserve all this?.

" Where's my Ummah and Abbah?" I cried as I spat into his face and he hit me on the face again. " Ugh, you are horrible to deal with, you haven't learnt your lesson huh" He snapped again as he pushed me to the ground and kicked me all around. He took off his belt again and began beating. This time much more harder. The pain almost killed me when he used to leather belt to lash my neck. Ummah said to always say " La Ilaha illalah, Muhammadul Rasululah, Salalahu Alaihi Wa Salam" when something bad was happening and to recite Ayyatul Qursiyu too. I began reciting them as the tears poured down my cheeks.

Allah was with me.

They were going to save me.

He eventually left and the beatings stopped for the day. I closed my eyes and recited Suratul Fatiha, Ikhals, Falaq and Nas. They were the only ones I could recite, along side Ayatul Qursiyu. I recited them as I led myself to a painful slumber.

Night time( three days later)

I opened my eyes and thought I was going to find myself playing with Mr Furry Chunks with Farouk. But I still found myself in the scary darkness, all alone, not knowing what was lurking around. I missed Farouk so much and My Ummah and Abbah.

The door slowly opened up and I crawled myself up again. The beatings were going to start soon. When were they going to find me?. I crawled myself burying my face in my arms and knees as I heard the door close and the lights turned on. " Look up" he snapped as I rose my head up instantly. I began reciting Ayatul Qursiyu in my head again as I looked at him. He was staggering and his stand wasn't balanced. I watched as he unbuttoned his shirt and wondered if he was going to take a bath. There was no other door in this abandoned hospital so where was he going to take a bath. I widened my eyes as I saw him take off his shirt and walk closer to me. What was he doing?. I had no idea. He instantly grabbed a chunk of my hair again as he made me lay on the bare ground.

I cried as he tore my skirt and shirt off me and left me in my hello kitty vest and shorts. " Let go of me" I cried as I tried pushing him off me. He was too huge for me to push off. He put a hand on my mouth to stop me from screaming as I felt him take off my shorts and place his huge hand on the place Ummah said was sacred and I should properly take care of it. I felt him spread my legs open as I bit his hand off my lips and I screamed again. " Ummah!" I cried louder than ever. " Ummah!" I cried again as I felt another sharp pain across my face as he held my mouth tighter. I felt something thrust into me making me shut my eyes tight due to the pain. What was he doing to me?. I cried more as his grip on my arm tightened.

He left me crying on the bare floor with no single piece of clothing. I got up from my lying position as I felt terrible pains in my centre. I took my torn clothes from the ground as I found some traces of blood on the floor. I wonder where that came from.

I cleaned my eyes as I used the torn clothes to cover my body at least. I felt so disgusting, dirty and itchy. I continued reciting Ayatul Qursiyu again. I felt my stomach rumble. I was very hungry and super thirsty. " We'll be fine tummy" I said in my head as I sobbed lightly. I didn't feel like talking to anyone due to all pain I was feeling inside me. I only wanted my Ummah. I cried again to sleep as I thought about all what I've been going through. Who knows for how long I've been here.

Next morning

I heard the door open again, I really hoped he wasn't going to hurt me again. " Wear these quickly" he ordered as I felt a soft bag hit my face. It was a leather bag with fresh underwear and a pair of jeans, a shirt, a Jacket, a cap and shades for a six years old. " Here, eat this burger and drink the water" He ordered again as he threw a paper bag at me. I was allergic to cheese, I'm pretty sure the burger had cheese in it. I wore the outfit he gave me without taking a bath. I felt so icky. I opened up the paper bag he gave to me and instantly gulp down the water to get rid of my thirst. " Aren't you done?" he yelled again and fear shook me making the burger fall to the ground. " So you're wasting food now?" He snapped as he got closer to me hit me hard on the face. " Do you know how much it costs to buy a burger here in Indonesia?" He questioned. What was I doing in Indonesia. Why did he possibly bring me here?.

He hissed as he wore some shades and left the burger on the floor as he carried me on his shoulder. " where are you taking me to?" I whined as we got out of the room and he closed the door. " Shut up" he answered as he walked further. I couldn't see much. I only saw a concrete floor as we walked further. He threw into the back of a car as he took of my shades and blind folded me. He tied my arms and legs and I felt him push me into a sack. He tied the bag and my source of air reduced. The car engine started and we began moving slowly.

I found it very hard to breathe as he drove on. He was driving very fast and it scared me. I tried moving a little to see if I could open up the sack but I got nothing. I suddenly heard a very loud horn and I heard a scream from the man and I heard another loud crash as I felt the car flip over and over and I felt myself being thrown out of the car and hitting the ground hard. My body was aching all over as I began crying. The bag slipped open as I used my tiny fingers that were still tied to try and open my blindfold and I did. I opened my eyes and found myself close to a burning car. I found a broken glass that I used to cut the ropes that restricted my hand movement. I instantly untied my legs and got up. I was inhaling too much smoke. I began running slowly into the bushes as I cried out to my Ummah. She was nowhere to be found. I felt a loud explosion behind me, which terrifyingly made me fall to the ground as I hit my head on a large rock. I couldn't see anything again, everything became dark.

End of flashback

I felt a warm substance roll down my cheeks as I painfully remembered what happened to me sixteen years ago. Grandpa Musa found me after the accident and took me to the hospital. That was where I fell into a coma for a month, according to them, that was how I lost my memory and I became mute. GrandPa Musa didn't have enough money to complete my treatment so he took me in and let me live with being mute. He taught me how to be on the right path even though I was mute. He still made me happy.

My mind raced again to the images I found blur. I tried my best to remember the faces of my parents and brother, but I couldn't. I could only remember the name of my brother, Farouk. That was his name. I couldn't remember any surname that could help me find them. Even the image of Nanny Aisha was fading away and the face of the man who raped six year old me was still fresh in my memory. But I'm pretty sure he died in that car accident.

The trauma I faced from the beatings and rape obviously made me mute. My real parents must've looked for me, but I'm pretty sure they would've found me if I was still in Malaysia. That was another lead. My parents stayed in Malaysia and my brothers name was Farouk. And my real name was Fauziyyah not Faryah.

An image of Neill instantly popped up in my long train of thoughts. He was dead, at an early age. Khalid told me all what happened when I was in coma. I could still hear him even though I couldn't move. I heard all about the Green Viper, Neill’s death, Khalid’s Father, Sophia's kidnapping, the Grand Launch. Many things happened while I was asleep.

I watched as the door opened and Khalid and Sophia walked in. I didn't know if I wanted to tell Khalid that we aren't supposed to be in this situation. My love for Khalid grew deeper each time he came to see me when I was still in my coma and tell me how his day went. I didn't want to get divorced from him. At all. I didn't want to let go. The feeling was all so new to me.