108.

Uncle Hashim entered the dimly lit room, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the scene before him. Standing across the room was Faraz, his face twisted in a mixture of surprise and resentment. The sight of Hashim seemed to ignite something in him—a simmering rage that had only been waiting for a spark.

Hashim barely had time to process the fury flashing in Faraz’s eyes before Faraz moved, almost lunging toward him, his fists clenched tightly, as if ready to release years of pent-up anger. Murad, still seated, watched with wary eyes, sensing that whatever happened between these two men was deeply rooted in the past.

"You," Faraz spat, his voice low but filled with venom. "You should have saved her, Hashim. If you loved my mother, you should have done something. You just stood by and let him destroy her!" His words hung in the air, a painful accusation that cut deeper than any blade.

Hashim took a step back, his face drawn with grief. He looked at Faraz, pain evident in his expression. “Faraz… it’s not as simple as you think.”

“Not as simple?” Faraz repeated, his tone laced with disbelief. He advanced, eyes burning. “She’s dead because of him—because of you! You could have stopped it. You could have stood up to him. But instead, you turned your back.”

Hashim swallowed, his own eyes misty with memories he’d tried for years to bury. He looked away, unable to meet Faraz’s fiery gaze. “I tried, Faraz,” he murmured, his voice thick with regret. “I did everything I could. But you have no idea what it was like back then. The things he threatened…”

Faraz’s anger only seemed to deepen, his fists trembling as he glared at Hashim. “What could be more important than her? What could possibly justify abandoning her like that?”

Hashim closed his eyes for a moment, a deep breath shuddering through him. When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper, filled with an old, quiet pain. “Your life, Faraz.”

Faraz blinked, caught off guard. His expression shifted, the anger dimming slightly, replaced by confusion. “What?”

“Ibrahim…” Hashim’s voice broke for a moment, and he steadied himself before continuing. “Your father knew she loved you, that you were the only thing left that gave her any happiness. He knew her weakness, Faraz. And he used it against her. Against me. He told me… if I interfered, if I tried to stop him…” Hashim’s voice dropped, heavy with the weight of his memories. “He said he would kill you, Faraz. His own son. Just to break her.”

Faraz’s expression faltered, his anger dimming as he took in Hashim’s words. “He… he would have killed me?”

“Yes,” Hashim whispered, his voice raw with pain. “And I couldn’t bear that. I couldn’t bear to let her suffer, but I also couldn’t let him harm you. I was caught between two impossible choices. And every time I tried to help her, he’d remind me… remind me that he held your life in his hands.”

Faraz’s jaw clenched, his fists slowly relaxing as he absorbed the truth. It was as if the fire in his eyes had turned inward, consuming him from the inside. “So, you did nothing. You just stood by and watched as he destroyed her… for me.”

Hashim looked down, his shoulders heavy with guilt. “It was a decision that’s haunted me every day since. But you were her everything, Faraz. She wanted you to be safe, even if it meant she had to endure everything he did.”

For a moment, the room was silent, the air thick with the weight of unspoken words, shared regrets, and the haunting memories of a woman who had been a mother, a wife, and so much more to the two men standing in her memory’s shadow.

Faraz’s expression softened, though his eyes still held a flicker of resentment. “I didn’t need protecting, Uncle. I needed her. And you—you could have fought harder.”

Hashim looked at Faraz, the sorrow in his eyes deeper than words could express. “You may never forgive me, and I don’t blame you. But I made the choice I thought was best at the time. And I’ll live with that guilt for the rest of my life.”

Murad, who had remained silent, finally spoke up, his voice gentle yet firm. “Our father didn’t just ruin our mother’s life. He ruined everyone’s. He turned us all into his pawns, forced us to live in his twisted shadow. But that doesn’t mean we have to stay there.”

Faraz glanced at Murad, his gaze lingering before he returned his focus to Hashim. His anger had cooled, replaced by a kind of weary bitterness. “I don’t know if I can ever understand why you did what you did. But maybe—maybe it’s time we stopped blaming each other and started finding a way to bring him down. Together.”

Hashim nodded slowly, the weight of his regret and sorrow palpable. “If there’s a way to end his control over our lives… I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

For the first time, an understanding passed between the three men, a shared resolve to finally confront the monster who had haunted them for far too long. The journey ahead was uncertain, and the wounds of the past would never truly heal, but at that moment, they each took the first step toward breaking free from the chains Ibrahim had forged around their lives.