It was a bright, sunny morning.
Aleezeh's alarm rang for the third time.
She opened her eyes, looked at the clock, and immediately sat up.
"Oh no! I'm late!"
She quickly made her bed, picked up the clothes scattered around her room, and rushed downstairs.
"Aleezeh! Come on! You'll be late for school!"
Her mother's sweet voice came from the kitchen.
"Mama, I'm coming!"
Aleezeh grabbed her bag and hurried toward the door.
Before she could leave, someone began ringing the bell continuously.
She opened the door.
A large man stood outside with an irritated expression.
"The rent—"
"We'll give you the rent today," Aleezeh interrupted.
Before he could say anything else, she shut the door.
Her mother stared at her.
"Aleezeh!"
"What?"
"You cannot speak to people like that."
"He was already angry."
"That doesn't give you permission to be rude."
Aleezeh sighed.
"I'm sorry."
Her mother smiled.
"Just be careful, beta."
Aleezeh looked at her mother.
Her mother had once been a teacher, but because of her heart condition, she had been unable to continue working.
Aleezeh wanted to become a lawyer one day—not only because she dreamed of helping people, but because becoming a lawyer had always been her mother's dream for her.
She had recently started thinking about doing online work so she could contribute to the household expenses.
A knock came at the door.
This time it was Noor.
"Assalam-o-Alaikum!"
"Wa Alaikum Assalam," Aleezeh replied.
Noor smiled.
"Ready?"
"Almost."
They started walking toward school.
Noor looked at her friend.
"How are you?"
"Honestly? Not good."
"Why?"
"My father."
Aleezeh lowered her eyes.
Noor gently touched her shoulder.
"Don't lose hope. Allah is with you. Difficult times don't last forever."
Aleezeh smiled weakly.
"You always know what to say."
"That's why I'm your best friend."
They laughed.
Then Noor looked at the time.
"We're late!"
"Oh no."
They began running.
When they reached school, they quietly entered through the back entrance.
Unfortunately, their physics teacher was already waiting.
"Late again?"
Neither girl answered.
"Inside. Now."
The class passed painfully slowly.
By the time school ended, Aleezeh was exhausted.
On the way home, she and Noor joked about their teacher, trying to forget the stressful day.
But when Aleezeh reached her street, her smile disappeared.
There was a large lock on her front door.
"Where is my mother?"
No one answered.
She knocked.
"Ammi?"
Silence.
She asked the neighbors.
Nobody knew where her mother had gone.
Fear began spreading through her chest.
She ran to Noor's house.
Before she could enter, Noor's father stopped her.
"Wait, Aleezeh."
"Uncle, please! I can't find my mother!"
"Calm down. We'll find her."
But Aleezeh couldn't calm down.
She stood alone outside as darkness began to fall.
She prayed silently.
"Ya Allah, please help me."
A group of boys passed nearby.
Aleezeh became frightened.
Then Arslan, the house owner's son, appeared.
"Well, well. Look who's alone."
Aleezeh stared at him.
"Leave me alone."
He laughed.
She slapped him.
Everyone became silent.
Aleezeh ran.
She turned a corner and almost crashed into a boy.
He stepped aside.
"Are you okay?"
Aleezeh didn't even look at him properly.
"I'm fine."
She continued running.
She searched everywhere.
Nothing.
Eventually, she sat down on the roadside and began crying.
She called her cousin Hassan.
No answer.
She looked toward the dark sky.
"Ya Allah... where is my mother?"
And somewhere deep inside her, a frightening thought appeared.
Something had happened.