This is the story of a girl named Mehrunisa.
Mehrunisa's father was Nawab Sikandar, and her mother was Khanam Jaan.
Their wedding had taken place with great celebration. The couple was very happy together, except for one sorrow — they had no children. This often led to arguments and unrest in the household.
After many prayers and vows, Allah finally blessed them with the joy of parenthood. Some time later, Allah gifted them the blessing of a daughter.
With the arrival of this tiny soul, the house lit up with joy. Still, there were whispers like, "If it had been a boy, he would have become his father's support." But fate cannot be changed.
Mehrunisa's aunt Samia lovingly took her in her arms and showered her with kisses.
Mehrunisa was still very young when she lost her mother. At just 9 months old, the baby who couldn't sleep without her mother, began calling for her in her innocent voice, crying, "Mama… Mama…" But her mother had already gone into an eternal sleep.
When the funeral was held, it was like the Day of Judgment. Mehrunisa was also brought along so she could see her mother one last time. Though she was so small, she desperately searched for her mother, digging into the soil of the grave with her tiny fingers. She had created a deep hollow in the grave, calling out to her mother with trembling hands.
Time passed, and Mehrunisa began to grow up, asking questions about her mother.
Sometimes they told her, "That shining star at night is your mother," and sometimes, "She lives on the moon."
Slowly, it became Mehrunisa's habit to talk to the stars and the moon.
Now, Mehrunisa was 11 years old, but she still didn't believe her mother was gone. She never missed a chance to search for her mother and would weep in prayer, begging Allah to return her. "I don't want anything else," she would cry, "just give me back my world—my mother."
Her father loved her deeply. But due to her stubbornness, the family decided to get her father remarried, hoping Mehrunisa would get a mother again.
But stepmothers can never be real mothers.
Nawab Sahib married again. Yet Mehrunisa was now longing even for her father's affection. Though everyone loved her, the void of a mother and father's combined love remained empty.
Mehrunisa was afraid of the dark. She would cry in the darkness quietly, so that no one would know she was hurting.
A child who learns to silence their desires and endure pain at a young age — they no longer care about gaining or losing anything.
Mehrunisa began to escape reality and live in her imaginary world.
Whenever memories overwhelmed her, she would go to her mother's room, place her father's picture on one side and her mother's on the other, talk to them for hours, and cry. When she was exhausted, she would lie down between those photos, try to feel them, and fall asleep weeping.
Life went on, and Mehrunisa grew into a wise young girl. Eventually, even her father came back to her. But now, Mehrunisa felt hesitant and fearful in talking to him.
Mehrunisa had a dream: to become an Army officer. She worked hard to achieve it. That dream had grown with her since childhood.
She gave her 10th-grade exams with great effort, but she didn't get results that matched her hard work. She felt ashamed — maybe this failure was meant to shape her future.
She then took admission in pre-medical (11th grade), happy that she was finally on the right path toward success.
But she had no idea — this new chapter was going to change her entire life…
To be continued…