Veiled Aspirations

The soft rays of sunlight gently filtering through her curtains cast a warm glow on her face. Tightly hugging her pillow, expressions of calmness and serenity on her face told of her peaceful sleep. Mrs. Ahmed walked in quietly and sat beside her. With a gentle touch, she brushed a strand of hair away from her face, revealing her peaceful expressions. She leaned in closer and kissed her forehead. Raha slightly opened her eyes at her touch.

"Wake up, baby. Your dad is waiting for you at the breakfast table. You know he doesn't eat without you," Mrs. Ahmed said. Raha got up, kissing her hand. "Good morning, Mom," she said in a sleepy voice. "Morning, honey," her mother replied.

"I am just coming, Mom," she said while getting up. "Okay, we are waiting." She left the room. With a skip in her step, she hurriedly got dressed, her clothes reflecting her vibrant personality. She couldn't contain her joy as it radiated from her movement. Today, she was very close to her dreams, only a step away. She opened the drawer and took out her scholarship form. "I will do it," she murmured.

Her steps now moved downstairs to the breakfast table where Mr. and Mrs. Ahmed were waiting for her. "Good morning, Dad," she greeted him with a warm hug. "Morning, sweetie. How is my little future lawyer?" He asked, looking at her. His question brought a beautiful smile to her face. "She is very good," she replied, smiling. "Dad, today the merit list will be issued, and I am very nervous," she told him anxiously.

"Don't be, sweetie. I am very sure my daughter will get everything she has ever desired. I trust you. You will definitely make it," he said while holding her hand. "Now, can you please focus on food? It's getting cold," Mrs. Ahmed said, giving them an artificial stare. "Rah, I never get why your mother is so jealous of us," he tried to tease her. "I am out of it, Mom," she began to eat.

His body was soaked in sweat; he was shivering badly and continuously murmuring something in his sleep. "No, I had not done anything. Leave me. I cannot do this. I cannot be so morally dissipated." Suddenly, he woke up screaming, looking around as if he was searching for someone. After some time, he normalized himself, set his head against the bed, and closed his eyes.

"Why don't you stop following me? I have told you I was not behind all that bullshit. I was not," he said restlessly. Nobody could say that the person who seemed so forlorn right now was the great 'Shahmeer Sikandar.' A world followed him; they were mad for him. He was the craze of many hearts. But who is this frail man weeping restlessly over a dream?

A knock on the door diverted his attention. He got up as the door knocked again. He opened the door; his servant was standing in front of him respectfully. "What the hell happened to you at this hour of the night?" he said while checking the time on his watch. It was 2 o'clock at night. "Sir, Meer sir wants to talk to you urgently. He is calling you to his study room." "Okay, I am coming." Shahmeer couldn't understand why he was being called like that. He picked up his shirt from the bed, put it on, and his steps moved toward the study room.

"Hi, Dad, is everything alright?" he entered, knocking the door. "Nothing is okay. He will destroy everything, Shahmeer, and you will not be able to do anything except watching everything collapsing." The panic on his face clearly expressed his inner fears.

Listening to him, many frown lines appeared on Shahmeer's forehead, showing that he didn't like it. "You are underestimating me; don't do it." "Don't forget I am the one who is winding up your filth from the very start," he said in a displeasing manner. "I am just explaining the intensity of the problem." He explained his point, "Have a look at this," handing him a phone where a video was playing. This video was circulating the whole media with the title "Power doesn't prove innocence." He bashed the phone on the table, getting mad with anger. "I will kill you, you bastard. You cannot game with Shahmeer Sikandar. Now, I will beat you at your own game." An abrupt smile touched his lips.