forbidden whispers

chapter 4

Hanan left after bidding farewell to the little girl, promising her that she would return later to take her to school.

She returned to reality when she heard the gentle creak of Maseh’s bedroom door. Hanan went to see if the child needed anything. Maseh stood at the doorway, uncertain of where to go. Hanan remembered that she had not yet given Maseh a tour of the house; she certainly did not know where the kitchen or the bathroom was. The poor child could not speak, so she would not be able to ask for help. Hanan’s heart softened at the sight of the sleepy, helpless little girl. She felt lucky to have found her, as if she were a gift from heaven, placed in her path by a purpose she would only discover later.

Hanan approached Maseh and asked gently, “What do you need, my dear? Would you like me to bring you something?”

Maseh looked at her with sleepy, bright eyes, holding back tears. A small, innocent smile appeared on her lips, accompanied by a soft whimper as she pointed to her mouth. Hanan immediately understood that she wanted a glass of water. She picked her up and carried her to the kitchen, speaking with tender care.

“I’ll bring you a big glass of water, and if you like, I can make you a cup of warm milk to help you sleep. How does that sound?”

The little girl nodded eagerly, her happiness surpassing even Hanan’s. Every time she saw Maseh smile, Hanan felt reassured that her decision was right. The two of them would heal each other, and perhaps even bring comfort to Qasem. Soon, Maseh fell asleep in Hanan’s arms, feeling the warmth and safety she had been deprived of since her mother’s death. Hanan gently stroked her soft chestnut hair, now beautifully groomed after a long day. She had taken her to the special school, paid the fees, and instructed the teachers to treat her with care.

Two weeks later, Hanan was shocked to learn that Maseh had missed the entire week. Her father had come to the school, demanded the tuition fees back, and informed them she would not return. Hanan was furious that the teachers had not informed her immediately. She went at once to find out the reason. There, she found Maseh being abused by her father and his wife for failing to bring the usual amount of money that day. Maseh was curled up to protect herself from the blows. Nearby, a boy and a girl, around eleven years old, watched her mockingly, as if enjoying her suffering, or perhaps, even worse, as if they were the cause of it. They were neatly dressed in school uniforms, hiding any sign of poverty or their difficult circumstances.

Hanan’s anger surged. How could they treat this helpless girl so cruelly? She shouted sharply to make them notice her presence and stop harming the little girl.

“What is happening here?”

Everyone turned, shocked to see her witnessing the abuse firsthand. The stepmother quickly tried to save face, feigning calm.

“Thank goodness you came. That naughty girl refuses to go to school. Her father and I tried to persuade her, but in vain. Perhaps you can convince her to attend.”

Hanan took a deep breath and knelt before the child, gently wiping her tears. She had seen and heard everything, and the stepmother’s lies held no weight with her. She said softly to Maseh, “How about I take you to school myself? Would you like that?”

Maseh nodded eagerly, which infuriated her stepmother and the other children. Her father complained, “You are wasting your effort on her. That girl is useless. Maybe if you gave me this money to start a small business for my family, it would be worth more than letting her wander the streets and face people’s ridicule all the time.”

Hanan looked at the bedraggled man. His hair was thick, unkempt, streaked with gray, and his eyes were small and sunken. Wrinkles covered his face under a thick, scruffy white beard, and his torn, dirty clothes reflected his disregard for appearance. She felt disgusted. At his age, he looked far older than his years. He had only Maseh as a child, suggesting he had married late. The woman who married him, a wretched stepmother, had doomed poor Maseh from the start. Hanan indicated that Maseh should go ahead to the car and wait inside. Maseh obeyed as if clinging to a lifeline. Hanan stood, watching the little girl run happily ahead. This family was wholly unsuitable for Maseh. She could not feel safe leaving her in their care. The greed of her father and stepmother made Hanan determined to adopt her. She was confident that her offer would appeal to them.

She spent about half an hour with them to finalize the arrangement clearly and directly.

“How much do you want?”

The father and stepmother’s faces lit up with greedy delight. Showing his blackened, missing teeth, the father said with wicked eagerness, “You are generous. We are the rightful recipients of this money and will never forget your kindness. You have saved an entire family from ruin.”

Hanan shook her head, looked around the dilapidated house, and said confidently, “One million dollars. You forget about your child completely. You will never demand her or visit her, not even once. In one word, you will erase the fact that you have a daughter named Maseh, forever. Agreed?”

The man’s eyes gleamed with greed, as if offered life itself, but he pretended sadness, hoping to negotiate a higher price. “You would take my only daughter from me forever, a child worth more than all the money in the world. How can you give me money for her?”

Hanan smiled to herself, knowing he was cunning but not foolish. She was confident that if she insisted, he would accept. But Maseh deserved more. She whispered to his wife, “Two million dollars then. Is this enough for your precious child?”

The father’s eyes widened with joy, while the stepmother trembled with excitement at the thought of becoming wealthy from the mute child. When he tried to negotiate further, she quickly agreed, fearing they would lose the offer.

“Yes, that is not enough, but we agree. You are a good woman, and we trust Maseh will be safe and cared for by you, and that you will educate her properly. Right, Saber?”

Seeing his wife’s approving gaze, Saber relented with mock sorrow. “Yes, you are right. Maseh will be better off with a family who cares for her. I could not provide for her due to my poverty, but surely you will give her everything she needs. I am grateful to you, madam.”

Hanan confirmed the agreement, feeling overwhelming joy. She had achieved her goal, guided by divine approval. Before leaving, she said, “Agreed, Maseh is mine from now on. You have no right to claim her or change your mind after this agreement. I will leave with her, and you will never see her again. I will return to obtain your signatures, and you will receive the agreed amount.”

Maseh’s father objected greedily. “Pay now or the agreement is void. You are not buying an object, madam. You are receiving a girl of flesh and blood, my only beloved daughter, whom I will never see again. Receiving this money now is the least I can demand as her father.”

Despite the paperwork being difficult to complete in one day, Hanan refused to let anything stand in the way of her goal. She reluctantly accompanied Maseh’s father and stepmother to her lawyer, who prepared all the adoption papers and procedures the same day. Both parties signed, and legal custody of Maseh was transferred to Hanan. Her father received the agreed check, and he and his wife left without even saying goodbye to the little girl.

Hanan’s husband, Salem, supported her throughout the process, ensuring it went smoothly. He did not object, trusting his wife’s judgment and her decision to adopt Maseh. His firm handling of Maseh’s father delighted Hanan. He had warned him clearly: “Based on this agreement, if I see you near Maseh, even by chance, I will have you imprisoned for life. You have no connection to this child, and you will never come looking for her as long as you live.”

The man and his wife fled in fear after receiving the money. Hanan breathed a thousand thanks to God for blessing her with such a husband. She looked back at Maseh, peacefully asleep in her arms, exhausted from the day’s events. She had bought her many clothes, shoes, and educational books, transforming her into a princess overnight. Maseh was, in Hanan’s eyes, the most beautiful child on earth, resembling her late mother rather than her father. Hanan smiled with satisfaction, determined to ensure that no one would ever humiliate or harm her.

The next morning, Maseh resumed her special lessons, spending her remaining time playing with the toys she had long wished for. She was happy, despite Qasem’s persistent rejection and harsh words. He often scolded her and even expelled her from the house, yet she always returned with her innocent smile. He mocked her as the mute girl with a foolish smile, but her response was a kiss blown in the air and an even wider smile, infuriating Qasem further.

Months passed, and Qasem’s behavior gradually improved. Maseh was able to express her needs and opinions; she learned to write letters, mastered sign language, and excelled in school, outperforming her peers. She loved learning and shared everything she learned with Hanan, who gradually mastered Maseh’s signs to communicate easily. Despite Qasem’s constant teasing, Maseh clung to him, stubbornly trying to win his affection. She would write notes to him, force him to read them, and even withstand his anger without giving up.

Hanan admired Maseh’s persistence, knowing it was the only way to break the barrier between them. Maseh could also read lips accurately, allowing her to understand spoken language. Even when Qasem attempted to assert control with harsh words, she responded with signs: “I love you, brother,” frustrating him immensely.

Over the years, Qasem grew accustomed to her presence. Hanan learned to handle their small, amusing conflicts. He continued to complain about Maseh to his mother, but Hanan always said, “I have nothing to do with your quarrels. Solve your problems yourselves. You are her older brother, and she is your little sister. Take care of her, and she must respect you.”

Qasem often replied,

“She’s not Maseh; she’s a lethal bullet.”

He left them grumbling and went to his friends. Despite his complaints, the house was filled with happiness, and no one else had any reason to complain. After achieving excellent results in his high school exams, his father sent him abroad to continue his studies. The news of his departure was hard on thirteen-year-old Maseh, who refused to come down to the living room to say goodbye. She curled up in her room, refusing to accept the idea of him leaving. He would have departed without her farewell, but her mother insisted that he go and say goodbye.

He went to her room, and as usual, to tease her, he did not turn on the red indicator that signaled his presence. He opened the door and saw her sitting by the window, waiting for him to leave the house so she could bid him farewell with her eyes, tears filling them as she clutched the panda doll he had given her under her mother’s insistence. His heart softened at her state. He neither loved her nor hated her; he still did not fully understand his feelings. He did not enjoy seeing her, yet he missed her when she was away. He did not like talking to her, but he longed to watch her trying to communicate her thoughts. He did not care to play with her or spend time by her side, yet he would lose control if he saw her attached to another child, especially a boy, often fighting with them to pull her away and bring her home forcefully.

Once, when he intervened to hit a friend who was bothering her, he pushed her aside, and she collided with the edge of a metal desk. Seeing the blood staining her pristine clothes and her silent, pained tears, Qasem panicked and called for his mother, who rushed her to the hospital. She needed six stitches. Qasem felt sorrow and regret for his actions, and to prevent harming her further, he began avoiding conflicts with her. The scar on her left shoulder served as a constant reminder of the harm he had caused. Now, she wore a sleeveless shirt, displaying the scar prominently. Her teary eyes and clinging arms waiting for his departure made his heart ache. His conflicting feelings toward her terrified and confused him, so he preferred to keep his distance.

Maseh felt a hand pat her shoulder. She turned to see him standing there with a gentle, tender smile—the first time he had smiled at her like that. She quickly wiped her tears and scowled, pointing to the glowing bell of her room.

“Why didn’t you press the bell?”

Qasem grinned mischievously. She always pretended to be strong and angry to confuse him. Their ten years together had taught him to read her expressions like an open book.

“I didn’t need to. This is my house. I can come and go as I please without asking.”

Maseh became angry at his mocking smile and frustrated that he had seen her cry. She threw her favorite doll at him, grabbed him, and tried to push him out of her room, gesturing with her hands.

“Get out of my room! Go to your plane, fly far away, and never come back!”

But he slipped from her grip and ran toward the poor panda she had thrown to the floor. He patted its head teasingly.

“Ah, what did this poor thing do to deserve your anger? Look how sad and hurt it is.”

Maseh snatched the panda from him in anger and tried to push him out of her room again, making annoyed, angry sounds. Once she managed to get him out, she slammed the door and leaned against it, noticing the panda smiling mockingly at her. She pounced on it, hitting and kicking it, then grabbed it, tearing its eye and splitting its ear, and hurried to find Qasem, who was descending the stairs, resigned to returning to his car for the trip to the airport. Suddenly, she grabbed his arm, pulling him sharply to look at her. She held the panda in her hands, signaling to him through sign language:

“This mangled thing is yours. I don’t want it anymore, and I don’t want you coming here ever again. I hate you.”

She ran back to her room. Before she could slam the door, Qasem rushed after her, grabbing her and holding her tightly in his arms. Maseh screamed and tried to push him away angrily, but he only hugged her tighter, restraining her movements with his firm embrace. He gently caressed her head, soothing her.

“Shh… calm down, calm down.”

Although he knew she could not hear him, she relaxed in his arms and began to cry, no longer resisting. When he sensed her calm, he pulled back slightly, looked into her tearful face, and wiped her tears with the back of his hand. She lowered her head to hide her face, and he lifted her chin to look into her eyes, which overflowed with tears. He smiled tenderly.

“You are my precious Maseh. Do you know that? Rest assured, I will come back for you.”

He placed a gentle kiss on her tear-streaked cheek. Without looking back again, he hurried out of her room, said goodbye to his parents, and as he prepared to get into the car, he glanced toward her window for one last look. He did not see her, but from the subtle movement of the curtains, he knew she was secretly watching from behind. He raised his hands in a greeting and smiled warmly, then disappeared into the car, which quickly drove off, merging into the traffic.

To be continued…