In his eyes, that single fact overshadowed everything else about her.
No matter how kind, intelligent, or compassionate she was, Malik saw only what she lacked.
When the time came to arrange her marriage, he chose a man he believed was equally worthless.
Yusha was poor.
He lived simply.
Many in the village mocked him and dismissed him as a beggar.
To Malik, the match seemed perfect.
Two people he considered failures could disappear from his life together.
On the day of the wedding, harsh whispers followed the couple everywhere.
Guests exchanged pitying looks.
Some laughed behind their hands.
Others wondered how either of them would survive.
Yet neither Zainab nor Yusha complained.
Instead, they quietly left the village and settled in a small home near the river.
Life was difficult.
Money was scarce.
The roof leaked during storms.
Some days, they barely had enough food for themselves.
But inside that humble home, something remarkable began to grow.
