Recently, a colleague of ours got promoted, so I went to her office to congratulate her. While congratulating her, I said that you are very fortunate to have reached this position at such a young age. She began to say that I have seen a very hard time, however I never lost courage. It is the special grace of Allah that everything has been achieved only through continuous hard work and not losing courage. I was in B.Sc. when my mother passed away. My father got married a second time. For a few weeks everything went fine, however then my stepmother started showing her step-motherly behavior. We were only two siblings. My brother was older than me, whom my father sent outside Pakistan to study. My stepmother used to make me do all the household chores, and would satisfy my father by saying that I am teaching her housekeeping, otherwise when she goes to her next home (after marriage), the complaint will come that she was a stepmother so she did not teach anything. I used to wake up early in the morning and make breakfast for everyone, and after cleaning the house I would go to the university. Then immediately upon returning from the university, cooking food for everyone, washing dishes, washing clothes, etc., doing everything, it would be ten or eleven at night. This was the daily routine. Our father had a good business, however on my stepmother's saying, now I used to get very little pocket money as well, so little that I stopped asking my father altogether. I started giving tuition to the neighborhood children in the evening so that I could make my pocket money, due to which the household chores finished even later at night. However, the disadvantage of this was that when the turn came for the university semester fee, my stepmother told my father that now she earns so much herself, she can pay her fee herself. After which I had to work even harder so that I could save my fee myself as well. For more money, I started giving home tuition at one place, then the father of those children started harassing me, so out of compulsion I had to leave it.Sisters have a great support from a brother, however my brother was busy in his luxuries. No matter how much I tried, firstly he would not listen to me at all, and if he ever did listen, there was only one thing: that the fights of you women will never end.As for my father's support, my stepmother had snatched that away. As soon as my degree was completed, my stepmother started poisoning my father's ears for my marriage proposal with some relative of hers. He was like a drug addict, with nominal education, running some shop right in the neighborhood. In age too, he was much older than me. When I refused, my stepmother started saying that she must be having an affair with someone in the university itself, that is why she is not agreeing. Now it used to come to my heart that it would have been good if there was someone whom I could marry and get out of this hell. With great difficulty, I got permission for M.Phil. I was already fulfilling my own expenses myself, however the fee for M.Phil. was high. Therefore, some support from my father was necessary anyhow. Because of his good financial status, I could not get any scholarship either. With difficulty, I finally got permission for admission in M.Phil. Near the completion of M.Phil., a class fellow proposed; I was in search of some support, so I immediately told him to send a proposal. Upon the arrival of this proposal, my stepmother created a storm. She leveled such allegations, may God forbid. However, I stood firm. That boy was quite good in the class. His appearance and character were also decent. My father did not check the boy's family or home, he just got angry and said yes, and said get married and go, and never come back to this house.The marriage took place simply without any dowry. Due to not bringing dowry, the boy's mother and sisters started taunting me within just a few days. I had come out of one hell into another. Before marriage he had not made any promises, however I had this much hope that he would give me love and respect. Even those were not received. After a few days, the matter reached from taunts to physical torture. When I talked about a job, they agreed immediately. Upon getting a good job, everything remained good in the house for a few days, however after a few months, the same conditions returned. Perhaps this fact had emboldened them that she has no one behind her. My father had become my stepmother's and had forbidden me from coming home. My brother had married some foreign woman abroad and he did not remember anything about his sister. Girls who do not have a maternal home are like a cut kite. As soon as I received my salary, my husband would take all of it. In the house, my mother-in-law's will prevailed. After returning from the job, I had to do all the household chores as well. Despite this, taunts and beatings were what I got. Every month I earned and gave so much, yet the taunts of not bringing dowry did not end. After not getting protection from my father and brother, I had this expectation from my husband, however now that too had ended. I talked to my husband several times, told him everything, however he only thought that since I have no maternal home, where would I go. When everything went beyond tolerance, I filed a case for Khula (divorce). As long as the Khula case went on, I stayed at my husband's house, kept telling him that if you improve the situation even now, I will withdraw the Khula case, however he thought that I would not take Khula, rather I was doing all this only to blackmail him. Out of compulsion, I took Khula.After taking Khula, when I reached my father, my stepmother did not even let me enter the house. I kept calling my father, however he was not attending. I waited for him right there at the door, however when he came, he went inside without listening to my words and closed the door. I talked to my brother as well and told him everything, however he said to solve your problems yourself.

From there I came to a girls' hostel. Because of the job, money was not an issue, therefore I stayed in the hostel for one or two years.Somehow a colleague of mine came to know about my circumstances; his first wife had passed away, and he had two small children. With the help of an elder, he talked to me about a marriage proposal. After a lot of effort from him, I agreed to the marriage (Nikah). Now destiny had brought me to stand right where a while ago my stepmother and I were. Both the children were frightened. The boy was older and the girl was younger. I decided to give them love like a real mother. My children who sometimes play with your children in the university ground are from my husband's first wife. I have given such love to the children that hardly anyone would know whether they are my biological children or stepchildren. My husband does not want me to have my own child right now, perhaps he has a fear that if I have my own child, I will not give these children love like before. Therefore, I have never insisted on this. After growing old, my father is no longer capable of doing business, and my brother is outside the country. This husband of mine has a good salary, therefore he has never asked about my salary. I send a large portion of my salary for the expenses of my father and stepmother. My father takes the money, however he is still angry; he neither talks to me nor meets me, otherwise I would have served him even more.I have received love from my husband. In the form of these two children, Allah has given me children as well. Now I have received this promotion too, millions of thanks to Allah. Circumstances never remain the same. Despite such difficult circumstances, I never thought of suicide. I never thought that I should take revenge from anyone for whatever injustices were done to me. Today, thanks be to Allah, there is peace in my life.