3 days of winter

10th of February,

Day 1

Early hours of a cold morning, yusuf groggily moans half asleep. "No! please dont! please dont
leave me! what have i not done for you? what about all the promises we made to each other?
please have mercy Noorah!" with a yell yusuf wakes up to find a dog nibbling at his torn shoes.
he scares the dog away and shrugs off the snow that had fallen on him while he was asleep.
"Oh Allah! how true is your promise! the heedless will ultimately fall!" Yusuf Abdullah, once a
well established Stock market investor and a successful businessman.. passionate globetrotter
who had been to almost all well known beautiful places on earth.

He was a self made 25 year old man who defied the poverty in which his family lived to become
someone rich and influential. His family owned a tiny laundry which he sold off after his family
decided to return to their village and leave it with him. yusuf had fallen out with his family. having
established himself he was no longer invited into the circle. His family perceived him to be a
arrogant young man.

At heart, he was a man of ambition and kindness... yet, consumed by success his ego inflated
beyond the sky. Yusuf today lives on the streets of little town in Utopia. Upon suffering a major
financial loss and cheating from a business partner that left him liable for a huge debt, he fled
the city in order to escape being arrested and thrown into jail. His fiance Noorah broke off the
wedding upon realising that he was a fugitive wanted by law.

He remembers those beautiful days,

"knocking on the door" "Noorah! Noorah! its me. please open the door" Yusuf said while waiting
in front of her door drenched wet in rain.
Noorah opens to see a bruised and bleeding yusuf.. "come on in!" "Oh Allah! what on earth has
happened to you yusuf?" she exclaimed as she wiped off his bloodied forehead and nose. "i
was mugged on the road..i've lost everything my love..everything..i don't know what to do
anymore"
" tell me everything later! now come and eat. you must be hungry." Noorah turns towards her
room leaving him in the kitchen. yusuf heads towards the sink to wash his face.. he looks into
the mirror and sees how disturbing an ugly he looks now. having not eaten anything proper for 5
days. he notices a glittery card reflecting on the mirror that was kept on the table.

He picks it up and opens the card " WE HUMBLY INVITE YOU TO THE WEDDING OF OUR
DAUGHTER NOORAH WITH SALMAN" salman...salman.. yusuf thinking hard how he seems to
recognise this name. upon realising who it is..his heart sinks to a new depth... pain sweeps over
his chest.
Noorah believes i am no longer worth her... she accepted the same man whom she rejected
earlier for me! leaving the card open on the table, yusuf picks a knife from the counter and
slashes his palm..fresh warm blood oozes out. he places his palm over the card, picks his
clothes and leaves.
"Ah! what was i even thinking! i've lost my material value..i am no longer worthy of being with
anyone" thought yusuf gripping his stomach in hunger.
"Food..I need to find food...i can't live like this hungry." a flyer gets caught in the wind and ends
up in his face. "Trip to Japan! land of the rising sun! book your seat today!" yusuf crumbles it up
and stuffs it in his pocket. "hah! i paid 1200 bucks for this same trip! and here i am today hungry
looking for scraps." tears streamed down his cheeks wetting his curly beard.. all the pain
seemingly multiplying in his heart. each one stabbing his already battered heart.
exhausted he sits down near a bridge overlooking a frozen river... he sees a familiar face pass
by him. "Hamood is that you? Stammers Yusuf..Hamood used to be the receptionist at his
office. He was fired by Yusuf for being late to work. Hamood had pleaded that he is sick. yusuf
even though liking hamood fired him upon the insisting of other staff. "I am sorry Hamood..i
know i broke you that day.. please forgive me!" said Yusuf sobbing and holding onto Hamoods
hand. Hamood keeps his silence and hands out food and coffee and leaves quietly.

with lump of sorrow in his throat.. Yusuf bites into the donut given to him by hamood and slumps
into sleep as darkness and cold grips the city.

"First day of winter..breathed yusuf slowly losing his senses to sleep"

11th of February,

“Damned world we live in! All i wanted was some bread..made me clean the toilet for a stale
moldy bread!” Yusuf muttered under a single breathe while stumbling out of the nearby
apartment. Being a posh neighborhood, Yusuf expected kindness and sufficiency from the
inhabitants of this block. He sought to work in return for food… begging had taken a toll on his
leftover soul and he had no face to beg while possessing an able body. He knocked on the door
of a wealthy looking couple, and wealthy they were indeed! Wealthy and equally heartless.
They made him clean and wash the clogged toilet on such a cold day only to reward him a
scornful glare and a stale bread possible bitten by their dog judging by the bitten off corner!. The
pet dog had a cushion of its own.. He watched the little pooch snuggle itself into a seemingly
expensive comforter. “That must be around 100 bucks and no less.” thought Yusuf kicking a
empty can while clutching onto his torn coat. Being a man of good taste, Yusuf knew well how
much things were worth.. The only thing he failed to value was his own life and the delusion he
happened to reside in during his blissful days.

“How long will this continue? I realise that i am the sole cause of all this problem and that Allah
is punishing me and purifying me from my sinful past.. Yet i can't seem to push forth anymore.
How? Oh Allah i beg you for a sign..for.. for a way out of this painful dreadful dream..no not a
dream.. Rather what i lived in earlier was a dream. Please help me out Allah.. Help me out.”
There seemed to be this unending battle between his heart and mind.. Yusuf knew in his heart
that someday this horror would end and that this is purely for his own good.. He knew that Allah
does not burden a soul more than its capacity and that there is always ease after difficulty.. Yet
his mind was dying and losing sanity with stroke of every second. Life has become plain and
cold like the snow that was falling all around him. “When will this winter in my life end?”
whispered Yusuf while blowing into his cupped hands trying frantically to warm them. His
fingernails had a purplish hue indicating severe frostbite. It reeked of rotting flesh. “Living man
rotting here and nobody cares..yet dogs indoors have expensive comforters! Indeed a time will
come when each one of us will have to answer Allah about what we did for those helpless!” He
struggled hard to keep his tears inside.. He didn't want his heart to ache any further..neither did
he want his tears to wet his cheeks and turn them into a rotting mess. With a swift wipe using
his cuff, he wiped off the tears and started to walk towards his shelter… the underside of a
bridge that he had begun to call home.

Yusuf takes out the crumpled papers he has been collecting as fuel for fire.. He opens the
crumpled holiday flyer and chuckles “1200 Bucks! How foolish i was! Hahahahaha! Fool! Yes i
am a fool! I must die! Indeed i must die! I am of no use over here anymore!” screamed Yusuf
hysterically. Whispers of devil sinking into his chests driving him into despair. He knew in his
heart that despair is a sign of weakness of faith and only the crooked fall into despair and panic.
Yet, his mind was overwhelmed, gripped in the hands of devil. He throws away the paper and
the food and heads towards the highest arch of the bridge. Tired and panting from thirst, he
stands himself over the restraining barrier and looks on towards the frozen river.
“60 feet drop! Frozen river in the bottom..this out to end me quick! It would be quite a mess and
a spectacle for the viewers! At least the press would have something worth running as first page
of their dailies!” chuckled Yusuf like a man possessed. He watched the setting sun throwing a
orangish light onto the frozen ice beneath.. The dull sunlight shown on his face warming his face
and his chest. He breathed as deep as he could..steadying his nerves preparing his mind for
what he is about to do. His heart thumping wildly against his ribs.. The cold northern wind
stinging his nostrils as it went in with every breath.. He knew very well the consequences of the
act he was going to commit..he knew the eternal doom and abomination he was damning
himself to. Collecting one last view of his surroundings he closes his eyes lets go of the guiding
cables connected to the bridge. All that was needed now was a single step.

“ I AM OF NO USE. AND HERE I MUST END”

Just as he was about to step into the emptiness a soft laughter rung in his ears. Yusuf was
startled. He opened his eyes and looked around once again and tried to hear if there was
anything.. Failing to spot or hear, he again attempts to end himself that this time he clearly
hears the laughter.. A soft laughter..sweet and innocent. A child thought Yusuf. “Ah! Curiosity
always gets the best of me!” saying this Yusuf steps down the barrier and head towards the
possible source of the laughter. “Allah must have stopped me..it may not be any child at all.”
thought Yusuf as he headed into the nearby Alley that he thought to be the possible place he
heard it coming from.

And how true he was! There! Right there sat a little girl about the age of around 6 or
7..surrounded by kittens who were playfully jumping around her. Yusuf collapsed to the ground
in tears. It was a homeless little girl..judging by her clothing and condition. Picking himself up,
he walks slowly towards the little girl making sure not to spook her. He steps on a empty can
and she screams and runs and hides herself in the dumpster. “Please don't be afraid.. I promise
i won't hurt you.” said Yusuf lifting the lid of the dumpster. She cowered in fear and further hid
herself among the thrash. He didn't want to scare her and decided to leave “ If you want food
then please come by the underside of the bridge.. It is warm there..please don't be afraid.
He left quickly not wanting to disturb her.

“EVEN CHILDREN HATE ME!” said Yusuf wiping tears off with his sleeve. He went back to his
spot and collected all the papers he had thrown aside and prepared a fire to warm himself.
He cleaned off the bread and cut it into smaller pieces just incase she would decide to come
and eat. He neatly folded his extra coat that he had kept safe incase the blizzard hit the city
early. Chewing on the rougher parts of the bread he lays down and decides to take a small nap.
The city street lamps had turned on as darkness took claim over the entire city.
“ h..h...hello? Please wake up” said a soft voice followed by a warm hand on his cheek. Yusuf
thought he was dreaming.. It has been years since he last felt such a soft touch and warmth. He
opened his weary eyes to see a small face and gleaming brown eyes peering into his face. The
small hands placed on his cheeks. “I am sorry to ssscare you there little one” stammered Yusuf.
He quickly got up and made her sit in his spot...his body had warmed the ground and he made
her sit there.. A fly buzzed around him as he hadn't taken a bath since a week. Annoyed Yusuf
swats at his face in an attempt to kill the fly only to to end up smacking himself in the face. The
girl bursts into giggles and yusuf too laughs at himself. He laughs at at her innocent laughter
and how she has managed to survive out alone.. Unlike him who had given up hope and was
preparing to end himself. “what is your name little bee?” said yusuf affectionately. He loves kids.
He loves kids and he always dreamt to have his own. He quickly loses the thought of his mind
as it reminds him of Noorah. She looks on and points towards the bread that he had cut up in
pieces.. “hungry” said the little girl. “why yes! Please eat my love.. Yusuf softens the bread by
soaking them in water and hands them out to her.. He notices bruises and scratches all over her
neck. “My cherry how did you end up hurting yourself like this? Where is mama?” yusuf started
to wet a cloth in order to wipe dirt of her face. “bad man..” the girl teary eyed lifts her shirt and
yusuf gasps for breath. “May Allah curse them! “ yelled yusuf. She wanted to further show her
injuries but yusuf stopped her. He realised what had happened to the child.. She had her dignity
stolen by some pig. Yusuf cries.. He cries punching his hand into the stonewall of the bridge..
Cries at how society has failed the poor innocent girl.. Cries at how there are abundance of
humans yet no humanity…he down at her and she eats the bread hungrily.. Gazing up
monetarily to look at him.. “please eat.. Come” said the little girl. Yusuf takes and small piece of
it and puts it in his mouth.. Anger and pain stuck in his throat.. Like a painful lump. He is unable
to swallow and he gasps to breath. The child quickly offers him water to drink. He drinks and
hugs her close and cries.. He is broken at the generosity and kindness this child has shown to
him. His hand feels her neck and he realises she is warm. In fact, she was burning up with
fever! He asks her where her mama was...where her baba was. “mama has new baba.. New
baba is bad man.. He said I am bastard” said the little girl. Yusuf was shocked. “This child was
an illegitimate child.. Born out of wedlock and ditched by the heartless mother unable to please
her new husband. A victim of lusty adults who could not control their sexual needs. Filthy.. Filthy
people.” yusuf thought in his mind.. He couldn't even cry anymore...his tears seemed to have
ended.

“you stay here! You need medicine and warm clothes! Please stay here! And don't touch this
glowy thing.. Okay love? Said yusuf pointing towards the fire. She nodded in approval.

He took out his extra coat and wrapped her in it.

“Dispensary.. It's already 9 pm.. Its closing soon.. Also I need to get her clothes or she'll freeze
to death” yusuf repeated these words to himself. “please come back.. I am scared” said the little
girl. “I promise you.. I will love… Please stay here.” gently kissing her forehead.
Around an hour later..

“okay! I have the bread and the clothes.. Now all I need is aspirin and flu oil to abate the fever.”
yusuf had stolen.. He had stolen for the first time in his life.. The shopkeeper wouldn't agree to
give him despite pleading. “heartless bastard” scoffed yusuf. “there! That's the dispensary.. It's
still open. He hurriedly gets in and rushes into the Over the the counter medicine aisle.. Pockets
few bottles of aspirin and oil. Little did he know the shop owner was watching him on the CCTV
monitor.. As soon as he attempts to exit the store the owner calls him back. “you there! Stop
right there! Not a step further!”yelled the angry man. Yusuf darts towards the door and exits
running towards the street. The man in pursuit behind him along with this other assistant
keepers. It is raining.. He runs as fast as his feet would carry him. But he hasn't eaten.. He is
exhausted and drained.. He steps on his own lace and falls down. The shopkeeper kicks him in
the face and places his heavy boot on his neck. “please sir! I beg of you.. I beg of you please I
need these medicines! I have a sick child and she will die if I can't treat her.” begged yusuf
moaning under the boot. “shut up you thieving bastard! The man picks him up and drags him by
his hair and yanks at his beard.. “get the ropes! Tie the bastard up!” the man yelled punching
him in the face.. Yusuf feels the taste of his blood.. He spits out blood and his teeth. “please let
me go..” a helpless yusuf sobs and begs. “not a word more or I'll pull your tongue out of the
root.! Filthy thief!” the men tie him up to the street lamp and beat him. They punch him, whip him
with a cable and kick him.. “please.. She'll die.. She'll die please.” yusuf utters under a fading
breath and his vision doubles and blurs. “ I said not a worth! And the man gathers a heavy
punch knocking out yusuf.. Out cold.”

“sir.. He'll die. Its best we leave him. We don't want any trouble with the police”

The men leave him in the cold tied up to the street lamp. Drenched wet.. Blood dripping of his
lips and nose.. UNCONSCIOUS.