• #Family • #Love • #FamilyProblems • #Unemployment • #LifeStory Clash of Dreams and Reality

Mustafo greeted yet another dawn today. His waking, his washing, even his breakfast — everything happened in haste. For in his heart he carried a heavy burden, and in his chest — a voiceless torment. The reason was clear: he was compelled to earn daily wages just to sustain his family. With no steady work, he went every day to the labor market in search of a job. Today began no differently.

At every step his heart pounded heavily, and every silence seemed to test him. Unemployment and poverty crushed not only his body but his very spirit. Meeting the eyes of others in the market deepened his inner pain, for every indifferent glance, every “we couldn’t make a deal” felt like a blow to his worth.

Each day he ventured out with hope, but this was not physical toil alone — it was a torment of the soul. The instant rejection by employers, the demeaning sense of being disregarded as a laborer weighed down Mustafo’s heart.

This day, too, ended like the others: he returned home empty-handed, with a heavy heart. His children awaited him at the door, listening for his footsteps. In their eyes sparkled the hope: “Father, what did you bring us?” But Mustafo’s weary face and empty hands struck their hearts like a blow. In that moment his own heart trembled. His heavy breath and somber gaze revealed to his children the depth of his inner torment.

At home, besides his children, was his wife, Aygul. Yet Mustafo did not know what to say to her. Each day was the same: unemployment, poverty, and quarrels within the home. Each night he went to sleep with hope, but each morning dawned with the weight of yet another heavy day.

Mustafo’s torment was not only unemployment but also the lack of appreciation. Though he worked tirelessly for his family, his effort and devotion often went unnoticed. That was the wound in his heart. Even in sleepless nights he wrestled with himself, strengthening the resolve within: “I must work, I must provide for them.”

Mustafo’s life was not merely the story of one ordinary man. It was a vivid picture of labor and loyalty, of devotion and inner torment. Each of his days was a sacrifice for family; each breath, proof of the love he dedicated to his children.

Aygul’s Illusory Dreams

At home, Aygul sat alone at the table. When her husband walked in, his steps were heavy and joyless. Seeing this, Aygul’s eyes filled with shadows of sorrow and despair.

For a brief moment their eyes met. Silence reigned. The wordless moment spoke with the heavy language of hearts. Aygul’s gaze was filled with sharp, unspoken questions: “Mustafo, did you come home without work again? The children have no clothes, we haven’t had meat for weeks, the rent is overdue…”

Soon that silence broke with Aygul’s trembling cry:

“But I am a woman too,” she said. “I also had dreams — to wear beautiful clothes, to adorn myself with gold, to smell of perfumes, to see my children grow in comfort. Why must we live like this?”

Her words pierced Mustafo’s heart like a dagger, yet he remained silent. He had no answer. A bitter hatred toward this life welled up inside him. His whole body trembled, but no tears fell. Perhaps he remained silent because he felt guilty. With a deep sigh and heavy steps, he went into the bedroom. Aygul’s own heart overflowed, and she poured her anger upon the children. The little ones fell silent.

The truth was, Mustafo had eaten only a half breakfast that morning, and with no money in his pocket, no lunch at all. Now, even at dinner, his wife had not called him to the table.

Soon the house grew quiet. Only the heavy silence remained. Mustafo lay in his room but could not sleep. Hunger gnawed at him from one side, while unemployment and poverty tormented him from the other. With longing he glanced at the door: “If only Aygul would come in, if only we could talk, if only she would understand me…”

But Aygul did not come. That night, as on the nights before, she stayed in the children’s room, her phone in hand. Whether on Telegram, Facebook, or elsewhere, she was immersed in the world of the internet. Turning away from her husband’s weary face, she sought solace in virtual spaces.

Among the lines of text, a stranger wrote to her:

“You are so beautiful, so delicate. Why are you sad? Life is waiting for you. You deserve happiness. There are men who will bring you love and joy.”

Reading these words, Aygul’s heart trembled.

In her mind appeared imaginary heroes — rich, handsome, kind. With them, she imagined the life she always dreamed of: a bright home, prosperity, perfect days. Yet in the very next moment, those illusions vanished, and before her eyes returned reality — a poor home, a weary husband, hopeless children.

Aygul was torn between two worlds — dreams and reality. She herself no longer knew which path to choose.

Midnight Torment

Night. The children were asleep. Silence filled the rooms, mingling with restless thoughts, creating a heavy heat for those who could not sleep. Only the faint glow of Aygul’s phone led her deeper into imaginary tales. In this world she sought the comfort she could not find in reality.

Meanwhile, Mustafo lay with his head on the pillow, but sleep would not come. In his heart weighed heavy sorrow, in his chest an unrelenting beat. Each breath was heavy, each thought a tangle of hope and despair.

“Why is my labor unappreciated?” he asked himself. “Why does Aygul not understand me? Why does she not even want to listen? Why is she spending nights on her phone — who is she writing to? Should I grab the phone from her hand? No, no — then we’ll fight again, and what will the neighbors say tomorrow?”

Like other men, Mustafo had spent all his strength for his family. Perhaps that was why he felt so unvalued. He shut his eyes tightly, covering them with his hands — holding back the painful tears rising in his chest. For a man, shedding tears is harder than the hardest wound.

Yet no matter how harsh life was, he remained ready to give his very life for his family and children’s well-being. In that moment he was both weak and strong. Weak — for he was not valued by his wife. Strong — because hope had not yet died in him.

His heart was a battlefield: love and torment, loyalty and pain, hope and despair clashed within. Each second was heavy, yet the weight only strengthened his heart.

Mustafo counted sleepless nights, each one a new sorrow, but also a new source of strength. His endurance was itself a quiet heroism.

Alas, Aygul did not feel the storm in his heart. She was absorbed in the glitter of online stars, their lives, their false images. In her ears rang sweet but hollow words, far from truth.

And so Mustafo lay there, shedding no tears, yet his heart wept blood.

A Family on the Edge

Before bed, the children washed their faces and hands and glanced at their parents. They said nothing, but in their eyes was a heavy question: “Why do you fight every day?” The children tried to preserve their childhood joy, to bring a little hope to their parents with their smiles, but deep in their hearts lay sorrow and weariness too.

Looking at them, Mustafo’s heart ached. His chest pounded for each child’s happiness. “Can I lead them into a joyful future?” he wondered, sleep eluding him. Each day he labored, never sparing his strength, fighting only for his children. Every breath, every glance — proof of a father ready to give his life for his family.

But Aygul was lost in the digital world. Her mind overflowed with tales of wealth and beauty. These illusions were the main cause of the quarrels at home. She did not feel the weight of real responsibility. Instead of supporting her husband and giving comfort, she brought unrest with her illusory dreams.

The family stood on the edge of a cliff. One harsh word, one quarrel, could tear it apart.

On one side — Mustafo, burning with fatherly love.

On the other — Aygul, lost in illusions.

In between — children, afraid to lose their dreams, looking on with joyless eyes.

Yet… sometimes a single glance from a parent, or a child’s sincere smile, could change everything. If only Aygul would realize: true value lay not in wealth or illusions, but in her children’s happiness and Mustafo’s devotion. Then she might return to her family.

And if Mustafo, instead of burying his pain inside, shared his true words with Aygul, their bond might strengthen.

Family is the greatest school of life. In this school, love and patience are essential. Without them, even the happiest childhood will slip away.

Every reader must take a lesson from this story:

— A family is not built for comfort, but for responsibility.

— And through children, the future is built.

The fate of Mustafo and Aygul remains uncertain. They stand at the cliff’s edge. One step could shatter them. Another step could bring them back to love.

Human Struggles and Family

While Mustafo lived with responsibility, Aygul drowned in dreams. When these two worlds clashed, daily quarrels grew fierce, bringing pain and sorrow into the hearts of the family.

Aygul sought wealth and freedom in her fantasies, unable to face the harsh roads of reality. Mustafo, on the other hand, poured all his strength into his children, dedicating every breath to their happiness and future.

But every time he came home, quarrels erupted. Aygul’s words stabbed like knives into Mustafo’s chest; her angry gaze tore at his spirit. There was no peace at home — at any moment the family could fall apart.

And yet, one thing still bound them: the children. Neither Mustafo nor Aygul could abandon them. For their sake, they endured. Perhaps this alone held the family back from the edge.

After each quarrel, Mustafo fell into deep thought. Looking into his children’s hopeful eyes, he struggled to preserve the family. “I cannot destroy their future,” he told himself.

The truth is this: there are many Mustafos and Ayguls in the world. On one side — unemployment, poverty, and hardship. On the other — illusions and false images. Such clashes can shatter families. When a family breaks apart, hearts tremble, and the cries of children rise to the skies.

In these painful days, Mustafo and Aygul’s family too stood on the brink of breaking. But for the children’s future, patience held them together. Despite quarrels, they still tried to live for their children.

And here I ask every reader:

— How would you save a family in such a situation?

— Could you show Mustafo’s devotion?

— Or would you be lost like Aygul in the whirlpool of illusions?

Family struggles, hardships, trials — these are life’s tests. Everyone passes them in their own way. But one thing must never be forgotten: our children’s happiness and tears are the highest price of the paths we choose.

This article was written based on the author’s observations and inner reflections.

Author: Suvanov B.Kh.

https://medium.com/@diplomatic_madder_rabbit_249/clash-of-dreams-and-reality-0f101c7edccc