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20 June 2020
Whatever Allah grants to people of mercy - none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds - none can release it thereafter. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.[Surah Fatir]Chapter 20:
Love arrives with a danger sign
Wearing a pair of three quarters, a stonewash blue shirt, and black house slippers, Ahmed dipped the sponge in soap water and wiped it across the bonnet of his car. He repeated the act several times until he was satisfied that every inch of his most cherished possession, a luxury car gifted to him by his elder brother when he returned from Ireland, was scrubbed clean. He went ahead to turn open the faucet as a spring of water washed away all remnants of dust, revealing the shiny white metal from underneath."Why's Massu out today?"Glancing over his shoulder, Ahmed looked on as Afreen, who was earlier painting under the canopy in their back garden, walked up to him."Please, Afreen, don't call this beauty Massu, you're disgracing my babe," Ahmed exhaled, feeling the pain of his car for being given such a miserable moniker, courtesy his twin."I'm just using a short form for it, no ill feelings," she teased Ahmed. "You should be happy that I'm not calling you Ahmu or something, and limiting the nicknames to your car.""I'd rather bear your outrageous nicknames myself than see my love being dishonored by a ridiculous title," he mused.Sighing dramatically at Ahmed's adoration for the beast, she remarked, "So much love for Massu, save some for your future wife too, the poor girl will have to compete against a non-living object to seek your attention.""Maybe it's not my attention that she's seeking," Ahmed replied almost immediately, his face expressionless, as he held the water hose and continued washing his car.What he thought would slide as a random comment was immediately taken note by Afreen, who turned around to observe Ahmed with a new perspective."Ahmed, what's going on?" She demanded."Car wash, that's what's going on, if it wasn't obvious enough," he muttered wryly.She gazed at him as he invested his entire concentration on the task at hand, while Afreen tried to figure out what he was hiding.From the past week, Ahmed was Ahmed yet he was behaving differently. It wasn't something that you'd immediately call out, he still laughed, joked, colored with Fariha in her coloring books, sat with family during the evenings and spoke about the new adventures and little successes at Zaika, it was the same old him and yet a part of him was missing. Afreen was sure that the rest of the family hadn't even noticed it yet, but she knew Ahmed more than she knew herself, and she was so certain that his mind was bothered by something he wasn't willing to disclose."You're not being you," she put forth, not fond of her choice of words but unsure how to get him to speak."If I'm not me then who are you talking to? My jinnie?""Ahmed, what's up?""Hey, that rhymed," he grinned, running further away from the subject of conversation."No, it didn't," Afreen deadpanned."Yes, it did. Ahmed, what's up? The last two syllables rhyme, what a waste of your English lessons, you can't even decipher basic rhymes. If Fariha was here, she'd agree too," he commented needlessly, scampering from Afreen's questions. There was no absolute way that Afreen could get the slightest hint of what was going on in his mind, he couldn't hurt her that way, not after she had come this far from her past."I'm asking you one last time, Ahmedi, what is going on? If you don't tell me, I have my ways to find out regardless. I have experience of being a detective in the past when I felt something was going on in Raiyyan Bhai's life, you know what I'm capable of," she warned, smiling widely and blinking three times in a row to assure him she was confident about her self proclaimed skills."I'm not a storyteller, Aaf, so I just can't spin fascinating stories about my life to feed your curiosity," Ahmed replied, not budging."If your earlier statement wasn't proof enough, then the fact that you're standing here washing your car gives me an added reason to raise speculations," she put forth, smiling because she knew she had won the argument with that point.It was an old habit of Ahmed, from before his college days, every time he was stressed, or his mind was muddled, or when he was just annoyed with everyone and everything, he'd start washing the car. It was hilarious in a way because he'd fume and retort and then you'd find him standing in the drive-through scrubbing his car. There was a joke in the family that if someone wanted their car to look all sparkly and shiny, they had to annoy Ahmed and he'd do them a favor by washing their car to diffuse some heat. While the joke stuck around for quite a bit, the fact that Ahmed was here committing the deed reinforced Afreen's assumptions about something bothering him."What led you to wash the car today?" She questioned."My car, my wish," he shrugged. "Go away, Afreen, can't a person simply wash his car in peace without you searching for an ulterior motive behind the move?" he grumbled."A person can, but you can't, Ahmed. This car wash definitely has a purpose behind it," she reasoned."You got that right," he shook his head, giving her leverage."Wonderful! Now to the next question, what's the reason?" She asked, glad that he was finally opening up."So I can offer you a drive in my car and drop you to a faraway land from where you won't ask me so many questions. There, mystery solved," he provided, grinning exaggeratedly to emphasize his point."Such a bummer," Afreen huffed. Seeing him tight-lipped on this topic, she cut the chase and asked, "Who is the girl?" "You are a girl," he answered, driving her nuts."Who is the girl on your mind?" She spelled it out for her annoying twin.Pointing the water hose towards Afreen, he sprinkled water in her direction before swiftly repositioning it on the car again."Wake up, Aaf," he smirked, "Come out of your theories, no girl, and no love story here.""You didn't just drench me in water," Afreen yelled, aghast, swiping away a lock of hair that stuck to her face as she felt water soak her clothes and trickle down her skin.Even before Ahmed could answer in the affirmative, Afreen lifted the bucked that he had been using to soak the dusty sponge, and splashed the grimy water on him, taking him by surprise."You didn't just throw a bucket of filthy water on me," Ahmed accused, and taking advantage of the hose he had in hand, directed it back to Afreen, as she yelled and ran around their courtyard, while Ahmed laughed and chased her, trailing a path with the jet of water behind her. It wasn't long before Afreen fought back, and when Fariha discovered that her Chachu and Fu-Fu were having a water fight without inviting her, she joined them unannounced, and the garden of the Siddique household boomed with laughter and excited squeals of one child and two child-like adults.It was only when Zainab pitched in, cautioning her children about the cold Fariha could catch while also chiding them for wasting so much water, that their water fight finally ended. The family gathered over tea later in the evening and their day's adventures made for some light-hearted talk, and Ahmed, who had fallen slightly sick, sneezed his way through it while Afreen teased him for being a weak little baby. She hadn't forgotten the dialogues they exchanged earlier, and even as Ahmed tried to put it behind them and pretend as nothing happened, he didn't know Afreen wasn't going to give up. It was only a matter of time until she'd discover the thoughts that had so far remained a secret behind his heart and mind.
***
Afreen stepped into her brother's restaurant, nodding her head in acknowledgment and returning the greeting of the watchman on the way. She had loved everything that Ahmed had done with this place, right from the outdoor seating arrangement to the indoor infrastructure. It was a vintage bungalow that their dad had bought a few years back, so when Ahmed pitched his restaurant idea, Ibrahim happily let him renovate and recreate the place according to his need. His bright ideas and tasteful choices had thus led to the inception and creation of Zaika, a place that was quickly gaining popularity, and Afreen couldn't be more proud of her brother's achievements. The last time she had been here was during the opening ceremony of the restaurant when most of her relatives were also present, praising Ahmed's dedicated project, showering him with endless duas. Now, as she walked ahead, taking in all the new tweaks Zaika had undergone since her last visit, she caught Ahmed hanging up on a phone call he was earlier engaged in and walked up to him."Assalamu alaikum," she greeted, smiling at the look of surprise that crossed his features."Wa Alaikum as-salam," he responded, grinning at his twin. "Why are you here, Aaf, planning to attack my kitchen and embezzle all Nutella pancakes?""You got that right," she agreed, scrunching her nose and sticking her tongue out at him. "But the best part is I don't even have to attack the counters, I'll just walk in and say my brother asked for all pancakes to be packed and sent with me and voila, the job will be done!""Always thought we needed a locker in the restaurant for the money, just realized we got to install a trunk too to protect our Nutella jars from you," he jested. "Why are you here, and how did you come?" He further questioned."Raiyyan Bhai was heading for a meeting, so he dropped me on the way," she informed, walking ahead as she inspected her surroundings."Alright, why don't you grab a seat, Aaf, I'll get you something," Ahmed proposed."You don't have to host me, Ahmedi, I'll be fine on my own. Oh and where's Jamie, I'd love to see her, been a while since I met her."Afreen's statement caused Ahmed to widen his eyes as something struck him. He was so glad to have Afreen pay him a surprise visit that he had momentarily forgotten the risks that came with it."Wait," he warned, rushing from behind her as he came to stand in front, blocking her path."What's the matter?" Afreen asked, slightly taken aback."Don't go to meet Jamie just yet," he said, trying to sound as casual as possible, swallowing the hint of hesitation that threatened to lace his tone. "Why don't you grab something to eat first," he offered, glancing at his watch and realizing if he could stall Afreen for ten more minutes, everything would go fine.Afreen found it fishy but hoping to solve Ahmed's mystery soon, she accepted his suggestion and sat down in a cozy corner, a spot that he had suggested. Waiting for the food, she uselessly scanned through the menu for Ahmed had already asked for Zaika's signature dishes to be served.There was a moment when Afreen's gaze, which was earlier fixed on the menu, curiously flitted towards the girl seated with a man by the adjacent table, and she looked so familiar that her mind racked through the faces in its memory to place her. Busy in the act, she missed the expression of panic that her brother's features morphed into when something else caught his eye. Ahmed was alarmed to notice the person he was religiously avoiding, and he observed as she stepped out, descended the short flight of two stairs and made her way to the backdoor of the restaurant, a destination that she'd reach only after crossing past them.There was no way he could allow Afreen to come across a lady who was tied to an unpleasant incident of her life."Is there something by your feet?" Ahmed asked Afreen instantaneously, hoping to distract his twin so she wouldn't notice the person who was about to traverse their path."What?" Afreen asked, her gaze shifting to the ground as she shuffled her feet, trying to see what it was. "Nothing's here," she added."There?" He insisted pointing towards her black kitten heels that had a lovely red rose near the ankle, trying to keep her distracted for a few more seconds."Nothing's here, Ahmed," she reemphasized."Oh okay," Ahmed shrugged, his posture relaxing as the girl in concern had successfully crossed them without his sister noticing.Afreen looked at her twin, her eyes narrowing in confusion at his antics, and said, "You're a weirdo.""The A in my name stands for amazing, just saying," he smiled indolently, glad that he had succeeded in his plan.Afreen didn't respond to him, because as she looked at Ahmed who was seated across from her, in her peripheral view her gaze landed on a hijabi behind him, whose back was to them, as she trailed her way on the cobbled pathway etched amidst the grass. Something about the girl's physique and gait took Afreen four years back, nostalgia wafting her senses, and although she wasn't sure if it was her, even before Afreen could stop herself, she called out loud,"Rufaida?"Ahmed slumped in his chair and facepalmed himself just as Rufaida halted in her steps, turning around at the foreign voice that bore roots of familiarity.It took a minute for Rufaida to register that the voice who proclaimed her name was of a girl who wasn't exactly her sister but had always been more than a friend."Afreen." She said, the name on her tongue prompting her mind to register that it was the person she had seen a little less than half a decade ago. After a moment's reluctance, she decided to walk up to her, and greeted, "Assalamu alaikum.""Wa Alaikum as-salam," Afreen responded, a smile on her lips. "What a pleasant surprise. How have you been, Rufaida?""Alhamdulilah, I've been good," Rufaida replied, a dazed smile that had tilted her lips since the beginning staying in place. "Subhan Allah, it's good to see you, Afreen.""Likewise," Afreen agreed, grinning at her. "What are you doing here? Have you come with your friends? I'd ask if you're here with a husband, but let's keep that conversation for another day," Afreen laughed, but her question didn't amuse Rufaida, because she instinctively glanced at Ahmed, and her gaze held an unspoken question. Ahmed made no gestures, but the uncertainty in his eyes before he looked away answered her query. "I work here," she stated, aware that Ahmed hadn't disclosed the piece of information to his sister for obvious reasons."You're the nutritionist here?" Afreen asked, astonished."Yeah," Rufaida asserted, feeling slightly conscious, and Afreen turned towards Ahmed who didn't meet her gaze as he fiddled with his phone."You made those healthy cupcakes and pizza, didn't you?" She asked, trying to tame the tension in the air. "Ahmed brought them home so we could taste and give our reviews, Mamma was very impressed too, she wanted to meet you and ask for a diet plan for her health conditions. I wish I'd known earlier, I'd come and meet you," she said, although the last part of her statement was a subtle taunt to Ahmed for hiding this from her all this while."I'm pretty new here," Rufaida covered up, not wanting Afreen to hold Ahmed guilty for something he had done to protect his twin. "It's been a month since I joined, and I'll be leaving after two months. Chef Neil hired me on a project basis, so I'm not from the permanent staff," she provided."Anyway," Afreen dismissed, "Forget the work part of it, Rufaida, and tell me if you're free now. I'd love to sit and chat with you," she suggested."I was just heading home..." Rufaida trailed off. "But I definitely can spare a few minutes," she gave in. "Wonderful!" Afreen exclaimed as she added, "If you could please excuse us, Ahmed, that'd be great. Just catching up with an old friend, I hope you don't mind. And if you do, we'll have to discuss that later."Ahmed gazed at his twin, raising an eyebrow at her curt tone. "Why would I have a problem if you wish to meet your friend?" he asked, trying to play it cool as he rose from his chair and made way for Rufaida. "I guess I'll answer that after I find whatever it was that you were asking me to look near my feet a few minutes back," she replied, glaring at him.He grinned sheepishly in reply, amused by the fact that he had riled up Afreen by his unsuccessful attempt to prevent her from encountering Rufaida and learning that she worked at Zaika. Turns out the effort had been unnecessary, though, because contrary to what he thought, Afreen was astoundingly happy to have stumbled upon her. "Too bad that you didn't find it yet," he poked fun, replying to her earlier statement. "Maybe I was asking you to search for your lost common sense.""Goodbye Ahmed, we'll continue this conversation at home," she remarked, rolling her eyes at him."I'll see you later," he nodded, making his way indoors. "If you need anything, just ask the waiter or leave me a text. The food is on the house."Rufaida waited until he had gone ten steps further before occupying the seat he had left for her, and as she sat down, for the first time as a customer in a place where she was from the staff, she lifted her gaze to Afreen. She took a while to absorb her appearance, realizing she looked much, much better from the last time she saw her. Her sharp, pointed nose and high cheekbones accentuated her features, and all these years had enhanced her beauty all the more, she deduced. But above her physical appearance it was the tranquillity that her smile held that intrigued Rufaida, yet put her at ease.There was so much that Rufaida wanted to tell Afreen, but she didn't know where to start. The two had always shared a chaste bond, but the years apart had begotten a long gap, and in the void lay her apprehensions of uttering things that may hurt Afreen or remind her of her past, and Rufaida didn't want to touch any topic that would play with her old wounds.However, it was what Afreen asked next that stirred Rufaida's mind as it scrambled for an answer."How's Zubair?" She questioned, much to Rufaida's disbelief. "He's..." Rufaida paused, trying to think of the right word for her cousin. She had seen him last week when they'd gone to visit her Nani. He had respectfully greeted Asma and politely enquired about Rufaida's work before disappearing to his room. He looked in better spirits, but there was no denying that the incident had changed him completely."He's healing," she finally answered.There was a long silence after that, both of them busying themselves in eating their meals, while their minds spun in the blizzard of the events of the past."I've made some terrible mistakes in my life," Afreen finally stated, her face so serious that it took Rufaida a moment to register she was the same girl who had been light-hearted with Ahmed a few minutes back."We all make mistakes, Afreen," Rufaida said, recounting her own faults."I learned many lessons, but one of the most prominent takeaways from my past is that you must never push things. You must try hard and pursue your dream, but you shouldn't extend the limits set in Islam. You have to wait for it to come to you by Allah because if you achieve it any other way, be it through force or out of stubbornness, you won't find contentment and it'll eventually slip out of your fingers."Rufaida's hand stilled in taking a bite of her food at Afreen's wise words, and looking into her deep eyes, she asked, "How are you, Afreen?" She further observed her and added, "You've changed from the last time I saw you, how have you been all this while?"Afreen's lips tilted into a smile as she said, "I usually don't unleash this deep side in front of my family, especially my brothers. But it's always been different with you, Rufaida. You're not a person one just has a casual chat with.""I've missed you, Afreen," Rufaida confessed, her words sincere. "I don't have any sisters and while I had some wonderful friends in Uni, you were the first person I shared such a strong bond with. It was not until you left did I realize how much I cherished our conversations on the terrace. I was always tempted to pick my phone and talk to you, but I didn't want to seem like an intruder and get in the way of you getting over your past."Afreen nodded at Rufaida's statement, realizing that she too had changed over the years. She was no more holding back her words, she was more vocal about her feelings than she once was, and Afreen was glad to see her this way. She had always known Rufaida as someone who measured her sentences every time she spoke, but to see her like this, it felt good. Speaking her mind, Afreen said, "Zubair and I truly loved each other, and to date, I don't doubt our love, but I regret the timing. We were not meant to be together back then, but I was too far gone to understand that. Maybe if I had given it more time, things could have turned differently. Years later, as much as I'd like to think of myself as a victim, I know I'm the one at fault, maybe even more than Zubair. He never promised me a fairytale, but he always said he'd be with me through all the trials. It was I who quit midway, who left his hand and turned my back on him. When I found out that his mother sold my ancestral jewelry, I was angry and hurt. I told him that if he wanted this marriage to continue, we had to live separately where his mum wouldn't be controlling us all the time. But who am I kidding? Zubair had just found a new job, we were struggling financially, he was his mother's only son, and I forced him to choose between me and his mum. He couldn't do that to his mother, and even if he did, where would we go? We had no money, no house to start a new life in. I entered this marriage in a hurry and left it in haste, I called all miseries on myself. When he found out what his mother had committed, he didn't defend her, he felt my pain, agreed that she shouldn't have done what she did, but I was hasty and expected more out of him. What could he do, though? He was already trying enough, had saved every penny to take me on a vacation, but I was so mad, I couldn't see anything. If only I had been more patient, I wouldn't have broken two hearts this miserably."Rufaida wasn't expecting Afreen to narrate the perspective she did. She usually had conversations about Afreen and Zubair's love story with Asma, and while she and her mother had discussed everything that Afreen just spoke, it surprised her nonetheless that Afreen had become so judicious in her judgments, she was clearly accepting and admitting her faults that were committed unintentionally. It required courage to take the blame after a divorce instead of declaring the other person as the culprit, and she found her respect for Afreen increase tenfold by this act."I wish I had stopped you that day..." Rufaida sighed wistfully, holding herself guilty. "Maybe if I could give you a piece of proper advice instead of silently supporting your moves when you were packing your bags, we could have given it a second thought. But we were so inexperienced, fresh out of college, getting used to the whole adulting process, quick with our judgments and so impatient, that you couldn't see past your betrayal and I couldn't help but support you. I think Zubair Bhaiya was hurt the most, he couldn't believe it when your driver delivered the khula papers, and it broke my heart to see him that way," Rufaida confessed, her eyes misting. "The months that followed were incredibly hard for him."Afreen gulped the ice cold drink, and while usually it would give her a brain freeze with its sub zero temperature, her heart felt so cold at the moment that she couldn't feel anything."What his mum did with me was wrong, but what I did with him and myself also was not justified. Divorce has become so common these days, but as someone who has been through it, I wish couples would think it through and not opt for it in haste. If Allah had willed for us to separate, the decision would anyway transpire without me going on war, losing my sense of reasoning," Afreen mused softly."It was a painful journey, Afreen, but it happened by the will of Allah, and it changed everyone involved for the better, so I guess in the end, the scars were worth it, because they etched the path to return to Allah," Rufaida encouraged, sharing her thoughts."True," Afreen agreed. "Things could have happened differently but they didn't. If I had been patient, maybe we could find happiness but the fact is, Allah hadn't kept any happiness in our relationship. We started on a haraam note, with so many ill feelings from people around, it was the perfect recipe for disaster. It has taken me a lot of willpower to put my past behind me, Rufaida, in fact, we don't even speak about it anymore at home, the little episode feels like it never happened. But seeing you after all this time, a lot of memories swarmed my mind and I don't know," she shrugged, leaving her thoughts unfinished, as she gently put forth her reasons for talking about Zubair and her divorce."I'm glad you've moved on," Rufaida noted."It's hard to forgive yourself for the mistakes you committed with your own hands, but I'm trying. As much as I want to say that I wish things wouldn't have taken such an ugly turn, I know they had to happen. I pray he can find true love once again. We just weren't made for each other, destiny was not in our favor, but we were too naive and foolish and challenged Allah's decree. I was so busy writing my story that I forgot to leave a blank page in between for Allah to execute His plan."The last statement hit home for Rufaida, and she felt it on a personal level. Wasn't she doing the same all her life? So fearful of the storm, she hadn't trusted Allah and dived into the ocean to look for the hidden treasures, she instead tried to stay safe at the shore, and her complacence had prevented her from reaching the gems."That's something I learned recently," Rufaida put forth, not divulging into the details. "You can't claim to have complete faith in Allah until you acknowledge that He is also above the fears you've been harboring all your life. At some point, you have to discover the magnificence of Allah, and instead of doubting your future, you have to look at it with hope, because no matter what comes your way, as long as Allah is with you, you're going to be alright."Afreen smiled at Rufaida's statement, and guessed, "Does that mean you are no more ditching proposals of prospective grooms your Nani gets your way?"A laugh escaped Rufaida's lips with the way Afreen framed the sentence and she said, "You could say I'm trying.""The progress makes me happy. From fuming at the idea of marriage to skimming through proposals, four years did you well, Rufaida," Afreen joked.At the compliment, Rufaida mustered a smile and shook her head in reply, not revealing the number of tears and effort it took for her to adopt this mindset. She had to break and remake the foundation of values and beliefs she stood on, and while she stumbled and fell terribly all the way, she was slowly finding her footing through the process.While discussing the events that had occurred a long time ago was an unforced, abrupt conversation that they had exchanged upon meeting unexpectedly, after a while, they moved on to lighter topics. They spoke about their careers and new hobbies while enquiring about each other's family before Afreen said, "I wish Ahmed had informed me about you earlier, I would have dropped by sooner."Rufaida let that statement hang in the air, not replying to it, as Afreen prodded, "You didn't know this was Ahmed's venture before you joined, did you?""I didn't have the slightest idea that Zaika belonged to him," she agreed."Why do I think that had you known, you would never have chosen to work here," Afreen mulled."Well..." Rufaida trailed off, not denying her claim."Zaika is Ahmed's dream project, and back at home, during our family time in the evening, or sometimes when everyone gathers for dinner, he usually discusses everything that goes on in the restaurant. So you ought to know, during our conversations, he has spoken very highly of the nutritionist planning the healthy menu of Zaika and he truly appreciates your ideas. It's another thing that he didn't specify it was you," Afreen filled her in about some of the details from her house, and the slight blush that tinted her skin pink at the concealed compliment didn't escape Afreen's notice.At the revelation, Rufaida bit her lip and looked away, no idea why her heart skipped a beat as goosebumps graced her skin. She hated the fact that her insides turned mushy upon discovering Ahmed's praise for her, and she almost wanted to chastise herself for behaving this way. Taking heed to Asma's advice and trying to not reject proposals was one thing, but her heart was stretching the boundaries too far. This was downright unacceptable and she needed to get a grip.However, something about Rufaida's subdued expression struck Afreen and her eyes slightly widened as she put two and two. She was immediately reminded of Ahmed's sullen mood the other day as he washed Massu, and her mind started spinning ideas. If it was what she was thinking, then oh boy, they were coming one full circle. Who knew that through her heartbreak, the universe was weaving her brother's love story?Afreen was curious to know the details behind whatever that was cooking, but she was also aware that she had to be subtle and take it super slow with Rufaida, or she'd close her out. Thus, they broached on lighter topics for the rest of the conversation, until Rufaida finally said,"It's about time I head home, mum must be waiting for me. Besides, in sha Allah, Nani is going to drop by today.""Sure, convey my salaam to Aunty and your Nani if you happen to tell them about me, Rufaida. I had a lovely time with you," Afreen beamed."Same here, Afreen," Rufaida returned the tribute, fetching her purse as she calculated a rough figure for her meal before placing the cash in a little jar that rested at the center of the table. It was a cheque holder, and the waiters usually dropped bills in it at the end of the customers' meal."Please, Rufaida, you don't have to do this," Afreen was quick to hold her hand and halt her."That's alright, Afreen. I know your brother was unwilling to charge us, but I had to pay for what I ate," she justified."It's not on the house, Rufaida, even though that's what he said. It's a new business and the best way to support him is by not accepting free treats because I'm family. So, yes, I was about to pay for us instead, without letting him know, of course," Afreen responded."Nevermind, Afreen, I just paid half the amount anyway," Rufaida reassured, sticking to her rules, and even though Afreen insisted she take the money back, she stood her ground and eventually bid her goodbye and proceeded to leave. For long minutes after their encounter, Afreen sat in the same spot that Rufaida had left her, her mind slowly wrapping itself around the last few pieces of her past. She eventually willed herself to let go of them, reclosing the chapter from which a few paragraphs had escaped without notice, and busied herself in focussing on the future ahead, wondering how she could help her brother if he had gotten himself into what her mind suggested.
***
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Phew! This chapter started off being normal length but as I read and re-read, I kept adding paragraphs in between and it just ended up turning this long. So glad that after all the time-consuming edits, I was finally able to update alhamdulilah! I would really appreciate honest feedback and constructive criticism on the plot, the flow, the timing of events, its characters, and everything in general. I would love to hear your thoughts and predictions. Thank you for your love and support towards my works, may Allah bless all of you <3
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