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6th March 2021

"So be patient with your Lord's decree, for you are truly under Our ˹watchful˺ Eyes."

[Surah At - Tur]

Chapter 26:

The beginning of a new chapter

Every once in a while, there emerged a season in the year where everyone seemed to be getting married. From the best friend you had in college to the old neighbor you grew up playing with, from a distant relative's wife's cousin's daughter to the milkman's son, it looked like every single person on the face of the earth was walking into a new phase of life. The situation reached a point where the announcement of the wedding of an acquaintance you least expected wouldn't even bother you – because, of course, the marriage bug bit them too.

This season of weddings had definitely arrived in Afreen's life, and while there was a time when she loved dressing up and being a part of festivities, after everything that had happened, she had become very selective of the events she made an appearance in. There was always someone eyeing her in pity or gossiping of her past, and as much as she tried putting up a brave front, there's only so much that she could take.

Now, as Afreen sat by a round table, she glanced at the stunning lilies that rested in a glass vase at the center, the reflection of Turkish lamps that hung above in the banquet hall casting shadows upon them.

"Hello Miss, where you lost?"

Turning away from the fresh blossoms, she spun around to gaze at her friend from college, who had been keeping her company that evening as they attended their classmate's wedding.

"Nowhere," Afreen responded, smiling apologetically for zoning her out the past couple of minutes.

"Doesn't Kainat look amazing, ma sha Allah? That bridal glow is mesmerizing," Hiba gushed, and then she blushed.

"May Allah bless her, yes she does," Afreen agreed, and having caught the tinge of red on her cheeks, she asked, "But why are you blushing? Does this mean what I think it means?" She guessed, not even surprised.

"Yes," she nodded, smiling giddily. "I got fixed," she informed, giggling.

"Ma sha Allah, Hiba," Afreen grinned. "Congratulations! And who's the guy who signed up to buy you your endless supply of make-up for the rest of his life?" She joked, for her friend had a record for splurging all her savings in make-up.

"His name is Hamdan," she informed, a genuine smile on her lips. "He works in the States, so in sha Allah I'll be relocating after getting married. The engagement is next week, will be fixing the wedding dates then."

Afreen nodded at the information, and said, "Your parents are courageous to be sending you away that far, being the only daughter after three sons, how do they feel about it?"

Hiba recoiled at the question, her face morphing in sympathy for her parents. "My mum declined so many proposals in the past because she was keen on getting me married to someone from our city. But when Hamdan's proposal arrived, everything about it clicked, and him working in a foreign land didn't seem like a good enough reason to turn him down. So here we are," she shrugged. "It's the Qadr of Allah, our partners are written, and when the time comes and Allah sends them in our life, there's nothing that can stop us from uniting in marriage. It's all about Allah's decree and His timing."

At the statement, Afreen suddenly felt nostalgic. The words that Hiba just uttered held so much weight, and it was a subject she had been reflecting on off late. Back in college, when she got married, so many girls around her felt she was living the dream life. Those who weren't aware of the complete picture marveled at her story, for it was several girls' dream to get married fresh out of college, to settle with the guy they had dreamt about growing up. Some of her friends had also envied her, and some of the Aunties she knew had started turning anxious, worried for their daughters who they felt needed to get married too or it would be late.

But were these deadlines really necessary, Afreen wondered. If she could go back in time, she'd advise her friends that getting married in haste at a certain age and setting deadlines on life events was pointless when you could instead patiently wait for your turn and allow things to come from Allah, even if they, by societal standards, were categorized 'late'. Allah's timing was everything, only if people understood this fact. Afreen may have been married at the age of 21, an age considered ideal for girls, but what was it worth for she was divorced by 22. Meanwhile, there were so many of her friends who married much later but were happy and living a contented life with their spouses.

"Afreen," Hiba prompted, gazing at her in concern. "I just hope you're giving marriage a second chance. One day you'll find someone who will make you realize why Allah made you wait to meet them, and that day none of these loathsome days and lonely nights will matter. The happiness of finally finding them will be so great that it will make you forget the agonizing journey you had to cover to reach the destination."

Afreen smiled tersely in reply, not uttering a word after that because the steps she had taken to reach this far were very personal to her, and she seldom spoke about it. She knew Hiba was being kind and the words she uttered were extremely comforting, but there were just some subjects that hit a sensitive spot and you didn't like speaking about them to anyone. This, for obvious reasons, happened to be one of those for Afreen

Sensing Afreen's vibe, Hiba quickly broached lighter subjects after that and the night, which had suddenly turned sympathetic, went back to being joyous, celebrating the union of two people and their families.

Hiba and Afreen, escorted by the bride's sisters soon headed towards the dining section of the hall, and once they had relished the scrumptious meal, reminisced their college memories and bid their goodbyes, Afreen stepped out, walking to her brother's car.

"Assalamu Alaikum," Ahmed greeted once Afreen shut the door, and the twin mumbled her reply.

They stayed silent for half of the journey, deep in their respective thoughts, until Afreen, unwilling to stay in a reflective trance that the earlier conversation had put her in, said, "What's up Ahmed, how come you're quiet?"

"It's my bedtime, Aaf, you made me come all the way to pick you up. I'm just dreaming of the sleep I could be catching up on if I weren't driving right now," he grunted.

Afreen rolled her eyes at the statement, "By bedtime, you mean the time you lay in your bed under your duvet and scroll through memes? And what kind of a species are you Ahmed, people dream after sleeping and you're dreaming of sleeping?"

Ahmed cast a sideways glance at her, and mumbled, "A person dreams of the things he loves, so what's your problem if I dream of sleeping?"

Smiling suggestively, Afreen took forward the conversation from the point that Ahmed initiated. "Now that we're on the topic of love..." she started.

When Ahmed's face turned neutral, she found her eyes analyzing his every move.

"Do we have any progress?" Afreen questioned.

"Progress on what precisely?" Ahmed queried, his face expressionless.

"You know what I'm talking about, Ahmed."

"If you're talking about Zaika and the progress on our new branch, then yes, alhamdulilah we're doing good, the investors are on board, the business plan is in place and we should initiate the project shortly, in sha Allah," he informed, his sudden professional tone irking her.

Sucking in a tired breath, Afreen gathered the patience to deal with her twin. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"Really?" Ahmed asked, his eyes wide in exaggerated surprise. "I thought that's what you meant when you dropped the progress term."

Spelling it out for him, Afreen reprimanded, "Stop pretending to be oblivious, Ahmed. You know I'm talking about Rufaida."

"Oh, is it?" he asked, a hint of anger seeping in his tone. "I'm sorry I wouldn't know why would you enquire to me about someone else's soon-to-be wife."

Now, it was Afreen's turn to be surprised.

"You can't be serious, Ahmed," she rebuked. "Rufaida was just overwhelmed when I proposed this to her, that's exactly why she said she's considering another proposal. But what's wrong with you? Without even verifying the news, you're letting this go?"

"It's been a while to that, Aaf," Ahmed informed. "I was still planning my way through it, but sometime back, in our weekly meetings Jamie hinted that she was getting married, so I guess it's your turn to check your facts before you ask me to reopen a closed chapter."

Taken aback by the unprecedented news, Afreen denied it. "I don't believe this, something tells me there's more to it. I'm not saying Rufaida can't get married to someone else, but the fact that you heard it from Jamie makes me doubt the accuracy of the matter. That girl says a lot of things, not all of them are entirely true, some are just based on assumptions."

Unwilling to even go anywhere near the conversation, Ahmed commanded, "I don't want to speak about it, I suggest you don't bring this up with me again, Afreen."

Ahmed had many shades to him, and this was one. His tone wasn't always dominating, but if he opted for it to deliver a verdict, it was a direct hint that this was the end of the matter from his side and there was no going back from here.

But, Afreen was his twin and she turned into a rebel when she wanted to, defying his moves. Thus, she said what she did.

"Are you really going to betray your heart because your mind is portraying a believable theory?" She questioned.

"Afreen," Ahmed warned. "I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Her initial reaction was shock and denial when I proposed this idea, but maybe she has grown fond of it now. I could ask Rufaida, at least we'll get to hear the truth on this matter. If you want to close the case, at least do it with certainty instead of rooting your decision on just something you heard from someone else," she put forth.

Taking in a deep breath and calming his raging mind, Ahmed glared at his twin. "I saw a dream once and had to pay the price of it by burying its shattered pieces. So now, when I've come to accept Allah's decree, don't put me in a loop of running in circles. I'm not the one whom she wants to marry, just accept it, Afreen. Drop it, because I for one am not picking it up."

"Do what you want then," Afreen replied, agitated by his I-don't-care-anymore attitude. "But just know that she fits the criteria of the wife you're looking for and it is going to be very difficult to find someone else like her."

When Ahmed looked at her in exasperation, she shrugged. "Just saying."

"And you think I don't know that?" He asked, clenching his jaw.

"Then do something," she begged.

"If that something is forcing her to be with me, then no, I don't plan to do anything," he replied, and his tone carried an air of finality to it.

The matter was closed, the decision was made and there was no going back from here.

***

Rufaida glanced at the little invite in her hand and smiled at the words printed on it. Jamie had handed it to her when she stepped in that morning and Rufaida hoped they weren't doing anything extra special.

Rufaida's Farewell – join us to bid goodbye to our kindest colleague.

In the garden area, 2:30 p.m. sharp

Three months had gone by quicker than she had anticipated, and in her entire working career, which was short yet vibrant, her time at Zaika had been the most pleasant. She'd remember these days for the rest of her life, be it its flavourful dishes, its kind-hearted staff or the considerate Boss.

Chastising her heart at the abrupt thought, she paid no heed to it and glanced at her watch before making her way to the garden area. She was met with a flurry of emotions when she realized most of the staff that wasn't working their shift was here. A decorated table was spread before her, on which lay a cake specially customized by Jamie, Neil's signature chicken strips, a few snacks, and a gift.

"We hope you like this little party we threw in your honour, Rufaida. Your service to Zaika has been commendable and you've been an asset to these premises," Neil spoke, and Rufaida found herself light-headed go with their thoughtful efforts.

Rufaida wasn't too fond of being the center of attention, and her voice quivering, she replied, "Thank you, it's been a pleasure to work at Zaika."

She was suddenly taken back to her last job, and how she had been forced to resign, almost fired, as the authority dismissed her efforts to stay loyal to them because she didn't contribute to their money-making schemes. Contrary to that, here was Zaika and its staff, challenging everyone who said good people didn't exist in this world anymore.

"We're going to miss you, Rufs, I don't know what it's going to be like to enter the kitchen and not find you there tomorrow," Jamie commented, her voice breaking as she said the last part, and Rufaida turned emotional, her eyes filling up.

As another staff member, hard of hearing, signed her goodbye speech, the atmosphere unexpectedly brimmed with several sentiments, and sensing it, Neil ushered Rufaida to cut the cake and begin the party, saying the sniffles could be kept for later.

They smiled and laughed and exchanged goodbyes, and as Rufaida's heart took in the feeling of this moment, her last few minutes of working at Zaika, a place that was etched in her memories, it didn't escape her notice that Ahmed wasn't here. Her eyes swept through the members gathered in front of her, searching for him without intending to, until she realized it was futile.

It shouldn't matter, she told herself.

So even as a tiny part of her soul searched for him in familiar faces, she reminded herself that some people were meant to leave our lives so abruptly that there was no time for even a goodbye. They may have taught us lessons, inflicted us pain, or given us memories we'd always cherish, but when it was time for them to exit the story, the show would go on without them. Whether you liked it or not was out of the question, because you had no choice, you couldn't forcefully ask them to stay when they had no role to play in your life anymore.

***

Ahmed flipped through the file, scanning the grocery procurement layout that was proposed to him. He was glad he was genuinely busy in work and had a valid reason to not attend a certain someone's farewell. He didn't trust his feelings, seeing her leave forever would be hard and he didn't want to witness it.

He had accepted that she was gone from his life, he didn't need a visual depiction of it.

So as he analyzed a few strategies, and made a few decisions, and called out a few revised policies, he was distracted enough to not consider any requests from his protesting heart.

The entire meeting had stretched into hours, and after the manager left, Ahmed reclined in his chair, physically and emotionally exhausted as he stared at the blank ceiling, in sync with his thoughts.

A sudden firm knock on the door jolted him out of his trance, and he turned his head to the right, the visitor at the door leaving him perplexed.

"Assalamu alaikum."

"Wa alaikum as salam, Hilal," Ahmed replied, taken aback. "You didn't inform me that you planned to drop by."

"I wasn't planning to," Hilal made known, and something about the sight in front of him confused Ahmed.

Dressed in his work clothes, with a blazer and tie, Ahmed wondered what made Hilal halt by Zaika at this hour. It didn't look like he'd just come here to chill, at least his attire didn't suggest that.

"I was driving back home, had almost reached too, but then I surprised myself by taking a turn."

Ahmed took in his best friend's expression, and he realized it was rare of Hilal to be this rattled. In his entire life, he had only seen him this way before his CA exam, and that was huge. So focussed, tensed and gripped with the fear of failure, this was not the regular Hilal.

"Is everything okay?" Ahmed asked, suddenly anxious.

Hilal nodded. "Alhamdulilah everything's fine."

"What will you have, I'm sure you're hungry," he offered, but Hilal denied his suggestion.

"Don't bother, man," Hilal dismissed, even as Ahmed picked up his phone and ordered Zaika's classic dishes.

"So..." Ahmed trailed off.

"Junaid's getting married, did you get the news?"

"Really?" Ahmed asked, surprised.

Hilal smiled. "Apparently, he finally found his world."

The phrase made Ahmed laugh, and he recalled, "Back in college, every second week he introduced us to his girlfriend saying meet my girl, she's my world. I always thought he was out there trying to build a galaxy of his own with the number of worlds he changed."

"What's surprising is that he settled for an arranged marriage, he's marrying his cousin."

Although the statement surprised Ahmed, he chose to not comment on it.

Clearing his throat, Hilal got to the motto of his visit. "Which reminds me, there's something I want to ask you and I hope it's not violating bro code."

Not thinking much about it, Ahmed encouraged him to go on. "I'm waiting for you to get to the point, it's not always that you come here looking flustered."

Not denying the claim, Hilal started, "Ahmed, I know your sister is very precious to you, and she deserves someone who can value her for who she is. I have always admired her from a distance and decided it was about time I let you know. If Afreen sees any goodness in me, and if you and your family aren't against it, I hope she can accept my proposal to marry her."

Certainly, the concept of go easy did not exist in Hilal's dictionary. Ahmed sat in his chair, absolutely puzzled, his mind unstable at what was just uttered to him as he gazed at Hilal in confusion, wondering when all of this had started and just how did Ahmed not get a hint of it.

"You like Afreen?" Ahmed asked, straight and to the point.

"I do," Hilal confessed.

"How did I never catch a hint?" Ahmed wondered aloud.

"Probably because I never gave one?" Hilal put forth.

"Oh man," Ahmed breathed, his heart celebrating now that Hilal's words had begun to finally sink in as he considered such a possibility. Hilal was not only his best friend but also one of the most genuine humans he had met in life. He would be the perfect match for Afreen, although Ahmed had never thought of them together before. But even as he was ecstatic about it, Ahmed's mind proposed his fears.

"But Hilal, have you spoken to your parents about this? Afreen is very dear to me, and I'll only allow her to marry a man who knows her worth. While I think the two of you will make a wonderful match, I don't want to even bring this up at home if you're uncertain or your parents' are going to have a problem with her past."

Hilal looked at him peculiarly, and reminded, "I wouldn't put this forward to you without discussing it with my family first, Ahmed. Besides, I don't think any one of us has a right to discuss somebody's past or judge them for their mistakes when they've already repented for it."

Ahmed eyed his friend out of respect and then smiled. "I'll discuss this at home and let you know, in sha Allah. But just know that if we're going ahead with this, I'm not going to be easy on you. I'm still Afreen's brother and you will have to clear the test to reach her."

Rolling his eyes at his friend's jibe, Hilal responded, "Bring it on." After a pause, he added, "Ahmed, I don't want her to get into something she doesn't wish to. If Afreen ever agrees to marry me, I want this to be her decision from the heart, and not a mere approval because she's left with no choice. Please let her know that whatever she decides, I will accept it. If it's a yes from her, I will ask my mother to call your mom and formally send this proposal. And if she is unwilling, then we'll bury this matter forever. I hope our bond will not be affected by this."

Nodding slowly at his words, and silently amused by his serious and straightforward friend's side of being in love, Ahmed replied, "Afreen is free to choose, Hilal. She's not one to step into anything half-heartedly. She's rested her affairs in Allah's Hands, she would never get into anything that doesn't come from Allah, and she would never refuse any matter that Allah has destined for her. We'll see what her take on this is."

Hilal worded his agreement, realizing his heart was going to be on edge from here on until Ahmed proclaimed the decision on Afreen's behalf.

For the rest of the afternoon post the conversation, Ahmed was eager to reach home and deliver the news. While Hilal left shortly after the confession, Ahmed had to stay back to wrap up a few tasks. Finally, after an hour, he stepped out, and he had just inserted his car key in the ignition, excited to see the reaction of his family when he'd put forward Hilal's proposal to them, when someone caught his eye.

A sardonic smile graced his lips at the sight when he realized while he had avoided her inside the walls of Zaika all this while, there she was, standing by the gate. She held a greeting card and their gift in hand, and the picture pierced his heart when it dawned on Ahmed that this was the last time he was seeing Rufaida. She had turned down Neil's proposal to extend her tenure, and today marked the day she was officially walking out, from both from Zaika and his life.

There was a moment when Rufaida, who had been checking her phone, glanced up, and their gazes locked. Their eyes held the same pain in them, they sparked with a similar ray of hope and they burned with the acceptance of what couldn't be. Her eyes were a reflection of his, and in it they held a storm that threatened to drown the treasure that resided in it.

He didn't know who looked away first, or perhaps both of them lowered their gazes at the same time, turning away from a dream that wasn't destined for them.

Gazing out from the window, at nothing in particular, Ahmed sighed loudly, gulping down with it an array of thoughts that whizzed in his mind, a cascade of emotions that his heart unexpectedly experienced. Unwilling to glance at her a second time, he zoomed past the girl who was not written for him, but the speed of his car was inconsequential compared to the accelerating beats of his heart.

***

Ahmed watched his mother as she chatted with Fariha on video call. Raiyyan had been busy her entire summer holidays, and although schools had begun, staying true to his word, he finally squeezed in a week of break to take his little family on a vacation. The house had gone silent without Fariha, and Zainab was counting days until her return.

"My little doll," Zainab smiled fondly as she ended the video call and kept the phone aside.

He smiled at the mention of his niece, and agreed, "That she is." After a slight pause, he said, "Mamma, I want to tell you something."

"Well, I thought so," Zainab narrated her thoughts.

"How come?" Ahmed questioned.

"Of course you wouldn't come here and patiently wait for me to finish talking on the phone just to say salam, right?" Zainab joked.

"That's also true," he chuckled, agreeing to his mother while she smacked his arm playfully for not denying the claim.

Grinning, he started, "I have a proposal for Afreen."

Suddenly, Zainab's expressions morphed into seriousness, and she looked at Ahmed with a new found interest.

"Who is it?" She questioned.

"Hilal," Ahmed announced. "He'd come to meet me at Zaika today, and proposed this. He said he's already spoken to his parents and if we're interested too, then he'd ask his mother to move things ahead."

Zainab thought about it for a while, and then worded her opinion. "He's a good guy, I've seen him right from his childhood days, and he would have been a good match for Afreen..."

The past tense of the declaration caused Ahmed to glance at his mother in a bit of displeasure. If she really was thinking what Ahmed thought, then he was going to lose it.

"And why can't he be a good match for Afreen?" He questioned.

"His family doesn't match our status, Ahmed. After all that we had to go through in the previous marriage, I'm very particular of the family we marry Afreen in."

His mother's words built a gale of rage in him, a fury that his cold tone barely unleashed.

"Mamma, Hilal is a CA for God's sake," he stated.

Zainab agreed to the fact but narrated her perspective. "I don't deny that he has a very promising career ahead of him, but I'm talking about the present. He has two younger sisters, and obviously he would have to share their responsibility along with his father. When I say they don't match our status, I don't say it in a haughty way, I'm afraid Afreen would have to sacrifice on her needs and I don't want her to go through it."

Ahmed shook his head, not buying the theory. "It takes time for boys to grow into men, and that's where the test of a woman lies. If a woman can support her husband in his initial days and build an empire together by being his pillar of strength, then with time, both can enjoy together in their kingdom that rests on the foundation of values."

Almost not believing that Ahmed was actually arguing with her on this, Zainab countered, "And what's the harm if I want Afreen to marry a well settled man?"

"No harm in it, Mamma, but have you found one despite looking for years? If everyone wants their daughter to marry super rich, where exactly are hardworking guys with good hearts who earn mediocre living supposed to go?"

Glaring at Ahmed, Zainab taunted, "So you don't mind if your sister is put through her past again?"

Ahmed exhaled in frustration. "Your concerns are valid, Mamma, I'm not asking you to get Afreen married to just anybody. Of course as a parent, you want her to marry someone who can take care of her needs, but even you know Hilal is capable of it. I can't believe you're on the verge of rejecting him because you're so conscious of the class difference between our families. He comes from a decent family, they may not come up to our level in terms of their financial status but why is the comparison even necessary? If you see them independently, they have their own standards, they're inclined towards Islam, they share good morals and earn a decent livelihood enough for Afreen to live if not a lavish, at least a comfortable life. Why are you so obsessed with marrying her in a family equal to or better than us in terms of money?"

Glancing at Ahmed, offended, Zainab answered, "As her mother, I only want what's best for her, Ahmed. You don't get to question me on my decision. Besides, I haven't declined it yet, why are you getting this defensive of your best friend?"

Ahmed looked away at the question, for he couldn't tell her how much of himself he had begun to see in this situation. And just because this class difference, along with the past story, had ruined his dreams, he couldn't and wouldn't allow it to destroy his sister and best friend too. Ahmed was hurting, and what Zainab just uttered caused him to bleed at the slightest touch.

"I want you to consider Hilal for Afreen, Mamma," he declared. "And I'm slightly hurt your initial reaction was not what I expected. Afreen is my sister and I love her for who she is, her past is not something to be judgemental about, especially not when it's made her the woman she is today. At the same time, you know how our society works, and the stigma that's attached to the tag that Afreen has now. In such a case, we must truly appreciate Hilal for being so respectful in his proposal to marry her, he told me her past did not bother him, and he had already spoken to his family and they welcomed the idea too. No, I'm not saying they're doing us a favour by sending this proposal, but at the same time, I also want you to know we will not be doing them a favour if we were to go ahead with it. Both Afreen and Hilal, on an individual level, are amazing the way they are, and if they were to get married, both would be a blessing to each other, no one would have the upper hand because of certain characteristics or be in the lead while the other stayed behind. They would be on the same page and they could take forward their life from there."

Zainab listened to everything that her youngest son told her, not having expected her son to speak to her this courageously on the topic.

"Are you so keen about this because you trust Hilal with Afreen?"

"Yes," Ahmed nodded. "And also because I'm tired. You've been showing me all these proposals of girls that don't fit the image I have of a wife, and I'm sure Afreen too is tired of the groom hunt you've put her through. So now that I feel we've found the right person for her, I don't want you to let this go without giving him a chance. I don't know from when Hilal has harboured these feelings for Afreen, but the fact that despite being his best friend I didn't get to know about it just shows the respect he has for her to be doing it the right way. She either becomes his wife or stays a stranger, I like his approach of wanting no other path other than this. I know not everyone gets to marry the person they admire and wish to spend the rest of their life with, so if I can be of any help to Hilal in this, while also taking into consideration Afreen's benefit, I don't see the reason why I shouldn't."

Zainab eyed her son inquisitively, slightly perplexed, and finally nodded. While she was conscious of the status of the family, she knew compared to the proposals that Afreen had been getting now, this was much better.

"I'll speak to your father," she proclaimed. "You can stop lecturing me now and breathe a sigh of relief," she comforted and Ahmed bestowed her with a forced smile, thinking how his mother had no idea that he was stuck in the depths of trials and relief didn't look like it was anywhere close yet.

But as the thought struck him, Ahmed realized it didn't matter if the ease he hoped for was near or distant, as long as he had the assurance that Allah would eventually send relief in his life and alleviate the hardships. Maybe the bad was meant to get worst before things got better, just like the night sky that had to reach the peak of darkness before the sun was destined to rise. In the long run, these moments would become memories, the scars would fade and the broken heart would find in itself to love again. Eventually, Allah would set everything right, his prayers would be answered and he'd learn to smile his genuine smile again.

But for now, he just needed to trust Allah even as the future seemed bleak. For maybe, just maybe, some losses were destined to travel the universe and reach you as victory. Sometimes, the only intention for Allah to take away something from you was to return it to you after a while, in a much better form, at a time when you'd be the most prepared to attain it.

________________

Assalamu alaikum, all! I hope you're well. If you made it this far in the story, I hope you know I truly appreciate your support, and alhamdulilah, I'm glad you find the book worth your time. Thank you for your votes and comments, they truly mean a lot to me. The last few chapters have been more on the reflective side, and as much as I loved writing them, I'm equally excited for the parts ahead because the stage is set for all the events to unfold one after the other from here on. If there's something you'd like for me to know regarding this story, if you have certain views, opinions, constructive criticism, or predictions of the future of APLB, please let me know in the comments below. I love reading your thoughts. Once again, thank you for making it this far, JazakAllahu khair. <3