Rayyana's POV

Everyone stood around quietly whispering to each other, Maha's mom and Maha stood in the corner talking amongst themselves. It was a little suspicious what Maha's mom did in the office, Sabha told me all about it and she was right, it was weird.

But apparently, no one else thought so. I focused back to the Quran page that I was reading, I finished and closed It sighing. I pulled out a Tasbi and I prayed silently on it.

Sabha was beside me doing the same, she still hadn't shed a tear and everyone was whispering about that. No one had witnessed her crying yesterday so they must be thinking that Sabha hadn't cried at all.

None of them know her I suppose.

There weren't a lot of people, only some friends of Maha's and her moms who had gotten to know Mr. Ali for a while. A women came up to Sabha wearing a short black dress. "What are you wearing?" She scrunched her nose and looked up and down of Sabha's Kurta.

"What do you mean?" Sabha asked her, Maha ran up to the girl and grabbed her shoulder "Stop Skylar." This girl Skylar looked Sabha up and down one more time before leaving. Maha looked at Sabha apologetically "Sorry, Skylar is a bit...Wacky."

I always hated that word..Wacky. What is that? Why does that exist? Sounds like something a grandma would say, not a adult like Maha.

"Keep your friends away from me." Sabha glared at Maha before walking away. "She hasn't shed a tear through the funeral, people are talking about it." I realized she was talking to me, I got defensive over what she said and felt the sudden need to protect Sabha.

"She did actually, she cried hard for her dad yesterday." Maha must have noticed my tone because she started shaking her head and waved her hands around "No! God I didn't mean it like that!"

Then, she sighed and sat down on the floor, I looked around to see what she was doing but then I too crouched down next to her.

It was awkward standing beside her while she was on the ground. I heard soft sobs and realized she was crying, oh ALLAH did I do that? I hate it when I made people cry.

"I'm trying Rayyana... I am. I was young and dumb, but now I realize my mistake. I shouldn't have treated Sabha like that I know and I'm sorry. I'm trying to be a good daughter, I know he's not my dad and I don't claim him as my dad but..."

She trailed off crying harder now.

I felt sort of bad for her, she was extremely young but she had caused Sabha to be insecure for the rest of her life. But it wasn't her fault that Mr. Ali and her mom had met and gotten married, I don't know what happened to her real dad but something tells me that she need's a dad. But to get a dad, she had to get through Sabha.

In the end she not no one, no dad, and no Sabha. I touched her shoulder making her look at me, then I pulled her in for a hug.

She silently cried into my shoulder and I sat there crouched holding her. She doesn't deserve this.

"Tell you what." She pulls away, sniffling and wiping her nose. "What?" I looked at Sabha who was glumly sitting down with Amir who was trying hard to put a smile on her face.

"I'll help you and Sabha become best friends again." Maha's eyes lit up "Really?" I smiled at her and nodded. Beside, Sabha can't just have me as a friend she's in Canada she needs at least two.

"No way." Sabha grunted leaning into her sofa. Amir and Sabha had chosen a small little house. It was 2 floors and looked small from the outside but when you come inside, oh boy! But I have to admit, the penthouse is still my favourite.

"Oh come on Sabha! it's not her fault that you both are sisters, even if Mr. Ali was her step-father he was still a father to her." I had asked Maha about her real father earlier and she told me that she had no idea who her real father was.

Apparently, he had died before Maha was born.

"No, No, and No." Amir looked up from his phone when I nudged him, Only he could console his wife. Amir smiled at Sabha "Babe, give her a-"

"Shut up Amir." Sabha huffed, Amir looked back at me and shrugged.

I glared at him "What? I can't disrespect my wife Ray."

Asad took a sip from his Crush "Rayyana's right Sabha, Maha needed a dad and she got one. Give her a chance."

I thanked Asad and he winked at me, making me blush. Sabha groaned "Fine." We all cheered and I hugged her thanking her.

Sabha's POV

I hate this.

Maha and I stood outside of a diner, I was glaring at her while she was awkwardly shuffling.

"Are you going to open the door? Or are we going to stand outside?" Maha nodded and opened the door for me, I walked in and looked around. I was acting mean I know but I wanted to give her a taste of what she had done to me.

We sat down at a booth near the window, I've always wanted to come to a Diner. Amir had taken me one night before our wedding secretly, it was amazing.

"Menu please." Maha said to one waitress who nodded and walked away to get the menu's. Maha and I stared at each other, I raised an eyebrow at her and she quickly looked down.

Do I feel bad? Yes

Am I going to stop? No

The waitress came back and gave me and Maha a menu. She thanked her and I flipped through mine deciding what to get.

I saw pancakes and coffee, something I haven't had in literal years. "Can I had pancakes and coffee please?" I put the menu down, the waitress nodded and wrote down my order turning to Maha.

Maha frantically looked around, she was panicking I could tell. "Uh... I'll have the...uh." She looked around some more before putting down the menu, she took a deep breath and with a shaky breath said "I'll have the same thing she's having."

The waitress nodded and walked away. Maha looked at me and I forgot my whole mean act "Are you okay?" Maha just nodded and cleared her throat "Sorry... just nervous."

I rubbed my forehead

Time to talk I guess

"Maha, I... I understand that you needed a father, and my father was willing to step up but I can't seem to forgive you for what you did. You made me feel insecure and made me feel like I can't do anything with my life."

Maha nodded and I prayed that she didn't start crying "I'm sorry Sabha, I don't know what came over me! I was young and I craved attention. It wasn't after we graduated that I realized that I had lost a great friend."

She held my hand "You." I felt a tear roll down my cheek, then another and another till they wouldn't stop. I sniffed and wiped away my tears.

Damn it, I broke my own rule. 

"Im so sorry Sabha." Maha whispered crying with me. We cried together and that's when I realized that she needed my dad. ALLAH had written my dad's name down to make her feel complete, and I had ruined the experience for her.

I was really angry at my dad for abandoning me, that I hadn't realized that even if he did my family wrong he was doing someone's family a favour. Maha, I suppose needed him more then me.

I wasn't talking to my dad a lot, too worried about my own selfish needs. Maha nodded him, she gave him the attention he longed from me.

Maybe... it was a good thing he had left.

My mom and him fought a lot, it even came to a point where I feared he would hit her. Even though Maha's mom wouldn't be a first choice for me, He had chosen Maha's mom perhaps not for her.

But for her daughter.

We slid out of our booth and we hugged.

I had a dream once where Maha and I were holding hands and she called me her sister, while I looked over and saw my dad and Maha's mom sitting together looking at us. It was either a warning from ALLAH or a blessing.

I don't know which one it is yet, but I'm determined to find out.

"Sisters?" Maha asked me. We pulled apart and we both smiled at each other while we did our secret handshake.

Just like old times.

"Sister's."

Urdu Translation-
Quran-Holy Book for Muslims.

We pray on the beads, we pray on these after we pray 5 times, or when someone passes away. You can regularly pray on these. (You don't need a special occasion to pray on these).

Kurta- Traditional clothes 

ALLAH- God for muslims