Sajdaa Taha

"Sajdaa, please wake up," whispered a voice from beside my bed.

Lifting my heavy eyelids, I came face to face with hazel eyes that warmed my heart every time I gazed into them. Malik's lips curled into a wide smile as I blinked, adjusting to the slight darkness of the room.

He stood beside me, navy blue uniform wrinkled, bags under his eyes, and curly brown hair disheveled against his scalp, locks of hair in a bundled mess on his head. Yet, the moonlight captured his beauty in a few shades.

Lower your gaze, I reminded myself.

Glancing around the room, I sat up, feeling the tension rock through my body like metal rods pushing against my joints. Pain jolted down my veins. A needle pierced into my arm, pumping clear fluids into me as a heart monitor gently beat to the sound of the drumming in my ears.

"Are we in a hospital?" I asked, inhaling the familiar scent of sanitary chambers and soap.

Malik nodded. "We called the ambulance ahead of time. Your family is with Hamza at the moment."

"And they left me alone with you?" I questioned, incredulous about my parents' decision.

"Sajdaa, I'm right here," grumbled a familiar deep voice.

Behind Malik was Ridwan, standing tall against the wall, a scowl firmly placed upon his lips. My lips curled.

His dark brown eyes brightened when he saw me, but he tried his best to keep his composure, trying to make me feel bad for forgetting about my eldest brother. Stress lines coated his forehead, eyes reddened with invisible tears, worried about Hamza and my safety.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he huffed out a deep breath, turning his cheek away from me. "To think, I was the one who put your hijab back on you and this is the respect I get. Unbelievable," he scoffed, a tinge of levity touching his words. "I think you gotta work for my forgiveness now."

I weakly laughed, wincing as pain rose up my spine. Groaning, I leaned back against the headboard of the bed, pain surging through my injuries. My eyes felt drowsy, dripping with the fatigue from the last couple of days, where even my prayers seemed to have been stolen from me.

A dark shadow crossed my face, mirroring Malik's expression as he, too, remembered the horrific details of the case. To think, the killers were so close to us all this time, targeting me out of petty for what they could not achieve. Allah had a special punishment for them, and I hoped it would be severe enough to make up for all the loss that had to be endured in their hands.

"Audrey and William are dead," whispered Malik. "Just like they should be."

Ridwan pushed himself off the wall. "You okay?"

"It was all my fault. If I'd kept better tabs on Audrey, I could have stopped her-"

"Malik," I said in a raspy voice. "You didn't know."

He clenched his fists at his side. "I defended William when we first met remember, Sajdaa? I supported him, a killer, a murderer, a complete psychopath," he hissed, squeezing his eyes as if he were in physical pain from just the mere realization. "I... Oh Allah, I don't even know how to take all this in."

Ridwan placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Hesitantly, Malik turned to Ridwan, confusion painted across his expression as if he didn't know whether Ridwan would insult him or praise him for his efforts. Either way, Malik froze under his touch.

"You did all that you could," said Ridwan with a small smile. "You were able to protect my sister better than I could and honestly, you did the right thing, Malik. Yeah, maybe things would have been different if we suspected William right away, but that's not what happened. Allah destined us to go through these trials the hard way and He is the best of planners."

At the mention of his Creator, Malik's shoulders relaxed, no longer strained with the tension of the unknown, or laced with the venom that Audrey had once poisoned him with. He was finally able to move on from his past, from his abuse, from his lost path. Malik saw the light, a substance so bright that Allah had shielded him from its radiance until the time was right.

"You're right," smiled Malik, turning to me. "I never thought that a family could ever change me."

"Well, clearly, you hadn't met the Taha family," I laughed, wincing as I felt another surge of pain. "Can someone get me a doctor?"

Malik and Ridwan exchanged amused glances at each other, grinning as they watched my usually aggressive exterior falter before their eyes, a sight too comical to ignore.

I rolled my eyes. "You know, the second I get out of this bed, I'll kick both of you to China."

"I liked it better when she was knocked out," muttered Ridwan, walking over to the door with Malik close behind him. "It was finally quiet for once."

"My ego was actually repairing itself while she slept," grinned Malik, sending me a wink over his shoulder when Ridwan wasn't looking.

"I'm going to strangle you!"

* * * *

My mother's gasp was audible in the silent room, her eyes welling with tears that rolled down her cheeks in streams of endless rivers, washing the pain from the previous nights. With pink lips trembling and her small frame shaking, I felt my own tear ducts begin to betray me.

Dad gripped her shoulders as she covered her mouth to stifle a sob. I didn't blame her for the pure shock at seeing the multiple bruises and scars that the blade of hatred had caused.

I was sure that the days when I was gone, her worries had ate at her deteriorating mind, disseminating a fear throughout her fragile form. My limbs urged me to run into her arms, burying myself deep in the veils of comfort that she provided, in the thousands of wraps that had always protected me, never allowing her to unwind her motherly nature, never wanting to be separated from her kindness again.

Instead, I smiled through my blurry vision. "Assalaamualaikum, Mom," I croaked.

Immediately, she ran towards my bed, wrapping her arms around my shaken body, and letting her tears spill into my hijab.

"Alhamdulilah (thanks to Allah)," she murmured. "You're alive. You're really alive. Oh Allah, thank You."

I felt my father's presence beside me, his dark eyes softening at the sight before him as he gently took my other hand in his, squeezing it to reassure himself that I was there and not a figment of his imagination.

"All praise to Allah. Clearly He is the most gracious in His blessings," he said, a content smile replacing his own tremors of fear. "By the will of Allah, you're still alive."

I grinned. "I told you all that was needed was some faith and determination."

"Yes, you did," he chuckled. "Just don't give us a heart attack like that again."

My mother pulled away, sitting on my hospital bed as her small hands gripped my other one. "Everything is alright now," she breathed. "Our children are safe."

My brows furrowed as I wondered about my little brother. "Where's Hamza?" I asked.

"Right here."

All heads turned to the boy, being pushed on a wheelchair by Ridwan, wrappings and multiple bandages all over him. His left eye was swollen, but he kept a cheerful smile on his cracked lips. The police trio was right behind them.

"Miss me, Sajdaa?" questioned Hamza, grinning widely when he saw my shock. "I know I'm a busted mess right now, but you don't have to look that appalled."

"Hamza... how... oh Allah, I'm so sorry," I stumbled for words as images of his torturous screams fitted against the fragments of the pain I tried to forget.

He waved his hand in a light-hearted gesture. "I'll heal, don't worry."

"Yeah," agreed Officer Cole. "At the end of the day, we all survived."

Mom turned to the officers, fear glazing over her soft features. "Are the... killers dead?" she asked in a meek voice, scared of the answer.

Officer Nathan stepped in when Officer Cole glanced at him. "Yes, ma'am. William and Audrey are dead. The state has been notified and the entire country is in uproar about the case."

My jaw dropped. "The entire country?"

"You made national news, Sajdaa. Muslims all over the world were praying for your recovery," said Malik, softly. His hazel eyes locked with mine, making my insides melt from the raw emotion that was present, the admiration in his gaze. "You've become an inspiration to young Muslims for your strength and bravery in the final standoff."

"Whoa," I breathed.

Officer Cole chuckled. "You know, you're not that bad, Sajdaa."

I rubbed my forehead. "I think I'm dreaming if Officer Cole is being nice."

"Oh shut up," scowled Officer Cole as his fellow teammates laughed at my joke. He crossed his arms over his chest. "I still hate you."

"Cole," warned Malik, giving him a pointed look.

"Relax. I'm not hating for her beliefs but rather her annoying wits and sarcasm."

Ridwan shrugged. "It's a family trait."

Ignoring the jokes the men we saying, my mother turned to them, gazing down at me fondly. Her slender fingers rubbing soothing circles on my palm. "Thank you for all your sacrifices, officers," she whispered. "You helped us when no one else did."

My father nodded in agreement. "What could we ever do to repay you?" he questioned.

Officer Nathan shook his head, amused. "If anything we should thank your family for your patience as we struggled to find them. My father and Audrey were horrible people, who have harmed your family in more ways than one. Mr. Turner abused his power and for that I seek forgiveness because our department was too blind by our own prejudices to see the truth."

"All is forgiven," smiled Dad, his brown eyes beaming.

Turning to Officer Nathan, I asked, "If William is dead, then who's the new police chief?"

He grinned, placing his arm around Malik's shoulder and pulling him to his side as he ruffled Malik's hair. "It's this little Arab nugget right here."

"You're the police chief?"

Malik pushed Officer Nathan away, straightening his uniform. "Guilty as charged," he remarked dryly as he glared daggers at Officer Nathan.

Ridwan let out a low whistle. "Looks like someone's climbing the ranks."

"It's not that big of a deal," shrugged Malik.

Officer Cole rolled his eyes. "It's totally not like the governor praised you on live television."

"Oh Lord, how long have I been passed out? I missed all the juicy parts of this drama," I feigned hurt.

Hamza rolled his eyes. "Leave it to Sajdaa to make a joke out of all this."

We all sat together, smiling and laughing through the physical and emotional pain we felt. Time would heal the open wounds, repairing each cut with mercy and blessings as more lacerations engraved into our skins with the new struggles life would bring, but with Allah on my side, I was ready for anything.

Eventually, Officers Cole and Nathan left, while my parents went to take Hamza back in his hospital room, leaving Malik, Ridwan, and I.

The night fell upon us, bringing with it the cloak of darkness that had embedded my mind. From the window, millions of bright specks dotted the black canvas, the moon illuminating the world below with its radiance and perfection. Tree branches brushed against the window as a gentle wind rocked it.

I was enchanted by the beauty of the sky, seeing the stars glimmer and ignite the hope inside, and the feeling of accomplishment that I had indeed survived a vicious trial.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" asked Ridwan as he relaxed by the window sill.

"Yeah," I whispered. "Allah makes even the toughest days beautiful."

Malik sighed, sitting beside Ridwan as he gazed up at the calming notion of astronomical wonders. A brief silence fell among the three of us as we sat and admired Allah's creations, each lost in our own thoughts.

"You think Audrey and William ever regretted killing all those people?" questioned Ridwan, bringing his knees to his chest. "People can't be that evil."

I frowned. "You'd be surprised. They were merciless with their torture. People who feel guilt wouldn't be able to go through with that many murders if they genuinely felt horrible about it."

"It's hard to believe, but people like that usually suffer terrible endings."

Malik shifted in his seat, fists clenching as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He had been the one who killed Audrey while Officer Nathan killed his own father.

Both had destroyed the people that inflicted demons upon them.

"Do you feel bad for killing Audrey?" I blurted without thinking.

Ridwan froze as he carefully watched Malik, who had opened his eyes, staring deep into mine like he was trying to figure me out. I averted my gaze to the floor, not wanting to hear him say that he did, but Malik took me by surprise.

"No," he said, "they were two souls that died blinded by love. It wasn't pure, but rather a toxic and poisonous one that manipulated the world surrounding it. I'd do it all over again if it meant having you alive, Sajdaa."

The seriousness in his tone moved me, rocked my emotions into a chaos of seas. His hazel eyes softened, a gentle expression crossing his face.

It was then that I began to understand. Allah had not only saved me, but everyone else involved in the case. Good had came out of the horrific circumstances and all the pain I endured had a positive outcome.

Two evils were taken and left behind the debris of their actions was the healing of a family, a community, a state that had long been deprived of the freedom it falsely painted. Not even the residents knew that there were people who allowed their hate and greed control them, but Allah knew all along.

Allah had been taking care of me each step of the way, providing me with my own network of care that I never knew I needed. And along the way, I found a man I never thought existed, a man who pushed me to my limits, yet at the same time reminded me of my strength when I forgot it.

I had found love.

As I gazed at the stars, I smiled. One day, I thought, the puzzle pieces of my life will fit together by Allah's will. I had faith in His plans but until then, everything that I'd endure and the future trials I'd continue to fight through would be among my hushed confessions.

Assalaamualaikum!

Yes, that was the last official chapter of this book. Next is the epilogue and I promise it will be epic. Since the book is almost completed, please tell your friends about it to help me advertise the book.

HC is not my most popular, but it's a book I'd grown to love for its uniqueness among my other books. It has a special place in my heart. Leave your thoughts/review of the book in the comments below.

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