In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

‘Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet and Master Muhammad (s.a.s), all his blessed descendents and noble companions.’

                                                                                       -Aameen.

Dedicated to Allah Subhanahu wa ta‘Ala, for changing saddened hearts beautiful again, and tears into laughter again…O Rahman, ever and always Thou art the Bestest of the best!

Chapter Thirty-Four

For me, she is ‘The Blessing’ among blessings

Chennai, India

“No no not immediately, he will come back after Asr to collect the vessels, tell Ammi to begin the serving of women as soon as they have prayed In shaa Allah, we’ll take care of the men’s side…” Saif instructed to his twin as the men halted and climbed out from their respective vehicles near the Masjid.

“You okay?” Saif asked with a grin, switching off his phone and looking at Ahmed who had just exited the sleek powerful car with a troop of kids who had all shamelessly begged for a ride.

Ahmed nodded, a smile curving his lips. It looked like nothing would dissolve the smile, for the time at least.

Saif nodded back, guiding Umar and the little boys inside.

“And oh Ahmed, I forgot, this came to me,” Saif took a tiny object from his pocket and gave it to Ahmed flashing his usual smile. “From your wife, with the instruction to be handed over to you…”

Ahmed took the little bottle from Saif and regarded it curiously.

“It’s Surma, our Nabi SAW’s Sunnah to apply it,” Saif explained still smiling, as they crossed the large arch before the Masjid. “I guess Humair noted that you haven’t applied it huh?”

Ahmed did not hear the teasing; rather his attention was focused on the Surma. “Like eyeliner?” He finally spoke.

Saif laughed. “Not exactly but yea, though it’s powdery… want me to help you apply it?”

“Even men?” the slender fingers rolled the bottle while the blue eyes saw the miniscule Arabic lettering printed upon it.

“Mm...told you, Prophet SAW applied it. It benefits the eyes, makes them look beautiful and awesome rewards when you apply it with the Niyyah of Sunnah!”

Ahmed was used to being stared at, sometimes even pointed at by others back in his country, and he had become accustomed even unconscious of such scrutiny all these years. Yet now it felt very different, as he was acutely aware when people turned or craned to look at him while his heart throbbed furiously after the Imam announced the Nikah and mentioned him as the son in law of Abdullah before beginning the Khutbah of Jumu‘ah.

Ahmed felt the familiar soothing peace descending upon his pounding heart and gently wrapping his soul as he stood behind the Imam and raised his hands for Takbir. Would he ever become used to this utterly amazing feeling of standing before the King of all worlds? Indeed, this was a different man from before, for it looked like he was very much in danger of falling for his Lord!

“Everything which is revealed here is strictly confidential, and nothing goes out of this room understand?” A cousin spoke in a hushed voice looking around seriously at the other girls who were surrounding Humaira in her room. “Now Humair, that’s taken care of,” She turned her gaze upon Humaira with a grin. “Tell us what he said!”

Humaira pressed her lips in a futile attempt to suppress the growing smile as she slightly shook her head.

“You don’t know how to ask!” Fahima chided the cousin and asked Humaira in a coaxing tone, “Tell us what he did!”

Humaira abandoned her attempts and smiled beautifully. “It’s getting late for Jumu‘ah.”

“He said that?” A younger cousin asked incredulously while the elders rolled their eyes.

“Duh –‘course not! She meant we are getting late for Zuhur.”

“I know if I waited long enough, the Qiyamah will surely come but I have a feeling that even if I waited until the Qiyamah, she would never reveal a thing…” Another cousin said, looking accusingly at Humaira whose eyes were shining with laughter.

“Those who have finished their Salah,” Saira announced entering the room in a rush and looking at the whole gathering. “I want them down immediately! Heena Bhabi needs help for serving lunch.”

So the group broke and the younger ones went to pray while the elders went down to help.

“What?” Humaira inquired her friend, who had fixed her with a long incriminating stare.

“Remember for how long we have been friends? Remember all those times I helped you? Remember when we…”

“Arif!” Humaira laughed. “If you’re trying to make me feel guilty…”

Arifa grinned. “That’s the plan. Ya Allah, I’m your best friend; you could at least tell me!”

Humaira rolled her eyes. “There’s really nothing. He spoke very little.”

“Aaannnd?”

Humaira looked at her friend’s eager look and said softly, striving hard not to smile. “And then he left.”

Arifa groaned. “Your cousin was right, even the Last Day would come but you will never talk!”

Zuhur being over, the lunch commenced in full swing, the dastarkhaan spread in the hall upstairs for all the girls while the women who had eaten below came above to serve them. Comments were passed regarding the Biryani, the other dishes, the dessert etc. until the conversation turned to teasing the dulhan when she joined them in the dastarkhaan and the news came that the men had returned from the Masjid.

To Ahmed, whose whole life servants had performed nearly everything the sight that he witnessed above in the terrace was a new one as Abdullah, Habib and an uncle sat near the huge vessels and began to fill the large dishes with steamy richly spiced Biryani while Saif, Misbah and other youngsters laid the dastarkhaan, and earnestly began the serving of men and boys in the midst of joking and laughing with their uncles,

“Oye look there yaar! The amount of sweet he’s tucking in, Uncle wait until Aunty hears about this!”

“Opportunities knock your door but once beta!” The guilty uncle with high diabetes grinned as he helped to some more of the delicious dessert.

The Dulha was accorded a special place amidst them with special attention and Ahmed noted as he ate that the teasing raillery never ceased among the young men.

“Ahmed be careful, the way he’s gorging down the food, looks like he would grab your plate and finish it too!”

“Ehh… I learnt the art of eating from experts like you!” The young man retorted with a mouth full of food.

“–Ahem –” Someone embarrassed cleared their throat, stealing a look at the amused Ahmed. “Guys manners manners…”

“Hey look who’s talking about what!”   

The lunch was at last over, everything cleared away, jokes and laughter still rang while Ahmed wondered whether he could see Humaira again, he was reluctant to say it to Saif or others and guessed correctly that if he said he wanted to see Humaira, there would be no end to the teasing from her brothers.

“Oh my gosh, the Dulha’s here!” A cousin shrieked looking at the door while Humaira instantly turned her head towards the entrance only to find all the girls erupting into peals of laughter.

“Every one of you is bad!” Humaira grimaced while her galloping heart’s beat slowed down to normal as her sisters still laughed mimicking her reaction.

“Humair I just remembered, did I wish you a happy married life?” Arifa queried with a grin as she hugged Humaira. As her father had come to pick her back, she was leaving finally and seemed unwilling to part.

“I guess so, I don’t know…” Humaira chuckled, hugging back her friend. “Don’t forget to come early for the Valima!”

“Don’t worry; I’ll try to be there even before they open the halls…”  

“I’m immensely grateful for your friendly enthusiasm but they’ll mistake you as some beggar Arif, don’t do foolish things.” Her friend warned and was rewarded by a mock glare and roll of eyes.

“Take care, and don’t forget in Duas!” With a final crushing hug, Arifa left the room saying Salaam to others.

Asr came, then the tea and snacks which was soon followed by Maghrib and after coming back from Masjid as Ahmed sat amidst the men in the hall downstairs, his thoughts not surprisingly kept returning to his bride.

Vaguely he heard the men discussing politics and it was then that Saif entered with some of his cousins, having changed earlier from his snowy thobe to a dark jhubba whose collar now was thrown wide open, while the sleeves were rolled up on his arms. He looked distracted and sweaty yet the dark eyes were twinkling with their usual amusement.

“Ya Allah, that’s over and done then!” He dropped down beside Ahmed’s chair and gave an exhausted sigh. Then looking at Ahmed who was watching him, he grinned.

“Fagged?”

“I should be saying that to you…” Ahmed smiled.

Saif shrugged. “I’m okay Alhamdulillah! And oh Ahmed I just came to know, would you mind very much sleeping with us on the terrace tonight? The space for girls is full it seems…”

Ahmed was forever grateful that his face betrayed no emotions while his mind went blank as the thought crossed, sh*t! Is this what you call ‘adjusting’ in your large families?

The keen blue eyes shifted their gaze from Saif to the others and he suddenly became aware that almost everyone was looking at him, and trying to appear unconscious that they were watching his reaction.

“Sure why not?” He replied blandly and in answer, the hall full of men roared in laughter.

“My God! He’s a cool one!”

“Hahaha! Not even a curse upon us for separating you from your dulhan tonight?” An uncle boomed, slapping his thigh in delight.

“Ahmed I envy your equanimity!” One of the elder cousins grinned.

“Should tell Humair you agreed to sleep with us!” Saif finally spoke after his deep laughter while the black eyes danced mischievously.

“Do you know they took a video of your reaction?” Habib asked with a smile, as he came and joined the group near Ahmed.

Ahmed smiled back shaking his head.

“Remember my warning Ahmed –beware of these two!” Habib indicated the grinning Misbah and Saif.

“Thanks …I will note it.” Ahmed said gravely while the blue eyes laughed.

“Hey no praises Bhaiya, you know how modest we are!”

Habib laughed and then said, “I spoke with your friend the other day, Dr. Wilson…”

The laughter ebbed from Ahmed’s eyes as he fixed his attention upon Habib.

“He was sincere in his praise for you, and was regretful that he couldn’t attend the wedding…”

“Wil said that?” The voice was quiet with a creeping hope.

“Mmm… and your other friend, he seemed busy, I couldn’t get hold of him –

“Oh George!” The mounting tension subsided from Ahmed’s mind as he smiled, a bit fondly.

“Yea… and by the way Ahmed, you did Mashwara with Abba regarding when you’re leaving for Jamaath?”

So the talks continued with a constant mixture of jokes and laughter in between them, and soon Isha Adhaan was heard and the men left for Salah.

Dinner followed and the women and girls ate first, the soft rotis, fluffy idiyappams with chicken curry, gravy etc. and the men came back, the dastarkhaan was once more spread on their side and the serving began with the never-ending cracking of jokes.

“Humair this came from your Dulha, it seems he had enough and won’t mind you finish off the rest!” A widely grinning aunt thrust a plate of half-eaten food towards Humaira.

Well aware of their teasing, Humaira looked at the plate, then back at her aunt and said innocently,

“But Aunty he said he doesn’t eat chicken.”

“Haha plan busted Shenaz!” Another aunt laughed while the girls burst into giggles.

“So that’s what he talked to you this morn, that he doesn’t like chickens!” Fahima grinned while Heena and Saira laughed delightedly.

“Child not a day is over since your Shaadi, and yet you have become more clever,” Aunt Shenaz twinkled appreciatively as she finished off her half-eaten dinner. “Girls, look at her and learn…”

Some sniggered while the others rolled their eyes.

As the Dulha would be coming soon to Humaira’s room, the little girls and teens vanished while the elder cousins became droller. Yet they too left eventually with their merry laughter still ringing, and the aunts exchanged knowing looks before leaving the room and Humaira with smiles and Duas.

“You’ll be fine?” Kadhija asked softly, scanning her daughter’s face after she had embraced her.

“In shaa Allah…”

“Of course she will be okay Ammi!” Heena assured with a gentle smile.

Saira grinned. “Hey little sis… All the best then!”

Humaira clasped her trembling hands together and gave a shaky smile. “Bhabi, tell Saira Di not to make me feel like this is an exam.”

Her sister laughed and made a face as if recalling the bygone exams. “Those are worse!”

“You’ll be alright Humair.” She whispered reassuringly with softened eyes before leaving the room with their mother and Bhabi.

Although he had been plagued by attacks of laughter and teasing from others nearly the whole day, Ahmed was surprised to see that the men became quiet as night advanced and to tell the truth, they had become exhausted and sleepy and frankly did not care where Ahmed slept as long as they had a pillow to hit their nodding heads.

Even Saif looked solemn, if such a thing was possible for his dark eyes still twinkled amusedly as he went with Ahmed ‘til Humaira’s room.

“I think you know the way after this…” Saif gave his usual smile, and with a slight nod soon left Ahmed standing near the closed door.

Ahmed knocked lightly but as there was no response, he turned the handle and entered inside.

If in the morning his heart had sounded like thunder, now it was completely crazy as it lurched and leaped in mixed emotions among which Love ruled making his pulses soar dizzily.

The heady smell of fresh jasmines greeted him while the first thing that Ahmed saw was the exquisitely beautiful dress of his wife, that flowed past her ankles in lustrous blue-lilac folds and the next thing he realized was that she was praying.

Swiftly, his mind remembered the only other time he had seen her thus, praying in front of the charred Costa Restaurant in the middle of the night. And just like then, his heart steadied into normal beats and his soul awoke to the deep peace that surrounded her. The intense blue gaze took in her whole form and the light that enveloped her.

His steps made no sound as he went and stood near, almost behind …yet the moment she said Salaam, Humaira having sensed him turned and looked at him.    

Ahmed’s heart stilled and then she smiled, the same tender shy smile and he felt his heart leap alive while he slowly smiled back.

He extended his hand and the limpid brown pools gazed at him, then Humaira laid her palm into his as she stood up facing him.

“You know,” He murmured, tracing her cheek with his other hand, while the blue eyes deepened to nearly violet as he gazed at her. “I’m jealous of them who are always surrounding you…”

“My cousins?” She softly asked and he saw the humorous twinkle surface into her brown depths.

Ahmed shook his head. “I meant them,” He indicated towards the Musallah. “Those light things…angels –”

She looked at the Musallah, then back at him and he saw the smile deepen into her eyes while she dimpled,

“You say silly things like Saif Bhaiya.”

He heard her say that in a tone of pleased discovery. And his heart curled quivering strangely at the realization that she was completely oblivious to the light and peace that enveloped her and beautifully shone from her eyes.   

“Would it be silly if I say that you have the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen?”

Ahmed saw her lashes fall veiling those pure depths, and he didn’t curb the desire that rushed from his heart to his mind. He felt her shiver as his lips brushed her lowered lids.

And when he finally kissed her, Humaira knew that this was no dream and nor did she wish to wake from it.

Ahmed stirred to the dim persistent crowing of a rooster and upon opening his eyes, they fell to the bed’s empty side.

He saw that the room was lit subduedly and his gaze adjusting to the dusky glow rested upon his wife, whom he realized with a sudden odd lump in his throat was standing in prayer before their Lord. Ahmed felt in the core of his deeply stirred soul that as long as he lived whenever he thought of his wife, it was the image of her praying that would first come to his mind.

When he finally sat up, Humaira had finished her Tahajjud and was folding the Musallah. She looked at him and he saw her smile while his heart dipped, then leaped as she came towards him.

“You should have woken me up too.” He said, as he noted somewhat in wonder the exquisite lilac robe like dress she was removing. Beneath it, she was wearing a pale pink and grey churidhar like crushed roses and ashes of a sweet forgotten garden.

“I was about to,” She replied softly, still smiling.

 Ahmed stood up and touched the shimmering blue-lilac dress inquisitively.

“You were wearing this last night?”

“For Salah yes.” Humaira nodded and turned away but stood still when he caught her arm.

“You wear this only for Salah?”

He saw her dimple while the brown eyes shone in luminous purity. “For standing before my King yes, I always wear the best that I have…”

Ahmed let her go then, the wonder of his heart growing as he thought whether he was dreaming, or that she was really his.

By the time he had taken a shower, and finished his Tahajjud, Ahmed found that Humaira who had gone down had come back to their room again and was now spreading the dastarkhaan.

“I made chapattis, you’ll eat?” She asked a trifle anxiously, looking into his warm blue eyes.

The eyes smiled as did the lips as he sat down opposite her after a slight nod.

“We have a visitor.” He stated in an amused tone, gesturing towards the bed.

“Snow Queen!” Humaira chuckled, “She hunts the whole night and usually comes after Tahajjud to sleep with me. Do you want me to send her out?”

He laughed. “No no I don’t mess with royalty, let her have her beauty sleep.”

Ahmed began eating, now almost comfortable in sitting down upon the mat and eating with his fingers, which he would have never dreamed doing some months ago.

“And you’re eating?” He looked at Humaira’s plate and raised a brow.

“Biryani,” She said with her sudden dimple. “Yesterday’s Biryani. Its taste is enhanced when it becomes a day old. Want a bite?”

Looking into her laughing eyes, Ahmed found his heart do a crazy flip as he realized that she was teasing him. Once on Costa he had wondered how it would be if she teased him like she did her brother, he knew now that it was simply sweet.

“If you’ll feed me…” He replied calmly with a smile and Humaira felt her face and heart turn into fire.

“Oh Ahmed? Assalamu Alaikum! No we aren’t going to Masjid, we’re forming a Jamaath in the terrace, Saif would lead the Salah In shaa Allah…” Habib informed when he spotted Ahmed descending the stone stairs outside in the garden.

The whole house was stirring for Fajr, and amidst that someone was giving the Adhaan and soon after Iqamat, the Salah started above while the women prayed down in the house.

Later, the women consisting of Kadhija, Heena, and aunts who had entered Humaira’s room left after joking good-naturedly and the rest of the girls naturally crowded her following their elders.

Casually leaning from the balustrade, Ahmed watched the pearly grey sky turn into soft shades of rose and blue, and heard the deep, melodious recitation of Qur’an recited by Saif somewhere in the terrace.    

Tranquility throbbed and dripped from the air, while Ahmed’s thoughts were with his wife, as he wondered whether she was reading the Holy Book too. His heart quickened as he felt the desire to see her overpower him. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to just go down, for he knew there would be other women and girls with her now.

Never in his life, Ahmed would have called himself shy but such was the feeling that stopped him now from going down to his bride’s room. The chance that he would probably encounter her sisters held him back. For the women who practiced True Haya (modesty) with Taqwa exercised an indelible effect on men. It made them back off –in turn honouring such women with reverence in their hearts. One may know not and find it hard to believe, yet even those men with loose morals who mock at such prim behavior know deep within them that such women are indeed worth their respect.

So Ahmed stalled his actions and instead looked more thoroughly at the rows upon rows of books that were neatly arranged in the terrace room. Someone passed him the tray of steaming coffee cups that came from below, which he refused as he did the biscuits that followed soon.

The Story of the Companions of the Cave was the title of the book that Ahmed eventually took for reading. Most of the men were downstairs while the cries or shouts of laughter from the teens and boys who were dawdling or playing in the terrace occasionally reached him.

And sitting upon the single bed, as Ahmed read and finished the engrossing tale he never knew when sleep overtook him.

“Ahmed Ahmed, are you asleep?”

Saif’s voice penetrated his consciousness, before the blue eyes opened.

“Are you asleep?” Saif anxiously asked again.

“I was.” Ahmed remarked dryly.

Saif grinned a bit sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Am I dead or what?” Ahmed looked around at the group of teens who were surrounding the bed and regarding him curiously.

“Disperse everybody… Go!” Saif said with his smile, gesturing them to leave, which they reluctantly did still looking curiously or bashfully at Ahmed.

“Do I look like some queer specimen?”

Saif laughed. “To them maybe… but Ahmed why are you sleeping here? Why didn’t you go down or to Humair’s room if you were indeed sleepy?”

Ahmed looked at him for some moments before saying quietly, “I…that is…”

“Ya Allah don’t tell me you have already fought with Humair?” Saif asked in mock horror.

Ahmed smiled. “You’re so sure that it would be me who fought her and not she with me?”

“Tell me the world is square in shape,” Saif grinned charmingly. “I may perhaps believe you, but Humair fighting with anyone…” He shook his head dubiously, making Ahmed laugh while his throbbing heart once again exploded in love for his wife.

“They said you didn’t even partake anything… what do you usually eat or drink early in the morn? Do say, I’ll tell Ammi or Humair to make…”

Ahmed shook his head. “There’s no need for that today –

“But…”

“I’m fasting, actually we both are, your sister and I.”

Saif stared for some moments before roaring in laughter. “Wait, let me guess, Humair’s idea right? Only she will think of such things and that too the next day of her marriage!” Yet the tone in which he said that was more than affectionate.

It echoed a deep chord in Ahmed’s heart as he remembered the conversation with Humaira last night. The time when he asked her about her wishes, she had said with a sudden sweet smile, “Not many –He fulfils them all. But I have always prayed and wanted to fast with my husband the first day that I spend with him showing my gratefulness to Him SWT… do you… would you?” She had paused then hesitantly waiting for his answer, which he did not delay in giving.

For both knew that it would be the first time he would be fasting, and such was the sweetness that Allah SWT bestowed upon them for that action, that Ahmed found himself profoundly moved when he thought that in this deed of theirs to please their Lord, besides their hearts, even their souls were joining together. And Ahmed wondered whether there was any other man as lucky as him, for when he wished to shower his wife with the gifts of dunya, she instead bestowed upon him the treasures of Jannah.

Ahmed heard Saif asking him, “Would you like to go down now to your room?”

Would he like to!

“…I’ll ask Saira to tell everyone to evacuate from there…” Saif said with his teasing smile as he took his phone from the pocket.

When Ahmed crossed the large hall, he found it empty except for an aunt who was sitting on the sofa and sipping coffee thoughtfully. Catching sight of Ahmed, she beamed,

“Going to see your dulhan huh?” She waved him away towards the room with a chuckle.

None in his life had dared to wave away the presence of Ahmed, yet instead of becoming angry, he found himself chuckling back.

“Humair Di, but what happened to the tiger after that?” A little girl asked with wide round eyes.

“He got married of course.” Humaira said unconsciously, as she brushed her hair.

“Just like you…?” Another little one giggled.

“Yea… what?” With an effort, Humaira roused herself from her wandering thoughts and fixed her attention upon the group of small girls with their unquenchable thirst for stories.

“And they lived happily ever after?” A shy voice asked curiously.

Humaira stared for some moments, sighed then grinned. “Yes, they lived happily ever after.”

“Who lived happily ever after?” Ahmed asked upon hearing the statement, as he entered the room with a smile.

Humaira tamped down the sudden quiver in her stomach at the sight of him while the little girls blushed and scrambled away hastily.

Looking at their fleeing figures, Humaira dimpled as she said teasingly to Ahmed,

“They don’t love you as much as they do me.”

Ahmed instead stared at Humaira, seeing her for the first time in daylight with loosened hair seemed to rob him of his wits. She stood up now as he neared her and he saw that her thick hair fell beyond her waist like a rippling cascade of chocolate waterfall. His mouth gone completely dry, he looked at his wife’s face and found those eyes smiling caressingly at him.

Like never before, Ahmed found the blessed truth striking like lightning before his eyes as he again gazed at her hair that she was clumsily trying to cover with her dupatta. For Ahmed well knew how women were obsessed with the thought of looking beautiful, yet here was a woman who to please her Lord completely hid such stunning natural beauty deep under a hijab and the other person would never have guessed. Finally, he seemed to find his tongue, and the blue eyes deepened as he replied to her comment,

“They don’t love you as much as I do you.”

For a moment, Humaira simply stared then blushed and impulsively bent and took both of his hands. Turning them, she kissed the bare palms as she whispered looking at him with liquid eyes,

“None loves you as much as I do you...”

His hands still held in hers, for the first time it was Ahmed who trembled, his heart quivering in sheer ecstasy of her words –and he understood now what people meant when they speak about Blessing among blessings. To him, Humaira was The Blessing among blessings!

*****

A/N ;)

I don’t know what to say except for me, your Duas and love is The Blessing among blessings… it has been His most beautiful Fazal that He SWT blessed and poured upon me such wonderful support as yours which I didn’t even imagine in my dreams. Without them, I would have not turned to write IYL again. Dearest reader of mine, your Duas…His Wish – I continued. Jazak Allahu Firdaus!

Shukran Katheeran Lillaahi wAlhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘Alameen!

With my deepest gratitude,

And all my Duas,

abdurRahman.

Wassalam ;)