Siddiqa hooked an arm round her shoulder and pulled her upstairs to their room. The room was almost empty except for her young cousins who were just laying around completely oblivious of what was happening.

She sat her down on her bed. "Shshh, it's going to be okay insha Allah."

"I'm going to miss him, so much." She whispered new set of tears brimming in her eyes and down her cheeks. Siddiqa slid an arm round maryam's shoulder and wiped away the tears. "I know, trust me I know."

Maryam silently cried on siddiqa's shoulder for a while, before nabila came and called her. That mama said she should come to receive greetings.

............

Life has been gloomy for the family ever since Baba passed away. It has already been three days, but the wound is still yet to heal. The family has been receiving greetings ever since.

Right now Maryam, ya amma, Jannah, Fatima and Yusra were in the living room upstairs, when mama walked in. She looked tired and she has lost a lot of weight. Jannah looked at her and said, "sannu aunty, have you eaten?"

Mama turned to her and gave a weak smile. "Yes, hajiya mama just made me eat." She nodded her head and looked at Maryam who was just staring into space. She has been like for the last three days. Just staring into space and not talking.

"Maryam hasn't had anything for a long while now, and when we ask her to have something, she says that she is not hungry." Yusra confessed. Mama looked at Maryam sadly and said, "Maryam please have something, I don't have the strength to talk now but please have something for our sake."

Maryam looked at her and gave her a small smile. "I will insha Allah." Mama looked at ya amma who was doing tasbih and said, "Amma did you eat something?"

Ya amma looked at her and said, "Yes, I had the porridge mummy brought." Mama nodded then her phone started ringing. "Make sure she eats something okay?" Ya amma nodded and mama smiled answering the phone as she walked away.

Maryam leaned back on the sofa she was on and closed her eyes. "Maryam get up and eat." She heard ya Amma say.
"Ya amma later." She groaned.

"No, you are going to eat now. Get up and get something to eat." Maryam groaned and got up. She managed to sneak out of the house to their hut house behind the building without anyone seeing.

She entered and sat on the swing that baba had put for them. A tear rolled down her cheek at the thought of baba. "Baba I miss you so much, Allah ya jikan ka." She prayed and closed her eyes.

She pushed her glasses up her nose and pushed herself on the swing, the wind lightly hitting her face. She loves the hut the most in the house, it is so peaceful and quiet. She loves listening to the sound of the bird chirping.

She opened her eyes when she smelt something in the air, a soothing smell of musk based perfume. She found ya Muhammad looking over at her by the door. He gave her a smiled and walked in. "Can I?" He pointed at the other swing chair.

She nodded meekly and turned, staring at the tree in front of her. "You okay?" He asked as he sat down. She nodded again. He looked at the tree she was staring at and smiled. "You must want to be alone, I can leave if you want." He said moving to stand up.

She pulled back her veil that fell over her face, hunching her shoulder. "No you can stay, I could use some company." He pulled out an energy drink from his jallabiya pocket, opened it and sat back down. He passed it to her saying, "here have this, Abdallah gave me earlier saying I need it but you look it you need it more."

She looked at the drink and then back at him, "no thank you, I don't really n.."
"Please just have it. As a doctor I recommend it, you look very weak and might actually collapse if you don't have something."

She looked at him and collected the drink muttering a small thank you. "No problem. When was the last time you had something to eat?" He asked. She took a long gulp of the drink suddenly realizing how hungry she was. "I don't know, maybe four days ago."

"Four days ago? Subhanallah why?"
"Really, you are asking me why." She said looking at him. "Yes why?"
"I don't know, probably because I haven't thought of anything else other than him." And it was true. This conversation is the longest she has had since Baba's passing.

"Look Maryam, I'm so sorry and I pray and hope that where baba is right now is so much better for him than this world. I pray that Allah forgives all his shortcomings." They all muttered an Ameen before he continued. "and i know that he himself wouldn't like what you are doing to yourself now. Please Maryam take care of yourself."

She blinked her eyes and then came the tears. "I just don't think I can be able to live without baba. He is my everything." Her voice cracked.

"I know Maryam. But you are going to have to try okay? If you keep being like this you are going to fall sick and make your family sad. Do you want them to be sad?" He questioned softly.

"No." She shook her head. And suddenly she felt like a child. "Then you would have to take care of yourself, and then your family. You should find something to fill the void in your heart."

She nodded again and wiped her tears. He pulled out his phone and looked through it for a while, before he dialed a number.

After that, Muhammad and Maryam conversed a little. Somehow, Muhammad managed to loosen Maryam up a bit.

About thirty minutes later, a number called and Muhammad excused himself and answered. When he left, maryam looked after him. He is such a great person. The best brother ever.

They had an ok relationship with him before and now he pulled her out of a hollow. She breathed in the air and continued pushing herself, occasionally taking small sips on the drink. Her eyes once again welled up in tears when she reminisced their memory with baba in this house.

Baba is in every part of her life, even where mama isn't. He was her other bestfriend. He understood her much more than anyone apart from siddiqa though. She smiled when she remembered when they were playing around here and baba and mama were in the hut watching them. They were so happy at that time.

She took a sip of the drink then threw it by the side when she finished it. "Assalam Alaikum." Muhammad greeted as he entered. "Waalaikum Assalam." She answered and looked up at him. He was holding a paper-bag.

"Come here." He called as he sat on the chair by the side. She went and sat on the opposite chair giving him a what-next look. He kept the bag on the table and pulled out two takeaways, and two coconut juice. She looked at the bag and on it, was a sticker that read Delish munch.

He opened the first takeaway, put in a spoon and passed it to her. She looked at the food- it was Chinese rice, then at Muhammad. "Dig in. I was so hungry and knew you were also, so I ordered this." He opened his own and started eating.

He opened the two juices and passed one to her. She took her time, before she started eating. She ate a little and closed it, sipping the juice occasionally. Usually she was a heavy eater, but she doesn't really have the appetite now.

"Thank you."
He looked at her and smiled, "You're welcome."

She stayed there for like another 5 minutes before she headed back inside. She greeted the people downstairs, then walked upstairs to the living room.

She found them eating the same food she had just finished, and figured ya Muhammad bought it for them all.

............

Hey guys, how are you and everything.
How are you coping with the lockdown?

Who else doesn't want to go back to school any time soon apart from ME😪

I don't feel like going back to school, I really just love staying at home and all. Anyways before I fill you with my shirme, let me let you be.

Bye.
Stay home, stay safe.