28th July, 2018

The day when she stepped out of her college life was the toughest part. She had four friends throughout her four years and they were her best part of her life. Initially her holidays relaxed her mind and body from exams, assignments, seminars for a month. As days went, she started missing each and every moments that they enjoyed as a gang of five. She missed their canteen fun, eating during class hours and the gang of five was tagged as outstanding students from their AC lecturer because of coming late to her classes and those funny girls nicknamed her as 'Lallu'; when the noisy market turns to a peaceful library, it's because of a girl sitting near the window used to alert the class as, 'Shsh….  Lallu is coming'

After her college was over and all the funny and best part of her life added as a memory, she wanted to divert her mind from missing her college life. As she expected, the blessed month of Ramadan arrived at her door step to change her mind of thoughts. Ridha prepared herself that she should utilise the month in doing her best of rewards and please Allah to shower his blessings in her life. Every year, she wishes to attain that precious night named as " Lilathul Qadr"(A blessed night). She longed for that night. It is better than 1000 months,

As Allah says,
The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
Al-Quran (97:3)

She is planning to put her schedule to practice more deeds than other months to get more rewards. Alhamdulillah! Her family always encourages her as a practising Muslimah. They are loved to welcome this blessed month. 

"What are you doing upstairs, come and help me to clean this, so that we can go to taraveeh(prayer) soon after magrib?" her mother called from downstairs.

"Ma, I'll just come within two minutes, At least this year, I wanted to sight a crescent to confirm today is the fasting, I'll come soon ma", she said. She is living on the first floor of a new built house a two months before, they shifted their home from the ground floor to the top floor. They are residing there for the past four years. The place is nearer to beach and it is a half rural area where she can feel the fresh air. Sometimes when she is sad about him, she go to the terrace and remain there; that is her place to cry and hide her feelings and say everything to her Rabbu(lord) in that privacy. She stands in the dark, sometimes under the moon light just to feel the nature. That moments gave her company and relief to her heart and once she gives strength to herself, she'll get down to her house with the relaxed mind.

After ten minutes of gazing the sky to find crescent, she ended up by sighing her favourite star which she loves to see always. Then she finally gave up and get downstairs and then Imaam (Leader) announced that the crescent was sighted somewhere around the city and the time for taraveeh prayer. 

After helping her mother Nisa, she made guzool (the head bath), put on a neat clothes, applied surma(like kaajal), pinned her stole over her lengthy black hijab, made her way out to masjid with her mom and her sister Sana. Her dad Mohamed has already gone to masjid, as he head out after the adhaan(Call for prayer) for Isha salah(prayer), since the masjid is just two streets away from her house. The family of four has gone to the Allah's place in this blessed month to earn their rewards. 

---*---

It's been two weeks after Eid celebration with her friends and relatives. Ridha found boring at home. Her daily routine of waking at 11 or 1pm, sleeping from the time of Fajr, doing some house chores, spending time with her family, searching for jobs at website, analysing whether it was true or fake, having her dinner with her family, completing her Isha namaz, getting into her lovely bed, the sleep approaches her at the midnight, nearly by 12 or 1 and the next day follows the same.

This daily routine indulge fear in her whether her laziness will shut her dreams from attaining. Later she decided to go for a walk-in at CSS-Corp that day. She again failed in the interview at first round. She goes insane and feared of how she'll achieve her goal when her life put many obstacles on her way.

Her goal is to work in her core job for two years and earn a little to get her family to Umrah(Pilgrimage to Mecca), then she wants to save some amount to build a house for her parents to live, since they are paying rent for their residence till now. After gaining experience, she plans to study her master and helping her father to start an own business. But her dreams are diminishing day by day.

But she kept her off campus offer from HCL as backup when she found nothing as her favourite career. That offer itself is amazing with 3.5 LPA, but she found it difficult when the job may be in any place in India and she might put to work in night shifts. So she doesn't have hope that everything will come as her favour. So she tried other jobs in her nearby location. She made at least 8-10 interviews by now. Every time she goes to any off campus or walk-in, she will find thousands and thousands of students like her, waiting for two or single digit vacancies.

It is mind-blowing to see such crowd as competitors while entering the campus and the same people will look like her suffering friends when they all step out of the campus along with her. Yes this is a harsh reality. It doesn't mean that no one is talented, it means that our education system made by our government is making the younger generations to suffer for their career and simply giving them, tags as "Jobless Graduate"...

---*---

"Allah!" He whispered by looking at an old man fell on the road unconsciously. He suddenly parked his two wheeler aside and rushed to lift the old man. His appearance of wearing torn clothes and dirty face with scars and wounds made him go insane. The crowd of five surrounded, some bought water and food in the nearby shop and gave him. Though his head is little bleeding, his hunger overtook him, so he grabbed the food and eat like a man who starves without eating for three more days. Ahmed felt pity on him. He called ambulance by the time.

The other one said, "I'm getting anger of the one who need to do responsibilities for him, and how this world shows it's selfishness by letting the old ones without shelter and food". Ahmed didn't utter any words. He is still thinking how to help this man, he thought of admitting in banyan, an old age home. But that thought was rejected, because it is only for old women. Then he keep on trying to get a solution to help this poor. He didn't see such a needy person in his life. Then after forty-five minutes, an ambulance came, he along with the two members made him lie inside the ambulance. One among them is a member of some helping organisation accompanied the old man. When Ahmed gave money to the ambulance driver,
" Sir, I don't accept any form of money, I'll take care of him, and it's my duty".
Ahmed went speechless at his words and just put a smile for his gratitude and he left his home by thinking the good people and the poor starving old man.

The whole night he drove restless and felt about the poor people in India and in all over the country. He is just a man who joined his work a year before, after completing his master. Due to his hard work, he was given more incentives for accomplishing his targets before the time. Still he is fighting for his life to complete all the debts of his family and need to earn a comforting salary for his future. He thought of Ridha too, to accompany him in that situation when he feel no idea to do for what he feels. By that time, a WhatsApp message popped on his screen,

Ridha - "Hey, you didn't sleep"

By looking at her text message, he becomes happy. At most of the time, she helped him when he needed and he helped her when she needed.

Ahmed- Jazakallahu Khair (May Allah reward you), to text me at this time, I have gone restless.

Ridha - "Just take rest, you must be tired, Recite dua(pray) and sleep, Ah'med"

Ahmed - "You are always my relaxation, Ridhu"

Ridha - "You too, Fee amanullah(May Allah protect you)"

Ahmed - "Take care, Fee amanullah"

A minute conversation cleared the restless mind and they drove to sleep with the happy thoughts of being together insha a Allah(If Allah wills). Both wished their dreams by thinking the day where they will be living together. They still find the true love in themselves which comes without seeing and talking each other for 24*7 hours. She expected the daily talks to happen after marriage. She dreamt of fantastic future (in sha a Allah) with him.

A beautiful world where they could spend each other after marriage, waking up your beloved ones for thahajut(night prayer) with a soft kiss, making wudhu(ablution) and praying together as she follows him and establishing a connection of two to three, to ask for their togetherness in hereafter too. Then reciting Qur'an, and teaching each other with the translation and after the time of fajr arrives, she sends him to masjid, and soon after they'll spend some time in a park to jog and share their thoughts with some romantic utterance, then she'll make him ready to the office and feed him the breakfast as mother to the child, and bid him "salam" and making dua to her Rabbu for his safe travel. As the day goes, waiting for him to return home by making herself and the dishes ready, doing her Magrib Salah, and his favourite one enters; Later both paves way to balcony to stand still with his wife by making his arm around her waist, uttering his love, and sharing the whole day experience and finally reaching the bed after the dinner and completing Isha salah. By the time, they close their eyes besides having each other too close and found the bed empty the next morning realising

IT
WAS
JUST
A
DREAM......

A/N:
There are few Arabic words that may concern non Muslim readers. Just feel free to ask in comment if you want to know exactly what it is :-)