Sept, 2018

"Sorry, I couldn't come to visit your new office, In sha a Allah, I'll come there to ensure whether the way you are returning is safe or not.", Ahmed said. When Ridha replied, "Hmm" , he again asked her, "Is there any problem?"

"What will you do if I have problem here? Why are you keep on asking as a little child?" Ridha asked him with frustration. Because she got worried when he cared him and felt protective over her when she is outside alone. But he won't even spend some time to call and talk like this when she was at her home in the earlier days. She couldn't withstand her patience and asked him what she intend to ask,
"Why are you showing care when I'm outside and spending your time without saying the usual words 'I'm busy', Are you concerned and being possessive on me? I have longed for this care when I was at home hoping to build a new career. How can you spend some time to call and talk now, Ahmed? I thought not to ask you and hurt you about this. But now I'm feeling why my Ahmed is behaving this way", Ridha expelled her thoughts..

He remained silent some time and said, "why because I'm really worried when you travel outside, I feel possessive on you, You are mine Ridha, what if someone makes problem in that large campus? Be careful dear when you are travelling in public transport, Take care of you, And I can allocate some time for you to know your status when you are outside. And when you are at home, I feel you are safe, so I won't think to leave some time when I'm in work, And sorry for those times when I left you alone, Sorry dear"

"Shall I ask you one, Ah'med?"

"Go ahead ma"

"Will I go to work even after marriage ?"

"Why???? Why do you got such thoughts?", he exclaimed.

"Because I wanted to get this care forever from you, if I was in home, you won't behave in this way, instead you show that you are the very busy man in this world" Ridha said in a sad tone.

"I won't let this happen next time da, I'll make you happy as much as I can after marriage in sha a Allah" Ahmed consoled her with his sweet words.

"Really" Ridha excited with much blushing...

"Enough Enough, don't blush too much, time to go back to work" Zulfi interrupted the Ridha's phone call conversation with Ahmed. It's her lunch time, so Ahmed called her. Ridha forgot the thought that her lunch break was over and still she was talking so deeply to him. Then she ended his call by saying Salam and dua for protection.

"Why are you too excited today? Something has happened" zulfi chidded. "Nothing that much, but had a deep conversation in phone call after a long time" Ridha corrected her assumptions.

"Nowadays, Bhaiyya seems more caring and many phone calls, What did you do him?, Madam", She keep on teasing her. "He is fearing for my safety, that's it, so he is calling me often" She brought her mind from her overthinking.

Meanwhile, the reporting manager came inside their working area to describe about project works. This two girls stopped their private conversation and begin to listen to his words.

The day gone asusual, it's been three days she has gone to work and returned home at late evening. During dinner, when the family sets the dishes on the mat, Sana started complaining of not having her own mobile. In the sense, her parents gave her basic mobile. They said that they'll get her smart phone once she completed her college like Ridha. Because her parents always treated the girls in equal manner.

"Did I m practicing anything like Ridha? Then I'll be also like her from now on if you compared her with me" said to them with a loud tone. Her indirect saying reached Ridha who is sitting inside their bedroom. "Don't dare to raise your voice, we know what to give and what not to give, so shut your harsh words" Nisa threatened her second daughter.

Ridha couldn't control her tears when she heard the way of her own sister insulting her. But she tried to maintain silence since she couldn't get rights to speak for her side. Whenever Sana is used to hurt her by pinpointing Ridha's love on Ahmed, Ridha will go silent with lack of words. She knew that she got her phone only after she completed her bachelor degree. It's only been six months she is having her own mobile in hand. She not even used the basic phone like Sana in her college days. Still Ridha couldn't believe that she has got a freedom of owning a phone for herself.

But she thought that this is what she deserved for putting her parents in worry in her teen age itself. Always she'll put in a situation to balance the two she loved the most. Her mom and her most lovely one Ahmed. But when her little sister pinpoints her mistake everytime, her heart torn apart by her harsh hurtful words. Ridha thought that she doesn't have any rights to speak for her side because she knew that she is not a perfect one. Only thing she can do is to shed tears for what she does. Until and Unless Sana put into Ridha's situation in her future, she couldn't understand what Ridha's actual thoughts are.

Whenever Ridha's deprived of worries, her lord will help her by something. That something has happened the next day.

She didn't expect Ahmed will call her to meet suddenly that evening. He told that he couldn't get permission from his TL but he wanted to see Ridha. So he called her in the midway distance between Ridha's and Ahmed's workplace. So that both their leaving timing will get equal and Ridha has to leave home earlier. When they met near that place, she happened to meet his eyes which is hidden inside his soldier green helmet. She catched his eyes soon after she get down from the public transport. She went near him and muttered salam. He replied for her salam and said, "Now itself, it has been 7, so let me drop you at home. We'll spend some other day."
Ridha glared at him and asked, " To drop me, I have to come this long way. Then why do you want to call me to talk in person"

"First, get on my byke, let me tell you why I called you" Ahmed instructed. Ridha followed his word instead of arguing in the traffic. Breaking the silence, Ridha asked, "Now tell me, why did you called me". "First, I longed to see you since it's more than a month, And I told that I want to see you, not to talk to you for hours, if we do this we'll get late to home."
"Just to see eachother, This is not fair" she said in sad tone but she is happy that her boy is responsible towards her. "But you can talk on the way, it takes one more hour to reach our home" he hinted her. "I knew, you just concentrate the ride", she said by smiling without knowing him.

"Ridha, this is quite long ride know for us, in sha a Allah, we'll go too long after marriage like this time" he said.

"No, I want to have a midnight ride, at the time of 12 or 1" Ridha excited. Then for some time, they have gone silent by dreaming about the future travel. "I feel thirsty, Ah'med" she said. But he didn't respond her. She thought that he didn't get her voice due to the noise of air, she left unspoken. Then a while later, he drops near a small shop, and told Ridha to get down. "What" she asked.

"Go and get some drink" he said. She just loved him when he understood her needs. She quickly bought her mango flavour drink and thought that it is his favourite too. Then when she went near his byke to handover the drink, Ahmed gave her a milk chocolate. She knows it's his favourite one and got it from him and gave him after a biting a piece of it. He had some and fed her the remaining.

They not only shared the sweetness of candy,
But they shared the sweetness of their love.

Ahmed still want to cover a half a distance to drop Ridha. When they stuck in heavy traffic, they couldn't see the traffic signal, only they can see the scattered vehicles all over the road. That time, " If you override this traffic by flying away from one side to the other side of signal, I'll call you as a 'Supppper Mannnn...' , Can you?" Ridha asked Ahmed with a smirk on her face. Ahmed just turn his head to her side to face her with a questioning look. "What??? Okay I ll call you as Spider man also"
"Just be quite in your seat" Ahmed said with frustration since they stuck with a traffic. But this girl is playing with him by not at all caring to reach her home soon. "Ah'med !!!' she called.
"Mmm" he replied. "Nothing" she said instead she wanted to say him, 'I love you lot'.

Later, he reached her place where she parked her old dabba scooty. When she about to leave him, Ahmed called her, "I didn't meet your lovely eyes, Ridha". Her heart melted for his words but she hided it. "I told you to spend some time to talk, Now when I'm leaving, you are calling me like this idiot, Go safe and text me once you get into home dear"
When they bid their final salam, they gazed each other and gone their route. Ridha took her scooty and when she starts to ride to her home, she saw Ahmed coming on her way again.

When both of them riding in their own vehicle, Ahmed paves way for Ridha to go in front of him. But Ridha wanted to go with him equally, so they both maintained the speed of the vehicle and conversing each other even while riding, "Why are you following me?" Ridha asked.
"I want to know my wife that she is stepping her home safely" Ahmed Replied.
"Can we talk for sometime and I leave, okkkkaaayyy?" when she made some stunt when a vehicle crossed her. Then Ahmed went ahead, she followed his byke for few seconds. Then Ridha catched his byke by raising up the speed not exactly because Ahmed lowered his byke's speed so that her lovable one catch him.

"Okay dear, you go safe" Ridha said by moving a inch ahead of him,
"U too" when he move another bit towards her.

After reaching her street, Ahmed paused his byke to let her go. Ridha came near him and lowered the speed and uttered, "Fee amanullah" and took a turn to her street with unexplainable happiness. The main thing she liked is she used to come with him in his byke, but this the first time where both conversed eachother by handling their own vehicles with them. This is kind of new experience.

When he moves a bit forward, it shows that he leads her like a guiding husband,

When he just pause his vehicle, it shows that he'll wait for her forever,

When he allows her to come front, it shows that he'll let her grow to achieve her dreams to shine one day,

His heart always shows the love of pure thought and every time, She just admire the way he goes...

And

She waited for the one day to come to shower all her love to him,

The day when their signature becomes the identity of the marriage,

The day she wanted to hold his hand very tight and say, 'I'll be there for you in your ups and downs, and at the waxes and wanes of your life'

The day she got the audacity to tell everyone that 'He is my husband, and I'm his wife' to those who criticised their relationship,

Finally the day when the two souls become one...

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Ridha's Past starts....

"Okay Sadhia, let us not discuss about the enjoyment which we had on our tour to Afeera. If she asks too, we have to maintain 'nothing gone that much happy' mood to her, okay???" Ridha said while stepping inside the class. "Okay Done", Sadhia said with showing thumps up to her.

"Assalamu alaikum", Ridha and Sadhia said with the same tone. Afeera replied, "Wa alaikum salam, I have bought one thing for you people, Guess what it is"
"Your mom's special kaaraa Semiya???" Ridha exclaimed.
"Nooo" Afeera nodded with disapproval.
"Then it is ...... Kabab only know", Sadhia said in a loud tone
" Chee, What??? Do you like to have meat in this early morning?" Afeera kept a disgusting face.
"Okay final guess, this is", Ridha put a glare on Sadhia, and she picked her tone and both continued " that sweet which you will get from your native,you name it as 'ottuu maavu' righttt???"

"Exactly, take this" Afeera extended the box of her native sweet. It'll be crispy as well as tasty one. It will do better when they have boring classes. They took many spoonful of sweets and their stomach got full with that sweetness but still it remained in the box and the three kept to have in the evening.

Later when the school gets over, they slowly move out of the building and usually came up with some talks. That time, they met with their class boys. In that, Hamza also there among the gang. Ridha and Hamza were thick and loyal friends from her VI Grade. But only this year, because of the new principal, boys and girls were separated by sections. This also been a good experience, it followed the islamic way to separate out the boys and girls. They used to share their lunch and break and Hamza used to tease her lot from her childhood days. They mostly have long conversation or debate on Islamic topics. Hamza is a pious one and he speaks to her because they both knew they got some similarities over the thoughts.

Hamza greeted with Salam and the girls replied to his Salam. And he added with a sorrowful face,
"I'm missing the snacks and lunch which you'll bring daily. Being in the boys class, lunch boxes getting emptied in break itself, We all feel hungry at lunch time itself"

"Ohoo, superb, you used to stole my lunch in the class last year know, Thats why Allah gave this kind of punishment to you" Ridha said happily outside but she asked Afeera about the sweet meanwhile.
"I just said I missed your foods and snacks, but your food won't be nice that much, Okay go safely to home, instead of standing in your friend's home to chitchat for a long, Bye", Hamza said with concerned tone.

"Wait, have this", Ridha gave that sweet to Hamza , and added, "Return the box tomorrow, it's Afeera's one" by bidding salam. When giving the sweet box, his mouth is showing his entire front teeth and Ridha laughed a bit by seeing his expression.

A week has gone successfully without meeting with the one who throw a continuous glare at her. During zuhar namaz, Ridha met with Shabana after long time. She talked usually and spoke to her about Ah'med. She spat out her view how Ah'med is behaving alone in the class. But soon after she ended the talk, Ridha changed the topic by asking about their common exams.

She doesn't want to listen to Shabana's pitiful words, else Ridha find difficulty to erase those words from her mind. It'll hurt her like she was the only reason for his pain. And later, she announced Ridha and her class girls about conducting farewell party for the X and XII Grade people. Shabana added that her class boys asked permission from the principal to arrange the party inside the school premises under some staffs supervision.

Like every juniors, they got a problem in spending money to their senior batch whom they won't get along their way because they won't behave friendly like Shabana's batch. But they couldn't deny their super- senior words, i.e Ahmed's batch people, so they accepted their words. They spend another one more hour there to cut their social boring class, they felt energetic to arrange such events by cutting the classes. Ridha is made to collect the money from all the girls in their classes and need to handover it to their super- senior batch. She accepted her assigned work and some girls are given the activity to dance and sing some farewell songs.

The non Muslim girls gathered to practice for a dance in a one side of the empty room which is near their classroom. One side some people gathered to practice for singing. The two activities are only given to the Ridha's class girls to cheer their seniors on their farewell. Ridha instructed the girls to bring 100 Rs each the next day since she is given the incharge to collect money.

While instructing her class girls, her class teacher called Ridha, and said to handle money with care. She is left with no work because the work will be there for her the next day. So she sat on the writing table to enjoy their class girls funny practices. While she is listening to the songs, a girl called her to join in singing team since people were less. Ridha argued with them that she is not at all good in singing. They just told to humm at the back and finally Ridha nodded for their request. The one thing she worried is that she'll also made to stand on the stage with those people where Ahmed will be present in the hall.

The next day, Ridha asked everyone to give the money to her. Sadia and Afeera helped her in collecting the amount. Ridha took a paper to write a student's name to cross-check the collected amount at the end. When Ridha counted the collected amount, it came as 3800 Rupees. But there were 39 people given their names. She got confused and rechecked the amount again and again. When her class teacher looked at her expression, he came to her and asked the reason for her worried face.

He is the most aged man in the whole school in the age of 60, assigned as their class teacher. Always he'll tell Ridha that she looks like his daughter, so he'll behave rightful to her. After counting the amount, he asked "Do you include your money?"
Ridha got the answer and put a Cheshire cat smile and replied, "No". He suddenly knocked her head rightfully and said, "You forgetful girl!!!"

By showing her rights, she too showed her anger face to him. By seeing her angrily, he asked SORRY to her. Really Ridha admire when the people concerns about her. She just put a warmth smile to her old aged teacher and he is also a good caring person.

During the break, Shabana told to handover the money. Due to her two lazy friends, she came to her class late after the break. Suddenly, she reminded by the thought to handover the money to Shabana. Her class after break is yet to start and asked excuse to her biology teacher and made her way outside. It's long way to go to Shabana's class since they are in the another building. It's like their two classes are at the two edges of L-shape structure building. Instead of going to ground floor and climbing up to the other one, she thought of calling someone in the intersection of two buildings. It's the easiest way to pass the amount to Shabana. So she moved to her left corner and she saw someone standing outside the Shabana's classroom. She couldn't guess who is the guy from the distance. She just signalled to make him come to his right corner.

Her guess came true when the guy who came nearer and nearer from that long distant corridor. Ridha suddenly turned a bit, and thought that
'whom I called from distant, is the one who I don't want to meet these days'.

Suddenly she heared some harsh male tone. When she turned towards the one who called, it's from Ahmed's friend who stood beside him and asked me, "What do you need? Why you called my friend?"
"Brother, I just came to handover this whole sum amount to Shabana sister, Can you call her or else please handover this to her?"

"And Sorry to call your friend, I thought that was some other one standing there" Ridha apologized for the inconvenience made there.

Ahmed glared a painful look at her and she felt the depth of his pain in her heart and felt Sorry to hurt him that way. But it happened unnaturally that she didn't expect that guy to be him. She pat her head by thinking that she should check her eyes to the doctor to predict the things from long sight.

When she decided her heart to give the amount to Ahmed, he called his friend soon to deal the inconvenient situation. He didn't give time to react smoothly in that situation. So she argued to her heart that her mistake is not a full part and with that, she entered inside her class by excusing herself to the teacher.

She begins to think about the incident happened with Ahmed a while before. Her thoughts, ' Nowadays I'm messing up with him atleast once in a week. It is not like that he involved himself to come to meet me. Its like it's happening naturally without a reason. I don't know why I'm feeling uncomfortable when he is around me, I felt the same when he sat before me in that ride, I was unable to sit before for some few minutes, Now when he suddenly faced me, I turned a bit due to some uneasiness to face him, Is this called as "shyness" or something else. But I'm behaving strongly and talking freely infront of my class boys and I behaved in a good way to his friend also,
why can't I think him in that way and behave usually instead of avoiding him, It'll hurt both of our hearts if I behave this way.' , her biology teacher called out her name thrice and and she got up at the third call.

"What happened to you? Are you not well", she concerned because she is the active girl who'll post many questions to the teacher when she doesn't understand the subject. She replied, "No miss, I'm fine".
"Okay, concentrate here", her teacher instructed and her friends giggled and teased, "Then where goes the concentration, Madam???"
"Nothing, let me concentrate, don't disturb me" Ridha pouted.

"Let us arrange the things on this table, and some girls serve the seniors and the staffs" Ridha guided the group of volunteers. The farewell party started in their mini hall at the fourth floor. The seniors all came with their grand dress and makeup and some boys wearing modern suit and some with traditional paijamas, made to seat in the hall and the party started with prayer. Ridha's class girls singing team followed after the completion of welcome speech to enlighten their mood. So Ridha went on with the singing team and performed well because he didn't spot Ahmed there.

The senior girls made seated on the left and the boys on the right. When Ridha is called by one of her class girls to serve a cool drinks on the first row in the girls side, she went back to the hall to arrange the glasses on the plate. While pouring the juices on the glasses, she heard someone announcing 'dance program is yet to start'. She thought to make it fast so that walking intermediate while the program is on will show some disrespect. So she urged to pour the juices and when she turned up to step forward, her favourite song played,
'Feel my love,....
Feel my love'
(Guitar music plays at the back)

When she happened to see who is dancing for this song, a young handsome guy wearing his green full sleeve tee with the cap, her eyes blinked twice to grab the scene, it's a complete scenario that Ahmed stretching his hand forward and there comes Ridha to stand opposite to him when all the members in the hall listening quitely seated on their places. It was a complete silence except the lyrics flowing in her ears and his extended hand went to his heart to show some magical feeling which Ridha experienced that moment.

When Ahmed continued to dance further but still glaring at her, Ridha suddenly turned towards the girls side and served the drinks with the high noise of her fastening heart beat sound.

The scenario sounds well for some few minutes when Ahmed is performing dance on the floor and Ridha is serving the drinks to the senior, their friends giggled and teased by watching their romantic scene going on.

"Why don't you help me in serving, Sadhia?" Ridha frowned by calling her friend out of the hall after keeping the plate on the table.
" What if I interfere in your romantic scene?" Sadhia said by controlling her laugh.
"What, what-what??", Ridha blinked in her frustrated tone and added
"Let me leave the hall now and you come to the class once party was done"

"Why are you behaving like this idiot?Did anyone told you to go in between the hall when Bhaiyya starts to dance. It's your mistake, then why are you getting angry when the problem is with you?"
Sadhia supported Ahmed instead of supporting her friend.

"I really don't know that he is there in this hall when the song played at my back, I thought some other person was going to dance, but I didn't expect it was Ahmed, and I concentrated on the drinks to serve faster before the event starts, but all gone collapsed, I think no one look the expression he gave, right?", She asked concerned.

"Yes no one saw the expression he gave because it's also the part of the dance, but everyone saw the way that you expressed to him, do you know" Sadhia came closer to Ridha's ears and said,
"I too admire your Romantic look, Warae Wa!!!!,
'Romantic Ridha'
.
.
.
Nice na", Sadhia teased her lot to the extent.

Ridha ignored her saying and suddenly gets down the steps, a male voice interrupted, "Ridha, one minute???"
"Whaaa?" Ridha turned and her word shortened and went speechless when she saw Ahmed standing opposite to her.

"Sorry, I chose this song for you only and thought to dedicate to you at the end. But it energised me even more when you itself came on my way at the beginning of my dance, Really it's been a great surprise for me, Whatever happened, I'm happy and I got a hope that one day you'll come to me like this lots of love, Ridha" Ahmed expelled his thoughts and emotions towards her.

" Whatever happened there,, It is happened without my knowledge, so Please don't have any negative hope, it will kill your heart at the end", Ridha tried to erase his little hope for her. Because she thought that this is not a right step to take towards their future. She doesn't want to indulge negative hope in his heart.

That time, Her inner heart felt that she has gone to her fantasy world where her dream boy proposed his love in front of everyone. If it is her dream, surely she may accept such offer. He looks stunning with his full sleeve green coloured tee. When he extended his hands, it's like a ice rain pouring inside her heart. She felt to dance by holding his extended hand and perform a ballroom dance by not leaving his gaze over her. When she looks that way, she'll forget the look of men and women who gathered there.

But she suddenly made her mind that this is reality and she knew very well that it will not go the same way she dreamt. It will always show the negative and worst impact in the end of their life if she supports him now.
So she remained constant that she doesn't want to hurt both their souls at the end.

'Whatever happens to my heart, let my mind should not disturb over it, this is my duty to pull my heart according to the instructions of my mind'

Ridha finally stricted her heart to realise about the realistic happenings of the world at the end of that day.

Ridha's Past ends...

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