Wattpad username:

Pray_wait_trust

Book name:

Tears of Love

Write-up:

“Gaga, I bhon’t go to school. Teacher gims me an ocean of words to lhearn and dhey are so hard.” She slumped back into her chair, sulking.

 Jesima scooped her into her arm and explained, “No, jaani, nothing comes easy in this world. You must fight your way through it all; there is no way out of studies other than to learn them like a warrior. Okay?”

 “Ookay!” She responded, smiling at Jesima who patted her head.

 “But gaga, I’ll miss you a lot.” She had tears in her eyes as she spoke.

“Aww, jaani I’ll miss you too.” Jesima stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, while tears coursed down her cheeks as well.

It’s true that grandparent’s sort of sprinkle stardust on the lives of little children.

“Faiza, it’s been nearly an hour since I gave you breakfast. Have you planned to keep eating for years?” Asma inquired, her hands on her hips.

“I’m eathing, mum.” She immediately shoved a spoonful of breakfast into her mouth.

“Mum, shall I bring you tea?” Asma asked her mother.

“Yes, beta.” She replied.

She felt two pair of hands suddenly wrapped around her waist when someone hugged her from behind. “You’re looking beautiful, darling.” Aashiq said.

“What are you doing? What if someone came?” Jesima spoke, bashfully.

He tied the new locket in her long, slender neck while moving her hair to one shoulder. She gasped in surprise. “It’s beautiful.” She traced her fingers across it and whispered.

“Not more than you.” She just rolled her eyes at his statement.

“Why a sudden gift?” She questioned.

“Do I need a reason to give my beautiful wife something?” He narrowed his eyes at her making her chuckle.

They have been married for over forty years now and looking at them, it’s as if they were still in their honeymoon phase. Their love bloomed more with each passing day and night. She still blushes under his heated gaze. He still feels his exceeding heartbeat whenever she smiles at him.

“Ahem, I’m right here,” said Asma, reminding the couple that she was in their presence.

Jesima gently pushed Aashiq and nudged his elbow giving an I-told-you look.

“Baba, the car has arrived. Let’s go!” Informed Asma.

“See you downstairs, darling.” He pecked her cheeks and rushed out of the door.

Life has always been a rollercoaster ride for the couples. Jesima clearly remembers the day when she nearly lost her Aashiq. But she put her Tawakkul in Allah, that’s accepting the results that He decides regardless of how they may turn out to be. Allah says in the Qur’an: “And will provide for him where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah- then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.” (65:3)

Flashback   

The morning began to break, sun rays peeled through the crevices between the curtains, birds chirped Allah’s blessings, and a new day was about to unfold.

Jesima suddenly felt dampness in Aashiq’s palms that gripped her hand. His face was pale, lips were dry and parched, and crimson fluid was gushing out of his nostrils.

Tensed, she went downstairs to grab some water for him. She quickly dashed to their bedroom, only to meet the biggest shock of her life. With his eyes closed, Aashiq lay on the mattress. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized he had died, but he had lay there unconscious.

She quickly stood up and made her way to her in-law’s room. An ambulance crew was called, and he was directly admitted into the ICU.

The past week they had found out about his aggressive grade four glioblastoma which he had denied being operated on, and now he was on the verge of death. Was he, however, at fault? He didn’t want to give his family false hope by dying later and living for a set period of time. He was aware that only 25% of patients survive the tumor for more than a year.

Yes, because he overheard his wife and the doctor the other day, but he also desired to live a little longer.

“So, listen what do you say?” Dr. Parker asked Dr. Ava.

“Sir, about the cerebellum and occipital brain tissue.”

“Yes, we can protect that tissue. Every ten minutes, you need to drench that moist tissue.”

“Okay!”

“Now, I’m going to stimulate the nerve with a probe.”

 They were successful in removing the tumor from his brain. But he’s still unresponsive due to the anesthetics. Usually the patients gain consciousness after 45 mins or so, but he didn’t.

Jesima, on the other hand, offered her Isha prayer followed by a slew of Dua’s, knowing that the only thing that can help her in this situation. She cried in front of her Lord. Her heart’s sorrow was bleeding through her eyes in the form of uncontrollable tears. When the waves came crashing down, he was her anchor. She has no way of losing him.

Recalling her favourite ayah from the Qur’an (“Verily with every hardship comes ease.” 94:5), she thought she misunderstood it. She used to think it meant after hardship comes ease. But she was mistaken, wasn’t she? The ayah is implying that WITH difficulty comes ease. The ease is accompanied by the difficulty. This isn’t to say that if Aashiq is saved today, they won’t face any difficulties in the future. We’re enslaved by the delusion that life is a bed of roses. In the ayah mentioned earlier, Allah wants us to know that He will provide us with the strength and patience to bear the hardship.

Meanwhile, she sent everyone back home to get some rest when the doctors moved out of the ICU,

  “The surgery was successful. Good, that you brought him as soon as he became unconscious but… Dr. Parker paused and continued, “but he hasn’t gained consciousness yet. Please continue to pray for him.”

“Can I go and see him?”

“Yes, he needs your support.”

She sniffed back her tears and sat beside him in the chair when a nurse entered.

“Is he your husband?” Jesima nodded her head yes.

“You know he was taking your name constantly.”

“My name?

“Yes.”

“Shall I tell you a trick?”

“What?”

“Hold his hand and call his name lovingly for his quick recovery.”

When Jesima looked up at him, the nurse answered, “You see, I was admitted like this once, and the doctors said it’d take a week for me to regain consciousness, but my husband being adamant didn’t believe them and kept calling out to me holding my hand.

This isn’t a joke, though. Although a husband and wife have two bodies, they share the same soul. If one is in pain, the other is as well. And your expression conveys how concerned you’re. I’m sure it’ll work.” The nurse squeezed her hand and left.

She pondered over the past talk with the nurse for a few minutes and took his hand into hers. “Aashiq, please wake up. Y. You cannot leave me yet. She said between her sobs. I want you beside me. I want to wake up a hundred mornings in your arms. She uttered the same words which he said the other day. I want to kiss you infinite times. I want to fight for the last slice of pizza. I want to make a cute little family of our own. Yes, I even dreamt of all those things even to the extent of seeing our grandchildren… Please, Aashiq. Wake up! I want us to grow old together! I-I love you.” She whined.

“I love you more.” With that, he opened his eyes.

“You’re awake.” She said her eyes tearing up out of relief and gratitude.

“Yeah, by the way someone was saying they wanted to see her grandchildren." He said teasingly.

“Okay! I’ll call the doctors now.” She hugged him and left with a blush.

He chuckled softly seeing her expression.

Flashback ends.

“I will miss you Dadu.” The little girl said clinging onto his legs. Aashiq took the baby in her arms indulging in some grandpa-granddaughter talks. Jesima and Asma came out chuckling on something. They climbed into the car and Junaid, their son drove them to the airport, and after a 15-hours journey they reached Jeddah Airport from where it took one hour to arrive at Makkah.

When the time came for the Tawaf, everyone gathered in the courtyard of Masjid Al Haram around the Kabah.

Jesima had a back strain and she’s on her wheelchair. She looked upto Aashiq with an expression asking him how’ll she perform the Tawaf?

Aashiq rolled her wheelchair, and when she was about to ask him what he was doing, he took her in her arms and lifted her up Tawaf-ing the Haram. She realized that home wasn’t a place. If it was, it was here, safe in his arms.

They were what we call as-A Match Made in Jannah.

Wattpad username:

Qalb-e-katib

Book name:

Tears of Love

Write-up:

The porching chair was dangling in the  morning of downpour, where foggy drops of cold drizzles landed as  perfect circles on the leaves of grass, kissing the plea. A sweet couple in their own world of peace and love was about to enjoy this divine nature heartily gifted by their very kind Creator.

Her gaze was fixed at the greensward which colored her lens greenishly and Jesima heard a susurration from inward and her gaze displaced.

“ Is everything okay, Aashiq? ” She bending her neck looked straight at the tenebrous indoor place hoping for Aashiq to hark her words from kitchen.

Instead of a reply, Aashiq came himself with two mugs of vintage aromatic coffee.

“ Always,when it comes to me. ” the figure nearing her replied with a crook of smile.

Jesima sheepishly smirked at his cuteness as the next porch chair beside her was occupied already.

“ How beautiful today is! Isn't it?” suddenly enthusiasm sprouted in Jesima's tone as she took the first sip of her coffee.

Aashiq hummed and kept busy scrutinizing every element of nature which were adorned like a newlywed that day. They could easily rejoin its beauty sitting in the frontier of balcony of the small cottage at the valley of a small lake,called Kaptai lake.

Aashiq's humming couldn't satisfy Jesima as she worded with a thin smirk,

“ I thought you would say something romantic on this weather ”

This made Aashiq fully glaring at Jesima's facial features from the nature. Simultaneously, a grin took place in his dimpled cheeks.

“ Romantic? Oh am I even capable of being that ? ”

“ Haha,very funny. ”  Jesima did a swish of her eyeballs.

“ What could have I said? You guessed?” Aashiq amusingly inquired and whooped the coffee because of its excessive warmness.

“Like —O Jesima! with you, every morning is blissful,you're more Beautiful than this petrichor or something like that ” Jesima's word sounded so flawless and dramatic but true enough to make Aashiq snicker.

“Seriously? I can be that much cheesy? ”

“ Umm...more than that ,” Jesima's chuckle filled the air.

Again,they both dived in silence, soothing themselves with the sound of rain and the warmth they exchanged by holding palms. The porching chair dangled rhythmically as their heart beats did too.

It had been 30 years,Jesima and Aashiq were able to collect bittersweet memories, together.

Now both of them were aging but their hearts were evergreen like the first day of their marriage when Jesima was too messed up with a newfound bond with Aashiq. There too, Aashiq was a seeker of her love and a special adventure,he was engaged in.

As few raindrops fell from the upper shed of the cottage, Aashiq began to murmer the words near Jesima's ear,

“O Jesima! you are so sublime that these nature elements can fade in front you. That's how my Allah has made you for me ”

The words burdened much on Jesima's poor heart. It was not the first time he praised her flawlessly,but still Jesima's heart looped a beat and it was too weak to show the gratefulness that she felt. That glistened in her eyes.

“Aashiq,over this 30 years, haven't you ever felt that I am not worthy of these words? ” Jesima's words came more like a whisper and fresh drops of tears deserted from her pupils.

“If I am not lying, Never,”without taking a glimpse of eyes, Aashiq said,so confidently.

Jesima leaned on Aashiq's shoulder by head and sniffed.

A dip of silence passed before Jesima worded with a soft glib,

“You're the best gift Allah has given me.” 

“If Asma hears this,she will be mad at you for lying,you said that to her.hihi” Aashiq began to laugh mildly and Jesima cornerly stole a glance of his smile which was enough to melt her heart again and again.

“Who's gonna tell her ? You? ” Jesima lifting her head asked and waited for his answer.

“Of course, I am in her team” Aashiq cooed near her ear and his breath tickled Jesima's cheek letting bristles of her dark brownish hair brush against her skin. 

“Fine,be that ”Jesima like an adolescent crooked her lips and took her hands out of Aashiq's grip.

Again among thousands times,

Aashiq fell for that adorableness.

A gust of wind passed between their distance, lacing both of their hearts together again as they were now too old to continue their banters. The prominent lines of age wrinkles on Aashiq's cheeks showed that he was in his late 50s,still they were like the same sharp and fair ones in Jesima's eyes. Indistinguishably, Jesima was now in her mid 40's, her youthness was starting to fade,her movements slowing down like it was going to stop at a moment and her evergreen face having the creases of age,the pinkish apple cheeks turning into pale one. Still, Jesima's lips were like the reddish petals of rose,her face like the sunrays of winter mornings,her beauty— undotted,in Aashiq's eyes. They both were the beholders of each other's beauty which couldn't fade with the cruel flow of time. They were perpetual,yet natural,their hearts too.

Not just the appearances but from every inch to every corner,Jesima defined the word sublime,now and then.

Aashiq thought scrutinizing Jesima without blinking for a moment.

“Aashiq, tomorrow is 17th September” Jesima sided her toes which were drenched in pit a patter raindrops.

“ So?”Aashiq had hidden the amusement that sparkled in his tone.

“ Are you still some kid acting like you have forgotten your birthdays and I am reminding you with double excitement ? ” Jesima's face looked so cute while getting angry and her voice was so stable unlike before, which was vigilant.

Aashiq enjoyed her reddened eyes and grinned as his half white hair ruffled in the air.

“Why are you smiling? Tell me what you want ! ” Jesima thobed Aashiq's arm with her knuckles and she realized those muscles which was used to be strong and stout once,had now been loosened its tendons.

“Ayee...I have already got what I wanted. ” Aashiq rested his shoulders on the chair and his breath misted in the coldness.

“ What exactly have you got dear hubby ? ” Jesima asked.

“This moment, this morning and each second I am spending with you. From the first day of meeting you,I had been sighting today's reflection ” Aashiq cooed the words so smoothly that she was mesmerized by the calmness of his words.

“ Today's reflection?” Jesima repeated the clause that was blurry to her.

“Yes,someday in a beautiful country like Bangladesh, under this rainy morning two oldies will be holding hands together and talk about all the bittersweet memories they spent in the past— together ” Aashiq paused and noticed Jesima's face which held dreamy expressions.

“ That oldies are WE ? ” Jesima suppressed the last word, enthusiasm sprouting in her spine hearing those words coming from his heart.

“Any doubt ? I am turning 50 tomorrow Jesima...what do you expect me to call myself? A suitor?”

Aashiq steadily said,a new growing chuckle making its way to his lips.

“What about me? Am I a buddhi now?”  Jesima seemed offended as her eyebrows locked.

“Did I ever said that ?” Aashiq acted pure innocence but failed to melt Jesima's heart.

“You meant that ”with this Jesima lifted her body rootedly.

Aashiq held her wrist and stood up on his toes. Drowning in the blues of Jesima's orbs, Aashiq said,

“You are the same Jesima who caused my heart to skip a beat every time you looked in my eyes ”

“Have your heart skipped a beat now?” Jesima saying, lifted her eyelashes and looked into Aashiq's rich brown eyes with warmth. Her right palm reached the shore of Aashiq's left chest where his heart was thudding beats unstoppably.

“Haven't you felt?” Aashiq's eyes travelled to Jesima for the answer.

“ Yes,I have” Jesima rested her head on Aashiq's chest hearing the rhyme of his heartbeats that only sang the song of her love. Aashiq covered Jesima like a blanket with his arms and pecked the surface of her hair.

Your love overbrimmed my heart,

Still,it was never enough.

The more I feared of losing you,

The more I shed tears of love.

Jesima mumbled the words though she pitied herself as a poet in front of Aashiq. Aashiq's heart couldn't find rest. Jesima heightened her head and smilingly whispered,

“ This is your birthday gift.I know I am not good at poetry and all but I— ”

“ These are the words I could spend my whole life with ”

As they both grazed the sun coming out of the curtains of cloud,the warmth cloaked their faces. In their hearts,both muttered gratefulness towards their One Lord. 

The raindrops vanished but a watery element deserted from two pairs of orbs at same pace. As they tippled down on the greenish earth,they were enough to make a history named tears of love.

Wattpad username:

Sadaf846

Book name:

Tears of Love

Write-up:

Shallow breaths .Thundering heartbeats.Clogged throat .Blood shot eyes and tears stained cheeks was the state in which Jesima woke up .

She huddled her knees closer to her bosom and tightening her arms around herself as if trying to gather those shredded pieces of her soul back together which had been brutally tormented by the nightmare she had just woken up from..was it a nightmare or a reality ...was Aashiq really gone from her life .And just the thought was enough to tremble every neurons of her body with such agony that she burst out crying wailing and hiccuping at the death of her heart : her Aashiq .

But she flinched out of her dilapidated state as she felt some shuffling next to her and not a second later she felt a soothing warmth embrace her and voice cooed near her ear consoling her ,stringing her disarrayed beads of existence in an instant .

Jesima jerked her head towards the direction of voice to find Aashiq looking at her with veins of drowsiness marking the territory of orbs yet the concern and care shining in those mesmerising enigmatic eyes overpowered nad overshadowed everything ...even those goblins of terror that were rocking her already dismantled condition .

Hoping it wasn't a mirage or a hallucination ,she looked at Aashiq as if trying drink his every features fearing it will whiff away .But as he gently cupped her face and rubbed off her tears she closed her eyes inhaling every moment, too fearful to even lose the speck of those air of tranquility he had penetrated in the atmosphere of her heart and soul .She wanted to answer every words of his concernful questions but for this moment she wanted to just drown and drench her soul in his love and care as without him she felt she had walked miles in desert and she just wanted to make her heart believe that he was really there and she had found her oasis right there in his arms  .

She felt him leaving her side making her immediately clutch his shirt tightly and with teary eyes she nodded in negative making Aashiq smile while stroking her hair gently ,

"Don't worry I am not going anywhere ! Just let me get you water !."

Jesima hugged him tightly hiding her face in the breadth of his wide chest and hearing his sprinting heart beats she whispered ,

"I don't need water I need you !".

Aashiq puzzled looked at the hidden face of Jesima before he snuggled her closer in his embrace making her listen to the high notes his heart seem to struck at her proximity every single time .

Eventually after much consoling and coaxing ,Jesima narrated the entire nightmare of her losing him causing the dam of tears unleash again and she embraced him more tightly when Aashiq stroking her back gently murmurred ,

"Death is a reality Jesima we can't ignore or avoid ! Every breath is taking us nearer to actualisation of this reality .But what matters is what preparartions we do that this reality doesn't turns out be a nightmare but a outset of a beautiful dream .And this dream I want to see and experience with you Jesima .So don't let the thought of temporary seperation make you so weak Jes but rather think of it as a way we will come nearer to having our forever ! And with you I can't be satisfied with anything other than forever."

Jesima's cheek flared with shyness as she snuggled more into Aashiq before whispering ,

"You know living those moments without you  felt like someone plucked roses out of my life leaving only thorns as my share !".

"But I am proud of you the way you handled everything in your dream so promise me if this be ever our reality". Jesima moved back with a scowl making Aashiq smilingly stroke her cheeks as he rephrased ,

"If this ever happened promise me you will be brave like you were in your dream ".

Jesima looking down pouted with slight nod making Aashiq smile and kiss the knuckles of her hand when Jesima tears twinkled her eyes as she whispered ,

"But I can't deny I miss our daughter ,I miss Asma .It felt so ..so magical as I held her Aashiq .She was just like you ". Jesima sniffed making tears glisten in Aashiq's orbs as he murmurred ,

"I wish I could see her but you know in compensation of losing one Asma we can plan out having lots of little Asma's .! What say ?" Aashiq smirked but Jesima's reply took him  off guard as she hugged him while saying ,

"It is an amazing idea !".

And Aashiq's shock decimated into a warm smile as he pulled Jesima closer and pecked her hairline lovingly .

Soon after ,they stood before their Lord drenching themselves in the rain of mercy and blessings of their Rab at the dying moments of night .The pristine words of her CREATOR ,the soothing voice of her Aashiq and him leading her in prayer seemed all so surreal after that so realistic and gut wrenching nightmare .She had felt she had lost everything but she was standing there having more than she could ever have or wanted and her heart thumbed with gratitude and her eyes rained down tears of love getting her Aashiq back again and more specifically they were tears of love for the Rab who she knew loved her more than any Aashiq could ever