He beheld her twinkling eyes. They stared back at him. Shining dark like tonight. Black jewels. He was surely and absolutely in love with his first born. Her round cheeks blobbed when his two-day old daughter made an 'eeeaahhnn' noise. He started to cradle her close to his chest. She snuggled in his warmth. Soon her enchanting eyes drooped and sleep rested on her eyelashes.

Ismaeel kept on staring at his pearl, wondering how a fellow like him is bestowed with a huge blessing like this. A daughter! How can anyone become so dear to us that even if it cost a life to just be with them, we will serve it on a silver platter. This I think is true love. All it takes is patience. Only easy to say.

He looked up sensing the presence of someone else standing in front of him. His heart thief. She smiled and sat on the bed beside  him. 

"So. Here you are," his wife said, "Can I put her in her crib?"

He handed his princess to her and she placed her gently in her crib. Ismaeel waited patiently for her to return.

"Haaniyah? you had asked me something earlier, you remember?"

"Ah, about the.... okay, yes I remember," she said straightening the blanket's corner. Ismaeel leaned back against the pillow and folded his legs before him on the bed.

"So....... I am ready to talk about it."

Her smile widened. She sat in front of him and took his hands in hers. "But promise me."

"There has never been any secret between us." he said. But he knew he was not gonna win through this. He sighed and dramatically put his hand on his heart, "With Allah being my witness, I, Ismaeel Al Yameen swear to speak only the truth and all of the truth known to me, with the Will of Allah."

Her smile lit even more. She giggled and pushed back a lace of hair behind her ear, "so tell me."

He leaned in, "It has never before this time, come to my tongue. I had locked this deep down in my heart." He paused and studied her eyes. Curiosity and glee reflected from her eyes.

"It was when I was in my second year of uni. It had been the least stressful year of the time during my graduation in that university. Maybe because the majors I took was really interesting. So I didn't had to work too hard for them or it was just me being at peace with myself. I had joined a local MSA (Muslim Student Association). There were fun parties held, halal food fests, etc. We used to volunteer at the local mosques and even neighboring churches, like raising funds for electricity bill, or maintaining the parking lots or clearing the snow in the winters.

I had kept myself busy. Either at MSA or with reading. I used to read a lot those days. I had time. My friends used to know if they wanted to meet me, I'd be at the public library. But there were rarely anyone who would come looking for me. 

This is where I first came across her. She used to come daily, I came to noticed. Sometimes we become so habituated with being around certain people that they don't remain strangers anymore. Like let's say in a daily commuter routine many people know people's faces who travel by the same route as theirs. They become accustomed to traveling with each other, even if they might never talk or greet each other or know each other's names.

I was almost there everyday myself. As you know, I had been doing 'a book a day challenge'. I would borrow a book and read it the rest of the day, between classes or in lunch hour or overnight. Most days it would take me two days to finish a book. But sometimes I managed to complete them in a day.

I knew almost every Muslim in the university.  The vice president of our MSA was a friend of mine.  He mostly shoved the tasks of record maintaining to me. We were a small group. Just maybe nearly thirty members. Eleven or twelve female participants and rest us males. They all regularly came to the meetings so I knew everyone.

But she? This girl never was in our MSA. It was strange I never saw her with other hijabis. She was a science student.. But the strange thing was she always sat at the arts section in the library. She would be scribbling taking notes or studying hard. I thought she was in arts judging how hard she studied. I got to know she was of science when a sister from our MSA came to the library looking for her. She might've been a junior that time"

Haaniyah listened with eyes not leaving her husband's. She rested her face in her palms. She listened to him as a child would when they were told a fairy tale. "How was she?" she asked.

"She was neither the most beautiful girl I had seen, nor seemingly smart. She..... well, I didn't know her that much. She was well away from people to want to know her. She didn't make herself mysterious either. It was like...... how shall I say? She would be among the crowd but you  wouldn't come to notice her."

"Uh huh. Continue."

"It was really normal to see her everyday at the public library. I did not spy her. Nor did I go there to see her. Ever. I'd do my studies there, borrow a book or two, leave. She too might have become mundane with the uni life and the library. Our campus and public library were neighbors. Most people who came to the library were no new. Everybody knew everybody by the faces (the library was not too big) Everyone had their places fixed. 

Contrary in campus, I rarely encountered her. Very rarely. A couple of times or more I think. Maybe when I had to pass by the science wing to meet my MSA friend or to go to the cafeteria. I was absolutely sure her majors were science studies then. 

It was a normal sight of her leaving the library at the same time I did. At the time of Asr. I'd go my way to the MSA counsel area and she would go hers. I wasn't interested in her to go talk to her nor did I walk beside her to make friendship. I never acknowledged her, she never acknowledged me. Never interfered in each other's lives.

It was as if two roads come together and diverge again. Without crossing paths.

Our lives were too predictable and extremely normal.

But there were times when I'd have to borrow money or work extra hours. Those days I had to skip my routine. Alhamdulillah those days were very fewer in my second year. It was an easy year for me.

At the time of exams I'd find silence only in the library. So, those days I'd be there up till closing time. Nobody bothered me nor did I. My life was clear. I had fallen in the rhythm of my routine. Everyday being the same. Same activities, same people, same places, same food habits, same attires, etc. It had been a year and a half like this (my first and half way through the second year). Any minor change in my life would bother me. You well know sweetheart how I am.

One day, I remember it being Friday, I left at my usual time, the time of Asr. She too did as she normally would. But she stopped that day. Near the campus parking lot. I was walking behind her, of course maintaining a modest distance. It was so routine to me that I didn't even notice her until she stopped. I walked past her to the Musallah of our counsel area. I turned to know why she stopped. 

Someone had approached her. I recognized him, he goes to the same mosque as me. He might've been her fiancee. I didn't know. I was not curious. Anyway I was getting late for Asr so I went away. 

After that day I didn't saw him near the campus for maybe a couple of months. It was the winter's first snow fall when I saw him again, waiting for her near the campus parking lot. I was busy studying that day, so I left the library late. I saw them talking near the parking lot.

He was holding a white documents folder, skimming through. She might've handed it to him because her bag was still unzipped. She was saying something. It might have been painful. He was at the verge of  tears. Now he was struggling to talk. He was shattered by the look of him. 

The distance between the library and the campus parking lot was not too long. But I walked extra slowly to notice them. I know I shouldn't have done that. It was their lives. I did not had any right to know.

She looked like she too was in pain. But maintained well to hide her tears. It was the sight of some kind fear or cloudy sadness on the guys face that made me concerned. He started to say something now. Tears filled in his eyes. He was trying hard to convince her something now. 

I passed by them and did not turn. I didn't wanted them to feel uncomfortable. It was something really personal. Or else she might've invited her to her home or he might have. I knew they needed privacy. Someone constantly staring you might make you angry. But I could say they did not notice me pass them.

And It was after that day I saw him daily, near the library's parking. He would wait for her to come out. They would meet at a distance from the library, he would escort her to his car, hold the door for her to get in and they would drive away.

This continued for six months or so maybe. I didn't gave much thoughts to it. My finals were ahead. I'd be in the library till the closing time. So, mostly didn't see her leave.

But what bothered me most was, she started coming irregularly. And I think it was the start of my third year that I noticed she rarely came now. It was in the spring I saw her last. 

After that I never got to see her. 

It troubled me. I thought of asking someone about her. But I didn't know her name. And all the science students friends with me were male. And I was too shy to talk to any sister in MSA. But I really wanted to know what happened to her.

I started looking for the guy who use meet her. The only place I could look for him was the common mosque we went to pray. I think he stopped coming. Or they might've shifted to other city.

But one fortunate day I saw him again. Near campus parking lot. This time he was not looking like he was waiting for someone. He was just standing there. I observed him from a distance before approaching. But what would I ask him? He might consider I might've had feelings for the girl, which might make things worse. For them. For her. I walked past him.

But from that day on, he was there everyday, standing. Lost in his thoughts, leaning on the side of his car. I resisted the urge to go talk to him about the reason. It irritated me for being unknown to his life now.

It went on maybe for three weeks or more. And I finally gave in. I went to ask him, why he was standing there doing nothing and why she didn't come here anymore.

Translations:

°Asr (Time of a prayer Muslims perform)

°Musallah (place of prayer)