"she'll be my ticket to Jannah. only she gives me strength to fight back the shaitaan - faaris"

Samantha's eyes were fixed on the suitcase on her bed, overflowing with all of the items she had prepared to take with her.

Pouting indecisively, she sighed aloud.

"I need help!"

She screamed and much to her amusement, Hafsa had almost broken down the door as she forcefully threw it open and lunged forward.

"What happened?"

Just as she had started to motion towards her suitcase with a serious expression, Gabriel ran into the room, almost colliding into Hafsa's back.

"Oops, I'm sorry."

He indicated softly and hurriedly backed up towards the door.

After a minute of both of them awkwardly getting aware of each others positions, Gabriel frowned at his sister.

"I seriously thought you were getting murdered. Damn!"

And with that he stomped out of the room, with Samantha hardly bothered by his words.

Because all she noticed was Hafsa's breathes of relief.

"Ahem ahem."

She coughed indicatively and Hafsa rolled her eyes.

"Just get to the point Sam."

Samantha scrunched her face and agreed to focus on the problem.

"We're leaving in two days. And I can't seem to fit everything in."

Hafsa turned to look at the luggage bag, overflowing with a gazillion items. All ranging from a box of tissues to towels to abayas to chocolates to coffee to books to underwear.

"Sam, don't you think, that all of this stuff except for a few items is available in England?"

Hafsa asked and Samantha tilted her head a little.

"But they all have become a memory to me."

Hafsa frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Samantha pursed her lips with a tight smile.

"All these things in my bag have been a major part of my stay here. All of these are what either I was gifted or became important during the course of my stay."

Hafsa's lips cracked into a smile.

She adjusted herself on the bed beside the luggage bag, gesturing Hafsa to take a seat on the other end.

"This —  " she pulled out a pouch of rocks that made Hafsa's smile brighten up immensely ,"— is that pouch of rocks you and Inaya gave me. I remember you telling me these are from that place called Arafat. These are unlike any others I've seen in my entire life, so of course I'm carrying them with me."

She kept it back on a pile of clothes. Pushing her hand through the mess, she pulled out a long black abaya.

"And how can I forget this? This is Afra's abaya she gave me. Now don't get all ruthless that I didn't pull out the one you and Inaya gifted me."

She laughed and Hafsa giggled while raising her hands in surender.

"I'm not going to! You know that already."

Samantha nodded and continued to gaze at the abaya as she spread it out on her lap.

"These abayas are really awesome. You know, if I have this bad day or just no mood to get dressed up, I'll put this on. It's just a piece of cloth, but the dignity it instills within one is applaudable."

She squeezed it back into the place it had in the bottom of the bag.

"And this!"

She shrieked, while holding a few boxes of the famous rock chocolate.

"How can I leave these babies?!"

Hafsa chuckled, nodding her head in agreement.

"Uncle Alexander was very kind in gifting me these. I mean, who is as generous as him to gift about five  three pound boxes of these?"

Hafsa nodded as Samantha's thrilled expressions swayed over every item she pulled out to display.

"And then there is this beautiful gold frame that the Prince Sulaaymaan had gifted both me and Sarah. Remember?"

She extended it towards Hafsa who took it and stared longingly at the memories it displayed. Beside Afra stood all of the girl cousins and alongside the prince himself stood all the elderly people. Her gaze lingered over the young men who were sprawled across the floor right in front of the young married couple.

Her fingers brushed softly against Gabriel —  who had his head thrown back in an intense laugh —  as Faaris tickled his stomach.

Hafsa laughed, earning a few suspicious glaces from Samantha.

"I don't know why you like stupid Gabriel so much?"

She scoffed, making Hafsa chuckle a little.

"He's not a bad person Sam. Good people have such mesmerising laughs. Don't you see that in this picture?"

She excitedly pointed out. Samantha gave her a serious look and shook her head fervently.

"Unfortunately, I'm not blind like you."

Hafsa laughed as Samantha took back the frame and set it delicately over everything on the top.

"Well, I may like him a tiny bit."

She added in a hushed tone and took a glimpse of her brother's image. But naturally, she loved him. Just wasn't very fond that's all.

"And oh my god, how did I forget this?"

She pulled out what seemed to look like a carry-on case stuffed so much that the zipper almost looked like it could tear apart.

"I have a lot — " she paused," — a lot of henna cones. Both black and original you know. Like seriously, I'm OBSESSED with this. How I wish someone could make a perfume with the smell of this."

She dramatically sighed and Hafsa giggled.

"Perhaps you could do the honours of inventing it?"

Hafsa suggested and her eyes opened wide, a slow grin emphasizing the seriousness.

"Hey! That is one awesome suggestion. Thanks girl."

She cooed.

Hafsa just couldn't control her laugh around this one.

"Anyhoo, if I continue to move along and decide to show you every single thing here, then it will take a whole year."

Hafsa nodded, her gaze lingering over the bag that was overflowing with products. Some had even toppled onto the bed.

"And one last thing that I'm going to cherish for my whole life —  " she took her time in extracting another one of her master treasures ," — is this!"

Hafsa craned her neck to sneak a peek into the three frames she was hiding against her chest.

"Here, you can look at them."

She extended all the three into her hands and Hafsa took her sweet time in analyzing each one.

Her cheeks flushed profusely when she brought the first one randomly in front of her eyes.

"I'm not being partial but this is my ultimate favourite one."

Samantha watched Hafsa with a large grin. That particular picture was clicked when they were having photograph sessions with Afra and Sulaaymaan. Samantha was lucky enough to have caught Gabriel staring at Hafsa's covered up figure from a distance with a very welcoming smile. So heart warming was the action that Samantha had personally guided a photographer to catch the shot.

It had turned out to be exactly as she had wished to.

"Welll, I'm certainly very obliged. You consider this your personal favourite one so thank you so very much."

Samantha got up from her seat and engulfed Hafsa in a tight hug.

"I love you guys so much. It's insane because I never thought I'd leave behind so many beautiful family. I've always had a very good vibe about this trip so it's so wonderful to have cherished every moment of it with you all."

Faaris, Mariam and Inaya looked at each other with widened eyes, shocked at what they had just heard from the other party sitting on the opposite couch.

Gabriel.

That day — early after breakfast — Faaris had received a call from his new accomplice, Gabriel.

It was quite a stunner to them when he said that there was an important discussion he wanted to have with Mariam.

For of course, he specifically mentioned Mariam. Who's an elder and you don't causally call up elderly people to hang out with them.

Faaris looked at the two women on either side of him. Neither of them were even blinking after what they heard.

"Gabriel, my man, do you realize what you've spoken?"

Gabriel — who was leaning over his knees — sighed aloud.

"Yes, I'm being as honest as possible."

Faaris bit his lip, looking over at Mariam with concern.

"Can you, sort of, start from the beginning? What all had happened? How it all occurred? Where it began?"

Faaris suggested and Gabriel instantly nodded with hopeful eyes.

"Before I start, I'd like to clear one fact off. Perhaps you all may be thinking that Hafsa has been involved in a haraam relationship with me. However Alhumdulillah, neither of us has had any sort of contact other than just exchanging greetings if we did run into each other."

Faaris opened his mouth to answer him back but he just couldn't. There was sincerity in his actions. An honest smile on his lips and a solemnity in his eyes.

The same that had been in his eyes always for months.

Gabriel was a sophisticated and simple man. He had a great sense of humour and often found happiness in everyday events.

Faaris hadn't had the privilege to know him much but that didn't restrict his positive feelings for him.

"During the initial days, Hafsa was a marvellous help to me. Islam has always been my field of interest ever since my best friend Lucy had accepted it and in the process, every so often, guided me with several aspects."

Mariam smiled for the first time in fifteen minutes of being with her guest.

"That's.... Subhan'Allah.....amazing."

She breathed out and Gabriel looked up with an appreciative grin.

"Thank you ma'am."

"Please do continue."

Faaris urged and Gabriel nodded.

"My friend Lucy died the next day she reverted. It was very unfortunate but I couldn't be more happier for her. I'm pretty sure, in shaa Allah, that she's resting well."

Faaris nodded with a sad smile.

"However, she didn't quite fill in all of the missing links I had about Islam. The rest — which I dedicate to my fate and Allah ofcourse —  is that I met Hafsa. She became my inspiration and teacher throughout my journey of accepting the religion. She was — additionally — the person who taught me how to read the Qur'an and the Arabic language enough for me to read the holy scripture."

Faaris couldn't control his smile. This man was the epitome of purity and innocence. He had taught him so much in the last few minutes of a very less spoken attribute of any Muslim.

Honesty.

"Slowly but surely, several things cleared up and life got sweeter. So much was missing in me as a human and Subhan'Allah I cannot thank Allah enough for the beautiful guidance I received."

Mariam sniffed, leaning over to grab a tissue from the table before her. Faaris saw her and immediate reached out for the box and presented it to her who smiled kindly and pulled out a few tissues.

Dabbing her eyes, she looked up to Gabriel.

"Are you alright ma'am?"

She nodded with a hint of smile.

"Just wondering what specific duaa my daughter may have made that Allah granted her a human being like yourself."

Gabriel smiled heartily, his gaze travelling over them all.

"Please do continue."

Gabriel smiled.

"That's it I suppose. Along the way, I found an irreplaceable support in Hafsa. I feel like if at all — life can be a long journey you know — I happen to shift away from Allah and fall victim to the shaitaan's whisperings, she'll be my strength to fight back. Else I won't be able to have her as my partner in Jannah too in shaa Allah."

Faaris smiled and gazed over Inaya. This guy heavily brought back the wishes he once had. Which Allah fulfilled Alhumdulillah. Just at the most perfect time.

Lovingly he snaked an arm around Inaya's shoulder and pulled her closer.

"You want to be able to hold Hafsa like this?"

Faaris chuckled and Gabriel nodded enthusiastically.

"In Shaa Allah by Allah's will. And I also want to be a part of this family."

Mariam nodded, a few tears shining in her warm eyes. She gestured towards the snacks that had been placed for him to savour from and smiled brightly at him.

Gabriel nodded and respectfully reached out for a biscuit from a platter placed close to him.

"Also — ," he twirled the biscuit in his fingers," — I have a little suggestion."

Faaris smiled encouragingly.

"I was wondering if it would be too much trouble if I could give you all a little something for Hafsa with the intention of proposing to her."

Faaris looked at the both of them who frowned.

"Erm, sure."

Gabriel smiled widely and hastily reached out into his pocket. He pulled out a small box and got up from his position. After he walked up to Mariam, he smiled and slipped it into her palms.

After he settled back down in his place, Faaris and the two women pushed open the box and gasped at the ring that was twinkling in front of them.

"This is a ring ?! A diamond ring ?!"

Inaya exclaimed.

Gabriel wrung his fingers anxiously.

"Is it bad to — "

Faaris interrupted him, a large grin on his face.

"No no Gabriel. We're just too shocked that you like Hafsa to the point that you've even purchased such an expensive jewel for her."

Gabriel shook his head urgently.

"No no Faaris. This is just a worldly statement of expressing love. I wish to do better things for her. If at all, we are destined to be, I wish to keep her smile as glowy as it has always been. That's the true jewel I wish to cherish."

Inaya wiped a tear that had slipped onto her veil. Faaris turned his head to both the sides to find the ladies crying and sniffing.

"Stop it Gabriel. I'm going to have two ladies to console now."

Faaris whined.

At that instant, two hands slapped his back almost simultaneously.

"Stop it Faaris. You should infact learn something from this gentleman."

Inaya scolded him and turned to Gabriel with a smile.

Mariam hushed down the both and leaned forward in her seat.

"That's very considerate of you. Gabriel, answer my one question. That'll be your ticket to Hafsa."

Gabriel jerked straighter and nodded happily.

"Yes ma'am. I will do anything."

Mariam smiled.

"Just tell me one thing. If today I give you my Hafsa, what is the one thing you'll take extreme care of?"

Gabriel's otherwise twisted face relaxed and a smile slowly grew on his lips.

"Her heart."

« Assalaamualaikum Princesses ❤

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter my loves.

I love you all beyond this universe.

And one thing I'd like to mention is that I'll be starting that next book as soon as I'm almost done with this which is soon in Shaa ALLAH. ❤

I hope you're all well and healthy.

Please stay safe.

Much much love,
Me ;) »