Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it~💖حسنى

Rayhaan's POV

The clouds were dark and heavy as I drove out of my friend- Fadil's new home. He recently got married to the love of his life, Aisha. I visited them for the first time since their wedding, which I couldn't attend due to my work. They looked very happy together...May Allah bless their union.

Umma, my mother, has also been nagging me about marriage for two years now, since I came back from Istanbul. But I've been avoiding the topic for a long time...I still haven't found the right one, my better half. Just thinking about it made me nervous.

"Damn it" I said hitting the steeringwheel. I had a flat tire and it was raining. Why did it have to happen now when I was needed in the hospital right away. My phone rang and I picked it up.

"Hello dr Rayhaan" the nurse greeted in her most feminine voice.

"Yes, any problem?" I asked in a bored tone

"Uhmm the patient on bed number six, his condition is deteriorating" she stated

"What! And you're telling me now" I yelled through the phone. "Put him on a ventilator right away and inform doctor Sameer, I'll be on my way" I disconnected the phone without waiting for her to reply. I had to get there immediately.

I stepped down from my car to change my flat tire, heavy drops of water hitting me, drenching me completely. I opened the boot of the car, took out the spare tire, and went to work.

About five minutes later, I was done. I returned all the tools back to the car trunk, as I turned, something caught my eye. Some figure lying on the ground, with a dog hovering over it. I ran over to the figure and shooed away the barking dog.

It was a girl. I couldn't see her face because of the niqabi she put on. I checked her pulse and it was normal. She seems to have fainted. Her hands were shaking and trembling.

I carried her and placed her in the back seat. I switched the heater on as checked her heartbeat.

Her eyes slowly flickered and opened. She looked at me terrified and started muttering a du'a.

"Are you okay?" I asked concerned. She stared at me for a long time, without answering.

"Are you okay?" I asked yet again.

"W..water" she spoke. I took a bottle of water and handed to her, which she gulped down immediately, under her niqabi. It had stopped raining by then, but the clouds still dark, threatening another round of heavy rain fall. The sun had set and it was dark already, making it quite impossible to see.

"Do you live nearby, so I can drop you home" I asked and her eyes began to brim with tears.

Great! Now I'm stuck here in the middle of a thunderstorm with a sick, crying lady.

"Shh, please don't cry, I won't hurt you" I spoke just as I had been trained to console little children.

"I..I can't r..remember my w..way home" she stammered the tears finally falling from her eyes soaking her already wet niqabi. Her voice was so soft. She seems young, fifteen or maybe seventeen

"Shh...it's fine, don't cry" I said. "I'll figure a way out, okay don't worry"  she nodded slowly while I rubbed my temple, a throbbing headache began to form. An idea suddenly stuck me.

"Do you remember your address" I asked and she took a while before nodding. I took out my phone from my hip pocket and handed it to her. "Here, write it" I said and she hesitated, her eyes suddenly full of fear.

"House number 13, lousiana street" she gulped and stepped out of the car.

"Don't be scared okay, You'll get home soon"I stated. I searched her house through the Google maps and instantly found it. It was close by, just a few minutes drive.

"What is your name?" I suddenly blurted out when the car was quiet but she didn't seem to hear me as her eyes were glued to the road. I coughed loudly and still, she didn't notice her mind engrossed with the bracelet on her right wrist. Does she have some sort of hearing issues....I thought to myself. Her hands were still shivering even though she tried her best to conceal it under her hijab.

"Hello!" I said a little louder and her eyes quickly snapped at me.

I'm certain she has a disorder.

"Sorry, you said something?" She asked her voice so soft.

"I asked you your name" I said just as my phone indicated 'turn right'

"Noor" she said after a moment. I couldn't help but to acknowledge her scent...she smelt so good..so pure. A mixture of fresh apples and sandalwood. Not the normal sandalwood scent that Umma puts around the house.. The pure scent of sandalwood.

I pulled the car at the exact same address...house number 13. "Is this the house" I asked as she looked at the house intently. She looked at the house for a moment before she nodded. Does it happen that someone doesn't instantly recognizes his house.

She has a disorder. The doctor in me is sure of it.

"Are you sure" I asked her because the way she had been looking at the house didn't look like she lived there.

"Yes" she replied and then stepped out. I also stepped out of the car as I wanted to be sure she got into the right house.

As she walked through the gates, I also followed her. The rain had begun drizzling yet again.

There were two women, looking absolutely identical, standing outside the compound, and a man that seems a little younger than me, all of them drenched completely.

The two women rushed to us as one of them engulfed her in a tight hug. I took a closer look at the two of them and they looked a bit different. One was older and she had black eyes, exactly the same with Noor. She may be her mother.

The other woman had silver eyes. I had never seen a Nigerian with silver eyes...maybe she was half-caste. I pondered.

"Noor, were have you been? We were so worried. I thought..." The older woman spoke but she was caught halfway as Noor hugged her tightly.

"Mama, I'm fine" she said her voice cracking. Her statement looked like she was trying to convince herself.

"It's okay my child, don't cry" she said slowly rubbing her back. "Who is he?" She asked silently referring to me. The niqabi girl murmured something into her mother's ear before she walked away to speak to the other lady. I inwardly wished she could remove her niqabi, so I could see her face, but she didn't.

Her mother walked over to were I was standing and I felt like I was intruding. I bowed my head a little as i greeted her.

"Thank you so much for bringing her back, I don't know what would have happened if it weren't for you" she said. "Where did you find her?"

"She fainted on the road, I found a dog hovering over her" I said and her eyes grew big. "I think she got frightened on seeing the dog, it happens sometimes" I added to calm her down a bit.

"Shukran" she thanked once again.

As soon as I got inside my car, the rain had started yet again. I closed my eyes and took in the smell of the car. A flawless mixture of fresh apples and pure sandalwood. I turned on the ignition and headed to the hospital.

As I examined my last patient for the day, I couldn't help but to think about the girl I had saved-Noor. There was this sadness and fear in her eyes, she looked so broken.

She may have a disorder, I've seen several cases like hers. I suddenly felt an urge to cure her.

I wanted to fix her.

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حسني🌹