Aisha's POV
I twirl a strand of my hair around my forefinger as I lay on my bed and reread my messages while the music was playing in the background on my phone.
David Smith: Woah! Did I read it correctly? Or you accidentally sent me the last message?
A smile spread on my face and the inner me was jumping like a little kid.
"Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!" (Allah is [the] greatest)
The azan (prayer) was being called. Rolling my eyes, I increased the volume of music on my phone and typed in a reply.
Aisha: The message was meant for you and I mean it.
After waiting for a few minutes, I instantly received his reply.
David Smith: I'll be honored. Let's exchange numbers, friend.
I sit up instantly and wonder again if it was the right thing to do. If it was too soon to share numbers? But I wanted it… I wanted to throw out Hazek from my life and write a new chapter of my love life where I get to decide who'll be my partner.
But can this David guy be trusted?
'It's just a number for God's sake. Stop overthinking.' My inner self pokes me.
Of course, what bad can happen? It's just a means of communication.
"Hayya 'ala-l-Falah" (Hurry to success [Rise up for Salvation])
The azan continued to be called while I typed in my number in the reply and danced to the song playing.
Suddenly my phone started ringing and my heart almost jumped out of my chest. Taking a grip on my phone, I saw it was an unknown number.
I hesitated to pick it up at first but then decided to do it anyway.
"Hello," I spoke into the phone with a hesitant voice.
"Hey! Is that you, friend?" A loud manly voice spoke from the other end. I could hear the sound of upbeat music playing in the background with people chattering. "Can you hear me? Is it too loud?"
Noticing I was taking too long to respond, I shook my head and opened my mouth to say something but only that came out were jumbled words. "Uhh.. urhdjs."
"I am sorry what?" I heard a shuffling sound on the other side before I could clearly hear his voice without interruption of background noises. "Friend? Can you hear me now?"
I clear my throat before I finally be able to speak. "Is this… David Smith?"
"Yes Milady, this is David Smith, who has damaged his ego just to become your friend."
I quirk an eyebrow. "Damaged your ego?"
"Yes since you are the first girl who has kept me waiting for days to get a reply from."
Blood rushes to my cheeks and I bite my lower lip to suppress the tingling sensation that runs all over my body.
"I am delighted to have such an impact on you." I giggled. Suddenly he went silent, too silent that I mistook his silence for a hung-up call. "Hello? Are you there?"
"First your video… Now your voice. It's just as beautiful."
I was glad it was a call and he couldn't see me or would have laughed watching me become beetroot red.
"T-thanks." I managed to say when suddenly the door to my room bursts open and I instantly hang up the call and flop on my bed.
"Can you hear the azan?!" My mom yells from the door.
"I-I can," I answered, quickly.
"Then why do I hear loud music from your room?!"
Realizing that the music had suddenly started playing again after I ended the call, I turned it off and apologized to my mother.
"Aisha, since when have you started listening to music? You know a person who dies while listening to forbidden music will have a humiliated death in the hereafter. He will be stuck in that merciless death cycle."
"Maa! You always try to scare me like that!"
"Beti (daughter) it's the truth. Allah sent us in this world to see who worships him and who forgets him for worldly desires."
"Alright maa. I have my assignments to do so please can you leave?"
"Offer your prayer first."
"Alright I'll do it. Can you go now, please?" I pleaded but she didn't seem to budge.
"Offer Salah (prayer) first before you do anything. If Allah isn't pleased with a person, that person doesn't go into sujood (prostration), it's a symbol of shaitan (devil)."
"Alright maa. I had enough lectures for today. Let's take you out." I push my mom outside and close the door and lean my back against it. "It has been long, Mom… since I became friends with the devil. I'll prostrate him instead." I murmur.