The time was passing in the slowest and the most painful way possible. Mary became more silent than she used to be.
She often went for long walks, just to find some peace and she was unable to keep herself away from that garden. His garden was as peaceful as home, and whenever there was no one around, she would go and sit there for hours.
Mary never encountered Aaryan in the garden and her heart was telling her that he was doing this on purpose. That he always knew when she was there and not come out
Mary found herself standing behind a tree out of the garden while Aaryan was in there. This wasn't the first time she had seen him praying, but today, Aaryan was sitting like there was someone in front of him.
Mary knew that Aaryan would have forgotten about her because it had been months since they broke up
Aaryan was crying as usual. She had never in her entire life have seen a grown man crying like a child and pleading for mercy.
Aaryan raised his hands in the air. He was praying loudly, and then he said some words that completely blew her off "Ya Allah, please guide Mary to you!" Aaryan said, and those words knocked all of her senses out. "I can not see her burn in the hellfire. Ya Wahab, you are the Most Generous, the One who grants favors without measure, Grant Mary with hidaya" Mary's entire body started to shiver. She was absolutely stunned after hearing her name from his tongue and What was Aaryan even doing? As much as she thought he would have forgotten about even seeing her. Mary knew she was the only one suffering from this breaking love and now finding that not only Aaryan remembered her, but he was praying for her?
"Ya Allah, I have tried to forget her, but I can not. I have tried so hard to keep my heart away from her love but I am helpless. I can't live without her, Ya Allah. Ya Rabbul Alamin, have mercy on her. Bless her with Islam. Guide her to the right path." Aaryan was sobbing. His head met the soil, he was shaking. His entire being was bolting with the pain, and he was repeating the same lines again and again "Ya Rahman, I can not live without Mary. Have mercy on her and guide her to you" Her mind was unable to process. The world was all revolving. Why was Aaryan praying for her? What was he trying to do?
Aaryan loves her? He still loves her but she couldn't understand why he didn't come to her instead. Mary was barely managing to stay away from him. Her heart was already driving her towards Aaryan and she loved him much more than she could handle. Mary was ready to do anything to just make him talk to her, but why did Aaryan not come to her?
Why was he praying for her? What was he doing? It was all crazy, it was confusing and she was unable to figure this out. So once again, Mary ran away.
•••
Entering her room, everything was knocking her so strongly. Aaryan's words were so clear and whatever he said felt like her reality. Mary was not supposed to be like this, but this was jerking her head, attacking her from every direction. She wanted to ignore it like always but she could not do it anymore
Maybe this time, Mary had to think about what This religion was all about. Maybe she would be able to figure out what Aaryan was doing. Maybe it was the time for her to stop running and give this all a thought.
Even though she still knew that Islam was not for her, she still have to give this thing a though
Mary needed to know what this religion and the Quran were about, so without thinking for another moment, she found herself in the father's room.
The Quran was right in front of her, on the floor. Mary was still terrified to touch it, but she needed to prove everything she heard was wrong and everything Aaryan believed was not true.
She bent her legs and sat on her feet, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "Please don't let me get distracted." She was not praying to Jesus this time but to the one whoever Is the real God.
And when Mary touched the Quran, her fear started to fade. She was not feeling afraid of it anymore. She cleaned the dust with her hand. The moment Mary opened the Quran, she shut her eyes. She couldn't look at it, she could not get distracted— Mary blocked all of her thoughts and took a deep breath, again.
When she opened her eyes this time, her gaze fell on the lines saying, 'Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but it is the hearts in the chests that grow blind.' She read that line a million times in a minute, and she was once again left dumbfounded.
The question stayed the same. How does the Quran know? Because this was the exact thing happening to her. The evidence, the truth and all the clarity was in front of her, but she could not make her heart believe it. She knew every answer to the confusion but her heart denied her thoughts
And this time, she didn't need to think as the answer came to her tongue on its own "The Quran is the truth. Islam is the truth." Mary held the Quran as if it was the only hope she had. As if it was a cure for everything she had been suffering from, and as if it was the only thing she ever needed. She hugged it and found herself crying like a child because now Mary knew the truth
This time she didn't run away but embraced it
•••
It was the twentieth call, in an hour, that Mary made to Aaryan, but he did not pick up and she didn't stop.
She was numb, and all she was doing was dialing the number, staring with still eyes at the screen, hoping for Aaryan to pick up, and then it happened at the thirtieth call.
Aaryan picked up the call
He didn't say anything and so did Mary because she thought, she would start to cry the moment she will hear her voice but nothing turned out as she imagined and her voice came out as raw and dry when she said "Do you remember when Matthew beat me and I ended up in the hospital, you said to me 'Please call me anytime you need me, Mary' Now, Aaryan Yusuf, you better keep your promise and meet me outside your house this instant because I need help" Aaryan didn't say a word in reply but she could hear his breathing getting raged as if Aaryan was angry. He hung the call and Mary knew he wouldn't break his promise. Mary left the house at night, and she didn't care if Matthew saw her or beat her again because Mary was not feeling terrified of him now.
Stepping out, she saw Aaryan standing in front of his house. His hands were tightened into punches, either they were to protect himself from expressing his emotions or because he thought Matthew had done something to her again.
Mary walked towards him and stopped a couple of feet away.
"Are- are you okay?" She heard his voice, she heard him talking to her after months. Aaryan's voice was drenched in warmth and pain. "I am not." For a moment, he darted his eyes at her face as if he was checking for any injury, but there was none. She wasn't broken because of it.
"What happened?" Aaryan asked silently. His fists were clenched even harder as if he wanted to tear the gaze from the ground and look into her eyes. "I am lost," She replied. Aaryan didn't appear to understand "Are you okay, Mary?" He asked again, "I would be." Her words were like a hope of the truth. "Why are you talking like this? Tell me if something happened," He asked desperately and then Mary said it. The words were foreign to her tongue, but they were something she wanted to scream at the top of her voice
"I want to take my Shahadah." And Aaryan looked at her. It wasn't for a second but for minutes. His eyes widened, and stared at her face. "What do you mean?" He asked in disbelief. "I am done running away from the truth, Aaryan," she said with a heavy heart, and Aaryan was unable to say anything. "I know there is one true religion, and it is Islam. I can not run and stay misguided. So, please help me to take my Shahadah." As Aaryan gazed at her, his eyes got filled with tears, and soon they started to fall. "What are you saying, Mary?" He asked, crashed in his emotions just like her. "Please, help me," Mary said in a cry, and for moments and moments, he kept on looking at her.
Aaryan nodded. He parted her lips to say something but only a hard try to inhale came out. He tried again and then he said
"Repeat after me," the tears kept on emerging from his eyes. Mary nodded. Aaryan looked up at the sky. He mumbled some words, breathed softly, and again he was looking at her
"Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah" he said
"Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah" she repeated
"wa Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah"
"wa Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah"
Mary felt like her heart was exploding with happiness. With every word she said, she felt like the burden was being lifted from it. She could not explain this feeling because it was something she had never had before. She was smiling and crying at the same time and Mary was the happiest in that moment
"I will say it in English. Repeat after me," Said Aaryan and Mary moved her head up and down, shedding tears from her eyes
"I bear witness that there is no God but Allah"
"I bear witness that there is no God but Allah"
"And Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah"
"And Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah"
She breathed as if it was the first ever breath she had ever taken a breath. As if she was born again. All she wanted to do was to cry in the joy of the moment and the tears fell from her eyes uncontrollably.
She needed a hug.
She knew she could not hug him and if they were sharing this feeling then Mary's entire being was aching for Aaryan more than for herself
"Amy" Aaryan cried the name of his sister as if she would appear from somewhere as always.
It happened.
Amara came from behind a tree, and she was crying as well.
"Amara, can you please give her a hug?" Aaryan's voice was a pure sound of pain, almost as if he wanted to do it himself rather than saying. Amara ran towards her and enfolded Mary in a tight hug, and she said, "Alhamdulillah." She did not know what it meant, but Mary broke into tears upon hearing it because it was again so beautiful. "Alhamdulillah," Aaryan said. He stood there for a moment, stared at her, and then he left.
Maybe Aaryan did the right thing because Mary knew she wouldn't be able to hold the edge to run and hug Aaryan, causing pain to both him and herself.
Amara stayed with her for a long time and taught Mary about her religion. Mary shared her story and Amara just looked as happy for her as she was. Mary was floating in happiness.
She was feeling relaxed, peaceful, and calm. There was something those words had done to her in minutes. She was feeling the presence of a power around herself, it was so strong.
Mary was still illiterate about this religion, and now all she wanted to do was to learn it.
She had a wish; she wanted to learn all of it in that single night, but Amara said it was impossible and it would take a lot of time.
She asked questions and piles of questions to Amara and she answered every one of them with pure clarity. She was satisfied with every answer
The confusion was gone and now there was no place for it.
After talking to Amara she decided to go back to that house. When Mary unlocked the door, Matthew was standing in the kitchen and he was glaring at her. As he saw her coming, Matthew took fast steps towards her.
"Where are you coming from?" Mary glared back and without giving him a reply, she took the stairs. Matthew did not follow her. The only possible explanation she thought of was that he looked drunk and was not in his senses.
Mary wanted to cry all over again and there was no one to cry to. She did not want to go to her mother.
Usually, Mary doesn't even care about her mother because she did nothing to protect her in all those years, but when Mary asked the question about her to Amara, she replied "The solution is in the Book which has nothing but truth. Let me read the translation to you. 'But if they (Non-muslim parents) pressure you to associate (partner) with Me what you do not know of, do not obey them. Still, keep their company in this world courteously, and follow the way of those who turn to Me ˹in devotion˺" The Holy Quran was miraculous. It had the answer to everything and since this was an order for her, she had to obey it.
Mary went to her mother's room. Serene was lying on the bed and just breathing. When she felt Mary in the room. She sat up slowly. "Do- do you need need anything?" She asked, Mary moved her head in no and walked to her bed.
She sat down on her feet and said, "I am sorry, Mom." She rested her head on her mother's knees, and once again, she found herself crying her pain out. "What- happened, Mary?" Serene asked but she didn't reply but said the apology repeatedly "I am sorry, Mom"