Aaryan just came home after work. He was in the kitchen, drinking water, when the door to their room opened, and Mary appeared from it. Aaryan dropped the bottle on the floor when he saw her crying
"What happened?" He asked, running towards her. "I can't believe this," Mary said, crying. "What happened, Diamond?" He asked again
"I can't believe this. This is the Holy Quran" she answered, pointing down. Mary was hugging the Holy Quran against her chest and Aaryan didn't get what she was trying to say. "I am holding the Holy Quran in my hands," she repeated and cried harder. Aaryan nodded, still so confused, "You are not understanding! There is a Holy Quran, the greatest of the great books, in my hands." He got her. Nothing happened to his wife, it was just her love for The Holy Quran
"Aw, Diamond. Yes, there is a Holy Quran in your hands" he said, she moved her head up and down, and her eyes dropped tears with that nod "I am holding the Book of Allah, I have the words of Allah Subhanu Wa Ta'ala in my hands" and then he hugged her and the holy Quran at the same time
"I love it so much" her voice was mixed with tears "I love it so much that I can't even explain it, Aaryan" she repeated. Aaryan parted away, he gently brushed his fingers over her cheeks and removed her tears. With every passing day and every passing moment, this man was falling in love with his wife deeper and deeper.
He was lost in her when suddenly he realized that Mary was wearing one of the two same hijabs, she bought yesterday and he said "You are looking extremely beautiful" and without even a second of hesitation in her voice "Like an angel," Mary said while crying and Aaryan laughed, agreeing with her "Like an angel"
This reminded him of the first time he saw; took a peak of her face when she wore the hijab for the first time. He was not allowed to look at her back then but now she was all his "I love you so much, Diamond"
"Forever?" her eyes were still shedding tears
"For the real forever"
"Is there a fake forever too?" She asked, genuinely "Yep, the one people say. Forever, till death tears us apart" Mary's tears stopped. She looked at him in confusion "Are you saying that you won't stay with me till death?" Aaryan can't bear it. He can't bear the sight of her looking sad even for a fraction of a second "No" he said instantly and Mary was still looking at him with the same face so he explained
"Because our forever is beyond death"
"Huh?"
"We will be together forever, Mary. Even death can't tear us apart. We will be together in the Jannah too, In Sha Allah," She was crying once again. "In Sha Allah, we will be together forever." he smiled and then hugged her tighter this time, just to make her cry again. "It's Ramadan," he said, and he felt her getting still under his arms "Really?" Her voice was filled with joy and excitement "Really" he said
•••
It was the first day of the holy month of Ramadan
All five friends were sitting on the ground, resting their heads on the wall. Not looking at people casually enjoying their lunch
"Would you stop staring at their food, Ray?" Taha interrupted Raheel, who was, again, not staring at people eating. "Why are you staring at me, Bro?" He asked, looking at him back. "Because your mouth is drooling." Raheel cleaned his mouth, and there was nothing on it.
"Can you guys shift the topic?" Haroon asked in a tired voice, and Taha took responsibility for it as he asked, "Ryan, Is your whole family coming to your house today?" Aaryan ground his teeth, trying his best to hold his anger and not curse at this annoying person. "Do you want me to punch your face right now?" His words were all his feelings. "I am just asking," Taha said, not caring about the threat. "Taha, we discussed it, okay. We are not going to talk about it for now," He said, shutting the Taha off, but only if there was one person to annoy him.
"Come on, Bro, why are you getting irritated? He is just asking you about Amara," Raheel unexpectedly tried. "Exactly" Haroon joined the team.
Aaryan was done with them. "Diamond, can we throw them out of the iftar party today?" He asked hoping for an abrupt yes
"Hey"
"Bro"
"Come on"
The three of them sat up in a flash "We were just kidding" they all laughed in anxious waves of laughter "But I am not" he said and turned his face towards "Diamond, please" He requested, Mary shook her head in disagreement
"Your wife is in our team, Bro" Said Raheel punching him on the arm "Maybe we can think about it, Aaryan" Mary said, jokingly "I am just kidding, Habibti" they laughed again and before the husband and wife could say anything to get them out Taha spoke "How are you going to make iftar after going home? Won't you be tired" Mary sighed a hurtful sigh "Only if I had a choice" Now the three boys were looking sorry for her, excluding Aaryan
"It's okay, Mary, we can just cancel it, or maybe order something" They didn't get it and Mary had to explain "Only if I had a choice to do some work" she completed. Aaryan nodded to her statement
"What do you mean?" Haroon was the one to ask in confusion "See, my in-laws hate to see me working. Mama and Amara were already home when we left in the morning, and they would probably be done with everything by the time we will go back." No one said anything in the reply and all of them were waiting for something. "We can come and help too." Yeah, for him. Taha said hiding his eyes from Aaryan
"Ya Allah, I just want to punch my friend right now" Aaryan said and Taha was already running away from him
"You should talk to your father about it already" Aaryan stood up in a blink, he was burning now "You have to deal with me first, You fool!" he yelled at the top of his lungs while chasing him
"Your wife will do this favor to me" he said back "I am going to knock you out!" Aaryan ran faster. "Stop, You idiots, or you are going to get thirsty!" Haroon shouted at the two of them "Stop yelling, or it will happen to you too!" Raheel shouted back at him and Mary just laughed at the boys
•••
As per Mary's expectation, Amara and Amina prepared everything for the iftar party.
She scowled for almost an hour in front of Aaryan when they came back from university but Aaryan told her "It's because they love you" Mary agreed but the problem was that she loved them too and Mary didn't want them to get tired so she argued with him for another hour but in then he just somehow made her happy as always and she was okay now.
There was only half an hour left in the iftar and his friends weren't there. Aaryan thought Taha would be here at four in the evening or something, but he was not, and just then, the bell rang. Yusuf opened the door and those three appeared from it. Aaryan got why Taha was late. He was looking so handsome, more handsome than his usually handsome face.
So, he was just taking the time to get ready and make a good impression on her family
They greeted each other with Salam.
In the university, Taha said something like talking to their father about him and Amara but Aaryan could swear that Taha was unable to even breathe properly in front of Yusuf
Aaryan and Mary stayed in the living room enjoying this scared Taha and not-so-joking Raheel. They were afraid of his father, but Haroon was not. In no time, he engaged himself in a pretty deep conversation with Yusuf.
Amara and Amina came out of the kitchen and Aaryan tried to take a step further but Mary stopped him "Let them at least greet each other" she said and Aaryan would have never agreed if it wasn't for how sweet her voice was while requesting; it always is
"Hey, Beautiful," Raheel moved towards Amina. "You haven't changed, Ray." That wasn't completely true. Raheel has, too, changed for good, but some things stay the same. Aaryan moved his focus from them when Taha said "Assalamu Alaikum" to his sister, "Walikum Assalam, Taha. How are you doing?" Amara had no, absolutely no clue how her one question made him fall back on his steps. "Alhamdulillah," he said, looking at the floor with an unnecessary smile. "And you?" he was vigorously scratching his forehead. "Alhamdulillah, fine," Amara replied with a smile that Taha couldn't see, and Aaryan was grateful because her chubby-cheeks smile was the cutest.
"You just started university, how is it going?" His voice was irritating. Taha doesn't sound this polite while talking to absolutely anyone "It not just started, it's almost the end of the year, Taha" Taha never sounds dumb but he seems helpless "Oh, exactly" and there was no word spoken by him after that
"Come on, Aaryan. They look so cute together" Mary whispered in his ear "That doesn't mean, I should give my permission" he agreed with her sentence but not with the intention
"If everyone is done with greetings then should we arrange the table?" His mother announced, and they all realized there were just fifteen minutes left and the table was empty.
Hearing Amina, all of them moved, and together, in five minutes, the food and the people were on the table. All of them made Dua and as the Adhan reached their ears, it was the time to break their fasts. Everyone was happy, everyone was smiling. This was only the first day of this blessed month and the happiness was just out of this world
"Hey, Taha, can you pass me the ketchup?" Amara said, leaving Taha frozen. He might have forgotten what ketchup was supposed to mean because he was looking everywhere at the table, and was unable to locate it, until Raheel slapped it on his hand.
"He-here," Taha said, passing it to her with both of his hands. Amara gave him a weird look and Mary was hitting her tiny fist at Aaryan's lap telling him "They would make the cutest couple" Maybe they would "Only if I agree" he said already agreed now "Come on, Sweetheart, just look at them" Okay, he was completely "Agreed" and Mary laughed in the sweetest voice
Aaryan was the happiest at that moment as he looked at all of them. They were laughing and chatting with each other. This site was warm to him. Aaryan became a son whom his father was proud of, his mother was happy to have. A brother who was a protector of his sister. A friend who no longer used to engage in useless things and a husband whose wife was the best person for him. Aaryan was bestowed by the mercy of his Lord
•••
After the Maghrib prayer, everyone left. Aaryan decided to walk his father home from the Masjid because it's been a while since he chatted with him. "Is the work going fine?" He asked as they reached the home "It's all thanks to Allah Subhanu Wa Ta'ala, everything is going well" Aaryan smiled and nodded his head
For a moment, Yusuf looked at him, and Aaryan knew what he was going to say.
"I am proud of you, My son." In the past, it was all disappointment that he caused to his parents, and now it turned upside down "I have done nothing. It was all because of Allah Subhanu Wa Ta'ala and your prayers, Baba." His father smiled, and his eyes were teary. "I never imagined you talking like a grownup," he patted a firm hand on his shoulder. "My son has left all evil things. You are studying and working two jobs, you are taking care of your wife on your own. I don't need anything else" Aaryan might start to cry himself if his father won't stop praising him
"It's my duty, Baba" he smiled
"I can die in peace now," his smile vanished.
"Why are you talking like this? Did something happen? Is your health okay, Baba?" Aaryan asked in worry. Yusuf glared at the next house for a second.
"I am fine," he said, but Aaryan didn't think he was. "Are you sure?" He tried again "Nothing happened to me. You should go. Mary must be waiting for you" Aaryan didn't move. He had a feeling that his father was hiding something from him. "Go, Beta. Your wife is alone at home" His father said and Aaryan nodded this time "Take care of yourself, Baba" Yusuf grinned again and Aaryan went back
The entire way, he was thinking about his father and him not looking fine, but if he chose not to tell Aaryan about something, then it must be for good.