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Chapter 28: Awaiting Miracles

16th March 2021

˹He is˺ the Originator of the heavens and the earth! When He decrees a matter, He simply tells it, "Be!" And it is!

[Surah Baqarah]

Chapter 28:

Awaiting Miracles

Ahmed sat in the Ansari house, the colossal chandelier hanging above illuminating the surroundings, yet failing to ease the darkness in his heart.

The Ansaris were a well-known name in the fabric industry, their products rated high quality and used in home decor and furnishings. They happened to be great family friends to the Siddiques and Zara, who was their daughter and a couple of years younger to Ahmed, was suggested as a suitable candidate by Zainab.

So now, as Ahmed sat in their majestic living room, staring blankly ahead, his cousin's voice broke him out of his reverie.

"Ahmed," Tammara interrupted him, and when he turned to look at her in reply, she said, "Aunty's asking you something."

"I'm sorry," he apologized for spacing out Zara's mother and she dismissed the situation with a smile.

"Not a problem," Anjum let it go and repeated her earlier question. "My son visited your restaurant with his college friends the other day, and he was talking about it to me. How's your business going?"

"Alhamdulilah, it's going good, Aunty," Ahmed answered, his words brief as he sat there feeling out of place as if the whole meeting was forced upon him, although it wasn't. He was just sticking by his promise and cooperating with his mother, he was here upon her suggestion and by his choice, although it certainly didn't feel like it.

"Nice," Anjum nodded, and alerted, "Look, Zara's here."

Ahmed's eyes shifted to the young lady who had stepped in. Dressed in a kurta embellished just enough for the occasion, teaming it with straight pants and a dupatta that rested on her head, Ahmed recalled seeing her at the few get-togethers before. She said her salam and occupied the s single seat beside the couch, and Ahmed realized she was everything that his mother wanted.

Zainab and Tammara spoke to her, while Ahmed paid attention to the bits and pieces of the conversation. And as he sat there in their mansion, discussing marriage, Ahmed genuinely tried to picture Zara as his wife. He wasn't forcing anything anymore, he had decided to go where the path led him, and because circumstances didn't allow him to hold on it, he had tossed his dream in the air with the belief that if it was written for him, it would find a way and come back. And if it didn't, it probably did not belong to him from the very beginning.

The hands of the clock did not stop, time went on with precision until Zainab finally announced their departure and saying salam, the three of them walked out.

When they were buckled in the car, Zainab commented, "I was hoping you'd accept Anjum's offer and speak to Zara in a semi-private room, Ahmed. You could get to know her better."

Ahmed wanted to gag at his mother's words, and he wondered how easy was it for her to sweep their heated conversation under the carpet and pretend like it never happened. But playing the game that she initiated, Ahmed replied,

"She seemed like a nice person but I didn't get the vibe from her to get to know her more," Ahmed shrugged and Tammara, who was messaging Raiyyan while in the backseat, glanced at Ahmed, slightly startled with the response.