Stairway to Heaven

EPILOGUE

2 YEARS LATER

His lips moved slowly and soundlessly whilst mouthing the words. His gaze fixated on the Quran in his hands while he sat on the prayer mat in front of the Holy Kabbah; cradling his sleeping daughter in his lap.

Lifting his gaze from the open page in front of him, he glanced at his wife who was now done with praying her Nawafil and had reached forward to pick up their son, who was trying to take the biscuits from some other couple's baby in the row ahead of them.

"Mustafa—"

Hajra rebuked her 7 month old son, who was now crawling away from them after getting himself free from Hajra's clutches.

Smiling at the familiar sight unfolding before him, Mateen gently took hold of Hajra's hand and stopped her from getting up once again to go after their son. Placing his twin sister Khadija in Hajra's lap, Mateen got up and went after their son.

Time after time Hajra would cast a glance at Mateen trying to keep their hyperactive son entertained and automatically a grateful smile would form its way across her lips. She would raise up her hands in gratitude and give thanks to her Allah.

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"Baba please??" 7 year old Mustafa cried out again after getting free from his belt and coming to stand near Mateen sitting behind the wheel on the driver's seat, who remained unfazed by his son's constant whining.

"No. You are only going to neglect your studies." Mateen refused him again who began pleading his case once more, but his past record convinced Mateen otherwise.

"Mustafa. Please get back to your seat. Khadija—" Hajra turned in her seat and tried to make him get back to his seat for the nth time but to no avail.

Khadija whose focus was outside the window and was quietly but curiously taking in her surroundings while sitting in the backseat of the car, turned her gaze to the front on her Mother's call for help.

"Moose—" She uttered in her calm and collected manner and softly took hold of her twin brother's hand, beckoning him to sit back on the seat.

"Dija—" He whimpered as she helped him buckle his seatbelt.

"Baba—I promise we will only use it during our allowed screen time. Please Baba? Can we have it please?" She elaborated in an effort to convince their father to give in to her brother's wishes.

"Of course darling. Not one, I'll get you 1000 PlayStations!" Mateen remarked happily, turning his gaze to the rearview mirror to watch the grateful smile graze his daughter's face. Only a moment later Hajra had turned in her seat to exchange a look with Mateen, who did his best to not meet her reproving gaze. He cleared his throat and seemingly became absorbed in looking at the traffic while rubbing the top of his brow in concentration.

Hajra could do nothing but shake her head at him in defeat. A small smile caressing her lips which she had to bite down on, because she understood this was the same helplessness he felt around her, as he was now rendered around his daughter.

Mustafa had the same bright and intelligent; yet, quiet look about him as Mateen. And the same troublemaking habits too. He excelled at everything without even having to put in much effort, hence quickly got bored with everything.

Khadija too was exceedingly smart and perceptive. She quickly caught on things herself without anyone needing to explain them to her. Unlike her twin brother, who was careless and impatient; Khadija was very considerate and forgiving. Despite her age, she behaved in a responsible manner and was naturally sensitive to the needs of those around her. Her sympathetic and gracious attitude had automatically made her the apple of everyone's eye. Most of all Mateen; who adored her to pieces.

"Yes!" Mustafa cheered in excitement at Mateen's words, high fiving his sister who happily obliged in return.

The fact that Mateen couldn't say No to Khadija was a secret weapon which Mustafa used every single time to get out of trouble, or get something he wouldn't acquire if he asked himself. Their bond as twins was something that Hajra couldn't wrap her head around, despite having twin brothers herself. For, not just Khadija but Mustafa too despite his unruliness showed utmost love and care to his only sister. He could fight anyone for her, but would never fight her. And he could say No to anyone, except her. It really was unexplainable and beautiful. But could be related to how Mustafa had protected his little sister in womb.

Their birth wasn't free from complications either. Despite being fraternal twins, they shared a placenta but suffered from Twin transfusion syndrome, an uncommon condition which resulted in Mustafa growing at a faster rate than Khadija. Thankfully it was diagnosed and treated early in pregnancy and Hajra gave birth to two healthy and beautiful babies.

Smiling at the bond between her children, Hajra took hold of Mateen's free hand lying idly between them and pressed a kiss on top of it. At her unforeseen action, Mateen glanced at her with a cheeky smile and brought her hand still in his grasp to press against his lips, making Hajra chuckle out loud.

"Can't believe there used to be a time when I wished I didn't join Uni, just so I was spared from meeting you." She remarked with stars twinkling in her gaze, causing the smile on Mateen's lips to deepen.

"Seems like ages ago, now." He added in agreement, the smile playing on his lips as he reminisced their first encounter.

"I was so horrible to you. Always looking for reasons to annoy you and then coming up with the most impossible ploys to break your spirit. It sounds ridiculous now, how convinced I was that you were messing with my head and making me act out of character; when in reality you were acquainting me with the real me. At that time even if the entire world had gotten together to tell me that there would come a day when I would be this happy and satisfied, I wouldn't have believed them for a fleeting second." He shook his head in disbelief and Hajra smiled, realising that it really felt like an impossible dream now.

"But Daado was right—" He paused at the traffic signal and turned in his seat to look at her.

"—If Allah had put you in my heart, He could easily write you in my Taqdeer too. Only Allah holds the power to mend what I didn't fathom needed fixing in the first place. Not only did Allah guide me to find Him, He granted my heart's desire and wrote you to be mine too. I am truly blessed with best of both worlds, Bug." He smiled up at her warmly and Hajra gulped down the lump in her throat, nodding her head in agreement. Realising finally, that despite the hurdles and trials, with Allah by their side they would be able to overcome anything and everything by His will and mercy and climb together the Stairway to Heaven.

"And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them." (Al Quran 14:34)

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