Mehmal

Chapter 16 (funeral )

Mehmal couldn't hear the thunderstorms raging above her. She wandered aimlessly, unaware of her surroundings. She felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness, as if she were the only person left in the world. She was completely numb, unable to feel anything. It was as if even her shadow had abandoned her, leaving her utterly alone.

As the rain began to pour, she found herself sitting on an unfamiliar set of stairs. The wind cut through her, chilling her to the bone. Frustration and despair welled up inside her. She looked up at the sky, which seemed to reflect her desolation. It offered no comfort, only a stark reminder of her loneliness.

All she had ever wanted was a hand to hold or an arm around her shoulders, but no one came. The isolation was suffocating, and the realization that she had no one left made her feel even more lost.

""Beta, why are you sitting here? You will catch a cold. Go inside," an elderly man, around her father's age, said to Mehmal. She looked at him but remained silent. "Beta, come inside," he repeated as the rain intensified.

"I'm okay here," she replied. The man looked at her with concern, noting her disheveled state.

"Who are you, and where are you from? Give me someone's number, and I'll call them," he said. Mehmal didn't respond, and the man sighed, recognizing she came from a good family. He sat beside her, undeterred by the increasing downpour. Seeing the rain get heavier and the man's persistence, Mehmal finally stood and walked inside. The man followed her closely.

Inside, they found themselves in a masjid. Mehmal sat near a pillar, drawing the curious and disapproving glances of the men inside. One of them was about to object when they noticed the older man behind her.

Mehmal glanced back, seeing the same elderly man holding up his hand to stop any objections. The men, respecting his gesture, remained silent.

Mehmal sat near the pillars like an emotionless, broken soul. The older man walked to the front and started the Jamat, leading the other men in prayer. She watched everything unfold, but her mind remained distant.

After the prayer, everyone else left, except for the older man and a few others. From time to time, the man glanced at Mehmal, noticing her numbness. He felt a deep urge to say something to console her, sensing that Allah had brought this broken soul to his place for a reason.

"Why are you upset, my child?" he asked gently. Mehmal looked at him, and he bent down to her level.

"Are you the molvi of this masjid ( mosque)?" she asked.

"Kind of," he replied with a soft smile.

"Then Allah must hear you. Ask Him why He did this to me," Mehmal implored, tears escaping from her eyes, her voice trembling with pain. Her tears were a silent plea, a desperate cry from the depths of her soul.

"Sometimes, when terrible things happen, it can feel like Allah doesn't love us," the older man began gently. Mehmal looked away, but he continued with a soft, understanding smile. "But what I see is that He loves you."

"By snatching everything from me? Leaving me alone in this world?" she retorted, her voice breaking, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I must have done something sinful to deserve this punishment. Why else would He take my husband from me and give him to a devout woman who wears hijab? And that wasn't enough—He took my baby too. I am left alone in this world. I have no one," she cried out, her voice filled with anguish. Her sobs were so intense it seemed as if her soul could bleed a sea through her eyes, each tear a testament to the enormity of her grief.

The man watched her, his heart aching for the broken soul before him. "My child," he said softly, "Allah's ways are beyond our understanding. Sometimes, we are tested in ways that seem unbearable, but His love is constant. Even in our darkest moments, He is there, watching over us, guiding us."