I Want You to Stay

Chapter 29

Hana's POV

I cry more as I hug Sarah even tighter and at some point, I heard her sniffle. Knowing I wasn't the only one crying, I parted from her and used my thumb to gently wipe her tears.

"It's nothing to be sad about. Your mum is here again and you will have a lot of fun living with her." I try to be reassuring towards Sarah and Nadia gives me a thankful smile.

"Can I come visit?" Sarah asks with her tiny voice.

"Of course my love. You can come any day, any time, because this house will always be yours as well." I say and she smiles before I grabbed her suitcase to take in the car.

"I can't thank you enough for what you and Sahil did for me. I am forever grateful. May Allah reward you abundantly and grant you jannatul Firdaus. May Allah reunite us in Jannah." Nadia says and wraps her arms around me for an embrace as I mutter Aameen.

After a long hug, we part and say our goodbyes before they drove off towards their new and happy beginning by the will of Allah. Sarah will finally be able to go to school like every other child. Nadia is finally able to live without hiding and without fear of being in danger. Sahil has finished his mission so he will no longer be the busy man I first knew.

"Well, it's time for us to start packing as well." I hear Sahil say and I turn around to find him near the door.

"Packing? Where are we going?" I ask once I walked back inside the house.

"Somewhere we should have gone since day one. We're going on a two week holiday tomorrow." Sahil says and my face immediately lightens. Is this a honeymoon?

"Where to?"

"That's a surprise. You will see when we get there tomorrow." He smiles, throwing some suspense.

"Then let's get packing!" I smile cheerfully.

"I will do that for you. Yasmine is coming."

"Did she call?"

"Yes, your phone is in the room. And she said something about juice or tea... I don't know. Your friends are weird." Sahil shakes his head in confusion, making me laugh.

"She probably said she's got some juice to tell or that she would be spilling the tea. Which means she wants to tell me something." I explain, but he still shook his head and left towards the kitchen.

I hear the doorbell ring and I run to open it. It's as if I knew what Yasmine wanted to talk about. I stayed in the hospital for two weeks and during that time Sahil agreed to employ Yasmine to do work placement at his firm. I sneakily managed to make Sahil arrange her to work with Amir on the case Amir was working on. While I waited for Yasmine to come everyday at the hospital, who came instead was Shazia. I have settled things with her and she apologised for hers and the girls' behaviour. I told her I forgave them all, but I don't think I can be close to them as I was before.

"Assalamu Aleykum baby." Yasmine greets cheerfully once I opened the door.

"Baby? Are you sure that nickname isn't meant for somebody else?" I smirk teasingly and she returns the smirk.

"Maybe..." She creates suspense as she pauses.

"Spill it! I'm not asking twice." I pull her inside and close the door.

"Wait, is Mr Aasim here?"

"Mr Aasim?"

"I'm sorry, work got me used to calling him Mr Aasim."

"He is in the kitchen, why?"

"I need to explain to him that I don't really want juice or tea and that those are expressions. Are you sure your husband is from the same century as us?" Yasmine ponders, making me laugh.

"C'mon, what happened between you and Amir?"

"Uh... How do you know this is about him?"

"C'mon, you're happy like that." I hold her hand so we can sit down at the couch.

"Professor Amir asked me about my plans for after my course ends and obviously I was looking forward to being employed in a good and stable job and progressing in my career. Then I mentioned that I would also not mind getting married straight after if I found the right person. By the look in his eyes, I knew that is what he wanted to hear. Then he asked me to give him an opinion on something..." She pauses, creating suspense.

"On what?"

"Whether he should quit his job as a professor at the university and focus on being a lawyer. I asked him why he wanted to quit it and he said this..." She giggles before quoting. "Because I don't think I can wait any longer."

"Ahh!" I scream in excitement and she joins me. "Did he quit?"

"He did. He resigned last week. Then the day after, at the end of our court trial, he invited me for coffee and said he wanted to go about things halal. I, as always, playing dumb, I pretended I didn't know what he was referring to. So he explained and finally confessed to me then asked for my Wali's (guardian's) number. We are engaged!" Yasmine confesses and my mouth opens in shock.

"Already?!"

"Apparently our parents already knew each other somehow. They were happy to see him and when they found out he came to ask for my hand in marriage, they were happy that the two families would reunite."

"I am so happy for you!" I embrace her in a hug. "Masha Allah."

Why does this seem like the happy ending I have always dreamt of? Nadia and Sarah's stalker has finally been caught and most importantly, the two are back together as a mother should be with her daughter. I and Sahil finally seem like a normal married couple. My best friend Yasmine is getting married and I have never seen her happier.

Alhamdulilah ya rabb. Indeed your Qadr is the best of all and the only truthful one. I ask you to please make this moment last so I can see the smile of happiness in the faces of those I love.

Alhamdulilah!