Her Voice Within

chapter 2

ANWAR

Don! Don! Don!

      “ughh!” I groaned, stretching my hands to off the alarm that had been incessantly ringing. I remained laying on my back on the bed with the duvet half covering staring at the ceiling.

      It is afternoon, I could tell by the blinding rays of sunlight that peaked through the curtains of the room.

      I just got off from a night shift last night and I have only had approximately five hours of sleep. I really want to go back to sleep but I can’t. Perks of being a doctor!

      Tiredly I pushed back the duvet off me and sat up. Rubbing my bleary eyes I looked up at the clock on the wall which says 1:14pm. I sighed getting off the bed and headed straight to the bathroom to have my bath.

      I hadn’t even bathed yet. I guess I was so tired when I came back from the hospital in the morning to bathe or even eat that I just crashed on the bed.

      I took a quick shower, performed ablution and walked out of the bathroom. I don’t plan on going anywhere today so I picked out an ash colored sweatpants with a plain white random shirt from my closet.

      The persistent grumble in my stomach just reminds of how famished I am. I dressed up and observed my salat which didn’t take me less than 30 minutes before stepping out of my room and my side of the house and headed for the main house.

      “Salam alaikum” I said as I entered but there was no reply. The house is eerily quiet, it seems like no one is around.

      I checked the living room, dining room and even the lounge but I didn’t see anyone so I decided to check the kitchen. I see only one maid who is washing dishes when I enter.

     “Good afternoon sir” she greets me when she sees me. “Do you need anything”

      I shake my head “ No I’m fine, thank you. Where is mama” I inquired about my mother.

      “Ma’am is up stairs in her room sir” she answers.

     I nod a little bit “okay thank you” and with that I make my way to mama’s room.

      I knocked thrice on the door but there was no response so I just entered the room with a salam. I met her praying so I carefully closed the door behind me and sat on the edge of the bed to wait for her.

      After ending her salat she raised her hands to say her dua and I also joined her by doing the same. She rubbed her face when she was done and I whispered a small ‘Amin’ and rubbed my hand over my face.  She folded the prayer mat and kept it on a stool beside the vanity table before coming to sit beside me on the bed.

      She rests her palm on the side of my face “ Anwar my dear ‘a ummi na (have you woken up), how are you?” she asks.

      I remove her hands from my cheeks and hold them in mine. “I’m fine mama, where is everyone?”

      “Haulat and Yasmeen have gone to school while samir has gone out together with your father for some work” she replies.

      Samir is my cousin brother who had been living with us since he was seven years old when his parents died in a car accident. He studied business management and he is like baba’s right hand man though he does pick an interest in photography.

      Haulat is my younger sister and our family’s fourth born. She is studying accounting in the university and is at 200 level.

      While Yasmeen is the last born of the house. She is ten and in 5th grade.