The Healer Of My Soul.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"I am sorry, Shyra".

After that incident, Imran, Shyra plus Ayra grew cautious whenever they would go out. But they couldn't tell Saira because they didn't want to alarm her as she was in a fragile state.

They always took turns to be with her whenever she was home alone. It is either Ayra or Shyra there for her plus the cat.

In school, she would be with Ayra until she got home. Imran was thankful that Saira had agreed to stay with his daughter until he got back from work.

Imran couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty about the hug he gave Shyra two days ago. He needed to apologize and to explain to her what he felt when he saw them safe.

Imran was waiting for the perfect time to talk to Shyra before they started their project at the company. He didn't want her to feel nervous whenever they would see each other.

But he couldn't wait until it was Monday because that would be the busiest day for the company and for them too.

"Dad, would stop pacing around the room?" Ayra asked her father who stared at her confused.

"I am just thinking about something..."

"Dad, just go and apologize. She will forgive you, trust your Ayra," she says interrupting her father who was dumbfounded by what he just heard from his daughter.

"Ayra, what's wrong?" He asked his daughter because Ayra would always want to spend time with Shyra even if it's during meal time."You can talk to me, you know that, right?" He added asking.

"I know that Dad but I promise you that I am fine and if I ever need anything I will let you know. But for now go and apologize to her for whatever you think you did wrong," Ayra tells him assuring that she was okay.

"How about we go together after ordering pizza?" Imran asks her.

Ayra jumped for joy and went to her room to get her hijab while Imran called the pizza place and made the order. Thankfully, the pizza place was beside their apartment building and it would take about 20 minutes to be delivered.

Imran gave Shyra's apartment number because thats where they will be having dinner and then he will apologize to her.

I hope you can forgive me and then I will be able to forgive myself for what I did. Even though it felt so right at the same time, it is wrong because of the respect I have for you and for Islam. Our beautiful religion. I dont want to ever disrespect you in any way. May Allah forgive me for what I did, all I was thinking was that she and my daughter were safe and thats all that mattered to me. She has become an important part of my life and I don't want to lose that.

"Dad, are you alright?" Ayra asks her father making his thoughts cut short. "It is okay, I know that I might be just a little girl but I can see how happy you are when she is with you. Plus I love her and I wish her to be my Mamma. But thats her decision, right?" She added smiling at her father.

"Yes it is and we have to respect whatever decision she makes, okay?" He says to her. "Now, come on, we need to get there before the pizza arrives because I..."

"You don't want her to pay for it like the last time that you were late because you couldn't find your shoes which were in your room by the door," Ayra says completing her father's statement. "Now come on, you already wasted ten minutes already," she added going out of the door leaving her father speechless.

Imran just shook his head and followed his daughter who was waiting outside of the door. He would always tell her to wait for him even if they were going next door to Shyra's apartment. He wanted to protect his daughter in every way that he could.

"Okay, now I will go in and you wait here for the pizza, it will be here in less than 10 minutes, okay Dad?" Ayra tells her father who just nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am. You are the boss," he says saluting making her laugh.

Ayra then knocks on the door and after a few seconds, Shyra opens the door to let her in. She knew that it had to be Ayra thats why she didn't even bother to ask who it was.

"Asalam Aleikum, how are you doing?" She asks letting Ayra in the apartment.

"Waleikum salaam. I am good alhamdulilah. Where is Shadow?" Ayra asked looking for the cat.

"He is on his scratch pad sleeping. Go and play with him while I make dinner..."

She was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Shyra looks through the peephole to find Imran holding two medium boxes of pizza in his hands.

Shyra was puzzled but she opened the door and let him inside.

"Asalam Aleikum, come in. Let me help you," she says taking the pizza boxes from him.

"Waleikum salaam. Thanks. Um...can I talk to you please?" Imran says asking her hoping that she would say yes.

"Yes, sure. You can help me set the table because Missy is busy playing with Shadow," Shyra says pointing at Ayra who was sitting with the cat on her lap.

"Sure," he says laughing.

They walked inside the kitchen and took the plates and glasses to place on the table.

After that Imran cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"I am sorry, Shyra for what I did two days ago. I didn't mean to make you feel comfortable. I was worried about you and Ayra and I wasn't thinking straight when I hugged you. So I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable," he says to Shyra who was placing the box of pizza on the table.

"I forgive you because I know that what you did was unintentional. Plus, I would be worried about Ayra and you too. And no you didn't make me uncomfortable. Thank you for caring, Imran," she says making him smile. "And once again I do forgive you wholeheartedly,
" she added heading to the living room to call Ayra to have dinner.

The three of them sat at the table and started having dinner while talking about a lot of things that happened during their day.

Ayra watched how her father would always smile whenever he looked at Shyra. She knew that her father would never intentionally hurt her or even Shyra. She was always thankful to Allah for sending someone like Shyra into her and her father's lives.

Apologizing makes you human. A human who makes mistakes and learns from them. Apologizing means that you are ready to rectify your mistakes and hopefully that person will forgive you.