The sun drenched the buildings, its gold ray casting a glaze on the windows, her eyes were not brown, they were honey colored orbs, they were a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Her eyes creased and her rosy cheeks smiled as she laughed.
Aaliyah was around the age of 8, her brown hair tied in a long braid as she played with her sisters on a bridge over a stream. The cold water splashed up at them, drops dispersing in the air. It carried the small objects the girls threw in as they giggled lightly. The warmth of the sun rested on their heads holding them in its embrace. Salma paused and pointed at Aaliyah, her eyes narrowed and fixed on her ear.
"Aaliyah, your earring"
Aaliyah's brow furrowed and she brought her hand to her ear. Her moonlit eyes widened and she looked over the bridge. There her earring swam in the current, carried at a steady pace.Aaliyah paused for a second, she pursued her lip and watched the water. She then reached to her other ear, took out the earring and threw it behind the other.
Her sister's mouth was left wide open , she tilted her head to the side not able to muster up any words.
The sun began to set, its light dimming and mingling with the clouds, the Azan for Maghrib rang from the nearby mosque, a sense of peace filled the air and the girls smiled appreciating it. Birds chirped making their way home and the girls did the same.
Aaliyah entered, a strand of her hair had come loose, she gave her greetings and went to make wudu. On the way to the bathroom her mother stopped her. Amina held her by the shoulders softly and looked at her daughter inspecting her ears with confusion.
"Aaliyah , where are your earrings?"
Aaliyah recalled the scene from earlier and smiled at her mother,
"one of them fell in the stream. "
Her reply was matter of factly and she looked at her mother with her big eyes.
"And the other?"
Amina was unsure if she wanted to hear the reply.
"The other I threw in the stream. I thought whoever found the one earring would find it useless so at least now they'll have both ''
Aaliyah flashed her mother a grin, her white teeth on display and her mother could not decide whether to laugh or ram her head into the wall.
"Aaliyah, those earrings were gold , even one earring would not have been useless, you could remake the other" Aaliyah pursed her lips and gave a sheepish grin.
"Oh" She retorted
"Oops".
You could call her actions stupidity or naivety, to her it didn't matter. Ever since she was a young girl, Aaliyah's priorities lay with other people's wellbeing. She would sacrifice herself for a stranger without a second thought. It was a part of who she was. The incident of the gold earrings was for Aaliyah a symbol of her selflessness.
***********
The electricity had gone off and candles acted as their light source, fitting the mood of the room. The comforting glow of the wax danced off of the faces of Aaliyah's family as they gathered around the round table, Gulnaz stood at the centre as they sang collectively.
"Happy birthday to you,"
"Happy birthday to you,"
"Happy birthday, Gulnaz!"
"Happy birthday to you!"
Aaliyah hurried into the room, holding a small fresh cream pastry, decorated with red juicy strawberries. On top was a pink candle lit with a glowing flame. The smell ran around the house. She held it proudly forward towards Gulnaz, her white teeth shining as she smiled widely, her breathing elevated.
YOU ARE READING
Tawakkul
Romanceوَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَـٰكِرِينَ {They plan and Allah plans and surely Allah is the best of planners} a story of faith,hardship, and love. Aaliyah, an intelligent young girl born and raised in lahore, top of her c...
