𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐓: 𝐀 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐫'𝐚𝐧

chapter 4

Anaya answered, immediately looking elsewhere. When she glanced at her sister, she saw Ayat suppressing her lips to control her laughter, but she eventually burst out laughing at Anaya's reaction.

"Appi, why are you laughing??" Anaya whined.

"You're saying you have a crush on someone and that it's a very big sin?" Ayat asked playfully. Anaya nodded. "Oh, my silly sister, tell me which Hadith says that having a crush on someone is unpleasant or haram," Ayat inquired playfully. Anaya looked at her with a confused expression.

"Anaya, there's nothing wrong with it, but under one condition: if you haven't committed any physical wrongdoing," Ayat explained, leaving Anaya bewildered.

"What are you saying, Appi? Please elaborate," Anaya asked curiously.

"I mean, first tell me who he is and how you developed this crush," Ayat said, adopting a teacher-like tone.

"Actually, he's my classmate, but I've never talked to him. I fell for him the first day I saw him in 11th grade. I didn't realize it until I noticed him staring at me, and then my heartbeat started racing. That's when I figured out I had a crush on him. But Appi... believe me, I've never tried to impress him or talk to him," Anaya insisted, emphasizing her sincerity in the last line.

"Okay, okay, calm down first. I trust you, Anaya; you don't have to explain yourself. So, tell me, what do you find attractive about him? When you first saw him, what captured your attention?" Ayat asked, encouraging Anaya to recall that moment.

"Yes, he was just sitting there, smiling at his mobile phone," Anaya remembered telling Ayat, who began to ponder something.

"Okay, so you were asking about love because of him?" Ayat asked, making Anaya nod.

"You are my crazy sister, and you're mistaken here; it's not love, it's just a mere crush. If you're thinking of confessing to him or something, first consider your feelings very clearly. People confess their feelings without thinking, and that's wrong. Confessing isn't wrong, but you need to think about several things that will make a difference. First, ask yourself why you feel this way, and whether he deserves your feelings. Is he religious?" Ayat asked.

"I don't know," Anaya replied after some thought.

"See, Anaya, you are a science student, and you know more about teenage hormones than I do. It's just a game of hormones; once you stop seeing him every day, these feelings will fade. We should trust Allah's plans more than our own. This could be a test for you-who knows if Allah wants to see if you'll go against Him due to your desires?" Ayat explained sweetly, holding Anaya's hands as Anaya listened silently. The last line made her think deeply.

"Yes, Appi, you're right," Anaya said, still lost in thought.

"Okay, so from now on, don't think about him at all. Maintain as much distance as you can, because if he is your naseeb (destiny), no one can take it away. And if this is a test, you will be rewarded with something far better, but you just need to have patience, okay?" Ayat advised, and Anaya nodded with a smile.

×××××××××××××××

The next day

It was 6 a.m., and the sun was slowly rising, spreading light everywhere. Meanwhile, Ashar was sleeping on his stomach, carefree. When his phone rang, he started moving slowly, his hands searching for his phone on the table beside his bed. He finally found it and answered the call.

"Ashar, get up! We have an urgent deal to finalize today, and I need you. Come downstairs fast," a dominant male voice said from the other end. Ashar suddenly sat up in bed.