WINNER OF HEART♡

◇part 23◇

"I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. David... your son has only days, perhaps hours. There’s nothing more we can do."

Ramin's mother, Sarah, fell to her knees, struggling to process the doctor’s words. His father, Eric, knelt beside her, holding her shoulder as she broke down. "My love..." he murmured, looking deeply into her eyes. Cupping her cheeks, he urged, "Don’t lose hope."

Sarah burst into tears, collapsing into his embrace. They cried together, finding solace in each other’s presence when Imam Rizwan approached and gently patted Eric's shoulder. Eric looked up, his face a mixture of grief and disbelief.

"Where is Ramin?" the Imam asked, his voice steady.

Eric’s lips trembled as he replied, "My son is dying, sir..."

Imam Rizwan’s heart sank at the weight of Eric’s words. "What... are you saying?"

Eric explained what the doctor had conveyed, and the Imam felt a surge of urgency. "Wait here. Let me meet him."

He entered Ramin’s room to find him lying in bed, softly uttering one name: "Jan..." Imam Rizwan closed his eyes, whispering a silent prayer, "Ya Allah... have mercy on him. Please make it easy for him."

Sitting beside Ramin, the Imam gently caressed his head. Ramin opened his eyes, a flicker of recognition lighting his face. The Imam offered a small smile. "How are you, my child?"

Ramin grasped the Imam's hand, tears streaming down his face. "Uncle... my Janan is not fine. I can sense it. She is suffering."

"Shh, don’t worry, Ramin," the Imam soothed, wiping away Ramin’s tears. "She will be fine. You need to focus on taking care of yourself."

With a gentle pat on Ramin’s head, the Imam continued, "Come on, let me teach you how to recite Surah and the Tasbeeh so you can include them in your Salah."

Ramin nodded, determination flickering in his eyes as he prepared to deepen his connection with Allah.

                          .    .    .

Janan sat on her prayer mat, immersed in Zikr when a knock on the door broke her concentration. Wiping her tears, she stood and opened the door to find Hadi standing there, his head lowered. She gently squeezed his shoulder and asked, "Are you okay, Hadi?"

He gulped nervously, then gestured for her to sit. "Let's talk inside."

They settled on the couch, and Hadi took her hands in his. "We have to move to London, Angel."

Janan's heart sank. "Why?" she asked, bracing herself.

Hadi rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. "It's for my business..."

A sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, processing the news. "We will go, Hadi... and you don't have to feel sad about me. It's not like he will come looking for me. He left, and... he will never come back."

Hadi kissed her hands gently. "You can't fool me, Angel. I see the way you look at the street, waiting for him. You’re longing for him."

Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "Why does my heart say he will come one day... searching for me?"

"Maybe because your heart knows," Hadi replied, a pained smile on his face. "Trust your Rab, Angel. If He could change the course of Yusuf (AS) for Zulekha, He can do the same for you. He will not leave you empty-handed."

Janan nodded slowly, a smile breaking through her tears. "Mom told me the story of Zulekha and Yusuf (AS)... I want to visit her. She lost you first, and then I left her. I shouldn’t have abandoned her, Hadi."