Love's Gentle Embrace

Bound by Destiny

Assalamualaikum, Dadujaan...

Ruhaan's voice trembled as he spoke, his heart heavy with sadness. His eyes, filled with unshed tears, bore into the frail figure of Mr. Suleman lying on the bed, his breaths shallow and labored. The room, once filled with whispers and the quiet murmur of relatives, had fallen into a deep silence. Everyone was watching Ruhaan, his emotions raw and exposed, as he clutched Mr. Suleman's hand like a lifeline.

"How can you do this to me, Dadujaan? First Dajaan left me..."

Ruhaan's voice cracked at the mention of his own grandfather, Mr. Akram. 

"I thought I had lost everything then, but when I met you recently, I was so happy. I thought at least you would be there for me. But now... even you are leaving me." 

His voice was thick with emotion, his grip on Mr. Suleman's hand tightening as if he could hold onto him, keep him from slipping away.

 "Dadujaan, let me spend more time with you. Please... don't go." 

His plea was soft, filled with the desperation of a child who knows he's about to lose something precious. The room was still, the air heavy with grief. Noor, standing just a few feet away, felt like the ground beneath her was slipping. Her heart was racing, but her mind struggled to process what was happening. 

Ruhaan's words, the emotion in his eyes, his connection to her beloved Nanu—none of it made sense. How did this man, someone she had met only a few times, fit into her world like this? Why was he here, grieving like family? 

Mr. Suleman looked at Ruhaan with the gentlest of smiles, his own eyes misty with unshed tears. His voice, though weak and barely audible, carried the weight of years, of promises and love that spanned a lifetime.

"Ruhaan beta," 

Mr. Suleman whispered, his voice trembling with age and emotion, 

"Maybe your Dajaan is lonely up there... Maybe my old friend is waiting for me. He is probably looking down, wondering why I've taken so long to join him. But I had one task left, one promise to fulfill." 

His eyes, filled with love, flickered to Noor. 

"A promise I had forgotten... but Allah has given me these last moments to make it right."

With great effort, Mr. Suleman lifted one hand and grasped Noor's trembling fingers. In his other hand, he held Ruhaan's. His touch was so light, so fragile, that Noor feared any movement might break him, but the warmth in his touch was undeniable. His old, weathered hands—once strong and full of life—now rested in hers, and she couldn't stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. 

"My child, I want both of you—Noor, my precious bachi, and Ruhaan—to marry now, in front of my eyes. I need to see this before I leave this world," 

Mr. Suleman said, his voice growing weaker with each word. "This is my last wish. Sitara, Ahmad—" he turned toward Noor's parents—"call the Kazi Sahab. I don't have much time left. Please... trust me. This is the right decision for Noor. My children, forgive me if I've caused you any pain with this request."

The weight of his words hung in the air. Everyone was frozen in shock. Noor, feeling light-headed, her heart pounding in her chest, stared at her Nanu in disbelief. Her mind screamed in protest, her thoughts swirling in confusion. How could this happen? A man she barely knew, someone she had only seen a few times, was now being thrust into her life as her soulmate? This wasn't how her life was supposed to unfold. 

Noor had abandoned her belief in love, her heart shattered from past pain, her trust in destiny fractured. Now, her own grandfather—her guide, her anchor—was asking her to marry Ruhaan, a man she hardly knew. It felt impossible, unreal. Noor looked at Ruhaan, searching for something—hesitation, uncertainty, anything that might mirror her own turmoil. But what she saw in his eyes was calmness, a quiet acceptance, as though he had known all along. He was steady, as if this was not a shock to him but a truth he had been carrying in his heart for a long time. He did not flinch, nor did he pull away. His eyes, filled with sorrow for the man he was losing, also carried a resolve that Noor did not understand. 

Slowly, almost mechanically, Mr. Suleman brought Noor's hand to meet Ruhaan's. The sudden exchange of warmth, of skin touching skin, sent a jolt through her. She flinched, her mind racing, her heart thudding in her chest. But Ruhaan didn't react the same way. He accepted the moment with a quiet strength. He held her hand firmly, as though this was a bond he was prepared to honor, no matter what. For Ruhaan, this was more than just a request from a dying man. It was something he had carried with him, a part of his life that had been waiting for this moment. He had always known about the promise between their grandfathers. He had known what was expected of him. But seeing Noor now, standing before him, fragile and full of questions, he realized that this was not just a promise for him to fulfill. This was a chance for something deeper, something that could heal the wounds in both of them. 

Mr. Suleman, his voice barely a whisper now, looked at them both, his eyes filled with love. "My dear Noor, trust your Nanu one last time. This is not just my wish... this is Allah's plan for you both. Ruhaan... you know the promise we made. Now, keep it. Take care of her."

Tears flowed freely from Noor's eyes, her heart aching. She was being asked to trust in something greater than herself, something she have more  faith in. But this was her Nanu, her protector, and if he believed in this, maybe... maybe she could try. Just this once. Ruhaan, without hesitation, nodded. His grip on her hand tightened, not in force but in reassurance. Noor's mind was spinning, her heart screaming with a hundred emotions she couldn't process. But one thing was clear—her Nanu's time was running out, and this was his last wish.

The silence in the room was heavy, broken only by Mr. Suleman's shallow breaths and the quiet sniffles of those around them. The weight of destiny pressed down on Noor's shoulders, and as she stood there, holding Ruhaan's hand, she felt the pull of fate stronger than ever before. The name Ruhaan, once just a fleeting part of her life, now echoed in her heart. As Mrs. Sitara left the room with teary eyes, the weight of the moment settled on Noor. She felt like a child lost in a storm, unsure of which way to turn. Saba and Ruksana stood beside her, trying to pull her into the flow of preparations, but Noor's heart ached. She hugged Ruksana tightly, after leaving the room of her Nanu, crying uncontrollably. 

"Bujaan, what is happening to me? I don't understand. Why am I marrying a man I don't even know? Why is everything happening so fast?" Noor's voice trembled with desperation. 

Ruksana tried to comfort her, gently stroking her hair, but the pain in Noor's voice pierced her heart. Unable to bear seeing her like this, Ruksana quickly stepped out of the room, leaving Noor in Saba's care. Saba sat Noor down on the bed, kneeling in front of her with a calm yet serious expression. She took a deep breath, carefully choosing her words.

"Noor," Saba began softly, "life is not as simple as it seems. I heard from Shaan Bhai that you're very sensitive, that even small things can make you sad. I know this is not a small thing, and I understand how hard it must be for you. But this is destiny, written for you by Allah long before you were born."

Noor looked at Saba, her tear-streaked face full of confusion and sorrow. "Saba Bhabi..." she began to say, but Saba gently interrupted her. "Not now, Noor. I will answer all of your questions in time, I promise. But right now, we need to get ready. Nanu is in pain, and this is his last wish. Accept this fate as Allah's plan for you, because Allah, the Almighty, is the best of planners. He would never give you a burden you cannot bear."

Saba's words hung in the air, and as Noor's mind swirled with emotion, she felt a slight shift in her heart. The storm inside her was still raging, but Saba's words provided a brief moment of calm. Perhaps this was beyond her understanding, beyond anything she could control.

Saba then softly recited an ayah from the Quran:_

"And We created you in pairs."_(Surah An-Naba, 78:8) She continued, "This is a reminder that marriage is part of Allah's grand design. It may not make sense now, Noor, but Allah knows best. You must trust Him in these moments of uncertainty."

Noor sat quietly, absorbing the words, trying to find strength in her faith, even though her heart still felt fragile. She allowed Saba to continue getting her ready, her mind still grappling with the whirlwind of change, but a seed of acceptance was beginning to take root.