Avi's Writer Room || W4L Blog

Draft 0.02 of To Our Doom's first chapter

Here, I planned Sarah and Ibrahim would be strangers. But then I thought things might be more interesting if the mothers were best friends. So, in the current timeline, technically, they don't know each other personally but have heard of each other from time to time through their mother's conversations.

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Mother was preparing tirelessly in the kitchen since last night. Special guests were coming over today. They had just moved into the cottage next door – the cottage that Sarah dreamed of living in.

"Sarah! Get me the lemons from the other fridge!" her mother called out. Sarah rushed from her room to do this act of service for her mother.

"Here Ummi! Is there anything else I can help with?" she asked eagerly, panting after running back and forth to fetch the ingredients her mother needed.

"Yes, you get started on the dessert!" instructed her mother, as she stirred the 3 pots on the stove. Sarah nodded and rolled up her sleeves as she started preparing the desserts.

Her younger brother, Ishaaq, was helping their father clean the house.

"By the way Abbi, who is coming over today?" Ishaaq asked as he was vacuuming the house. Father did not hear him through the VROOMING noise. Ishaaq switched off the vacuum for a while.

"Abbi, who's the guest for today?" he asked, holding the snout of the vacuum. Father side-eyed Ishaaq and processed his question.

"I don't know but the brother next door seemed nice, so we invited him to welcome him," Father replied.

Meanwhile, next door, Ibrahim and his father were unpacking and moving furniture as they consulted with his mother and sister about how the furniture should be organized, moving the sofa back and forth, finding the right spot to hand a decoration, and more of the hustles of moving into a new place.

"We need to get ready later for dinner," announced Father, as he hammered a nail into the wall to place the hanging leaf decoration. The whole family side-eyed him. Mother and his sister, Maryam, were seated on the firmly placed sofa looking completely tired. Now they had to get ready for an invite? Mother let out a deep sigh.

"Where are we going, Abbi?" asked Ibrahim, as he arranged the chairs of the dining table. Maryam had the same question. Mother blinked wearily.

"Next door, my loves, a kind family invited us to welcome us," she replied with an exhausted smile. Ibrahim and Maryam nodded in deep thought. Maryam was excitedly taking pictures of every room that had been furnished to keep in her gallery. She was the one who picked the cottage. Although she was tired from the processes of moving, her excitement overpowered her and she was running around the cottage taking pictures and videos.

The day was long for both families, but the comfort of night will, In Sha Allah, take their mind off things.

By Maghrib, Sarah's Umm was done with her cooking, and the house was squeaky clean. Sarah had put her dessert into the fridge, and it would be taken out later after dinner. Ishaaq and his father went to the masjid to pray Maghrib, while Sarah and her mother added the finishing touches to their house and to the food. Let me take this opportunity to quote a hadith:

"Abu Shurayh al-Kabi al-Adawi (ra) has reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who believes in Allah and the last day should speak a good, decent conversation otherwise remain silent. And he who believes in Allah and the last day should honour his guest whose Jaizah (a provision for the guest better than one's own meals) is the length of a day and a night. And hospitality extends for three days and whatever is beyond that (more than three days) is Sadaqah. it is not proper for a guest to tax his host by overstaying (so that he is tired of him)." – Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, 743 (Sahih)

***

After Maghrib, Sarah and her mother were ready to welcome the guests. They had dressed up as the men and women would be separate today. However, they had their Khimars with them because they would need to serve the food later during dinner. Sarah's mother was a perfectionist when it came to putting the food in front of the guests, so she wanted to serve herself.

While the men were outside in the balcony garden, Sarah and her mother put on their khimars and head to the living room to serve. Sarah's mother assembled the dishes in the kitchen, while Sarah put the bowls and plates on the table. As Sarah returned to the kitchen to bring more dishes, Ibrahim came back inside the living room to get himself a glass of water. Sarah noticed that there was someone in the living room. She looked down and gracefully put the pot on the table then swiftly returned to the kitchen. Ibrahim noticed someone behind him, and as he saw Sarah, he quickly turned back to face the water dispenser. He let out a sigh of relief when she was gone, then he went back to the balcony.

***

"The dinner was lovely," said Ibrahim's father to Sarah's father.

"Alhamdulillah, brother. How did you like it, Ibrahim?" smiled Sarah's father.

"It was delicious, Uncle," Ibrahim smiled politely. Both the families were delighted at each other's acquaintance.

"Ibrahim! Don't forget to join us for football tomorrow morning!" reminded Ishaaq enthusiastically. They have become close friends already.

"Surely, Ishaaq, I'll see you tomorrow then, In Sha Allah!" replied Ibrahim with the same energy. The fathers were happy that their sons were friends, and they exchanged friendly greetings once again, before the guests had left the house.

***

At Ibrahim's home, Maryam and their mother talk about the dinner. Maryam is in awe of Sarah. She wants to be like her when she grows up in a few years.

"The dessert was so decadent, and I wanted more!" pouted Maryam. Her mother laughed.

"You should have had more, then!" she reprimanded. Maryam smiled.

"I was already full with the amazing biryani!" she reminded. Ibrahim and his father were chuckling with them.

"They're surely a delightful family, Allahumma Barik, and Alhamdulillah that we're living right next to each other!" said Ibrahim's father. His mother and sister agreed.

***