The Serendipity of Us

Chapter-34

Umar hurriedly descended the stairs  opened the door  and stepped outside. He got into his car, and when he reached the main gate, he told the guard to open it.

The guard  surprised  asked, “Sir, where are you going at this hour?”

Umar leaned out of the car window and angrily shouted, “Mind your own business and open the gate. And don’t you dare tell anyone after I leave.”

The guard  frightened  opened the gate.

Umar sped off  driving at full speed. After he left, the guard quietly shut the gate.

Umar was racing down the streets, his mind consumed by the words that echoed in his head. He was furious, driving aimlessly for the past four hours on deserted roads.

Finally  he pulled over to the side of the road  opened the car door  and stepped out.

The night was still  with only the streetlights illuminating the quiet streets. He leaned against the car rolling up his sleeves to his elbows  his shirt’s top two buttons undone, and his hair disheveled. He looked visibly distressed and angry.

For a while  he stared at the silent roads and muttered, “haleema aap mujhe galat smjhi usse jyada dukh is baat ka hora ki aapne wo lafaj itni asani se keh kaise diya.”

He was restless, haunted by the conversation from the night before  the words echoing in his ears.

He stayed there for a long time, silently pacing back and forth.

When the sound of the  Azaan reached his ears, he got back into the car and headed towards the mosque, driving with a sense of urgency to find some peace.

In just a short while, he stopped his car in front of the mosque and parked it to the side before stepping out.

He went inside and headed to perform ablution. Rolling up his sleeves to the elbows, he started performing ablution. After completing it, he joined the rows for prayer where other people were also present.

The prayer had ended  and everyone had left  but Umar was still sitting there, praying to Allah after completing his salah.

Raising both hands  Umar made a supplication, “Ya Allah mere aur haleema ke rishte ko hamesha apni panah mein mehfooz rakhna.”

“Ya allah mujhe salahiyat dein taki mai apni biwi ko khush rakh saku aur kbhi bhi uske aankhon mein aasuwo ke aane ki wjah na banu.”

“Ya allah meri biwi ke dil ko rahat dein wo kafi besakooni ke alam hai, unke dil ko sukoon dein mere  rab aur aane wali jindagi khushiyon se bhar dein.”

After finishing his prayer  he wiped his hands over his face  stood up, and walked outside the mosque. A soft light was spreading everywhere as he got into his car and drove home.
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Haleema had cried herself to sleep on the floor the entire night. When the alarm woke her up, her head was throbbing with pain due to all the crying. She glanced around the room but noticed that Umar still hadn’t come home, which made her anxious. She got up, tied her hair loosely Into a bun, and walked over to the bed.

She picked up her phone, turned off the alarm  and headed toward the washroom. A little while later  after performing ablution( wudu) she covered herself with a scarf for prayer and came out to spread the prayer mat  beginning her Fajr prayer.

After completing her prayer  she started performing additional voluntary prayers (Nafl). In the last rak’ah  she sat down  raised her hands in supplication, and began to pray, “Ya allah mere sauhar ko apne hifzo aman mein rakhna.”