With You

Chapter 21

Ryan silently watched as the fishes moved with their pace in the pond in front of them while Maira tried to lay a hand on one, mumbling in her cute baby language. The sun had just gotten away.

"What's bothering you, bhai?"

Ryan looked at his side where Hanan was looking at him with concern as he carefully held Maira in his arms to not to let her away. He was about to return his home soon and that was why it was so necessary for Ryan to talk about the confusions going inside his mind. Confusions related to Zarah and his own existence!

Hanan had always treated him like his elder brother and he never made Ryan believe like he was wrong whatever would be his thoughts, Hanan would silently hear him without judging him. That was why Ryan only wanted to talk with him.

"I'm stuck, Hanan." Ryan gulped, trying to prepare some words in his mind to utter. "I don't know what I want, what I'm doing and what is happening in my life."

"Is this related to Zarah?" He looked at Hanan with a surprised gaze because he had no idea that he knew even something about Zarah and him.

"Related to Zarah and more." He confessed, slightly hesitant to tell him that he had gone through his Quran copy because he was curious. "I was so busy in earning money, building my dream house and now when I have gotten everything, I don't why and what I will do next."

Ryan didn't look at Hanan at this point because he was embarrassed to admit that the statue of his desires and wishes had broken all of a sudden. His eyes was now at the fish on the corner of the pond and was trying to dig a path in the water ground.

"Bhai, just listen to this once without interuppting me." Ryan nodded for him to carry on after hearing his serious voice, he couldn't interrupt him because all he needed was guidance, "You know everything in this world has its end time. Your relations, your money, your status and your life. But do you know what doesn't end? Your connection with the Almighty. Though you treat it as a joke, as facade but you will still be connected with him."

Ryan felt the words of Hanan slowly getting placed on his heart as it felt to be dip down with their weight. What power that Almighty held that everybody had to talk about him and his majesty?

"The point at which you're on, it's not the end. You have achieved everything you feel and this is the time where you turn to Allah. You have money, thank Allah, you have shelter over your head, thank Allah. You feel that you don't have something, make dua for it. Your connection with everything will cut off when you will die except the Almighty."

Hanan said gesturing with his index finger towards the sky. Goosebumps began to slowly crawl upto Ryan's skin as he felt a lone tear rolling down on his cheek.

"Be grateful to him, bhai. This life will always be temporary but what is beyond this, is permanent. You will be standing in front of your lord and he will not ask you about your status, your wealth. He will ask what you did with it and how you spend your life on his earth."

Hanan patted his shoulder as Ryan tried to wipe the tear quickly from his eye, "Almighty doesn't want to see you as a perfect human because everyone has imperfections but he wants to see your attempts of walking on his straight path, he wants to see your attempts of becoming a better version of yourself."

Ryan nodded aimlessly as he felt that he had lost a grip of his mind and body. The tears were streaming down from his eyes and he just covered his face with his hands without thinking that he was crying just like a small kid.

***

Zarah nodded her head as the doctor asked about her health after changing her bandages. After ten days, she was back in the hospital for a check up and the bandages of her limbs had been removed and only the bandage on her forehead was there.

"So now take only half of the dosage and come for a check up after fifteen days."

Doctor gave her the file back as Zarah thanked him and left his cabin with her mother.

"You're feeling good?" Ammi asked her and she gave a small smile to assure her. She was feeling good but just a headache was a part of her being.

"Yes. Just a headache."

"Maybe the effect of getting outside after a long time."

Zarah didn't say anything because she knew the reason behind it. She was unable to sleep at night due to the thoughts invading her mind. The thoughts were of Ryan only.

It had been one week when he had came to her house and after that Zarah was getting that feeling that he needed her. Whatever she was doing, she would be thinking about him. Didn't know what he was going through, how he needed her? But all she could do was to pray for him.

"C'mon let's take a cab and then you can rest."

Ammi said as she nodded at her advice. She was not feeling like talking to anyone let alone her mother and maybe she understood her silence that was why she was not forcing her to talk.

A car stopped in front of them and they both had to take some steps back to see Ryan coming from the driver's seat with a tight lipped smile. Ammi looked at her with a meaningful smile as Zarah composed herself looking at the man who was present in her thoughts.

"AsSalamuAlaikum. What are you doing here?"

Ryan asked coming near to them, though it was only third time she was meeting him-it felt like there was some change in him. Something had changed in him and she couldn't point out but there was.