The Nearest Heaven ✔️

Part 2 -Meet The Friend

Part 2 –Meet the Friend

"Narrated Jarir bin Abdullah RA: Allah's Messenger (S.A.W) said, "Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind."

~Bukhari

By the time Fadiyah came home, her grandmother greeted her with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and mini marshmallows and chocolate shavings on top. Fadiyah smiled gratefully, although it was summer, she needed the chocolate right now to help her smile.

It was no secret that she was having trouble in her life, but unlike most other 21 year olds, her life was not in tatters because she had a bad break up with a boyfriend, or because of best friend drama, or because of drugs, or because of alcohol or bad company.

Her trouble was that she was stressed and depressed. Her university course work had become far more difficult than she could imagine. She had barely managed to make it through the year. For both semesters, she had scraped through. Her parents were supportive, glad that she had passed. Yet, Fadiyah had not been pleased.

The amount of work was too much for her, she was suffering through it. Waking up daily with headaches and other body aches. Slowly, her zest for life had lessened and lessened and she found that she was forcing herself out of bed each morning, she was no longer excite to go to campus and meet her friends. Fadiyah barely had the energy to exercise or do anything; she would just stare blindly at her books.

However, once she was done with exams, she packed a single bag, grabbed her favourite pair of Converse and slippers and left her parents' home. She drove to her grandparents' little flat and stayed over.

They had welcomed her with open arms, after all, she was the eldest grandchild they had.

"Nani," Fadiyah called as she sunk onto the sofa. She forced herself to shake the morose thoughts away. She could not focus on her stresses, as it was, she was stressed enough waiting for her exam results.

"Jee?"

She pulled the brown paper bag that she had next to her, and passed it to her grandmother. "Maaf. I forgot, I got some medication for Nana's flu."

Her Nani smiled at her and gave her an awkward hug while Fadiyah sat and she stood. "Jazakallah, child, but you shouldn't waste your money on us."

Fadiyah almost rolled her eyes, but knew that her grandmother would not appreciate it. "Nani," she said slowly. "It is not wasting money, if it is spent on people I love."

The two of them had a stare down, both of them were equally stubborn women, neither of them would concede easily, but Fadiyah knew she had a stronger chance because her grandmother was old, her eyesight could not be what it once was. Eventually, Fadiyah won.

"Fine, but not too much," her grandmother warned. "And have a shower soon, so that you can have some breakfast with me."

Taking a sip of the steaming hot chocolate, Fadiyah scalded her tongue and realised that it would be better for her to take a shower and then enjoy the hot chocolate. "Okay Nani," she sighed and got off the couch, putting her mug back into the open plan kitchen and lounge.

When she returned, freshly showered, Fadiyah sat at the kitchen nook. She cradled her still hot mug of her hot chocolate and stared lost in thought at the white tiled kitchen wall. She was thinking about Aaban and the curious way that Zunairah had reacted to him and the situation. Her head could not wrap around the fact that her usually self-absorbed cousin was worried about someone else for a change. "What's bothering you, Fadiyah?" her Nani asked she walked into the kitchen.