Love is Faith (An Islamic love story) *completed*

Whatever happens......

*Edit* All of the intro's and story parts were written back in 2016
Assalam o alaikum readers :)
Here I present to you another chapter, which I have been working on since yesterday. You know what....? I was stuck....! There were some problems regarding the plot that is remaining, as the story is changing its course now, I could not decide some of the things (not gonna tell you now ;) ) but then I brainstormed during all the ittie bittie time I got free and with the help of Allah Almighty managed to solve those problems and write this chapter.
It's not what you might have thought but be PATIENT till you reach the end of the story...and yeah! I don't know the exact number but in less than 10 chapters (i guess) we'll be done with the story!
So enjoy reading :) and do VOTE and COMMENT :)

"What..??" it was tehreem, she was shocked to hear hareem's decision.

"Yes tehreem...I am going to London to my aunt." her voice was low, her eyes not meeting tehreem's. They were sitting in Hareem's room.

"B...But why?" she stammered, "you could study here too..." tehreem insisted.

Hareem looked up straight into her eyes this time.
"Tehreem how can I stay here??" her voice raised "After all I've gone through...??" her voice broke.
"This place...these surroundings seem to me like a monster, that is going to eat me up any moment..." she lowered her voice, glancing the walls of her room.
"I can't breath in this air anymore..." tears filled up her beautiful eyes, with the last whisper.
Tehreem looked at her intensely, as if trying to understand her condition.

She shuddered.
"I remember everything..." said hareem's trembling voice.
"...and everyone..." she sighed deeply wiping her tears with her palms not looking at her.
Tehreem held hareem's hand warmly,
"I'm sorry...I should have understood your feelings." she paused to look at her.
"You're right, this is better for you....You..." she bit her lower lip trying not to cry.
"You must go...I must not insist, I...I should understand you now and...." she paused again, not looking at her, "....and should have understood you before..." she could not utter another word, Hareem pulled her into a hug...shaking her head.
"No..." Hareem whispered, "This is not your fault..." she pressed her lips to suppress her sobs...

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Ibad and Amna agreed to her decision, not much willingly, but they could understand their daughter's condition. They had already talked to her aunt rubina. Rubina was the only sister of Ibad and was younger than him. She got married to his cousin in an early age, who took her to London, as this was what his work demanded. After 8 years of their marriage, her husband was posted to Manchester, and had to shift, leaving his wife and his only daughter alone.
Rubina's daughter was married by now and lived in New York with her husband. Now aunt Rubina lived all alone in london while her husband visited her every 4 months.
She was a gentle and calm person and loved Hareem just like her own daughter. She was very happy when she heard of hareem's marriage which was about to take place after a month but, her heart sank when she heard about what went wrong with her fate.
She embraced Hareem warmly at the airport.
"Oh my darling...it's been a long time when I last saw you, you've turned out to be a gorgeous lady..." she tried to keep the talk light. She kissed her cheek and smiled like a mother.
Hareem tried to smile looking at her just for an instant, then her gaze wandered.
"How are you sweet heart?" Aunt asked, after waiting for the reply, for a while.
"Good" she nodded, not looking at her, trying to find something else to stare at.

After that, they went to her house. Hareem had already applied for some of the well known universities of London. She was a very bright student who got straight A's. She always had a good reputation in her academics. Just after a month she started to attend her classes. Her subject was same, Mathematics. All the universities she had applied to, offered her her to study with scholarship. She chose one of her choice, the one most famous among all. The only problem she had to face was the long distance to the university.
Everything was new, air, place, people and surroundings. It was just her heart, just her inner self that was the same. The wounds on her soul were still fresh, still painful.
People there in her university were quite friendly. It was her first time to attend classes with multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural people but she used to stay quiet most of the times.
Her aunt kept herself busy in the charitable activities all the time. She was really a kind person who loved to help. She took really good care of hareem, just like a mother. Hareem often used to insist on not eating her breakfasts. Her aunt then quietly used to pack some of her favourite food and slide it inside her bag, not letting her know. When Hareem used to open her bag to take out her notes, she got surprised and then smiled a little over her lovely aunt, who cared about her.
The days started to fly, she kept herself busy in studies and was mostly found in the libraries.
She tried to let go of her past and move on with striking clocks. This is what time is, it is vicious, makes us suffer, and it is kind, helps us recover! This was what she realized but....it was not that easy.
It was, when one day she was sitting on the open theatre stairs, two girls came to sit near her. They were both wearing hijab and were absorbed into each other.
Hareem was busy making her assignment, taking out a biscuit from the packet placed at her left, after every few moments. The girl sitting on her left too placed a packet of biscuits near hers, and took out one and ate every few instants.
While taking out another biscuit,without looking at the packet, she felt something soft brushing against her hand. She instantly looked to where her hand was frozen, it was another hand....of the girl sitting next to her. She looked up, and their gazes met. The girl smiled sheepishly.
"Oh! I'm so so sorry...." she looked embarrassed while her friend held her stomach to hold back her laughter.
"It's okay." Hareem replied with a little smile.
This was how Hareem became friends with Khadija, the girl who accidentally took her packet and Zainab who was Khadija's friend.
They were Muslims obviously, as it was evident from their outlook.
Both were really talkative and friendly. They both were Pakistanis too but had shifted here quite earlier than Hareem.
Hareem used to stay quiet but both of the girls used to involve her in every conversation, they had. She always tried to back out, to stay alone. She was fearful....for... what if...they got to know about her past? But the two of them....they literally dragged her with them, wherever they went.
"Come on Hareem...it's gonna be fun." It was Khadija. They had planned to go to the Tower of London, after the classes.
"I'm sorry you guys, I've gotta make some notes in the library...you, enjoy."
She refused hesitatingly.
"Oh come on Hareem...it's been 9 months since you came here and you havn't seen any of those charming places out there, show some curiosity girl...!" Zainab stood up and insisted.
"Come on Zainab, she's not gonna come with us in the GOOD way, you know the move right...?" Khadija winked at Zainab, who flashed a smile at her nodding. Before Hareem could protest she was held tight by her arms and went dragging with both of them, who looked contented.
Ibad and Amna used to call her daily. She used to have a video chat with them every evening, after returning from university.
Tehreem too called her now and then. She was in touch with everyone.
The days were turning. It is not easy to say whether she was recovering or not but now she at least tried to carry out little conversations with the people around her. The past no doubt stays with us, haunts us, but it's just the 'hope' of a better future that persuades us to live.
This was how one year of her stay in London, passed away...making her cry, recovering her and changing her.