The Hooded Hijabi

Spiritual Connection Restored

"You can't run from me, sweetheart. You can't hide. I'll find you no matter where you go. I WILL COME FOR YOU, YOU HEAR ME?! I WILL CO-..." I jerk awake and gasp for air until a few good seconds pass by.

I try to ease my tensed muscles by breathing deeply but fail, so I simply force myself out of bed to grab a water bottle from my dressing table. A few gulps of cool water do a little to soothe me.

It's four in the morning. There's no point in going back to sleep, not that I'll be able to. I take my time to perform wudhu(ablution) and offer fajr prayer.

As I place my head on the floor after prayer to relax myself, I feel moisture on my cheeks. And suddenly, there's a surge of emotions inside me that bursts out with tears that I had held in for too long. I feel so connected to Him at this moment that I feel like my heart could burst with love. The recitation of the man from the mosque replays in my head while I cry in sujood(prostration).

I have to find him,Ya Rabb! Help me find him. I need to learn Your Book the way he has. From this day onwards, I vow to give up on music. Just make me one of those who recite your Qur'an with love and fear.

Fifteen minutes of pleading and crying has done what years of consoling, therapy and medication hadn't. At last, I feel the worries that purged at my heart fly away. My heart feels so light all of a sudden and I have yet to understand why this happened now.

Rachel had been waiting for me when I show up in the cafeteria. "And where exactly have you been, woman? Whatever happened to your concept of punctuality?", she asks, air quoting the word 'punctuality' while rolling her eyes. "You rarely hang out with me after university, y'know", she complains.

"I've been busy and you know it. Shut up and buy me a burger. I'm starving!", I reply in an overly dramatic tone.

"Way to apologize for being a jerk", she adds.

I hold her arm and walk her to the burger stop, smiling. We catch up with all the updates about each other's lives while munching on our burgers when I catch a glimpse of someone staring at me.

"Weirdo alert! He's staring again", I inform Rachel.

"Oh! I forgot to mention. He came up to me a couple of days ago to ask me about you. I was gonna text you at first but then I got so busy with John, it totally slipped my mind."

"About me?", I almost choke on my soda.

"Yeah, he said he hasn't seen you around lately and wanted to ask for your notes since Professor Henry complimented you on your assignments."

"Umm, okaaaay. He could stop staring and ask then, y'know."

"Uhh, Amina? Looks like he heard you with his super hearing ability because he's coming right here."

"Oh crap! I don't want to talk to him. Get up! Let's leave before he comes!"

"Hi, Amina", the strange guy greets me with such confidence that I feel like hiding my face in my hoodie. He is dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a plain black hoodie. A puff of hair is visible in the front while the rest is covered with a black beenie cap. He stands over us, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and waits for a response.

I eye Rachel who was ever so lazy to leave before he came and now I was stuck here in such an awkward situation.

"I don't mean to intrude but could I have a minute with you?", he continues.

I nervously look at Rachel who shrugs and gives him a polite smile before pretending to text someone.

"Umm, I guess, sure", I reply meekly.

He looks down at his shoes and gives me a lopsided smile. Aish, that same weird smile he gave me the other day. Oh God, somebody get this guy away from me. Wait, why do I even get so bothered by him? It's not like he's actually done anything weird. Yet.

"...if it's okay with you", I hear him say.

"Sorry, what? I didn't quite catch you", I say as I try not to zone out again.

"I wanted to have a look at your IPHR notes if it's okay with you."

"Oh yeah, sure. John asked for them yesterday so you can take them from him once he's done copying."

"John? Oh, alright. Thanks."

"No worries", I reply with a polite smile but while packing my belongings to avoid eye contact with him. Next thing I know his back is towards me and he finally leaves.

"Okay, that was awkward", I say to Rachel who now has stopped pretending to be busy with her phone.

"Not really. People come up to you to ask for your notes every now and then. Chill out", she says. She's right. I'm overreacting.

<End of Chapter 4>