A heart of stone was what he had been carrying around professionally for the past fifteen years. Aaban Rehman Khan - a man with no-nonsense attitude which made him one of the most successful businessmen in the country at the mere age of 27.
And the...
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🥀 Aaban Rehman Khan 🥀
27 - The demons keep winning.
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Prologue
He didn't know when he came and stood outside the main entrance of the community mosque. The surroundings were covered with pure white snow. It was peak December and the weather was worsening with every passing hour. The people were roaming around, mainly rushing back to their homes in order to avoid any troublesome situations due to the weather but he was standing alone in the darkest and coldest of the evenings, clad in a warm thermal and jeans. He was still in a dilemma. Honestly, he was scared.
He didn't know how much time has passed, as he kept staring blankly at the beautiful calligraphy written on the marble entrance above the grand door until a man pushed him aside as he was blocking the way for the other people. He only came out of his trance when the sound of Maghrib Azaan hit his ears. His whole body became numb. It was spine chilling. He felt goosebumps forming all over his body. He was shivering. May be it was due to the weather or the impactful sound of Azaan, he didn't know. But one thing was clear, he had decided that he was going to do this, no matter what happens. He sat on one of the benches in the garden of the mosque lost in deep thoughts. As soon as he noticed the people coming out of the mosque after offering the prayer, he stood up and again stood in front of the grand entrance. He keenly observed the beautiful architecture of the mosque. It had four minarets on each corner and a neon blue dome at the centre. The windows were made of tinted blue glass and the whole floor was covered with impeccable marble. With trembling hands, he took off his shoes and stepped forward. He entered the main hall and saw the Imam reciting Quran, sitting cross legged on the grey coloured carpeted floor in the far corner of the hall.
Taking slow steps towards him, he went and sat beside him, waiting for him to complete his recitation. He leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes. He felt a different and weird kind of peace as he began to listen to the verses. Although he didn't understand a single word of what was being recited but the melodious voice of Imam seemed to cast a spell on him.
"Beta! [Son] It's late. You should go to your home otherwise the weather might get worse. There's a forecast of snow storm anytime now." The Imam said and he opened his eyes.
"What is the right path?" He asked out of nowhere with his innocent and curious eyes. They held a lot of unanswered questions. The Imam was surprised at his question. He didn't expect a 21 year old boy to ask such a question. Nevertheless, he began,
"The Right path is the one on which you feel peaceful and contented with yourself, the one you decide to follow whole-heartedly after a lot of logical reasoning. The right path is the one that leads you to your Lord, the one and only, The Almighty." He answered calmly with a loving voice.
"Guide me to the right path!" He said looking down at his palms as if he were ashamed to face him. His eyes held a lot of unshed tears. They depicted purity - much like the snow outside.
"I have no power to guide you to the right path. It's only in the control of Allah subhan na wa ta'ala. I've just one question, is this your own decision?" The Imam asked him.
He nodded with a prolonged sigh. The Imam took his hand in his own and placed one hand above his head lovingly. "Recite with me!"
"Ash-hadu an la ilaha illah Allah." (I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah.)"
He repeated after him as his eyes became glassy. His body was trembling. He didn't know what was going on. It was an undescribable feeling.
"Wa ash-hadu ana Muhammad ar-rasullallah." (And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.)
Peace.
"Say it, Beta!"
A sob escaped his lips. Soon enough, the whimpers turned into tears which streamed down his soft and pale cheeks. His voice croaked as he said those sacred words. His face was tear-striken. He began to cry hysterically after that. He felt like the whole burden of the world was lifted off his shoulders. He felt like somebody just owned him after years of abandonment. He felt safe like never before. A strange feeling of protection, safety and security surrounded him. He was overwhelmed. The Imam hugged him lovingly and kissed his forehead. "Welcome to the circle of Islam, my Son! You have done something which is not easy for everyone. You're the chosen one. You're indeed the luckiest one. Allah has made you with all the love and care. Now you're bound to return all his favours by being his humble servant. Come with me and offer two nafals!"
He followed him like a robot, absolutely no feelings and no emotions. He was not in a condition to feel anything right now. He performed ablution by copying the Imam. Then he stood behind him as he made him offer the nafal prayer.
He was home at last.
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[Glossary] -Imam: A Muslim priest or scholar. -Maghrib: The prayer offered after sunset. -Azaan: Prayer Call. -Nafal: Additional and optional prayers
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This has been in my drafts for 4-5 years now. I hope I can complete it this time. Tell me what you think.
