It was sunday morning and the streets in the suburbs of New Delhi were deserted. The sun shined brightly, peeking into hundreds of faces through windows and doors cracks, all sleeping soundly....
All, except a girl three blocks away;
She was wide awake although the curtains were drawn and it still looked dark inside.
Habeebah barely slept last night. She had been tossing to and fro, unable to sleep.Even after praying Thahajjud and Fair, she could not sleep. No matter how much her eyes protested to give in and dose off, her heart and mind kept dragging her back forcefully into yesterday's conversation.
«FLASHBACK»
"You could go for me" Khadijah said.
Habeebah looked at her aunt, her mouth slightly open, unable to process what she had just heard.
There was a long silence.
Until, it was Seeren who finally spoke up, "Sister in law, but Habeebah's very young" she said slowly, trying to make the point obvious.
"I know, dear sister. That's why I was thinking it's possible after all" Khadijah offered gently.
"But the reason I taught her sewing in the first place was solely for this purpose. She's still very young and is not exposed to the outside world" Seeren explained hurriedly.
"Well, a girl needs her freedom. You cant just shut her in this house forever, Seeren". Khadijah reasoned.
"Please, sister in law. I know Habeebah. She's different from all the other young friends she's got. It's just the school friends and the neighbours she talks to. And please, I would 've somewhat agreed if it was somewhere here in India. But London...." She shuddered at the thought of separating her daughter from her.
Habeebah, true to Seeren's words was a very shy sort of a girl but once she got accustomed to talking to someone, she would go on talking as if though they had been friends for ages. Maybe that's why she had school friends at least; because of her secret bubbly nature which she inherited from her younger sister, who had no idea whatsoever to hide her bubbly nature.
"Anyway, even if I agree, Habeebah wouldn't.....won't ..won't you Habeebah?" Seeren's confident tone wavered looking uncertainly at Habeebah, for her daughter had been quiet the whole time her mother and aunt had been talking.
Of course, she was innocent and naive to the outside world, but every girl has a dream.
Habeebah had one too.
It was to travel around the world.
To see God's wonderful creation in other parts of the world.
To eat varieties of delicious food...
To visit islands...
To visit the countryside there...
Cities...
With skyscrapers....
To be a freaking tourist!!! according to Labeebah,
And sleep under the tents looking up at the bright night stars-
"You can't look up at stars when you're inside a tent,Labeebah"
Oh, right.sorry....
To join a circus and dance with the elephants.
To perform stunts on stage...
To feel proud at the audience applauding you energetically...
To bow down and curtsy in front of them...holding hands with superma-
"Labeebah!"
Alright alright! Jeez, sorry...
But even though Habeebah told her sister of her dreams, she could only describe them helplessly. Unlike Labeebah who could go off of the topic easily when her heroes entered her mind, not bothering that her elder sister was actually being serious about the whole thing.
YOU ARE READING
In His Mansion
Spiritual"Well??" she snapped "Where am I supposed to stay??" He raised an eyebrow. "I won't tolerate this kind of an attitude as long as you're under my custody, do you understand?" "What kind of an attitude?" "This impertinent attitude" "Well, my mother al...
