True Purpose

c h a p t e r 20

When Hassan just got back home from the masjid, he was surprised yet relieved to see Yusra waiting for him at the entrance door, with her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

"I need to talk to you!" Yusra said.

"I need to talk to you too!" Hassan replied.

"You guys can talk as much as you want, but you're both blocking the entrance!" Yasir said, impatiently.

"Yeah, can you guys go and talk elsewhere and not here, while we are stuck outside in the cold?" Hadid added.

Yusra rolled her eyes and grabbed Hassan's arm, pulling him inside and to her room, as Yasir, Hadid and Yahya entered the house.

When Hassan's eyes landed on Huda who was present in the room, he raised his eyebrows at Yusra.

"Huda! Shoo!" Yusra said.

Huda narrowed her eyes at Yusra.

"Huds, please, if you don't mind, she wants to say something to me. Besides, Yasir is here, why don't you go talk to him?" Hassan asked, nicely.

"Okay, brother," Huda said, getting up and leaving.

"Now that's how you deal with your siblings, Yus! Not by saying 'shoo'!" Hassan said, shaking his head disapprovingly at Yusra's antics.

Yusra waved the matter away, and sat on her bed.

"Sit!" She ordered Hassan.

Hassan sat on Huda's bed which was opposite Yusra's.

"What did you want to say?" Hassan asked.

"It's about Zaynab. I can see a very good change in her MashaAllah. I just wanted to ask, is she okay now?" Yusra replied.

"Alhamdulillah, she's really improved. You know, she's a really fast learner. She memorised the six Surahs I taught her for salaah immediately, and she's also reciting Qur'an pretty well. She is becoming more and more religious by the day, and Alhamdulillah I feel that my efforts are paying off," Hassan said.

"Alhamdulillah. And what about towards you? Is she warming up towards you?" Yusra asked.

"Yes! You know, I met that cousin of hers, Sahir," Hassan began.

Yusra suddenly gasped. "Sahir Mas'ud?"

"Yeah," Hassan said.

"I know this guy! We went to the same school. I had just started secondary and he was in his final year. He was the biggest bully ever!" Yusra said.

"Well, Zaynab told me about how he used to mistreat her. Anyway, so I saw him having grabbed Zaynab's arm, and he was about to slap her. That's when I came in and stopped him. After I defended Zaynab, she realised that I'll never be like Sahir. Also, she had told me before this incident that because I fear Allah, she finally believes that I'd never hurt her. So yeah, she's warmed up to me. And that brings me to what I've been wanting to tell you," Hassan said.

Yusra looked at him curiously. "What?"

Hassan rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and did not meet his sister's eye.

"Hassan? Look at me! What do you want to tell me?" Yusra asked.

Hassan looked up at Yusra, then rubbed his face with both his hands, as he sighed.

"How do I tell you this?" He muttered.

"Just come out with it, Hassan! It's just me!" Yusra replied.

"You know, I've had feelings for Zaynab since we got married. Like I started liking her from the first time I lifted her veil and saw her. Maybe you can call it an infatuation?" Hassan began.