True Purpose

c h a p t e r 22

"So Ava, would you like to change your name? You know, to a Muslim one?" Huda asked.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that! Yes, actually. I'd like to have a Muslim name," Ava replied.

"So, we can give you a name book that my husband has, and you can pick the one you want?" Rumaysah suggested.

"No, actually. I want Zaynab to choose the name for me. Whichever one she wants," Ava replied.

Zaynab looked at Ava, wide-eyed. Was Ava sure that she wanted Zaynab to pick her a name? And which name would Zaynab even choose for her?

Zaynab voiced her thoughts out to Ava, to which Ava replied, "I am sure, Zaynab, that I want you to choose a name for me. And whichever name you choose, I'll be content with it. As my best friend and one of the influences to bring me into Islam, I think it's your right."

"Okay," Zaynab replied, with a smile. She then turned to Rumaysah. "Mum, can I have the name book?"

"Sure, let me get it for you," Rumaysah replied, and left the room.

She came back shortly with a book, and handed it to Zaynab.

Zaynab scanned through the pages of the book, and after what felt like a very long wait to everyone else present, she finally looked at Ava with a huge smile on her face.

"I got it! The perfect name for you!" Zaynab exclaimed.

"What is it?" Everyone else asked, simultaneously, in curiosity.

"Arwa! It's a beautiful name. It means a female ibex, but it's inner meaning are along the lines of freshness, beauty, gracefulness, pleasant and the likes," Zaynab explained.

"Arwa is a nice name! Great choice, Zaynab!" Huda said.

"Yeah, I like it. It's lovely!" Yusra agreed.

"Arwa was also the name of one of the prophet's cousins. It's a beautiful name. But what matters is, do you like it, Avarielle?" Rumaysah asked Ava.

"Yes. I love it! It's a very nice name. Thanks, Zaynab!" Ava replied.

"Welcome. So from now on, you're Arwa. We'll all call you Arwa, okay?" Zaynab said.

Arwa nodded.

And as she told Zaynab as she was about to leave to go back to her place, it was the best day of her life, without a doubt.

♡♤♡

"So, how did it go?" Hassan asked Zaynab that night, after they finished with Zaynab's Qur'an classes.

"It went perfectly well, Alhamdulillah!" Zaynab replied with a smile.

Hassan looked at his wife's happy face, and before he knew what he was doing, he took her hand in his. When he looked at her face for approval, he saw a tinge of red on her cheeks. Was she...blushing?

"So, tell me the whole story. What made her want to convert?" Hassan asked Zaynab.

"Well, Ava - I mean, Arwa - has been my best friend since I began medicine in this university. So she's known me well enough to be able to sense if there is a change in me. I was always that nerdy girl with no other priority except for her studies. Arwa also used to know how glum, depressed and broken I used to be because of Samina and Sahir's tortures. She knew how I never had peace because of the nightmares I used to get. Arwa knew how miserable I used to be, because of the fact that I was an orphan and I had to depend on someone like Samina. She even used to call Samina the Wicked Witch of the West!" Zaynab paused.