Life Under the Hijab | ✔

{22} Chain Reactions

Zakir Khan

Tariq sat around the coffee table while the girls went up to Laila's room to talk. My father was going to join us after he finished talking to a worker on the phone. Tariq had a tired look on his face. He and Aunt Yusra weren't on the best terms. I felt bad for this kid, but I also admired him. He was the one who kept his family together after his father's death.

"Zakir, what are we going to do?" he asked while running a hand through his black hair.

"I know. This is getting out of hands. I can't just divorce my wife for a girl I don't love. It's insane!"

"Again, I am truly sorry for that. My mom just thinks she's protecting you."

"Tariq, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's time to help Aunt Yusra realize her mistakes. We all can help her," I said.

Tariq put his head down. He just stared at his hands for a while before he spoke so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. His voice quivered.

"I-It's just so h-hard. I've been carrying my mother's burden for years and I fear I have done a terrible job. Maysa deserves a mother and father. I couldn't play that role right. Mom didn't even support us on our dreams."

"You did a good job taking care of Maysa. She's such a wonderful Muslimah. You did something Aunt Yusra never did that helped Maysa become who she is," I said while leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms.

"What?" he brought his head up and looked at me with teary eyes.

"You kept your faith in Allah. Even when there were bumps on the road, you still kept your belief in Allah. You were the role model Maysa had. You gave her the Islamic environment to live in. Aunt Yusra didn't do that, you did. Tariq, you did do your duty as a Muslim and a brother to her. And you still are doing it," I smiled.

He looked at me a little with an expressionless face. Then he shook his head. "But-"

A new voice cut him off. "No. Zakir is right. Maysa is fine now because of you. I just talked to Maysa and she talked about how you were always doing your best to help her and support her. You are more than a brother to her, but like you said we need to get your mom back on that road with you."

I turned around to see Zaynub leaning against the doorframe, smiling at us.

"Zaynub," I breathed out.

She walked over to me and after her followed Maysa, Deeliyah, Laila, Khadijah, and my father.

"Alright let's start planning," my father said as he clapped his hands together.

"Wait! Don't start without me!" exclaimed my mother as she ran into the room with cookies on a tray.

"Oh cookies!" Deeliyah and I said at the same time. We looked at each other before we cracked up laughing.

"Who knew we were so alike?" I chuckled.

"Well obviously," grinned Deeliyah.

"Now now children. We are here to help Tariq not so you two realize that you're alike. Now be serious!" my mother yelled the last part.

"Cranky much," I mumbled. Zaynub elbowed me. I turned to her and saw that she was glaring daggers at me. "Woah chill."

"Zakir be nice," she warned quietly.

"Okay okay. Now where were we?"

"Okay so any ideas on how to bring back faith to someone?" my father asked as he looked around the room.

"What if we encouraged her to learn more about Islam and understand that Allah does things for a reason?" Laila stated.

I snorted. "We already tried that."