A Blissed and Blessed Arafah

18. People change. When will I?

Bismillahi Rrahmaan Rraheem. 

Baaraka Allahu fiykum every one. May Allah choose us among those who shall reach Ramadhan and have their necks freed from Jahannam.

After the lecture the girls went back to the cafeteria. It had been their norm to have some cold drinks during the lunch break. "Gosh, am glad we're done with the lectures." Lali huffed feeling miserable. She wouldn't have survived other lectures.

"What's up with you?" Arafah asked. Lali was acting weird. "Am tea red." She replied, reading the word 'tired' as spelled.

"What are you having for lunch?" Arafah asked after feeling satisfied that tiresome was what made Lali behave all pissed. They were seated at their 'table' within the café. "Nothing. This orange juice is more than enough." Lali replied. Her eyes glued on her phone.

"Why don't you want to eat?" Arafah asked demanding attention as if her life depended on that lunch.

"Arfi.. Be real." Lali wasn't getting why she was suddenly adamant on getting her to eat.

"Just tell me why?" Arafah was undergoing that Why-won't-you-just-tell-me phase all bestfriends go through at certain points of life.

"Coz I had breakfast in the morning. Mom had attended a wedding last night, so we munched what she brought today in the morning."

Arafah gazed at her with questioning eyes while Lali went on, "I had chicken, meatpie, bread, I mean I had flour, yeast, water, oil, salt, sugar, milk, tea leaves. Get it now?"

"Come on." Arafah pleaded as if Lali was talking alien language.

"Burger?" Lali shook her head.

"Sandwich?" Nope.

"Chips?" Head shake.

"Samosa?"

"Arafah, I know it has always been your concern to serve me. But The Queen is well and fine, no subject has any reason to worry." Lali couldn't contain her smile as she said that. How Arafah reacted was totally worth it.

"Pssshh. Whatever." She rolled her eyes and made that classy hand wave.

Minutes later, Arafah came back with two bars of Dairy Milk chocolate. Their best. What was the point of having a second meal when her best friend had none. "There you go." She handed Lali her bar, showing her that If-you-are-skipping-lunch am skipping too attitude.

"Awww thanks. Am flattered baby." Lali exaggerated in her gratitude towards her friend, just seeking to annoy her. Arafah decided to play along, "You don't have to, girlie. It's alright." She winked at Lali, as she smiled. As far as she could remember, Lali and her would never say no to chocolates. Never.

"We'll be done after an hour, ryt?" Lali asked trying to justify themselves for not praying Dhuhr on time, convincing themselves that they had time to return to their homes and pray.

"But since it's the first day, we could take long." Arafah replied unaware of the reason why Lali asked her.

"So we won't get Dhuhr by the time we get home?" Lali was secretly hoping that she won't say No. She was feeling too lazy to pray, too tired to focus, too pissed to concentrate, too miserable to pay attention, too distressed to... She could go on forever.

"Uhm.. Why not?" Arafah immediately changed her views and supported her. She too wasn't feeling like praying. The university toilets weren't so comfortable to begin with, then there was the problem of taking ablution with abayas. It was better to do it at home, so long as there was time.