All The Way From Home

chapter 16

Haneefs pov

Its been a week since when i left London and alhamdullilah the business is back to normal
I'm also planning on bringing Maher back ..I hope he's changed

But there's something ive been trying to ignore all these days
I always feel incomplete, I just feel something is missing
But i think its me wanting to be with my family

I guess it wouldn't hurt to call and check up on them

Ring ring ring

"Umma"
I speak up when she picked up

"Naam yaya babba"
She calls me this sometimes

"Ina Wuni "i then decide to greet

"I'm fine alhamdullilah " she answers

"How are you ? How's work ?" She inquires

"All fine alhamdullilah " i answer and then sigh

"Haneef ...."
"Your voice doesn't seem normal, are you sure you're alright ? I feel like there's something you're not telling me "

Is it that obvious that something is wrong with me?

"No umma...there's really nothing wrong "
I hope she believes me because even I don't have any idea what's happening to me

"Sam...banyarda ba..(I don't believe ).I'm your mum and I can tell even from your voice "

Well..she's right..something is wrong

"I think you need a partner haneef "
She finally speaks up

"Partner Kuma umma ? ( a partner mum ?)"

"Yes. A partner..you need to get a wife "
The Talk
The Talk is here

" umma I'm perfectly alright "
But then i ask myself if that's what i really need
A partner
It sounds like that's what i do need

"Keep telling yourself that "

" halima is in Luton...she told me you met her sweet friend and she's been telling me a lot about her...and maybe the part that you went completely blank at her while she was talking to you in a video call . All because you saw firdaus"

She laughs when she says the end part of me going blank

Halima had to be a loudmouth on this didn't she ?

"Umma...it's not like that "
I say while walking to the balcony , my left hand in my pocket while a mass of fresh breezy air meets my face

" then what is it ? ....I told halima to bring firdaus the next time she's coming over...I want to meet her too "
Oh this isn't going to be good
Is she planning on matchmaking us ?

Firdaus
Well, she's not that bad
Honestly I've just been in denial about that girl being one of the most beautiful girl I've ever set eyes on
Her petite figure and her round face with the huge frame of glass on it
Everything about her is just so .....

" ......haneef "
I hear ummas voice which I know has been calling me for maybe four times now

" naam umma...I think its a great idea"

This time , its different. I say it's a great idea to her and I personally think it'll be a great idea

Firdaus

Firdaus's pov

" .......I know right "
I say to Ahmad on a video call we've been having
I miss him so much
He called me the moment I got back from class...I was a tad bit exhausted but i felt so okay the moment he started to update me on what's been happening at home

" Zara and zainab are around, you know that right ?"
Oh...I always say I'll visit but it always skips my mInd

"Yes...how can I forget thier highness Zara and zainab? "

We both laugh when i fake a British accent

" i''ll visit in shaa Allah "
I say and then smile

"I think we've done enough catching up firdaus" he says while rubbing his face

"Yh I also need some rest as it is...thanks for calling Ahmad...talk to you soon "

And with this I hang up and plop on my bed

Ya Allah

.............................

So this weekend I'm not going to be alone in my dorm room
Halimas mum has invited me to stay for the weekend
Which I gladly and wholeheartedly accepted

And now I'm packing for it but it doesn't require much
Just two set of clothes and my toiletries

"My mum spoke to haneef "

I look at halima wondering what she's now up to
It was hard to take her serious now that she was lying on the bed with her head hanging upside down while I went to and fro to get my toiletries

".....and ?"
I inquire

"She said he didn't seem so fine "
Well..he's such a workaholic

" what's wrong with him "
I ask her , hoping and praying it doesn't have anything to do with me

" exactly !" She hopped from her position almost too subtle it made me stand there wondering the holy Macarons that was for

"I'm sensing there's some mystery behind all this "
Now I'm looking at her face of trying to figure out mystery
Which includes her stroking her chin and minimizing the size of her eyes

"Go ahead Sherlock...what is it ?"
I tried to make this fun by sounding really interested into this so called mystery of haneefs not well being

"You "
Did I hear her clearly ?

"Me ? "
How does any of this relate to me ?
I finally zipped my small bag pack now while she gives me this look of certainty on what she was taking about

"Yes . You "
" think about it...he was acting really weird to you the time you guys had a video call and then now he's not fine"

This girl has for sure given a wrong example of connecting dots and the famous 1+1 = 2
How could she even think like that ?

" no halima , it could just be exhaustion from work "
I think this sounds convincing even for halima

" well, I'd have said the same but this is haneef and I know he doesn't behave this way just like that "

I knew she wouldn't settle for work exhaustion

"But oh well...let me go lock my dorm room and then we shall leave for my place "

And she strode off without another word and maybe too quiet and gently like a dove which is so unlike her

What is she up to ?

But what she said left me having thoughts on haneef
Whatever it is that is wrong with him, I hope he'll be just fine