Life is beautiful (A muslim story )

chapter 6 - Helping your enemy

"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give"- Winston Churchill.

Sanam's POV

My eyes fluttered open to the voice of my ringing phone.I groaned loudly! Who could it be at this time of the night? Thinking it to be important I sit up straight searching for my phone under the night lamp.

With my half open eyes I look to see a call from an unknown number and just when I was about to answer ,the call ended.

I put the phone back into it's place and slipped under the covers shivering from the chill as the winter was at it's peak.I was about to drift off to sleep when my phone rang again.Arghhhhh!!I absolutely hated it when someone disturbed my sleep.Half past midnight,I dragged myself to the bathroom to answer nature's call.

There were half a dozen calls in the span of ten minutes.Now I really wanted to find out the person at the other end.But I felt a little thirsty.With a grumpy face, I dragged myself out of my bedroom and walked towards the kitchen to have some water.

I heard some shuffling of papers.Walking out of the kitchen after licking some nutella,I found mom in the living room.She was sitting with her bunch of papers.I smiled inwardly and hugged her from behind knowing how hard she worked just to give us a better life.She was startled for a moment but huffed when she realised it was just me.

"Ma, why are you still awake?" I asked her curiously. She patted on the space beside her indicating me to sit.

"Ummm dear, I was actually preparing for tomorrow's class.It's a pretty tough topic and I don't want to disappoint my students!" She said arranging sheets of papers and placing them in a transparent file.It was true when she said she puts her heart and soul in everything she does.She was definately an efficient professor.

"You need to remember that there's no short cut to success, we have to work hard in life because nothing worth getting is easy," mom advised. "And daughter,you have to learn to be kind.Even when people are not.Even when the whole world is evil,the good should never die!".This sentence did struck me hard.

Quote from the Holy Qur'an: Fussilat (41:34)

وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ

Wala tastawee alhasanatu wala alssayyiatu idfaAA biallatee hiya ahsanu faitha allathee baynaka wabaynahu AAadawatun kaannahu waliyyun hameemun

Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!

"Amazing ma! Thanks a lot for your words of wisdom but you and I need to sleep.Lest you might get eyebags and I don't want your beautiful face to suffer!"I said pouting like a seven year old asking for her favourite candy.

She gave me her breathtaking smile in return.
"Well! I have a pretty important reason but why are you awake at this hour?" Mom questioned.I was thinking of a reply when she asked me again.

"Sanam! Are you hiding something from me?" I shook my head at her question indicating a no.She didn't seem to buy it but tried to believe. It's one of the most difficult task in this world to hide something from your mom , she knows you more than yourself !

I didn't tell her about the blank calls as It would save her a lot of worry.I can very well handle it myself.I made a mental note to find out about that number tomorrowp.I kept the phone on silent mode.