Jannah. [SEQUEL TO DAWUD]

Chapter 16 - You Need a Shower & Therapy Session

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

If the time of prayer has been called and you haven't prayed before reading this, please do so.

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Jannah's P.O.V

I heard shuffling in the room, some noise in the hallway, and then the sound of the front door being locked. It was Day 4 of his soundless and unbearable torture. I pulled my cell phone from under my pillow and saw that it was time for Fajr. Dawud left to pray in the masjid. I dragged myself to the washroom, did wudhu and performed my salah. In my prayer, I felt so down. I couldn't help but weep. My emotions were all over the place and after I read some Quran, I did the first thing that came to my mind. I wrote him a letter containing everything I felt. I made sure to put it all down. Both the bad, the good and things I could never say to him in real life. I finished it and cried a bit, slowly falling back to sleep. It was Saturday and I woke up at ten in the morning. As expected, Dawud was still gone. After some reflection, I started to gather my things. I zipped my travel bag shut and wrung it over my shoulder. My heart was pounding so fast I struggled to take steady breaths. I reached into the pocket of my hoodie and removed the letter I wrote for him. I placed it on the kitchen counter on my way out, shaking out of nervousness. I didn't know what he'd say. I didn't know if he'd come running after me or leave me deserted for weeks. By Allah, I had no idea what the outcome would be. I did know that this letter would change our relationship forever. I had caused this mess out of my dishonesty and so the only solution would be to tell the truth... the complete truth.

I took one last look at the apartment, not knowing when I'd be back. I was sure of only one thing, It was Allah's mercy that I hoped for. I didn't want to be left in charge of my affairs even for the blink of an eye. I wanted Allah to rectify for me all of my affairs. Nothing and No one has the right to be worshipped except Him. And then, I was gone like the wind.

Muna's P.O.V

I pulled the door open and entered the bookstore quietly. Akhlaaq's eyes caught the bottom of my black abaya and kept his eyes lowered. 'Assalamu'Alaykum, Sister.' He said professionally. I stared at him in silence, amused beyond belief. He looked up and smiled. 'Oups.' He said, winning me over with his breathtaking eyes. I opened my arms and was greeted by the subtle yet irresistible smell of his attar as he pulled me in for a hug. Being in his arms almost made me forget why I had dropped by in the first place. As he loosened his grasp, I began to frown. 'Muna?' He inquired, confused. I caught his gaze and caressed his light locks. He didn't pull them up in a bun today. They were tucked behind his ears, save for a few strands outlining his prominent cheekbones. 'Have you heard anything from Jannah?' He asked with caution.

I sighed, shaking my head. 'That's why I'm here. She stopped sharing her location with me on iMessage this morning.' I told him, fanning my face. My stress was causing me to burn up. He reached over and unbuttoned my trench coat.

'Hayati, maybe she just wants a little bit of privacy?' Akhlaaq suggested, pulling off my gloves and slipping them into my pockets.

I shook my head. 'We've shared our location with each other for years. It seems strange. She's never taken it off before. She wouldn't stop sharing it unless she went somewhere she wasn't supposed to.' There was a moment of silence as we tried to figure the matter out. 'Has Dawud said anything? It's been a few days since the incident.'

Akhlaaq ran a hand through his hair. 'Not a single word.' We looked at each other hopelessly.

The factory door opened with an exhaustive wheeze, signaling for Akhlaaq to get behind the counter. He dragged himself to the cash register and smiled painfully as Dawud came into view.

I nearly gasped. Dawud didn't look like himself at all. His dress shirt was crinkled and slightly stained with a strange blue liquid. His hair was oily, straight, and stuck to the sides of his head. The buttons of his shirt were done all wrong. All in all, he looked like he needed a shower and therapy session. His blank eyes met mine, causing him to freeze. He attempted to fix up by adjusting the bottom of his shirt in embarrassment and smiling sheepishly. My heart broke. 'Muna.' He barely uttered. 'Salaam. It's nice to see you.'

I made a point to smile at him with all my heart and return the greeting. 'Wa Alaykum Salaam, Akhi.' I said. 'How are things?'

He placed the few books in his hands onto the counter. Akhlaaq took them and made his way to the bookshelves to rearrange them, I suppose. 'Alhamdullilah. I can't complain.' He said, more to himself than to me.

Akhlaaq turned around and mouthed "Ask about Jannah!" from behind him.

I nodded firmly and looked back at Dawud, who shuffled his feet awkwardly. 'How's Jannah? I haven't seen her in a while.' I asked nervously. In his mind, he had no clue that Akhlaaq and I knew what was going on.

His eyes fell, and I watched as he bit his lip. 'She's good. It's Saturday so she's probably at home watching a documentary or something.' Dawud smiled, but only for a second. His lips were then pulled down into a frown that didn't seem to budge.

'Ahh, I see. I hope everything is okay, insha'Allah. You seem a little down.'

He nodded. 'Thank you, Muna. It's always nice seeing you. Salam.' He turned on his heels and disappeared. Akhlaaq appeared from the back and rushed over to me.

'What do we do? Subhan'Allah, it seems like the issue is a lot bigger than we think.' He panicked. My phone buzzed and I rushed to pull it out of my pocket. 'Who is it? Is it Jannah?'

I opened my phone to see a text message from Mariam. 'No it's her sister.' I told him quietly. I opened the text with a strange feeling inside. None of this felt right. Akhlaaq leaned forward to read it too.

Salam Muna! I hope everything is alright. I was wondering if you heard from my sister. Every Saturday afternoon she comes to my place, but I haven't heard from her all day. All my calls get sent to voicemail too. Let me know if you know something I don't.

'Ya Allāh.' Akhlaaq and I whispered in unison. What were we going to do now?