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Chapter 1: Stand your ground

27th Jan 2019

"So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers."

[Aal 'Imraan 3:175]

Chapter 1: Stand your ground

You have to be enough for yourself.

Dependency is the cause of immeasurable ache, expectations often lead you to the path of self-destruction. There are always going to be hurdles, life will, time and again, take a detour, but that doesn't mean you lose yourself in the process. People you once regarded as your destination may just be bridges, and when a new chapter begins, you must let go of them, for that's the only way to grow.

It's not easy, and no one talks about it, but you have to be the reason for your happiness. Be generous in holding out a helping hand, ease people's worries, but carry out all of this without expecting them to give you anything in return. Don't depend on people, at least not for your happiness.

Everything you do in life, establish it on the intention of pleasing your Rabb. Let every action be directed for His sake, and that way, your expectations too will be from The Only One Who won't let you down.

"It's okay, Kiran, please, stop crying," Rufaida consoled, gently rubbing her friend's back.

"I can't, nothing's going to be okay," she hiccupped, blowing her nose in tissue as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Rufaida stared at her friend breaking down, unable to understand what it was about love that made people put themselves through so much torture. Wasn't life enough to do the job, was it necessary to choose to fall in love and take the torment to another level?

"It's the first day of our final semester, let's not begin it with tears, Kiran," Rufaida sighed. "Five years down the line, we don't know where we'd land up, and this won't even matter. What's important is how we spend this moment; this time in college, we're never going to get it back."

"You don't understand," Kiran stated, scrubbing her face with a napkin while she gathered her hair and tied a band. "This is something that will affect me even after years. My parents found out about Gaurav, and these entire holidays, I was grounded. I was asked to meet some guy on the prospect of marriage, and when I told him I wasn't interested, their rules on me increased ten folds. Today was the first time in these two months they finally returned my cell phone, making me promise that I won't call Gaurav and instead, try to forget him."

Rufaida nodded, lending her a supportive shoulder while she knew the story already. "Your brother also married the person of his choice, right? Why aren't you allowed to exercise that right?" She questioned, perplexed.

"That's because my brother fell in love with someone of my community," Kiran objected. "Now that doesn't happen with everyone, right? You don't decide to love someone after investigating if he follows the same religion as yours and whether or not your star signs match. It just happens, but where do parents understand," she pointed out, enraged.

"Okay, calm down. What did Gaurav say?"

"I spoke to him this morning; the poor guy is troubled because of me. His parents are so supportive, they have accepted me completely, and don't mind marrying their son to me. They are the kindest people I've met, Rufaida, so nice and understanding."

"So, what do you plan on doing, Kiran?" She finally questioned.

At the inquiry, her eyes brimmed with tears and she replied stubbornly, "I'm waiting to get my degree, after that, I'll find a job, be financially independent and run away from home. I just have to dodge their marriage proposals until then. I've known Gaurav from eight years, he's the only guy I'll ever love, they can't expect me to forget him just because it's against their reputation and pride."