Behind the veil

Chapter 1

To say that one can know everything about another person is a big lie. Not even said person knows everything about themself, so, how could it be possible for another person to know everything about them. In a cafeteria a girl is sitting with a cup of coffee and a notebook spread in front of her, she is staring out of the window reminiscing about the old days. Back in the days, when people used to be happy, care about each other and help each other instead of competing with each other. It wasn't that long ago really, just a little over 10 years. She remembers running around the small village as a kid, smiling happily. Everyone knew each other and when the adhan was heard the kids, friends, and families would pull each other to the mosque. Everyone had a good time. Every Monday and Thursday the families would contribute with food. They would sit in a circle on the floor, cheerfully having iftar together. The mums would talk about how much their kids had helped them with the food. And after maghrib, they would recite the Quran together. It wasn't a complicated life, yet, there was something special about that simple lifestyle and there was something beautiful about the way the sky changed colours and the slight breeze that would pass by.  The simple thought brought a smile to her face and her heart ached, times have changed haven't they? At times, she wished she could travel somewhere far, to be able to live in a small house somewhere, meet some practising friends. Sometimes she would wish she could escape this western country where religion was a shame and knowledge was materialistic. The rain started to pour and as she straightened her jacket as she walked out of the cafeteria She could feel the cold pierce into her bones even though she was wearing a very thick jacket. She didn't have an umbrella but really, she couldn't care less. She put the headphones into her ears and turned on her favourite surah, Ta-ha. At first she didn't know there was such a surah but in her teenage years she heard this surah was one of the reasons as to why Umar ibn al-Khattab reverted, she simply wanted to find out what was so special about it and so she listened to it, but, oh, did she fall in love with it after the first time she heard it? she could feel the loneliness and negative feelings slowly fade, the burden lift from her shoulders, indeed there was no better cure for the heart than the words of the creator.