Halal Love Stories (One-Shots)

HLS 7| She Who Waited Patiently

"Kahit gaano katagal Zeid, I'll wait for you. And I hope, you will not break your promise to me while I wait for you patiently."

He smiled at me while holding back the tears that's forming in his eyes.

"I am not forbidding you to marry other man who'll propose to you Mardhiyah, but I'm sincerely hoping that you won't, yet if it's the qadr of Allah, who am I to stop it from happening, right? Just remember that I love you. Always."

I just smiled, and as much as I want to hug him right now, I can't.

"I'll see you soon, In shaa Allah!"

I chirped at him while waving both of my hands. He turned to look at me and waved his right hand while holding his luggage on the other. It was hard to see him left, but we believe that this is for the best. He'll study abroad, and I'll also do the same here while waiting for him to come back.

As I left the airport, my qalb is heavy. Maybe because I'll miss him, and that's for sure.

"Assalāmu Alaykum" I was in a café, busy typing a report on my laptop when someone approached me.

"Wa Alaykumussalām" I lift my gaze to look at that person and to see who is it made my eyes widened.

"Aliyah"
"Mardhiyah"

We both said and laugh at the awkward situation.

"How are you? Subhanallah, it's been years since the last time we saw each other. Didn't know you already came home." I stand up to hug her and she hugged me back. She was my classmate as well as an old friend on high school. I heard she proceed to study abroad during college and now she's already home.

"Well, life has been interesting for me, Alhamdulillah. Just got home with my husband last week and now we are looking for a house located within the town to settle." She said as we sat down.

"Mā shaa Allah, you're already married. Mubārak, I'm glad you finally found the one that you've been waiting."

I envy her for she's now successful in life not that I'm not but it's just that, I also want to have a family at this age of mine, but how can I have it? When the man that I've been waiting for years don't contact me anymore.

"Just last year. I'm sorry that I couldn't invite you, it was a rush wedding and we decided to have it abroad since we met there. And I think you know him."

I snap out of my thought when I heard what she said. I smiled at her and was about to talk when she raised her right hand.

"He's actually here now, do you mind if we sit here with you? The café is actually full, that's why I approached you awhile ago not knowing it was you."

I just nod at her, agreeing on what she said.

"Hab!" She chirped, calling the attention of her husband. I couldn't see him yet because my back was facing the entrance, so all I did was to arranged my things and put them in my bag to clean the mess on the table.

"Mardhiya, meet my husband, Zeid. Zeid, this is Mardhiya, a friend of mine."

I froze on my spot as I heard his name. Different thoughts pop on my mind. Is it possible that it's him? But there could be another man with the same name as his right? And coincidentally, it's Aliyah's husband. Yes it could be, it has to be.

I lift my gaze to look at them and my heart skip a beat as I saw the man standing before me. The way he look at her was the way he looked at me back then. The love that they feel for each other is evident on the way they look at each other. Tears are starting to form in my eyes as I realised that it's my man, oh, not anymore. He is now my friend's husband. How can he do this to me? I lowered my gaze to hide the tears that's now forcing its way out of my eyes.

"Aliyah, please excuse me, I need to leave. Emergency." Was all I could say as I gather my things and walk to the door quickly. Not minding what would they think of me.

"Mardhiyah, I'm sorry that we didn't say this to you earlier and you've found out about it this way. But we just don't want you to get hurt as he asked you who you are. He couldn't ever remember us, it took him years before he could recover. During the moment he got an amnesia, we weren't by his side, Aliyah's family give him shelter and took care of him for they were the one who saw and witnessed the accident that happened to him. I'm sorry Mardhiyah, but its his choice to marry Aliyah and we can't do anything about it since he couldn't remember even a single memory about you."

My tears flow endlessly as I read the message his sister sent me.

Wala na, tapos na. Nangyari na ang hindi natin inaasahang mangyari. And all I could do right now is to accept it and be happy for you, no matter how painful it is.