Falling Innocently

Chapter 8 -Therapy Session

Chapter 8 -Therapy session

"The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best behavior, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives."

-Prophet Muhammed {S.A.W}; At-Tirmidhi.

Waliya just smiled at Raeesa. "There's nothing to talk about in this therapy session," she smiled shyly. Raeesa took one good look at her and started laughing.

"Are you trying to tell me that the look the two of you shared was nothing? Or are you going to tell me that I just imagined it all?" Raeesa said and raised her eyebrows in an intimidating manner.

Waliya just laughed at her friend. "Don't be silly," she said and rolled her eyes. "It was nothing."

Raeesa narrowed her eyes. "Hey, madam. Don't fool me. I know you. Spill it."

Waliya groaned. "Get me cake," she said and banged her head on the table. Once Raeesa returned with another big fat slice of carrot cake, Waliya began spilling everything.

"I don't know where to begin," Waliya sighed.

"Er, maybe the beginning?" Raeesa said sarcastically.

"You know, maybe that's a good idea," Waliya said rolling her eyes. "Okay, but no embarrassing comments," Waliya added, knowing that Raeesa was bound to make the irrespective of the warning.

"He was the guy I saw on campus that day, and then conveniently never saw again."

"Did you even look for him again?" Raeesa said with a smirk.

Waliya rolled her eyes at Raeesa. "No, Astaghfirullah!"

Raeesa smiled evilly. "Yeah, sure you didn't," she said sarcastically.

"Do you want me to talk or not?" Waliya asked getting annoyed with being accused of doing something immoral as that. "I thought so too," she said when Raeesa said nothing.

"He was that campus guy, as I mentioned. But Wallah, one thing he said to me and he stuck in my mind all year. It was so unbelievable. For the next three years, I thought about him sporadically. I made dua that Allah keeps him safe, and grants him the best things in this life for helping me that day.

"I know I sound weird, but there was this type of connection that I cannot explain to you. Of course, one thousand and one things ran through my mind. I mean, he could have been married, or he could have children already, or he could be a lecturer at the campus, or he could even be one of my family members. He could have even been engaged to someone I know, I don't know. There could have been so many implications. I just made dua to Allah to let it all work out. I had complete trust in Him, I knew He would bring it all together. And He did. I was given Aahil three years later. Maybe I wasn't ready for marriage back then, maybe all this time spent waiting was for a good reason. Perhaps waiting will only make my marriage stronger, In Shaa Allah."

Raeesa smiled and played with a necklace hidden in her scarf. When she caught Waliya's eyes, she winked. "So, are you ready to marry him? Because, that one meeting does not mean that he is the man you think he is," Raeesa told Waliya warningly. "Sometimes, some men can be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Sometimes, they are more cunning than we realize. Sometimes, they are perverts beneath these innocent expressions. Waliya, I am not trying to discourage you. I just want to protect you from what has happened to one of my friends. Be careful of just one meeting. Try to find out about him, about his past, about his family. I know that your parents won't just pass you off, but be wary," Raeesa said.

Waliya winced. Raeesa's words were true, and she knew that. Unfortunately for them, the world was too immersed into the Western lifestyle. Many men were lacking gheerah -the protectiveness, the jealousy over your wife. Jealousy and protectiveness is encouraged in Islam, but many men lack it, thinking it is okay for their wives to be on display for other men to see. "Do you think he could be one of those men?" Waliya asked.