The Nearest Heaven ✔️

Part 39 - The Last Visit

Part 39 – The Last Visit

"And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left up the earth any creature, when their specified time arrives, they cannot delay it for a single hour nor can they bring it forward."

~Surah Al-Nahl, verse 61. 

Fadiyah had changed at the speed of lightning into a pair of loose jeans, threw a hoodie on and pulled her pea coat over as she helped Faraaz change into a kurta with a thick pea coat on top. Once dressed, he manoeuvred himself into his wheelchair after grabbing his wallet and Fadiyah's handbag while she took the car out of their garage and parked it in front of the door.

"Come on, love," she encouraged kindly as she wheeled him out of the house and up the ramp. Within seconds she had him safely buckled up and secured in his spot. "Okay," she mumbled distractedly. "Hold on tight."

With a quiet "Bismillah" whispered under her breath, Fadiyah started the car and took off, tyres screeching as she flew.

Faraaz had always thought that Fadiyah was a cool and level-headed driver, but for the first time, he feared for his life. Fadiyah had disregarded 98% of the rules of the road as she raged her way to the hospital. It was the first time that Faraaz had seen her so wild, so unkempt and so free. Fadiyah was focused on her one and only goal: get to the hospital with enough time to see Aaban, before it was too late.

His heart was leaping out of his chest at every speeding turn that she took. More than half of the journey, he had his eyes closed and made dua to live through the ordeal. Would they end up meeting Aaban? Or die along with him?

"We're here!" Fadiyah announced gleefully as she hopped out of the car and rushed to unhook and release Faraaz's wheelchair brakes.

"Alhamdulillah!" he sighed happily as he sunk into his chair. "I thought that we might never reach the hospital alive!" Despite the dim lighting in the car, Faraaz smiled broadly at Fadiyah.

She was tensed. Her hands shook as she reached for him. Her eyes were barely open, and her mouth remained tight-lipped.

"Eh," she shrugged as she bent down to make sure that his feet were still in his shoes and that they hadn't slipped off the bars. "It is late. I knew that there wouldn't be any police on the roads."

"And the tickets?"

She laughed weakly, shyly, as if she had forgotten about the cameras installed along the way. "I guess I will pay them as they come," she said with a blush. "I forgot all about them. All that was on my mind was Aaban."

"I know," he said kindly as he rolled himself slowly out of the car. Fadiyah had already pulled the ramp down and waited for him. "Jazakallah," he smiled at her and remained against the car for her to put the ramp back into place.

The night was chilly, the air was frosty, and it was pitch black. Several scatterings of light poles had done nothing to eliminate the darkness. Normally, Fadiyah wanted him to wait under the roof or out of the way, but Faraaz didn't want her to walk alone in the dark. He was not about to gamble with her life just because of their agreement.

"Let's go," he said to her as she joined him. He lifted his hand for her and wit a smile, she complied by slipping her hand into his. Her short stature made it easy for them to hold hands while he controlled his wheelchair with his other hand.

Fear gripped their hearts. What could possibly greet them as they walked into Aaban's hospital room? How would they handle it? Could they handle saying goodbye?