Her Vocation

35. Qadr

FINAL CHAPTER

We were sitting by the stream with his head resting on my lap. His eyes were closed as he intently listened to my recitation of the Holy Quran. After I finished, he slowly opened his eyes to look up at me. A small smile forming across his face, which I returned with my own, while gently brushing away the hair falling on his forehead.

He let me for a moment, before taking my hand in his and brushing a soft kiss on the inside of it.

I watched this with a small smile when his hand went to clutch at the ring, dangling from my neck.

"You're still holding onto it." He murmured softly but I only smiled in response, as he turned in my embrace to wrap his arms around my waist and hide his face in it.

"Aasiya—I am so grateful. I am so grateful to Allah that you're okay. I am so glad—so very thankful to Allah that He let me meet you. I was so scared—every second of every day. I was always praying with every breath in me, for your safety—I only prayed for you to be safe—even if Allah were to take away my life in return—" I could hear his muffled voice against me but before he could go on, I shushed him and wrapped my arms around his wide back.

"Don't Navi—" I tried to say, but he cut me off with a shake of head.

"I was always praying for you, Aasiya—Praying to Allah for your wellbeing, for your happiness—Praying to meet you again, just once—" He stopped to turn and look up at me, before taking my hand in his again.

"I might regret everything else about my previous life but I still stand by one thing—Alhumdulliah." He added with a small smile and I couldn't help but smile with him.

"What is that?" I found myself inquiring.

"You. You're the best thing I got in this world. I am so glad to have met you—I think your name was written in the lines of my taqdeer and I wouldn't be surprised if I had begged Allah to write it on yours too. I don't know if He wrote it on yours, but I know I will get you—"

Before I could hear the end of it, the sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of my deep slumber.

For a few moments, I sat up on my bed dazed. My face hidden behind my hands, as I tried to make sense of everything. The phone was still ringing by my bedside, but I paid no mind to it.

My thoughts were still occupied by the memory of that dream. Never before had I dreamt about Navi in this way. It was always a nightmare of some sort.

'Why? Why did I have such a dream? Just because I forgave him, doesn't mean that I ever wished to return to him. Then what was the meaning of such a baseless dream? I wish I knew.'

"Assalamualaikum, Amo." I returned her call after a few minutes.

A few weeks after Hadi left, I got his call again. He asked me if I had made up my mind, yet. To which, I requested him to stop waiting for me. He ended the call with instructions to never hesitate in contacting him, if I was ever in any sort of trouble and that no matter what, I would always find his help, a phone call away.

He didn't contact me after that, but Zahra did, few months later. She got the number from Hadi and despite her insistence to visit, I never did.

The only call I got from him after that, was 2 years ago, when he was about to get married. I listened to him silently for a moment and after congratulating him and wishing him all the best for his future, I ended the call.

And after everything that had come to pass, I decided to pay Amo a visit, before going to meet my parents. In case I may never get to do it afterwards. Hadi was posted out of station too. So, it was a good opportunity.