Tawakkul

Chapter 10

Aaliyah took Sultan into their room with urgency in her voice. She closed the door and spoke in a sharp tone.

"You're leaving me and going back to the UK?

Aaliyah's brows were furrowed, her eyes were narrowed and she gave him an intense stare.

Sultan looked as though he wanted to avoid this conversation, he sat her down on the bed in an attempt to calm her.

"I'm going to go back to the Uk, yes, but you don't have to stay here, you can go back to your parents home"

Aaliyah's mouth widened at his audacity and she tilted her head to the side.

"Sultan, I didn't marry you to go live with my parents, I am your wife now, I am a guest even in my parents home."

There was a tightness in her voice. Sultan remained quiet, he had foolishly not thought this far.

"Aaliyah, I don't have a secure job, or a proper place of residence in London"

"I dont care" her voice was hushed but strong.

"I'll live in whatever conditions i have to, just take me with you"

Sultan sighed, running a hand through his hair. Aaliyah never thought she'd have to have this conversation.

"Okay fine, I'm leaving in a week's time, I'll go there and find a job and in the meantime we'll apply for your visa." He spoke in a measured tone watching her expression. Aaliyah nodded content with the suggestion.

The week ended faster than expected and Sultan bid his farewells, leaving back to the Uk. They tried to apply for Aaliyah's visa but it was a long and hefty process. Sultan then talked to Daniyal who assured him he'd get the job done.

***********

"Ami G, I'm going to pay a visit to my house for the weekend, I should be back by monday."

Sultan's mother smiled at Aaliyah and nodded.

"Okay dear, tell your family I send my blessings."

Aaliyah squinted her eyes as a sharp pain hit her in the stomach. She nodded and left silently.

By the time she reached her home, Aaliyah was stumbling. She felt faint and weak.

Her mother opened the door and, seeing her condition, rushed her to bed.

"What happened?" Panic was evident in her mothers face as she checked Aaliyah's forehead for a fever. Gulnaz called the doctor and sat beside her sister. Aaliyah felt as though her body was frozen, her joints ached, and she felt ill. The doctor arrived and checked Aaliyah in a hurry and took a blood sample. He spoke to Amina in a hushed tone, a forced calamity in his voice.

Aaliya felt as though she was submerged in water. A heaviness had overcome her, and her temperature rose.

"I am going to send this test off for confirmation, but from her symptoms, I think she has typhoid fever."

Gulnaz's eyes widened, the doctor continued talking about the implications and treatment if it is indeed typhoid.

He returned again not long after with the test results.

"The results have come back, it is indeed typhoid."

The atmosphere felt heavy as concern filled the room. The doctor prescribed Aaliyah a course of antibiotics and she remained in this state for weeks. The doctor even broke news to Amina, stating that it was unlikely for Aaliyah to survive.

When Malik Hussain received the news, he sat with Aaliyah praying to Allah to heal her. He stayed in her room every day praying for her recovery. His namaz mat was filled with his tears and blessed by his prayers. His throat became dry by the sheer amount he asked Allah for his daughter to get better.

"Oh, Aaliyah." he looked at her as she lay in bed groaning. And his eyes held his broken heart.

"Please get better, my daughter."

Malik Hussain placed his hands together and tilted his head up.

"Ya Allah, the most merciful, nothing is outside of your power you are the all powerful, ya Allah grant us patience, you are the best of planners grant us ease and grant my daughter good health and ease her suffering, ameen"

***********

The white walls of the dry cleaner shop were pristine. Sultan ironed the clothes, folding them in a robotic manner. Over the past few months he had become a professional at neatly folding and ironing clothes. Half in thought he heard his coworker call from the front.

"Sultan"

He placed the iron to the side and walked to the front, there stood a customer who looked perplexed.

"What's the problem?" Sultan's English accent was thick and his voice seemed deeper in the language.

"This man has dropped bleach on his shirt here and doesn't know how he could fix it" Sultan looked at the black shirt and then at the area ,which was discoloured. He looked to the side and saw a black marker, he applied it to the bleach stain and watched as it covered it up. The customer laughed from disbelief and Sultan let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. His co-worker looked at him in shock, wondering if his idea was pure genius or good luck. If he had gone to get it repaired it would've cost him a fortune.

Although it was a dry cleaners shop Sultan often found himself doing little repairs on torn clothing or sewing buttons back onto blazers. He did it without any additional cost which led to his coworker not being able to conclude whether Sultan was overly nice or if not making them pay extra was pure stupidity. It did create loyal customers though, so he couldn't complain.

Sultan made his way back to the apartment he shared with a friend, he unbuttoned his sleeve and his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Assalamu alaikum, Sultan it's me, Daniyal"

" Wa alaykum asalam, Daniyal, what's up?"

Sultan smiled at his friend's voice, one hand in his pocket.

"Babi's visa has been accepted"

Sultan controlled his urge to shout, his smile growing wider.

"That's amazing news! I'll tell her now"

"Alright then, Allah hafiz"

"Allah Hafiz"

Sultan hung up and dialled Aaliyah's number. Malik Hussain picked it up.

"Assalamu alaikum?"

" Abu G, is Aaliyah busy?"

Her father looked at Aaliyah, who was beginning to recover from her illness, but was still too weak to do anything. Frowning he replied.

"Aaliyah is ill"

Sultan's smile dropped and worry consumed him.

"What do you mean ill, is she okay?"

Sultan sat on a bench.

"She has got typhoid. Thanks to Allah , she is recovering"

Sultan fell silent. He'd forgotten why he'd even called.

"Can I talk to her?"

He heard the tiredness in her Father's voice.

"I'll tell her to call you when she feels better"

"I just wanted to say, her visa has been accepted"

Sultan spoke in a hurry, as if his father-in-law would hang up. Malik Hussain smiled softly.

"That's very good news"

Sultan nodded, fidgeting with his hands.

"When she feels better call me, I'll book her flight."

"I will, Allah hafiz Sultan"

"Allah hafiz, abu"