Jannah. [SEQUEL TO DAWUD]

Chapter 41 - Sushi Surprise

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

If the time of prayer has been called and you haven't prayed before reading this, please do so.

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Jannah's P.O.V

I fiddled with my highlighter, mentally disassociating from the lesson being taught in front of me. The night before was one of the most beautiful evenings I've ever lived. Dawud was so nice to me. Strikingly nice to me. He cooked dinner, served dessert and pushed me to pick a documentary of my liking so that we could watch and learn together. And to me, there is nothing more admirable than someone wanting to love that which you love. It was so special! Plus, he wore his baseball cap backwards, just like how I like it. He also paired it with a flannel over a hoodie, just like how I like it. I ended up falling asleep right in the middle of the series but woke up for Fajr with him snoozing right next to me.

And now I was here... back at school. I would do anything to switch this uncomfortable and squeaky chair for a seat right beside Dawud, watching him take calls at work and scribble notes on those little yellow sticky notes which decorated the desks and walls of his office. I missed him.

Dozens of chairs squeaked around me, alongside the chatter of my classmates. I guess class was over. Alhamdullilah, I breathed, relieved beyond measure. I had one more class before I was done for the day, but the strings of my heart pulled at the reality that Dawud and I were on opposite sides of town.

I wanted to surprise him at work.

I rushed out of the auditorium and made my way to the cafeteria. After staring at the rows of beautifully packaged sushi, I picked the prettiest and heaviest set, hoping to fill his stomach up to the brim. I grabbed a bottle of apple juice as well. Then, I swiped my debit card, grabbed my purchases which were conveniently placed in a plastic bag and hurried along over to the train. The journey there felt like forever, but alas, I made it right on time.

The entrance to the bookstore opened with a quiet wheeze as I stepped inside. Just like the first time I was here, the bookshelves were double my height, towering over me. The store was well-kept and smelt of new books and attar. 'Assalamu'Alaykum.' I said with my eyes lowered. There was no response. I looked up to find the room empty. There was no one here. Perhaps he was in Dawud's office. I know they like to visit one another during their shifts. But it was strange that no one was up at the front register. I shrugged and skipped to the back of the room, entering the warehouse. I expected the workers to greet me like they always did, but the spacious area was vacant of sound. Everyone had their eyes lowered with their backs hunched over boxes.

'Assalamu'alaykum...' I said to the lady closest to me. She returned my greeting and walked away briskly. I frowned, unsure of what was going on. Just then, I heard an angry shout from Dawud's office a few meters away. I gasped, recognizing that voice in an instant. I rushed up the stairs and swung the office door open to find Akhlaaq, Dawud and his.... father. The door swung shut behind me.

My husband was flustered. I could tell from the way his cheeks were pink in colour. He heaved furiously, causing his chest to rise up and down with anger. Akhlaaq had one hand pressed against his chest, the other pushing Dawud's inhaler towards him. I dropped the food in my hands, rushing over to where he stood. Akhlaaq stepped away immediately. I took the inhaler from his hands and placed it on Dawud's lips. He snatched it from me angrily, turning his back towards us. The puffing noise filled the deafeningly quiet room with sound. I blinked a few times, surprised at his demeanour before returning to my senses. I looked at Dawud's father who was the painfully striking image of his son. He greeted me quickly and I returned my salam just as fast.

'What a surprise you're back.' I blurted, not knowing what to say. His eyes were glued to a spot on the floor. The grey strands of hair fought for more space on his scalp in the time that he was gone. He seemed even frailer than when we last saw him. His shoulders looked weak as they hung low over his body, causing my heart to ache. It looked like he was struggling to say something. I looked back at my husband. 'What happened?' I whispered to Dawud.

He looked past me with cold eyes. 'Akhlaaq, go show him the store records downstairs. I'll have my things out of here by then.' Dawud spat. A small gasp escaped my lips, causing his eyes to make contact with mine. His lips parted and his eyes watered ever so slightly, anyone would miss it. His softened gaze disappeared as he watched the two of them shuffle out of the room solemnly.

I walked over to the door. From the slight opening that was left, I saw the factory workers follow my father-in-law, unsure of what to do. Little did they know, I had the same predicament up on the floor above them. With a deep breath, I turned around and picked up the sushi I had dropped. Dawud was huffing angrily, frozen in place. 'Dawud, what happened?' I insisted. 'I'm your wife. You can't shut me out anymore.' I pressed, walking over to him. I placed the food on the desk and took ahold of his arms. They flinched against my touch. 'That isn't healthy.' I whispered. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly.

'He came back. Said he missed me. Said he wants a life together. He wants to work together.' Dawud's words fell from his mouth like darts. 'Apparently, there is more to the story he thinks I need to hear.' He said sharply.

I blinked a few times, attempting to understand the situation. It was all a shock for me. I couldn't imagine how Dawud must've been feeling. 'Okay. I see.' I said quietly. 'Things are a bit heated right now. Let's go and get some fresh air. You can come back when you're ready. You don't need to do anything but relax.' I rubbed his back as he nodded. I could tell he was trying to let me in, mentally. Before, when Dawud was angry, having an open mind and being able to talk about things was almost impossible. But I could now see his growth over the months. He was doing an amazing job and I was extremely proud of him. He paced around the room, unsure whether or not he should remove his things from the room like he said he would. We locked eyes and I shook my head softly. 'Leave it. These matters require a sound mind, Dawdie.'

He bit his lip and grabbed his jacket. I took ahold of the sushi and followed him out the door and down the stairs. We were side by side, heading out of the building briskly. We left from the back exit, avoiding the entrance of the store where his father was. In a perfect world, I would have run over to the front desk and gave his dad a big hug. But things weren't how they used to be. And things were far from perfect...