Falling For Haneef

20.

There's a fondness growing between I and Zakiyah's father that I can't seem to entirely comprehend. I'm supposed to have this extreme level of respect for him since he's my bestfriend's father but it's not there. Of course I respect him, but I respect him as another man in my life. He deserves all the respect in this world and as we kept talking throughout the day, I realised he's someone who's in dire need of sincere affection. It's not as if Zakiyah's love for him isn't enough, it is. It's just he is lonely not having someone to call his own, who's always going to stick to his side, a ride or die, a lover.

" All this is going to make her stronger, she's going to be fine" I manage to say. " We should have known something was fishy with Haneef. I mean after the sudden death of Saleem, he rushed for Zakiyah, as if he planned it all" He says and I begin to ponder on his words. " No one would have expected this honestly, he tricked us all" As if he planned it all. But what if he did?.
He said he was willing to go through extreme lengths in order to have Ameerah back, what if he planned all this?, including his own bestfriends death.
No that can't be, that would be on an entire different level of insanity. " Saleem's body wasn't found"
" Yeap, it's probably at the deep bottom of the sea"

" May Allah forgive all his shortcomings"

" Ameen" He responds and takes in a deep breath. " We still need to teach him a lesson though, I'm saying Yes to violence"

" and I won't support that. You don't pay evil with evil" He really is a father, but I'm still going to do what's on my mind. " And how're the evil ones going to get punished?" I ask. " That's going to be left for Allah to decide, believe me when I say there's no greater punishment than that of Allah's" he says and I let it sink in. Maybe Allah wants me to be the medium that's going to punish that asshole.

Doctor Isah Baba finally walks out of the ER in his scrub and both I and Zakiyah's father get on our feet to hear what he has to say. " She had a stroke" Inalillahi wa ina ilaihi rajiun. " a blood clot formed in her brain which was triggered by her leukemia" oh my Allah. " She received bad news.." I start and he cuts me off. " Aha, no wonder the clotting worsened. I suggest we transfer her this instant because she's in critical condition, I'm going to contact the hospital in New York to prepare. Please you should prepare as well, I'm also going to call the doctor I left to take charge of Juwairiyah to get her ready for the transfer" Oh no. " Do everything you can to save my daughter Isah, please"

" Definitely, please go and pack up all your things. I would make sure we leave before midnight" he says and hurries away from us. " let me quickly call up my mom to pack my stuff and bring them to your place" taking my phone out from my bag, I say. " Alright let's go and get her stuff ready. Call Juwairiyah's mother too quickly"

" Alright"

I packed everything she would need, clothes, shoes, underwear, bathing materials, toothbrush, everything and by 1am we were already on her father's private plane to New York, Reedo and Juwairiyah's mother joined us as well. Zakiyah's treatment is going to start immediately she arrives New York and Juwairiyah's going to be under better observation.

" I reserved hotel rooms for us over there, you should get some sleep, you must be tired" Zakiyah's father says as he takes a seat beside me. " I'm not sure I can fall asleep, I can't stop thinking about everything" everyone else is already asleep, I'd like to be calm as they are but I can't bring myself to pretend that everything's okay.

At least I didn't forget to tell my mother to help me with some of my father's goons to beat up Haneef. I should get good news once we arrive New York. That atleast is giving me peace of mind, the fact that he's going to experience severe pain, even though it's not going to be equivalent to what Zakiyah's going through.