Winged Dreams

Chapter 4: Dreams sans Hope

28th September, 2015

Thank you for your support on this story, JazakAllahu khairan. It makes me incredibly happy that you are enjoying the story and in sha Allah, I cannot wait to reveal to you the future dimensions this story will witness. I've got my exams, hence the delayed update, but since a major chunk of this chapter was written even before the last chap I updated, here it is! Happy reading! :)

"If you were to count Allah's favors, you would not be able to number them; most surely humanity is very unjust, very ungrateful."

[Sūrah Ibrāhīm: 34]

Chapter 4:

Dreams sans Hope

Dina stabbed the steak with her fork, the action being the only visible gesture that she was getting seriously annoyed.

Sadly, Rashida did not pick up on the sign, and continued, "And Tabrez is very handsome, which goes without saying but still it is an added point. He is soon going to get a promotion and his salary will double. Habeeba will also keep her daughter in law very happy, of course you'll have to live in a joint family but that's nice, isn't it?"

"Mom, I am not going to marry your sister's son," Dina replied finally, her patience wearing thin.

This was not the first time Rashida had bluntly proposed the idea, and Dina only hoped her father would say something that could end this agony forever. She casted a hopeful glance his way, but as usual, he remained silent as he read the morning news.

"Dad, I do not want to marry Tabrez," Dina gritted out when Rashida went on about him, as if he was the country's next noble prize winner.

Her father finally put his paper down, and replied, "Rashida, Tabrez can get many other girls, don't force Dina if she does not want to marry him."

Dina found herself smile slightly, relishing the fact that despite how distant they had grown, she still had her dad's back. On the other hand, this only caused Rashida to go on narrating Tabrez's positives, unaware that Dina was not going to change her mind.

Unable to stop her mom from continuing the topic she despised, Dina left her steak half eaten as she rushed to the door after saying salaam, covering her actions with the fact that she was getting late.

As was the routine, she walked a bit before hiring a cab. It wasn't that Dina did not like the topic of her wedding, in fact, she sincerely hoped she could find someone who could be on the same page as her, with her. She knew that her parents cared for her, but she wanted someone who, along with that, would give her his time. Who would sit down with her and tell her it was okay to weep over the sorrows of the world. Who would just be there for her. Someone who could remind her of Jannah and narrate to her the ayahs that said life of the dunya was meant to hurt you in the end if you made it your priority, for Allah was the only One who could truly satisfy the human heart.

And honestly, Dina knew that it would be difficult to find someone like this, a friend of hers had even told her that no guy would want to go through the emotional trauma that came from marrying a woman who dealt with dying children. The comment had stung but that was not why Dina thought it would be difficult for her to find that guy. Instead, life had taught Dina to be practical, and this had taken away her optimism. For some of the most practical things in life, were the very events that left people broken.

All that she wanted was for her future husband to be righteous, teach her the finer details of the religion she loved but never got a chance to learn, and give her a helping hand as she walked on thorns. As little were her demands, with all that she had seen in life, she was prepared to realize, sooner or later, such nice people were not meant for her. She had big dreams, but at the same time in this regard, she didn't have much hope.