Winged Dreams

Chapter 29: Seek, and you will find

21st February, 2016

Too tired to proof read. Too tired to edit. Please ignore any mistakes and enjoy the chapter in sha Allah :) [Safa, this chapter is dedicated to you <3 May Allah bless you and your loved ones with nothing but the best! And may He shower His blessings on us and our loved ones too.]

"Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded. And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, not having any stability."

[Surah Ibrahim]

Chapter 29:

Seek, and you will find

"Abba, no! Ammi is going to find out!" Dina laughed as she dipped the banana slice in the batter and immersed it in the pan of hot oil over the flame.

"Isn't the point of the entire thing to make someone happy? Why would it upset Shabana if I'm the one who wants to be that someone," Jawed reasoned. "Besides, we can always make extra."

"Well, Abba, it's not about making extra. We're talking about your cholesterol levels here," Dina replied pointing out to the banana fritter her father in law was happily munching on.

"Everyone's going to die someday, Dina. You rather die with a happy tummy! Besides, you know, when we were newly married, Shabana made this for the first time when my mother asked her to make some snacks and it has been my favorite dish from then. You can't expect me to not eat them."

Dina stopped in between slicing the bananas and looked up at Jawed.

"Is that why mum asked me to make some snacks after a few days of my wedding? Is this some sort of a tradition in the family?"

"Not really. That day I had heard from Anam that you make good bhel puri, and since I was craving some, I asked Shabana to ask you to make some snacks," Jawed laughed. "You were new then and I didn't want it to seem like your father in law was a demanding man, who valued his daughter in law only for the food she made."

The mention of Anam faltered Dina's smile but she was quick to compose herself when Jawed added, "But I must say, I loved everything you made that day!"

"Thank you, Abba! But would you believe me if I said I took Bilal's help to come up with those dishes?"

"Since the food was yummy and I didn't fall sick after consuming it, I'm not going to believe you!"

"Oh wow! It's so amazing to see my own father and my own wife insult my cooking skills."

Eyes crinkling with laughter, both Jawed and Dina turned their faces to look at Bilal as he dropped the brief case by the entrance of the kitchen and walked in.

"Assalamu alaikum, son! How was your day at the office?"

"Wa alaikum as salaam, Abba. Alhamdulilah, good. Now, if we could get back to the previous topic," Bilal hinted, narrowing his eyes at his father while the old man laughed and raised his hands in surrender.

"Bilal, I can assure you that I was speaking nothing but good. In fact, I was telling Abba how wonderful you were the other day since you helped me choose dishes to cook for snacks."

"Exactly! I did help her, Abba," Bilal said, a victorious smile on his face.

"How exactly did he help you, Dina?" Jawed questioned, curious to hear more.