Love for Allah's sake

Chapter 12

  "Zahrah!  Zahrah!!"

 
"Yes mommy." Zahrah answered from her room.

  "Your dad wants to see you now." Her mother clamored from the sitting room, saving her energy not to walk to zahrah's room.

  "Ok mom, I will be coming soon." Zahrah answered back as she got up from her bed groggily.

  She walked hurriedly to her father's room, almost stumbling over pile of things kept at the corner to her father's room. She don't know the reason why her father wants to see her, but she could guess is about she and Adam. Adam came with his parent yesterday, so absolutely, there's no doubt that that's the reason why he wants to see her.

She entered her father's room with salam and meet him on his study table checking after some papers. She greeted him and sat timidly on the floor.
 
Her father turned from the study table and set his eyes on her, he hesitated to speak, but went ahead.

  "Zahrah I called you here to ask you something very important." he said with his gaze still on her.

She sat quietly with her eyes fixed on the floor. Many things came tumbling in her mind. Did he refused Adam's proposal and wants to tell her now? she was so nervous that she felt like running out of the room. What could be the reason of this serious talk that's making her nervous and disarray.

 
"Adam came here yesterday with his parent I guess you know."
His voice brought her back to present.

  "Yes daddy." she said and nodded her head primly.

  "Well, they came here to ask for your hand in marriage." he paused and looked towards the window. She wished he could just say everything once and for all to ease her anxious heart that is almost beating out of her chest.

  "I have assented but on one condition"

Zahrah raised her head abruptly to look at him. He could discern the anxiety on her face, so went ahead.

"The condition is that if you love him, then I have no problem with that."

 She sighed benignly and gave out a wide grin. He almost gave her heart attack. She thought the condition will be arduous, not knowing is simple 'yes I love him'.

  "I want to ask you now."  her father said looking straight into her eyes.  "Do you love him and wished to marry him?"

She smiled and nodded her head.

  "That's just what I want to know, your wedding will be in three months coming InshaAllah. I have make enquiries about his character and found them positive."  he added prudently.   "You can go back to your room now."

  Zahrah went to her room rejoicing. She took her hijab and went straight to Aysha's house. Aysha went home after spending the night with Zahrah, as her health is failing, her mother thought it prudent to stay with her for a while. When she entered the sitting room, Aysha's mother was sitting on the floor with her back inclined on the sofa.

  "Good morning mama" zahrah greeted with a wide grin.

"Zahrah my daughter how are you?" Aysha's mother inquired as she raised her head to give zahrah a peek.

  "Alhamdulillah mama". She responded and dashed straight to their room.

  "She's in the kitchen " Aysha's mother yelled.

  "What a miracle, Aysha in the kitchen today." Zahrah said as she turned her pace to the direction of the kitchen.

  "Don't mind her,  she wanted to eat masa so I told her to do it herself." Mama complained gingerly.

  Zahrah tiptoed into the kitchen in an attempt to scare Aysha, but Aysha caught her move.

 "Girl on duty, you in the kitchen today" Zahrah mocked as a smile curved the corner of her mouth. She took a stool and balanced her self on.

If there is one that Aysha hate, is cooking. She hate to see her self in the kitchen.  she once told Zahrah that she will be the one to be cooking for her when she get married.

  "You look so happy Zahrah what's the occasion" Aysha went and sat beside Zahrah on a stool.

  "You can't believe what I'm going to tell you now Aysha, I'm so so so happy"

  "What's that" Aysha inquired giving her friend uninclined attention.

  "InshaAllah in the next three months I'm getting married to Adam"

  "What! you want to get married to him and leave me here". Aysha blurted.  "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm overreacting, is just that I don't know how life will be without you by my side" Tears rolled down her face. 

Zahrah moved closer to her and laid her hands on Aysha's shoulder.  "If you want me to postponed the wedding I will do it, I will tell daddy I'm going to wait for you."

  Aysha grasped her hands and gave her a gentle smile.  "You will not do that Zahrah, there is time for everything. This is your time to get married, so don't let it escape from you, my time will come InshaAllah" Aysha assured as a smile slid down her face.

  "Are you sure you will be OK."
Zahra contorted her face worriedly.

  "InshaAllah."

  "I ardently wish we should get married on the same, I do wish so Aysha, it has been in my prayer ever since we were kids, but even now, we will not loose hope, Allah might bring your's too within this confine time."

  Aysha let out a slight grin and then turned to continue what she was doing. Many things clouded her thought. Zahrah leaving her, she don't know how she would take it, she can't just stop her from getting married for her selfish reasons. But she definitely knows that she will suffer after Zahrah has gotten married.

"emm, Aysha where is that novel I saw you with 'flight of a witch' right, please I want to read it."

"You better stick to your wattpad, I'm not going to give you that novel, I have hidden it some where else" Aysha scoffed.

  "Why don't you want me to read it. Is it illegal or full of trash?"

  "None of the above."

  "Then I must read it anyhow, let me even go and look for it right now."  She rushed out of the kitchen to the room.

After a couple of moments, she returned to the kitchen disappointed.

"I can't find it"

"Is your luck"

 "Will you tell me where it is before I smash your face?" Zahrah feign fury.

  "Is there"  Aysha gestured towards the gas cooker obviously enjoying Zahrah's change of mood.

  Zahrah shrugged. "Is left to you. I will stick to my wattpad as you said, afterall I'm reading a very interesting story 'Qadr' by an amazing author. I will like you to read that story you will enjoy it. I'm just waiting for the update to see how Hind and Fadil will end up"

  Aysha advertently sprinkle flour on Zahrah's head and pretend to be doing something.

  "You goose, how could you". Zahrah said dusting her head.

  "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't do it intentionally." Aysha said looking as serious as she could be, but in essence, she was trying to laugh.

"I will pay you back" Zahrah said still dusting the floor from her head.

She took a handful of flour and pour back at Aysha. Aysha sniffed some of it and coughed loud.

  "Do you wanna kill me." she yelled out loud.

  Aysha chased after her and in a moment, they where both in the sitting room in front of mama.

Mama glared at both of them fierily. She scolded them and sent them away.  "You better go back to that kitchen and put things in order. And you will pay for that flour you wasted"

  They all ran back to the kitchen panting.