In Your Love... {Eternal Ishq #1}

Ch-15 Feelings, Friends and Foes

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

'Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet and Master Muhammad (s.a.s), all his blessed descendents and noble companions.'

-Aameen.

Dedicated to Lumierutsuki for she said 'In Your Love...' is filled with so much love ;)

Chapter Fifteen

Feelings, Friends and Foes

It was after nine in the morning and as the mighty Costa Atlantica sailed smoothly, the sun's long golden fingers tried their best to part the heavy curtains of a grand suite and peep upon the man who lay cooped up inside on such a bright, sunny day.

The slim rays barely managed to enter and did nothing to remove the dusky shadows that lurked around the plush suite of cabins.

The man who was lying upon the bed would be mistaken to be in deep slumber if not for his open eyes which were staring blankly towards the heavily curtained French windows.

Once again, Alex's mind seemed to be reliving his best friend's last moments. The past week in Dubai had been much worse to the point that he began to feel himself really going insane until the moment when he had turned to do the one thing that his dead friend always seemed to plead. He began to look up Islam on the net.

And now it obsessed him, just like Michael's last words and image had haunted, the thirst to learn more, to know more about that 'that religion' seemed to consume him as he devoured the articles and contents on the net. Then the surprise of Wilson in the form of Captain Sy had come. Alex had had no intention of cruising yet he was tired of Dubai and during the aft-noon of Sunday when he was lying listlessly, he had been caught by the mesmerizing 'call for prayer'. He had looked it up and found that it was known as Adhaan. Then the thought that the Costa Atlantica would soon be leaving repeatedly flitted across his mind and before he could realize, he had left his hotel and was really abroad the ship. Decisions once carried out, had no room for regrets to him. Yet as he had wandered after his arrival, Alex had asked himself why the heck he had come to this cruise? But not until he had heard her voice in the dim darkness of the night that his heart was forced to concede that he had done right coming here.

Alex bleakly analyzed why a mere woman's presence somewhere aboard this ship seemed to satisfy the restlessness in his heart. And the fact that the stranger was a Muslim did not escape him. But the next day, he had been even surprised to find her completely covered, she seemed to barely look towards anyone except her brothers yet the attraction which he felt towards her was undeniable. Her soft words seemed to ring long after she was gone and the peace that his worn heart had felt last night seemed so tender and soothing.

Why in blazes...! Alex swore and rubbed his face trying to forget the voice, which had evoked pathos when she spoke worriedly and had made his heart glad when it rang happily in merry laughter.

At the same time, the object of his thoughts was sitting in her cabin, applying the Axe oil balm on her forehead quite liberally.

"I don't understand why you want to see him who has been the cause of your headache..." Saif spoke with a slight frown looking at his sister, who gave a little smile and said,

"Well you know what Ammi says Bhaiya Heart aches when your own child cries, but head aches when other's child cries! Poor fellow, he has been crying the whole last night and I just want to know what is wrong with him..."

"Humair Di he is gone." Umar came and reported with an important air. He had been keeping watch on the door of their neighbour's cabin through which the plaintive wailings of a child was heard the whole night. He had reported that the man, obviously the father of the child had finally left.