Jannah. [SEQUEL TO DAWUD]

Chapter 17 - The Letter

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

If the time of prayer has been called and you haven't prayed before reading this, please do so.

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Dawud's P.O.V

I shut the car door and dialed Abdallah's number with my free hand. He had phoned me when I was driving and so I wasn't able to pick up. I opted to take the stairs up to our floor because the elevator reminded me of Jannah. I couldn't afford to drown in my memories of her. Just by looking at me with her beautiful brown eyes, she could make me crumble in seconds. I needed to build up the courage to finally address the bigger issue and I couldn't do that if I was around her. I needed the distance.

'Dawud? Hello?' Abdallah spoke quickly.

'Salam, Akhi... can you hear me?'

He let out a deep breath and chuckled. 'Allahu Akbar... what a relief. Mariam, Dawud answered the phone!' He shouted. They spoke between themselves for some time before Abdallah brought the phone close to his mouth. 'Salam Dawud, are you home?'

'I'm on my way to the apartment right now. Why?' I questioned.

'We were wondering if everything was okay since Jannah hasn't been answering any calls. We were supposed to go to the aquarium to celebrate her birthday. She knew about it for a few weeks.' He explained.

I thought for a moment. I knew she was upset about our fight, but I didn't know that she was isolating herself from everyone. But then again, I haven't been home enough to notice anything. 'Yeah, she even told me about it a week ago.' I remembered. The memory of Jannah jumping up and down with her ticket to the aquarium played in my mind and tore me apart. 'I'm sure she's at home right now. Once I get inside the apartment, I'll see if everything is okay. I'll have her call you guys back insha'Allah.' I told him. We ended the call as I approached the apartment door. I wasn't anticipating speaking to Jannah. I didn't even deserve to ask her if she was okay. After the way I've been acting, it would be out of my place entirely.

I unlocked the door and was surprised to see the lights shut. The whole apartment was dark and eerie. From the large window in the living room, I could see the remains of sunlight barely stretching through the horizon. The darkness of the night engulfed the sky entirely, battling with the hues of orange and pink. Where was Jannah? I walked back to the shoe rack and took note of the now vacant space she'd place her favorite pair of Vans. Her coat was missing as well. I slipped off my shoes and hung my jacket. There was a strange feeling in my belly as I made my way to our bedroom. The bed was made and untouched. Everything seemed orderly. Maybe she went to grab something to eat? Or maybe she just went to the corner store? The room still smelt of her, so she probably just left for some fresh air.

I hopped in the shower and washed away my worries. I hadn't washed up in days. It felt good to get the grime and sweat off my body, but the anxiety of Jannah's absence still made me uneasy. She'd be back soon, I thought. There were a million places my wife liked to go to. Maybe she went to the Tea Shop, the park next to our building or even visited her parents at her father's home. There was no need to get all worked up over nothing. After what felt like an eternity scrubbing away at my skin and scalp, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my middle. It was almost like that shower was all I needed to clear my thoughts. The second Jannah got back, I'd be able to talk about what happened. I'd be able to listen to her and hear her side of the story before telling her the truth about Laith and I. The entire truth.

I opened the cabinet to grab my toothbrush and noticed that it was the only one sitting in the holder. My eyes darted to the drawer under the sink to find Jannah's toiletries missing. What? I rushed out of the bathroom and opened our bedroom closet. My stomach dropped. Almost all of her clothes were gone. The abayas, the hoodies, the cardigans, and flannels.

'No, no, no.' I panicked, rushing over to the prayer room. It was empty and her copy of the Quran was gone too. My heart led me to the kitchen, where the usual pot of food she'd make that evening would sit on the stove slowly simmering in wait for me. The stove was vacant. My eyes fell on an envelope that rested on the counter. I flipped it over to see my name neatly written on it. It was from Jannah.

I would never be able to describe the state of panic my heart was in as I tore the envelope open. Three pages, double-sided and covered in her writing sat in wait for me. I leaned against the fridge and slid down to the floor, trembling uncontrollably.

My cheeks stung with tears as I finished reading it. Both the paper and my clothes were soaked with the salty liquid dripping from my eyes. I sat there, frozen, not entirely sure what to do. I could barely move. I was well aware Jannah had a way with words but... this letter? I didn't even know what to say. It changed everything.

Jannah's P.O.V

I was awoken by a light tap on my shoulder. In front of me was a young girl, perhaps in her teens, holding a tray of tea in one hand with caution. 'Excuse me, mam, I'm so sorry to wake you. I just wanted to ask if you would like some tea?' She asked politely. I looked out the train window to see the night sky behind the dark branches we whizzed by.

'Sure.' I croaked before yawning. She chuckled and set the tray on the little table in front of me. 'What kind of tea is it? I like chai.' I told her with a smile.

The girl laughed. 'We've got chai. It's the little brown sack next to the sugar.' I looked down and found it sitting by the kettle. 'It's reading-week for you university students, eh? We've got a lot of you on this train tonight. What are you heading to the North-West for?' She asked me politely.

I pulled out the week-long passes my mother gifted me with from my pocket and showed them to her. She clapped excitedly. 'Oh, how lucky you are!' She paused, taking note of the second pass. 'But why are there two? You seem to be traveling alone.'

I struggled to explain. 'Well-well, you see there's was a-a... uhm.' I paused. 'My date couldn't make it.' I blurted. She nodded understandingly before giving me a small smile.

'Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.' She told me before disappearing down the aisle. I sighed, looking out the window again. This was going to be a long train ride.