So... Is This The End?

Prayer Club for Sisters

"Assalamualaikum! Look who's here!" A plump girl in a floral hijab ran towards Nasreen and gave her a hug. About twenty other women in the room greeted Nasreen. Some were sitting cross-legged on the floor, some reclining on the sofa. A few others were perched on a box window.

"Walaikum assalam people! I'm sorry I'm a bit late, got held up in traffic," Nasreen was out of breath. She took off her shoes in a hurry and made her way to the washroom to perform ablution. "By the way guys, why haven't you started yet? It's well past time..." She stopped midway trying to read their expressions. They seemed rather amused. Gosh! I don't even know all of them. 

"Dumbo it's your turn to lead today!" Fatima, the plump girl chimed in. Oh screw it! I was waiting for this day like crazy and now I'm late. Nasreen felt embarrassed. She smiled sheepishly. "I'll be back in no time." She grabbed a towel and banged the washroom door shut behind her. "Okay folks, let's get ready," She could hear her best friend Fatima getting everyone lined up in rows for Isha prayer. As she splashed water to her face, she heard scurrying footsteps on the carpeted floor. That must be the twins Asma and Alia. But she didn't remember seeing the exceptionally alike, michievous dolls in the room. And now she could tell it's got to be them by the sound of their footsteps. Anyway, they were the only two six-year-olds in the prayer club so far. Must have been up to some mischief in the kitchen.

"Allahu akbar," Nasreen started the prayer. This was the first time in her life she actually "led" a prayer rather than just pray alone. She felt an indescribable feeling, like a spark zipping up and down her spine. It was a good feeling though. She felt responsible and concentrated on the prayer to avoid making any random errors.

It was just two weeks back when something magical had happened. Nasreen and Fatima had planned on going shopping, or rather, for the most part, window shopping. It was mostly hanging out. They usually went to the Inorbit Mall in Hitec City, about a half-an-hour drive from Hyderabad main. Nasreen never really quite understood the phrase "shopping spree". She thought it was probably because most of the stuff sold at the mall were too overpriced to fit into her middle class budget. But she loved the bustling atmosphere. Kids running around, playing in the escalators, the bright lights, the yummy food and most of all- books. Yes books. There's this bookstore chain called Crossword that has a store at Inorbit. She had actually completed the Dragon Tattoo series right there at Crossword! Nasreen turned off the car stereo that was playing Drug Free by Rashid Bhika as she heard the Adhan for Maghrib prayer.

"You know what, just got this weird feeling now," Fatima giggled. 

"Care to spit it out?" Nasreen had been long enough with Fatima to know if she didn't force it on her to cut to the chase, she would never on her own. She would just "get this weird thought" out of nowhere and would giggle to herself before she prodded it out of her. How annoying!

"Just imagine what if we're not girls anymore?!"

"WHAT? What do you mean?" Seriously, what is she getting at?

"No I mean, just think for a moment that we're boys. What would you have done right now?" Fatima made an innocent face.

"Well, I dunno...," Nasreen shrugged. She had never really thought on those terms.

"Oh come on Nas, I can imagine a perfect man version of you, with a beard and practicing, you know, after whom all the girls go crazy..."

"FATIMA! Do you know I've got a button right here that shoots the shotgun seat up above into space?" Nasreen hid her smile with a glare.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, but pal, listen me out. I'm sure that if you belonged to the male species, you would have stopped your car right away and hurried into the mosque. But currently, we've to do with pulling over and praying inside the car so we don't get sucked dry by those mini-vampires."

"Not really," Nasreen sighed as she pulled over next to the mosque. "I don't need to be of a different gender for that. It's just southeast Asia. We don't have women's section in the mosques here." They prayed the Maghrib prayer inside the car following the Imam's recitation through the masjid loudspeaker. Nasreen glanced over at Fatima. Her lips moved as she silently recited dua. Oh Fatima! Carefree and innocent as you are, sometimes you do make sense! Somewhere deep down in Nasreen's being a chord had been struck.

"Prayer Club!" Nasreen shrieked once they were done praying. "No wait, Prayer Club for Sisters. Yes, that's it! Fatima, you're an angel. Why didn't this occur to me for all these years?"

"Cuz you're a dumbo perhaps. See, every great man needs a partner to remain sane," Fatima patted herself. "Sometimes I really wonder Nas, maybe you oughta be a little less demaning of your own self!"

"Oh screw it! And screw Inorbit for tonight. Let's get back home and sort things out. We got loads to do! Okay, I'm not a man, neither do I want to become one," now it was Nasreen's turn to be mischievous, "let's use this male species as pigeons! Message bearers to our audience."

"Huh?" That was all Fatima uttered.

"Watch and learn!" Nasreen started the car.

"Prayer Club huh?" Fatima wondered aloud. "Girl, I've got a feeling this thing's going to get exciting in no time."

Nasreen had stayed over at Fatima's and they had stayed up late at night designing a homemade leaflet that looked authentic enough and not of some phony private tuition class! Fahim had helped with the design over Skype. They had taken a few print-outs and photocopied them to cut back on investment. Fahim had also designed the club logo and got some specially printed to use as car-stickers. It was a simple silhouette of palms raised in supplication and a very subtle fringe of a hijab at the corner.

Luckily, next day was a Friday. Nasreen and Fatima had driven to the popular mosques  of the city and distributed the leaflets. Fatima's apartment was comparitively bigger and more spacious than Nasreen's and she readily agreed to set aside a section for club.

Apart from all the campaigning, they also notified thier friends and neighbors. The initial members started with them of course. But then after a week, when Nasreen launched the Facebook and Twitter pages of Prayer Club for Sisters, seventeen calls came in and out of them ten joined as members! Mostly college students, young professionals, African expatriates and some single mothers. The adorable Asma and Alia were the kids of one such single working mom.

"Assalamualaikum warahmatullah," Nasreen concluded the prayer with the salaam. She always wanted to lead a prayer someday. And tonight Allah made her achieve it. Alhamdulillah!