Dear Diary

The Last Goodbye

NB: Janazah is the prayer performed on the dead.
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During the Islamic funeral rite the women do not usually accompany the dead body to the graveyard, so they say their final goodbye when the body is still at home  before the Janazah.

Aliyah just arrived at the residence of Mr. Shaf to say her goodbye, at least to get close to Sameer one more time. She was accompanied by Pinky and her mother.

"Good Morning, i am sorry for your loss. May Allah forgive his sins" a lady condoled Mr. Shaf.

"Amen. Thank you" he said.

Just when he was about to go out he saw Aliyah and her mother come in, so he went to welcome them. After exchanging pleasantries, Aliyah asked if she could see Sameer one last time.

She approached the body covered in shroud, her life looks a lot like movies to her the past few days, but what could she do?
Every thing was real.

Aliyah wanted to take a look at his face but then, Sameer's step mother advised against it.
"You don't want to do that trust me" She said.

Aliyah stopped herself from doing what she intended.

"Hey" She said squatting down
"So you've raced me to the afterlife afterall, didn't you think of me for a while? You know that i feel bad whenever i loose a race,
how could you be so selfish?
Well, this time i don't feel bad because, it soothes my heart to know that you are in a better place. So, Enjoy the scent and scenery of heaven i won't mind, Just don't eat all the food first" Aliyah chuckled.

"You know.. " Aliyah couldn't hold back her tears as she sobbed " I wish i could see you one more time, to be around you one more time, to speak to you one more time, just so i tell you all that have been brewing in the deepest depth of my heart. But i guess it's too late now so..."
She sobbed again, then with the back of her hand she wiped off her fallen tears and resumed her goodbye speech.

"You know, ever since i gave you my heart i never was brave enough to take it back, it was yours at first, it was yours then, it's still yours up to this very moment.
You might have hurt me, but your love wasn't something i could get rid of, i just got good at pretending that you couldn't see through my act. And i never stopped loving you, i just... stopped letting it show in my eyes."

Just then, Sameer's father came in with three other men, one could guess they are his relatives.

"It's time" one of the men nodded.

"One more minute please" Aliyah begged.

"Let her be" Mr. Shaf nodded.

"Thank you" She turned to the body.

"I know you are far gone, may be that's why my heart didn't beat faster when i came close to you this time. This was the only time it didn't beat faster around you, I don't know, may be it was the effect of your heartbeat on mine that always made my heart wild... But I pray you wake up to eternal mercy, i hope this sleep of yours be filled with beautiful dreams, and, i pray heaven be your final abode.
And Don't you dare fall in love because, you are mine in each and every lifetime and this heart believes we will surely meet again someday, until then take care and wait for me. I..."

Just then the men proceeded to carry the body outside for the completion of the burial rites.

Well that's the sad reality, the moment you die, your name sieze to be your name, your identity vanishes in the thin air and you become nothing but a dead body.

Aliyah felt the urge to cry out loud and stop them, but her grief weighed down on her, it's gravity holding her fixed to that point not able to lift a finger.
She stared blankly at the place where the body previously lied, she wanted to cry out so loud that she could wake up a sleeping town, but her voice betrayed her.
Her lips kept trembling but not a sound came out, only tears kept flowing down from her eyes as if it was a waterfall.
With her grief hovering over her like a cloud, two little versions of herself hugged her tight.