"Sheikh you wanted to see me?"
Sheikh Saad looked up from his computer, and motioned Hana into his office. She took a few steps before sitting down in a chair across from his desk, and crossing her legs nervously. The Sheikh didn't usually talk to her save for their monthly teacher meetings, so when he had had the secretary call her and ask her to come down to the Masjid, she had gotten nervous.
"Welcome Hana! Thank you for coming. I hope it is not an inconvenience?" he asked and Hana shook her head.
"It was no trouble."
"Good, good." The Sheikh said with a nod. "I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, so I will just cut to the chase. I want to offer you a job."
Hana blinked.
"I already have a job. I teach remember?"
"I know," he said with a wave of his hand, "but I am talking about something I think you would be interested in. For a while now I have had members of our community tell me that they think it would be a good idea if we had a newspaper for the Masjid. Talking about the happenings in our community and the neighborhood and what's going on in the world. We could have pieces and pictures on the classes we offer, and the activities the children do. Print the weekly Jumuah topic and if we have any guest Khateebs we can do profiles on them. And I want you to be in charge."
Hana's mouth fell open and she just stared at the Sheikh in surprise before she broke out in a smile.
"Sheikh that's amazing! We could have a highlight piece every week on a different Sahaba, or maybe influential Muslims in history and nowadays! I have so many ideas!" she exclaimed excitedly, and the Sheikh smiled.
"I can see I picked the right person for the job! I will allow you to pick your own team, but please get back to me by the end of the month."
"Of course!" she exclaimed, her face flushed with pleasure. "JazakillahuKhairan thank you so much!"
"You are most welcome! InshaAllah I am excited to see what you can do!" he said with a smile, and after she said her salaams, she rushed out of the Masjid, eager to get home and start planning.
Once she had gotten home she said a hurried salaam to her parents, and rushed into her bedroom, logging onto her computer. Almost immediately she got an IM message from her best friend Kalthoum.
Hanooooooooooni!
She laughed and hurriedly typed a response.
Salaam Kalthoum! You will never believe what just happened to me!
You saw Houssam!?
Hana's hands stilled over her keys for a moment.
What?
You know he is coming home today right? My brother can't stop talking about how excited he is to see him. It has been like a year since Houssam was here.
Didn't he come like two months ago for a visit?
Ooh you remember when he was here?! Ooh Hana!
Hana rolled her eyes. She had not told anyone her feelings for Houssam, and wasn't going to. She had liked him way before he was famous. She had known him her whole, and had liked him ever since she could remember. He had been a senior when she was a freshman so of course he didn't notice her. She had followed his career faithfully, and while she had never been interested in sports before, she never missed a game when he was playing, either watching it on television, or listening to it on the radio. She thought he was funny and kind and a good Muslim, and boy was he handsome MashaAllah! Over the years her feelings for him only intensified even though he never paid her any attention, and she had secretly suffered for years. But he saw her as his best friend's little sister, that was painfully obvious, and would never see her as anything else. She had to get over him.
Don't be silly Kalthoum.
I'm just kidding Hanoni ;) But seriously, Ahmad said that the Halaqah is having a giant welcome back party for him on Sunday, and he said that as Houssam's whole family is invited, we get to be there too!
Hana felt her heart start to beat fast. She would get to see him. She hadn't seen him in two years, when he had come to visit a few months back, she kept missing him, the closest she got was hearing his voice as she came down the stairs and he went into Sheikh Saad's office. By the time she had dashed the rest of the way down hoping to catch a glimpse of him, the office door was already closed.
That's cool I'll try to make it.
Way to sound not interested Hana.
Well I am def going! I can already see it now! Houssam will walk into the room, his eyes will land on me and it will be a few seconds before he will remember himself and lower his gaze though his heart will be beating hard and all he will be able to think about is 'who is that gorgeous creature!?' He will discreetly ask around and when he realizes that I am Ahmad's little sister, he will not be able to believe how much I have grown and changed since he had last saw me. Over the weeks his mind will be filled with nothing but me and finally he wont be able to take it anymore, and will propose and we will live famously ever after!
Hana laughed, though she couldn't help but feel a tad bit annoyed that her best friend seemed to focus on his fame and wealth. Houssam had so much to offer, he was an amazing man, but her friend didn't seem to see that. As for Hana, she couldn't care less if he was the poorest man in the world, and his fame actually scared her, considering she hated being in the limelight. She liked him for the wonderful person he was inside.
Oh Kalthoum it must be fun living in your fantasy world!
Oh it is! You should join me sometime!
Hana shook her head. She was a very practical and cautious person. She never did anything without thinking it through and listing all of the possibilities and what could happen. She didn't show emotions easily nor was she able to open up with anyone, even her sister Ilham or her best friend Kalthoum. She knew that having fantasies was a waste of time and energy, and it tended to just hurt you even more. However she had one slip in her common sense, and that was being in love with a man who didn't even know she was alive.
***
Houssam stepped off of his private jet, and stood on the ground a broad smile on his face as he spotted his brother in law Amir waiting for him next to his car. He slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, and dashed over to where Amir stood, clasping his hand and pulling him into an embrace.
"Amir! Bro look at you! Is that gray hair!?" He teased, and Amir laughed.
"I'm only thirty two Houssam! Don't make me old yet! And look at me!? Look at you! You're like a monster!" Amir said good naturedly, and Houssam laughed. While Amir was tall at six feet two inches, Houssam tipped in at six feet nine inches, and weighed two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle. He had long black hair that he usually kept tied back in a ponytail, but when let loose it flowed to his shoulders. He had dark brown eyes, and a beard and mustache which he kept neatly trimmed. His broad shoulders filled the black jacket he was wearing quite nicely, and he had a killer smile that showed off perfect white teeth. It wasn't hard to tell why women threw themselves at him, but perhaps what was most attractive about him was that he didn't know how attractive he was.
"Well you know I did have that fifteen pounds of muscle to be proud of." He said jokingly and Amir groaned.
"Come on let's go. Everyone is anxious to see you, and Kareem can't stop asking for his 'Moo Sam'."
Houssam laughed and tossed his suitcases in the trunk of the car before getting into the passenger seat.
"I am so excited to see everyone! I can't even tell you bro!"
Amir smiled, and pulled the car onto the highway.
"And everyone is excited to see you! Do you want to stay with us or go home? We all agreed that we wouldn't be offended with whatever you choose, we are just happy to have you back."
Houssam smiled. While it would be nice to spend some time with Yusra and Amir and Kareem, he was looking forward to being back home.
"I think I will go home right now, but when the paparazzi find me I might have to hide out with you guys.
Amir frowned.
"You think they will find you?"
"Oh I don't think they will. I know they will. That's why I hired the private jet, they couldn't track my flight. They will realize I am here after a few days but for now we are safe."
Amir's frown deepened and he stole a glance at his brother.
"That's tough man."
Houssam shrugged.
"I made a choice, and now I have to deal with the aftermath of it."
"Well let's enjoy whatever time we have before they find you."
"Yes!" Houssam exclaimed excitedly, pulling on his sunglasses. The two of them drove in silence for a few moments before Amir flickered his eyes momentarily towards his brother.
"What's on your mind little bro?" he asked, and Houssam grinned before sighing.
"I've been dealing with a problem."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Okay but don't tell Yusra."
Amir raised an eyebrow. Yusra and Houssam were best friends and he told her everything. As for Amir, he had no secrets from his wife.
"Why don't you want to tell her?"
"It's kind of a delicate nature."
Amir was silent for a second.
"What is it?"
"After the championship game, I had one of the Laker girls," he hesitated, "proposition me."
Amir's eyebrows raised higher.
"I see." He said trying to keep his voice calm. "And you got into trouble?"
"What?! No! Why would you think I would do that!?" Houssam exclaimed, and Amir let out a breath.
"I dunno! The way you built it up it sounded like you had done something!"
"Thanks for having faith in me." Houssam grumbled, and Amir sighed.
"I'm sorry bro. Really I didn't think you would do anything that's why I was surprised. What's the problem then if you didn't do anything?"
"Well it's not the first time I have been put in such a situation. Every time I reject them, but its getting harder and harder. I know I am a terrible person for even saying this."
"Houssam habibi you are not. Every single one of us faces temptation whether or not we are famous. The thing is with you, the girls don't have your values and religion, so you have to have extra Haya."
"What do I do Amir? I can't keep going through this for the rest of my life!"
"It's simple Houssam, you get married."