"Behind every delay, there's khair."
Kano, Nigeria.
"Ya Allah! i'm still exhausted from all the wedding stress Mom." Ariana sighed lying her head on her mother in law's laps.
"Indeed, last week was hectic but Alhamdulilah. May Allah bless their homes."
"Ameen Mom."
"How many weeks are you along now?" Sultana threw the question making Ariana to turn crimson red.
"Umm..8weeks."
"Mashaa Allah, may you deliver safely. I believe you know all the precautions to be taking, and i think it's high time Aahil get weaned off."
"Yes Mom, we've thought about it too. I was waiting for the wedding to be over then i could bring him to you to be weaned off." She said raising her head from Sultana's laps.
"That's really a good thought, i guess you're leaving him here today then?." Sultana said.
"Yes Mom, i've brought his bag with me." She softly said missing her baby already. Don't blame her, this will be the first time in eight months she will be separating from him.
"Missing him already huh?." Sultana said making Ariana to nod bursting into tears.
"Yassalam. Ariana?" Sultana said drawing her to her embrace.
"Don't tell me you're crying because you're leaving Aahil here with me?."
"No Mom." She nodded wiping her tears with the hem of her dress.
"Then what is it? don't you trust me or my capability ne? Remember Aahil is my grandson also."
"No Mom, please don't say that. Wallahi i know Aahil will be more taking care of here than with me." She said with a pout playing with the hem of her dress.
"Then why are you crying?"
"The thing is, we've never been separated from each other since he was born..so i'm going to miss him." She said with a slight pout on her lips making Sultana to burst into laughter.
"Oh, children of nowadays, you all are totally different from us during our time. Aryan was five when we came back to Nigeria and immediately we landed, his grandmother took him away from me for good two years and i didn't even felt anything because i knew he was in safe hands. The same happened with Layla when she was a baby."
Sultana smiled and wiped Ariana's tears before cupping her face with her hands. "I assure you that your baby will be well taking care of okay? In Sha Allah."
"I know Mom, i know you will. I love you." She smiled hugging her mother in law.
"I love you more my baby." Sultana smiled hugging her back.
***
"The house feels so quiet without him." She pouted while Aryan sighed.
"I know haven, this is the first time Aahil is away from us. But he's with Mom, i know he will get the best of care over there. Stop worrying yourself unnecessary."
"Hey, who told you i'm doubting my Mom's ability to take care of him huh? i'm just missing him." She pouted making him to laugh at her childishness.
"Don't blame me! every mother in my shoes would act the same way."
"I know haven. And i assure you Aahil is in safe hands."
"I know, In Sha Allah. I hope he doesn't disturb her with his late night cries."
"Mummy, when is Aahil coming back?" Ayra asked.
"Yes Mummy, i'm missing him already." Adyan chirped in and the parents smiled.
"He's going to spend some days with Grandmom."
"We also wanna go there Paapi."
"Not now kiddos, i will take you there when you're on your holidays."
"Haven..i've been wanting to discuss this with you." Aryan said when they about to turn in for the night.
"I'm all ears hun'" She said taking hold of his soft hands.
"Tomorrow marks exactly Six years of late Aira's death, and every year we organise a prayer for her in the palace and give sadaqah in her name to the less privileged, we also visit her grave to pray for her soul to continue resting in Jannah. We couldn't conduct all these last year due to your sickness and that's why i wanted it to be different this year.." he paused.
"How?" She asked.
"I thought of opening a foundation in hers and your Mamy's name where we will be feeding and clothing the orphans and the less privileged. Mom already has a foundation like this, but i want this to be specially in their name."
"I'm really really proud of you hun'. This is really good of you...i'm speechless...May Allah reward you for this hun'. And may their gentle souls continue to rest in Jannah."
"Ameen ya rabb my haven. May Allah reward us all. Hold on a sec, let me show you this." He said unlocking his MacBook.
"Here's the name me and my Assistant settled on. It has already been designed. 'TheFaTimairaFoundation'."
"This is really great hun'. May Allah swt reward you with the highest rank of Jannah." She smiled hugging him.
"Ameen. May Allah reward us all Haven."
"So, when are we launching it?"
"Tomorrow In Sha Allah."
"Mashaa Allah. May Allah swt spare our lives until then."
"Ameen ya rabb."
***
"Mashaa Allah. May the launching of this starts with success." Sultan prayed and they all answered with an 'ameen'.
"Mashaa Allah, we're all proud of you Aryan. May Allah continue to shower his blessings upon you and your family." Alhaji Malik prayed.
"Ameen ya rabb. Thank you Abbi."
"What has been donated so far? i would love to make some donations too." Sultan said.
"Thank you Dad. Hundred bags of rice, fifty to the orphanage and fifty to be shared amongst the less privileged. Two hundred cartoons each of Sphagetti, macaroni and indomie. Then five hundred tins of milk, milo and sugar."
"Mashaa Allah." All the people present in the parlor muttered with smiles.
"May Allah reward you for this Son." Sultan and Sultana prayed.
"I would love to donate a sum of 1.5 billion Naira fissabililah to the FaTimaira foundation." Sultan said.
"Mashaa Allah."
"Thank you so much Dad, may Allah reward you." Aryan prayed.
"May Allah reward us all." Sultan said and everyone answered with an 'ameen.'
***
"Yassalam." Ariana winced bitting on her lower lip. It was a Thursday afternoon and she's been battling with what feels like period cramps. why will her period come back all of the sudden while she was pregnant and that to with unbearable cramps.
Aryan wasn't yet back from work and Aahil was still with Sultana which left her with only the twins and her two maids Fareedah and Asiya.
"Innanilahi wa'ina ilaihi rajiu'n." She yelled a little when an indescribable pain surge through her abdomen.
"Mummy, are you okay?" Ayra worriedly asked.
"No Ayra, pass me my phone over there." She managed to say and the girl hurriedly got the phone laying on the console.
She managed to dial Aryan's number and he picked on the second ring.
"I'm really sick hun' please come back home now." She said and ended the call.
"Sorry Mummy." The twins said sitting beside her.
"Innanilahi wa'ina ilaihi rajiu'n." She cried bitting her lower lip to supress the pain. She gasped louder when she felt something warm between her legs and in no time it stained all over.
"Mummy!!blood!" The twins shrieked.
Ariana suddenly became numb. Ya rabb, please don't let this be what i'm thinking of. She silently prayed crying of pain.
Few minutes later, Aryan came in and to say he was devastated by the condition he met her was an understatement.
He cleaned her up and cleaned the mess before scooping her and heading to the car. He tucked her in safely and hurriedly entered the car before zooming off to a nearby hospital.
After several observations and tests, the doctor confirmed their fears.
"I'm so sorry Mr Aryan, but your wife just had a miscarriage." He said the dreadful sentence making Ariana to burst into tears.
"How? i take all the precautions to be taking as a pregnant woman, then what is the cause?" She cried.
"Nothing caused it miscarriage from the scan we made. I believe that's just from Allah. Accept it as part of your Qadr, may Allah bless you with another blessed one." The doctor said and excited the room giving the couple privacy.
"Hun' we've lost it!" She cried clutching his shirt.
"It's okay my haven. All will be alright In Sha Allah. Allah knew the reason why he took it away so all we should do is to pray that it's for the best okay?? Allah sa hakan ne yafi alkhairi. May Allah swt bless the ones we have and may he bless us with another blessed ones." He prayed patting her head to his chest. He was also heartbroken but he has to stay strong for his haven.
"Ameen ya rabb. B...but what if every pregnancy ends like this?what if i will never be able to give you a child again?" She stumbled amid tears.
"Shh." He said and placed a kiss on both of her lids and a warm one on her lips before saying.
"Then i promise, i will love you more as a wife than as the mother of my children haven whether we have more or not. And nothing of that sort will ever happen In Sha Allah. You still have three stops to make, two handsome princes and one beautiful princess In Sha Allah."
Ariana relaxed more into his hold feeling more safer as she would ever be. How could she be so lucky to have this encouraging, encompassing, ever loving man in the name of Aryan Amin Abdullah as her husband?. She's indeed lucky! and she promise to love him unconditionally as he was indeed the one for her, in this lifetime and the next.
**
Alhamdulilah.
(All praises to Allah).
Till we meet in my next book which i know is not anytime soon, i really need to take a break off writing. For those re-reading 'Affairs of The Hearts'. Update will be dropping now regularly In Sha Allah. Thank you my 'Crossed Paths' fam for this wonderful and amazing journey together. Stay tuned and follow me for announcements and more.
You can also find me on Instagram @rukayyahtaheer for questions and whatnot.
Fee Amanilah.
Stay safe y'all💕.
20.2.2023.