Jundub b. 'Abdullah al-Bajali reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Recite the Qur'an as long as your hearts agree to do so, and when you feel variance between them (between your hearts and tongues), then get up (and leave its recital for the time being).
Sahih Muslim, 2667 a
In-Book Reference: Book 47, Hadith 3
*****
Immediately upon stepping outside, they spotted Tareeq leaning against the car, patiently waiting for them.
"Tareeq!" Hanan called out, quickening her pace.
"How have you been, Hanan?" Tareeq greeted her warmly, a smile on his face.
"I'm doing fine," Hanan replied, studying him closely and noticing that he appeared sickly, with a pale complexion. She even thought he had lost some weight.
"How's your health? Are you feeling better now?" Hanan asked, genuinely concerned.
"Don't worry, I'm fine now," Tareeq assured her, his smile unwavering.
"But you don't look fine at all. You seem ill, and your face is pale. Why did you even come out? Did Ammar force you to work?" Hanan said, shooting a disapproving glance at Ammar as she made her last statement.
"I didn't force him," Ammar defended himself.
"He didn't force me, but I had to come back to work because Ammar can't handle anything without me," Tareeq said, causing Hanan to laugh.
Ammar sent a murderous glare in Tareeq's direction.
"Looks like he's completely reliant on you," Hanan remarked, still laughing.
"Yeah, I think so," Tareeq smiled.
"If you're finished with your chitchat, we can get into the car and leave," Ammar said in a cold tone, as he entered the back seat of the car that was already open for them.
"Let's go inside before he gets angrier. He's already acting cold towards us just because I spoke the truth," Tareeq said, and Hanan nodded, smiling.
Hanan also climbed into the backseat, while Tareeq settled into the front seat of the car.
The car ride was silent, with Ammar not uttering a single word to Hanan since she had entered. It was a stark contrast to their usual conversations. Hanan glanced at him and noticed his cold expression, as he told her that's his usual expression. She recalled seeing him on TV, always maintaining that chilly demeanor without revealing any emotions. However, she didn't like this distant version of Ammar, she preferred the warm and affectionate one.
After a few minutes of driving, they reached Ammar's parents' house, which was also located in Asokoro, just like their own home.
They pulled into the mansion and parked the cars in the designated area.
A bodyguard swiftly opened the car door as they stepped out.
"Sweetheart, let's go inside," Ammar said, a smile gracing his face. Hanan's smile mirrored his, relieved that Ammar had returned to his familiar self.
They began walking towards the entrance when Ammar turned around and noticed Tareeq lingering by the car.
"Tareeq, aren't you coming in?" Ammar asked, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Nope," Tareeq quickly shook his head.
"I must inform Baba and Ummi that we came together. Last time, when we came with Hanan, I kept quiet. But this time, I won't stay silent," Ammar said, his smirk taking on a mischievous edge.
"Ammar, please don't do this to me. Can't you help your brother?" Tareeq pleaded.
"Nope, I can't," Ammar replied, shaking his head, his grin unyielding.
"Sweetheart, let's go," Ammar said, taking Hanan's hand, and they resumed their walk.
Hanan wondered why Tareeq was avoiding meeting Ammar's parents.
As they approached the front door, it swung open, as if anticipating their arrival.
"Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon, ma'am," a chorus of maids greeted them.
Hanan nodded in acknowledgment, but Ammar didn't even spare them a glance, let alone respond to their greetings.
"Assalamu alaikum," They greeted as they entered the living room.
"Waalaikumussalam," Ammar's parents replied.
Hanan's eyes locked onto Ammar's father and mother, and she immediately recognized his mother, seeing the striking resemblance between her and Ammar.
"Ummi," Ammar said, moving toward his mother and sitting beside her, wrapping an arm around her in a side hug.
"Hope you returned safely?" Ammar asked her.
"Yes, but it seems you've only decided to visit me now after I arrived yesterday morning," Hajiya Khadijah Nasir, Ammar's mother, replied in her distinct American accent.
"No, Ummi, it's not like that. I wanted you to rest," Ammar explained, and she simply nodded in response.
"How are you, my daughter?" Baba replied, whom Hanan had already exchanged greetings with.
"I'm fine, Alhamdulillah," Hanan replied.
"Good evening," Hanan greeted Ammar's mother, who was seated next to Ammar's father.
"How are you?" Ummi asked, her smile faint.
"Alhamdulillah. We hope you've been well?" Hanan inquired, and Ummi nodded in affirmation.
"Please have a seat, my daughter," Baba gestured to a chair beside him. Hanan stood up and gracefully took her place in the offered seat.
"Good evening, Baba," Ammar greeted his father.
"Evening, son. I thought you didn't see me since your mother is here," Baba joked.
"No, you know you'll always be my favorite. Even Ummi knows that," Ammar said, a meaningful undertone shared among the three of them.
"Thank God I have a daughter who loves me so much, unlike you," Ummi remarked, glaring at Ammar.
"Yes, you have your darling daughter, and I have my darling father," Ammar replied.
"By the way, where is Samreen?" Ammar asked about his sister.
Before anyone could respond, they heard Samreen Sheik's voice, thick with her American accent. "Ya Ammar, do you miss me so much that you're even asking about me? I must mark this date on the calendar, Ya Ammar missing me," Samreen walked towards them, wearing a smile.
Ammar scoffed at her comment.
"Ya Ammar, I miss you too," Samreen said as she sat on the arm of the chair, side-hugging him.
"Did I say I miss you?" Ammar raised an eyebrow.
"But you asked about me," Samreen countered.
"I asked about you as any normal brother would ask about his little sister. I didn't miss you," Ammar said coldly, causing the smile on Samreen's face to fade.
"Ammar, why do you always make your sister unhappy?" Ummi asked, glaring at him.
"I didn't. She's the one making herself unhappy by assuming things," Ammar shrugged, while Ummi shook her head disapprovingly.
"Can't you see my wife? Go and greet her," Ammar told Samreen, and it was at that moment Samreen noticed Hanan's presence in the living room.
"Why should I greet her? Aren't I older than her? She's the one who should greet me," Samreen pouted. Samreen was twenty-five years old, a year older than Hanan.
"You have to greet her, even if you don't want to, as she's marrying your older brother. Don't make me repeat myself," Ammar said sternly, his expression serious.
Samreen grumbled as she stood up and approached where Hanan was sitting.
"So, you're the infamous Hanan? My brother can't stop talking about you," Samreen said, taking a seat beside her. Hanan simply smiled in response.
"I told you to greet her, not to say rubbish," Ammar warned Samreen before she could say anything else to Hanan. Samreen understood his warning and kept quiet.
"Good evening, sister-in-law," Samreen greeted, faking a smile at Hanan.
"Good evening," Hanan returned the greeting, also faking a smile. She couldn't help but notice that Samreen didn't like her, and the feeling was mutual as she didn't particularly like Samreen either.
"How are your parents, Hanan?" Ummi asked, directing her question to Hanan.
"They're doing fine," Hanan replied, looking at Ammar's mother.
"Masha Allah," Ummi replied.
Hanan observed the resemblance between Ammar and Ummi, the only difference being Ummi's fair complexion compared to Ammar's brown skin.
Samreen, on the other hand, resembled their father, but with Ummi's fair complexion. Ammar had inherited their father's brown complexion.
Each sibling seemed to have taken after one of their parents, Hanan pondered.
"Assalamu alaikum," Tareeq's voice interrupted their conversation as he entered the living room.
"Waalaikumussalam," They replied in unison.
"Favorite cousin!" Samreen squealed, rushing to hug Tareeq tightly who smiled at her.
"Samreen, behave yourself," Ammar warned her.
"Can't I even hug my cousin brother?" Samreen asked, still clinging to Tareeq. The glare Ammar shot her made her quickly release Tareeq and sit beside Hanan with a pout.
Hanan was taken aback by Samreen referring to Tareeq as a cousin brother. Was Tareeq Ammar's cousin?
"Good evening, Baba. Good evening, Ummi," Tareeq greeted, squatting down to greet Ammar's parents.
"Good evening, son. How are you doing? You look a little pale," Baba observed.
"Yeah, I was sick, but I'm fine now," Tareeq assured him.
"May Allah grant you shifa (good health)," Baba said, and they all uttered an "Ameen."
"Tareeq, are you truly feeling better now?" Ummi asked, concerned, and Tareeq nodded.
"Why did you even come out? You should have rested some more," Ummi scolded him.
"Don't worry, Ummi. I'm fine now," Tareeq reassured her.
"Okay, then, you should sit down," Ummi suggested, and Tareeq nodded, taking a seat beside Ammar and his parents.
"If you were married, your wife would have taken care of you when you were sick. But you prefer living alone. That's why you're avoiding me. You don't even call me anymore just because I'm telling you to get married. Since I've returned to Nigeria, you should come back home and live with us since you're not planning to get married anytime soon," Ummi insisted, causing Tareeq to wish he hadn't entered the house.
He always avoided meeting Ammar's parents because they would bring up the topic of his marriage. Couldn't they see he hadn't found the right woman yet?
Ammar sent an evil smirk to Tareeq, who glared back. It was all Ammar's fault. He had threatened Tareeq to reveal their arrival together, forcing him to enter the house. Otherwise, Tareeq had no intention of subjecting himself to this conversation.
"Okay, Ummi. Don't worry, I will soon bring you a daughter-in-law," Tareeq said, attempting to appease her with a smile.
"You better do, and you should come back here since I'm now in Nigeria," Ummi insisted firmly.
"Okay, Ummi, I'll come," Tareeq nodded reluctantly.
"I'm serious. You are coming back here between today and tomorrow. If not, you will face my wrath," Ummi warned, her expression serious.
"Ummi, I'll come back," Tareeq mumbled, regretting his decision to enter the house in the first place. Now there was no escaping them, as they would be living together.
"Hanan, let's go to my room and chat," Samreen suggested.
"No, she's not going with you. We're leaving now," Ammar announced, determined not to let Samreen and Hanan be alone together. He knew what Samreen intended to do.
"So soon?" Ummi questioned.
"I have some unfinished work," Ammar replied, and Ummi nodded, understanding his reasons.
Tareeq was grateful that they were leaving.
"Tareeq, remember you only have today and tomorrow to come back here," Ummi reminded Tareeq, and he nodded reluctantly.
They bid their goodbyes and left the house.
***
"Tareeq, so you're Ammar's cousin?" Hanan asked immediately after they drove out of the mansion.
"Yes," Tareeq nodded.
"Why did you two hide this from me?" Hanan accused, looking between Ammar and Tareeq.
"You didn't ask," Ammar smirked.
"How could I ask if I didn't even have a clue that you're cousins? I'm angry at both of you," Hanan said, looking away.
"I'm sorry, Hanan. I thought Ammar had told you," Tareeq apologized.
"You're forgiven, Tareeq," Hanan smiled.
"Thank you," Tareeq smiled back.
"What about me?" Ammar asked, looking at her.
"Are you his cousin from his father's side or his mother's side?" Hanan ignored Ammar and directed her question to Tareeq.
"Sweetheart, are you a journalist?" Ammar asked, amused, and Hanan glared at him.
"Don't mind him. I'm his cousin from his father's side," Tareeq replied.
"But I thought you were Ummi's nephew, considering the way she treated you," Hanan mumbled.
"He's Ummi's boy. She loves him more than she even loves me," Ammar said, smiling.
"You know, since my parents died in a car accident when I was around ten years old, Baba took me in because I'm the only child of my parents. I lived with Ammar's family, and Ummi and Baba treated me like their own son. I also considered them as my parents," Tareeq explained, turning back to face Hanan.
"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm glad that you found a family again," Hanan said, and Tareeq smiled at her.
"We've arrived, best friends," Ammar informed them, giving both of them a cold look.
"Ammar, why are you always jealous when I'm talking to Hanan?" Tareeq asked.
"I'm not," Ammar said coldly.
"Even if he is jealous, there is nothing he can do. He can't interfere with whom I speak to. Besides, you're my friend now," Hanan utters.
Ammar gave them a cold look as he left the car and started walking inside.
"Let me follow after him before he bursts," Hanan joked, and Tareeq laughed.
Hanan left the car and hurried to catch up with Ammar.
"Ammar," Hanan called out as she reached him.
Ammar stopped walking and turned around to look at her. "What?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Are you angry with me?" Hanan asked, standing beside him.
"No, why would I be angry with you? Did you do something that would make me angry?" Ammar questioned.
"You seem angry with me from your reply," Hanan said.
"Okay, I'm a little angry with you. I was talking to you, but you ignored me and continued talking to Tareeq," Ammar mumbled.
"Ammar Sheik is jealous," Hanan giggled.
"No, I'm not," Ammar shook his head.
"Sorry if ignoring you made you feel bad," Hanan apologized, surprising Ammar that she would apologize to him.
"Mrs. Ammar Sheik is now apologizing to me," Ammar gasped dramatically.
"Don't make me take that back," Hanan warned.
"No, Sweetheart," Ammar smiled, and Hanan smiled back.
"Let's go inside," Ammar added, holding her hand as they walked into the house.
*****
Assalamu alaikum lovelies😍
So we met Ammar's mother and sister? What do you think of them?
It's revealed that Tareeq is Ammar's cousin😯 I never saw that coming😃
And anyone thinking why Ammar doesn't want his sister and Hanan to be in the same place? Is there something he's hiding?
Your votes and comments matter❤️
Love Zahra💕