We sat in the room silently,making a little talk every so often.Kulthum will just talk about her family and i would listen.From what she told me she had a younger brother,an elder sister and her mother.Her father died in a car accident long time ago.She barely remembered him because she was very younger at the time.That made me thankful that atleast i remember daddy and have alot of beautiful moments to remember.After years i guess i thanked Allah for atleast i had the memories.Before that i was always complaining about how Allah took my daddy away but now i don't know what the reason was but the anger was subsiding and i was feeling a little calmer about the matter.
Kulthum was married.Even though she was my age she was married to her sister's brother-in-law.She was newly married.About three days before she got kidnapped she had her nikah book done.When she was talking about her husband and how they both love each other so much her eyes glistened with tears but she quickly blinked them away and said Alhamdulillah.I felt ashamed for kulthum lost as much as i did or more than me yet she was still thankful while i on the other hand just complained and never once thanked Allah.Looking at kulthum i silently said Alhamdulillah with alot of guilt.
The other four girls were still silent.Never once they said a single word.When kulthum went to the small washroom at the far left corner of the room i tried to talk to zukreat who was the closest to me.
"Hey",i said hesitantly.She stared at me for a while but then her eyes softened and she smiled a little.
"hi..",her little voice came out hoarse.
"I'm zahra",i said with a smile.Maybe i can get her talking.I don't know where the sudden energy came from but i was willing to get the other four girls to talk just as kulthum and myself.
She cleared her throat a little.
"I'm zukreat",she replied with a smile of her own.Just as she said that kulthum came out of the washroom.When she saw us she grinned widely.
"I see people are opening up..huh",she said playfully as she sat indian style in front of me and zukreat.
"Do you not like me zukreat.I tried so many times to talk to you but you never once replied.That is not fair",she said with mock seriousness.Zukreat and i smiled at her.
"It's not that.From the time we've been brought here you were the only one who talked and prayed and did everything to get us to talk.I always thought to reply to you but my sister and friends never once acknowledged your presence.So i just kind of followed them",zukreat said guiltily
"But today when zahra came and you guys talked.I was actually listening to you all the time and i just realized that everything you said was right and i wanted to join to.So yeah?",she said with a questioning smile.
"yeah ofcourse why not",kulthum beamed at her.After that we talked for a while.Kulthum told us how about a week ago when she was coming back from her medical college she got kidnapped and they took her to some secluded building where they kept her for a day and than brought her here.Zukreat said she,her twin nudrat and their two friends soumya and nafla were all hanging out in a mall and they didn't even realized that it was past seven in the evening when they decided to head back home.That's when they were attacked.They also were taken to an empty old house and then the next day were brought here.I told them the whole story of how i was brought here.
One thing we realized was that they kidnapped only girls and except for me it took all of them almost a whole day to get here.Which meant only one thing that the place we were in at the moment was close to the place i was in with lubaba and if i think a little hard then that place was closer to the village i went to for the campaign.
I told them about the whole plan that was forming in my mind.We had a little hope but deep down we were scared to take a step because for a fact we knew that there were too many men out there and it will be way too difficult to get out of here.
"I'll do anything to get out of here",a new unfamiliar voice said.Zukreat turned around and looked at her sister.
"nudrat...",she said to her sister a mixture of emotions crossing her face.That was maybe because she saw her sister interested in something after about five days.Whatever it was,we were happy that she was interested and like zukreat maybe she too would open up to us and her other two friends too.
"Yeahh....i would do anything to get out of this hell hole",she said as she stood up and came to sit next to her sister.Zukreat placed a hand on nudrat's thigh in a comforting way.
"We can make a proper plan.I do have an idea in mind",i said getting a little excited on the idea of getting out of here.
"Soumi,naf...come here girls",nudrat called out to her friends.It seemed like she was the boss of her group.Because the next thing we knew both the girls were sitting on either sides of the twins.
Out of the four nudrat was the most beautiful with sea blue eyes and soft skin.Her eyes were round eyes with thick lashes.Zukreat was white like her sister with the same eye color but her's were almond shaped unlike her sister.While soumya and nafla were both average.They had tan skin and brown eyes but soumya's hairs were really long while nafla's were shoulder length.They were both cousins and bestfriends with the twins.
Nudrat seemed a little to rude and bossy while zukreat was a complete sweetheart.As for nafla and soumya they were the one's who'd do whatever nudrat say.That's what i concluded so far.Anyways it wasn't the time for all this.We had a mission to work upon.
"First of all we need to find out where all the men are at different times of the day.And if there is any route from here",i explained my plan and they all listened attentively.
"But how are we gonna do that??",soumya asked confusion written all over her face.That's the main thing.How are we going to do all that?
"I know a way",kulthum said slightly jumping from excitement.
"You know the small hole in the door from where i look out to check time for salah.From there we can get a view of the area.It's a tiny hole but atleast better than nothing.",she said.Her eyes looked hopeful.
So that's what she was doing when she went to the door before praying ishraaq.Just like in old times how they used to measure time from the position of the sun.Kulthum was doing the same now that there wasn't a clock in the room and maybe not even a masjid nearby from where one can hear the adhan.
"And if one of us go and pretend like she's drinking water from the pot when one of the guys come to give us food.Then maybe she can take a better look outside",that was nudrat who suggested that and we all agreed.
After talking about the plan a little we decided that zukreat will go and act like how nudrat explained and after that we'll make a plan according to the new information and try to escape at midnight.Nafla said there's a tiny window in the washroom from where we can take a look at the backside.
"Okay so it's all done.Now all we've got to do is wait",zukreat said clapping her hands together like a kindergarten teacher who'd expect a chorus of yes from her students after giving them a whole lecture on behaviour when they go for picnic.
Later in the day we were sitting silently.Nudrat and her two friends were sitting at a distance.I looked around at all of them.Everyone was in their own little world.When i looked at kulthum she was mumbling something under her breath.I've noticed her before.She would always mumble silently.Curiosity overtook me.
"What is that you say all the time?",i asked her just above a whisper as if this is some secret between us.She smiled at me and said:
"I recite Ayat-e-Kareema",she replied.
"What is it?",i asked her.
"It's the du'a(supplication) that Hazrat Yunus Alayh Salaam made when he was put in fish's belly by Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala will",she replied.
"Why would that happen to him.I mean he was a prophet right?Why would Allah do this to him?",i asked.So many questions were swirling in my mind.
"Just because he was a Prophet doesn't mean he can't make mistake.He made a mistake and as a punishment Allah put him in fish's belly for days where he recited this du'a that Allah accepted and got him out of the fish's belly",She said with a smile on her face.
"Quran speaks about the incident as:
"And [mention] the man of the fish.when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him.And he called out within the darkness,"There is no deity except You;exalted are You.Indeed,I have been of the wrongdoers."(21:87)
Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala responded to Hazrat Yunus's request, regarding which Allah mentions in Quran:
"So We responded to him and saved him from the distress.And thus do We save the believers."(21:88)
She explained Hazrat Yunus's story to me and all the while i was amazed by the grace of Allah.How amazing it was that Allah ordered the fish to swallow Prophet Yunus but not to eat him and the fish obeyed.While we on the other hand just do not obey Allah yet He blesses us with everything.Allah is Gracious.
"And as all the different du'as of Prophets are actually for muslims so that they can recite them when in need.Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged muslims to recite this du'a when in some kind of distress or need and want to get free from it.He said:
"I know words that will cause Allah to remove one's distress. These are the words (of supplication) of my brother Yunus[AS] "[at-Tirmidhi; an-Nisa'I, al-Hakim]
That's why i recite this du'a every time i'm distressed or in need and believe me habibti it works like magic.
"I also want to memorize this du'a.Can you help me out?",i asked her because after listening to all that she said i realized that she's right and we've been given solutions to everything by Allah and yet we don't turn to him when in need.Before daddy's death i used to pray five times and recite Quran daily and do all kind of good deeds that would please Allah but after he died i left...i left everything behind because i was angry at Allah.And now i realized that how wrong i was for doing so.I needed to repent and turn back to Allah and i just had these feelings that kulthum had been sent as a guidance to me.And i was more than willing to take full advantage of the opportunity.
"Ofcourse why not.Recite after me okay?",she asked.I nodded and she continued teaching me.
لاَّ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنتَ سُبْحَـنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ
(La Ilaha Illa Anta Subhanaka Inni Kuntu Minaz Zalimeen)
In less than five minutes i learnt the du'a and then we both were reciting it and waited for the man to bring our food so that we can start our escape mission.
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Assalamo Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh
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malu295