25th March 2020
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were an arm or a trotter of a sheep." Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari
Chapter 06:
Seedlings of Love
"That was exactly my reaction." Leila laughed at Kareema's expression. "I took almost ten minutes to process it."
"I did not see that coming." Kareema grinned. "Does Husna know?"
"I'm not sure, but I've been given strict instructions not to say anything to her." Leila replied. "And those apply to you too."
"Of course." Kareema nodded. "Wow, Laith is either really good at hiding his feelings or we're just slow on picking things up."
"I actually picked up on Husna's distaste when we kept talking about Laith's proposals." Leila conveyed.
"That's true." Kareema threw her a glance. "If this hadn't played out like how it has, maybe I would've asked her what's going on."
"Laith was actually letting fate take its time." Leila confessed. "He let Mum invite whomever she wanted to, then he prayed Istikhaara and realised he'd better hurry because if Husna's getting proposals like he is, he could be too late."
"Aww, that's so cute." Kareema smiled. "Making haste in doing good, hmm?"
"Alhamdulillah." Leila replied, as Husna's house looked at the end of the street. "I'm actually excited for this." She sighed happily as Husna emerged from her house and waved at the approaching car with a smile.
It had already been three days since Laith had proposed the idea of marrying Husna to his family. As they prepared with joyous enthusiasm, since Husna was a well-known muslimah in the household, the days had flown with ease. Now, the trio were headed to the Charity Camp organised by Vitals Hospital, grateful for a day's outing in the warm sunlight.
"Hey!" Husna smiled before she climbed into the car, giving her salaam to Leila and Kareema in the process. "I have some really good news."
"Ma Shaa Allah, what is it?" Kareema asked, hiding her smile and drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.
"The pediatrician found a medicine that works for Zahir!" She exclaimed, referring to her young cousin. "His condition is improving so they're going to move him out of the ICU soon, In Shaa Allah."
"That's amazing, Ma Shaa Allah." Leila smiled. "You were so worried, it was worrying me."
"I know right?" Husna grinned at her. "I've started reading a few books on his condition now. Dr. Laeeq was a great help."
"Aah, is he the one who treated Zahir?" Leila asked, unfamiliar with the name, for she had only heard of and spoken to Dr. Lily Pullsey.
"No, he's a cardiologist. A heart doctor." Husna replied. "I thought a doctor for babies would know everything about babies, but apparently not. They need opinions from specialists." She shook her head.
"Gosh. Their lives sound hectic." Kareema sighed dramatically. "I guess we'll witness it today." She said, pointing to the banner that had come into view, welcoming the general public for a free health check-up.
"That reminds me, I have the plan for Kahsan in action." Husna grinned.
"Kahsan? Seriously?" Kareema raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, this is more about Ahsan, so I had to include his entire name in the ship-name, okay?" Husna clarified as Leila laughed.
"That sounds apt." Leila agreed, giving her a high five from the passenger's seat.
"Nothing personal habibti, just enjoy the fact that 'K' has joined with 'Ahsan'." Husna said, dodging a smack from Kareema, who had a smile playing on her lips.
Leila could feel the entire camp bursting with energy as they entered the gates. Though the primary goal was to attract the general public to assess their health, it had also turned into a playground for children. Balloons, cotton candies and soap bubbles were seen scattered across the park, along with the symmetric arrangement of check-up stalls.
Kareema parked the car before they set off towards the large monitor to find their allocated tables. And as fate would usually have it, they were separately grouped into three different stalls. Thus, bidding her friends adieu, Leila walked over to stall number 24. As she neared, Lily Pullsey waved her over, for they had talked when she had gone to visit Zahir.
"I saw you're on our team!" She beamed. "This is Fatima and that's Laeeq, he's gone to get some diabetometers, right?" She said pointing somewhere behind Leila.
"Yup. Assalam Alaykum." Fatima smiled at her.
"Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu." Leila replied politely.
"We won't have people coming in yet, it's too early." Fatima spoke as Leila sat down beside her. "Should we run a test on you?" She grinned.
"What?" Leila asked, alarmed.
"You know, we could do that." Lily joined in. "Hey Joseph, have you got sterile scalpels? I want to test somebody's flexor carpi digitorum." She called to the other table. "We can quickly make a small incision, there won't be too much blood."
"Just kidding." Fatima said quickly with an apologetic smile, for Leila had nearly started hyperventilating.
"Is this what you guys do in your free time?" Leila asked, relieved. "Scare the heck out of people using medical terminologies?"
"No!" Fatima laughed as Joseph walked over in confusion. "Lily's been dying to try this on someone, you gave an excellent reaction."
"That's called voluntary abuse of your position." Leila heard a voice behind her. "Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu, you must be Leila Muhammad." Laeeq said, coming into view.
"Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu." Leila replied. She wasn't sure if she was more surprised that he knew her name or because she had been addressed directly by a random guy.
He probably says that to everyone everyday. She thought. Introductions are a part of his job, after all.
"This one's name is Leila too." He said, drawing her attention to the baby girl he was carrying. "She was far sweeter than what the diabetometers could measure, so I brought her instead."
"She's such a cutie, Ma Shaa Allah!" Fatima exclaimed as he handed the baby over to her. "Is she Ahmad's daughter?"
"Ahmad? Your cousin?" Joseph asked, surprise evident in his tone.
"Yeah." Laeeq replied. "Ahmad's getting his wife checked at Samir's table."
"She's that guy's daughter?" Joseph asked, bewilderment still visible on his face. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Joseph." Laeeq deadpanned. "I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about."
"She's just got a skin colour that's way lighter than her father's." Joseph shrugged, smiling at the baby. "It's kind of unbelievable."
"He married a Gadsiwian." Laeeq clarified, referring to the city almost 10 hours far from Inersaw.
"Aah, no wonder." Joseph nodded. "How did it even work out? Gadsiwians are so different."
"We're living in the 21st century." Laeeq spoke. "If you still segregate people into boundaries of cultural differences, I can show you the way to the Psychiatry Department. You need a session on cognitive cleansing."
That's the smartest reply I've ever heard. Leila grinned as Fatima burst out laughing.
The sun climbed higher as Ahmad and his wife stopped by to collect their daughter. As noon arrived, the health camp was gradually filling to meet its purpose. Leila worked diligently with the doctors, amazed especially at Laeeq's communication skills.
He seemed to befriend the young and chat with the elderly almost like he had known them forever. There was a charm to everything that he did, somehow highlighting how much he loved his job. The care she saw in his eyes was like no other, it seemed to Leila that the effortless and confident smile he wore cured the worry people carried.
"You'll have to do the entire thing in water." Laeeq spoke glancing at her briefly, and Leila blinked. He was tending to a boy who had fallen down in the park, and she was supposed to be helping him.
She hadn't ever seen eyes that beautiful.
What was it about those dark mahogany brown pools of wonder that she couldn't forget even if she tried?
And Inersawian people were famous for their unwavering gaze.
"The orthopedic cast, the bandage you're holding..." He clarified, pointing at her hands.
"Oh, right." Leila nodded, submerging the thick roll of blue bandage into the tray of water. "Sorry."
What is wrong with me? She thought, annoyed at herself.
"It's okay, you're doing brilliantly even if it's your first time." He nodded in approval as she handed the damp roll to him, careful not to touch his hand.
Leila thought that was the best thing she had heard all day, for she was smiling even after lunch. It was only Fatima who noticed the slight changes, unbeknownst to Leila or Laeeq, she had been witnessing their exchanges since morning. It didn't really take a genius to tell that they were attracted to each other, yet kept brushing it aside.
It reminded her of her own seedlings of love. That love which had grown so much it had started to scare her just a little bit, but gave her relief in multiple folds. That love which she hadn't even realised until it was too much to ignore, for it had taken root in the parts of her heart she had never visited. That love which had taken her from her land and thrown her into the seastorm she had dreamt of.
"Samir!" Fatima whisper-screamed frantically, but he wasn't looking her way. Standing outside his classroom, his eyes were on the moving cars outside the orphanage. Fatima giggled, wondering if he'd get in more trouble if he talked to her.
"Samir!" She yelled, catching his attention.
"What are you doing here?" Samir whispered back, staring at the nine year old girl in shock.
"Come on!" She beckoned him over.
Samir threw a glance over his shoulder at the teacher in his classroom before running over to Fatima, worry etched all over his face.
"What are you doing here, Fatima?" He asked. "You could get into trouble."
"You could too." She said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm already in trouble so it doesn't really matter, but what--" He froze, they could hear someone walking into the corridor. Without giving it a second thought, he grabbed her hand and they raced outside the building. It wasn't a particularly sunny day, and the winds danced in Samir's hair as they sat down on the benches of the orphanage's park.
"Why are you in trouble?" Fatima asked, glad that they couldn't be interrupted anymore.
"I sneaked out to pray Jumu'ah. It was really late by the time I came back." Samir told her with a grin.
"You went to the masjid? Samir!" Fatima complained. "We made a plan to go together, remember?" She snapped, annoyed at him.
"Yeah, but we're going to be in separate rooms anyway." Samir said turning towards her. "Fatima..." He grinned again, enjoying her adorable angry expression.
"Stop laughing." She said instantly. "You're so mean."
"Okay okay, but I got you this." He said, taking out a bunch of jasmine flowers and a few pebbles. "Look, they're so pretty."
"Aww!" Fatima cheered up as he dropped them in her hand. "They really are! They look like the ones in my garden."
"Oh, you already have jasmines in your garden..." Samir said, his shoulders drooping.
"Yeah, but these are prettier." She reassured him. "Thank you!" She smiled, and that was all he needed to forget his sorrows.
There wasn't much he could gift her, but whatever he gave her seemed to hold more value to Fatima than all that she owned. For when the hearts connect and souls come close, love fills the heart more than any materialistic thing ever could. If there was one thing he liked about her, it was her gratefulness.
"But how did you manage to come here all alone?" Samir asked, leaning back.
"I live only a few minutes away, I know my way around this place now." She replied. "I mean, we're friends." She emphasised.
"No." He shook his head. "We're not friends."
"What? We aren't?" She asked, half-aghast and half-surprised.
"I don't know what we are, but we're definitely not friends." He clarified. "I don't know why I feel like if I make you my friend, I could lose you. I had a sister and a Mum and a Dad, but now they're gone."
"It's okay Samir, I'll be your sister and your Mum and your Dad." Fatima spoke. "I will be your friend and your family, I will be your everything."
Samir laughed.
"I'm serious." She said, raising an eyebrow.
"Thank you, Fatima." He said, marvelling at the girl in front of him. "In the khutbah today, the imam said we can't be friends though. I asked him."
"Oh." Fatima's face fell.
"Let's not label ourselves as friends. Maybe... Maybe we could be something else in the future?" Samir suggested.
"Yeah, maybe." She agreed blindly, not really understanding what he meant.
Perhaps it was this moment that the seedlings of love were sown in their hearts, for you couldn't find one without the other. Perhaps it was this bond that turned so strong that even the universe changed plans, for the Lord of the world had sent stars falling apart to align their destiny. Their only barrier was time, but as time unwound, so did they. And before they knew it, everything had disappeared.
Or so they thought.