"life is going to throw pebbles at you. either you choose to build a life with them or wail over the wounds they leave behind - faaris."
Sulaaymaan had remained silent as they all inspected the rest of the mansion . From rooms to hallways to floors , they left no corner upturned .
Ever since he witnessed the horrors that lay camouflaged within Afra's closet , he seemed to have become numb .
Not everyone noticed the sudden transformation in his smile and behaviour .
Except Afra .
She kept it minimal while gazing at him . Fortunately for him , he wasn't caught everytime she stole glances at her since he forced small smiles .
It was fairly significant that his change had aroused her suspicion , to the point that he could feel her intense sight on his back .
She was smart and could make out the slightest of alternations . It didn't suprise him that she had already discerned his tension .
His hope wavered greatly to think that out of all the people the threatener could have targeted , it was her .
A pure , innocent soul , oblivious to her surroundings .
All he did was lay his eyes over hers for a second longer than intented and she was being hurt ever since then .
From the rest of the rooms and floors , they found about several more of the PDS and cameras but none were located in the vicinity of the areas they often roamed about .
They wouldn't hold any of their activities or glimpses at all . But they could have caught the threatener , vaguely at the least .
Five and a quarter hours later , Sulaaymaan and Afra had plopped down on the couches with exhaustion .
He could faintly hear the groans from Afra's side . She had undergone a minor operation and had been given about twelve stitches . Yet she had very bravely escaped the premises of the hospital and had run faster than him .
Obviously , she was in terrible pain at this point .
He didn't have the courage to face her though .
The pain in his chest increased and he shut his eyes for a few minutes , the encounter of the previous hours making him feel claustrophobic like a dark spirit around him .
The men had been busy with packing their equipment back into the large bags . He saw from a corner of his eyes that Afra was laughing heartily at Faaris who was dancing in front of her .
After sitting upright , he brushed off the tears that had collected into his eyes at the sight . Her laugh resonated and echoed within the room and from time to time , the other men would glimpse at her and smile widely .
Twenty minutes passed and Aasiq instructed his men to carry the bags back to their cars .
"Sir ."
He approached Sulaaymaan and he stood up , averting his gaze quickly and mumbling apologies .
"Y..es....Mr. Aasiq ?"
"Alhumdulillah , we've cleared the house and took into custody all of those PSD and CCTV's . As per your request , we'll be going through them all and letting you know what we found ."
Sulaaymaan nodded curtly and his eyes moved over to the roof .
"You checked the roof too didn't you ?"
He asked , eyes still lingering over the tiny bit of chain hanging down .
"Of course sir . I'm getting to that ."
Sulaaymaan held his breath and looked back at him .
"You've also requested our assistance during your upcoming birthday celebrations if I'm not wrong ?"
Sulaaymaan supported his injured arm and the depth of the realization haunted him .
His birthday was coming up . As per every year , he was going to be donating a lot but at the same time , he needed to put together a celebration . His mother's family would be coming along and not to mention the paparazzi .
All along that , one unknown person could easily walk unnoticed through the doors .
"Hmm...yes I did ."
Aasiq nodded briskly.
"So that leaves us with the case of the chandelier ."
Sulaaymaan tensed . He already had fathomed the conclusion he'd be listening to , but that didn't mean he wanted to confirm it .
"The chandelier had been deliberately cut with a saw we guess . The ridges were uneven and the chain that is hanging down is solid evidence in itself ."
Sulaaymaan gulped , feeling fear engulf his heart .
"Even if we did presume that the chandelier fell , the chain that is still stuck to the roof will not comply with that ."
Aasiq pursed his lips together as Sulaaymaan faced him .
"I understand . Thank you so much for the help ."
Aasiq smiled and shook hands with Sulaaymaan .
"You don't have to worry sir . We'll all be well equipped when we come back a few days later . You needn't worry ."
Sulaaymaan nodded , side glancing at Afra who was waving at Faaris . All of the men had started to gather around Aasiq and bid farewell .
He walked them out and waited until the headlights of their cars diminished into the darkness . Absentmindedly , he shut the doors and trudged back into the living room , only to find Afra staring at him peculiarly.
When his eyes landed on her , she cleared her throat and trudged closer until she was a few steps away from him .
"How're you feeling ? In all the commotion today , I couldn't ask you that ."
She looked down upon her fingers that were crossed and Sulaaymaan gave her a forced smile .
"Would it matter ?"
Her eyes looked up and met his and in that moment he couldn't decipher his own mind . All he could think of was that he was exhausted and his heart was devoid of any emotion .
"Of course it does ."
He shifted his gaze and sighed loudly . Not having the strength to stand upright any longer , he turned around .
A few steps later , he stopped and glimpsed over his shoulder at Afra who was staring at his retreating figure .
"You shouldn't lie you know . I hate that you give me false hope ."
It was frightening but Afra knew she wouldn't be able to sleep or even try to relax if she didn't have some warmth flowing through her .
Having to witness those men pull off those PDS and CCTV's made her shudder .
She was the only one who suggested to join the team as they hunted down the bizzare instruments . Whatever the case , never in a million years , was she prepared to witness so many of those .
She shook her head , unable to keep up with the flooding thoughts .
As she poured the chamomile tea into a large mug , the warm wift of it made her close her eyes for a second and feel alive .
Smiling satisfactorily , she washed the pot and placed it back in its place before walking steadily out of the kitchen .
With every step she took in the eerily quiet hallways , she could sense some impending danger .
Under normal circumstances , she would've dealt with it . But at ten at night , all she could do was lie down and cry .
I hate that you give me false hope.
She shut her eyes tight as Sulaaymaan's voice repeated those words in her head and she paused abruptly on her path .
Tears stinged her eyes and before she could have a second to bring her emotions under control , there was no looking back .
One by one , fat drops of her encased emotions fell free from her eyes and as minutes ticked away , her parched mouth and stabbing pain reminded her of the surrounding .
Sniffing she moved along , cupping her mug to ensure that the tea was warm enough .
Sulaaymaan was kind and understanding . And she loved that about him . Nonetheless she couldn't let go of the times when he had very harshly forced her away or left her head spinning with his deep statements .
Recently she had been crying a lot .
And all because she had started to care for him .
When she passed down the hallway , she remembered that the Queen's room was on the other end of the first floor . And she didn't know why , but she needed someone .
And the Queen was the best option .
It was ten at night and whether the Queen would be awake or asleep , she didn't know . So for that reason , she decided to check .
Not that it was too far away from her own room , but her pain had started to intensify . It was becoming hard to even just walk and she frowned with confusion when she felt something wet trickle down her thighs .
"Am I bleeding ?"
She hesitated and positioned her cup securely in one hand and slowly pressed her other Palm over her wounded area , only to find it almost wet and sticky .
"Ya ALLAH !"
She bit her lip and prayed hard . It was miserable to go through the tough times all alone and she was missing her family a lot .
Especially Inaya .
Allah is there with you . You're not alone .
In times of stress and uncertainty , one must hold tight to their faith in the Almighty Allah . In the end of the day , he hears the silent cries of our heart , the unfathomable thoughts of our mind and the ache of our body . He sees all that one cannot .
Yet like every other teacher , all he does is stay quiet and let us endure . The patience then adds up as gold points that could be the ticket to Jannah .
That calmed her down .
She smiled happily , holding a palm against the wound and muttering Astaghfirullah and Alhumdulillah ala kulli haal .
On second thought though , she felt blessed and grateful . Whatever she was going through was easier than the people of the Ummah who were fighting for their lives .
And she was guided by Allah when the dark had made her feel helpless .
Not everyone was given such privelege .
With unhurried and steady steps , she walked past her room . The feeling of jumping onto her bed and rolling about was tempting.
She pouted and whirled around the other way , carefully walking towards the Queen's room on the other end .
Blood was trickling down her legs in thin lines and she couldn't help but feel as if it were dripping down to the floor .
In the end , she confirmed it and found that thankfully her shoes were collecting all of it .
Finding so much blood was frightening her though .
In an attempt to divert her attention to something more catching , she focused her eyes on the wall frames portraying several children and relatives .
Due to lack of proper illumination , she couldn't make out anything more than the Queen who she recognised since she had been aware of how she looked .
Then he gaze travelled over the vacant space that the chandelier once took . She missed how it illuminated the place . It was an odd phantasm that she personally felt blue and monotonous without it .
Why would anyone kill that poor thing ?
It was innocent .
Her gaze fell over the space the chandelier usually took , it's bright light always marking her way and making her feel safe .
Things change .
Although it seemed horrible , she believed internally that it was all for their own good in the end .
When she reached the Queen's room , she paused a moment . Putting her ear to the door , she strained to make out any noises or anything that could indicate that the Queen was awake .
She stood for another few seconds and when absolute silence - except for the cricketing of the crickets - was profound , she stepped back .
"No , I shouldn't disturb her ."
Sadly , she gazed at the doors for a few seconds and whirled around .
She had barely taken a step when voices from the other end alerted her .
"Mama , I know it's sudden . But....I don't want to wait any longer ."
Afra frowned .
Sulaaymaan ?
There was a longer pause and then the other voice started off in a heated manner .
"Sulaaymaan , Habibi , are you sure you'll take care of her ? Marriage is not a joke . She's not a toy to be played with ."
There was another pause , this time with shoes that clicked against the floor .
"Mama , I really do love her . Ever since the time I saw her for the first time , she's always been in my heart . I cannot tell you how complete I'll feel if she will be by my side ."
Afra held her breath , twirling her scarf in between her fingers restlessly .
"I haven't told this to her yet . But I've always truly loved her . The determination in her voice . The spark in her eyes when she smiles and the bravery of her actions . Her devotion to the religion and her love for her family . The way she stands her ground against the wrong ."
Afra felt suffocated . She held a shaky hand against the wall to steady her heavy breathing and to control her wobbly knees .
A second passed by and she heard nothing more . Until Queen Basmah's voice echoed .
"I am bringing the Qur'an . With your hand on the holy scripture , you'll reaaure me that Afra will be treated like the Queen . Like a woman of Islam is supposed to be . "
Her voice was stern and held authority in it .
"Yes mother . I shall do as you tell ."
Afra remained quiet and tried to relax by taking in shorter and quicker breaths . When she couldn't hear anything for about another ten minutes , she tiptoed closer to the door while being stuck to the wall .
"There you go ! Now you'll keep your right hand over the Qur'an and state your true intentions ."
Afra felt the hair on her arms rise as the room fell silent and all she could hear was her heart thumping loudly and the weird sinking feeling in her stomach .
"By Allah , I promise that I shall take care of the woman I intend to spend my life with . By Allah , I promise I shall give her the respect that Islam encourages and be a real man . By Allah , I promise to deal with her justly and make sure to provide her with the basic necessities she desires . By Allah , I promise to lay down my life in times of bad for her . By Allah , I shall hold her hand until Jannah shall rest beneath our feet . By Allah , I will make sure to let her smile never falter and her eyes never bleed ."
As his voice ended like the soft whisperings of a secret , Afra's
She had broken down halfway through the hallway as she hurriedly ran . As an instantaneous reaction , her hands had cupped her mouth tight and her eyes had shut close in order to prevent her tears .
He would be so sincere and serious , she had hardly even considered it . Whatever he said - although it was unbelievable - wouldn't be wrong because he had his hands on the Qur'an .
He didn't lie .
She knew he didn't .
Her lips started quivering as flashbacks of the previous incidents started to coarse through her head , manipulating her vision and faltering her balance .
The pain of her injury felt no more than a numb cut that had disappeared like a nightmare as she trudged limply across the floor , towards her own room .
Their voices seemed to die down with each step she took away from the room and although they still were talking rather loudly, she couldn't seem to focus on anything except Sulaaymaan .
All this while , she had thought he was a madman , a self conceited rich brat whose life just revolved around money and fame .
Incidents from the time she came flogged into her mind as she took every step towards her room .
"Sulaaymaan.....why - wh....y wo....uld - "
She held a hand against her chest as sudden seizure pained her heart . Memories of how she had treated or thought of him hit her like like a tornado that made her head whizz .
"Ya Allah ! How....cou-ld I - "
She hated herself at this point . He truly meant all that he had said and done all along and in the meanwhile she had been suspecting him .
She believed that one cannot judge someone by just what they merely notice .
And she regretted it heavily .
Hot tears fell across her cheeks and the bitter feeling of uncertainty and regret made her nauseous .
As she stumbled along the path , a hand squeezed her shoulder out of the blue and she froze .
"Miss Afra , are you alright ? What are you doing here ?"
« Assalaamualaikum Princesses ❤ .
Jazak'ALLAHU QAIRAN KATHEERAN for all of your love and support .
And I hope this chapter was worth the wait .
Please keep up with your votes and encouragement . I really truly appreciate it .
Stay strong and keep your faith steadfast .
Let Allah know that you're worth all the tests and stay patient .
All the love ,
Me ;) »