Driving along the roads of Colombo aimlessly in the balmy evening, Muradh found himself drowning in perpetual remorse and grief.. even after days of the unforeseen rift which caused turmoil in both his life and heart, he found it particularly difficult to return back to days of normalcy familiar to him since forever..
since his marriage 3 months ago, his life has detracted on to a different path which he himself has come to love, and which he himself has toyed with too..
with a heavy heart weighing him down,he absent mindedly drove through the streets, ashamed of himself for bringing them both down to the ambience they were in.. heck he knew there was nothing wrong with Imani's behavior at a normal glance, even without her making sure that the guy was merely a friend, except for the fact that it pained him to see someone else moving closer to her and making her smile.. that someone else being another man, sure did fuel the frustrations germinating within him.. and it was indeed his rotten luck which made Imani believe that he was accusing her, he didn't even wanted to confront her, let alone accuse her by any means yet his anger won the best of him and thus this happened..
Despite knowing how fragile she is, with her walls high up and grief pooling in her eyes incessantly, he has treaded on her shells recklessly and deepened the cracks in his attempt thus deepening the crossroads leading his path to hers..
With the maghrib azan echoing all around him, lulling the city into a sense of blissful security, he drove down the roads to the only significant place known to bring him peace...
Parking his car down in the basement.. Muradh walked up to one of the biggest Jummah Masjid in whole of Colombo to offer his Maghrib prayers.. with a slightly burden lessened heart and sparks of re kindled hope.. he walked through the gates and down the roads till his feet halted in front of a mud lane, a heavy contrast to the hustle bustle roads.. trudging down the lane he walked till his eyes landed on a tumbled down gate bordering a two roomed cottage..
He leaned on the gates watching the two little figures resting on the veranda with books clutched in their hands.. he waited patiently and grinned in amusement on seeing the amount of noise the little girls always managed to make by themselves..
" Aachi.. aachi.. see who is here.. see who is here.." they chanted in unison.. jumping up and down in excitement..
Muradh's grin widened.. walking inside he hugged the little girls tightly..
"Rafiya.. Raihana.. who is it?" a tender voice called from inside..
"Muradh beckoned the girls to keep quite.. and walked inside, both the girls at his heels..
" its Muradh aiya Muradh aiya" they screamed..
Standing at the threshold gazing at the woman sitting in the bed , her eyes raking across the holy quran..
" Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabarakathuhu shadiya ma(grandma).. " he greeted enthusiastically hugging the elderly woman whose demeanour always screamed warmth and love..
"putha..(son) took you long enough to visit us.." she pouted hiding an impish smile tugging at her lips..
"hardly fair ma... you could come visit me too.. but you didn't.." Muradh countered back..
" noo putha.. unfortunately I don't find myself growing younger with passing days.. with pains here and there, Alhamdulillah.. still Im able to do all my tasks by myself and im happy for that.. I dont wanna risk myself of voyages" she chuckled.." meanwhile I was waiting for you and Imani to come see this old lady.. You disappointed me Muradh.." she feigned disappointment, while a dark shadow flitted across his face on mention of her name, he was quick enough to mask it with a smile but not before it was noticed by her..
Shadiya Ma lived nearby the Jummah masjidh with her Husband and her two grand daughters.. she was a motherly figure to Muradh having supported him at the most crucial part of his life.. since then they were a part of his family.. more like his only family..
" I will bring her soon Aachi.. where is seeya( grandpa) by the way? didn't see him in the masjid" he smiled..
"he has gone on business putha, he will be retuning in a day or two" she replied, looking at the girls eagerly listening to their conversation, she ordered them to go back and offer their maghrib prayers and to start reciting the quran.. which the girls obeyed sulkily..
she beckoned Muradh to come sit by her side, taking his hands in hers.. "now tell me whats wrong?" He asked lovingly..
"Lying his head against her lap while she caressed his hair.."
"I'm scared Ma.. I'm so scared that I will lose her too.." he murmured ..
"Why would you think that?" She asked incredulously..
At the verge of giving up to the anguish clawing in his heart pushing him off limits, he found himself spilling everything tearing apart his heart to shards.. Shadiya Ma kept listening attentively all the while stroking his hair and smiled all knowingly when he finished
"I did saw this coming Muradh but not this quick though.." she beamed..
"you saw this coming?" he asked, clearly taken back..
"Tell me Muradh , what does patience appeal to you as?" she asked..
"umm.. I guess it always has a positive effect on critical situations?" he guessed..
" to put it in a better and simpler way putha, patience is the answer for everything.." she smiled..
" Marriage isn't a piece of cake Muradh, its a union of two different souls from two entirely different worlds coming together sharing their lives as one.. and its not simple as it sounds though.. while children brought under the same roof struggles to cope with the other, how foolish of us to expect that our spouse adjoining our life from another one of their own, a deep contrast to ours, would be able to handle it soft and smooth.." she shook her head in disbelief..
" Its not about who dominates, but all about the perfect balance maintained in making up your own world.. until his almighty unravels his miracles by unveilings roads in dead ends and put things in place, patience and prayers is all you've got putha.. and the good news is, that is all you need"
" I'm so scared Ma, so freakingly scared.. with her walls so high and fire in her soul, I think she will always be a mystery ill never be able to unveil.. she is so fragile... Ive grown to be familiar with her presence in my life, I find myself unable to even decipher a life without her.. yet at times.. her fragility is replaced but a ferocity so intensely against me, that Im scared she will unleash my frustrations and drive me back to the beast I once was.." he sighed.. " I don't want her to see that side of me Ma, I don't even want her to know that such a side ever existed in me" he whimpered..
" I don't get her, neither does she understands me, I feel like im fighting a loosing battle Ma, its either her fire would burn me down to ashes or she would be bleeding to death in my broken shards.. would this ever work out ma?" he finished giving her a deep forlorn look..
" trust on you to put it that way Muradh.." she chuckled.. " there again.. as I said.. the only solution would be patience and prayers.. with them backing you up.. there is no way its not supposed to work out.. Muradh she has left the world she has been living in snce she was brought to this world and embarked on a journey holding your hands blindly.. isn't it your responsibility to prove she is all safe and sound.. wouldn't it come down to you to prove her that she isnt abandoned? Putha.. what if she doesn't talk.. make her talk.. what if she doesn't understand.. make her understand.. what if she is a mystery.. unravel the walls she hides behind.. The Muradh I know has crossed seas and trudged on bigger adversities to get here.. I cant believe my son is cowering down in this.. "
"broken doesn't mean you've lost the will to live but that you've seen life in its worst and all ready to enjoy it in its best.. what if it seems to not work out? go ahead putha.. Make it work.. prove her that you're a worthy choice in life..prove her that you've got her back and show her the profound effect she has in your life and remember the only tools you will ever need is Patience and prayers... she explained leaving Muradh awestruck on the depth of life appealing in simplicity..
Assalamu alaikum w.w peeps..
Sooo here it is.. trust me when I say this is one of the hardest chapter I've typed since.. plus I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with this Muradh guy..
Soo sooo how is it.. did I do justice to it..
Soo lemme know in comments..
Until then vote comment and share..