The Love of My Life

It was a pleasant evening. Neither too hot nor too cold. I sat there with my cup of coffee sighing at the beautiful scene. The trees with their flowers danced over the play grounds and swimming pool.

My companion turned to me and smiled, "You look cheerful". "I am", I replied with a smile. "Its funny how life turns out to be. I thought life had ended when I left my country with tears, I didn't know then that I'd find a good friend right here in you".

"Yes, as we have heard so many times, when one door closes, another opens. Tell me, why were you sad?” asked my comrade.

"It's a little painful to narrate, knowing I left the man I loved since I was five. I know he is in safe hands for his wife loves him loyally. Lol did you know they still pull each others legs but at the end of the day can't do without each other." I replied with a far away look mixed with happiness and sadness.

"Wow, you never told me all these. Who is he? Who is he married to?” inquired my friend.

"He is the love of my life. He knew me since I was born. He actually saw me when I was a baby and was among the first to have held me. I remember him distinctively when I was five. I was busy playing with my toys when I glanced up and caught him staring at me. He was smiling and looking at me lovingly. I knew at that moment that he was in love with me. He patted the seat next to him and nodded me to come to him. Lol, but I just looked away and went about playing with my toys."

"That is amazing! Someone actually loved you since you're a baby! Oh please do continue, what happened next?"

"I kind of ignored him since he was around most of the times. Once he came home in the evening to play with my sister and me, only to find that we had not returned from school. My mother was a nervous wreck. Of course, it was my fault as I had cajoled my sister to come along with me to a friends place. In the mean time, he searched the whole school and finally told my mother we needed to call the police. As soon as he picked up the phone, I cried out for my mom from the gate to open the door. That was one of the many times I realized how much he loved me."

"Yes, not many are lucky to have someone who loves them so dearly and for so long", observed my companion.

"I soon turned a teenager. My room changed to a studio with film stars gracing my walls. When he would come home, he'd come to my room and get flustered over the posters. "My grandfather would not have approved of this!” he remarked with remorse. "During his times, there was no T.V. and I bet he is just jealous right now.” I snapped back. Lol, now whenever we meet or correspond he reminds me of what I had said. He remembers the tiniest comment I made."

"Ohhh, that is so sweet. He sounds so protective."

"Oh he was! He still is. He'd call any boy who comes near me even a foot "Gun Boy" and say he'd shoot him. Lol, of course all said and done in good humor but I got his message clearly. He would at no point entertain those kinds of mischief makers."

"Definitely, I too can feel exactly how he felt then", said my companion looking at me with the same kind of protective eyes.

"I am very thankful I had him. He put in me a sense of responsibility and in a lot of ways though I never showed him, I guessed I loved him too. It's funny to say I loved him and still do thinking back at my teenage years. I used to hate studies and spend my time with friends, going to the sports club. I had become quite good at badminton too. I was very social at that time. Hardly at home."

"Well those are the years when everyone does that. Friends, activities, school. They become your world"

"True. It was my recklessness in studies that made him angry. He was very hardworking. On top of that, he admired my sister. He would always point her out to me and say "Look how hardworking she is." I admire that he always said 'hard work' and never 'Lack of intelligence'. He would mention that he thought I was more intelligent but just too naughty. I guess that is why I never felt I lacked in any respect. All I needed to do is wake up and realize I had to work."

"I think I like this man more and more. He not only sounds loving but also quite intelligent. You are blessed to have such a good friend."

"Yes. I totally agree. That is why in my every prayer, I pray for him from my heart. For all the times he protected me, guided me, even when I screamed to be left alone, he still held my hand."

"Indeed. However, I see now that you've achieved so much and learning a passion for you. How did that happen?” asked my dear friend.

"I don't know. I was around thirteen and he had gone to perform the holy pilgrimage, Hajj to Mecca Shariff. My mom left me with a friend of mine who was quite a good and serious student. It was my 8th standard and he had told me that if I don't get enough marks, I might not go to High school and end up getting married. Though I know he was joking, I still didn't want to be left behind. I worked that last five months and managed to come in the top 20 in the finals."

"That's great! He must have been surprised!"

"Lol, Relieved is the word. He was happy I cleared my exam well and I got a calling letter from my high school. It was from there that I took off and starting topping each term, each year and eventually my school in the 12th National Exams. He was so proud. He would ask any girl from my school if they knew me. He thought the whole world should know me. I used to get very irritated and thought it was embarrassing, but he didn't. He devotedly, asked every girl he met from my school, "Do you know Alefyah?"."

"I can imagine his pride. I guess a few years earlier he would not have known you would have done that."

"No. I, myself, wouldn't have dreamt I would change so much. It felt good to work. It gave me an inner peace. Though it also made me feel I never work enough and I should, more and more and more. In whatever I do, he always supports me."

"Does he love you?"

"Yes. Very much. It's been twenty five years now and I guess it's the longest time ever that someone has loved me, so deeply and for so long"

"Well, don't worry, I am here and I will love you as much and make sure that I don't see the tears longing for him while I am beside you!” exclaimed my dearest aunt.

"Of course not Masi! I never feel I am away from home, doing my post graduate when you are with me. I will always miss him and long for him, but then which daughter does not for her father?” I asked.

She looked stunned for sometime and then gave a squeal of laughter. “That was quite smart little girl. Now drink up your coffee.”

We both smiled and exchanged warm glances. Chattering away, we sipped our coffee as the evening creeped in quitely

A day in the life of a young muslim wife

I am warm and comfortable in my bed
Sleeping soundly with my husband next to me
I distantly hear the alarm going off
He reaches for it and switches it off

“Wake up my dear, it’s time for prayers”
He whispers and nudges me gently
There is some kind of magic in the way he says it
That it makes me wake up, alert and conscious

We freshen up and do ablution
He begins his prayers
As I lay my prayer mat behind him
How lovely is the sound of Adhan
As I listen to every word he recites
We stay very far from the masjid
And I know he is saddened
Not to make it there every day

I raise my head from the ground
As I finish my prayer
I glance at him,
I bow down once again,

To thank my Lord for granting him
We conclude our prayers
And sit together
As he recites the Quran Shariff

I follow through
And recite a few lines after him
The sun has risen by now
And we get ready for the day ahead

We get dressed to go for our walk
We have a lovely park outside our home
And by God’s grace, a walking track too
I smell the freshness of the morning

The dew on the petals and leaves
The chirping of the dove
Oh how lovely, has my Lord created this world
Comes the thought as the night turns bright

Back at home I rush to the kitchen
Set the kettle on fire
And get the breakfast ready
He goes for his bath while I lay out his clothes

Let me see if I have got all of it
His shirt, pants, socks, handkerchief
Oh wait, I forgot his tie
Now I am ready to lay the table

He likes a simple breakfast
I make him some eggs and toast
With honey flavored milk and his favorite dates
I pack him Tiffin with a few sandwiches

Not to forget salad and a bottle of juice
He is very naughty like a boy when it comes to salads
I actually have to sit with him to see that he eats his
He looks at me appealing to bear him the torture

But I firmly say “No, it’s good for your health”.
He wears his shoes and fetches his keys
With a smile he bids me adieu “Fiammanillah”
“Fiammanillah” I smile back at him
I stand at the door as I see him walk away
I know he knows I am still standing there
He turns at the corner and waves

With a strange kind of happy sorrow
I wave back and close the door
I go about my chores swiftly
Dusting and sweeping and mopping
Once that’s done, the clothes go in the washing machine

It’s 10.00 am by now
I get dressed as I have to get the groceries
I wear my veil and get my purse
I had made a list of all I wanted the previous night

At the grocery, I pick the items quick
And then a new beverage drink catches my eye
There is a discount offer on its price
And for a moment I contemplate to buy

Its then when I remembered what my husband said
Whether anything has a discount or not
You still have to shelve out the money
It’s a way the company diverts your attention from its price
I smile as I put it back
I really don’t need it and it’d increase my monthly budget
My husband is very intelligent
He tells me things I never would have noticed.

I pay my bills and make my way back
Once at home I keep the groceries away
I thank my Lord as I do so
“Thank you so much for all your bounties dear Lord”

Now I have to decide the menu
Hmmm, what should I make today
How about the recipe his mother gave me
For one of his favorite curry and also that of desert

Oh yes, I will surprise him today
I open my dairy to find it
I had noted it down when I visited mom
There it is! Oh good, I have all the ingredients

I work with care as it’s my first time
In between I got a doubt and called my mother-in-law
“Assalam alaykum ammi, I need your help”
My mother-in-law is always happy when I call her for help
She treats me like a daughter
and guides me through the steps
I am finally done and I taste the cooking
It seems good to me, I call her again and thank her
I promise to call later and let her know how he finds it

Alhamdullilah, I am done with my chores
I go out in the patio to work on my plants
I have been learning about gardening recently
He loves flowers and greenery
I thought it’d be nice to have some in the patio
When he sits out in the evening,
He would enjoy the flowers
He loved the idea immediately when I proposed it
He even got me a starter’s book on home gardens

I work on my small garden for half hour
Its time for afternoon prayer
I wash my hands, remove some fresh clothes from the wardrobe
After pressing them, I freshen up
Take a quick shower again as I had done so much manual work
I feel fresh and good, do my ablution and say my prayers
Its 1 o’clock now
As I fold my prayer mat
I smile because I know he would be waiting
For me to call
He always waits for my call
And though he does not say it
I know he eats only when I too sit down for lunch

I dial his number and he picks it at the first ring
“Assalam alaykum”
“Walaykum salam”
He asks how my day has been
I mention all well
He tells me about of his so far
He asks me if I had my lunch
I say I am going to after the call
We chat for a few more minutes
And as I put the phone down again
I smile once more
Truly in his little ways,
Like waiting for my call,
He makes me so happy

“Bismillah”, I begin my lunch
It’s the sandwiches I made at morning
Call me crazy but I somehow
Always want to follow his lead
and do whatever and however he desires
Even eating the same food for lunch

I wash up the dishes and sit down to do a bit of reading
He encourages me to read much
He says I should know all about the world we live in
What the economic, social and political situation is
He loves quizzing me on my general knowledge

I am actually a journalism major student
So it was a pleasure that I got a husband like him
Many times I write a few articles
And he seems quite impressed
He says they are pretty good but there’s always room for improvement
I like the way he always praises me before urging me to improve
He says it in such a way that I feel I am very good and just need to become perfect

After reading the newspaper
I sit down with my handwork
I am making a Kurta for him
Which he can wear on Fridays for prayers
I got the material as a gift
From his paternal aunt who stays in Saudia
The material is lovely
It’s a kind of cotton with hakoba work all over
I think he will look very handsome in it
The stitching is done
A bit of crochet on the collar and button work
And it would look great.
I work swiftly, with my needle twisting and turning
And finally it’s done
“Alhamdullilah!”, I exclaim with delight
As I look at the fruit of my hard work
Oh I can’t wait till Friday when I present it to him
I pray he likes it
I feel he will because he liked the material a lot
And mentioned many men were wearing it at present

The telephone rings
It’s Zaida, my friend from the next house
“Will you come over for tea? Nilufer is free too. Finally! After a long time, I tell you her kids keep her so busy that she has no time for anything else……”
And on and on and on she went
She is a dear and a chatterbox!
At times she says things without thinking
And when I give her a mild reprimanding look
She exclaims “What! Ok sorry…”
I tell her I am free and will come over after evening prayers
I say my prayers,
Take a few cakes I had bought earlier

My husband is such a dear
He has given me full permission to go wherever I want
When we got married, I would call him ten times
Whenever I wanted to go out
“Can I please go …….. or ……..”
So one day he told me “Dear, you can go wherever you want. There is no need to call every time.”
“Does that mean I can go to my parent’s home for a week without informing you” I teased him
“Oh! I would have to come running after you then”, he replied.
We shared a laugh and many times I still tease him about it

Ding Dong
Zaida opened the door with a smile
“Ahlan wa sahlan- welcome to my home”, she cried
I suspect she eats energy boosters for she is always jolly and bubbly
I am quite calm comparatively and Nilufer is rather strict
I suppose because she is a mother she has to be
Her two little sons are a joy for us
They are always up to some mischief which would entertain us all

We chat about the latest happenings
The marriage in town
The new shop that has opened around the corner
Zaida showed us some of the paintwork she had done
She is a talented artist and her work is quite precise
Nilufer shared her ‘experiences’ with the boys
One of them had decided to cook the other in the oven!
Thankfully she came into the kitchen just in time
We all laughed heartily.
“Oh my God, that is quite scary. No wonder you are alert all the times”
“Oh I have to be. They are my precious ones and I can’t bear anything to happen to them”

Its 5 o’clock now and Nilufer and I take leave
Its amazing how a few minutes spent with friends refreshes you

I go home quickly
He would be coming soon
I chill a glass of water
He enjoys chilled water
especially after a hard day’s work

I put a bit of scent
He loves ‘Thiama’
and always appreciates when I wear it
I also close the windows and draw the curtains
With the dim lights on, it gives a smoothing feel

I am about to go to the kitchen
When
I sense that he has come
I open the door
As his hand is reaching out for the bell
“Assalam alaykum”, I smile
“Walaykum salam. Today you have to tell me how you always know when I’ve arrived”
“Secret,” I tease him.
I take his bag as he removes his shoes.
Bring him his chilled water while he relaxes in the patio
“The flowers have begun to bloom”, he notices
He looks quite pleased and that makes me happy

I prepare a tray of snacks
A glass of fresh juice and snacks
We sit out and enjoy the food
And now soon its time for evening prayers

He takes a quick shower
As I lay his kurta on the bed
We say our prayers, read the Holy Quran
And decide to watch the video on
Universal brotherhood

After watching it, we finish our night prayers
And I lay the table for dinner
I say a small prayer to Allah
“Please let the food be according to his liking dear Lord”

He sits down on the table
And his eyes lit up when he sees the food
He gives me a happy look
Like the one on a child’s face when he gets his first bicycle

“It’s delicious!”, he praises
And I am oh so glad
there is another surprise for him
The desert!

When I get it, he looks at me teasingly
“Now I’m convinced you are on a mission!
Common tell me, what do you want” he smiles as he asks me
“I’m sorry to inform you sir, but you have nothing to give”
“It is?”, he plays on “and why is that so?”
“Because I have with me, the rest of your life,” I reply.
“Oh yes. I forgot the deal I made when I married you” he smiles

He helps me in clearing the table
And washing the utensils
He notices the tap needs to be replaced
“I’ll get the supplies tomorrow on the way back” he promises

We call my mother-in-law
He expresses his delight to her
And thanks her for teaching me
After talking to his father, brothers and sisters
He gives me the phone

“Thank you Ammi, he liked it a lot”, I tell her
“You are most welcome, my daughter,
Anytime you need my help, just call me.”
We wind up on the phone
And I thank Allah Taala again
For the lovely family He has given me

We sit on the lounge
While I tell him about my day
The discounted beverage and Nilufer’s kids
He laughs heartily at the oven incident
And then expresses concern
I tell him not to worry
Little children are always up to pranks
“Nilufer is very watchful over them”, I assure him
He tells me about his day at work
He is working on a product design
We talk of the various ways he could do it
I take a keen interest in his work
Because I know he loves it that I understand what he does
He also gets to talk about it to me
I think it helps him unload and even think afresh
I’m glad I am there for him

Its past 9 o’clock and we wind up the day
It’s been a good day, all turned out well
As I lay my head down on the pillow
I thank my Lord.

“Thank you dear Lord for this good day
It has brought many smiles and happiness
And give me strength to face a sad day
should You decree it. Thank you once again
dear Lord”

Goodnight dear.
Goodnight my love.