Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Abu Qatada
(Radhiy Allahu Anhu) narrates that the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) once said:
"The worst thief is the one who steals from his Salaah."

The companions enquired:
"How can one steal from his Salaah, Oh Prophet of Allah?"

He (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) replied:
"When one does not do his ruku and sajda properly."

She slept peacefully, drowning into oblivion, lost in the dimension of her dreams. She walked into a sunlit meadow, white daisies sarrounded her, engulfing her into their sweet scented embrace. She inhaled the  sweet scent and let out a sigh of contentment.

"Wake up!"
She could hear a distant voice calling her, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or half awake.

"Bashi wake up! "
This time she heard it, loud and clear. She felt two arms shaking her by my sholders.

"What ! ", she asked annoyed.

She sat up slowly, but her eyes still remained shut.

"Basheera! up now !" Bilaal ordered smacking her head.

"Why the heck should I get up so early if it's a damn Saturday morning I don't have to work today!", she scolded, opening her eyes and glaring at Bilaal who was giving her an amused smile.

"What's so funny Bilaal?"

"You are, my dear baby sister! You are!"

"You can just tell me you can't read salaah, instead of acting like you don't know I woke you up for fajr. You know I would understand if you simply said, bro I am unable to read!".

"What! No I am reading !", she smiled sheepishly and looked down embarrassed.

Bilaal chuckled and hit her lightly on her head again.

"Wake up baby sis!".

She delivered  a swift punch on his arm, then dragged herself out of bed, and to the bathroom, performed wudhu and brushed her teeth.

When she came out she saw Bilaal siting on her bed, and two musallahs (prayer mats) were already laid out on the floor.

"Why are you reading salaah at home?" she raised one eyebrow and put her hands on her hips.

"Isn't salaah with jamaat (congregation) more rewarding?",
she asked, wagging a finger infront of his face.

"Yes my dear sister, it surely is, but incase you didn't notice it's quite late! I missed salaah with jamaat and I missed my tahjjud as well !", Bilaal complained, frowning.

"Oh"

"Yes, so I shall lead you in salaah now!"

"Sure"

They began salaah, but Basheera had a hard time keeping her eyes open, she opened them wide so that she didn't fall asleep. When she went into sajdah, she couldnt wait to come back up or else she was afraid she would fall asleep.

Bilaal finally made salaam and she did the same, forcing her eyes to stay open. She sat on the musallah a little  longer in order to recite thikr, but started catching fish instead.

She heard Bilaal laugh out loud and her head snapped up in his direction.

"What!"

"What time did you sleep last night?"

"Ahem....ummm maybe around three this morning !", she smiled sheepishly.

"Basheera! " Bilaal glared at her.

"What were you doing till so late?".

"Ahem!"

"Basheera were you talking to a guy? "
He scanned her face with supicious eyes. 

"What Bila ! You know I'm way too shy to talk to any strange boy!"
she shot him a dissaponted look.

"Just checking little sis !"
He let out a sigh of relief.

"So what were you doing ?"

"Book hangover! ", she grinned.

"What !?" Bilaal gave her a confused look.

"I was reading a book till late , now I'm suffering from a book hangover!" she rolled her eyes.

"Oh !".

"How many times must I tell you to sleep early ! If you sleep early, you can wake up for tahjjud and be early for fajjar as well! And please stop reading those nonsense romance novels!"

"They are not nonsense! " she defended and put a hand on her heart dramatically feigning hurt.

"Sure. " Bilaal scoffed.

"Oh come on Bila! You refused to buy us a TV atleast don't complain about my novels !" She threw her hands in the air.

"Thank Allah that I managged to keep the TV out ! Otherwise I would have to deal with a sister who would be swooning over some lame actors!"
He scrunched his nose.

"Oh puh lease! "

She was not going to answer that because she knew it was true. Before Raeesa got married the two of them would stay awake and would watch movies till late and of course go crazy over the cute male actors!

Oh those carefree teen years how she missed them! They would only do this at her house as her parents had a TV .

When Raeesa got married she complained for an entire month that her husband refused to buy her a TV. It was quite funny, she said they argued the second day of marriage about the TV and she even threatened never to cook for him, but he still was adiment and never gave in !of course she got over it and did cook for him eventually.

If her father were alive he would definitely spoil her endlessly and give her what she wanted.

She abruptly put a halt to her thoughts , if she had to keep thinking about him, she would break down once again.

"Are you okay ?".
Bilaal asked with a look of concern.

"Yip just a headache you know cos of sleeping late", she jumped into bed and dived under the covers.

"You see this is what I mean ! If you slept early you wouldn't be so tired and you would be able to read your Quraan and Ishraaq. (Nafl salaah performed after sunrise) "

"Oh my dear father please spare me ! This beauty needs her sleep!".

He rolled his eyes but still carried on
"You should read some beneficial islaamic literature."

"Too early for lectures pleaeeeees Bilaal !", she groaned, and ducked under the duvet.

Bilaal sighed in defeat and muttered to himself.
"I thought we can read Quraan together and go for a walk so that I can have a talk with her!"

"Why don't you get a wife ? She will accompany you on a walk and you can talk to her ", she shouted.

Bilaal scoffed. "Tired huh! But not tired to pass remarks and hint that you want a sister-in-law! Well little sister first I will get you married and then I will find a wife!".

"Too early for marriage talk !" She placed her hands over her ears.

"But it's okay for you to talk about my marriage so early in the morning huh!" he tried to put on a serious face, but smiled instead.

"You like it when I tease you about a wife! ", she grinned.

Honestly she knew Bilaal wanted to marry soon, but being the fatherly figure and stubborn person that he was at times, he refused to be bound in matrimony before her. He always claimed that  he would wait for her to get married first.

"I dont ", he protested but his ears betrayed him by turning pink.

"Aww Bila you are blushing,  but you don't even know who your future wife is going to be ! Awww now that is so cute!", she teased.

"I am not blushing !", Bila faked a serious expression.

"Ahaaaa you are in denial Bro!"

"Nope I'm not", he shook his head.

"OMG " she jumped out of bed and looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?!"

"Bila oh my word! Why are you blushing??? Do you have someone in mind? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! The pious and shy Bilaal likes a girl!", she clapped her hands in excitement and jumped up and down.

"I do not ! " , Bilaal protested shaking his head.

"You big fat liar!",she stuck out her tongue at him.

"I am not."

"You are! "

Bilaal rolled his eyes.
"Astafghfirullah don't talk nonsense"

She stuck out her tongue at him.

She knew he was not the type of guy who wished to have relationships before marriage, even if it was just having a girl as a friend , Bilaal was totally against it and that is why she respected her brother and always looked up to him , he was such a good Muslim, but maybe his eyes fell on someone and that someone appealed to him!

"Okay sleep now! ", he kissed her head and escaped quickly.

"You can't hide forever I'm going to find out who captured your heart! ", she shouted while jumping back in bed.

Not even two seconds passed and the door opened again . Bilaal popped his head in with a smirk on his face.

"I forgot to ask you, are you interested in marriage any time soon?" He asked still smirking.

"What !?"

"Just answer my question little sister!"

"Bilaal I love you, but sometimes you are the most annoying person ! Please I beg, you let me sleep!"
she huffed and covered her head with the duvet once again.

"Okay fine later then . Hmph girls and their moods ! " he muttered and closed the door.

Why would he randomly ask about marriage? Did he really wake up late and that's why he didn't go to the masjid? Or was it because he wanted to speak to her?

She was just overthinking,he probably just asked to annoy her because he knew she didn't like discussing marriage.

She knew she was already twenty two, and that was like two hundred according to her desi mother and she should be married by now, but she just couldn't ! Since her father passed away, she was just too afraid to get close to anyone ! she feared the pain of losing someone beloved to her. It was way too painful., and most of all she feared going through that which Naseera went through.....

Her chest tightened, a sob threatened to break free....

No! she promised her that she would be strong ....

She also promised her , that she would get married .....

Tears trickled down her face, she muffled her cries with her pillow...
Soon her pillow had become soaked with her salty tears, she felt a lump in her throat  as more sobs threatened to escape, she swallowed the lump and blinked back the tears, then drifted off, returning to the world of her dreams, where she was oblivious of reality, where her aching heart seemed to be completely healed, where she found lush green gardens, sweet scented flowers, stary skies and radiant faces.