"O prophet, tell your wives, your daughter, and the wives of the believers that they shall lengthen their garments.

Thus, they will be recognized (as righteous women) and avoid being insulted. Allah is forgiver, most merciful."

[Al-Ahzab: 33:59]

                               ***

Rida was silently laying on her bed, thinking about her past. She glanced up at the clock and realized that Rehan might have already left for the dinner. She got up and looked up at the time to see it stroking 12 past 10. She calculated his time in her mind and after she was clear with the timing, she got up and did her ablution to pray tahajjud. She wore her hijab and stood in front of the Almighty who controlled the entire world. Who has the power over everything and everyone.

She knew she wasn't the perfect muslimah, she wasn't perfect in any aspect but she always tried to be at least a practicing muslimah who strived hard and would try praying five times a day. She knew trying wasn't the key word, but the shaytaan would always play with her. She would pray regularly until her that period of month and after that would get over, the first few days she would just read fardh prayers, that too lazily. But she now wanted to beat the shaytaan. She did not wanted him to overcome her. The last time she had did, she had suffered. And she still is. The pain is still not healed. The pain is still fresh to anyone to make it more deeper, and then she did not wanted to give that power to anyone. No one.

She prayed her first rakaah, spending most of her time in sujood, where Allah is the closest. A single tear dropped from her eye while she continued praying. She always took the longest time to pray. But she was never satisfied. How can a heart find peace when even after knowing that there are certain things in Islam that are not right, and yet sinned? Just how?

Taking pictures, Listening to songs, Going out for movies, Gossiping, Backbiting, Jealousy, Anger, Talking to a non mahram, Being in a relationship, not covering yourself completely this were now the casual lifestyle this generation has started but isn't this not right? This is the common sins we do yet when we ask for forgiveness, he forgives us all, as if he did not see anything, as if we never did anything! He is the most merciful and forgiving.

Rida raised her hands up in the air, her lips trembling, her hands shaking while her tears flowing. She did not know what to ask for? Whether she should ask for her parents, who one day are the couple she admire, while the next day they are a couple for which Rida stays away from Marriage? Or for her Sister, For her happiness, to guide her on the righteous path, to let her start wearing the hijab? Or for the ummah, who are sinning as if no one is watching them? Or for those people, who are murdered, raped, killed and are missing and for what? For just being Muslims? Or for herself, to let her heal from the Heart break?

She made Dua for all. For her parents, for her sister, for her best friends and their family, for the ummah, for everyone except herself! She couldn't bring herself to ask for something for herself, so she sat there on the mat, with her hands still raised to let Allah SWT understand what was in her heart, what she wanted and what she needed the most.

She stroked her hand on her face, wiping the tears on her face too. She got up and took her phone in her hand. She did have one message and she did not need to say who the person was. Rehan. His entry in her life was a life changing event for her. She was just trying to mend her broken pieces of her heart, that were in so many pieces that she had lost it's parts. And she exactly knew whom she had lost it too.

She was trying her best to be the best Muslimah, distancing herself from every kind of boys in her life, but the moment Rehan had entered her life she knew it would be hard to keep him away from her. He always loved talking and that was clearly seen when he had be friended everyone on the very first day of Aman Bhai's wedding. She exactly knew he was the same guy, whom she would smile at the playground but she was just a teen then, now she had grown up. She did not wanted to make any conversation with him, but then can something happen according to her?

He came to her and started talking to her, bringing back all those days while she just stood there smiling at him and he had started calling her best friend. Like best friends, really? They hardly knew each other. When Rida asked him why would he call her best friend he answered her with the most innocent face,

"I don't have any best friend except Saif but I want you to be my best friend."

She had looked at him for a second before bursting into a fits of laughter. He had it his way of making her, his best friend. After that, they had many chances to get to know each other. The nights when Saif would sneak into Safa's room, to sleep with Safa or Safa would go to his, any where it was always Rehan who had to take the couch. The first time she hadn't known that, but when she had seen him with his phone, lazily lying on the couch when she had walked down to drink water, that night they did not sleep, instead he started telling her stories about his work, the type of people he would work and what not. They hadn't even realised that it was morning, until they heard the fajr adhaan and She had walked back to her room, not wanting people to make any scene out of them, that was always the case with the Desi people.

But even though they called each other best friends, talked about everything, they never brought up anyone's past up. He never told her about his parents, about his family and she did not tell him about her heart break, him the one behind her broken heart and she planned on telling no one. No one knew about her heart break. No one. And she was fine with it. She would live with it, the secret safe and secure within her.

She looked at his name and opened the chat to see that he had sent her a picture. She took in his looks. He was looking good in his black formal shirt with a pair of black jeans. His top button was open, but that did not reveal his chest that made her sigh. She looked at his face. His black eyes were shining while his lips were curved into a beautiful smile, for the picture. His nose was small and had some black spots on it. His beard was neatly trimmed and his hair were done perfectly. She smiled at his picture and then looked at the message that informed that he was at the Sayed's mansion.

There was a picture attached with the message and Rida couldn't help but look at the house, that was the living area, in flabbergasted. From where Rehan has clicked the picture, she could see that there was a grand staircase that led to the upper house, where probably would be the bedrooms of the people living. There was a huge sofa in the middle of the room with a tea table in the center. While there were some photographs hanged on the left side of the wall, that couldn't be seen in the picture. Below the photographs there were two recliners kept with a small coffee table in between. On the right side of the area, there was a huge wodden dining table. The ceiling was vaulted wodden making the house look vintage and beautiful.

She murmured 'Masha Allah' and then looked at the message that said 'good night'. He might probably had thought she might have slept but who knew she had lost her sleep long ago. To someone who was not worth her.

Or was he!?

***

"JazakAllahu Khairan Khair for calling me for the dinner, it was a pleasure meeting you all." Rehan said after they all had settled in the living area, having the meal for the day.

"Wa antumfa JazakAllahu Khairan khair." Mr Sayed replied to him, smiling while Mrs khan entered the living area with her daughter in-law, with a tray in her hand that had sweet in them.

"Here." Mrs Sayed extended the bowl of sweet to Rehan and he shook his head.

"I'm full, Jazak Allah." He said and she glared at him.

"There will be some place. here take this." She said and forcefully handed him the bowl and he took it, not wanting to argue with an elderly women.

"So Rehan, how many months will it take more for the project?" Nabil asked and Rehan had just opened his mouth to answer him when Nabil's wife smacked his shoulder and said,

"At least leave your work for today and let him have the sweet." Aarifa said while Nabil smiled sheepishly at his wife taking a spoon of sweet and forcing it in his wife's mouth making the elders giggle and him to admire the couple, who were now fighting.

He turned his head to the elderly couple, who were now taking their daughter in-law's side, and were teaming up against their own son while he was huffing in annoyance. He couldn't help but admire the family. They were like the family that Rehan dreamed of every day. Rehan had always wished for a loving family and he also knew that it was never in his fate and he had accepted it. He was how he was. Alone.

"Fight without me? Impossible." Rehan heard a voice and he turned around to look at a guy, almost his age walking in with a helmet in between his arm and waist.

"Kaif!" The elder woman exclaimed walking to him while Rehan looked at the woman showering love at the boy, who had just entered.

"I missed you." She said and he hugged Mrs Sayed mumbling something in her ear making her giggle.

"Assalamualaikum devarji." Aarifa greeted him and got up from her seat, walking to the dining table.

"Walaikumassalam Bhabhi, how are you?" He asked taking the glass of water, which Nabil's wife offered him smiling at his bhabhi.

"Alhamdulillah, I'm doing great but just that your brother is being a pain." She said walking towards her husband and smiling at him, who glared in return.

"Oh I see, I'll take care of him since I'm here now." He said and everyone in the room looked at him confused while Rehan looked at him, not getting the point.

"You are done with your work?" Mr Sayed asked him and he smiled at his father, a nervous smile.

"Well, that work got hurt." He said and showed them his hand that had few scars making the ladies in the house to yell at him.

While Mrs sayed twisted his ear, Nabil's wife got a first aid kit and handed it to her mother in-law to apply on the wounds that he had on his hand. The ladies were constantly yelling at him, and he was looking at both the gents of the house for some help, but they did a great job at ignoring him.

Kaif was Mr Sayed's second son and was always passionate about bikes, cars and stuffs. He did not wanted to join his father, in his business, so he was staying away from home working on his passion. Every one knew about his passion so they had given him the permission to do whatever he liked, but now he was here not wanting to risk his life, because he knew everyone at home were worried about him and he did care about them, more than themselves.

"Who is this?" He asked taking in a stranger standing in their house, but a way of distracting the ladies.

"Oh, this is Rehan. He is their business partner." Mrs Sayed said smiling at Rehan and he smiled back at them.

"Assalamualaikum." Rehan said and kaif walked towards him replying to his salaam while engulfing him in a hug.

"Thanks for saving me." Kaif whispered in his ear and Rehan did not understand what he had done to save him, but just smiled at him.

"But you never get your business partner home." Kaif said confused, looking at the family while making Rehan to sit down and taking a seat besides him.

"Well maybe because dad liked him." Nabil said smiling at Rehan and Rehan was surprised at the news he got to know.

"You liked me?" Rehan asked astonished, looking at Mr Sayed and he looked at his wife who had now taken a seat besides him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, making the young people in the room to smile at their love.

"I liked you and that is the reason you are here." He said and smiled at Rehan and Rehan couldn't help but proud and happy that the richest and the most successful person in London had liked him.

"And if my daughter was still single, I would have thought of marrying you to her." Mr Sayed said taking Rehan by surprise.

He looked around the room, and felt embarrassed. He did not reply back and ate a spoon of sweet, that had remained untouched when he heard laughter's. He looked at everyone in the room, to see them laughing at him while Kaif patted his back.

"Dad was just kidding with you." Kaif said and Rehan sighed in relief, smiling a meek smile.

"But where is my twinny?" Kaif asked realising that his twin sister, Sheerin, was missing the entire time.

"Well she is at her friends place, for a sleepover." His bhabhi informed him and he nodded his head.

"I think I should leave." Rehan said getting up from his seat, feeling out of place all of a sudden.

"Dude, you can stay here." Kaif said, liking Rehan but Rehan shook his head at the offer.

"No thank you for the offer, but Insha Allah I'll come over next time." Rehan said and Kaif nodded his head but not before taking out his phone and asking for his phone number.

"I think we can click together if we hang out." Kaif said and Rehan nodded his head, because he could clearly see that Kaif was just like him but for now he did not have time for hanging out with friends, because he wanted to complete the project as soon as possible and go back to his motherland. India. Where he belonged.

"Sure." Rehan said and dialled his number in Kaif's phone and handed it back to him with a small smile.

"Come again, son." Mrs Sayed said and Rehan felt his heart beating.

Never had anyone called him son, accept for Rida's mother and he couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Because he was missing his own mother, whom he had never seen in his life. His father never told Rehan about his mother. He never showed him her picture as well. He was always kept in the dark. And he still was because he had no idea abour his mother. No idea at all.

"Assalamualaikum." He said and smiled at every one in the room while they replied to him back.

He turn around and was about to leave when his gaze fell on the photographs that were hanged on the wall in the corner of the living area. There were many pictures, of all the family members. He smiled at the pictures an was about the leave when Kaif noticed him gazing at the pictures.

"Come with me." Kaif pulled Rehan by his arm to the area where the pictures were.

He looked at the pictures to see many childhood pictures too. He smiled at the pictures, but his heart paining at his childhood. The period where he should have enjoyed his life playing, was lost because his selfish father, who himself did not wanted to earn money but wanted to be rich.

"See this is me." Kaif said pointing out to a picture that was of a 5 year old child, grinning widely. "I was always the good looking in the family." Kaif said winking at Rehan making him smile at him.

"Yeah you were not any more." Nabil said walking towards them.

"This is me." Nabil said showing a picture that was of teen boy who was standing wearing casual clothes, his hand in his hair.

"Always the stylish one." His wife said pinching his cheek, while he shrugged her away grinning at her.

" This is Sheerin." Kaif said pointing to a girl who almost looked his age, and was grinning at the camera with a cat in her hand.

"This is my beautiful wife." Nabil said pointing to their wedding picture, where they both were grinning in the picture.

"This is our love birds." Kaif said pointing to an old picture of his parents and Rehan giggled at his choice of words.

" They are couple goals." Nabil said and turned to look at his parents who were sitting a far from them, lost in their own thoughts.

"And this is our family." Kaif said showing to a huge picture that was centre of attraction. In that picture both the elder were sitting on a chair while Nabil and his wife were behind them, Nabil's hand wrapped around his wife's shoulder while the twins, sat near their parent's leg, smiling. It was indeed a picture perfect, because it was a family picture.

"Masha Allah, May Allah always keep you'll happy." Rehan said and the three members of the house yelled an 'Ameen' making Rehan to laugh out loud.

"What is the joke? Share with us too" Mr Sayed yelled from where he was sitting, while all the others giggled.

"That's our little secret." Nabil said and Rehan turned around to leave when his gaze fell on a picture. It looked like an very old picture. In that picture, there was a boy who looked like he was just born. He was sleeping with his hands on either side, but one hand on top while the other was down. His legs were tangled in the other while his face was almost pink.

"Nabil is this you?" He asked still gazing at the picture. He never did understand how people could identify their kids when they were small. He found everyone same and alike.

"He was our brother. " Nabil said and Rehan turned around to them confused.

"Was?" He asked and Kaif held his shoulder making him look at him.

"He is no more." Kaif said, making Rehan gasped.

"Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajioon." He whispered and it was like everything was still for a while. No one did utter a word, quietly looking at the picture for a while. Rehan did not speak too because he knew how it felt to loose someone close.

"We never did get a chance to play with." Kaif whispered and Rehan noticed Kaif look at the picture with a longing gaze.

Rehan suddenly felt that he was the reason behind their misery. A few while ago they were all cheerful and were making fun and now they were sad for their brother whom they had lost at an early age, and Rehan felt guilty for asking them about such a part of heir life that brought them nothing, but sadness.

"Do not be sad, he is in some better place." Rehan said trying to make them feel better, and that is when he felt an arm around his shoulder. He looked at his left to see Mr Sayed looking at him with a smile, but his eyes full of unshed tears.

"Indeed, he is in a better lace. He is in Jannat ul Firdous, the best to ever be and he is happy and watching us all." Mrs Sayed said and he looked at the woman who was caressing the picture, smiling.

He smiled looking at the family. Indeed every family have their own scars, their own sadness but this family knew how to be happy. How to hide their pain, their tears, and he smiled at the misery, because he himself was doing the same. Hiding his tears with a smile on his face.

"What talks have you'll started with? Don't bother this child." Mrs Sayed said and he shook his head at the lady.

"No problem at all." He said and looked at his wrist watch.

"I think I'll take my leave. It's already late." He said and they nodded their head.

"Assalamualaikum." He said smiling at the entire family, and they replied back to them and told him to come home whenever he would feel like coming and Rehan couldn't help but feel at home.

One of the most richest family on the earth yet they were so welcoming. He couldn't help but feel lucky to have work with such a family man, who was best business man, best husband and the best father too.

He drove back to his hotel, all the while thinking about his time spent with the family and he couldn't help but think about his father who was nothing but a beast. He never was the best father and he could never be. Rehan could never forgive his father for making his life a living hell. He hardly remembered enjoying his life. From the day he was 10, he had gone through the worst pain. He had never in his wildest dream imagined that his life would be so painful. And to make it worst he had seen Saif go through the worst pain too. He was such a bad friend to see his best friend suffer too, and the reason behind being his father.

He was so lost in his thought that he almost had banged himself on the huge oak tress, that stood firm on the side of the road. He hurriedly applied the brake, the car sliding a little.

He sat there, huffing sweat dripping from his forehead. He could never forget his past. Never and he did not wanted to forget until and unless the man was behind the bars but every time he tried doing such thing his son would wake up and he would end up doing nothing and that frustrated him even more that man had not just harmed him but Saif too, who was just an innocent soul and had trusted his uncle to the core.

He banged the stirring wheel in frustration. He banged his head in anger. He didn't knew what to do and he didn't what could make him feel better or did he?

He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. He looked at the time zone and sighed.

"Damn the difference." He mumbled and kept down his phone but he wanted to talk to someone and he knew it was not the right to call Saif, when Safa was pregnant and he even knew that it wouldn't be appropriate to call Rida at such a time.

He thought of something and pulling out his phone he opened Rida's Instagram chat and started typing. He poured out all his frustration in that message. He wrote down every bad feeling he felt at that moment. He almost wrote three paragraphs and send it to her, feeling a little better. He switched off his phone planning of deleting those messages after getting home but he did feel light.

He started the car and drove back to his hotel. He hurriedly inside his room and removed his shirt to take a bath. That was the only thing he needed at the moment. He stood down the water for almost an hour. He came out of the washroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He rubbed his hair with his left hand and he took his phone with the other to see 10 notifications. He was confused to see so many notifications. There was one message from Kaif, letting him know that it was his number while the rest were from Rida. The phone almost slipped from his hand when he saw her notification. He felt his heart taking pace. He had sent her those messages and he hadn't deleted them, that meant she had read them and had messaged him!

He did not wanted that too happen. He did not wanted her to know about his past. About his father. Nothing. He never was that person who wanted people to have sympathy on him. He did not wanted people to look at him with pitiful eyes. He hated that and even though he knew Rida wasn't that type of a girl, he couldn't bring himself to realise that she had just come to know about his past. He hesitantly clicked on her messages and read the messages she had sent and he couldn't help but feel blessed to have her in his life!

***

Never in my life have I ever hated a person as much as I hate my father. He is the most disgusting person I had ever had in my life. How? Just How? How can a person stoop so low and for what? Money. He is the creature who changed my life, no actually. He is the person who DESTROYED my life. I was hardly ten when he destroyed my life. That was the most dreading day. I was happy because my father had finally started acknowledging me, had started caring for me. He had even given me lots of gifts. But who knew that it was his way of tricking me. To make me happy and then getting me prepared for work, for his selfish deeds. I was happy that my father was taking me for a ride. I never minded going on a bike, but as long as I was with my father I was happy. But that ride? That ride changed my entire life. He took me to a man and sold me.

Can you imagine, my own father sold me for money! That day I experienced the worst pain. I yelled, I cried, I did every possible thing and my father ignored me as if I did not exist. He was just sitting outside, in the living room hearing to his son's yelling. That day I died. I couldn't stand that man, whom I called my father. He continued with this business. some day he would take me to one man, while some day to two. Those were the worst days in my life. But the physical pain reduced when Saif's mother died and she handed him to my father, whom they trusted the most. I tried my best to let Saif away from the hell he had entered but he was innocent to understand me. He thought that I was jealous of him because my father loved him more than me. But he did not knew what monster he was until he sold Saif too. Saif returned back home after two days and cried in my arms.

He cried until there were no tears left within him. This continued for almost four years and I couldn't see Saif in pain so I made him ran, because it was either me or Saif so I made him ran. Away from this monster who had made our life a living hell. After he was away from this hell, my soul had found peace. I was happy for him, even though I had to suffer for making him run but I did not cry, because I was happy for my best friend for at least letting his best friend live in peace. I don't know when I can stop hating this man, but I can never stop hating him. And I can never stop hating myself because every time I trying sending him behind the bars, my heart tells me that he is my father and I stop myself. I have stooped low in myself. I am the worst best friend any one could ever have.

Rida couldn't stop the tears that were running down her face. She never in her wildest dreams had thought that the person who was nothing but showed himself as the most happiest person on this planet had suffered so much. She never knew people could stoop so low to sell kids for their own selfish needs. She had always heard of child trafficking but never had she realised that there were people whom she knew that suffered through this. She didn't knew whether she should feel pity for Rehan and Saif or proud that even after going through the worst they still had managed to stand on their own. They were the most richest business man in the town.

She now realised why Saif was that way with Safa. Safa had told her about his earlier behaviour where he was nothing but rude to her and all this was because of the broken trust from his uncle, whom he trusted and that was the reason Saif had difficulty in trusting people, but now he was happy in his life.

Rida looked down at Rehan's messages that held so much of pain and frustration. She never was the one to judge people by their past or by something they were not wrong at.

She wiped her face, wiping the tears that had no stop. She felt her chest pain. The pain that Rehan had suffered was so much more than what she felt, and yet he was smiling with no ounce of tears in his eyes. She thought back to those days of her life where she would enjoy her life to the fullest, but then He entered her life and destroyed her peace, took away her happiness. But was he at really at fault? No , because he never did have any idea about her feelings for him!

She looked down at her mobile phone, wiping the tears that were continuously flowing through her eyes.

I had never thought that I would ever respect you for being elder to me, but after reading your message the amount of respect in my heart have reached to such a peak that taking your name feels so wrong. Do not think that I am showing and pity or sympathy over you because I am not that kind and most importantly because you do NOT deserve it. You deserve respect (that I'll try giving you, no promises).

I am so proud of you that I can hardly express in words. Even after going through so much you have that charming smile on your face, that make every girl fall head over heels in love with you (except me, though).

You deserve every happiness in this world. You deserve all the love in this world and you know why? BECAUSE YOU ARE THE BEST SON THAT A PARENT COULD EVER HAVE. YOU ARE AN AMAZING BEST FRIEND THAT ANYONE COULD EVER HAVE AND NO! YOU WERE NEVER THE WORST BEST FRIEND AND I CAN PROVE THAT TO YOU BECAUSE OF THE AMOUT TO LOVE AND RESPECT SAIF CARRIES FOR YOU IN HIS EYES. (And even because the great RIDA SHAIKH is your best friend(;).

So remember that you can never be bad. Never ever. And yeah remember that I'm blessed to have you<3

She looked at the messages that she had sent him. She didn't knew if they did even make sense, because she was just typing it from her heart and wanted to make him feel good.

She looked at his last seen that was 10 minutes ago. She switched off her mobile data and after checking that the phone was on silent, she kept it on the side table and laid down.

She closed her eyes and started reciting ayat al kursi and all the 5 kalimaas that she knew. She asked for forgiveness from the Almighty and after reading the Dua to sleep, a habit of hers that she would do before sleeping. She closed her eyes to let sleep to engulf her, but just as usual, sleep was far away from her.

But today the reason had to something else, someone else. Today she wasn't awake for her family or herself, but for her best friend in her life who had suffered. Rehan.