Life had been so hectic. With so many exams going on, I hardly had time for myself or time to think of other things including Umar.

Thankfully, I had just three more weeks to my final paper, end of my life in secondary school. I couldn't believe it. I was so excited and happy. I couldn't wait for that four months break before I start university. The four months which I would only sleep and eat.

Writing my final full stop, I submitted my paper and ran out of the hall. 'Wow!! 17 papers down 7 more to go', I thought as I approached the door. I was greeted by a hug immediately I stepped out of our examination hall.

"Yasmeeeeeeen!!!!!" I exclaimed.

"Hameeda how are you?" She greeted shyly.

"Alhamdulilah,"

She smiled her beautiful dimpled smile that Uthman died for and continued walking besides me.

"So how's all the exams," She asked. Yasmeen was a class below me.

"Some are okay, others are so hard, I am telling you, it's not easy, I can't wait to be through with secondary school,"

She laughed and we continued walking. As I was dumping my books in my locker I caught a sight of Bilal and Uthman coming to our direction.

"Bye Hameeda, see you tomorrow," Yasmeen quickly muttered trying to escape Uthman.

"You are going no where," I said as I dragged her back.

"Come on Hameeda, I am in a hurry, my mom is waiting for me," she lied.

"I will go and greet your mom then,"

"Okay I am lying, Umma is not here," Before she closes her lips, Bilal and Uthman were right in front of us.

"Hello Meedos!"

"Assalamu Alaikum Hameeda,"

"Wa alaikumus Salaam Uthman, Hi Bilal" I  greeted back. Yasmeen stood quitely behind me. I dragged her again and made her to stand beside me.

"Oh Yasmeen how are you?" Bilal asked while Uthman stood numb.

"I am good alhamdulilah," she answered shyly.

I could see her glaring at Uthman from the corner of her eyes. Uthman and Yasmeen were best of friends about a year back and I suspected both of them liked each other. I didn't know what happened but for the past six months they stopped talking to each other and even about each other. It was so sad because of how I used to dream of them marrying each other and even thinking about how their kids would be so cute. I badly wanted them to get married to prove to the world that one could marry his age mate/classmate/schoolmate and live happily. Because Hamdan and I didn't work out, I wanted theirs to.

"I think two little birds need to talk," I sang as I motioned for Bilal to give the two of them space. I begged the two of them to talk and solve their issues before walking away from them. 

Bilal and I walked a few feets away from them. We leaned in his locker pretending to be talking but both of us were interested in Uthman and Yasmeen's conversation.

"If you have nothing to say I really need to go home," I heard Yasmeen 's voice.

"Excuse me, you are the one that suppose to talk. Don't you have anything to tell me?"

"I don't," She turned back to walk away but Uthman stopped her.

"If you don't then I have a lot to say,"

" I am all ears,"

"I miss you," he breathed out. She turned around looking at him straight into his eyes. Her eyes turned soft and she muttered softly as well.

"I miss you too,"

He scratched his neck before running his hand through his bushy hair. Kneeling down against the locker he said,

"I don't even know what to say,"

She knelt down next to him but with a gap in between them. Stretching her legs she finally said,"I am sorry,".

"For?"

"For ignoring you, for not answering your messages, for not talking to you,".

"Its partly my fault too,"

"Umma saw our messages and explained to me how everything we were doing is haram, you are not my muharram. Even though we were not dating, but we talked a lot instead of doing things we will get reward." She continued explaining with her voice breaking.

"Shhh I understand, you don't have to explain it. I understand," I heard Uthman's deep voice together with Yasmeen's Cries.

"By Allah I love you Uthman but after I heard what Umma said, read some articles and asked some Islamic scholars, I just couldn't do it anymore. What's the use of you being pleased with me while Allah azza wa jalla is not ?" Yasmeen surprised all three of us by being this bold.

"The major cause of all today's evils are those stupid films. Why do most of us copy them? Why do we want to be like them? It was because of them we know all those dating and those hugs and kisses and other sins" he explained

"I know right, they make all those Haram things appealing to us. And shaitan would tell us it is not Haram, you don't touch him. And from talking once in a while it will turn to talking 18hours daily, and from then it will turn to shaking hands and then from then hugging and the rest, we are not saints we never know what we may fall into,"

"I know right, It is not easy seeing everyone doing it and abstaining from it. You will be like why shouldn't I date when everyone is doing that. Why shouldn't I hug my male-friends when all my friends are doing that. Why shouldn't I wear tight clothes when all my friends are slaying in them. Why shouldn't I post my pictures revealing my body when everyone else is doing that and having more likes," she continued .

"Exactly, we have reached the generation that the prophet described. He (SAW) said, "For Surely thereafter they could come days which could require endurance, when holding to deen(Islamic religion) will be like gasping a burning coal.....,"

Yasmeen's eyes lightened up in recognition to the hadith and she softly muttered the ending ,"the one among them who acts rightly (during that period) will get reward equal to that of fifty persons."

"You know Yasmeen that's just what keeps me going. Whenever I feel tempted to do something I remember this Hadith and then think of the reward I will get in the hereafter. It is not like I don't want to do what everyone else is doing. Its not like I don't want to have fun too. By Allah I do. I want to go to parties and have fun. I want to have fun and forget about everything in the world. I want to hold a girl in my arms and tell her I love her even though she is not my wife. But........." He took a deep breathe before continuing.

"I know it is just a waste of time so instead I will strive for the everlasting one in Jannah in sha Allah,"

"We have reached a generation where without seeking Allah's help, asking for his guidance and asking him to guide us to the right path each and everyday, we may all go astray,"

Uthman nodded his head in agreement to what she said, he stood up, wiping his tears he muttered, "it was nice talking to you Yasmeen. Your knowledge never seize to amaze me, Thank you for giving me time and those beautiful words," .

With that he started walking away. He didn't want to break down in front of her. He was few feet's away from her when he turned back and said,

"And Yasmeen by Allah I love you too and for His sake I promise to wait for you and I want you to promise to do that too. And when the right time comes In Sha Allah we will make everything right. We will do everything in the correct and halal way,"

I couldn't hold back my tears, "Isn't this the cutest thing you have ever seen?" I asked Bilal blowing my nose.

"Gosh I want to be like them," I cooed.

"If only they could hug!!! It will be cuter,"

"You just finished hearing what they talked about and you wish they could hug, you are not serious," Bilal said with a tsk and a chuckle .

From the other corner of my eyes I saw Uthman looking straight into Yasmeen's eyes as if it was the last time he would see her. His eyes held a promise and so did hers.

"In sha Allah," I heard her muttered as Uthman finally left the hallways with Yasmeen staring at his back.

Bilal and I walked to her direction acting as if we didn't hear the whole conversation.

Handing her a tissue paper, I asked, " So how did it go,"

"Good," She answered smiling really brightly. It was as if rays of sunlight were radiating off her face.

First my exams were  quiet easy and now this, today was just one of those happy days. 'Nothing would spoil my happy mood' I thought as I asked my driver to stop by Coldstone. I hopped in and asked for my favorite: Oreo toppings as usual. I looked around me. Since it was just 4 in the afternoon the place wasn't filled up like it was at night. There was a mother with her two kids that were in school uniform, two teenage boys and a couple that were making out.

I laughed when I saw the mother covering the eyes of her kids from seeing the hot make out session two tables after them. It was a little bit rear to see people making out in this part of the town since majority were Muslims. 'Well nowadays even the Muslims sometimes do that', I thought as I recalled Hamdan. "May Allah forgive us and them," I prayed quietly.

Eating my delicious ice cream, I greeted my parents and made my way to the stairs. I slumped on my bed then picked my phone. Roaming through my music I finally found what I was looking for. Najib's deep beautiful recitation of the holy Qur'an that I recorded last week filled my room as I started sleeping.

Few minutes later Yaya Ruqy banged into my room." Hameeda please have you seen a Kibiya somewhere around lately ," she woke me up from my beautiful sleep.

I covered my head with my blankets saying no.

"Bake kikayi kisto bah last?"

" Yaya Ruqy I don't know where the Kibiya is," I shouted, I wanted her out of my room so that I can continue my beautiful sleep.

It was a very normal thing in this house. Whenever you want to plait your hair, the kibiya would magically disappear. Kibiya and nail cutter are the two things you will never find when you really need them.

Thankfully immediately she left the room, I went back to sleep.

You know that moment when everythings is going on just so well that you can't believe it's real. I felt like I was dreaming because I hadn't felt this happy in a really long time. And I had this feelings in the pit of my stomach like something was going to go wrong. It felt like that calm moment before the storm. Well it was. For before I could even sleep deeply, Yaya Rukkaya banged my door waking me up.

"Yaya Ruqy I don't know where the kibaya is," I muttered still sleepy but when I looked at her face, I knew she wasn't looking for the kibaya anymore.

Her eyes were so red, I didn't know whether it was from anger or from crying. I had never seen her like this. Her face held so many emotions which I couldn't understand. Anger? Disappointment? Surprise? She scrutinized me under her eyes before showing me a picture on her phone. It was then I understood her emotions .

I couldn't believe what I saw. My body went still, zuciya ta tayi sanyi for it was a picture of me.