"His face was radiating Noor, and he had a slight smile on his face."

"Who are you talking about?" Ameerah entered her mom's room, where everyone was having lunch. Her mom had been a lot better since her dad had returned home but the doctor had still recommended bed rest for a few weeks. Since then, they had lunch and dinner together in her room; everyone adjusted themselves around her on the bed.

"Dad was telling us about the imam of the local Masjid who died yesterday of a heart attack." Aabira turned around to answer Ameerah who was standing at the door.

"Yes, there were so many people at his Janaza, may Allah grant him Jannah."

"Ameen," all of them replied together.

Days at their house were great with the arrival of their father. They spent a lot of time together and their father had also planned to shift his business closer to home. Life was a lot better by Allah's grace but Ameerah had one thing on her mind, Zarak.

It had been three days since the show and she knew that Zarak was quite upset with her behavior. He called her twice every day and she tried to talk to him as normally as possible. She was still a little angry at his decision of delaying meeting with her parents. Also, the fact that disturbed her more these days was that Zarak had won the Musical Show and now he was more passionate about singing than ever. He would get offers that would be difficult for him to refuse. She was really worried that her future husband might be a famous singer and the path that she had chosen now considered it Haram. She was still new to practicing Islam but she wanted to look forward, make progression, not go back to the life that she previously belonged to. She wanted to give the most to Islam now. She cared about Haram and Halal now. She spent her time reciting Quran and reading translations, making long Dua's talking to Allah, just pouring her heart out. Mostly these days, she talked about Zarak. She had decided she would start taking Quran classes after her exams in the same Madrassa that Haleema went to. Haleema was the person that she confided most in whenever she had trouble with anything.

"I just can't pray these days. I didn't even pray Fajr for two days. I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel so tired because of college."

"Ameeeeerah, don't be sad. Just keep forcing yourself to pray. Push yourself every single day and one day it will get easy, I promise you. Do you think you will get Jannah easily without trials?" She had quoted an Ayah of Surah Baqarah. Ayahs like these gave her strength to push herself and get closer to Allah. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was hard.

Zarak was the one that had given her the happiest moments of her life. She couldn't imagine life without him. He was on her mind twenty four hours a day. It was driving her crazy. She knew that Zarak had sensed that something was wrong and he was soon going to confront her and that was the day she was thinking mostly about. The thoughts made her crazy. "What would I say to him?" she thought a million times during the day.

She was sitting on her bed, reading a book, almost getting ready for sleep when her phone rang. It was Zarak.

"Assalam u alaikum," She said.

"Walaikum Assalam. What's up?" He asked.

"I was just getting ready for bed. What about you?"

"I was just thinking that I haven't been spending time with you even after the show has ended. I miss you."

"Zarak, you know that I have my final exams coming up. I come home late from college and spend most of my time studying," she stated her excuses.

"Ameerah you seem so different now. You don't even talk to me properly. I have asked you to meet me about four times and you made excuses every single time. You used to jump at the opportunity of spending time together. Did I do something wrong? Talk to me Ameerah, why are you behaving like this?" Ameerah listened to him silently and she felt her throat closing as she tried to hold back tears.

She took a deep breath. "Zarak, nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. I will meet with you soon as soon as I get some free time. You know I love you," she replied with a heavy heart. She herself missed him extremely and was tired of making excuses.

"Really? If there's nothing wrong, then why the hell are you crying?" His voice got louder, "Ameerah, I will be waiting outside your college tomorrow morning at nine and you better come out. I won't be listening to any more excuses." He softened his voice realizing that he was too loud. "Ameerah, I am worried about us sweetheart, I want to work things out. If there is something wrong, I want you to talk about it okay? I know there is something troubling you and I want to know what it is. Don't I deserve to know?"

Ameerah wiped her tears and tried to relax, "Yes Zarak, you deserve to know. I'll come." She had realized that it was time to tell him exactly what's been troubling her.

It kind of made her calm and excited that she was going to meet him tomorrow.

She exited the college exactly at nine and saw his car parked across the road. She said Salaam, sitting inside the car and looked at the person she loved so much that she couldn't imagine her life without him.

Zarak looked at her and took a deep sigh, "hmm.. so you've practically wrapped me around your little finger, huh?"

Ameerah laughed heartily. "At least I saw you laugh. Let's go," he said and started the car.

They entered his apartment and she sat down on the edge of the bed, placing her books on the side table. Zarak adjusted a chair facing her, and sat down. "Ameerah, I think I know what's going on in you mind these days," he began.

"You do?" she said hopefully.

"You talked to me about taking things further and that I should meet your parents. You said that you don't want to be just my girlfriend anymore and I completely understand that. Since then, you've been different. You've wrapped a hijab around your head and you don't let me hold your hand anymore. I know that you've changed now and I respect that. I know that you don't want to be in this relationship for long now, so I've decided that I will meet your parents as soon as I get my last interview done the next week. I will definitely be getting a job in one of the music companies that I've given interviews and auditions in, I am sure of that, so there is nothing to worry about now. I will be settled and capable of supporting you too while you complete your fashion designing."

Ameerah sniffed as tears flowed down her face. "Hey, what's wrong?" Zarak raised his hand to wipe her tears away but retracted it back.

"Zarak, you don't understand. I don't know how to make you understand." She said, trying to control her tears and talk properly. "What is it Ameerah?" Zarak asked fearing her response.

"Zarak, if I ask you to stop singing, would you?" She felt like she was asking the most difficult question of her life. Her heart drummed in her ears as she waited for his response. There was a moment of silence as Zarak registered what she was saying.

"What?" Zarak said in a light voice, looking at her with narrowed eyes. He got up with a jerk, and turned around, placing a hand on his forehead. "What are you saying Ameerah?" he said in the same low, disbelieving voice that he had used before.

Ameerah got up and followed him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around.

"Zarak, singing for fun is another thing, but making it your ambition and earning money out of it is so wrong."

"Ameerah, singing is everything to me. It is my passion. It gives me so much happiness that I cannot explain. Don't you know that? Don't you know how much I have struggled day and night to reach where I am now? Do you think I did that for fun? I did it because singing is my life Ameerah."

"I can understand that Zarak, but I've researched so much about it. Singing is Haram in Islam. I know how much you love it Zarak and how much you've struggled to reach here but this is the time to correct youself and"

"Ameerah please," Zarak's voice got louder, "Now you realize what's Haram and Halal. YOU have changed Ameerah, not me. YOU have undergone spiritual transformation, not me. I am the same person that struggled to reach here, to achieve my goal. You cannot ask me to make this huge a sacrifice for you." He moved towards the table at the corner of the room and picked up the guitar placed on it. He removed the casing and brought the guitar towards her. "I bought this after saving my pocket money for a whole year Ameerah. I didn't ask money from my dad because I wanted to buy it with my own money. Ameerah, I love the fact that you changed and found what is right, but I didn't change with you. I am still the same person and I don't know how to not sing anymore Ameerah. I just cannot imagine myself without it."

Ameerah didn't bother to wipe her tears and looked up at him with watery eyes. "Tell me this Zarak, can you imagine your life without me?"

"Ameerah, what are you..?" he began to say, when Ameerah cut him off, "Because I cannot Zarak. I cannot imagine living without you, but I also cannot say yes to a person that has chosen singing as his career and his life." Ameerah turned around and sobbed in her hands.

Zarak moved towards her and removed her hands from her face angrily. "What the hell are you saying Ameerah?" He raised his voice, "Look at me." Ameerah raised her eyes to look at him. "Have I not loved you enough?" he said, hurt and desperation evident in his eyes.

"Oh Zarak, you have. You have loved me so much. I love you too, a lot, you know that. I want the best for you. I want you to choose what is right Zarak and not spend your life doing the wrong thing."

"Ameerah, I cannot leave singing at any cost." Zarak said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Ameerah looked at him and hesitated to ask what she had in mind. "What if you had to choose between me and singing." She asked, panicking at the reply that she would get.

Zarak looked at her for a moment, and then looked away, a single tear falling out of his eye.

Ameerah stood rooted to the ground. She felt like her heart had been plunged a thousand times with a knife. It hurt so much to say the next few words, "It's over Zarak."

She closed the door slowly on her way out. She was not used to feeling this way. It was the first time that it hurt this much. It was so heart wrenching, it became difficult for her to breath. She sat down on the stairs of his apartment and cried her heart out.

Zarak never came out after her.

Assalam u alaikum lovely readers,
This might be the last chapter and there will be an epilogue after this, or this might be the second last chapter and there will be an epilogue after this. I have not decided it yet. Nonetheless, enjoy the chapter, vote and comment. :)