Saleem had been sitting in his bunk while staring at the blank walls. A few hours had passed since the Imam had met him and invited him to prayer tomorrow.

He stared up at the ceiling and tried recalling the day. It was hard to keep track of time in prison.

As sunshine illuminated his cell as if springing it to life, Saleem lay down in hope that God would find a place for him. How could God forgive him after what he had done?

**************

The prison mosque had a faint odour of mixed emotions. One could feel the fear and anxiety floating thick in the environment. It was Friday, the day many marked as Holy.

Saleem sat with his legs crossed on the uncomfortable woven mat that seemed to pierce into his skin.

The imam in his usual glistening white shalwar kameez sat on the minbar, that was a wooden platform with two slightly elevated steps on which the Imam sat to give his sermon.

Saleem sat there, totally uninterested while the Imam rambled on about something in a distant voice. The sweet smell of atar, the non alocoholic perfume that many used for the congregational prayer of Friday, encapsulated the room in its fragrance.

After a moment or two, Saleem finally tried to concentrate on what the Imam was saying.

"So brothers, our conducts will only abide by the universal laws of spirituality and kindness if we truly believe in the ultimate Judgement, the Day of Resurrection, the Day to pluck the fruit from what you've sown in this life."

The Imam's lips barely moved as he enunciated his words. His hopeful eyes glided over the two dozen heads sitting in front of him.

"The reason that I'm stressing on the spiritual concept of the Judgement Day is not to scare you or to introduce a foreboding thought in your life."

Saleem listened attentively now.

"Only when you truly surmise this concept is when life begins to make sense.

You see the world around you; wealthy people are getting richer by the hour while poor people are falling deeper into the pit of poverty. The powerful are acquiring further might while the lonely and destitute suffer. I ask you O brothers, what sort of just God approves this?

The answer is simple; this life can not suffice for the damages that we suffer as preys to the atrocity of this world. We need hope, we need redemption, but most of all we need fear while committing a sin."

Saleem felt as if the whole sermon was being directed at him. He could feel invisible eyes staring from every direction, inducing guilt into his soul.

"Yes, brothers. We have made mistakes. All of us have... Even myself. But it is never too late. Fear God's wrath and love him for He loves you, for He gives you a chance to come back to him, to return for forgiveness. God promises you inner peace and satisfaction with the small stipulation of taking that first step back towards Him. He does not ask you for money or for completing the quota of prayers that you have left. No, he wants you to ask for His mercy for the past and move on."

The Imam's words seemed to be penetrating into his soul, something that he was not even aware of possessing a week ago. Saleem's heart seemed to melt at the hope of a second chance.

"Move on, brothers. Try asking for forgiveness. I do not want you to follow any particular way, just ask for mercy in whatever way you think your Lord would like and do it soulfully. I swear to God that He loves you more than you have or will love anything."

When Saleem lifted his eyes to adore the person sitting on the minbar, he was sure he saw Imam smiling at him.

"What if you can see death right before your eyes? Is it still not late?" Saleem asked the Imam, totally ignoring the fact that this was a sermon and not a discussion. But the Imam's smile widened at Saleem's interest in the matter. He had never disliked questions as they reflected upon the listener's interest. Besides, he never believed in the religious protocols that most thought to be of utmost importance. He had faith that religion was friendly and created ease rather than problems.

He considered the answer in his head for a moment and then replied.

"Until and unless sure death stands a moment away from you, I assure you, God accepts His stranded devotees with open arms." he answered. "And even after that... I mean, who am I to judge whether God forgave someone or not."

Every pair of eyes sitting in the room shot from Saleem to the Imam and then back to Saleem. Most of them found Saleem's presence highly intimidating and extremely unlikely to have experienced a change of heart in the last few days.

"Hypocrite." one whispered to the other. "We've been coming to the mosque for years and today he decides to pay a visit and is suddenly a devotee." he shook his head in agony.

But Saleem's eyes brimmed with tears that he wiped away instantly, clearly embarrassed to cry in front of so many people. He had never cried before, except the night that he had run away from his home at the age of 12.

God loves me... someone loves me.

He lowered his gaze to the woven mat that he had been hating a while ago and fiddled with its corner playfully.

Someone loves me.

"So to conclude, ask for forgiveness from your Lord and stay resolute while believing in God's judgement. Fear Him, but love Him."

15 minutes later, Saleem prayed for the first time since he had run away. He did not remember what to recite, but he copied everybody's actions with utmost hope that God knows he is trying his best.

-I have no idea why, but this chapter started off as a complete challenge for me, one that I thought I might not be able to fulfill. But I gave it my best shot. You can clearly see the difference in this story and all previous ones... but writing this story makes me feel that I am inducing some positive change in this world, even if it is minute, it can be the beginning of a revolution.
Also, this story is based in Pakistan and I myself am a Muslim so all my references would be Muslim-based as well. But even if you are a non-Muslim, read this for the message that I'm trying to spread. This is not an anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-Hindu story. It is just a story of hope and love for God. I am sure all religions would agree.

-Tentative date for next update 6th July, 2017.