Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Beware of suspicion for really suspicion is the most false of speech. Do not seek out faults, do not spy on each other, do not contend with each other, do not envy each other, do not hate each other and do not turn away from each other. Rather be servants of Allaah as brothers.

–Saheeh Bukhari

*         *         *

“You mean to say you almost called the police on the poor guy?” Eshaal managed to question between peals of hysterical laughter. Her eyes narrowed to slits, her brows creased, and her head thrown back in amusement. She leant back on her chair, her silky brown hair falling softly on her shoulders. “Seriously?”

Rida caught her dancing eyes from across the table and pursed her lips. She chugged down the now cold coffee, shooting daggers at her friend. “For the hundredth time, yes, I did; and, no, he is anything but poor.”

“Whatever.” Eshaal’s laughter subsided. “Seriously, can you imagine what would have happened had you called the police? Chances are they would have declared you a certified mental, maybe even taken you under charge. As for me,” she raised her hands in mock surrender, “I would have denied ever having known you and simply walked away. Can’t have my reputation tarnished with an accused for a friend now, can I?” Her nose twitched. Laughter bubbled in her chest. A moment passed and then it had overtaken her again.

“I know how unfaithful you are as a friend,” Rida grumbled. “You don’t have to rub it in my face at every chance you get.”

“That’s so rude.”

“So are you.” Rida scowled.

“Argh! Guys!” Manha snapped from where she was seated. She clicked her tongue. Her elbows planted themselves on the desk. Her fingers meshed, and she rested her head on them.

The poor girl had been trying to finish her pending work for a while now, but was clearly failing at the task due to her lack of attention. To her chagrin, her friends were only serving as a means of distraction, making it harder. She was more into what they were conversing than the task at hand. She inhaled, shut her book, then looked up, eyes settling on the two troublemakers. Enough was enough. She had decided she couldn’t do any of it anymore. Not when these two idiots of hers were fighting like kids, and definitely not when she wanted to join them in it.

She swerved her chair to face the other two in the room. Her hair was tied into a loose bun. She cocked her head in what she hoped to be an accusing gesture. “What has happened to you, Rida? The whole world knows Eshaal is insane, and it’s pointless talking to her. Why are you arguing with her then when you know well enough that she wouldn’t let anyone win against her?”

“She started it,” Rida and Eshaal chimed at the same time, pointing at the other.

They scowled and looked away. “Liar,” they muttered simultaneously again.

Manha stifled a smile. “I thought you two were past this phase? Are you having a relapse?”

“Oh, don’t you know? I thought you did,” Eshaal piqued in. “She hit her head somewhere last week and has been behaving like an absolute dork ever since. I’m telling you, she needs an MRI scan. Her condition seems serious. We need to help her before it’s too late. Even if it means kidnapping her to take her to the hosp—”

“If you utter another word, I’m going to pull you to your mother-in-law and have a nice little chat with her over a cup of coffee. I might even tell her all about your embarrassing stories.”

That statement, however, miraculously helped shut Eshaal’s mouth. She went from being a hyperactive girl to a mouse within seconds, turning scarlet and cowering in her chair. “She isn’t my mother-in-law,” she stated in a small tone.

“Not yet, sweetheart.”

“Nothing has been finalised,” she defended weakly.

“Again, it’s a matter of time, love.”

Having shut the mouth of her hyperactive friend, Manha turned her attention towards the troubled one. “Now, it’s your turn, Rida. Tell me why you acted the way you did in the first place.”

The girl who was being questioned visibly grimaced. “I told you, I acted on an impulse. I was so grief-stricken . . . barely got to rationalize any of my thoughts, and I just,” she exhaled, closing her eyes tightly, “I guess, I forgot to think.”

“That doesn’t justify your actions, Rida. The guy—”

“It doesn’t justify his actions either,” Rida bit back. “How dare he touch me, that creep? How dare he accuse me of failing mental health? And the way he held me . . . urgh! I had to scrub my hands ten times to rid myself of his filthy touch. I still couldn’t digest the fact that he caught my hands. Jerk!”

Gathering all the papers she had been working on, Manha dumped them inside her drawer. She calmly walked over to her agitated friend. “You told me he was digging through the safe like a madman, wasn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“And there were papers strewn all across the floor?”

“Yes.”

“And he didn’t even realise your presence until you tripped?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I don’t know about you; but, to me, this sounds as if he was more or less in a hurry. He was probably searching for something urgently. Something he couldn’t find. It is natural for any person to be agitated at such a point, and you totally walked in on him when he was at his worst mood.

“You were anxious about the whole Mehrin thing. You were, as you said, acting without thinking; and he was frustrated regarding his—whatever concerned him, and both of you combined turned out to be a disaster. It’s as catastrophic as Einstein’s equation. Maybe even more.

“Unknown guy plus Rida equals explosion.”

Rida sighed. “I hate it when you are right.”

Manha snorted. “Am I not always?”

“Oh please—” started Eshaal from her corner.

“I’m totalling calling your mom-in-law.” Eshaal shut her mouth again, her shoulders growing stiff.

Turning back to Rida, Manha reached across from the table and placed a hand on hers. “I agree, the guy was partially at fault too. He shouldn’t have behaved with you in such a manner, knowing you were his sister in Islaam—”

“Wait. How do you even know that he was a Muslim?”

“The firm Shakeena works in has a Muslim name, and he is the owner’s son. Duh!”

“Right, I never noticed,” Rida said thoughtfully.

“You don’t notice a lot of things. It is nothing new. Again . . . uh, where was I?”

“His fault—his partial fault.” Rida couldn’t help but roll her eyes even as she helped her friend with the thread.

“Yep. It was his fault partially, but you were at fault too. How could you decide just like that about adopting Mehrin? Are you even aware of all the complications involved in the process? We are not talking about some drama over here. Adoption is not a child’s play. It was your fault, too, not just his. You shouldn’t have barged into his office unannounced just like that.”

“How was I to know Shakeena wouldn’t be there?”

“You should have spoken to Shakeena about this beforehand—discussed it with her. Had you tried contacting her before going there, you would not have experienced what you did.”

Manha gave Rida a few seconds to think over it before she continued, “You should’ve at least spoken to one of us. You should have asked our opinion or, better yet, spoken your mind out. Have we become so insignificant in your life now that you don’t even wish to discuss things with us any longer? Don’t we even matter to you anymore?”

Almost at once, Rida took up a defensive stance. “None of that emotional blackmail, missy. I told you I wasn’t thinking. In the situation I was in, I forgot how to. It’s not my fault.”

“Ahaan?”

“I was just frustrated at everything.” Rida wrinkled her nose. “Okay, fine. It was my fault,” she admitted in a defeated tone after a moment.

“You know, you should actually be thankful to him,” Manha simply stated, pinning her gaze on her friend who had finally come to her sense.

“What on earth should I thankful to him for? Not calling the police on me?”

“Precisely my point.”

“Huh?” Rida looked puzzled, not having expected her lame answer to be right.

“If he hadn’t prevented you that day, you would have obviously called the police. They would have come, too, all high and mighty, and then? Did you, for once, think about what would have followed? The consequences when they would have realised that it was a fake call? They could have charged you a hefty fine! You could have even been jailed! Would it not have wrought irreparable damage?”

“It wouldn’t have been a fake call. I genuinely thought he had broken in.”

“Sweets, you and I know that. The police does not. They do not have a reason to believe in what you say; and, no matter what you say, it would have eventually led to an arrest. That is why I’m saying you should be thankful to him for preventing you from committing a stupid act.”

Rida dropped her head on the table and spoke in a muffled voice, “I just hope I never meet him again for the rest of my life.”

“Dude! Be rational for once, will you? You both know Shakeena.” Manha counted off her fingers. “You both live in the same city. You both have met each other. Taking all of this into account, there is a huge chance you may cross paths with him again. Maybe not immediately, but some time in the future, you are bound to come across him.”

Eshaal started clapping from her seat at that. “You know, it’s so sad we don’t know his name, otherwise I’d totally ship him and Rida. This is how it happens in all romance books too. First, fight, then hate, then lov—”

“That is it, Eshaal. I’m calling your mom-in-law,” Manha interrupted, attempting to stop Eshaal before Rida exploded with what she was insinuating.

“You know what? You make her sound like a principal, and you make me sound like a school girl—one caught for doing some mischief. Call her. I dare you. I dare you to phone her. You don’t even have her number. How would you call her, huh?”

“Who said I don’t?” Manha smirked, dangling her phone in front of Eshaal’s eyes that widened at the sight of the displayed contact list.

A blush stained her cheeks. “Tell me you are joking, Manha. Is this some kind of a prank?”

“Nope. Not at all. She dropped by yesterday after you left and gave the same old excuse desi people give when they want to pay unexpecting people a visit—that they were passing by and dropped in to visit. I don’t think she was lying though. The bags in her hands were an evidence to it. She was—”

“What did she say?”

Manha had the audacity to snicker. “She said she was shopping in this locality and wanted to see you too. Poor soul was sad that you weren’t here. She also said she would be visiting you at your house tomorrow; and that was yesterday, meaning she would be coming to visit you today.

“In fact, if I’m not wrong, you might be receiving a call from your mother any moment now, announcing her arrival.”

Lo and behold! Eshaal’s phone started to buzz. She hurriedly swiped the phone and attended the call. Hushed words were quickly spoken into it while deathly glares were being shot at Manha all the while. After the call ended, Eshaal’s eyes found Manha’s almost at once. Her teeth bared. “Why didn’t you inform me earlier, you fool?”

“If you haven’t been daydreaming about your husband-to-be, I would have considered telling you.”

“I hate you.”

“Aww! I love you, too, baby.”

“Oaf.”

“Same to you, darling.”

“I told you earlier, and I’m telling you again, when that husband of yours arrives, I’m gonna tease you to the moon and back.”

“I told you earlier, and I’m telling you again, my knight is still busy fighting his dragons to come get me. Yours has arrived, so it’s my time to tease you to my fill. Have fun, and tell your mother-in-law that I enjoyed her company yesterday.”

Eshaal quickly put on her abaya and headscarf. Pulling on her niqaab in haste, she hurried away, throwing murderous glances at Manha over her shoulder.

“Did that lady really drop by?” Rida queried after Eshaal had exited.

“Yep, she did; and, before you say anything else, it honestly escaped my mind. Only when we were talking did it strike me. I didn’t keep it away from her intentionally if that’s what you are trying to ask.”

Humming, Rida walked over to the window. Manha joined her a few seconds later. “Do you think it will work out?”

“What?”

“The proposal? Do you think he is the one?”

“Well, I have a feeling it would.”

When Rida didn’t reply, Manha went on to clarify, “Eshaal may act like a kid at times, but trust me, she knows what she is doing. She knows what she wants; and, although a little hesitant, she most definitely has decided that this is it for her.”

“And how do you know this?”

Amusement flickered in her eyes. “You really have to start noticing the things around you. Observation does good, you know. You never know when it will help you out.”

“Why did we land on me when we were speaking about Eshaal?”

Manha only grinned. “Relax. She likes the guy. She is taken by him. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out she is happy. I know for a fact that she is. Even the lady who dropped by yesterday seemed so well-mannered and religious. Sincerity oozed from her personality. I daresay, she would have inculcated good stuff in her son too. I would want this to work out for Eshaal, In sha’ Allaah.”

“I hope so too.”

The two friends watched the third from the window, hastening to get back home. They watched as she struggled to drag her Scooty from the parking lot, started it, and then drove away. They laughed at the nervousness that radiated from her posture, hoping and praying with all their hearts for pleasant things to start happening in her life.

Of course, things were bound to happen. They were bound to happen to all of them. They were to meet new people, face new scenarios, and in the course that destiny had in store for them, feel multiple emotions coursing through their hearts—face love, face hate, and face a lot of things.

It was only a matter until the veil lifted; and, with time, it would soon be revealed.

***