Chapter 24: Roses. 

*

"Is he worth it? 

I asked myself one day. 

Every single moment, 

My heart readily answered"

-2am-

*

The carnival went well, according to Yazdan anyway. It was refreshing to be outside again, without rain. He set with the twins at the Rashad Backyard, basking in the afternoon sun. It was barely a bright day though.

"How is work, Sahl?" questioned Yazdan, looking up from the book he was reading. It would be Asr soon so he thought best to read while his brothers lounged around.

"Alhamdulillah good. Just......... boring. I thought I would be on field, but they are keeping me behind in the HQ" he ranted and Safwah laughed at his brother.

"You won't survive on the field anyway" jested his twin and Yazdan eyed the two of them suspiciously.

"Something is going on and you two are not telling me" he stated and the twins exchanged a guilty look. Yazdan caught on and pointed at them with annoyed looks.

"This is what I meant. What is it?" he questioned and Safwah grinned at him before pulling out a red rose from behind his chair. Yazdan eyed them wearily before his eyes widened when he saw a familiar sticky note.

"We found this by the door........." said Safwah and Yazdan rolled his eyes, taking them from him. He looked over the note to see a poem yet again.

'He is beautiful,

They say.

He is stoic,

They hear.

He is all but nothing,

I say'

"What is that supposed to mean?" questioned Safwah out loudly and Yazdan smacked his head. He understood perfectly what she meant. People talk about him, but she knows some are true and others are not and she can very well differentiate.

"Who gives you these?" Sahl wondered out loud. Yazdan looked over to his brother with a small smile.

"I have no idea" You are going to hell, Yazdan.

"Let us find out then" said Safwah and Yazdan immediately said no. The twins looked at him with questioning gazes. Their ability to work in unison, even with expression never failed to intrigue Yazdan. Like now, the two of them were raising their left eyebrows at their brother with slightly tilted lips. The idiots were smirking.

"I meant not now. Leave it. It is just once anyway" You are soooo going to hell, Yazdan Zaeef.

"You sure it is just one? Maybe there are others that we missed" said Safwah looking over to his twin who nodded, with a slight glint in his eyes. Yazdan looked at him and realized his brother might just know more than he lets on.

"Alright. I am going to the mosque for Asr. You two coming?" he said, getting up. The twins nodded and followed the older brother out. 

Yazdan clenched onto the rose as he walked up to his room. Shutting the door gently behind him, he walked over to the bed and set down by it. Pushing the covers up, he pulled out a small black and gray patterned box from underneath the bed. He opened the lid and placed it aside before chuckling lightly at the notes in it. A single rose and a note stuck inside it and he gently placed the second one and the note. Why am I collecting it? He didn't know the answer. And yet, something in him told him to just do it. He shut the lid and pushed the box back where it was before pulling the sheets down and getting up.

Time for Asr. He mentally made a list of things to do before Monday which was supposed to be the night for Shab-e-Barat. He wished and prayed he could go home, back to Melbourne where his heart was. But he knew, he cannot leave his best friend here.

Or maybe something else is holding you back?

He shrugged his head off unnecessary talk and walked downstairs where his brothers and Yahyah were patiently waiting. Zul walked out of the kitchen with a grin.

"Mom made Biryani." That was all it took for the boys to yell and rush to the kitchen.

-

After Asr, the boys opted to stay back and help in the cleaning up of the mosque. The people helping out belonged to an Islamic Society of Middleton. The president was the son of the Imaam of the mosque, Raeef. He was a sensible man with soft brown eyes and dark brown hair and an equally pigmented beard. Seeing him, Yazdan felt insecure with his long hair that was pulled in a messy bun.

"So Raeef, how long has this ISM been doing on?" asked Yahyah, taking a seat beside the man. Yazdan followed him and set beside Yahyah.

"A few years now. We got together during the Ramadhan of 2013. I was studying here and a few of us thought it would be a good idea. My sister agreed and soon we were formed. Though we meet rarely, Ramadhan brings us together" he explained and the two boys let out a small smile.

"That is nice."

"You both shifted here recently I take it" said Raeef and the boys nodded.

"My mother and brother are here. For us, we are usually travelling" replied Yahyah and Yazdan nodded to this.

"Ah. Well, even if you guys are. You are most welcome to join us this Ramadhan." Said Raeef and the boys grinned.

"It would be our pleasure"

"Great. We are meeting on Monday afternoon, after Shab-e-barat"

The two boys looked at each other and then nodded at Raeef.

"What time?"

"Probably after Zuhr since it's a public holiday and most of the members would be able to meet" he explained. Again the boys nodded before their talks were directed to the plans and other things.

-

The night of power. Something that Yazdan looked forward to each year. His mother always told them that this was the night they could pray and Allah would rewrite their destinies. And he believed it wholeheartedly.

Allah (S.W.T) has always been there with Yazdan and he felt a great need to be on his religion all the time. If he feels that his Imaan is running low, he would offer two rakaa nafil prayer to renew his faith. He knew his lord, The Almighty, had saved him from so many situations and the biggest one was his own life as a child of merely 3 years old.

So this night was important to him. He wanted to make the most of it. And he planned just to do that.

-

Sunday rolled on and the Rashad house was calm. The twins had left that morning claiming they had work. Everyone was working until Hifzah arrived at their doorstep with pastries.

"Nahal is going crazy with the baking. Lord knows what is wrong with her this time" Hifzah says as she hands Zaiha the containers of pastries. The top one had cupcakes, lavishly decorated and the bottom one had chocolate cake, again lavishly decorated.

"What do you mean?" Zaiha asked, walking inside the house and pulling Hifzah with her.

"Nahal has this tendency to bake when she is stressed or emotional. It usually comes with work. I guess she is stressed over it. Anyway, average people bake a few things when they are stressed. My daughter? Oh no. She doesn't do average. She does the whole bakery thing in the kitchen. In the past, I used to give them all out to the neighbors and sometimes take it to the mosque for prayer sessions." Laughed Hifzah and so did Zaiha.

Yahyah grinned as he walked down the steps, having heard the entire conversation. At least she is stressed over me.

"Mom! Can I have the cupcakes?" he asked her before saying salaam to Hifzah, while Zaiha nodded.

"The pink lid container over the counter" she replied and just then, Yazdan walked in saying his salaams.

"Nahal made cupcakes" said Zaiha and Yazdan nodded before walking into the kitchen where his best friend stood, devouring the cup cakes.

"They are sweet" said Yahyah, noticing Yazdan. The latter nodded before picking up the glass of juice on the counter and chugging it down with satisfaction. Yahyah rolled his eyes at him.

"Pour me a glass, will you" he muttered, biting into his cupcake. He nearly moaned at how good it was. So dearest Nahal bakes. And that too, such amazing pastries.

He looked over to see Yazdan holding a single rose in his hands. He frowned. I don't remember having roses around. Then he realized it had a note. He grinned before stealthily walking towards him and grabbing the rose.

Bad idea.

The next moment, Yazdan's hands were bleeding from the thorn pricks.

-

"Why were you grasping it so hard?" asked Yahyah, washing the blood from his hands. It was just a few drops but Yahyah knew what those few drops meant to Yazdan.

"Nothing. I found it on the porch. It's not much" he replied and Yahyah eyed him suspiciously.

"Tell me the truth" he stated and watched as Yazdan's face flushed. He grinned.

"I knew it! You are hiding something. What is it?"

"It is nothing. I will tell you tomorrow"

"Why tomorrow?"

"Because, In sha Allah, today I would get my answer"

"Huh?" Yazdan hit his head and walked away with the single rose and a note. 

***

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