Kano State, Nigeria.
2017.

Heads turned in awe to her direction when she entered the hall since she was the first person standing in the front. She didn't bother waiting for her partner because she can't wait to sit her bum on the chair, hence, she walked in and the others followed with the bride and groom in the middle, they look beautiful if she could say so herself.

True to Falak's thought, the bride didn't look much happy after seeing her. Falak could swore that she glared at her around the time when Asad said she looks beautiful but yet again, she brushed that away and stand by the side where some of the bridesmaid also glare at her. Maybe the bride told them about her and they quickly judged her because of what her friend said. Hopeless!

She saw Bilal there so they sat down and chatted before she was called by her mother who looks extremely elegant in her expensive looking burgundy lace and golden headgear. They would've looked like sisters if not for her mother's laughing lines that shows just how much older she is now, more than the years back.

When she went to her mother, she saw her sitting with Shaddad and a couple more males that kept glancing at her. Even Shaddad did a double take when her mother said Falak. Why was she just becoming more beautiful and mature? He sharply removed his eyes from her and went back to the makeshift dancefloor where the couple are currently dancing. He was forced to attend that shit!

Her heartbeat did that flip that it always does whenever she sees Shaddad which makes her question whether she's doing the right decision by wanting to ask Bilal to send his wards. Or is it that she despondently and hopelessly wants to move on and she is making him her way out? Either way, she will find her happiness, prosperity and felicity with Bilal because she is falling for him.

Later that night, cars were leaving in full speed and each one of them were taking the bridesmaid. Falak forgot that she came with Jabrayah who left with Suwaid earlier because her pregnancy isn't letting her feel safe around so many people and they had to leave. She is pregnant with her first child and is seven month gone, the gender says she is having twins, boys.

She is searching for Jaiyana who she thought will not be there because her children will make her go crazy one day. She has two children, Mufida who is four and Hamida who turned two the day Falak got back. They are so adorable but can cause a lot of troubles across the globe so she doubt she still is there and she is not. Maybe she took Huzaif with her because he is also missing. Why did she ask Bilal to leave again?!

Falak sighed, now who will take her home? She could see a few more cars scattered around the parking lot but she's not sure if there is anyone she knows. She moved back to the hall and started looking for Asad who is hidden behind the throngs of people that are circling them, dancing. A few more people are still there and she spotted a very bored looking Shaddad and an eager Masrooq.

"Is there someone that is willing to go back to the palace, I want to go now." She said to Masrooq who was also sitting alone on a chair.

"Yes, I'm going now. Let me just use this as an excuse and we will go." And with that, he went to talk to Asad who followed Masrooq to where Falak is and started;

"I think you should go with Shaddad over there, I need this guy to do something for me. There are more bridesmaids here and Shaddad will kill them if I ask him to drop them in the Palace." He snickered, flicking his gaze to Shaddad who is fastidiously looking at them like he knows that they are talking about him, still managing to look slothful and indolent.

Asad went and talked to Shaddad in his ear who stayed calm and still like the Shaddad statue he is before standing up. He started walking to the main entrance so Falak guessed that she is going to follow him and she did, not before waiting for a heads up from Asad though. She won't have him embarrass her for anything, she is not a child anymore. And not forget about of apoplectic she is feeling about been ditched at a wedding.

They settle in the car without any word exchanged and he started the gear, moving out of the parking lot in a smooth move so Falak decided to be creepy, she hadn't done that since she can't remember.

She adjusted herself so he wouldn't notice her staring at him like she's stargazing. He has light stubbles of beard now sprinkled across his cheeks and jaw which he trimmed expertly, hmm, maybe the beard has been there for a long time. His sharp, chic and smart nose of his sharpened from her view because she is seeing the side of his face with his eyes focused on the road.

Letting out a dreamy sigh, she was about to yaw her gaze and continue to think of the possibilities and reasons why they shouldn't be together when he changed the gear and his muscles bulged, she literally shrieked but manage to hide it with a cough. The way his biceps moved with was something she will pay to see again, it was... awesome and effortlessly elegant.

How would it feel to be embraced in his arms, against that body of his, kissing his full peach lips, running her fingers around those bulging muscles? Bad, bad, Falak, focus; she chided before removing what happened from her head that is trying to misapply and misguide her senses.

"The statue didn't even turn to see whether I'm okay." She thought she said it in her mind but he heard her, which earned a ghost smile that she didn't see.

The duo reached the palace and he parked in their wing instead of the main palace which got Falak mad again. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. He should've parked in the main palace and wait for her to dismount before driving himself here but he wants her to walk in that chilly night air without guards and in high heels.

"Evil disposition." She hissed underneath her breath and prayed that he heard her so that next time he should know what to do.

She grumpily opened the car and started stomping down the path that leads to the main palace. She should've stayed in Jaiyana or Jabrayah's and call for her guards but she is too mad to think straight. Who the hell does he think he is? She is so mad right now, even the love she had for him won't suffice her wicked thoughts at the moment. She wants to decapitate his head!

Shaddad chuckled lightly and asked one of the guards by his Chambers door to see her into the palace and she should not know that he is following her before throwing himself in his bedchamber. He changed quickly and didn't bother taking a shower before collapsing on the bed waiting for sleep to beckon him but it didn't so he started think.

A lot has happened in the past few years and lots has changed. He is still the same Shaddad that is known to everyone, the one who hardly talks. He went to Sudan to complete a six month program in Paediatrics just because he needs to know more and that part intrigued him.

He did things that he never thought he would do but that is a story for another day. At thirty one, his father has been pressurizing him into getting married or he will arrange it for him but he thwarted and impeded away each time that happens. He is not ready to settle down and he will not do that anytime soon, he is still young for crying out loud.

What would he even say to the woman? He never knew why people get married and what it is they say to each other to fall in love so that part will be hard. When the time comes, he will let his father arrange the marriage for him because he won't be able to do so. He let out a chuckle thinking about how he will court a woman, that woman will be in for a surprise. Maybe before he courts her, she will court him first so he will learn.

Then Falak came back again. He was very proud of her result and who she became! One thing is, she will make a great doctor and for a minute there, he hopes she accept her mother's request and work in their hospital. He even wants her to do the houseman ship there if it's possible, not because he likes her but she will become a great asset in their hospital.

There are no younger female doctors in the hospital and so she will be the first one and also one of the best. They hardly give doctors a job in their hospital till he or she is tested to perfection, there is no room for mistake in their hospital.

The village lass has changed into a village beautiful doctor. Her face took another turn, she didn't become less beautiful but everything about her has changed. Even the way she walked, the way she sway, waltz, laugh and even smile. There is this tinge bit of jealousy that irked him because she won't be his even though he knows she loved him. She is just too beautiful and wished one of his brothers will hit on her, they should not let her slip from their grasp.

And the dumbest but best thing he's ever done in his life was sending those notes to her and pretending he wasn't the one that Samir did it. When she called Samir to thank him, they were on face time and so he asked him to agree that he sent it. Samir agreed and Shaddad never heard the end of it, he still didn't stop sending it each year.

*****
Yoyoyoyo!
I hope you're as happy as I am after reading this chapter? I'm extra happy because can you see that up there? SHADDAD sent the PARCEL and not Samir. On Allah, this is amazing or is it not? What do you think about our statue up there? New nickname eh?😹 tell me what you think.... I'm getting out of random questions😶 I have this group in whatsApp, created since 2019 but was too lazy to activate it, you can send in your number through my DM and I'll add you (spoilers!) Don't forget to say this dua during ur sujood Allahumm innaka 'afuwwun, tuhibbul  afwa fa'fu anni. Last update till Eid InshaAllah!
RQ; Would you rather sleep out with dogs or sleep put with cats? Well, I'll sleep with both if we're acquainted💆 You?

Aishatu.Xx/TheSylph.

IMPORTANT DEAR SISTERS.
...Question
I was wondering what a woman can do on laylat al-qadr if she is menstruating at that time. can she earn extra rewards for engaging herself in worship? if so, what is permissible for her to do so that night?.

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

A woman who is menstruating may do all acts of worship apart from praying, fasting, circumambulating the Ka’bah and doing i’tikaaf in the mosque.

It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to stay up at night during the last ten nights of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (2401) and Muslim (1174) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “When the last ten nights of Ramadaan came, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would refrain from marital relations, stay up at night and wake his family up.” 

Staying up at night is not only for prayer, rather it includes all kinds of acts of worship. This is how the scholars interpreted it.

Al-Haafiz said: “Staying up at night” means staying up to do acts of worship.

Al-Nawawi said: spending the night staying up to pray etc.

He said in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood: i.e., in prayer, dhikr and reciting the Qur’aan.

Praying qiyaam is the best act of worship that a person can do on Laylat al-Qadr. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1901; Muslim, 760).

Because the woman who is menstruating is not allowed to pray, she can spend the night in doing other acts of worship apart from prayer, such as:

1-Reading or reciting Qur’aan. (preferably from memory, or device not from the mushaf)

2-Dhikr – such as saying Subhaan-Allaah, La ilaaha illa-Allaah, al-Hamdu Lillaah, etc. She can repeat the words “Subhaan-Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah, wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god but Allaah and Allaah is Most Great)” and “Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdihi, subhaan Allaah il-‘Azeem (Glory and praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah the Almighty)” etc.

3-Istighfaar (praying for forgiveness), by repeating the phrase “Astaghfir-Allaah (I ask Allaah for forgiveness).”

4-Du’aa’ (supplication) – she can pray to Allaah and ask Him for what is good in this world and in the Hereafter, for du’aa’ is one of the best acts of worship. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Du’aa’ is ‘ibaadah (worship).” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2895; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2370).

The woman who is menstruating can do these acts of worship and others on Laylat al-Qadr.

We ask Allaah to help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. May Allaah accept our righteous deeds.

Aameen
Allah knows best...