Huzaifa sat at his desk at work,typing on his laptop when his phone rang and he reached over to pick it up.He smiled when he saw Yasmin’s name flash on the screen and he swiped the answer icon as he put the phone to his ear.

“As salaam mu alaykum Yasu.”

“Wa alaykum mu salaam Huzaifa.Are you busy?”

Huzaifa leaned back in his chair,“Just finishing up some stuff,why?”

“Just asking cause I’m about to trouble you.”

Huzaifa smiled at her low,almost nervous tone,“What’s up?”

“So my nana called us for lunch on Saturday and I wanted to know if we’d be able to go?I mean if you want to go that is.”

Huzaifa shrugged,“Yeah,we’ll go.I mean it’s the first time I’ll be meeting your family after our wedding.You can show me off with all rights.”

“That’s a good idea.I mean who wouldn’t want to show such a handsome man off to the world….” Yasmin felt her cheeks go red as she spoke without a second thought and she hit her face lightly as the sound of Huzaifa chuckling came through.

“So you finally admit that I’m handsome,neh?”

Yasmin rolled her eyes,“Like you don’t already think that you the most handsome thing on earth already.”

“No,I never thought of it but you’ve given me something to think about now.Maybe you can add on a few more describing words.”

“Like?”

“Like sexy,dashing and the smartest man you’ve ever met.”

Yasin scoffed but she smiled when Cake climbed onto her legs and sat down on her lap,“Don’t flatter yourself mister and no I’m not going to call you any of that,otherwise your head will be in disproportion to the rest of your body.”

“One day you will call me sexy,dashing,handsome and the smartest man you’ve ever met.Mark my words.”

“We’ll see.”

“Yes we will.Until then I’m gonna cut the call so I can finish up my work and be home in time for supper.What’s for supper by the way?”

“Dal and rice along with papar.”

Huzaifa’s mouth watered as he imagined the lovely taste of dal and rice,“I can’t wait so I’m gonna get to work.Bye.See you.Lo…Looking forward to the dal and rice.” Saying that Huzaifa cut the call and he bit his tongue lightly.He came so close to blurting out the ‘L’ word.They had just begun to get closer and here he was on his way to ruin the progress they had made.

Idiot,watch your tongue or else the cat will be out of the bag and you’ll scare her away.Huzaifa reprimanded himself as he went back to work with the intention of finishing early so that he would be able to go home to his wife…and her amazing cooking.

Yasmin sat looking at the phone in her hand as she absentmindedly stroked Cake’s fur.Had Huzaifa been ready to tell her he loved her on the phone then he stopped and changed?She thought to how excited he had been and the slight hesitation in his voice,was he really going to tell her he loved her?

Maybe he is but what about me?His an amazing man.He looks after me and gives me the world.He loves to eat which makes me cooking all the more better.He considers my opinion and he doesn’t complain much.But am I really ready for that commitment?

Yasmin looked up at the sky through the glass sliding doors and she closed her eyes as she made dua.

Ya Allah,I have put everything in your hands and now you guide me.

COUPLE DAYS LATER….

Yasmin and Huzaifa walked into the house,silence surrounding them.Huzaifa watched as Yasmin walked into their room,switched off the alarm,not a sound coming from her as she made her way to the bathroom and the lock of the door clicking into place.He sat down on the bed and ran a hand through his hair as anger flooded his body.They had just gotten back from her nana’s place where things had taken a turn almost for the worst.

Yasmin sat next to Huzaifa at the dinning table and she leaned a bit closer to whisper to him,“What do you want to have?”

Huzaifa surveyed the table and he looked at her,“Some of the roast with roti.”

Yasmin nodded and dished out for him,before dishing out for herself.She sat down and Huzaifa put a morsel in his mouth,moaning lowly,“This is so good.”

Yasmin nodded with a smile,“Duh it’s good,my nani made it and she makes amazing food.”

Huzaifa looked at nani who had turned her head to look at them when Yasmin mentioned her,“MashaAllah nani,this food is amazing.”

Nani smiled,looking almost proud with herself,“I’m glad to know that you appreciate my cooking as much as everyone else does.I think Yasmin food is almost as tasty as mine.”

Huzaifa gave her a charming yet mischevious smile and he shook his head,“I wish.This food tastes ten times better then what Yasmin makes.”

Yasmin narrowed her eyes as she glanced towards him before looking at nani who had a big smile on her face,“But he still eats it.In fact before I can even get a second serving his on his third.”

“Your food is a one,nani’s is a ten after all she is the master of cooking,right?”

“Aww see at least someone praises my food.” Nani said jokingly as she glared mockingly at Nana who looked at Yasmin with a shake of his head.

“The way your nani say’s it like I’ve never praised her cooking.I have and my Yasmin’s food is delicious by the way,Huzaifa.After all the master chef gave her all the inside tips and tricks.”

“When was the last time you praised my food?Don’t act like you praise it every day.”

Nana smiled at nani as he reached for the small piece of roti on her plate which he put on his plate,“I praised your food this morning after I took a piece of meat from the pot because I was hungry.”

Nani shook her head,“I’m going to ban you from the kitchen if you keep on stealing the food from the pots.”

Nana stood up and pulled his tongue at nani,“You can’t ban me from eating.I’ll find a way to get there.”

Yasmin noticed nana rub his chest and she stood up,concerned,“Nana’what’s wrong?”

Her nana looked at her with what she presumed was a smile and she saw the other members of the family look at him as well,“My chest is a bit tight and I’m feeling hot.”

Yasmin frowned as she walked closer to her nana,“Did you take your blood pressure medication today,nana?”

“Jee,I did but I don’t know why I’m feeling so queasy.”

Yasmin out a hand on his arm and she steered him away from the table,glancing back,“Tasmiya,choti mummy and Nizaam khalo please come with me.The other’s just sit here.Nani,I’m just going to check nana’s blood pressure.” Yasmin gave nani what she thought to be a comforting smile as she saw nani’s face scrunch up with worry.

Yasmin lead her nana to the downstairs bedroom with the other’s following her and she told him to sit down,“Tasmiya,go bring the machine to check nana’s blood pressure.Nana,take off your jacket and lay down please.”

Her nana listened to her and Yasmin turned around to talk to her uncle’s wife and her aunt’s husband,“Choti mummy,I need you to make a call to your brother and tell him to be ready if we need to bring nana into the hospital now.Nizaam khalo,please keep your car ready if we have to take nana to the hospital.”

They just nodded and went to do as Yasmin said while she turned to smile at her nana,who still rubbed at his chest.

“Nana,are you still feeling queasy?”

Her nana only nodded and Yasmin turned to take the machine from Tasmiya when she came in.Yasmin checked his BP and worry flooded through her when she saw how high it was.She immediately gave him BP tablets again as her choti mummy’s brother who happened to be a doctor instructed.When they realized that nana’s BP had begun to drop lower then it should Yasmin looked worriedly at her choti mummy who was on the phone with her brother again.

Choti mummy looked at Yasmin with a worried glance,as she looked at nana.It was times like this Yasmin was actually thankful that her choti mummy was her nana’s brother’s child,so that she would not hide anything from them.

“We need to take nana to the hospital.”

Yasmin swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and she nodded as she glanced at nana,“Nizaam khalo,go start up the car.Tasmiya,tell nani to come here while you tell everyone.”

Tasmiya nodded and she left the room to do as Yasmin requested.Nani came into the room,tears in her eyes and she gasped when her eyes fell on nana,“Yasu?”

Yasmin put her hands on her nani’s shoulders and looked her in the eye as she blinked away the tears that wanted to form.She could not fall weak,not now when nana laid in bed sick and nani needed her.

“Uncle Usaama said that we must take nana to the hospital,he’ll be waiting there.”

Huzaifa gazed down and he tugged at his hair again.They had gone to the hospital and they had taken nana in for tests,only to decide on an NGO blast.Nana had been pretty weak when he had come out of the theater and Yasmin had fallen weak when Nana looked at her to say,“I still have many more years to trouble you and see your kids.Allah won’t take me away until then.”

Huzaifa looked up when Yasmin came out of the bathroom and he watched as she avoided him to reach for her burka.She put it on and laid her musallah on the ground.Huzaifa stood up to walk to the bathroom and she begun to offer her salaah.He made his wudhu and changed only to stop in his tracks when he came into the room.

His eyes fell on Yasmin who sat bent over the musallah,sounds of her sobbing loud as her body heaved,back and forth.Huzaifa threw his towel on the bed with a distant reminder to pick it up and he went towards Yasmin.He ssat down next to her,a hand going on her back and she sat up,turning to hug him.Huzaifa froze for a couple of seconds before he wrapped his arms around Yasmin.

Her tears socked his shirt but he could care less as he rocked her back and forth.Her sobs had turned to sniffles but the grip of her hands on his shirt did not loosen.Huzaifa decided to teat the waters.

“Yasmin,baby.Talk to me.”

“I can’t loose him Huzaifa.I can’t lose nana.If I lose nana I don’t know how I’ll be able to survive.Huzaifa,I love nana too much to lose him.I can’t.I can’t.”

Huzaifa’s arms tightened around her and he thought as to hat he could say to the woman in his arms without breaking her hopes,her thoughts and without snatching the little that kept her together at this moment.

“Yassmin,you saw nana today.He was just weak from the anesthetic,In Sha Allah by tomorrow he will be fine.And if Allah does decide to take nana away then we must always remember that this separation is just for a while until we will all be united in Jannah.Nana has lived his life,for his children and his grandchildren and as long as Allah gives him life we can only hope for the best.Don’t lose hope.Allah never takes away anything without it being a lesson for us.Keep your faith in Allah,sweetheart and In Sha Allah everything will turn out to be fine.”

Yasmin pulled away a tad bit and she nodded,“You right and I can’t fall weak.Nani will need me.I have to keep my hope up for her if not for anyone else.”

Huzaifa wiped away her tears and she smiled at him.They offered their Esha prayers and after switching everything off they climbed into bed but Huzaifa was in for a shock.

Unlike other nights when he would be the one to hold Yasmin.Tonight Yasmin turned turned to face him and without a seconds hesitation she put her arm around him,snuggling into his toned chest,her head on top of his arm and her body moulded to his.

It took Huzaifa a couple of second to take in what was happening before he wrapped his arm around Yasmin and buried his nose in her hair.What happened was not good but the consequences were fruitful.

_______________________________________
As salaam mu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa brakatu everyone

How are you all?

Firstly this chapter was not up to par but it's okay

Secondly what would you guys like to see happen in the next chapter?

Thirdly I need advice on teaching a class for the first time since I'll be starting my teaching practicals which is a type of assignment for University,so any teachers on here have some advice for me?

Take care

Fi Amanilah