She met Zaib again. When their eyes met, she was caught off guard and inwardly panicked. Her eyes went wide and she quickly looked away, unsure of how to react. Normally, Zoya was very professional, talking to the men nonchalantly without hesitation but Zaib was different.

When he awkwardly called her Mushu, she wanted to burst into laughter but instead bit her lower lip, smiling wide. Zaib was someone at the back of her head the entire time after she came back from the sleepover at Naimat's house.

The entire ride back, she carried a shy smile on her lips. Zaib had this weird aura to him; she didn't know how to explain. It was also such a coincidence how Zoya encountered him again very randomly; it was also again very coincidental how the ice cream flavor was actually her favorite one.

It dawned upon her that Zaib also visited the masjid and took care of the children. She had heard chatters about a man paying for the electricity and better water supply in the masjid; that being Zaib, made her happy.

Sighing, she parked her barely living scooter at the entrance to her house and entered her home.

Ever since she had declined the proposal of Idrees, her mother had been looking for other rich guys on the internet; Bilal decided to check out guys in the Masjid and her dad was just doing his best to get better proposals preferably from outside the country.

She rolled her eyes at her busy family and walked towards the couch, settling down with the television remote in her hand. She sighed, switching channels every second, nothing interesting aired on Saturdays.

"Zoya, how about a pilot? You can travel to a bunch of places for free!"

Zoya's eyes screwed shut in frustration. "I don't really care. I literally asked baba for some time. Not that you guys look for different proposals!" She yelled uninterestedly, her face masking irritation.

Her mother smacked her head and Zoya wined in pain. "I'm doing this for your better future. You asked for more time which means that you in fact, do want to get married, so it's the same thing just differently worded."

Zoya inwardly face palmed. The only reason why Zoya didn't outright decline was because of the emptiness in her father's words. She could feel the desperation through his eyes and wanted to somehow make things better. At the moment, marriage was probably the best option. It would help bring her father happiness and a sense of relief.

Zoya shook off those uneasy thoughts and refocused on the silly cartoon playing.

"Zoe, I'm making cheesecake, you want some?" Her mother asked as she pulled out the huge mixing bowl from inside the cabinet.

Zoya mimicked her mother's tone, "Well, since I do want to marry now, I should just hop on a strict diet and eat less than five hundred calories." She expected her mother to retract her words.

"Good idea."

Ouch.

Zoya grumbled and stood up, stumbling to her bedroom while mumbling, "a piece for me."

Inside her room, she sighed, throwing herself onto the armchair as she gazed outside the window. The air was windy at the moment, but she could smell the rain soon about to pour.

She walked towards her bookshelf and stared at the numerous books aligned to her preference. Books were refreshments for her.

As she picked out her favorite fantastical novel, her phone began to buzz without catching a breath. She immediately pulled her phone from the pocket. The screen lit with 'Naim' written in bold.

She smiled, accepting the call and placed it to her ear.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Naimat started the conversation like she always did.

"Nothing at the moment. I was about to reread a book. What about you?" Zoya questioned.

"Well, I'm bored," She declared.

"Naim, I'm not going to the mall for your wedding day shopping right now so don't even start," she hurriedly clarified. Knowing Naimat, she'd want to start preparing everything months earlier for her big day.

"Come on! You need a dress as well. What are you gonna wear at my wedding, PJs?" Her voice oozed of mockery as she struggled to persuade Zoya.

With eyes narrowed, Zoya switched the phone to the other ear as she placed the book back on the shelf. "I can wear pjs for all I want!" She argued stubbornly.

Naimat giggled, "Don't tell me you're actually considering that!" She screamed over the call.

"I might be," Zoya mumbled irked by half the world today as she flopped onto her bed.

"If you will, I'll kick you out and never see you again,"

"Kay, do that."

"Zoe! why're you so mean to your best friend?" Naimat pouted, mumbling adorably. Zoya could almost imagine the little pout she was wearing with that tone.

"Alright, I'm sorry but, I'm serious. Going for the shopping right now is a bit too early. We need to shop a little before the wedding day so they're new and in fashion," Zoya acclaimed, hoping to knock some sense into Naimat.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Naimat sighed. "That's true, we'll go later then."

"Good choice." Zoya sighed in relief. Persuading Naimat needed patience and strength from Allah. Zoya did not want to leave the house for today. She wanted to toss in the warm sheets while reading some good old book.

"Well, how's things at home?" Naimat sincerely asked, like the caring friend she was.

"Everything' fine. Since I've asked for some time, their all searching for proposals left and right," Zoya confirmed, staring at the now pouring rain, gloomily.

Naimat giggled. "It'd be so cool if you found a guy until my Nikah date and we both could get married together!" She squealed, just the thought of it made them both excited.

"Well, for that I need to be ready. I'm just trying to digest all this for now," Zoya muttered. A week ago, she couldn't have imagined marriage would be a part of her conversations.

"Don't worry Zoya. You believe everything's in flow with the wisdom of Allah so calm down and stop overthinking." Zoya nodded unintentionally and thanked Naimat in her head for reminding her of that.

Allah has a plan.

"By the way, I heard Idrees was really a cool guy. You should've met him, at the very least." Zoya rolled her eyes and growled.

"Shut up. Idrees was not written in my fate that's why I didn't meet him."

"Okay!"

Zoya bit her lip. Conversation of these random men, made her think of Zaib. She wanted to speak about him to somebody, anybody. "By the way, I saw Ehsan's friend yesterday."

"What... how?" She seemed surprised.

"He also comes to the Masjid often."

Silence.

"Why're you telling me this though?" This pointing question alarmed Zoya.

"Well, I was just thinking. Have you been in any type of contact with Ehsan?" Zoya quickly switched the topic and ignored Naimat's question. Zoya herself didn't know why she was thinking of this unknown man, so how would she be able to explain it to Naimat.

"Not really. I found out he wanted to talk to me. He asked permission from my father to let us text."

Zoya was suddenly smiling. "That's so cute!"

"I know. I was too damn scared to say anything to dad. You know how he is. But Ehsan asked for the both of us," Naimat muttered under her breathe.

"Oh my god, I ship you guys so hard. You both are going to be a sweet couple! Let me know what you guys talk about in it," Zoya squealed.

"Yeah, I'll tell you, of course."

"Alright, I gotta go now my mother wants to go grocery shopping," Naimat excused herself.

"Alrighty, As Salamu Alaykum."

"Wa Alaykum Aslam. Fee amaan illah."

They disconnected the call and Zoya sat wondering how cute their relationship was. They seemed adorable. Zoya was soon dozing off when suddenly the door to her room slammed open and Bilal invaded with the biggest and brightest smile on his face.

Zoya fiercely rolled her eyes at him. "How about knocking the door? And, thanks for waking me from my nap. Can you leave Bilal?" She death glared at him and laid back.

"Zoe..."

Zoya didn't answer.

"Zoe..."

Zoya screwed her eyes open ready to commit murder. "Oh my god! What do you want?" She yelled, sitting up furiously.

"Zoya, I- got a job!"

Zoya's eyes zeroed in shock as she sat up staring at him in disbelief. The disbelief on his face told her it was true. Her eyes welled with tears as she jumped to him and hugged him tightly, tighter than she had since she was twelve. He held her closer, their happiness, reaching the skies and heavens.

"Allahuakbar! You've got a job! That's amazing," Zoya cried overwhelmed with gratitude towards Allah alone.

Bilal pulled away, holding her from her shoulders. "It's a really good job. I helped an old man with some virus l and he suggested I come see him at his office. There was a vacancy."

"The interview was fairly easy and even though I haven't graduated, the man was determined to have me hired!" Bilal shouted as if he still couldn't believe it.

"Did you tell mom?" Zoya beamed in delight.

"Not yet. I wanted to tell you first," Bilal remarked. Zoya stood proud and unbelievably touched at Bilal's consideration. Even though they tattled most of the time and glared daggers from afar, they had a real connection, connection of the heart.

"Let's go! Tell mom."

Both of them darted out of the room and sprang to the living room where their mother sat staring at the lit up tv screen. Bilal and her kneeled in front of her and stared at her with adoration.

Their mother looked at them surprised. "What's the matter? What did you do this time?" She mumbled, eyeing them suspiciously.

Zoya reminisced the last time this had happened: they both had kneeled and admitted to have broken her mug in which she drank her coffee every morning. They were so terrified that dark day they had dug a hole in the backyard and buried the shattered pieces.

The guilt ate at them and they eventually came to her clean.

"Mom, I-"

"Is it my new plate? Or is it that antique piece-" she yelled in a fit of panic.

"Mama! I got a job!"

Her mouth dropped and eyes widened. The look on her face that day was... unreal? Maybe it was joy or disbelief. Zoya didn't remember. She only remembered the embrace and her tears which ran down Bilal's shirt or the cheesecake which they ate together filled with gratitude.

Zoya prayed more than she did regularly and she cried to Allah more than she ever had. Zoya fell deeper in love with Him (SWT) than she already had.

Be with the safety of Allah

💞