The sight of her blushing cheeks and dimpled chin stuck to him like a stubborn piece of gum. He wanted to shake her off his head but she was everywhere. Meeting eyes with her had given him the same experience as perhaps laying under the perfect moon while stargazing.

He couldn't have prayed for anything better.

When he entered her home, his heart was a mess drowning in confusion just like the sky outside, drowning in darkness. But on his return, the moon had disappeared, the sky a clear orange lighting up the world just like his heart lightened up by Zoya.

The first thing he did was run to the masjid and pray two rakaa' to express his gratitude.

His eyes brimmed with tears as he thanked Allah again and again. Because indeed, he couldn't have prayed for anything better. He also made up for his Fajr prayer which he had missed accidentally.

The masjid was as peaceful as ever. When he stepped out, the ball of sun shining into his eyes made him smile. Despite being sleep deprived, he decided to visit the local market and bought gifts for all the kids at the masjid.

Since it was really early in the morning and the children would surely be sleeping, he left the gifts with the scholar-caretaker, Mr. Kareem to distribute later in the afternoon.

And then he walked home.

"Did something good happen? What am I missing out on?" Zain's narrowed eyes followed Zaib who was keenly fixing a portion of his vast bookshelf while he hummed some old song.

Zaib's bookshelf was an entire room of wonders. The white shelves carried all his bittersweet memories, from when his little self had lost his front tooth to this day, when he was a well established young man. His father greatly appreciated the magic of words and wanted his son to embrace the passion too.

Ever since Zaib could remember, his father bought him books with every extra penny he earned from his pay. Penny by penny, book by book, Zaib managed to build himself a library.

"I'm speaking to you," Zain called out. Zaib didn't bother answering as he placed the book into the shelf like a last missing piece of a puzzle and walked out of the room.

"I've got something to say everyone!" Zaib announced, earning worrisome frowns from every member of the family except Zayna who was still at school.

"Zaib? What's wrong?" His father questioned, discarding the newspaper on the couch as he stood up, worry masking his features. His mother's voice followed from the kitchen, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is great," he found himself answering.

Zain, who had followed him out, stared with his eyebrow arched into the air, questioning his actions. "What is it?" He inquired, folding his arms over his chest impatiently.

"I want to get married."

Everyone stared. Zain blinked rapidly. "We've established that, haven't we?" He remarked, his tone playful, mocking Zaib.

"I want to get married—to Zoya." Everyone stared baffled. His mother's jaw dangled and Zain's eyes zeroed hysterically.

"Are you serious?" His mother's voice seething with unlikable amount of disappointment reverberated as she venomously glared at Zaib. Before Zaib could explain any further, his younger brother cut him to it.

"What do you mean by— her? She clearly rejected you. Do you not understand?" Zain barked. Zaib frowned at them and eyed his father who stood lost in deep thoughts.

"You've got nothing to complain about dad?" Zaib sarcastically questioned instigating towards his father. Abdullah simply smiled.

"Have you spoken to her?" It was strange how Abdullah always knew the right things to say at the right times. Zaib smiled wide and nodded causing the other two to frown.

"She has her reasons but I've spoken to her. And she wants this to happen too." Saying it out loud, didn't only make it more realistic but also caused his heart to swell with sweet joy.

It was still unimaginable how a few hours ago, she was so innocently apologizing for rejecting him, making him want to pull her into a tight embrace.

"What reasons? How can she just disrespect us like that and then secretly meet you?"

"Don't come up with any ideas mom. She didn't meet me 'secretly'. I visited her yesterday night in the presence of her father to ask her for the reason of her rejection. It was just a misunderstanding, please—"

"What was her reason?" Zain bitterly spat.

"It was just a misunderstanding." The answer didn't ease the distress on their faces. His mother rubbed her forehead with her forefingers, sighing in disapproval.

"I'm happy. Why aren't you guys happy for me?" Zaib questioned, his gaze penetrating the widened eyes of his mother's who only gritted her teeth in frustration.

"She does not seem good for you Zaib," his mother proclaimed and Zain nodded encouraging her. Zaib's father stood silent.

"I'll speak to her parents," he suddenly spoke up.

The atmospheric pressure dropped from an uncomfortable zone to a suffocating level. His mother's face reddened as she glared at her husband.

"Zaib, she was very disrespectful. Without having asked a question, I went to an unknown family's house just for the sake of your happiness. Now, it's different. You can't force me to accept her. She's declined us and we're not going back there."

Zaib grabbed his mother's hand into his and gently pulled her to the couch until she sat down uninterested. His father followed and sat beside her.

"Mom, thank you for always keeping me first. You both have always had my back and I'm very lucky for it," he rambled, kneeling before his mother, his eyes a warm ocean of desperation.

"Mom, please don't leave my side with this decision. I need you and dad to be happy for me. Zoya, she's the one I want as my wife," he carried on, tightening his hold on his mother's hand. His father remained silent but his mother's eyes were still ablaze.

"Zaib, Mariah is beautiful and worthy of your love. She's graduated from the best university in London and her father's a really good man. She's way better and—"

A distressed grunt wrenched out of him. He held his mother's stare and rasped, "Why do I have to hear about Mariah? She's just a good cousin of mine. Please stop it mom."

"Zaib, you're acting silly. After everything that happened, I expected better from you," she gritted. Abdullah sighed. "Zaib, are you sure Zoya is willing to fulfill this relationship?" His father asked out of the blue. Determined, Zaib nodded immediately. Zaib's father gave him a soft smile.

"Alright Ayesha, calm down," his father interrupted the intense conversation.

Ayesha rolled her light colored eyes as she huffed out a sigh. "I am calm. Please don't tell me you agree with your son's foolishness!" She remarked.

"Ayesha, it's his life after all."

"Mariah is better for him—"

"If it's not Zoya, then it's no one."

-:)-

The sky remained pellucid but windy. Zaib sipped his fresh orange drink as he noticed the amount of files piling onto his desk like a bundle of exam papers returning from an examination hall. The workload was always at its peak for the architecture department but during the summers, it was intensified.

Winters were cold and rainy due to which engineers seemed to have gone into hiding since the construction services were also very inaccessible. Residing in Seattle meant accepting its unconditional mood swings. But an architect didn't work depending on the changing of the seasons. An inspiration was enough to get him started.

A subtle knock swung him out of his thoughts and he welcomed whoever it was outside to come in. Ehsan scurried in, a blue baseball hat covering his brown head with his broad smile.

"I heard from Zain! He wasn't exactly very fond of the news when telling me but I was so excited. I ran all the way here. Is it true?" Hearing the excitement in his tone made Zaib's smile wider and he nodded.

Ehsan chuckled and fist bumped his ecstatic friend.

"I'm guessing the family's not taking it well," Ehsan muttered, resting on the couch while Zaib inspected some document. Zaib's smile faltered and he nodded again.

"They're furious. I didn't expect them to completely lash out like that—" Ehsan interrupted, "Zaib, they probably don't like the idea of rejection and then instant approval."

Zaib chuckled, a chuckle filled with undying sarcasm. "I was the one rejected. Why're they taking it personally?" He frowned, screwing his eyes shut in aggravation.

"You don't have to worry though. Your mother loves you and you know her, she can never stay mad at you for more than a day. She'll come around." Zaib smiled in response. Ehsan was getting fairly good with comforting others.

"How's the proposal going?" Zaib questioned and instantly Ehsan's face lit up with a shy smile.

"We're getting engaged on the fifth of September," he announced. Zaib stared, his heart clenching at the unhidden contentment on Ehsan's face as if he had conquered the earth, wishing the day would come near when he could say the same about his Zoya.

"That's great, Masha Allah. Congrats."

Yet it was only Allah who knew how desperate he was to hold a right to yearn for her.

-:-

"You've purposely come home late, haven't you?" His mother didn't miss the chance to lash out again. Zaib remained silent, for silence was the best reply when anger wanted to take over.

"Zaib Abdul Khan, is this how you rebel against me?" She further carried on, spilling sarcasm here and there until it felt really messy.

"Mom, I'm tired," he muttered, his gaze exhaustedly following his mother's. He then trudged away into his dark room where Zayna laid wide awake.

Instantly, his mouth twisted into a smile. "Why're you awake little one?" He inquired, sitting next to her on the bed. She sat up, her hair pulled into an adorable little bun.

"Don't you know I stay awake till you return! I was nearly going to sleep. Why're you so late today?" She bombarded, her face masking annoyance as she childishly rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

Zaib chuckled. "I'm sorry?" He told her and then pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Yeah you better be. If I get dark circles, it's your fault mister," she regarded and he almost laughed again but decided against it sensing her annoyance.

"Okay. Forgive me," he muttered and she nodded before kissing his cheek and rushing away out of the room, probably to sleep in her bedroom with Zain.

Zaib sighed, shrugging his footwear off as he rested back onto the warm bed. His gaze lingered at the cieling. Was it true that when you fell in love, you saw them everywhere? Even in the darkness of the sky? Or the blankness of the ceiling?

Because he did. He saw her smile which sparked up her eyes and her cheeks flaming up in embarrassment. It made his heart tremble.

Why did it have to be so hard to have her next to him? Was it a sign of danger? It couldn't be. How could she ever cause him danger? Her eyes and smile were the most honest ones out there; she couldn't be his danger.

If only she was his salvation.

"You've fallen for her haven't you?" He jerked out of the whirlwind of his thoughts, eyeing his tight-lipped mother who sat next to him.

Out of love and respect, he sat up immediately. "Did you need me mom?" He asked. He truly loved his mother the most. Even though, it was his father who always supported him, his heart was attached differently to his mother.

"Have you eaten?" She inquired, to which he did not answer. The silence meant a 'yes' and to that, his mother sighed.

"You know I can't see you like this Zaib. You're not yourself," she told him, her eyes filling up with warmth. Zaib nodded, grabbing a hold of his mother's smooth hand.

"Mom, I know I'm being stubborn. But I swear to you, she's worth it. I'm absolutely gutted to see how you're against it because I don't want to let her go and I don't want to disappoint you either." His mother caressed his cheek.

"Are you sure?" He nodded.

"You promise to stay happy and keep her happy?" The second nod was desperate, impatient.

She smiled.

Alhamdulillah, the Surah's perfect words rang in his head and he smiled.

💘

😔💓😔💓💜