*

Ameer safely landed and got to work immediately, the moment he checked into his hotel room ,he perused through the map of Amsterdam before going out not even bothering to have rest or eat something. He hailed a cab telling the driver to go round the town with him ,it was the first step he planned to take at least know the surroundings first before launching into action .

They drive across town the driver showing him important places like the museums that made Amsterdam famous ,the train stations ,the best hospitals ,the best coffee shops and shopping malls. An idea which never occurred to anyone since the disappearance of Muntaseer came to Ameer's mind and the only thing he kept repeating over and over again is Alhamdulillah with a heart full of hope that his haunch will be true and he will see Muntaseer. He was exhausted and it was already past 10pm ,he didn't even offer his prayers so he went straight back to the hotel room with a new determination of finding his dearest friend.

The next morning ,he woke up as early as 4:30am and browsed all the hospitals in town ,jotting them down and making somewhat kind of a map .He ordered breakfast by 6am gobbled it down and texted Simran and Manal telling them he will be checking the hospitals today and left his room muttering a silent prayer.

It was not as easy as he thought, he was super exhausted around noon and decided to take lunch in a small cozy restaurant .He ordered for fries and a cappuccino . He found a place to offer his salat and proceeded to the next hospital which is a walking distance from the shop he had eaten . The questions he ask at the reception are the same ,whether they have any patient whose family cannot be located the answers were all in the negative ,the few positive ones said that the families had been either located or the patient was discharged. He almost gave up hope but kept going till he reached St Mary's hospital.

James was at the reception trying to pay some of the bills for the month when he heard Ameer asking of a patient whose family can't be located ,he wanted to just go back to Muntaseer's room ,but from the accent and color of his skin, he might come from the same place the person lying unconscious for over two months is .So he cleared his throat and interrupted the receptionist who was trying to tell Ameer that there is one patient at room number 4.

" I have a patient whom I couldn't locate his family too,maybe you should come take a look " he offered and the look of relief mixed with hope in Ameer's heart made him wish it should be Muntaseer he is looking for .He is tired of feeling guilty ,tired of hoping that everything is going to be okay ,he is on the verge of giving up on Muntaseer.

" Okay I will appreciate that " Ameer followed suit sending the receptionist a grateful smile and trailing behind a hopeful James .

The room was eerily quite apart from the beeps of the heart monitor which by now James is used to . Ameer walked in with a salam and the sight he was met with made him froze .He was brought out of his shocked stance when James said

" I hope he is the one you are looking for, I've tried all the best I can to locate his family but it seems like he's not from here and you look somewhat of the same skin complexion " Ameer sighed loudly and said " It is him ,we've been looking for him right from a few days after he left Nigeria ,I came here yesterday hoping to find him and Alhamdulillah here he is " Ameer said looking happy, confused and in a dilemma .

Taseer lay as if he's dead so he asked James who is already trying to call his mother and tell her what happened . He narrated his story to Ameer ,apologizing for drunk -driving and for not being able to locate them on time .Ameer wanted to be angry at him ,but what's the point in doing that? It wasn't a hit and run and the guy has regretted his actions and is supporting and catering for Muntaseer to the best of his ability .Ameer asked to see the doctor who also briefed him about the patient's condition saying that now that a familiar person is here it may be good for the patient and will hasten up his recovery. Ameer kept saying Alhamdulillah repeatedly ,he went to Muntaseer's bedside and sat down ,holding his hands in his own and whispering all sorts of dua he can think of . It was then that it dawned on him that he hadn't prayed asr and Maghreb and it's almost ishaa time .He excused himself and went out in search of a mosque or somewhere to pray .He came back looking dejected .

" What's wrong dude?" James asked with concern .

" erm I want to pray and couldn't find a place to pray " Ameer said nervously scratching his head since he doesn't know whether James know anything about Islam. Surprisingly James smiled and told him that there is a Muslim woman in the hospital and he used to see her with a mat so he should follow him to meet her .

Ameer did as James suggested and the woman was more than happy to oblige . They engaged in small talks and it was then it dawned on Ameer that he didn't inform the people in Nigeria .He hurriedly fished out his phone from his breast pocket and was met with countless missed calls from Simran ,Manal and Abby . He called Abby first and relayed the good news to him " Alhamdulillah ,since he's alive it's all that matters may Allah azza wa jaaal grant him health " Abby said he sounded happy and relieved that Muntaseer Is found ,who wouldn't? Muntaseer is the kind of person who's a gem ,so rare sometimes you wonder whether he is human or an Angel disguised as a man , he is kind and caring ,very religious and honest .He brought light and joy to whoever is lucky to have met him and seeing him like this ,so vulnerable and unaware of the things happening around him breaks Ameer's heart a thousand times. He called Manal next and she burst into tears of joy ,saying Alhamdulillah ,asking Ameer to please take care of her Noor for her ,he knows that she's hurting so much and he pitied her ,she has no idea how much love Muntaseer has for her , how everyday his wish is on making her happy and love him after all she had done to him Taseer never speaks badly of her ,even when she hurt him ,his love for her is pure and honest and Ameer hope with the whole of his heart they will get a chance to live their dreams and lead a happy life full of love and respect for each other.

He can remember the day manal started calling him Taseer ,how happy he looked and how he smiled saying that his name had never sounded better, from the day Muntaseer started living with the khaleed's all he talks about is manal did this ,manal did that, manal loves this ,manal love that sometimes it annoys him and he will tease him telling him that he has fallen in love with an arrogant girl who will never love him back but he always say she will change in shaa Allah and she's going to fall so hard for him one day .Little did they know that manal is already head over heels for Muntaseer also .He hated her guts and despised her with all his being until he fell in love with Simran and came to learn about the wonderful personality she has, He judged her wrong even though she gave him that impression but he is glad that she's good because Muntaseer deserves the best

" I will take very good care of him in shaa Allah don't fret Manal ,he will be fine ,keep praying Allah is with us and he loves Muntaseer more than we do " he consoled her and called Simran the love of his life and told her about the good news ,she was ecstatic and shrieked in joy, typical Simran saying that she is so happy at least manal can sleep in peace .

James mother came in a while later , a very Nice woman and asked Ameer about his relationship with Muntaseer ,he told her everything till she was convinced and asked to talk with Abby on phone .Ameer nodded and dialled Abby's number who picked on the second ring .

" Assalamu alaikum Ameer hope all is well" he sounded alarmed .

" Wa'alaikassalam everything is fine Abby ,it's Mrs smith that wants to speak with you " with that he handed over the phone to James mother who said

" Hello, Mr Khaleed I am Mrs Martha smith James Smith's mother, the guy that ran into your son. I am really sorry for what had happened it was a reckless accident but am sorry . "she squeaked out as if she's afraid Abby might strangle her and her son .Abby smiled from the other end.

" its not a problem Mrs smith ,it was an accident and it was destined to happen ,you're good people and I am glad you're taking good care of him ,don't worry I am not going to press any charges against your son " Martha heaved a sigh of relief she kept thanking Abby and assuring him that the doctors are trying their best to save Muntaseer's life with that they said goodbye while James went out to buy dinner for the three of them.

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes to hours ,hours to days ,Ameer will recite the Quran everyday for Muntaseer ,he will come as early as 7am from his hotel and leave as late as 11:30pm sometimes even after midnight . The Smith's are very hospitable and Martha used to bring lunch and dinner for James and Ameer .James asked a lot of questions about Islam and Ameer is more than happy to share everything he knows about the religion of peace .Manal insisted on speaking to her husband ,few days back she threw a tantrum at home and Abby promised to allow her to come take care of Muntaseer herself, she's just waiting for her visa . The first time manal was on face time and she asked to see her husband ,she couldn't utter a single word just a stream of tears that she tried so hard to control .Her Habiby ,her noory the love of her life ,her husband is lying in a hospital bed ,unconscious in a foreign faraway land a million miles away from her ,while she sat there restless ,thinking of what is and not to happen breathing normally and eating good food while he's on life support ,what fate could be worse than hers ,that day she fainted and it took Hajia and Ammy a lot of time before she finally regain her consciousness .

Hajia and Ammy use to wonder as to when and how manal got so attached to Muntaseer, they got close when they were married quite alright and were civil with each other before then but never had they imagined that manal will come to love Muntaseer this much, a part of them is glad while the other pity her flight. What will happen to the poor girl if God forbid Muntaseer died ?that's a territory of thought no one wants to enter .

She asked Ameer to put her on speaker and put the phone near Taseer's ears and she started .

" Assalamu alaikum Taseer , I hope you can hear me ,I know you're a fighter habiby and you will fight this off and come back to me ,remember that you made a promise that you will come back safe and sound to me please wake up hubby ,your wife needs you more than ever and your mother ,in laws and everyone that knows the amazing person that you are is praying for your recovery ,it kills me to know your condition and not be able to be by your side ,taking care of you and supporting you ,please come back to us the world needs you noorul hayaa ,I miss you so much it makes me sick and am praying to Allah to grant you quick shifaaa ,hang on sweets don't loose hope wifey will soon be with you it will be okay in shaa Allah I wish I can share your pain then by Allah I will take all of it if you'll be up and about .

You told me you love me and I wasn't able to tell you that I love you too.Muntaseer Muhammad I love you more than life itself ,you're the light in my life and this heart ,my whole heart body and soul belongs to you ,so wake up soon so that I will show you all the love you'll ever get In this world you're precious to me and I don't wanna loose you .I love you ,I love you so much sometimes it scares me "

she finished with tears rolling down her cheeks and Hiccups here and there ,not only her but Ameer and James who were listening to her shed tears also . Even though James couldn't make out most of the things she was saying because she was mixing hausa with English but her tone is enough to break your heart .Just then the heart monitor started beeping louder than normal and Taseer's chest started rising and falling, he was struggling for air as if he had an asthma attack and the doctors quickly rushed in .

Not knowing what's going on and what went wrong, he was wheeled into the theatre and they all waited with hope .Ameer kept repeating Hasbunallahu wa ni'imal wakeel ,inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun ,Allahumma ajirni fi musibati wa akhlifni khairan minha .To his surprise James asked whether he can say the prayers too

" For him you know ,since he believes in Allah I can't pray to my God for him and I am not a religious person ." He explained and Ameer just taught him how to recite bismillah and he kept repeating it tho not correctly but he has to give him credit for trying .

Few agonizing hours later ,one of the doctors that operated on Taseer ushered them to his office .

" We found a small growth in his brain ,which may be the reason why he didn't wake up and we operated on it ,most of his injuries have healed and he had been sedated for now but hopefully he will wake up in the next 24hours" they couldn't contain their joy , James high fived Ameer and the doctor shook his head amusement evident on his face, it's indeed high time for the patient to wake up ,its getting to three months and it's always the best doctors at St Mary's that attend to his case .it was a miracle that he is alive quite alright and they can't wait for another miracle to happen so that he will be up and about .

" Thank you doctor ,we will be by his side till he wakes in shaa Allah " that was Ameer shaking the hands of the doctor and they sauntered out heading to the room that had become home to them .

Muntaseer was wheeled back in when they reached and the nurses were adjusting his bed and covers .

James had stopped going to college ever since the day of the accident and Ameer had tried everything he could to make him go back but he insisted on staying ,saying that he had differed his semester and there is no cause for alarm yet .That night both fast becoming friends slept beside the patient, age wasn't a barrier between them it warms Martha's heart to see her son happy ,at least he had stopped beating himself over what happened. She admires the way Ameer prays everyday and the sound of his voice as he recites the holy Quran to Muntaseer .

Muntaseer didn't wake up the next day or the day after it till a day to when manal will come to Amsterdam, James went to buy groceries for his mother while Martha is at home making lunch .Ameer was exhausted after a sleepless night in which he had offered many units of prayer asking for Allah's intervention in Muntaseer's health and ever since James left he had been reciting the Quran to him .

He didn't see the moment his hands started moving or the time he opened his eyes to slits because the light blinded him ,neither did he hear the moment Muntaseer recited the kalimatus shahadah because the poor guy was sleeping soundly with his head resting on the edge of Taseer's bed. A pang of hunger made Taseer whimper loudly which woke a sleepy looking Ameer, he was wide awake in a matter of seconds And he pushed the button before giving Taseer a cup of water saying Alhamdulillah over and over again like a mantra smiling widely till his jaw hurts .A doctor came in and didn't even ask Ameer to go out ,he checked Muntaseer's pupils and vitals asked him a few questions which he answered with a hoarse husky voice wincing because it pains a little and the doctor turned to Ameer smiling .

" Congratulations he is alive and well and there is no any complication as of now ,we will monitor him first and come to my office for his drugs ,he needs to eat something ASAP " with that being said the doctor left and Ameer hugged the life out of his beloved friend .Instead of asking where he is or what happened to him or how long had he been there the first thing Taseer asked Ameer is " Where is manal how is she?"

" She's fine Alhamdulillah, she is coming here tomorrow let me call Abby " Ameer said releasing him from his hold and called James and Martha first before calling Abby who was ecstatic beyond words just saying Alhamdulillah Allah Kaine abun godiya ,he can hear Ammy saying the same thing from the background and manal shrieked in happiness ,Hajia burst into tears saying Alhamdulillah .

Manal is to come with Hajia and they couldn't wait to come and see Taseer . In a matter of 20mins Martha came in with a hot vegetable soup and a heart full of joy ,James came in a while later after her and he surprised them all by bursting into tears and hugging Muntaseer who looked confused as to who they are .Ameer fed him till he was okay and he went to sleep when Manal called demanding to speak to her husband, she was disappointed when she was told that he was sleeping and she kept calling after every 10 minutes till she started panicking telling Ameer to call the doctor maybe he had gone into coma again.

Ameer assured her that he is perfectly okay just sleeping soundly from the rhythm of his breathing .Her heart was beating erratically, she just need to confirm for herself that Taseer is finally awake not one of her imaginations or dreams ,she had missed him terribly and can't wait to see him again especially his voice, she can't get enough of him and tomorrow seems to be a decade away for her .

The next day was a new day instead of a day filled with dread of what's to happen and hope that Taseer will wake up .Its a new promising day filled with happiness and appreciation to the Most High for sparing the life of Muntaseer His lucky servant. He is still weak and doesn't talk much but he kept smiling at the people around him .James sat beside him .

" I am sorry Muntaseer , for making you go through a kind of pain I will never wish for anyone In this life ,I was reckless and drunk please forgive me " Taseer gave James the kind of smile that will melt manal into puddles and held his hands.

" It's okay James it was meant to happen and you or I can't escape it even if I wasn't crossing the road and you weren't drunk driving ,it's the qadr of Allah and I'm okay now ,that's what really matters " Martha looked at Muntaseer with awe, he doesn't even look a tad bit angry, this people are good she wondered whether it's the teachings of Islam that makes them so or they are naturally born with a good heart ,then fending for Muntaseer is worth it ,at least they are grateful and forgiving and right from the day Ameer arrived it was Abby that is in charge of the bill.

" Do you have manal's wedding picture with you ?" Taseer asked Ameer in a whisper which made him smirk muttering ango na amarya ,Romeo na Juliet majnoon din lailah under his breath which made Taseer shook his head in amusement.He gave him all the wedding pictures sent to him by the queen of his heart Simmy and the look of longing on Taseer's face made Ameer's breath hitched. Poor guy ,if only he knew how hard manal took it upon herself. He pray that he will have something like that with his Simran.