*Allah knows best*

The following weeks passed in a blur while Muntaseer's health is improving with each passing day . Ameer had left a few days back because he had a lot of work pending to be completed in the office and Simran threatened to come and drag him back saying she misses him it's making her crazy. James almost cried saying he want to see how Nigeria looks like, if only he knew. Hajia and Martha's visits to the hospital became less frequent because Taseer is now super healthy just under observation and in shaa Allah he will soon be discharged.

I left Taseer and went out to buy some necessities when I saw the fault in our stars on display outside a bookstore, Amsterdam is where Augustus waters and Hazel Grace Lancaster came to see the author of her favorite book The Imperial Affliction and I just had to buy the book . I came back to a sleeping Muntaseer with the Quran beside him ,poor guy maybe he slept off reciting it .He woke up a while later and I showed him the book we both read more than three times .

" You're going to read to me today " I said pouting

" You're a grown married woman madam ,stop pouting like a kid " I hit him with a pillow and he laughed sticking his tongue out .

" Now who is behaving like a five year old ?" I said snatching the book from his hands .

" Let's okay be our always " he said giving me his best puppy look.

" okay is always our always suggest something new " I teased and he launched at me ,he started tickling me till I ran out of breath .

" Simran is rubbing off her annoying comebacks on you ,totally not cool wifey" he made a disgusted face and I smirked adjusting my dress and smoothening my messed up hair .

" See what you've done bah ?you're so mean Taseer " I said glaring at him while he smiled and got up walking towards me .

"sit lemme comb it for you ,it's not my fault that your hair is wild ,untamed and easily disheveled " I had to oblige but instead of taming my wild, untamed and easily disheveled hair ,my sweet hubby dishevelled it more and I couldn't do anything except to launch at him hitting anywhere my hands could reach while his booming laughter echoes through the room.

" You're disturbing other patients " I said giving him one final death glare before getting off him .

" Yeah ,I want them to know that I'm okay ,I'm happy and I'm madly in love".

" You can't sweet talk me out of mating out the punishment I've planned for you Mr man " I threatened with my best serious glare.

" You cannot do anything that will hurt me Hayatee " he mocked dusting off invisible dirt on his shirt.

" Let's wait and see " I huffed and ran to the bathroom to tame my wild hair myself and his laughter trailed behind me .

The woman looking right back at me in the mirror looks happy and with a glow on her face .Alhamdulillah.

Looking back at my life a year ago , a lot of things had happened and I've changed a lot more than I could ever imagine even in a dream. I know that I will eventually get married but never in my wildest dreams had I envisioned myself to meet someone like Taseer ,fall in love with him and be this changed Manal from the arrogant haughty person I was . I've had it all ,beauty ,brains , wealth ,loving family but I don't have a lot of friends and people who are fond or proud of me . But Alhamdulillah I can proudly Puff out my chest and say that I've changed in a very good way and I'm so proud of who I am today .

I called Simran a few days back asking for an idea of a token of appreciation for my wonderful husband because he has done so many things to me that even if I can give him the world on a platter of gold and diamonds it still won't be enough for he has cleansed me of darkness and filled my life with light .

It might sound crazy to you but I know that I am going to miss room four of st Mary's hospital because we've made a lot of memories, in this very room we pillow talked every night ,in this very room I get to know the different shades of Muntaseer Muhammad ,in this very room we created a new greater and beautiful bond with my husband, in this room we bonded in every way known to mankind ,in this very room I danced in the arms of my husband to the tunes of my favorite song Ed sheeran's Thinking out loud .I can vividly remember what happened that night :

I went to the smith's for a change of clothes and to buy some toiletries when I saw a red gown in a discarded bag at the end of the closet ,I took it out with a smile recalling that I bought it in Nigeria before coming here with the hope that maybe we will go on another date with Taseer. I took it out ,showered and spritzed my body with lots of perfumes before donning the gown and wrapping my head with a sea green veil to compliment it .I bought Taseer's favorite cake and instead of surprising him I ended up getting the most pleasant surprise of my life which I will never forget even if I happen to get amnesia because it will be my trigger .Right in front of me was a washed off Taseer in a tux ,arms open waiting for me to engulf him in a hug ,I didn't hesitate a second before running into his open warm arms and I swear I felt at home and I'd rather be right there for the rest of my life .

" What's the special occasion habiby? " I asked still dazed at the romantic atmosphere created in the room.

"Can't a husband fulfill one of his wife's dreams ?" He asked hiding a smile which he failed because his dimple was winking out .Before I can say anything ,Thinking out loud started playing softly from only God knows where and I couldn't help but squeal and hug the life out of him again .

" Shukraan miftahul Qalb " I whispered and we slowly danced to the tune ,our hearts beating in sync ,bodies moving in rhythm and nothing matters in the world except him ,except us and that very moment. After cutting the cake and taking the goodies ,we cuddle up on the carpet while talking in whispers as if we are sharing a huge secret, afraid that someone might eavesdrop .

" when did you learn how to dance ?" I couldn't tamp down my curiosity ,I had to ask .He pinched me a little and I cried out ,jutting my lips out while he cooed and kissed my forehead .

" Honestly I don't know how to dance but I wanted to surprise you as a token of my appreciation for you being by my side everyday Hayatee so I asked google and YouTube for help and here we are my wife is impressed and I am happy " he said while I looked up at him amazed and thinking whether the man sitting right beside me is a figment of my sweet imagination or reality .What can I do to make him as happy as he makes me feel in a minute ? I wish I know how.

We star gazed on the balcony holding hands sipping a cup of cappuccino , he is not allowed out but James Hajia Martha and I went to the museum while he's watching us live as if he's with us .A very big thank you to technology .Most of the nights we either watch with a pack of popcorn or play game of twenty questions,or games on Xbox ,sometimes reading new books or re-reading our mutual favorites .I can also remember the day I asked him about his dream and he sighed saying

" my dream is to be what my Abba wasn't able to become ,I want to become the best entrepreneur but I've studied architecture but still am praying and working on it ,I want to do something that everyone will commend me and say 'if your father is alive today he'd be proud of you ' I want to give Hajia the best of everything that she missed in life ,and I want to be the best husband to you and the best father to our unborn children " I nodded and said that he's going to make it in shaa Allah and he is already the best husband and since he's working with Abby plus the business course he has started and will soon finish before we go back home he is coming closer to realising his dreams .

" Hajia had toiled so much for my sake Manalie sometimes I cry myself to sleep ,she pretends to be happy just to see me smile ,she went hungry for days just to provide for my school expenses I cannot repay her debts but in shaa Allah I will treat her like a queen because she deserves it ,not even her every mother deserves to be treated so by her children. " he added and my heart swell more with love for him .We even play hide and seek and I cannot wait for us to go back to our home even though my home is right where Taseer is.

After two weeks the long awaited day finally arrived ,Taseer is discharged and the look of sheer happiness and elation when he saw the light beyond the hospital walls made my day .

" Am glad you are finally up and about Muntas " says James as we drove into the Smith's estate .

" Yeah me too " Martha affirmed .I think I've forgotten to tell you that Martha and James are on their way of accepting Islam and soon they will be reverted all thanks to Ameer and Hajia even though there's a communication barrier between Martha and Hajia but that didn't hinder her from teaching her the deen with the little English she can speak. Taseer almost cried when James told him that they are contemplating on converting to Islam. " You see the good that has come out of this accident koh Manalie? Alhamdulillah am so happy today I have to offer salatul shukoor " I couldn't say anything but nod in agreement to what he said .

Taseer almost threw a tantrum like an over pampered child that he is, saying that he will stay in the same room as me .Hajia had to use her stern ,no nonsense authoritative voice before he finally obliged to stay in James's quarters but his eyes held a promise that he will get back at me because I was heartily laughing my heart out loud .The scene was so hilarious I cannot help but laugh .He wasn't even ashamed of Martha or worse Hajia .

" Maybe something is still wrong with his head " Hajia muttered while Martha shook her head in amusement while I helped myself with a chocolate bar from the freezer sitting on a couch cross legged like it's my father's house .

I dialed Ammy who picked immediately " Haba Ammy so soon haka? As if you're waiting for me to call " I teased while she huffed like a kid ,I imagined her pouting which made me laugh ." You've forsaken us Manal ,since you've got your husband and mother in law you're too busy to call us" she complained and I felt guilty ,I know I had been abandoning them and forgetting to call them and whenever we talked it is either Abby that called or Ammy ,Taseer even told me to be calling them everyday but I was too occupied In my own happy world forgetting about the people that married me off to the reason of my happiness.

" I am sorry Ammy ,I know I've wronged you please forgive me " I apologized and Ammy sighed loudly " I am happy that you're happy Manal but don't forget that you are our only child and we miss having you around it's natural that we want to hear from you if not everyday then at least thrice in a week ,or do you want to be the type of child that only calls if she's in need of help or having problems with her husband? "

" I know Ammy and thanks for reminding me you and Abby are always in my heart and the love I have for you is still intact it's even increasing with every breath I take .I will correct the mistake I've made help me apologise to Abby too " she said she wasn't angry just sad and missing me and we talked about random things before I finally got up to pray and take a nap . The Smith's mansion had become like a second home away from home but I kept thinking about room 4 wishing we could go back there not as a patient and his caretaker but just two couple in love with each other, who knows we could live there forever.

I woke up three hours later to the annoying sound of my ringtone, I wanted to give Simran a piece of my mind but the moment I heard her sniffling from the other end I was wide awake getting up with a jolt .

" Yah Salaam Simmy what's wrong why are you crying did someone die?" I asked alarmed at the way she's crying hard.

" I am going to die Manal ,I can't do without him ,why is life so cruel??" She wailed exasperatedly .

" I don't understand what you're saying please calm down and tell me everything " I pleaded , trying to calm her down . she told me the most shocking news of the century ,what I've never thought will happen ,it was her dad that asked her to present a husband and since Ameer had formally introduced himself ,Abba wanted him to come with a marriage proposal ,they were so happy but then Ameer didn't call her that night neither picked her calls ,her messages were left unanswered and she had to call his sister who told her that he's okay maybe just busy .The next day he didn't return her calls neither replied her messages .It was after ishaa prayers ,that she was called to the living room to meet a devastated Ameer ,who look like he had been sleep deprived for a decade .He dropped the bomb crying and she cried too .His mom says she's not in support of the marriage that she has already arranged for him to marry her niece ,his dad protested and she said she will disown Ameer if he didn't do as she asked .

" Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun " that's the only words I could utter ,I was in tears too ,why would she do such a thing ? I can remember that Simran used to call her on special occasions and she even tease her saying she cannot wait for Simran to be part of her family .

" I don't know what to do Manalie,please help me out ,my heart can burst out of my chest any moment ,Ameer is my life line he's my anchor I cannot marry another man if not him I love him so much sometimes I think it's unreal " she wailed and I wished I have wings to fly to my friend ,the one that has always been there for me through it all ,give her a hug and tell her everything will be alright.

" Shh stop crying habibty ! Allah knows best and if Ameer is meant to be your better half no force on this earth can change that ,get up and pray ,pour out your heart to Allah ,leave the ultimate choice to Him ,I think something is wrong dear but keep praying in shaa Allah all will be well "

" So this is how you felt when you think you're losing Taseer, I swear I am not as strong as I think I am ,I've never cried this much in my entire life" she said sniffing .

" Sabr yah ukhty ,after every trial comes victory ,Allah is testing you and you my Strong girl is going to ace it " I kept soothing and encouraging her till she stopped crying and even laugh at a dry joke I managed to tell her .I sighed after dropping the call ,walking out to the balcony for fresh air because I am still shocked at the sudden turn of events in Simmy's life .

Later after dinner ,I told Hajia and Taseer what was going on and they were all so sad to hear it ,Taseer said he will call Ameer and we all prayed that his mom will change her mind ,they are so cute together, in love and compatible .Separating them will be an injustice .The best is all we prayed for .