"Ahlam! Beta come downstairs I need to talk to you about something" baba yelled from downstairs.

"Ok I'm coming baba!!", I hopped down the stairs to go see what baba wanted. "What's up?, "beta when I was at Islamic class yesterday, my friend Suleiman's son was saying how he'd like to get to know a bit more about you. If you've still not caught on it's Afiyah the girl you were talking about her brother".

"Beta tell me! What are your opinions on this?". "Well baba if I'm totally honest I'm not even looking for that stuff as of yet, I want to have a career and be an INDEPENDENT woman! Baba my focus is elsewhere right now I'm soo focused on getting that job and making a future for myself. But I trust you with my whole heart and I know you wouldn't have said yes if he wasn't somebody you could trust. So even though I'm not totally for it I'm willing to see wherever this takes us. Who knows maybe Allah Swt has better plans for me after all he is the best of planners".

I raced upstairs to make wudhu and to pray zuhr salah, I decided to confide in the best confidant's and that was Allah Swt. I sat down on the prayer mat and asked Allah Swt, to guide me through this. I left the prayer mat feeling much lighter! Something in my gut was telling me that there may be some good from getting to know Ayman.

"Mama, baba I'm going out to the park, for a little walk!!" I yelled. "Ok beta be safe and call me if anything happens" baba called out. I was going to clear my head and get a bit of fresh air. I put on my go to outfit which was a black closed abaya, black hijab and a pair of vans. "bye I'm going!".

I walked down the street and met Aunty Farzana our neighbour and her granddaughter she is the most adorable little thing ever! Her name is Noor. "Hello Noor! I haven't seen you in ages!! How's mama". "She good". Noor replied, her mum was amazing and had a heart of gold the poor soul has been through a lot in the past two years, she lost her husband to cancer last year. Allah Swt tests us all in different ways all I can pray is that Allah Swt grants her sabr. I bent down to give Noor a hug, "I've got to go now, but I'll see you soon Inshallah tell mama I said hello okay jaan!" "Ok baji I will" Noor said.

I carried on walking for another few minutes, I had finally reached the park. I sat down on the swing and started to think... I knew I was right, mama wasn't only asking because she was wondering it was obvious she had heard about the Ayman situation and wanted to know how I was feeling about it.

The sound of a child giggling pulled me right out of my thoughts, I looked up to see Luqman, Afiyah and a man that I didn't know with them. Luqman came running towards me "heelllloooo, I remember you from the place that I went with mama!!". "Awwwwhhh, hello Luqman, how's my little cutie pie". "I fine!!, push me, push me". I got up off the swing to push Luqman.

"Wheeeeeeee, wheeeeeee!!! Higher higher!!". The sound of his cute little giggle warmed my heart, my mood was much better then when I first came to the park. Luqman's wish was my command. I pushed him higher!!

"I going over there to play on the seesaw!", "be careful ok". I walked over to where Afiyah was sitting, "As - Salaamu Alaykum, how are you Afiyah, how's aunty?", "Alhamdulilah I am good I just thought I'd bring Luqman out to the park, he was driving me up the wall at home. Mum is fine she was watching Pakistani dramas when I left the house."

I was feeling soo awkward right now because there was a guy sitting next to Afiyah but I was as to embarrassed to say salaam. Thank god Afiyah finally broke the silence "Ahlam this is my brother Ayman". "I didn't want to look up so I kept my eyes on the floor, As - Salaamu Alaykum" I spoke in a timid voice.

"Wa - alaykum salaam", spoke a firm yet gentle voice. "I'm going over there to play with Luqman" Afiyah spoke I don't have violent tendencies but if I had the opportunity to hit her I would because she's left me in such a cringe position. I knew what game she was playing!

"So what do you do then, do you work?" Ayman questioned. "No I'm not working at the moment I've been applying but I've been turned away countless times, I'm getting tired now! I mean there's teacher shortage in the UK why can't they just take me on!!"

"No I totally get where you're coming from, I'm a science teacher at a local secondary school, when I first graduated I applied and got rejected from everywhere, but in the end it all worked out and Alhamdulilah I'm content with my job now. Inshallah it will work out for you too".

"It's nice to see that we have something in common". Ayman spoke. "I know this is really a really weird question for me to ask you, I know your a Hafiz could we recite a portion of the Quran together!". "Sure, you can choose and then we will recite". Ayman said.

Ahlam spoke "well I choose Surah Sajdah", "ok bismillah, lets begin". And just like we had recited Surah Sajdah. I only asked him to recite together because I wanted to hear the way he recites! And goodness his voice is absolutely beautiful it's on par with Sheikh Sudais my all time favourite Quran reciter.

"Mama's calling let me just pick the call I told Ayman". Yeah mama I'll be home in ten, inshallah. "I better get going I don't know how time flew that fast but Inshallah there's always other times were we will be able to talk! Allah Hafiz".

"Afiyah I'm leaving mama wants me home, don't think I didn't know what you were playing at! Anyways I'm off, Inshallah we will meet soon. Luqman come and give me a hug before I leave!! I called out, the little munchkin came running!". He wrapped his chubby little arms around my neck and gave it a little squeeze. "I going to miss you!" Luqman spoke in cute voice. "Well Luqman I'm going to miss you too but next time we meet inshallah I promise to bring you a lolly ok".

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