Chapter Twenty Three – Mystery of the lost girl

“Why didn’t you look at her?” Raphael asked, catching up to Liam who was walked by as he stared. Liam turned to him and smiled.

“I don’t know much about you Raphael. So let me ask you this question now. Do you have a woman you love?” Liam asked. Raphael was confused by the question but began to think about it. A woman he loved. Those words took him back to a moment from years ago. Where he stood in a station, saying his final goodbye to the only girl who ever thought of him as a person of worth. Who made his heart skip a every time he saw her. Who he doesn’t want to get hurt in any way.

“Well?” Liam asked, breaking the silence.

“I do…I do have a woman I love.” Raphael said as a fear crept into his heart. Admitting it to someone made him feel so weak. Because now there was very little chance for him to confess that love of his. He felt weak in the knees as he realized how far away he was from that. The name ‘Alaya’ echoed within the beats of his heart as he thought about it.

“Would you want anyone to look at her the way you were looking at those women? Do you want any man to think of her as dirty as that? Do you want men to stare at her and….”

“No!” Raphael blurted out, louder than he expected. As he thought of Alaya’s beautiful face with the innocent smile of hers. He’d never want any other man to look at her with such lowly thoughts.

“Then why would you look at any other woman that way? For all you know even those are women who belong to a family. They are somebody’s mother, somebody’s sister, somebody’s wife….and more than that….they are all slaves of Allah. Allah takes care of them like no one ever can. We might think we get away with a glance. But Allah Will question us and bring them justice even in this matter that we think as small. So we better be careful.” Liam said. And for some reason, that ‘religious lecture’ seemed so real for Raphael.

He kept thinking about it even as he laid in bed that night. As much as he admired how highly Liam regarded woman, he also thought of his last words. How Allah Will question on the day He will bring justice. The thought brought goose bumps on his skin. He sat up in bed as the fear in his heart kept growing for an unknown reason.

Irritated by his inability to control his emotions, he thought of how to get rid of it. As he was thinking, a copy of the translation of the Quran that Liam gifted him, caught his eye. He took it, in hope of finding something ridiculous so that he could stop feeling bad about himself. He opened the book and by chance, opened up the translation of somewhere in the middle of Surah Ghafir. He started reading the page uninterested. But as he was about to turn the page, he saw something about a glance.

“He knows the stealing of the glances and what the chests are hiding…” the translation of a verse said. Raphael was startled as he thought those words were speaking directly to him. Just a while ago, he was looking at women thinking no one will find out. But here he was, reading about how Allah Knows about even the tiniest of injustices that happen.

The astonishment that night made Raphael close the book and not touch it for a few days. But for some unknown reason, his heart kept longing for it. He wanted to know what the book said. So one weekend, he took the book again and began to read it from the beginning. He thought he’d find harsh verses about punishment or chopping hands or killing murderers and non-muslims even on the first page. But he caught his breath, as he read the translation of Suratul Fathiha, the very first Surah (chapter) of the Quran.

He was surprised how it began with words of praise and thanks. With a statement that said all praise and thanks belong to Allah, instead of commanding to do so. He was surprised when he saw the description of the mercy and love of Allah in the explanation of the next ayah. What shocked him the most was when he realized that there is a part that he himself has to admit in the surah. The translation of one verse said, ‘You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.” He’d expected it to command and force to obey Islam whether one wanted or not. But there he was, reading the Word of Allah, where He swt gave the human being a choice. It’s the human being who has to realize that he has a Master Who gave him everything he has and thus obey Him on his own as a show of gratitude. It’s the human being who could use his intellect to understand Allah’s Word and Know the consequences of his or her own actions to take the right decision. It was all so clear. Was he truly running away from this all these years? Raphael wondered.

And years later, there he was in his luxurious room with his arms crossed over one another, reciting that same surah that changed his life. It still touches his heart as he asks for Allah’s guidance and his help through that surah. It brings peace to his heart knowing that Allah guarantees those things for the person reciting that verse in the prayer.

After saying salaam at the end of the prayer, as Raphael raised his hands to make a dua, he heard Jia’s voice from outside.

“Sir we have someone outside. He wants to meet you.” a knock on his door followed Jia’s voice. Raphael’s eyebrows crossed as he thought of the time. It was close to 12 at midnight. Who could it be?

Raphael stood up thinking about it. Whoever it was, he knew it must be serious. So he hurried outside thinking of all the possibilities. As he got downstairs to the living room and saw the man at the front door, his steps slowed down.

“Liam!” Raphael said as he saw his friend after so many years. He was manlier than before with his shiny straight black hair combed back and thick beard. Raphael saw the worry on his face as he walked towards him. He even noticed the woman next to him who wore a long black dress and a hijab. As he reached the conclusion that she was his wife, Liam spoke.

“Raphael my friend! Hope you are doing well. I really don’t have the time to talk. I came to you because I need some help. My sister-in-law has gone missing since the past two months. Please tell us if you find her.” Liam said, handing over a picture to Raphael.

“Really? What’s her name?” Raphael asked, taking the picture.

“Alaya Mahmood!” answered the woman next to Liam. And that was the moment Raphael took a look at the picture and saw Alaya’s face. Not being shocked by the story, he spoke.

“Oh….Alaya. I heard about her. Her fiance’ took her in his car just tonight. I heard it from someone.” Raphael said, not wanting to give away that Alaya stayed with him.

“Really?” Liam said, along with his wife. At once, Liam said that he better call Layaan and he did. Raphael sighed trying to digest what was happening.

“Hello Layaan. Is it true that Alaya is with you now?” Liam asked. Raphael looked at Liam expecting him to give a sigh of relief. But…

“What?!!” Liam shouted out and Raphael came to a halt.