Final Chapter

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare do as that woman said if you want to be alive…I’ve changed my plans too. Press the damn button when the host of the event gets on stage. I better see that happening tonight!” Layaan said in a lowered yet enraged voice. His teeth gritted as he disconnected the call and angrily took it off his ear as he went into the hall.

Slowly as more and more guests gathered, the hall was getting full and everyone knew it was time to begin the event. Just as every event held by Raphael’s company, the event began with the recitation of Quran. As Laana listened to the verses being recited, she was reminded of how fond Raphael was of Quran. He would often be found with a translation of the Quran or a detailed explanation of it. He would often ask her if she would want to listen to something and she would act harsh towards him every time he began to explain an ayah.

A guilty conscience built up in Laana’s heart as she heard the recitation coming to an end. As the man who recited the Quran began walking down the stage, Laana knew it was her turn to go up. But before she stood up, she spoke with Raphael.

“When we get home, can you tell me about what he recited? I want to learn more…” Laana said, genuinely wanting to learn. It was as though taking just one step in helping someone, made her heart turn towards Allah’s word. But Raphael was taken aback by what she said since he didn’t know the risk Laana was taking. He just ended up saying ‘sure’ as a response and Laana stood up to go on stage. As she walked past the guests in the first row, her eye caught Layaan’s. The glare she saw in his eyes made her heart tremble in fear. Especially as she realized that she was walking right into the middle of the trap that Layaan had made. But she got on the stage, convincing her heart that everything would go just fine. Little had she known.

However, as Layaan was just about to call the man hidden in backstage when Laana got on the podium, his phone vibrated as someone called him. He rolled his eyes to see Alaya’s name on screen. Yet he picked up in an attempt to not make her more suspicious of him. He somewhat knew that she knows about his plan as she might have heard him talking on the phone. He doesn’t need another headache after he is done with Raphael. So he answered the call.

“Hello darling I’m at the event I told you about. Call ya later!” Layaan whispered and was about to disconnect the call immediately.

“Wait! I…I need to ask you something….wh…which company’s event are you at?” Alaya asked and Layaan frowned even more.

“You probably guessed it right….I’m at the event held by Raphael’s company. Can’t believe you still talk about him, love.” Layaan turned his voice into an emotional one in an attempt to give the impression that he was sad thereby making Alaya guilty. And he’d assumed that right. Alaya did feel guilty at least for that moment.

“Well I….” as Alaya was just about to say something, Layaan heard a beep and he knew he was getting another call. He realized even before looking at the screen who was calling and spoke to Alaya.

“Darling I’m gonna call you later. I need to pick up this call.” Layaan said and was about to end the call with Alaya before picking up the next one. But without realizing he kept Alaya on hold as he spoke with the man.

“No need to call me you fool! Just press make those work!” Layaan said. The man on the other end got upset and disconnected the call immediately and this time, Layaan didn’t hear the sound that came with it since the audience was clapping.

“Press it right now. I must see her burning in the fire within the next 10 seconds. Don’t worry about Raphael. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get out of here and no one calls the fire station!” Layaan said and put an end to the call without even looking at the screen. On the other end of the phone, was Alaya who was holding her breath the entire time. It took her a while to catch her breath and the moment she did, she called the fire station at once.

On the other end, the clock began to tick on the laptop of the man in the backstage. Laana was still at the podium, explaining the agenda for the night with light smiles. Without her knowing she was passing the last few seconds of her life. The timer on the laptop screen showed 3, then 2 and then 1. Next thing the people heard were loud explosions of the lamps arranged on the stage. Raphael along with others in the audience got up in an instant as they saw Laana getting startled and tripping on her heels onto the stage floor. The sparks from the lamps spread fire all across the stage as though there was fuel already on there. As people were just about to go rescue Laana, more such lamps exploded from the side of the hall and fire began to spread wild all around the hall. Screams filled the whole place as people began running towards the emergency exit but the door happened to be closed from the other end. The two people who knew that, Layaan and his father headed to the backstage and found their way out from the exit door in the back stage along with the man who caused the explosion. Raphael who was still looking all around and back at Laana repeatedly began to run towards the stage. But just as he reached the stage, fire that had caught on the curtains reached the huge lights on the top which ultimately fell right on Laana.

“Laana!!!” Raphael’s voice echoed through all the screams that filled the hall.

**2 months later**

It was the beginning of a new year. Raphael stayed in the house on that snowy day since it was a day off. He looked out the window of his apartment as snow fell while he sipped on his coffee with the mug in his hand. He was hearing the news on the TV in the background as he stood there.

“…..due to the continuous requests of the victim’s father, the investigation on the fire incident that occurred during the shareholders meeting of the Lightspeed business’, which is now named as Layaan and co. is still being continued. Rumour has it that the victim had contact with the one behind the incident just minutes before it occurred and thus many are assuming that it was a suicidal act disguised as an accident. Her close friends testify that she was unhappy with her married life….” Raphael heard those words for the umpteenth time that month. So it did not come to him as a surprise. He knew from the start that the people who were behind the incident will manipulate the news too. And they would take advantage of the fact that he didn’t love Laana as his wife.

That thought reminded Raphael of something and he looked at his study table right next to him. He pulled the drawer and found a paper neatly folded in it. He took it out and unfolded it before him. It was a letter Laana had left for him on the table just before they’d left for the event.

“Dear Raphael,

I know I’ve not been the best wife to you and now you know that I sided with your enemies. So what I’m about to say may appear unbelievable to you but I want to save you from their clutches and I have a plan. I hope that this plan will work in saving you but it will put me in trouble. I don’t know what Layaan will do to me if he found out. And I can’t believe I’m risking myself to save you. But I think you are worth it. You are definitely the best husband anyone can ever have. I was the one wretched enough to not have seen it before. So I wish you all the happiness in the world as I say this goodbye.

Love

Laana”

The emotions that built up in Raphael’s heart as he read that letter for the eighth time in the past few weeks was the same even at that moment. That night, he’d seen Laana’s burnt body being taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He had rushed to his car and followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital. But it happened to be that Laana was already gone before she reached the hospital. Raphael found himself in a shock as he heard the news. He wasn’t sure what to feel at that moment. He felt numb at the loss of someone who he thought at least was beginning to care about him. A tear fell from one of his eyes when he was at Laana’s funeral as he remembered the last moments he spent with her and as he blamed himself for her death because her grieving father was saying the same thing.

But he knew from that very moment that he wasn’t to blame. And became sure of it when he came home to find this letter. From the moment he read the letter, he thought long and hard about what Laana had asked him to do. Should he tell Alaya the truth about her father? But what if she doesn’t trust him? It’s not like he has solid evidence on it either. The only person who could have given the evidence died in a train accident months ago.

Raphael’s thoughts reached a dead end at that, like always. He still missed Alaya as though she’d just left him at the station. It still pained to realize that she was with someone like Layaan. He clearly knew that Layaan was still having affairs with other women. Raphael thought of speaking to Alaya’s father about it multiple times. But then again her father has something against him so he wasn’t able to.

Where must Alaya be, right at this moment? Raphael thought as he touched the window and looked at the crowd down the street. Just at that moment, he got a call from his co-manager who was looking after the estates he was renting now that his business was out of his hands. His father was thankfully with him and he was getting him treated with the rental money he was getting. He thought to himself why he hadn’t given up the business sooner. But then again he didn’t think Layaan’s need for revenge will end with just getting the company. Perhaps he thinks that keeping Alaya with him is enough of a revenge. And he would be right if he thinks that.

“Salaam…what is it Naveed?” Raphael asked since he didn’t think Naveed would call during an off day.

“Sorry I had to call at this time, sir. But the lady who rented your special cottage in Cairo to have a Quran class wants to have a small celebration at the house tonight. She said she wants to keep such celebrations weekly to celebrate the kids who are able to tell the meanings of the ayahs…she said she’d do all the preparations on her own.” he heard the man say. Raphael closed his eyes as he remembered that house. That was the house he’d built in order to start a living with Alaya once they were together. He’d decided not to rent that house no matter what else he rented but he couldn’t refuse when he heard that a woman wanted a place in Cairo to start a Quran class for kids. He’d asked Naveed to find out about the woman and since Naveed told him that the woman seems to be decent, he didn’t ask much. Because he trusted Naveed and he knew Naveed would observe the house just as much he observes his estates in New York.

“Yes….let her do so. She hasn’t violated any of our conditions in the agreement and is only using the study of the house for her activities. So we must let her, since she is doing something good.” Raphael said and Naveed agreed.

Alaya’s POV

Alaya hurried out of the house with bags full of things need for the night’s party. She opened the door of the taxi waiting outside the house and kept the bags in the backseat. It was a chilly night in Cairo though it wasn’t snowing so Alaya wore a long brown coat on top of the black abaya and shawl that she wore.

“Don’t forget this! The kids are going to eat you up if you do!” called out Asma as she handed out a medium-sized paper bag to Alaya. Alaya took it with a smile as she realized that the bag has the gifts.

“Call me if you need any help!” Asma said as Alaya got in the car.

“Trust me I wouldn’t. The kids won’t let me do a thing. And I have ordered food from Mariyam’s. So they are going to bring them and arrange them on time. Gotta rush! Bye!” Alaya said as she closed the door. She waved a final goodbye to her sister.

Alaya got lost in thoughts as she looked out the window to see the darkening sky. So much has happened within the past few months that sometimes she keeps forgetting who she was 2 months ago. She still remembered the night of the fire like it happened yesterday. She’d heard Layaan saying to press a button and that he wouldn’t spare Raphael. She’d called the fire station immediately and had gotten on a taxi though she didn’t know the address she’d had to go to. She’d just told the driver to take her to the event held by Lightspeed businesses and to her luck, the driver happened to know. Her heart pounded heavily during that journey and her heart stopped when she saw the building on fire. She got off the taxi with tears in her eyes, imagining Raphael in the worst possible condition. As she was about to run into the building, she saw him looking at an ambulance. She heard him call out by the name ‘Laana’ as they both saw the ambulance’s door closing. He had at once run to his taxi and before Alaya could make a single move and sped up his car to follow that ambulance.

Alaya still remembered how exhausting that moment felt. The moment when she truly realized man towards whom she held feelings for so long, and she hoped would ‘rescue’ her from her miserable marriage was now not hers at all. It felt heavier on her heart when she returned home and had to face Layaan who was all smiles even after that huge catastrophe he had caused.

“Well well well…..look who’s here? Where had you gone? To rescue your long lost love….I’m afraid he isn’t coming back. I don’t think many people would survive that fire.” Layaan said, when he still didn’t know that Raphael had survived. Hearing his words, while having a heavy heart and coming to terms with the fact that she has lost everything anyway, Alaya rose her voice for the first time before Layaan.

“Who are you to decide who survived and who didn’t? Its only Allah Who protects His slaves. The people whom He decides to protect, no one can harm them.” Alaya found herself saying. She surprised herself with the words she said. Where was she getting this from? Then she remembered how she’d read some of the meanings of some ayahs. Just then, Layaan spoke.

“Whoa! Look whose become the sheikh of the house. Haha! Really? Those that Allah protects will not be harmed? Well then are you one of those who is protected? Lets see what your God does!” Layaan said that and grabbed Alaya’s hair through her hijab. Alaya screamed in pain as tears came to her eyes. Layaan laughed at the scene.

“Look who’s been protected by God! Tell your God to wipe those tears for you!” Layaan said that angrily and he pushed her down onto the floor, crying her eyes out.

Layaan’s torture on her continued for days and Alaya almost believed the mockery Layaan was making on her. Her already weak faith became even weaker when she didn’t see the Help of Allah coming right away. She tried calling her family or even the police multiple times but Layaan broke her phone into pieces and won’t let her go near the landline. She cried desperately in her room and she called out to Allah though her faith in Him was weak. Because she realized she didn’t have anyone to turn to besides Him.

Then one day, just as she was about to give up all hope, Samantha came into the room she was locked in. Samantha called her and woke her up as she lay on the floor.

“Madam…please wake up and leave this morning. The man left to go to LA just now and he wouldn’t be back for a while. I’m going to be leaving this house today too as I wouldn’t be left to live if I help you. So lets go together and leave with the first train we catch.” Samantha had said and Alaya still remembered how that lifted her spirit.

So that day, Alaya packed her things and left the house along with Samantha. Alaya had asked about Raphael’s father but she found out that Layaan left him to Raphael as soon as Raphael gave all of his businesses besides his estates to Layaan. Layaan wasn’t able to take the estates as they weren’t registered under the grand business that Raphael handles. Alaya was relieved to hear that, partly because Raphael would still be able to make a living through those estates and partly because she realized that those estates include the house Raphael had built to live with her.

After a few hours of a ride with Samantha, Alaya got off at a station in New York. She went back to her house without any second thoughts. Like every other decision in life, she hesitated to tell her parents that she immediately wanted a divorce from Layaan. That she didn’t even want to be even in the same country as his because she feared that he will find her out. In fact she didn’t speak a word after going home even when everyone asked questions. She just got in her room and locked the door. Her parents rose their voices but she was too overwhelmed to say anything. Never in her entire life did she think that she would be tortured by her spouse and she would need to flee away from him. The thought brought her to tears and she ended up crying. After a while when she stopped, the voices from outside had calmed down. And someone unlocked the door from the outside and came in. It was none other than her sister Asma. Alaya looked at her and then again hid her face on her knees as she sat on the floor. She had expected nothing more from Asma, as she was the most religious. Alaya thought that if Asma heard her story, she would tell her to go back to her husband. Because Alaya had heard from her mother that in Islam, a girl has to obey her husband no matter what.

Hence she was quiet for a while, even when Asma began to ask questions. She didn’t budge even by an inch.

“Not saying anything isn’t going to help Alaya. Tell us what happened! Is it Layaan? I swear if that Layaan guy did something terrible to you, he’s so dead!” Asma said that in rage. Alaya looked at her in shock. That’s the last thing she’d expected her sister to say. At once she said that he did do something horrible. And told her the whole story from the beginning to the end. Asma heard the story and without even saying a word, she went out of the room. Alaya called out to her but she wouldn’t stop. When Alaya came out of her room, Asma called out mom and dad to the living room. When they asked what happened, Asma spoke.

“Alaya needs to get a divorce from Layaan!” that’s the first thing Asma said and it equally shocked Alaya as everyone else.

“What happened though?” Mahmood asked worriedly.

“The guy has tortured Alaya the whole time while going out with other woman and Alaya is only able to inform us about this just now!” Asma said angrily.

“But….but I’m sure there is a misunderstanding. A girl shouldn’t ask for a divorce for petty things Asma and you know that!” Waleeda said, worrying that her daughter’s future will end if her first marriage ended.

“Petty? You call torture petty, mom? Just look at her mom. Look at her eyes. Does that tell you that something just so petty happened. She couldn’t even open her mouth after coming miles away from him because of how much she feared him!” Asma said, defending Alaya.

“But still…..we can still talk this through with Layaan I’m sure.” Waleeda said, looking at Alaya. Asma couldn’t believe her ears.

“Wallaahi mom if you don’t help Alaya get out of this mess, I will! Because all of us need to answer to Allah about anyone who asked for help against torture. Let alone a family member!” Asma said and began to walk away. She held Alaya’s hand as they both walked back into the room.

Due to Asma continuously fighting for Alaya and her not giving up on her claim, Mahmood and Waleeda eventually gave in and within a couple of days, Alaya signed the papers of divorce. Alaya told them not to inform Layaan of this before she got out of the country. So she left to go to Egypt just on that day. For some reason, she did not hear from Layaan even after she heard that he’d even signed the papers once he was back. Why would he care anyway now? He had the company and the ‘cowboy’ he was trying to bring down was now beneath him and his ‘success’.

So Alaya got a chance to start fresh in a place she’d never expected. In the beginning, the life she began in Cairo was boring. She just helped her grandmother with some chores and just sat around the house taking care of a small garden she began to make in the backyard. Asma had asked her to go back to New York but she didn’t want to. She just wanted to be left alone, especially with the thought that Raphael was not hers. Though she heard from the news that Laana passed away during the fire incident, she still didn’t want to go back to Raphael. She assumed he would be grieving the loss of his wife who perhaps attempted a suicide because of him. So it would be too much for him to even remember Alaya exists. She probably didn’t have a space in his heart anymore.

Alaya fell into a kind of depression with that realization. She didn’t know why she didn’t feel like going out much and why she stayed in her room. She didn’t know that it was because of her heart that was grieving and eating her up ever so silently. As she was just about to drown in those feelings, she got a call from Asma.

“Why don’t you start learning Arabic with me?” Asma had asked her on the phone. She said that she recently joined an online Arabic class and would love to have some of Alaya’s help as she was always the ‘smart head’ of the family. Alaya puked at the idea of joining at first. Of all languages in the world, why did it have to be Arabic? She doesn’t even like anything about Arabs except the city of Dubai and its tall buildings. But then again, she realized who she was talking to. It was Asma, who’d started wearing Arab clothing and began to use Arabic words even before learning Arabic. Little had she known that it wasn’t a thing about Arabs. That it was about a faith that was sent down to all of humanity.

“I thought you’d said you wanted to know what Quran says…” Asma reminded her. And just then, the thought clicked and Alaya agreed at once. When she began the course, she thought it wouldn’t amount to much. But within a few weeks, Alaya began to know the meanings of ayahs she was reciting in Quran. Eventually she even began to look up lectures about the Quran and listen to them. The explanation of literally every single ayah brought her to tears. When she realized that the Messenger (SAW) was sent as a mercy to all of mankind. That the Quran was sent down as a healing for what lies within the chests. She cried even more as she realized the peace she’d felt just after beginning to learn about the Quran. How all of her worries would disappear into thin air every time she engaged with the book of Allah.

Then came the time in Alaya’s life where she truly turned towards Allah. This time, with the intention of never turning back. As a result, she found herself becoming more firm with her decisions. She no longer hesitated to make any decision, as long as it was pleasing to Allah.

So she changed the way she dressed, though she knew her grandmother would criticize when a young girl like her dressed that way. She began to recite the Quran out loud, though her recitation was not so good. She took a leap of faith, and decided to teach what she learned. Since her house was small, she needed to look for a place where she could keep classes for kids. In the beginning, she’d never thought she’d ever even get a place or any kids would show up. But bit by bit, she saw all of her duas being answered one by one.

And today, there she was in her second home. Alaya told herself as the taxi stopped at a house with an up to date attractive design yet small enough to call it more of a ‘home’ than a mansion. Alaya got out of the car and just then, the older kids that had volunteered to help her came to her. She handed them the bags and told them what to do. She reminded them over and over to not let anything fall anywhere else except the study room. The kids ran into the house before her as Naveed opened the door for them. Naveed gave her a smile and she walked past him. Alaya took her time walking through the narrow path that lead to the house. She loved the flower plants of different colours that appeared on either side of the road and all around the house. The smell of the flowers make her take a deep breath every time she’d walked that path. When she got into the house, she found her dream living room, with a fire place and a small fridge right near the cozy sofas. She found herself smiling every time she saw that. This place was something. She thought every time she took a look around any corner of that house. It was as though it was her ultimate dream house. She’d completely forgotten about the house Raphael’s father had told her about.

Nonetheless Alaya came out of her dream out to work when she got into the study. She began to decorate the place with balloons along with the 5 kids. She joked with them as usual as they worked together. But for some reason, Alaya felt a tension in the air. There was a new kid named Maiman. Maiman had joined classes just last week and his face was serious ever since he heard Alaya’s full name. Alaya wondered why. She clearly knew that Maiman was talking about her with other kids behind her back. Alaya tried to jokingly find out what it was about but she failed. Maiman seemed like he had something serious against her.

Even that night as they were working, Alaya gave him a wink and that 13 year-old looked away. Alaya’s smile faded as she tied up a balloon.

“Maiman, let’s step out a bit and have a talk shall we?” Alaya walked up to him and said. To her surprise, Maiman didn’t even look at her.

“Couldn’t you hear me dear? Let’s go have a talk. If we are mad at each other we must work hard to solve the problem. As muslims, when we hurt one another its like hurting our own selves.” Alaya said and even then, Maiman continued with the work he was doing without looking up. Alaya, still trying to hold her anger called out his name and at once he stood up and shouted.

“Don’t you dare say my name again you daughter of a murderer!” Maiman said and dead silence fell in the room.

“Wh….What did you say? Murderer?” Alaya said, picturing her further and thinking that this was a heinous joke. Or a misunderstanding.

“Yes! Mahmood killed my father!” Maiman said and Alaya’s eyes grew wide. She could not believe her ears.

“Are you sure about which Mahmood you are talking about?” Alaya asked with a shaky voice.

“Sure I do! I followed you home and found him out. He’s that fat old man with thin white hair!” Maiman said. Alaya looked side to side with her heart beating fast against her chest.

“Sure he didn’t point a gun at my dad. But he was the one assigned to keep him quiet. Because my father was going to report how that evil Layaan was blackmailing Raphael bro using a girl he loved. My father worked at Raphael bro’s company and also Layaan’s house part time so he had collected evidence from cctv on the night Layaan blackmailed Raphael. He had brought a guy near that girl and Raphael brother was willing to do anything he said….my father knew all this and he was going to report it to police. But when my father went out of town to New York, Layaan’s father informed Mahmood who was also in the same city to ‘take care of him’. So the first thing Mahmood did was he bribed some men to kidnap my father. Even after he was escaped, some men found him at the station and blackmailed him to get on the track to make it seem like a suicide!” Maiman shouted out and Alaya eyes had reddened at that point. She remembered the man at the station. How that had happened right before her eyes. She had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it was because of her father. But if it was, her father will need to answer to her. With that thought, Alaya looked at Maiman.

“Let’s go to him with me, if you want justice for your father.” Alaya said. In the beginning, Maiman disagreed. But Alaya assured him that even she will be against her father if Maiman was proven to be right. With that assurance, Maiman left the house with Alaya in the taxi.

Since it was the holidays, everyone in New York had come back to Cairo for the vacation. Alaya was glad they were because she wouldn’t rest until this news was clear to her. Till the very moment she came in front of her father along with Maiman, Alaya wished her father was innocent. And Mahmood had even denied the first time Alaya told him the story in the middle of the living room when everyone was there.

“I…I don’t know anything about this.” his voice came out in frustration and at once it gave away to everyone that he was hiding something

“Liar!” Maiman had shouted out. Alaya held onto him and spoke.

“Dad please….please tell us if you are guilty. Even if you aren’t caught right now, you will be caught later on. If you don’t get caught in this world, Allah still Knows.” Alaya said, as she came close to tears. Mahmood looked down with a sigh as he realized that he had no way out. There was no way he could lie to his family without them knowing that he is. So finally he spoke.

“I wasn’t the one who killed him though. It was Ahmed who told me to. And it was those men who blackmailed him. I never wanted him to be killed. It was Ahmed who helped me years ago to get a good job in New York. That was how I was able to take the family back to New York from here Alaya. So I couldn’t just turn back when he asked me to do something….” Mahmood confessed and the whole family was brought to a shock. Mahmood realized that and spoke in desperation.

“Please…..please forgive me for this. I did it to provide the best for the family. Ahmed was helping me all along.” Mahmood said, as tears welled up in his eyes.

“No! You wont be forgiven! You must pay for killing my father!” Maiman shouted out and Alaya still held him back.

“He’s right, dad. The best thing to do now is paying for the mistake you did. And speaking out against those who made you do this. Only then will you be able to live in peace.” Alaya said. With those words, Mahmood fell onto his knees, crying.

Within the next few weeks, Mahmood confessed that he helped Ahmed, the lawyer in kidnapping and attempting to murder the hotelier of Lightspeed businesses. Soon after that, both Ahmed and Layaan were called to court. Layaan was already being arrested at a jail in New York for overdosing girls with drugs. He himself was overdosed with a drug when he got in jail. Ahmed tried to escape court hearings but Raphael heard about the hearings from an Egyptian channel and he informed the police. Ahmed was caught and a lifelong sentence was passed on him along with blood money while Mahmood got a 3 year sentence along with a fine.

Alaya and her entire family cried the day they saw their father being taken to jail. For one moment, Alaya regretted for speaking against her father. But she calmed herself down by telling herself that she did the right thing standing up for justice. Even if it be against her family.

With time, Alaya and her family came to terms with the fact that their father was in jail. Even her father came to terms with the fact that he made a mistake and he no longer cried about it ever since he made a sincere tawba with the help of her daughters who visited him regularly.

Alaya decided to resume her Quran classes, weeks after her father got in jail. She visited her father that evening, then headed back to the house where her class will be held. To her surprise, the door was opened and the kids were already in the house. That was odd because Naveed would only open the door when she came. Thinking about what was going on, Alaya got into the house and heard the kids laughing from the dining room. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she realized that the kids better not step in any other room other than the study.

“Kids! What in the world are you doing you need to get out of there!” Alaya said in one breath as she walked across the living room into the dining room. To her surprise, all kids were seated around the dining table and there were tea and short eats for everyone.

“How….who opened the door for you? What are you doing here?” Alaya asked, not being able to make sense of the situation. She didn’t know that someone had appeared from right behind her just then.

“The owner of the house let us in.” Maiman said, with a smile.

“The owne….dont tell me Brother Naveed let you in. Brother Naveed never opens the door without telling your sister here.” Alaya said, a bit frustrated.

“Its not brother Naveed. He’s right behind you.” a younger kid said.

“Behi…” Alaya said up to there and turned around. Just then, a balloon was popped on top of her head like a party popper and glittery bits of papers fell on her head. When the kids began to laugh, she opened her eyes to blurt out at anyone who did that to her but she froze, when she saw who it was. It was none other than Raphael, who had that smile that captivated her heart so many years ago. Whom she had feelings for for the first time in her life and she never really stopped.

Alaya just stood there, frozen not knowing what to say. Just then, Raphael’s father entered the living room on a wheelchair and he spoke.

“Are you just going to stay there or are you going to say something?” Hamidh said.

“Look at the cake Alaya sis! Brother Raphael made the cake for you!” a teenage girl called out. Alaya looked at the cake in the middle of the table and back at Raphael. Raphael looked down and brushed the back of his head nervously as though to say he had nothing to do with it. Alaya looked at him suspiciously and went to take a look at the cake. “Will you marry me?” were the words written on the cake. As she looked at those words, her eyes blurred with tears, as her heart reminded her of how she had missed Raphael all this time. Raphael walked up to her and said “Well?” and she ended up saying “Yes!” with tears rolling down her eyes and knowing for sure this time, that this wasn’t a chance she wouldn’t take.