Chapter Thirty Five – Plan to eliminate

Alaya’s POV

Alaya was drowning in the deep sea of her own thoughts as she sat on the couch in her bedroom. Raphael’s words kept ringing in her head as she pictured him looking at her with rage. She could not help but wonder about the reason behind his anger. She never knew that he took his religious values so seriously.

And to some point, it burned her with rage too. The fact that he valued those values more than her. That thought encouraged Alaya to think about Raphael even in a more negative light. She ended up telling herself that a person holding onto such values cannot be worth loving. She’d always hated the people who took Islam ‘that seriously’ anyway. Raphael wouldn’t be an exception. How dare he claim to love her AND tell her that she was cheating her husband behind his back just because she tried to talk to him? How dare he raise his voice at her? How dare he have such bad assumptions about her?

With similar questions popping up in her mind, she reached the conclusion that she could not possibly love him. But then again deep inside, she knew that he was right. Whatever he said was out of the decency he had as a man. He remembered his words when he’d described the dream he hoped to live with her. Being married to a righteous muslim wife and have children who would be the coolness of the eyes. Those words are the kind of thing that she would only hear in an Islamic lecture and she had given a deaf ear to those her whole life. But for some reason, those very same words seemed so beautiful to her the way he said it. In fact, she would think that those words would come from someone who truly loved her. Who cared about her. But then again can she accept those values in her life?

That question reminded Alaya of a question Raphael himself had asked her when he’d first started to look up the Quran. He’d told her about how he’d gotten a chance to learn more about the Quran.

“But I’m not sure what to do about it….would love to know what the Quran says as I’d loved some of the ayahs Mama shared with me. But…”

“But what?” Alaya had asked. Raphael looked at her and sighed.

“But I think that the book is going to tell me about a lot of things that I have to change in my life. And I don’t think I have the strength in me for such a thing you know?” he said. Alaya had looked at him for a while and spoke.

“Trust me Raphael…you are stronger than you think. You know how to live up to your own values and I’m sure you would live up to anything that you are convinced of as good. Once you start learning, do teach me of any good that you learn.”

She’d said that last sentence with a wink. She gave the advice to him, not necessarily wanting him to be ‘guided’ by the Quran. In fact, she’d dearly hoped that he wouldn’t turn out to be one of those people with long beards and grumpy faces. Regardless, she’d said those words of encouragement, in an attempt to impress Raphael. And it worked too. He’d given her a warm smile at the end of her advice.

And today, she needed that encouragement. For her own self. Remembering that conversation she had with Raphael so long ago, and noticing the differences in his behavior then and now intrigued her about the Quran. She was sure that his change had to do with the Quran as one of the last conversations she’d had with Raphael in their childhood had to do with the Quran classes he had been attending. But due to the tension of leaving Raphael and not being able to tell him about it, Alaya could not pay much attention to those conversations.

But now she needed to know. She needed to know what was so amazing about the Quran. What was so miraculous about that Book that changed the love of her life so much. To the point that it changed his feelings for her.

Alaya had a sudden urge to have a copy of the translation of the Quran and to know what exactly it was talking about. But she let out a sigh, realizing that she did not happen to have a copy. Just then, she remembered Asma reciting the Quran from her phone. Alaya immediately took out her phone and downloaded a Quran app with translation. Within a few minutes, she was reciting the verses and reading the meaning of each verse.

Raphael’s POV

Since it was a night off, Raphael was home even at 8 that night. He’d prayed Isha prayer and headed to the dining room to have an early dinner. He was surprised to see Laana there setting the table along with Jia.

Raphael was taken aback by that scene. This was the first time in a very long time that Laana was home for dinner. What could be keeping her home tonight? It wouldn’t be any good for sure. Raphael thought as he walked in her direction.

He remembered a day from about a month ago as he kept looking at her face. He was reminded of how he’d gone to a private room of a hospital where his father was admitted. He wasn’t found there that day. Neither was he found in the hose Raphael had rented for him in a nearby neighbourhood just because Laana despised the presence of his father.

Raphael was worried to bits until he found his father being driven around on his wheelchair by a maid named Samantha. Samantha had innocently told him the address. Raphael got to know that she wasn’t supposed to tell him, when she lied to him the next day when he went to that house. She completely denied that his father was there. So one day, Raphael had to barge into the house just to hear his father’s voice. He got to know the room his father was kept in and the next day, he found that room locked.

After a lot of attempts, Raphael had found the key hidden in a verse in the living room and he got into the habit of meeting with his father secretively. Because he knew that this was a plot of Layaan and fighting with either him or the poor maid won’t do much to help the situation.

Thinking about the past few weeks within a few seconds, Raphael gasped lightly as he remembered that he hadn’t bought the medicine for his father. Jia and Laana looked at him in his worried look.

“What happened?” Laana asked.

“I…I’ve got to go somewhere…” Raphael said in a rush, not wanting to mention his father in front of Laana.

“Where?”

“Somewhere…will be back within an hour or so.”

“Are you going to meet your father?”

Raphael paused his steps that he was taking away from Laana when she asked that question. He turned around and looked at her.

“Yes…” Raphael said, expecting a response from Laana.

“You don’t have to worry about him. I asked Samantha to feed him and give him medicine.” Laana said in a calm voice.

Raphael stared at her with his eyes narrowed. If this was any other day he would have a hard time believing those words. But there was something about her today that was so different. The tone of her voice and the ease in her expression made Raphael want to believe what she was saying. But then again as he thought he would be fooling himself if he trusted her, Laana spoke.

“If you don’t believe me I can give you Samantha’s number, she can tell you what’s going on.” Laana said, again with the kind of peace that she would never speak. Raphael stared at her and then asked her to give the number. So she did and Raphael called. And soon, to his utter surprise he found that Laana was telling him the truth. Samantha had even bought the medicine that had run out.

Raphael sat at the dining table, keeping his phone on the side. He stared at Laana, who was sitting right across him. He still couldn’t believe what was going on and feared that this might be even a more dangerous plan made by Laana and Layaan.

“What’s going on Laana? Why aren’t you out tonight?” Raphael asked curiously, trying to sound normal. Laana gave a light laugh.

“My date has kind of disappointed me and I thought I would like your company better.” Laana said honestly with a smile. But Raphael still looked at her with doubt. She can’t possibly be talking about Layaan can she? She looked so fine with him just this evening. Remembering the two in the shop, Raphael guaranteed for himself that what he heard was lies. Not wanting to hear any more of them, he silently began his dinner.

Alaya’s POV

Alaya kept reading the translation of the Quran till 11 that night. She was somewhere in the middle of the 4th Surah by then. She never thought she would get this far in one night. But the Book was more gripping that she thought. She felt as though those words were speaking directly to her. Especially the very first verses of the Quran. She thought that the Quran would mostly talk about a God Who was out to punish everyone and send everyone to Hell. Or she thought it would command people to accept Islam whether they are convinced of it or not. But she found something she’d never expected. The Book even began with a positive statement. With the words “All praise and thanks belong to Allah.” She was surprised that it did not begin with a command to praise and thank Allah. It was as though it was saying that a person had to reach that conclusion on his or her own. Knowing that Allah is the Most Merciful just in the second verse made Alaya think of Him in a different light. This was Allah introducing Himself and one of the first descriptions He gave of Himself was related to His Mercy, not His Wrath. Alaya loved how just the next words were about Him being the Owner of the Day of Judgement. That would obviously mean that a person cannot take advantage of Allah’s Mercy and live life in any way he or she likes. Because Allah is the most Just and those who committed injustices in this world will face the consequences on the Day of Judgement. And then after those verses, there was then again a statement of free will. It said “It is You Who we worship and it is You Who we ask for help.” It was a statement a person had to make on his own, not by force. If he wasn’t convinced, the verse didn’t force him to say it.

Alaya paused at the verse that said, “Don’t fear them, but fear Me…” and then closed the app, letting out a sigh. So this was it, she thought. This was the message from which she kept turning away from her whole life. Thinking that it was way out of her league. Thinking that it would be too complicated for her. Thinking that it would make her life so difficult and sad. But she was sure at that point that the Book was surely not sent down to make her depressed. Rather, it was sent down to make her life easy. The message of the Quran was clear. All she had to do was obey Allah. While He did not ask her for much and forbade her from only the things that were bad for her. So the one who strives to obey Allah, is actually not benefitting Allah in anyway. Rather it would benefit only the one who obeys.

Alaya felt a contentment engulfing her heart, the more she thought about it. She had a sudden urge to get up and pray Isha prayer that she had been delaying that night. But just as she was about to get out of her bed, she heard someone’s voice from outside.

“Yeah….the event is to be held within 4 days. Have everything ready by then.” it was none other than Layaan’s voice. Alaya heard the voice nearing and eventually the sound of the door’s knob turning and she immediately lay on the bed and pretended to sleep. Because she was simply too nervous to face him especially since this would be their official ‘wedding night.’ But Layaan was still on his call when he got in the room.

“Don’t worry about it. We can control him like a puppet as long as we have his father. And now I even have Alaya in my hands. He would transfer all of his shares to me before we kill him at the event.” Alaya’s eyes grew wide when she heard those words.