Eight

It's been two months now and Bashir has been nothing but depressed. He has locked himself up in his room. He does nothing but look at her pictures, talk to it and cry himself to sleep.

He pushed everyone away. He never goes to work. He only eats when Maama pushes him to. He looked skinny and darker than before. He looked very disturbed.

Life hasn't been easy without Yasmeen.

He always dreams about her; she smiles at him and tells him everything is going to be alright and then she'll disappear. He's not ready to move on. He's so depressed.

Knock knock!!

He sighed getting off the bed to open the door. It was his baby sister. "Hey," she smiled at him. "Come in." He smiled back at her.

She sat right beside him on the bed. "You need to open up" she said while looking at him staring at the blank space. "What do you mean open up?" he said faking a smile.

"Firstly, have you seen yourself in the mirror? Look at your beard! Your hair! Your eyes! You look darker! You've lost weight! Yaya you have to open up one way or the other. I really care about you and I don't want to lose."

He lazily looked at Safwana. She covered her face with her palms. She's crying. He gave her a side hug, "you're not going to lose me In Shaa Allah. Stop crying please, okay? I've lost the woman I loved the most, after Maama and you. What do you expect me to do Safwana? Act normal? I can't even do that."

He inhale and exhaled trying not to shed tears in front of his baby sister. "I never thought she'd leave this soon. I don't think I'll be ready to let go. I can't!"

"Sure you can. But not like this. You've shut everyone down. We've been trying to cheer you up for only God knows how long. Please yaya you have to let go. Starving yourself to death won't bring her back or staring at her pictures all day. We don't want to lose you like we lost Yasmeen. Please..."

"Safwana!" He cuts her off. "Calm down, I'm going to be okay." He hugged her tight as she cried out her heart.

After what seems to be forever, she finally calmed down. "Promise me you'll change, from today."

"I promise." He smiled. He has to stay strong for them. "Yay! Now go take a long bath now and shave." She pulled his hand and pushed him towards the bathroom. "I will bring up your food right now. And we're going out after you eat and no buts!" She quickly walked out of the room before he could protest.

He had a long hot bath and shaved. He felt really good and refreshed. He looked at himself in the mirror. 'What was I doing to myself?'

He sighed and sauntered out of the bathroom. He applied his lotion and wore a white shirt and sweat pants.

His eyes landed on the warmers that was on the coffee table. He sat down and ate till he was satisfied.

He looked for his phones and plugged them before heading out of the room. It's been a while.

He went straight to his dad's side to greet him. He met both Maama and baba having a conversation about something.

Both of them were surprised to see him out of his from for the first time since when he was discharged from the hospital. "Bashir? How are you?" Maama asked with so much care.

"I'm fine Maama." He smiled. Baba asked about his well being too and he replied positively. He excused himself and went back to his room. He met Safwana and one of the maids fixing his room.

"No need to thank me." She grinned. He chuckled shaking his head. Go to the garden and get some fresh air, I'll be with you in a sec," she said and he nodded.

He picked up his phone and turned it on. Few minutes later uncountable texts from Malika came in. He hissed and deleted without reading it.

He went through Madyan's messages. What a caring best friend. He dialed on his number. Immediately after one ring, Madyan picked up.

"Hey man! Are you really the one? Oh Ya Allah! I've been wanting to see you but you've totally pushed everyone away. I've called, texted a billion times."

"Calm down please," He chuckled. "I'm fine man, well starting to get better Alhamdulillah. How have you been?"

"I should be asking you that. How are you man?"

"Like I told you; I'm starting to get better."

"You know what? I'm coming over right now..." he cut the call. Bashir sighed settling down on one of the garden chairs.

His mind drifted Yasmeen. She's always on his mind, she'll always be there. He has never seen someone as caring and loving as Yasmeen. She was the love of his life. She was his happiness.

Her beautiful eyes.

Her billion dollar smile.

Her angelic voice.

How she laughs.

How she makes him feel like the most important person in the world.

Xx

He knelt down in front of his father. "Baba, I beg you with almighty Allah let me marry this girl, Baba please I truly love her. Please allow me to marry her. I can't live without her. Baba please." He was on the verge of shedding tears.

"Omar! Don't vex me! Don't allow me to pounce on you! You are not marrying that girl, period! And lemme warn you, if you talk about this filthy poor people again, I'll disown you!"

Aamir's father walked out of the living room, raging with anger. He slumped down there crying his soul out. How will he start telling Ameenah all of this? She'll be heart broken. Heck she might even think he was just playing her.

He rosed up, wiping his tears away. They can't do this to him. He sluggishly walked to his mother's room to beg her convince his father. "Salamu Alaykum."

"Waalaykumus salam, Aamir come sit. I want to talk to you." He sighed and walked over to her bed. He plumped down beside her. "Mommy you have to talk to him please." He started before she could.

"Omar, you know your father and his decisions. When ever he utters a thing, it stays! No one can change his mind but Allah, you know that."

"But can't you at least...."

"Aamir! You have to let go of this girl and respect your father's opinion. Please. He knows what's best for you."

"Mommy if you've met this girl you wouldn't advice me to let her go. Please you have to help me beg him. Please!" He knelt down before her, tears rolling down his cheek.

"Go get some rest now. I'll talk to him In Shaa Allah."

Xx

"Try calling him again." She advised. "Aisha I've been trying to all day, it's still not reachable. I just hope everything is alright." She slumped down on the bed.

Aisha sighed from the phone. "Look, just calm down. I know there must be a reason. Just hope it's not something bad. Please calm down, okay?"

"I have to go now, I have a visitor. I'll call as soon as he's gone. I love you." She cuts the call before Ameenah could reply.

Ameenah sighed feeling gloomy. What's happening? Ever since when she woke up this morning she wasn't feeling good, emotionally. And not hearing from Aamir made it worse than it already is.

"Ameenah! It's 4pm now and you haven't eaten lunch! What's wrong?" Aunty sat down beside her on the bed. "Aunty, I... I don't know. I've been like this ever since I woke up this morning. I just feel gloomy! And I have been calling Aamir his phone is not going through."

"My daughter, it's going to be okay In Shaa Allah. And for Aamir we don't know what's wrong but I hope it's nothing serious. Calm down now. Pray Asr and come eat lunch."

She did as she was told. After praying she ate lunch and headed back to her room. She dialed on his number again and it still wasn't going through.

She tossed the phone on the bed, her eyes filled with tears. What's happening? Something wrong is going to happen! She can feel it.

Xx

"Thank you so much for the amazing lunch Aisha," he thanked her wiping his mouth with a tissue. "You're always welcome." She smiled packing the plates they used.

Bashir was finally getting better. He just got out from work when Adam invited him to their house for lunch. "I have to get going now." He announced.

"Da wuri haka? (This soon?)" Aisha asked sitting down beside her husband on the couch. "Yes I'm really tired right now and I need some rest." Bashir stood up from the couch.

"Hope you'll visit again soon," Adam said accompanying him to his car. "Yes In Shaa Allah I'll visit soon again." He unlocked his car and opened the door. "We'll talk on phone later." They shook hands. "And please thank your wife for me for the delicious meal."