Short Story: Where is My Khadija Chapter 10 ~ Habibi Halaqas

By Alawiya Abdallah

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Bismillah

“O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful” 49:6

Rumors__

How hurtful__

How evil__

How dangerous___

We often do not realize how damaging rumors can be, we think to ourselves that it is JUST a rumor. People can choose to believe it or leave it__

That is what we think, but in reality rumors spread like fire__

Quick and painful__

It leaves so many victims behind, and scars that never leaves__

Ever.

And that is EXACTLY what Saydi, Yusuf and Habibo did. They took Khadija’s clean and humble name and dragged it through the mud

Saydi became a man possessed, he became obsessed with finding out Khadija’s whereabouts as soon as she left their house.

I guess it had something to do with his bruised ego, or the fact that he never thought got to get Khadija’s signature in any of the papers that he prepared__

The papers that would make Saydi the sole owner of Khadija’s inheritance__

He had been working relentlessly to get these papers ready, and all it needed was Khadija’s signature.

However, he could not execute his plan back in Tanzania after Khadija threatened to kill herself

The plan was to get Khadija married to Habibo, and as her husband he can order her to do anything without her getting suspicious.

But all that planning has gone to waste, as Khadija started snooping around and trying to find out who she is in Tanzania.

And then came the sudden and most ridiculous idea from Manafisa. She came home one day fed up from being the sole earner of the family, and she demanded that they should leave for England

Saydi did everything in his power to stop this move, but he failed. So he had no choice but to go with them, because Manafisa gave him a choice to either divorce her__

Or come with her__

So he went with them, he had no other choice. He IS a father to Alawiya and Zahra after all!

As soon as Khadija enrolled in the college, he saw her confidence slowly build up over time and he was FURIOUS.

He could not do anything about it, because she could run away and start her life somewhere else and all his plans would go to waste.

He needs everything to be executed properly, with the right timing and everything.

He instructed Habibo exactly when he should force Khadija to sign those papers__everything was planned to the last detail.

And now it is all gone, thanks to his stupidity! He cannot stop blaming himself for letting his instincts get the better of him.

Not that he was a man of morals or anything, he simply thought that his needs could have waited a little bit longer!

As soon as Khadjia was gone, Saydi looked for her everywhere. He even went to spy on her at her college, and he saw her go with some girl in a house.

He figured out that she was staying with that friend, but his blood boiled when he saw 3 men going in and out of the house.

He decided that he should investigate about this family, find out who they are and what kind of threat they could be in his quest for Khadija’s money.

When he found out who they were, his blood went cold

He found out that those were the people who used to work for Khadija’s dad back in Somalia!!

He knew from the source that Halima used to work for Omar Sheikh, before she became this successful business woman right here in England.

But he also found out that Halima has an enemy in the form of Yusuf, her late husband’s brother.

He thought to himself, how easy it is getting these information from a simple gathering at a Barawani community place

He made up his mind there and then, that he SHOULD form an allegiance with Yusuf.

From what he heard, Yusuf is pretty ticked off at the fact that Halima refused his marriage proposal SEVERAL times

The guy MUST be thirsty for some kind of revenge on her, and who could be better than Saydi to offer his expertise__

Rumors__

How hurtful__

How evil__

How dangerous___

Khadija and the Abdalla family are not aware of what is going on around them, they are simply living life as it comes.

But they are bound to find out soon, weddings provide the BEST place for gossip__

And at a wedding they shall find out.

Khadija

Subhanallah, now I know what I have been missing from life. All these years of being locked up has been like a blindfold, and now that the blindfold is gone__I could clearly see how blind I truly was

Life is BEAUTIFUL Mashallah__

Life is so simple and loving__

I am absolutely loving life at the moment Alhamdulilah.

I have recently moved to live and care for Dada Fawziyah, when she came out of the hospital. She has been at the hospital for 2 months and now she is back home and she needs a lot of love and care.

As much as I loved staying at Asha’s house, I knew it was time to leave__

I could not disrupt their lives like that, I could not keep the boys away from the house

I just wished I remembered to take my doll from Asha’s cupboard

Life with Dada Fawziyah has well and truly opened my eyes. I no longer have to be on the edge of my nerves as I wake up in the mornings, I no longer have to sit by myself in the kitchen to eat__

I am treated as a human being for a change, and I am loving it

Life in Asha’s house was always gonna be temporary for me, so I never enjoyed it. The thought of leaving, or worse__going back to Saydi’s house was always at the back of my mind.

And talking about Asha, my mind goes back to the moment I told her about my sudden flash back. I told them what I could recall, but I forgot to mention the doll__

I forgot to mention how all these figures walk across my memory every time I hold it. I do not know why I never mentioned it

I guess I got caught up in the excitement of telling them a little bit about me!

They were very sympathetic though, they could not believe that this is an actual thing that happened to an actual person, according to Asha

Mohamed remained very quiet as I recalled my memory. He put his right hand on his chin and his gaze fixated on the TV

“So when I argued with Mohamed, you had a flashback?” Asha asked thoughtfully.

I nodded.

“How about when I do this?” She stamped her feet on Mohamed’s feet

“HEY!!” Grunted Mohamed in pain.

“I’m just trying to help the poor girl remember! How about this?” She hits the back of his head with her hand

“ALRIGHT! Enough out of you!” He pushed her hand away in frustration

“Seriously though Habiba, Your strength and patience inspire me,” she says with such sincerity, that my heart felt like crying

I cannot let Mohamed see me cry! But her words meant the world to me, but what happened next was more than I could wish for in the entire world__

“You really are inspiring and very strong Mashallah, we’ll do whatever we can to help you get your memory back Inshallah,” says Mohamed

For me that was like the icing on the cake

Mohamed never talks to me directly, that was the first time he actually said something to me and it meant everything

So now, standing here at Ibrahim’s wedding party to Salwa and I cannot help but feel like the happiest girl alive

I have to say the wedding was all rushed and quick, that it took us all by surprise

I was a bit worried when Ibrahim announced that he’s going to marry the girl who saved him at the event

I thought to myself, hang on! I LEFT him on the floor and went. But thankfully, it was not me__phewwww

Imagine how awkward that would be

Salwa is a very attractive girl I must admit Mashallah. Well, I am admitting through my gritted teeth

You see Salwa is the kind of girl who is beautiful and knows it, and she would make sure YOU know it.

She would make sure the whole world knows it as well__

She would make sure THE UNIVERSE__

OK, you get the picture right

It is not that I am jealous or anything! Well maybe a teeny tiny bit

There is just something so arrogant about her, and it makes me feel uneasy around her

To be honest with you, I really wanted Ibrahim to marry Jawahir. Poor girl is trying so hard to appear happy, though you can see the sadness in her eyes

And to make it worse, Ibrahim is dancing with his bride for the first time right now

I just hate it when couples do that

Yeah OKAY, WE KNOW YOU LOVE EACH OTHER AND ALL__BUT CAN YOU LIKE DANCE AWAY AT THAT CORNER RIGHT THERE?

Yep, next to the open buffet WHERE NO SINGLE GIRL HAS TO BE REMINDED THAT SHE IS SINGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly man!

I look over at Jawahir, and I give her a hug.

“What was that for?” she asks puzzled.

“Nothing at all, I just wanted to tell you that you’ll be fine Inshallah,” I tell her, putting my arm on her shoulder.

She smiles in acknowledgement

and we watch the happy couple dance away__

Hopefully towards the open buffet WHERE NO SINGLE GIRL HAS TO BE REMINDED THAT SHE IS SINGLE

As we were watching Ibrahim and Salwa dance, someone says something so peculiar that it gets my attention straightaway

“That’s the shameful one,” one of the guests point to my direction

“Look at her wearing Hijab, pretending to be a good muslim! I tell you what, it’s THOSE ones that are the worst,” her friend answers her, looking at me in disgust

And then it hits me___

I was so lost in my thoughts that I did not realize__

I did not realize that all eyes were on me, looking fiercely in disgust

What did I do???

Mohamed

My mind keeps going over Habiba’s words over and over again

She said that she had a flashback when me and Asha were arguing, and THAT’S what is keeping my mind going back and forth to the conversation.

What happened to Habiba, with regards to her being found wandering on the streets of Tanzania could have easily been what could have happened to Khadija__

If that makes any sense

I mean, What if Khadija escaped her mother’s husband in Tanzania and somehow lost her memory and then these people found her and raised her by making her a servant

Subhanallah. Everytime I think about it like that, it does not make any sense

I think I have let my imagination run really wild this time

I have asked Asha to try and encourage Habiba to remember the past, not to push her though; just to try and help her with her memory slowly.

I have done some research on memory loses, and it all said that patients need to take slow steps towards regaining their memories.

It said that strong emotions might trigger a nervous breakdown, and that is the last thing I need for Habiba.

I do not know when or how she became important to me, but she is and I cannot explain it

Maybe, it is my subconscious feelings towards Khadija coming alive everytime I know a little bit more about her.

As bad as this may sound, I really hope Khadija has not been through all of that

I mean how does a person recover from all of that? Lost and alone, while getting shocking abuse at the hands of the people who are meant to have some kind mercy.

But at the same time, that is what makes Habiba so special. She actually overcame all these obstacles, and she came out stronger on the other side

And I love the fact that she is shy and very much in touch with her deen. She is one of those rare people who remind you of the old school elegance.

Elegant in the way she presents herself, elegant in the way she lives by the Muslim way of living

She is just one of a kind, and I cannot help having a soft spot for her__Which inevitably makes me feel sooo guilty towards Khadija

I really thought my love for Khadija was so strong, that no woman could ever take her place in my heart

I guess I am a typical male, who at some point in his life will long for a halal company

I do not know what to do? All I know is I need to pay a visit to Dada and talk to her about all of this__

She will tell me Inshallah__

Right now, I am gonna focus on Ibrahim’s wedding day. The wedding was organized so fast, that I did not get to voice my unease about the whole thing.

Ibrahim is besotted with Salwa; he will not and did not want to listen to any voice of reason from any of us. Even when her family kept asking and asking for more and more money for their daughter__

My mum put a portion of money for all of us when we get married Inshallah. Ahmed made sure to fulfill her wishes regarding that Alhamdulilah.

A row was about to erupt between Ahmed and Ibrahim regarding his fund. Salwa’s family asked for more than what mum has put aside for us, and what mum put aside for us could feed an entire country

So I quickly offered Ibrahim a bit of my share, so he can marry the woman he came to love so suddenly.

Ahmed was reluctant to do it, but I reasoned with him.

So here we are at my brother’s wedding, watching him dance with his bride and not having a care in the world.

I would do my wedding so differently than his. I would want my wife to enjoy her night, and not having all these males gawking at her

WHAT? I am a jealous bloke!!

It will be just me and Habiba__I mean Khadija__I mean Habiba__Khadija!

WHAT THE?? Did I just think that???

I am OFFICIALLY THE WORST MAN ON THIS PLANET

Horrible, horrible and horrible___

Talking about Habiba, I have just seen her running off in a panicky haze

What happened

Erm, could the author please stop putting the heart symbol everytime I talk about Habiba

I just like her as a sister OK?

OK that was actually me and my stupid heart that just did a little fluttery thing it does when someone loves someone!

I am OFFICIALLY THE WORST MAN ON THIS PLANET

Khadija

I cannot breathe, I had to leave for fresh air

EVERYONE is pointing and talking about me

Saying AWFUL things about me in there. I cannot even repeat what they are saying

Since when did a woman’s dignity become a game in people’s lives? I have nothing in this world BUT my honor and dignity, and they are dragging it through the mud.

Their stares were like daggers, slicing mercilessly through me

I have never been this hurt in my entire life.

I could not stop the tears coming, and I did not want to ruin Ibrahim’s night. So here I am outside the wedding hall, trying to steady myself before anyone notices anything.

Who am I kidding? the Abdalla family will probably hear it, since I heard it!

It is only a matter of time

I was so lost in my despair that I did not notice the figure beside me.

“You disgust me, you know that?” says the figure in the dark

“Leave me alone,” I say, before turning my back on him

“So you’re gonna bring your shame to that family? They have been nothing but hospitable, and that’s how you repay them?,” he starts tutting, and my tummy does a flip as I recognize the voice

“You don’t scare me no more Saydi, I’m not gonna be bullied by you anymore,” I tell him with my head held high

“Suit yourself, I tried warning you,” he says, taking steps towards his car.

“What do you mean?” The warning definitely got my attention

“This is just the beginning, all these rumors are just the beginning. The next part of my plan is the best part,” he answers in a voice just like a snake, I could actually picture his hiss in my head.

“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice becoming lower from fear of what he might say

“The best part is harming lover boy, and you can say you’ll call the police all you like. I’ll still do it, and I’ll probably be out of jail so quickly that it’ll give me pleasure to watch you break into pieces.” He takes a few steps towards me now.

“BUT” He suddenly changes his threatening tone.

“But what?” I ask, feeling my heart drop.

“YOU are the only one who can stop this,” he replies, grinning from ear to ear

“How?” My voice comes out in a whisper.

“Marry Habibo” He replies!!

I say nothing__

What can you say to that?

He goes in his car and drives away__and I stand in my spot gobsmacked__

Heartbroken and wounded___

Ya Allah help me in my time of need as much as You Helped me before__

Ya Rab

______
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Please post in the comments section below :)