Her protector
880 Words
Indeed, she had blossomed into a woman of striking beauty and elegance. With each passing day, Hadi found himself discovering more layers to Masooma's personality. He observed the grace with which she interacted with his parents—a depth of respect and love that made him reflect on his own interactions with them. Her kindness extended to everyone, including him. Since that day, he had chosen to ignore her, yet a part of him longed to bridge the gap, to speak with her, and to mend the fractures between them. The desire to apologize often tugged at him, but his stubborn ego and pride held him back.
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They both made a concerted effort to steer clear of each other, but family dinners became a realm where avoidance was nearly impossible. On one such occasion, as the family gathered around the dinner table, Masooma and Rumaisa found themselves seated side by side, with Rafiq and Hadi opposite them. The conversation meandered toward selecting gifts for an upcoming relative's wedding.In the midst of this chatter, as Masooma reached for her water glass, Hadi, too engrossed in the discussion, unintentionally placed his hand over hers. The sudden contact startled both of them, and their hands retreated with lightning speed. Hearts pounded, and eyes darted away. Masooma focused intently on her plate, while Hadi, attempting to appear nonchalant, scratched his head. Though determined not to acknowledge her, he couldn't resist stealing furtive glances, caught in the subtle currents of their unspoken tension.
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Hadi, Rumaisa, and Masooma had finished their shopping at the mall and were waiting outside for Hadi to retrieve the car from the parking lot. Suddenly, Rumaisa remembered something she had forgotten to buy and asked Masooma to wait while she rushed back inside. Masooma stood alone outside.As she waited, a woman with narrowed eyes began to stare at her, despite Masooma being in abaya and niqab.
"Do you know you are making me uncomfortable?" the woman said angrily, gesturing towards Masooma. "You are scary."
Masooma chose to remain silent, understanding the futility of engaging with such a person.
"Are you deaf? Can't you hear me?" the woman continued.
In response, Masooma looked at her and calmly asked, "Why don't you leave me alone? Don't you have anything better to do?"The woman persisted with offensive remarks, insinuating that Masooma was a threat and should go back to her "Arab land" to avoid contaminating their own.
Masooma, maintaining her composure, responded, "You are mistaken. Go educate yourself about Islam, and then we can talk."
Rather than defusing the situation, Masooma's measured response further angered the woman. She verbally abused Masooma, attempting to remove her niqab. Onlookers gathered, some recording the incident on their phones.
However, Masooma didn't allow her to do so. She fought back, doing her best to protect herself. Suddenly, two strong hands intervened, pulling the women apart.
"How dare you touch her?" Hadi's voice was cold, and his eyes turned red with anger.
Despite Hadi's intervention, the woman didn't stop.
"These people need to die!" she screamed, attempting to attack Masooma once again. Hadi shielded Masooma, pushing the woman away, and she fell to the ground. Now, she began creating a scene, claiming that Hadi had hurt her, trying to garner sympathy. Unfazed, Hadi wrapped his arm around Masooma, comforting her.
Rumaisa, having rushed out after hearing the commotion, joined them. Masooma, upon seeing her, ran into her arms, bursting into tears. The police arrived, and after investigating the incident and reviewing the video evidence, it became clear that the woman was committing a hate crime. They promptly arrested her.
Further inquiries revealed that the woman was a d**g addict with a history of violent attacks. In the past, she had assaulted a Japanese man, mistaking him for Chinese and accusing him of spreading the coronavirus. She had also attacked a restaurant owner, accusing them of being animal murderers for serving grilled meat.
Despite the traumatic experience, Hadi, Masooma, and Rumaisa were allowed to go home. As they were heading to their car, the police were escorting the woman to a police vehicle. Suddenly, the deranged woman grabbed an officer's forearm, pointing at Masooma. Hadi, keenly observant, swiftly pulled Masooma to the ground just in time, and a bullet intended for them hit a tree near the shopping mall. In the process, Hadi cut his forehead due to the fall.
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Rumaisa and Masooma were shaken and terrified by the incident. Despite Hadi's insistence that it was just a small cut, they rushed him to the doctor. No one was willing to take any chances. The doctor disinfected the wound and applied a bandage. After the medical attention, they returned home. However, that night, Masooma found it impossible to sleep. Restlessness enveloped her, fueled by the fear of what could have happened. Despite the cut being minor, the incident had left her deeply unsettled. Unable to find solace in sleep, Masooma sat upright. Seeking comfort in prayer, she performed ablution and decided to engage in the Tahajjud prayer. During the moments of prostration, tears silently streamed down her face. Gratitude overwhelmed her heart, and she was thankful to Allah for protecting Hadi. The realization struck her: if anything were to happen to him, how could she have lived?'
- Writer
