Walija just finished face timing the twins, when her phone started ringing, she checked it and saw it was Noor.

"Thank you so much for the visit... dear friend"

"Oh come on Walija, quit the sarcastic attitude" Noor teased laughing "you aren't good at it"

"Okay fine...whatever. Why didn't you come anyway?"

"I'm fine too...thank you"

"Would you just stop that...it's annoying you know"

"Sorry," she said in between laughter "actually we traveled to the village to see our grandmother from Ammie's side...she's sick and my network kept fluctuating throughout our stay there, so I didn't get the chance to call you"

"Innalillahi! Hope it's not severe"

"Yeah, high blood pressure...but the doctor prescribed bed rest for a month and she's under medication"

"May Allah grant her quick recovery"

"Amin...so, how're you?"

"I'm fine and you?"

"I don't even know...I'm tired and exhausted"

"That's sad...just take a nap or something"

"I'm thinking the same too...let me go. Bye" and with that, she hung up.

"What a crazy friend I got" she smiled and placed the phone on the bedside drawer.

Suddenly, the thought of her conversation with Mami when Fawwad took her to visit them a few days after her family's departure, kept flashing back to her memory.

"Walija, I know that you're really trying in staying with Fawwad and we are very much grateful for that. We can never thank you enough and Allah will reward you for that" she said with sympathy written all over her face.

"It's alright Mami...you don't have to thank me"

"You know, he wasn't like this before" she was deep in thoughts before she smiled sadly "he used to be an obedient child. He always does what we asked him to do and the most important of all; he was very religious. He memorized the Holy Qur'an at a very tender age. I could still remember that day" she paused for some time and smiled like she's living the moment all over again before she continued

"His father and I have been married for three years without a child" she heaved a sigh. "People then started calling me names, saying that I'm a barren and I can never give him a child. His father's relatives even went to the extent of nagging him to add another wife" she smiled "but then he refused saying that children are a gift from God and when it's our time, He will bless us"

"It must have been a hard time for you" Walija had looked at her with concern.

"It was...but Allah in his infinite Mercy proved them wrong as I gave birth to Fawwad. That was when they stopped calling me names and even his father's relatives that wanted him to get married, came back apologizing"

"And you forgave them?"

"Yes, my dear. We sin and Allah the Almighty, the most forgiven forgive us, so who are we to not forgive our fellow mankind?"

"What happened then Mami?" She was eager to know the remaining part of the story.

"Fawwad became the apple of our eyes. He was loved by everyone from both sides of his family. Even though he was pampered by everyone, that didn't make him become a spoilt child. He was obedient and respect everyone that's older than him. He was such a great blessing to us.

He was just sixteen when he finished high school. I was six months pregnant with Hafsat then" the bitterness was evident in her voice as she spoke.

"His father then decided to take him to abroad to further his education. I was against his decision then, because I didn't want my son to be far away from me and he was still young to travel alone. But his father said that the God that gave us is He who will take care of him and besides I was pregnant again. He has already made up his mind and there was nothing I could do to stop him, so I let him do as he wished.

When his father asked him where he wanted, he chose Cyprus and that's where he took him to. The first time he came back, it was all normal. His father even said 'I've told you, nothing will happen' and I became less worried" she let out a sigh before she continued "But then, there was a time he came back when he was about to finish and that was when his father regretted ever sending him away. The Fawwad we knew... our religious Fawwad, totally changed" she finished as a lone tear escaped her eyes. Walija quickly used her thumb to wipe it off.

"I'm really sorry Mami. Maybe we should leave this till another time"

"No Walija, I'll tell you and besides you're his wife. You have every right to know this" she smiled which Walija knew was forced before she continued.

"We tried asking him questions about his life several times but to no avail. He didn't tell us anything. He even became selectively silent, he only talks when needed which is on very rare occasions. He was in his final year, so we can't stop him from going back and his grades were still good.

We became really worried and his father decided to send a secret agent to spy on him. To find out about his whereabouts, where he hangs out and the friend's he interact with.

We, later on, learned that; he was in love with a white girl and her parents being racist totally disagreed and banned their daughter from seeing him. They said their daughter can never be in a relationship with a black man.

When they found out that they were still together after they'd banned her from him, they decided to leave Cyprus to another country only known to them. That's how she was gone with no footprints left behind" she finished. She was indeed really hurt for her son. She paused before she continued.

"Salina was her name and after she left, our son's heart was broken into million pieces. It hurt him both psychologically and emotionally. It was the depression that led him to drink... Our son became a drug addict" she finished with tears streaming down her cheeks. Walija also had tears in her eyes. He surely has caused a lot of pain to his parents.

"He...he was about to...run mad from taking drugs"

"Innalillahi wa Inna ilaihi rajiun!" Walija gasped as her hand flew to her mouth.

"Yes Walija, we almost lost our son. His father then took him to a Swiss rehab and Alhamdulillah we got him back" she smiled.

"He must have gone through a lot" Walija said softly, feeling sorry for him.

"You're father and his father are very close friends you know right?" Walija nodded in the affirmative. She remembered how they used to visit them, she was just little by then and he was in Cyprus at that time. She never got to meet him until he became her husband.

"After all that happened, his father decided to get him married. He thought after he settles down with a wife, things would be better. He told your father about his decision and to help him in searching for a good wife for him. But your father chose you. He said you're very religious and he trusts you to be good wife material. We were really grateful for him and we can never thank him enough.

Please Walija" she held both her hands in hers and said "help him please Walija...help our son, change him back to his old self. Let him totally forget about Salina. We know that this marriage is inconvenient to you and we are really sorry you had to go through an arranged marriage for the sake of our son. Sometimes, I used think that we were too selfish for accepting your father's offer"

"No Mami, stop saying that. You weren't selfish and at the end of it, we are all family" she smiled squeezing her hands softly. "It's alright Mami, I'll help Fawwad no matter what insha Allah" and that's how their conversation ended

"Fawwad even went to a rehabilitation center and he still drinks?" she said as a tear dropped from her eyes which she wiped with the back of her hand. That was the part that hurt her the most. His parents are not even aware that he still drinks? How can she say that to Mami when they have full confidence that he doesn't take anything again?

She then recalled when Hafsat mentioned to her about her parent's disapproval to take her to Harvard University. Everything just made sense, they don't want history to repeat itself and she doesn't see their fault because they are just trying to protect their children.

"I will help Fawwad Mami" she vowed to help him no matter what it'll cost her, she won't give a damn.

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