Twice Upon Qadr - A Shot At Love **EDITING**

Chapter 21

“AsalamuAlaikum everyone! Barak Allahu Feekum for coming to our first meeting for the newspaper. InshaAllah let’s go around and give a short introduction and what we are going to be doing. I’ll start InshaAllah. My name is Hana Ismail and I graduated three years ago from UCSB with  a degree in photojournalism. I work here at the Masjid teaching the weekend Quran and Islamic Studies classes, and InshaAllah for the newspaper I will be editor, will be taking the pictures, and will be splitting the topic Influential Muslims in History and today!”

There was a small round of applause, to Hana’s chagrin led by Houssam, before Kalthoum began speaking.

“Salaam everyone. My name is Kalthoum Abdul Fattah. I am currently doing my master’s in nutrition at UCSB and…”

As Kalthoum continued on with her introduction, Hana’s eyes flickered forward to where Houssam sat in the seat across from her, and her stomach sank as she realized he was staring at Kalthoum. She wasn’t even sure he was aware he was doing it, and when Amir hit him on his shoulder and glared at him, and Houssam turned his face down with a sheepish grin, she knew she had been right. 

She had been mortified that she had kept her feelings for Houssam a secret for over ten years, and then when she decides to tell someone she confides in his sister! She knew she could trust Yusra, but it still was a bit humiliating.

Nonetheless she had played their conversation over and over in her head, and for the past weeks she had been praying most ardently that Allah swt bring her relief from this gut wrenching pain she felt whenever she thought about Houssam and the fact that he liked another. Actually whenever she thought about Houssam if she was honest with herself. So far she hadn’t felt anything different, but she remembered that sometimes Allah swt postpones the answer to your Duaa because he loves to hear you pray. So she would continue on with her prayers until something happened. Or she went crazy.

Whichever came first.

She listened quietly as the rest of the group introduced themselves, and once they had all finished, she brought the meeting to order, showing them the layout her and Houssam had chosen, and having everyone list what their first articles would be about. It was a very progressive meeting, and she left the group brainstorming possible article topics as she went into the kitchen to get the tea and cookies for them. As she was preparing to heat up the water for the tea, she heard the kitchen door swing open, and as she saw Houssam leaning against the counter, a large grin on his face, she almost dropped the tray she was holding.

“Hey.” He said with an adorable quirk of his mouth and she returned the smile tightly. She had been avoiding him most faithfully, and she had wondered when he would confront her about it. He was not one to shy away from confrontation. She, on the other hand hated conflict with a passion.

“What’s up?” she asked, and he tilted his head to the side, his hair falling over his shoulder. He had been wearing his hair down lately, and she hated it. But only because of how much she really liked it.

“You tell me? What’s going on Hana?” he asked and she shrugged.

“I don’t know what you are talking about Houssam.” She said attempting to leave the room, but he stepped in front of her blocking the kitchen door.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not.”

He raised a perfect eyebrow, and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

“Seriously what’s going on?”

“There is nothing going on Houssam.”

“Oh yeah? You didn’t even talk to me when I came to take over Kareem yesterday.”