Hawwa's Paradise

Chapter-15 #Rewritten

The car parked near the gigantic gate of the park. Getting out, Qibriyah and Hawwa walked towards it. Entering inside, they turned to their right as per the sign by an electric pole.

"When is your next appointment with your psychologist?" Hawwa asked staring ahead, her hands behind her. They were walking on a red tiled road.

"Tomorrow." Qibriyah answered with his hands in his pant pocket. He was looking at the trees lining to their right.

"I forgot to ask. What have your parents said about our courting?" She turned to Qibriyah.

"I had told Aunty when she had asked. They don't think this is a good match due to our ages." Qibriyah answered not noticing her staring at him. Hawwa returned her eyes to the front. Her lips curled down.

They came across the Gulshan lake. There were benches around it on a bed of grass. Few people were seating on them.

"Let's go and seat." Hawwa proposed gesturing towards an empty bench.

"Alright." Qibriyah started walking in the said direction. Hawwa followed. They sat on the bench maintaining a considerable distance between them. Qibriyah crossed his legs. Ahead, the ground was sloping as it reached the lake.

"What did you eat with rice at lunch?" Hawwa turned to him.

"Pomfret fry, dal and cucumber salad." Qibriyah answered staring at her.

"I ate instant korean black bean noodles. I cooked it myself. It was good but as much as what you ate. Have you eaten ramen? I love it. I ate it four times."

"No." Qibriyah shook his head. "What's that?"

"Noodles in a soup...or broth." Hawwa's face morphed in confusion as she was looking for the correct words to say. "It can also have meat or vegetables. I haven't tried seafood ramen yet."

"Is it Chinese?"

"Japanese." Then Hawwa frowned "Maybe Korean too."

***

Hawwa and Qibriyah were crossing a small bridge. The sun was hidden by the dense greyish cloud.

"I want to raise my children as a single parent like my papa if I go through divorce or widowhood. I want a husband who would do the same. He is dead now. But just as I mourn him, I am also glad that I had him in my life." Qibriyah noticed longing in Hawwa's eyes for her father. He felt pity. But also jealous his father wasn't like that.

"I would choose the same path." Hawwa's eyes brightened up at Qibriyah's words. "But what is the reason of your choice?" 

"I want my children to be raised by their biological parents." Hawwa replied.

"Same. Because it is natural for kids to be raised by the parents who gave them birth." 

"But there are parents who are not good to their biological children." Hawwa looked up at the sound of an eagle. She caught a glance of it fly high in the sky reduced to the size of a thumb. She then shrugged. "Although they are an exception. And there are people who love their adopted or step kids as their own children. They are also an exception too." 

"I prefer raising a biological child to raising an adopted or step child. It is natural."

"Me too." Hawwa responded after nodding. "But I would have been open to adoption though if I had plans of remarrying after becoming a single mother. During that time I would marry only a single father. I prefer single parents marrying single parents."

Qibriyah halted his steps.

"I would the same. I don't like childless people being shamed for not wanting to marry single parents." He responded as warmth filled in his heart.

"Islamically-" Hawwa looked to her side and noticed Qibriyah wasn't standing there. She stopped walking. Frowning, she turned her head to the back. Relief crossed her eyes noticing him walk towards her. "Islamically it is not obligation to raise step kids. Obviously, don't marry people with kids, if you don't want to raise the kids." She shrugged. "But it is reasonable if people shame single parents who don't want to marry other single parents. It's hypocritical if you want someone to accept your kids while you wouldn't do the same. People shouldn't be even marrying people who think like this. Stepparenting is not easy generally for childless people." Hawwa explained as they stepped out of the bridge on the ground covered by a bed of grass.

"Generally, single parents who want the stepparents to take all the responsibilities of a real parent don't give then the rights of a real parent. Also, the bio parents don't put enough effort in the marriage. This is being ungrateful and unsupportive. They are using the stepparents without accepting them as the real part of the family." 

"So you don't see it as the bio parents protecting the step kids based on your distant relationship with your stepparents?" Hawwa arched her one eyebrow.

"Not all stepparents are the same. Why are they bringing their children around the people they are insecure of?" Qibriyah rolled his eyes. "Rather than protecting their kids in this way, they should remain single like your father. Plus, even if my step parents made efforts to have a relationship  of a parent-child with me, I would have never accepted it. Step kids like me exist. Besides, there are also stepkids who love their stepparents, but not as much as their real parents. And there are stepparents who love their stepkids, but not as much as their real kids."

"I see-Ah!" Hawwa tripped on a stone and fell forwards. But she stopped in midair as a pair of strong hands grabbed her shoulders. Hawwa blushed as she was pulled to stand straight. "I meant to say example." She glanced at Qibriyah briefly. Then she awkwardly ran her hand over head. Qibriyah frowned. finding her shyness exaggerating.