Until We Meet In Jannah - A Pakistani - Muslim Love Story

Chapter One - The Encounter

"I love you, most ardently"

"Jannat! Jannat come downstairs now!"

This phrase completely beguiled me, and although books tend to consume my mind and soul and throw me into a realm of complete imagination, these 5 words fascinated me, "I love you" is such a generic phrase that is used universally but the beauty and tenderness of "most ardently"!  I stared at the letters as a tear dropped onto my cold, flushed cheeks. I always found love from a distance beautiful, the modernization to the vulgarity of this spiritual, sacred feeling of love had always confused me. And classic Literature continued to prove this opinion correct. I continued to stare at the letters until...

"Jannat, meri jaan (my love), what happened?". Ami Ji said whilst wiping a single tear drop from my eye. 

"Nothing Ami Ji," I said whilst shutting my book and hiding it under my soft, maroon silk covers. It felt almost illegal to mention romantic novels when my parents were around, although me and my mum were the bestest of friends.

She looked at me with a confused and unconvinced look. But my mum wasn't a person who would push me, and respected my boundaries Alhamdulillah, and I love her for that.

"Okay that's fine, please can you go help your sister with the house downstairs? We need to visit Aunty Sayeda's house later on too!"

"Okay Ami Ji" I said as I grabbed my dupatta wrapped it around my neck and headed downstairs. 

I have a small family with Me, Ami Ji, Papa Ji, Dadi Ji, and my elder sister Hira Baji. I always liked it that way, my life revolved around my family, and I couldn't thank Allah (swt) enough for blessing me with a family as such. 

I glided my fingers across the dark-brown wooden banister which was adorned with emerald vines and pink and white flowers, which Papa had agreed on following my months of desire for it following seeing that very vision at a neighbor's wedding, and sped down the uneven, yet architecturally stunning stairs. Our Haveli  belonged to our Dada Ji (Grandfather) which my dad inherited following his passing. It was a majestic haven and I never wanted anything more. 

"Baji!!" I shouted whilst embracing Hira Baji and accidentally tugging at her hair.

"Ami Ji said you needed help?"

"No I have done it Jannat, but I need to go give some of this Rogan Josh to Aunty Sayeda"  She smiled whilst pouring the spice-infused curry into a container. 

Hira Baji was beautiful, the typical redhead Kashmiri with a rosy complexion. Baji never left the house without her hijab, and I always aspired to be like that, and Alhamdulillah started wearing my hijab as soon as I hit 10 years old!

"I'll go get my hijab and I'll be down in a minute,"  I shouted as I ran back upstairs to put my hijab on.

As I slid my pin in, I stared at myself in the mirror for a second, admiring the beautiful black pheran  Ami Ji had brought me from a nearby Bazaar  and stared at the intricate gold tilla embroidery, and then outside the window. The picturesque mountains had me daydreaming once again, as they hugged the green rural surroundings.

"Jannat! Kaha gaye tum?!"

  (Jannat! Where have you gone?!).

I jolted up from my daydream once again and ran downstairs.