Sabr: The Sword Of a True Believer!

Chapter 14: The Right Owner?

Dammam:

'As Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu!!!' Ammar cheerfully greeted upon entering the Yahya Mansion.

He decided to stay at his Uncle's place for a few days, so that his parent's house can be cleaned well and set ready for him to move there with his wife Sana, and their two sons, Khalid and Waleed.

He worked in India for the past Seven years, but since his Mother-In-Laws death, his wife was not in a good condition. She barely spoke to anyone and had regular panic attacks. He tried with all his might to make her feel warm and get her a change of mood, but it didn't seem to workout. So he decided to shift back to the place where he spent a major part of his childhood and youth, Dammam. This way, he thought, his wife could get a change of environment and In Sha Allah the empty space of her life might also eventually be filled. Henceforth, he travelled a month earlier to get the house in proper shape and to make a strong base for his new business.

'Wa alaikum As Salaam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu, My son!!' Uncle Yahya gave him a big tight hug. He led him inside and asked him to refresh himself.

He dozed off for a bit until he finally felt all his energy raised up, He quickly changed into some casuals and entered the living room. Aunt Maryam gave him a quick Motherly smile and served him some tea and biscuits. The three men were randomly chatting about their jobs and other business related stuffs.

After about an hour, Ammar left to check on his house along with Zuhaib, who was driving the same way for some other work.

The key was a bit rusted, it had brown specks, all over the edge. He pushed it inside the large steel lock and turned it. The door made a loud screeching sound. He moved in and opened all the windows to avoid the darkness, the house was illuminated with bright light.

And why will it not?

It was Summer after all.

And the Sun had the power to make every being wet without having to use a single drop of water.

He moved all around his home and made note of things that had to be fixed from The Broken window panes, the lights, the Kitchen and recovery of other tiny damages.

He felt the same aura sorrounding his home. He visualized himself playing with his sister, his parents seated in the dining hall. For a moment he imagined himself travelling back to the time when he was a child, free of all the hardships and responsibilities. A time when the only he carried on his shoulders was his schoolbag.

As he moved to his room to check on some of his old files and stuffs, a small palm-sized black box fell from his cup board. He opened the box and found a small silver ring with two large silver stones placed at the centre.

The ring took him seventeen years back. The memories were still fresh in his mind. It was during the times he was in Chicago for his graduation, little by little he remembered the entire incident that took place. The ring, its purchase, its dismissal, every bit of the story began revolving in his mind.

It was the winter of 2001. The leaves hardly stood on the trees. Most of the trees were covered with orange, pink and white flowers. The streets of Chicago were a little more populated, for the day following was Christmas. People from all over the town gathered to the local market to buy sweets, gifts, chocolates, decorative banners and other needed stuffs. Amongst the rushed Americans were two Indian and one Arab men who seemed to be in their early twenties. The Arab was totally different from the other two and displayed pure Arabic features, everything from his body, facial features and dressing described a perfect Arab. He was dressed in a Grey Thobe with a headscarf (gathra) over his head.