Love for Allah... Ibadah...

Chapter 3- The Story Unravels

3

Umar

21 December, 2016. Makkah.

Umar Ibn Sulaiman Al Ghamadi was the first son of his parents. He had three brothers and no sisters. His family was a large one and stayed in mansions side by side, connected through small gates in between the walls. His grandfather and uncles along with his aunts had decided that they needed to stay together but needed privacy too and so they had built mansions in the same lane of one of the posh areas of Riyadh.

Umar had graduated outside the KSA, but had returned five years ago and instead of doing jobs like his other brothers had opted for, he had decided to join the training for the Security Guards of Masjid Al Haram. It hadn't been difficult for him due to the compulsory training all of the men in their family received while growing up. They were trained in martial arts and weaponry along with memorising and learning the Qur'an in teenage years.

He stayed right in the vicinity of Al Haram and had to work for eight hours till the next person took his shift. And he loved his job. He loved to be able to stay at the Haram and to touch the BaitAllah, whenever he desired. He wouldn't trade his work for anyone's in this world and that included his brothers, who had the easy job of taking the family business ahead. What he had was the best thing in the world.

For months he stayed far away from his family and even though he missed them sometimes, he was at peace right where he was and he wouldn't change it for anything in this world. His family though understood his love for this city and only demanded his presence once in many months, which he didn't refuse.

He entered his apartment and dropped the keys on the side table that he had placed for this very purpose and walked inside towards the kitchen. Removing a bottle from the refrigerator, he walked towards the dining table placed in the hall and began to drink the water from it sip by sip, savouring the coolness.

The apartment was a very simple one albeit spacious enough for his taste. A vast hall and a nice enough kitchen accompanied a single large bedroom. There was a bathroom attached to the bedroom. The bedroom had a vast window overlooking the Haram and the hall had a balcony which faced the Haram too. The house was properly furnished and lacked any special luxuries that he didn't require.

Umar walked towards the bedroom and stood at the window for some moments before he moved away from the sight of Al Haram and entered the bathroom with a set of clothes. Soon he exited the bathroom and placed his uniform on a hanger and then peacefully laid down on his bed with the intention of sleeping, when a shrill ring cut the silence of his room.

He frowned as he picked up his phone from the side table. The screen showed his mother's name on it and the frown was instantly transformed to a smile. He received the call.

"Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu my dearest mother." He began gently and heard a sigh of happiness on the other side of the call that made him smile.

"Walaikumassalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu the light of my eyes." He heard his mother's voice and his smile softened more. His mother was Aaminah Binte Nooh. She was soft hearted, gentle and intelligent. Her elegance was what caught his father's interest. And now after witnessing their marriage for almost thirty years, he could say one thing for sure that there wasn't a couple he had seen that had been more loving and respectful towards each other, than his parents.