I Love You, for the sake of Allah

Chapter 8

Swollen red eyes and face puffy. Vision blurry and skin burning.

Nearly 40 minutes ago Haziq Sulaiman sprayed pepper in his eyes and the after-effects of it are still raw. He sat on the plush sofa of his cabin, resting his head on the headrest and his partially open eyes staring in space.

"So, how does it smell like?" Aamir asked, his lips slightly curling at his friend's curious experiment.

In response, Haziq kicked him, blowing air through his lips. "Shut up" he weakly yelled, closing his eyes.

He felt like a complete idiot, an improvised version of it.

Aamir laughed at his face, passing him a wet tissue to place over his burning face.

"Where's Ms Mifra?" Haziq asked, realising her absence. Aamir was the one who helped him and made him calm down, pouring milk on his face.

"Long gone. But she has left this gift for you"

Opening his one eyes, Haziq looked at what Aamir was showing. Both his eyes snapped open at the sight and he screamed his lungs out. "Throw that damn little bottle away. I hate pepper spray. I hate peppers"

Aamir couldn't help but laugh aloud.

"I wonder, what she'll be thinking of you. Which kind of idiot sprays his own eyes?!" Aamir stifled his laughter when Haziq glared his way, dropping the bottle on the table.

It made Haziq groan aloud. "Allah! I tried so hard to look mean and bossy around her. But this curiosity of mine made everything go in drain. Argh! What she must be thinking of me now? I must have become a laughing stock for her"

---

"Assalamualaikum, Nani" Mifra's chirpy voice pleasantly surprised Aysha. Her granddaughter is not much an expressing person. She smiles wide when she's happy and tries to maintain a face void of emotion when she's sad.

But this chirpy side of hers is rare.

Dropping her bag on the sofa, Mifra embraced her granny from behind, who sat on a chair near the window, reciting Qur'an.

"Walaikumassalam. Masha Allah! My bacha sounds exceptionally happy today. May Allah keep you this happy always" Aysha prayed aloud, kissing Mifra's hands around her neck, placing her hand over hers.

"Aameen. But the reason behind it is mean. Very mean" she said, removing pins from her hijab and untying it.

"What's so mean in it? It's not like we're praying for trouble for that arrogant boss of yours. That guy spoils your mood like almost every day" Aysha mumbled the last part, shaking her head in disappointment for Mifra's boss.

"Well, in a way, we are"

"How?"

"The things is..." Mifra sat near her granny's legs and started narrating everything, trying so hard not to laugh.

"Ya Allah! Is he okay? Why did you leave him in that condition? What if he goes blind actually? May Allah save him. He's so young" Aysha panicked, clutching the Qur'an close to her chest.

"Relax, Nani. In sha Allah, he will be better by now. And about going blind, he was just panicking. 'Ms Mifra, I've gone blind. Stop using that phone and help me. I've gone blind'" she let out a laugh at the way Haziq was proving his own words absurd.

"You're really mean, Mifra. I pity that poor guy" Aysha gently Mifra's hands on her lap.

"You were angry with him a few minutes ago" she pointed out, smiling.