Lukman: (drive into the compound)
Chef S.K: (run towards his car) as-salam alaykum sir… welcome back
Lukman: walaykum salam warahmatullah… thanks chef S.K. how fa na? (handshake)
Mustakeemah: (come out of the car and tries to go on her knees)
Lukman: what are you doing? Don’t do that, that’s very bad… you can greet without doing all this, it’s not necessary. All this should be for Allah alone and no one else. I can see you aren’t that deep into Islam… I’m here to guide you now. Come with me. And uhm chef S.K, she is a guest so please make her feel at home, ok?
Chef S.K: ok sir, please madam come with me
Mustakeemah: ok sir…
Lukman: chef S.K let me see you for a minute
Chef S.K: ok sir (she move closer to him)
Lukman: like I said earlier, she is a guest… also she is an expectant mother, so please let her feel like she is in paradise. I don’t want her to lack anything in this house, am I making sense?
Chef S.K: definitely sir, I gatchu boss… I won’t disappoint you
Lukman: good! I’m going out now to get something she will need, and if she insist on going out like taking a stroll… please let her. You have no idea of what she had been through, she deserves paradise, nothing else again, so please don’t fall my hand oh.
Chef S.K: I won’t sir…
Lukman: good! Later then (he enter his car)
---
Few hours later
Lukman: (enter the house holding two heavy bags) as-salam alaykum, I’m home
Chef S.K: (coming out of the kitchen) walaykum salam, welcome boss (tried to take the bags from him but he decline)
Lukman: where is she?
Chef S.K: in the guest room sir…
Lukman: alright thanks (he reach her doorstep) as-salam alaykum madam, please I would like to drop these bags over to you… (as he tried to push the door, it opens wide by itself and he found her sleeping on the bed as she spread her legs and body) am glad she is finally resting (he gently drop the bags and gently close the door and walk away) chef! It’s time for solat Asr… let’s go to the mosque, people are already filled up
Chef S.K: am coming sir…
Lukman: am waiting… I hope she ate the food you prepared for her?
Chef S.K: yes sir and she loves it
Lukman: that’s great, let’s go..
*************
Few minutes later
Lukman: (as they enter the living room; they find Mustakeemah patiently waiting for them) Madam, you are awake.
Mustakeemah: (gets on her feet immediately) Yes sir, welcome sir…
Lukman: How are you feeling now? I hope your mind is at ease. Can you see now that I mean no harm?
Mustakeemah: (she nods with a smile) Thank you, sir.
Lukman: You are welcome. By the way, I forgot to ask your name.
Mustakeemah: My name is Mustakeemah.
Lukman: Masha Allah! I have never heard such a name before… Idina siratal mustaqeem—the guide to the right path. Masha Allah, what a beautiful name. (he sits down and taps the couch so she can join him) Well, my name is Lukman… Lukman Abdullah. And uhmmm… I am a lawyer by profession, also a practicing Muslim. I follow the Sunnah more than anything in this life. So it would be an honor if you could practice Islam better; maybe Allah can make you understand why you went through all that since the first day of your life. You know, Islam is a very beautiful religion and easy to practice, and just like your name, Allah will guide us all on the right path, insha Allah.
Mustakeemah: Ameen. I never knew the meaning of my name until now. Thank you, sir, and I am willing to do anything just to please God! Because I had already given up on Him. But now… you are about to change my mindset again. This should be great.
Lukman: Also, I know you might be wondering why I live in this house alone with my chef, without building my own family.
Mustakeemah: I haven’t thought about that until now…
Lukman: Alright then, I will skip that part. Did you see two bags by your door?
Mustakeemah: Yes sir, but I didn’t open them.
Lukman: Whatever you find inside is all yours, and I want you to make use of them starting from now. Wearing an ordinary cap to cover your head is not enough—you are still exposing some of your beauty.
Mustakeemah: Ok sir.
Lukman: (tries to avoid eye contact with her and lowers his gaze) You truly deserve a beautiful life, Mustakeemah, and I promise to protect you from any danger. I am ready to fight for your case whenever danger arises.
Mustakeemah: (amazed) I can’t believe this is really happening right now. So good people still exist in this world? See how ready you are to fight for me… but life was so unfair to me. I don’t even want to think about the past. What woke me from my sleep was a bad dream… Mubarak is haunting me in my sleep. It is hard to believe I can be a killer… I killed my child’s father. My child will never forgive me for this.
Lukman: You don’t have to hate yourself for this. You had to take such action when he was about to kill you, so it is called self-defense and nothing else. I have won cases similar to this, and I assure you I will try my best to win this case for you as well. Let’s just wait for the right time.
Mustakeemah: You remind me of someone very dear to me, but he left my life without saying goodbye. It’s hard to believe you won’t do the same.
Lukman: (smiles) Firstly, we need to talk about your dressing. As a Muslimah, you need to cover every part of your body—your legs, your hands, even your face—but that would be too fast.
Mustakeemah: Oh, ok.
Lukman: I hope I am not making you uncomfortable. But trust me, gradually you are going to love wearing your hijab.
Mustakeemah: Ok sir.
Lukman: Also, there is something you need to be cautious about when it comes to Islam. (he continues to lecture her about Islam throughout the day until she retakes her shahadah and immediately brings out the hijab and puts it on)
*******************
Few days later (7:46 am)
Lukman: (getting ready for work) Chef, is my breakfast ready?
Mustakeemah: (responds) Yes sir, it is.
Lukman: (confused) That’s a female voice… (he moves to the kitchen and finds Mustakeemah) What are you doing?
Mustakeemah: Making your breakfast, of course… As-salam alaykum sir.
Lukman: Wa alaykum salam warahmatullah… What of Chef S.K?
Mustakeemah: He is busy with some other chores, so I helped him with the breakfast preparation.
Lukman: But you are a guest, you shouldn’t be doing all this.
Mustakeemah: Not anymore… House chores and cooking have been part of my life since childhood, and it’s hard for me to go a day without doing them. I feel like I’m addicted. Besides, I’m done already. (she picks up the tray and moves towards him) Trust me, you’re going to love it… (she heads straight to the dining room, but on reaching the living room she gets distracted by the news on the television and pauses to listen)
Chef S.K: (enters the living room) Madam, can you believe it? Someone killed that good man, Mr. Mubarak—the successful businessman I always looked up to as my role model. How can people be so heartless? The worst part is that his corpse was left in his house for five good days without being buried. That means they just found out about his death. Whoever killed him will never find peace. That good and easy-going man… people are very wicked, always jealous of successful people, always looking for ways to destroy them. See now—look at his decayed corpse being carried out of his house! The police had better investigate thoroughly and find who killed him, because that wicked soul must not go scot-free for this.
Mustakeemah: (the tray of food suddenly falls from her hands, catching everyone’s attention)
Chef S.K: Madam! Are you okay? What happened? (he moves closer to her) Are you feeling dizzy?
Lukman: (runs out of his room immediately after hearing the sound) What happened? Mustakeemah! What’s wrong?
Mustakeemah: (she falls to her knees as tears flow down her eyes) Ohhh my God!
Chef S.K: Madam, please, what happened? Do you also know the man?
Lukman: (rushes to her aid) What’s wrong, dear? What happened? Please say something—you’re scaring us like this. (he turns to the television to read the breaking news) Is that the Mubarak?
Mustakeemah: (closes her eyes bitterly in tears and nods) Yes… he is the one. Now they are looking for the killer. What am I going to do? I never knew he was a famous person.
Lukman: Chef S.K, can you please excuse us for a few minutes?
Chef S.K: Okay sir. (he takes his leave)
Lukman: Subhanallah! This is definitely going to be a tough case, and we need to be prepared for whatever is coming. Right now I need to meet up with someone very important. (he puts on his suit) Please stop crying. I will start taking action. Put your mind at rest—you are in safe hands, okay? Please don’t cry… So you’re carrying his child? Subhanallah!
Mustakeemah: (her cries intensify as she weeps bitterly) What am I going to do now?
Lukman: Come, have a seat. (he helps her up and makes her sit) Take a deep breath. Keep this in mind—you are in safe hands, and I assure you I will free you from this mess. That’s my promise.
Mustakeemah: (she nods).