Part 11: My Red Rose
He couldn't say anything but kept glaring at Helena as she walked away.
°°°°°°
At the mall, everyone bought something for themselves and their parents.
Helena purchased a tea pink cardigan abaya with a nude hijab for herself and bought some other things for her family.
Zaim's gaze fell on a dummy wearing an ocean blue Cinderella gown, and he imagined Helena wearing that gown then he entered the shop and purchased it without knowing its price. then he realized that Helena wears a hijab, he found a hijab shop and bought one in the same colour as the gown. he also purchased a pair of shoes for her. Although he wasn't sure why he did it.
After everyone finished shopping, they went to a nearby restaurant for lunch as it was 3 pm.
They ordered their meals, but Helena didn't order anything because everything was Haram (forbidden) there. everyone confused then zaim asked,
"Why don't you order your food what do you want to eat?" Helena replied,
"There is no halal food I can't eat these Haram food, it's forbidden for me, when I'll go beach I'll find some halal food there."
She added while looking at them.
"Don't worry guys actually I don't have appetite."
They hummed in response, as their food arrived everyone started eating however Zaim was feeling unwell seeing Helena was not eating anything so Zaim also didn't eat.
After lunch they headed to the beach.
Zaim had already decorated everything with fairy lights and cushions at the spot, and he had arranged everything they would need for their stay until night. He also rented huts near the beach for them.
They all settled on the cushions. Suddenly, a boy approached Zaim and whispered something in his ear. Zaim nodded his head, and the boy left from there.
As they were engrossed in conversation, the boy returned with five others carrying trays and dishes. Everyone kept looking at them then Zaim indicated his finger to the table and instructed them to place the dishes and trays in front of Helena. Zaim then said while looking at Helena,
"All yours, it's all halal food , there is nothing Haram, now you can eat peacefully hmm."
Alex and John observed Zaim's unusual behavior, noticing that he
ad never done something like this for anyone before, not even for his family or best friends.
Zaim and Helena made an eye contact for some moments. As Helena was shocked by his gesture but she said nothing, Zaim gestured with his eyebrows for her to start eating.
Helena asked in a puzzled expression,
"All these are mine ?"
Zaim smiled a little at her cuteness then he replied,
"Who else other than you."
Helena looked at the spread of food and then back at Zaim.
"I mean, how can I eat everything alone, huh?"
Everyone laughed a little at her statement then Zaim scratched the back of his head in embarrassment then he replied,
"Ah, it's that a thing, well if you can eat all of this then go ahead."
He laughed awkwardly, Then Alex grabbed a plate of "Chow-mein" and started eating. With that everyone started eating however Helena remained confused by Zaim's gesture.
After that they started playing football and some other games then they took a break and gathered in the couch area,
Then Mia suggested,
"Let's play truth or dare, but with a twist,
Whoever gets a turn must share their dreams
if anyone pick truth."
Everyone agreed, Mia's excitement was evident as she clapped like a baby.
The bottle's neck stopped at Alex ,
Mia wasted no time asking a question to him,
"So Alex tell us what's your plan regarding your future ?"
He stood up from his spot, making a dramatic look then he declared,
"I'll marry soon with a beautiful lady and have many children with her."
Then he glanced at Helena and they made an eye contact, Helena felt her heart going faster than ever then she lowered her head and felt her cheeks started blushing as she heard everyone laughed at Alex's bold statement.
It was Helena's turn and She picked the truth.
Mia asked her again gently while grabbing her shoulders,
"So babe now you tell, what's your dreams for your spouse?"
Helena glanced at Alex then she shifted her eyes towards Mia and replied with a heartfelt list of qualities she desired,
"I wish my spouse shares faith in my God. He will choose the right path, and we will go to Makkah together to perform Umrah, hand in hand. Whenever I feel down, he will be there beside me to cheer me up, and I will feel secure and safe with him. Whenever I'm sad, I could place my head on his shoulder without hesitation. I can rely on him, and he will increase my imaan. He listens to me with an open heart, understanding my unspoken thoughts and never judge me. He will cook for me and do things for me sometimes because it's Sunnah. Also, he will never be attracted to any na-mahram other than me, his wife. He will be kinder than anyone. I have one in mind who is my ideal; actually, I have another one along with him."
Zaim was listening to her each and every word carefully then he asked out of curiosity,
"What kind of man do you desire as your spouse?"
" As like Hazrat Yusuf (A.S)."
She replied while gazing at the starry sky.
"Handsome?"
"I heard about him that he was the most handsome man."
Zaim remarked,
Helena looked at Zaim and thought then she replied,
"No."
"So then?"
"When a woman approaches him, he should say," "I seek refuge in Allah."
Zaim kept looking at her in wonder but said nothing because Helena had left him speechless right then Mia asked,
"Who is Yusuf Helena?"
Helena smiled at her question then she replied,
"My beloved Prophet who was very beautiful.
People who saw him were amazed by his looks. But what made him really special was how close he was to my God, my Allah. He was very faithful and always refrained from doing anything wrong."
"Even when a woman tried to tempt him before, he did not stay close to her. Instead, he ran away from her to keep his faith strong."
She continued as the sparkle evident in her eyes,
"One day, the wife of the Egyptian noble " Zulaikha", who Hazrat Yusuf (AS) was serving under, planned to show the other women why she was so taken by Yusuf's beauty. She invited them over and gave each one a piece of fruit and a sharp knife to cut it.
As Hazrat Yusuf (AS) walked into the room, his presence was so striking that the women were completely captivated by him. They couldn't take their eyes off him, and without realizing it, they cut their fingers instead of the fruit they were holding. They were so lost in his beauty that they felt no pain."
Oh my goodness, he must have been very handsome," Mia exclaimed with a look of wonder, impressed by Helena's eloquent explanation. Then she asked, "What about the other one?"
Helena smiled and replied, "Like my Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH)."
Her eyes brightened as she mentioned the name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
"He treated everyone with such deep respect and compassion. Whether it was a small child or a powerful leader, he spoke to each person in a way that made them feel valued.
He was gentle and kind with everyone even with his enemies. He never took revenge whoever did wrong to him. He was handsome not just in looks but in his actions too. His real beauty was in his gentle and loving nature.
Also, he always loved and respected his wife, Hazrat Aisha (RA), he respected and loved all of his wives but he loved the most Hazrat Aisha (RA) as she had been his dearing wife." Helena added with admiration in her voice.
"One hot day, Hazrat Aisha (RA) was drinking water from a glass, When she was done, she handed the glass to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Instead of taking a fresh glass, the Prophet (PBUH) chose to drink from the same spot where Hazrat Aisha's lips had touched the glass. This simple act showed his deep affection and care for her. It was a way of showing love and respect."
"I want the same bond that my Prophet shared with his wife at that time."
Helena expressed, longing for a relationship reminiscent of the one between Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his wife.
Mia, John, and Alex didn't grasp the significance of Helena's words, as they were not familiar with these revered figures. Mia asked, "Who is He, Helena?"
Helena smiled once more and replied,
"He is the beloved Prophet of my beloved Allah, the last messenger and the final Prophet of the Muslim Ummah.
Alex looked at John with a confused expression, and Mia shrugged her shoulders but seemed curious at the same time. Then she replied, "Oh, that's great. He must have been a great personality, judging by the way you talk about him, babe."
Zaim who had been lost in Helena and was listening her each and every word carefully, right then Alex remarked while standing up from his place,
"Okay, guys, now that we know everyone's future dreams, we should do something else."
They stood up from their spots and approached the water. Helena was scared of water so she stood far from it while everyone else went in. Zaim noticed her hesitation and came near to Helena then he said her to go in the water but Helena denied while making a scared face.
Zaim suddenly grabbed the hem of her shirt making sure not to touch her directly and gently pulled her into the water, Helena continuously shouted at him in annoyance, displaying reluctance due to her fear,
"Yahh Zaim let me be naa , I'm scared of deep water."
Zaim laughed at her statement and playfully splashed water on Helena while saying,
"Hahaha just wait girl."
Helena tried to cover herself with her hands, frustration evident was on her face. Then she said loudly,
"Ugh, Zaim, stop it, or else I'll kill you!"
Unable to control himself, Zaim burst into laughter at her warning. Then he muttered to himself,
"Ah, my innocent Rose. You and your cute warnings, I have fallen for you even harder."
In return, she threw water back at Zaim, causing him to run to avoid getting wet. Helena chased after him, continuously splashing water on him.
Eventually, she stopped in her tracks and realized that it was time for Maghrib Salah.
Zaim stopped and asked from afar with puzzled expression,
"What happened are you ok Helena?"
Then he approached her, and asked again, still concerned,
"Did you get hurt?"
Helena replied while wringing the water from her clothes ,
"Yahh Zaim don't overreact it's time for my Salah and I have to go perform my Maghrib Salah."
Zaim made an ohh face and took a deep breath. They then joined the others where everyone was gathered.
Helena went into the hut to perform her prayers but forgot to lock the gate, as it remained open due to the fast air.
After some minutes, Zaim saw a flower vendor selling various types of flowers. His gaze fell upon some fresh roses and purple tulips. He purchased a red rose for Helena, but then realized that Helena might not accept it if he only gave her a rose. So, he also purchased purple tulips for Mia.
When he returned to their picnic spot, he gave the tulips to Mia. She was delighted upon receiving them and then asked, while noticing the fresh red rose, "Whom is this for, huh?"
Zaim looked at the rose and then shifted his gaze towards Mia. He replied, "Ah, this one is for Helena."
Mia made an ohh face.
Zaim noticed Helena's father calling on her phone. He took her phone and decided to go to Helena and give it to her.
Meanwhile Helena decided to change her clothes as they were all wet and she needed to pray in clean clothes.
Zaim reached near her hut and saw Helena taking off scarf and her shirt. Immediately he lowered his gaze and leaned his body against the wall then he felt his heart going faster than ever, he placed his hand over his heart and tried to calm his racing heartbeat, he continously patting on his chest slowly but it couldn't help as he had seen Helena with her light brown hair for the first time which made her even more beautiful, then he shut the door gently to ensure her privacy while changing.
Meanwhile, he grabbed a rose and her buzzing phone.
After waiting for a while, he checked again, taking a deep breath. He saw Helena performing salah. He entered the room and sat on the floor nearby, resting his chin on his palm. He waited, admiring her actions as she completed her salah which brought him peace.
When Helena completed her tashahhud, she wass startled and felt her heart skip a beat as she saw Zaim. She placed her hand on her heart and was about to hit his arm but stopped herself, instead shouting while looking at him with a stern gaze.
'Yahhh, Zaim, you scared me! What are you doing here, huh?'"
Zaim lost in admiring her then he snapped back into reality while shooking his head then he replied and handed Helena her phone, saying,
"Your father was continously calling you on the phone."
She shot him a stern gaze before grabbing her phone from him, which had stopped buzzing.
"Well, Helena may I ask something?"
Zaim asked,
"Hmm?"
"Why do you always pray Salah? You never miss you Salah even when you are at a picnic."
Helena smiled and replied while patting a little on her prayer mat,
"I feel peace when I talk to my beloved ALLAH my beloved Rabbi, whenever I perform Salah I always feel that my Allah answers my question, He responds me , which make me calm, I feel serenity in taking to my Rabbi, that's why I always pray wherever I am, I love my beloved ALLAH more than anything, being with Him I don't need anything else in my life, He is my everything."
Zaim was listening her each and every word carefully he didn't realize when did he lost in her. Helena waved her hand and said,
"Where have you been lost huh?"
She then fold the piece of the cloth and put it into her bag.
Zaim snapped back to reality, he shook his head then Zaim cleared her throat and nervously forward the Rose towards Helena, stammering,
"Ahhh w..well umm I b....bought this for you, a....actually he paused, placing his hand over the back of his head and murmuring to himself in heart.
"Yahh Zaim what's wrong with you when you are with her, you can't even say a single word. what has gotten into you."
Helena waved her hand in front of his face and asked ,
"Actually what Zaim?"
he shook his head then replied,
" Umm actually I saw flowers that attracted me so I bought one for Mia and one for you, take it girl."
He then took a deep breath and saw Helena take it from his hand."
He felt his hands were getting sweaty with nervousness after giving him a flower.
Then they both went from there.
Alex had already started cooking bbq and John and Mia also helped him,
Helena was sitting on the sand, gazing at the starry sky, when Zaim approached and sat beside her. She turned her head towards Zaim before shifting her gaze back to the captivating starry sky.
"So beautiful," she remarked while admiring the stars.
"Yeah just like you."
Zaim replied with a longing look ,
"Excuse me?"
She turned her head towards Zaim and replied while narrowing her eyebrows,
"Ahh I meant that as a compliment to your ability to appreciate beauty. It's rare to find someone who sees the world with such an artistic eye."
Zaim explained, trying to cover his earlier comment.
"You mentioned earlier that your ideal spouse must be like your prophet," he paused, clearing his throat, and asked while looking at Helena's side profile,
"Are you seeing anyone?"
Helena replied with a shock look on her face,
"Yahh astagfirullah Zaim, no I'm not, but yeah I do have someone in my mind."
she stopped, smiling as she glanced at Alex cooking BBQ and replied,
"Imagine a stranger coming into your life and making it miserable, Isn't it funny how that stranger can just make your day better without even trying? Despite not being in any kind of relationship. He has that kind of magic, and I find myself drawn to it more and more."
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Alex then she moved her head towards the sky and saw a shotting star she quickly pointed her index finger towards the sky and said to Zaim,
"Yahh Zaim look , there was a shooting star a second ago, let's make a wish."
"I wish I'll get what's in my heart."
Helena wished with closed eyes, joining her hands.
Zaim who was already looking at her with longing eyes, then he expressed,
"Me too." He kept looking at her side profile with his desirable eyes he couldn't help but admiring her beauty and felt a strong urge to make her his own, whatever it took.
Helena opened her eyes and looked at Zaim then she asked with smile,
"What did you wished?"
Zaim snapped back to reality and replied,
"I can't tell, my wish is so precious if I tell you it might be not fulfill hmm."
Helena made a sad pout, then she heard Zaim asking,
"What do you like the most? A moon or the stars ?"
Helena replied while she was lost glancing in the starry sky.
"I've always had a fascination for stars, they always mesmerize me even far from there. People prefer the Moon, but I love looking at the stars, wanting to touch them, even though I know they are far beyond my reach. But I want to reach there."
Zaim listened attentively while his gaze fixed on her. Helena noticed his longing look, turning her head and looked at him then she shot him a stern gaze, asking,
"What with that gaze huh? Do you want to call your death note?"
He chuckled at her statement but tried his best to suppress his laughter then he mummered in Heart,
"I can admire you and stare at you for my whole life without getting tired, it's my favorite thing to do, and for that, I can sacrifice my everything without any regrets. You are my favorite view, to the extent that I don't even need to look at any other nature. Even I can die for this ."
Helena waved her hand to Zaim and asked,
"Yah man are you a daydreamer? Whenever I see you, you lost in your delusions, come back to reality Zaim."
Zaim said after seeing the sea water,
"You know It's all messy Helena, the sea, the air, the words and the heart."
"Excuse me?"
Helena replied with confused look.
Before Zaim saying something Mia interrupted their conversation, suggesting them to go for a dinner.
Then They all enjoyed their meal and conversation before heading to the hotel for the night, exhausted from the day's activities.
On the other morning they headed towards Seoul, after reaching Seoul they went to their houses and rest as they were tired.
It was 11 in the morning Jessica approached Mr Ali and sat beside him. He smiled at her and placed his hand on her shoulders.
Jessica suggested while looking at him,
"Ali I'm thinking about something."
"What is it Jess?" Mr. Ali inquired, sipping tea from a cup on the table.
"Why don't we get moon married?"
Mr Ali joined his eyebrows in confusion then he asked further,
"What do you mean by this Jess?"
She turned a little towards Ali then she explained,
"Ali I mean you know moon is living here alone and until when he will live alone here, he will get married one day and someone needs to take care of him, I'm very concerned about him that's why I'm saying."
Mr Ali kept the cup back on the table he then hold her hand gently and replied,
"Do you have someone in your mind?"
She nodded her head with a sparkle in her eyes,
"Who is she?"
He asked,
She settled herself a little then replied with a smile gently,
"Helena."
Mr Ali raised his eyebrow, a little smile plastered on his face then he looked down at her hand while caressing it gently, before he said something Jessica continued,
"Ali Helena is a good and a kind girl, I felt a different sensation from her, she attracted me so damn and I'm sure she is the only one who can change Zaim for the better, since you already know her and she is your friend's daughter too so you might not have any objections.."
Mr Ali smiled again because he also was thinking the same,
"You are right my love but you see Zaim never lets himself get close to me, how will I convince him about this ? he is grown enough to choose this on his own. I appreciate your concern for him and your thoughts but you know how he behaves towards us however for our satisfaction I'll talk to him about this hmm don't worry and just pray."
Jessica nodded her head in understanding then they continued their conversation with each other.
The rest of the day passed in a similar manner with Helena getting busy with her family, sharing stories of her trip and giving them gifts that she brought.
After performing her Salah and making supplications she went to bed, her eyes filled with joy as she recalled the memories of the trip she had spent with Alex. After that she fell asleep.
As It was night Zaim was heading outside to meet his friends when Mr Ali called him back. he stopped in his tracks with a scoffed look. He approached reluctantly where Mr and Mrs Ali were seated,
Mr Ali gestured for him to sit on the couch, he rolled his eyes towards the other direction then settled on the couch but said nothing, observing his behavior.
Mr and Mrs Ali exchanged glances , prompting Zaim to impatiently interject.
"Speak up already dad I don't have time to waste here with you."
Zaim then spoke up, his voice firm.
Jessica assured Mr. Ali with a blink of her eyes, gently caressing his hand. Zaim was observing the situation with a sidelong glance, then he heard Mr. Ali began to speak.
"Zaim as you live here alone and don't want to go to Japan with us, I have thought that you should get married, with my friend Mr Ahmed's daughter he... ," before Mr Ali could take Helena's name Zaim turned his head towards Mr Ali with angry eyes as the shock was evident on his face then He cut off Mr. Ali's words, his tone laced with frustration.
"just wait right here , what are you two planning huhh? Ohh ahh I see."
He rolled his eyes towards Jessica, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"Haven't you filled your tummy enough with dad's money now you are dragging me into this shit huh? What your plans now? Do you want to create another drama here? You never dared to confront me with your tricks directly now you are seeking dad's support, I'm telling you, rather I'm warning you miss Jessica stop meddling in my personal matters."
Mr. Ali's anger began to rise as he shouted, "Mind your language, Zaim! I won't tolerate your disrespect towards Jessica."
Zaim sarcastically smirked, then stood up from his seat and replied,
"I did nothing, Mr. Ali. These are the consequences of what you have done to me and my mother. I never liked your so-called wife and you ever since you left me and my mother all alone. I can never forget the day you brought her in front of my innocent mother and left her helpless. I will never forgive you for what you did to us and delivering her into the hands of death."
" Just stop it."
Ali shouted while standing from the couch.
Zaim shouted back in anger,
"Why huh just why?"
He then stopped for a moment, pointing his index finger in front of Mr Ali and replied in a pain look as he was feeling aching in his heart, and his eyes filled with tears but he held back his whimpers, then he sniffed and replied,
"Mr Ali you died for me since then stop pretending to be innocent Infront of me, you can't make me fool now." with that he left from there, leaving Mr Ali in disbelief.
Mr. Ali sat stunned on the couch, holding his temple, while Jessica tried her best to calm him down.
Days passed like this, everyone busy with their lives. Helena, Mia, Alex, John, and Zaim grew closer with each passing day, hanging out and having lunch together. Helena's feelings for Alex were growing day by day, while Zaim found himself falling harder for Helena than ever before.
Six months had already passed since the semester began, and a new batch started as everyone finished their final exams. Helena and Mia were sitting in the cafeteria, having lunch, when a boy from the incident night approached Helena and said angrily while pointing his index finger at her.
"I won't let that go easily. I'll come and take my revenge for what you did to me. I ended my career because of you, you filthy bit....."
Before he could finish his sentence, Zaim stepped in, grabbing the boy's shoulder then he said,
"dare to speak more, and you will have to face the consequences , you were suspended because of your wrongdoings, now get the hell out of here and don't show up again." With that Zaim patted the boy's right cheek and instructed him to go .
Meanwhile, Olivia observed the entire scene, growing suspicious. She realized that Zaim had never done something like this for anyone before, and now he was defending Helena in front of everyone.
The day passed in this manner, and everyone headed home.
The next day, as it was Saturday night, Zaim was playing with his cat Ellie when he suddenly started missing Helena. He grabbed his phone and began looking at her pictures from the picnic day, one after another. Just then, he heard his phone ringing; it was Alex calling him. He answered the call and spoke to him.
"Hey bro, come to Ha-eun's bar. Don't waste your weekend staying at home like this."
"Alex I'm tired AF I can't come."
"Ah ok bro well there are many items you will miss if you won't come." Alex laughed a little.
"Haha Alex you know I'm not into these things, you enjoy bro."
Zaim replied with a smile before ending the call.
After a while, another call came in; another friend had an emergency, and only Zaim could help him. So, he decided to go and assist. He grabbed his car keys and wallet, then headed outside.
Meanwhile, Helena was sitting with her family when she stood up and informed her mother that she needed to buy something from the convenience store. With that, she headed towards the store. She was wearing a loose black hoodie with baggy blue jeans, her head covered with a black hijab. As she finished her shopping and was heading home, Zaim, who was with his friend, noticed her walking alone. A smile appeared on his face, and he approached her.
"Helena what are you doing here all alone?" He asked with a smile,
Helena startled then she replied,
"Are you planning to make me die huh?"
Zaim chuckled at her statement, he said,
"My apologies your highness."
_______________________________________
A/N
"Admiring you till hours, lost in the beauty of your presence, captivated by every word you utter, and entranced by the grace of your movements."
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