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Aliyu and Halisa looked at each other, deeply surprised to hear that. Cutting in with a smile, his mother said, "She is your friend, right, Halisa?"
His chest pounded as he waited anxiously to hear what Halisa would say to his mother. Halisa looked up with a faint smile and said, "Of course, Ma'am."
His mother replied, "Ah, you're welcome to the family!"
Smiling, Aliyu added, "We will take the 'friends' part."
Before long, Maryam walked over, sat down next to Halisa, and said, "You are more than welcome here."
Looking at all of them with a deep sense of joy in her heart, Halisa said, "Thank you so much, Hajia Mummy." She held Maryam and Aliyu’s hands and repeated, "Thank you."
After a while, she, Maryam, and Aliyu went downstairs. His mother told him to go greet his father before they left, but he flatly refused, insisting on staying with her in the room because he had something to discuss with her.
As soon as they left, Halisa started her usual playful scolding: "Ibrahim, I really can't get you to do anything, can I? Even for the sake of your patient-friend, you couldn't go and greet him?"
Interrupting her in a soft tone, he said, "Mama, I promise you I will go and greet him before we leave; I just didn't want to go with them."
She sighed and asked, "Hmmm, why? Or do you not want him to ask you questions about her?"
With his head bowed, he kept quiet.
She continued, "Ibrahim, please, your father cares about you, which is why he cares about the kind of people you surround yourself with. If he asks, just tell him she is your patient, nothing more."
Gently, he replied, "A'ah, you know even if he asks, it's not because he's showing concern for me; it's just so he can find an excuse to tell the world that I'm running around with a non-Muslim woman. You saw how he treated her yesterday—it wasn't nice at all."
Closing and opening her eyes slowly, she said, "Ibrahim, he just asked her to wear her scarf, that's all. Look, today she wore it, and she looks even prettier." Smiling, she added, "When I saw her when you first arrived, I thought my new daughter-in-law had arrived."
He didn't say anything, just smiled.
"So, for how long has she been under your care?"
With a deep sigh, he answered, "About three months..."
Surprised, she said, "Ayya, Allah sarki. Health is private, I guess, so may Allah grant her healing... I can see you two have gotten quite close."
"Yeah," he replied.
Quickly shifting the topic, he asked, "Mama, where are those jewelry pieces I asked you about the other day...?"
"Oh, you see, I almost forgot! They were delivered from Riyadh just before Sallah." She stood up and walked over to a gorgeous jewelry display showcase, saying, "Let me go get them for you."
She unlocked it and pulled out a set of necklaces in their boxes—the boxes themselves were a sight to behold—along with a smaller box, and walked back.
She came over and placed them in front of him, saying, "You know original ruby pendants like these are becoming very rare because there are too many copycat stones in the market. Customized designs are the only way to easily tell them apart."
"Should I open it?" she asked.
He shook his head and said, "No, I already know what's inside. I saw the samples on your websites."
"Hm, okay." She had ordered them during Ramadan without asking who they were for, simply because she didn't even want to hear Meenal's name mentioned.
He pulled the box closer to himself and said, "I will send you the money as soon as I reach the office now."
"Toh," she replied, and then opened the other, smaller box. Inside were some wild silver rings featuring shiny black diamond stones right in the middle—one for a man, one for a woman.
"Ibrahim, take a look at these gorgeous twin rings," she said. "I bought them in India for your dad and me, but it turned out they weren't our sizes. I didn't know what to do with them because they are custom-made; this design was crafted exclusively for me."
With his eyes on the rings and a smile on his face, he said directly, "They are so precious. Can you sell them?"
She chuckled and said, "Nifa, I'm a businesswoman, mister! If my money comes back, that's fine; I'll just have them order another set for us..."
"Hmm, how much?"
"Around 7 million each, if I give a discount."
"Toh, keep them for me. But I won't send you the money today—just for the jewelry."
Unable to hold back a smile, she teased him, "Are you buying it for your wife?"
"The ring? No, I'm just saving it too."
She sighed and said, "I don't mean to sound intrusive, but if you're going to give it to her anyway, leave my ring with me and I'll send you a design so you can choose a new one for yourselves over there, but not my design, please."
He laughed and said, "Well, didn't you say I should get married? Who knows, I might just keep it for that moment..."
She took his hand and placed hers on top of it, saying, "I know your request, Mama, and I will make you proud."
A rush of joy filled her heart, and she prayed, "May Allah bless you, Ibrahim."
Smiling, he said, "Ameen." After that, he didn't say anything else. She watched him affectionately, then curled her lip with a smile and said, "Let's go downstairs, toh. Let's go and see what is happening..."
He didn't argue. They walked out together and headed straight for the main family parlor. Finding it empty, they went upstairs to his father's wing.
At that time, Halisa and the others were sitting in the father's parlor, having arrived to find he hadn't yet emerged from his inner room. Shortly after they arrived, he stepped out.
He was dressed in an exquisite, well-worn white shadda covered with a black embroidered alkyabba (robe), and his matching shiwag turban looked breathtaking on him. Halisa kept stealing glances at him because he looked so much like Khaleel in his physical build.
As the gentle, lingering scent of his Arabian perfume filled the room, Halisa, Maryam, and Aliyu stood up until he approached. Giving them a single, neutral look with an unsmiling face, he asked, "I hope you are all well?"
Politely, Maryam answered, "Uhm, Baba, actually Halisa came to greet you."
He gave a small smile. "Toh, toh." He found a seat and sat down with calm composure.
Halisa stepped closer. He carefully inspected her attire. As she knelt down, she said in a soft voice, "Good morning, sir!"
With a blank expression, he replied, "Morning. Did you come safely?"
"Yes, perfectly safe. You are highly welcome to the house, please have a seat."
Though she felt a bit intimidated, she wasn't terrified. She stood up calmly and sat on the chair he gestured toward.
He glanced briefly at Maryam and said, "Breakfast."
As Maryam turned to leave, Aliyu found a seat, listening intently to their conversation. With a sympathetic tone, the father asked Halisa, "And how are you holding up?"
Keeping her gaze lowered with a forced smile, she answered, "Alhamdulillah, sir."
A brief silence settled over the room before he began offering her gentle, deeply touching pieces of advice addressing everything that had happened. He encouraged her to be patient with life, reminding her that life is not always fair to good souls, but she must endure. He urged her to continue keeping her path of livelihood pure, speaking like a scholar as he interwoven his points with wise counsel. Halisa was deeply impressed by the man.
While he was advising her, Maryam brought in a fresh breakfast. Halisa only had some tea while listening closely to everything he said. Just then, Khaleel and his mother walked in. As usual, Khaleel barely acknowledged his father.
Everyone in the room was pleased by how warmly the father had received Halisa, and they chatted calmly—except for Khaleel, who felt that his father only paid attention to her today because she happened to wear the kind of modest clothing he liked. In his heart, he concluded that his father simply wanted to control everyone's life, and the moment you don't do what he wants, you become worthless in his eyes.
Summary
The chapter follows Halisa and Khaleel's visit to Khaleel's family home. While Khaleel's mother dotes on him, discusses business and jewelry orders (revealing underlying tensions concerning Meenal), and welcomes Halisa warmly, the real emotional core shifts during their meeting with Khaleel's father.
Surprisingly, the strict patriarch receives Halisa with unexpected grace, offering her profound wisdom, comfort, and life advice regarding her recovery and past trauma—a stark contrast to Khaleel's cynical view of his father's controlling nature. Afterward, the group returns to Premier Hospital, where Dr. Aseem shares thrilling news: Khaleel has advanced in a prestigious global medical project, putting him on the path to high-level international recognition.
Returning home later, Khaleel and Halisa share a warm, domestic moment cooking together, discussing her upcoming return to work under strict medical supervision, and bonding over his professional aspirations. The chapter contrasts this blossoming partnership and emotional intimacy with Meenal's distant, self-absorbed return, setting up future conflicts involving financial arrogance and deception.
