Stand by me

1. Safiyya

Assalamulaikum adorable readers. I hope you enjoyed the prologue of SBM and have a hint of what's going to unfold later on. Now let's meet our main lead, shall we?😍

A figure is seen in a dimly lit room on a green praying mat in Sujood. The black hijab covered her figure as she stayed in that position for a while, letting all her du'a out to her lord. She raised her head and sat for tashahhud. She then said her Salam and started her Adhkars quietly when her phone flashed and the adhan sounded. 

Safiyya closed her eyes and followed the adhan phrase by phrase. Living in a state with few Muslims, they didn't have the luxury of masjids. Safiyya had forgotten the last time she heard the adhan from a real source and not an app. 

It ended and she prayed raka'atanil fajr, waited for a few minutes, then prayed fajr. After which she read a few pages from the Quran and then went to the bathroom to take a bath. 

Safiyya came out and arranged the room. Her roommate didn't come home yesterday, so she just made breakfast and ate first. She then opened the small wardrobe and took out the clothes she was going to wear. 

Safiyya sighed and dropped them on the bed. She wore the inner pieces and walked to the mirror to gaze at her reflection. 

Safiyya was petite with moderate curves. Her silky black hair fell in waves on her white shoulders. She had a pointed nose, cute pouting lips, and slender light green eyes. Being a young lady from Pakistan, the features showed a lot in her. 

Back in her community in Pakistan, it was dominated by Muslims. With more civilization, the government built schools in different communities but her community being strict took time before they accepted the Western education but they only allowed males. 

Despite being Muslims, they had their norms that degraded women and to them, educating a female child was a waste, an insult to their dignity and character. They didn't let the women move freely, much less school. 

Safiyya's father happened to be the community head. Her mother was from another community where they allowed women to study in separate Schools, but only high school before they were married out. After Ruwaida married into the Panhwar family, it wasn't easy for her because even as others outside respected her for being the community head's wife, she was insulted in secret for being a learned woman. It was worse in the house. Her mother-in-law hated her and never wanted her for her son. Fortunately, her husband cherished her. 

Things became worse when two years passed and the couple wasn't blessed with a child. Her matrimonial home became hell to Ruwaida. She was met with scorn and hate from different angles. Suraj didn't lose hope and in the fifth year, he was pressured to marry a second wife because being the community head, there was no way he can live without a hier. 

Ruwaida persuaded her husband and was left with no choice, he got married to Nesrim and was blessed with three sons in six years. Ruwaida remained barren but she never lost hope and kept praying to Allah. Amidst the maltreatment from her mother-in-law, co-wife, and sons, Ruwaida finally got pregnant. 

Suraj was very happy and his mother finally became soft to Ruwaida but it didn't last long because the old woman changed when Ruwaida gave birth to a female. To her, it was a curse to the family. The life Safiyya lived when she grew up can only be imagined. 

Her father wasn't able to show her love in public and her grandmother hated her. Her stepmother and stepbrothers were unfriendly to her and she was always cooked up in the room with her mother and made workers in the house. 

Suraj taught his children together and right from a young age, Safiyya was the brightest amongst them. Even when the boys brought up questions on calculations or outside matters, she was sharp to answer. Of course, they scolded her to stay out of men's conversation. Safiyya was a timid and soft child, so she easily got intimidated. 

Ruwaida and Suraj saw the passion in Safiyya to learn and to make up for his shortcomings toward his daughter, he assisted Ruwaida in sending the kid out to school in secret. It wasn't an easy task to school that way but with the passion and the will of Allah, Safiyya went through high school. There were many times that she almost got caught but was saved. 

Having grown up into a lady, attention was drawn to Safiyya and her stepmother kept giving hints to get her married. It was a scandal in the house that made Ruwaida speak up for her child. 

In just a week, they lost sight of Safiyya. Suraj just told everyone that he sent his daughter to one of his family members to train her and possibly get her married there before it calmed down. Parts of it were true because she was sent to his sister in the States but she was going there to study. The story of how his sister got there was a lot crazier. 

Safiyya studied accounting in a college and met a few Muslim friends there but after their graduation, everyone went on their different ways. Safiyya was met with the wild world that if she wants to work, she will have to let go of her Islamic principles but that was something she wasn't willing to do. 

They mocked her dress, her hijab, and her timidness. Her grades were good but with different tryouts, Safiyya still hadn't gotten a job. Earning the halal way was harder than she thought.

As she brushed her hair still wearing a white sleeveless shirt and black palazzo, Safiyya thought of what will happen if she went out like this. 

"A'udhu billahi Minal shaydanir Rajeem," she muttered against that thought and tied her hair, wearing a cap and then a long dark pink jacket. She then tied a black veil that wrapped her chest completely. Safiyya arranged her bag and picked up her phone with some hesitation in her eyes. She hadn't called her parents for a while now because she was scared of lying to them even more so that she was still jobless. She was sure that they will ask her to come back home. 

As for her aunt Touba, their principles were different and so long as Safiyya calls her, she will get her a job but Safiyya chose to stay with her Deen. She was now living with a course mate  who was also the only friend she had now. Jessica was working and helpful when Safiyya needed it and they didn't interfere in each other's life, so their relationship was positive. 

Safiyya checked the time and it was almost seven, so she picked up her bag and left the apartment. Time to hunt for a halal job again. 

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What do you think of Safiyya's principles and story? Will she get the job she wants? 

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