A Blossom in the desert

Toffees & Chocolates

Eight year old Emaan, sitting on the bed was looking at the sky that was visible to her from the room's window while her mother Nabilah plaited her hairs , her father Feroz was sitting across them on the sofa working on his files. When Emaan asked her mother,
" Ammi,why do sky always looks so beautiful"

Nabilah smiled and tying the band at the end of her plaits she replied,

" Because that's from where Allah SWT's mercy and blessings keeps showering on us"

Emaan scrunched her nose as she asked Nabilah,

" What is mercy and blessings ,Ammi?

Combing end of her plait ,Nabilah thought for a moment before replying,

" Mercy and blessing are.....are like toffees and chocolates that Allah SWT keeps showering on us ..making our life sweet and full of happiness"

Listening to her mother, Emaan immediately turned around ,ecstatic by the new information,
" Toffees and chocolates ? "Emaan asked excitedly.
Nabilah smiled at her daughter's excitement as she nodded her head in affirmative.
Emaan ran towards the window and looked out at the sky but after a moment ,she  turned back with a forlorn expression as she said,

" But I can't see any toffees and chocolates falling from the sky Ammi"

Nabilah and Feroz looked at eachother and smiled at their daughter's innocence.
Nabilah stood up and went and squatted before Emaan & holding her hands she explained ,

" You can't see these toffees and chocolates falling from the sky Emaan, but rather you see & feel them around you " .Emaan looked inquisitively at her mother.

" The air we breathe is toffee and chocolate ,our hands ,legs ,eyes everything are toffees and chocolates,the food we eat ,the clothes we wear everything around us is Allah SWT's mercy and blessing i.e toffees and chocolates, everything that Allah SWT gave us which we asked and which we didn't asked are toffees and chocolates, the every love and care ,the sweetness in our life is due to these toffees and chocolates....Emaan always look for these toffees and chocolates in every situation and be grateful for them ,then your life would always be beautiful like sky"

Emaan beamed at her mother before she said,
" Ammi ! You forgot to mention about a toffee and chocolate Allah SWT has given me .."
Nabilah quirked her eyebrows as she said,

" Oh really!And what is that?"

" Ammi ,you ....you are toffee and chocolate too" Emaan said smiling .

Nabilah felt in awe by her daughter's love, kissing her cheeks she hugged her.
Mother - daughter moment was interrupted when Feroz said standing up from the sofa,

" Emmi ,what about your father ,?" .

Emaan ran to him and stood before him as she said ,

" You too Abbu ,you are toffee and chocolate too"

Feroz smiled at her daughter and picked her up in his arms as he asked ,

" Okay but which one? "

Emaan stretched her hands wide as she said,

" Big one". Making both Nabilah and Feroz laugh.

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The once luminouscent sky was now enwrapped in night's darkness and stars like heavenly bulbs were switched on ,illuminating the entire sky with its minute twinkle and sparkle. The cool mild wind blowed singing the praising lores of  its Creator. And amidst all this serene atmosphere,there was another face that glowed with serenity .Emaan was standing by her balcony looking at the exquisite beauty of the sky .Her scarf which she had tied during Salah was now loosened due it's collaboration with the hymns of wind. Her lips were twitched up in a small smile ,entranced at the way Allah provides relief and ease to the hearts. Today was not her best day or to be precise it was her worst day in Al Firdous Hospital. The guilt, sadness and hopelessness that she had felt after her blunder and Khaled's reprimand was beyond words. But with Allah words is not the need because  "Allah knows what is in every heart."And HE provided her wordless pain an ease by uprooting a very distant and lost memory from the treasure trove of her memories . Emaan out of nowhere had reminiscence the words that her mother had said to her about Allah's mercy and blessing..or toffees & chocolates as she had explained to her at that time  ...though the memories did clutch her heart reminding the void she carries in it but then again reflecting on her mother's words she had decided to seek mercy and blessing in every situation. Like today, despite all that happened ,Allah saved her from bigger blunder by saving the life of that child ,then having a friend like Sidra in this new place ,kindness and love of Mr Rahman , Khadija aljida' and Hassan were all a part of HIS magnanimous mercy and blessings HE consistently showered on her . Emaan was grateful to her RAB and she wanted to express her gratitude to HIS abd's too who were her life's blessing. And thus hopping from one idea to another ,she finally reclined to the idea of making Sekerpare  (Turkish semolina cookies ) for them . Though Mr Rahman had got her all grocery items she had asked him on the day of her arrival in Aleppo ,but due to his lunch tiffins and Khadeja aljida's breakfasts and dinners despite her reluctance &her hectic schedule at hospital ,had made kitchen a place where her presence was only graced when her body needed water or craved for her favourite ginger milk tea. Finally after two hours of hardwork ,the aroma of baked cookies & lemon jest had filled the entire house,  after she had poured the lemon -sugar syrup over the cookies, she decided to keep them in refrigerator to exemplify the taste of cookies more. As she was keeping the cookies in the refrigerator ,her eyes  fell on the chocolate bar that Khaled had given her,she still hadn't eaten it and seeing it instantly reminded her his words, though she knew what he had said was correct but she had never been scolded like this and she couldn't help but feel hatred towards him and the chocolate. She even thought of throwing the bar away but then realising it will be disrespectful to the food...a blessing of Allah as millions of people sleep with empty stomachs and millions die because of hunger ,thus letting compassion override her aggression,Emaan wrapped the bar in a paper as not wanting to see it until her anger is fully subsided,she kept it in the refrigerator After cleaning the kitchen ,Emaan went to her room ,freshened up and did ablution,and reciting the night time adhkar she slept with a spark of excitement in her heart about the reaction she will get about cookies as after a long time she had made something which was favourite of her parents.