The ferris wheel cast a quiet silhouette against the night sky, lights twinkling as if mirroring the stars above. The soft hum of the fairgrounds filled the air, blending with laughter and chatter.Omar, Aisha, and Sara stood before the towering wheel, waiting to board. Aisha kept her gaze on the ground, shuffling her feet, while Omar shifted uncomfortably, trying to act normal.
The moment shared while they rode the bumper cars was fresh in their minds, a whirlwind of laughter and unexpected collisions.Both were uncertain of what exactly had gotten into them, the thrill of the ride igniting a spark of spontaneity. Sara’s adventurous spirit was infectious, and it was once again her idea to ride the Ferris wheel. The couple found themselves unable to resist her charm, especially as she made those irresistible puppy eyes at them. With a resigned smile, they reluctantly agreed, knowing they were in for yet another memorable adventure.
As they reached the front of the line, Sara grinned, noticing Aisha lingering by her side. She nudged Aisha with her elbow. "Go sit with Omar, will you? You’re married, remember?"
Aisha started to protest, but before she could, Sara rolled her eyes, grabbing her arm and giving her a slight push toward Omar, who looked at her, surprised.
"Go on, you two," Sara insisted, her tone light but her look firm. "I’ll be right behind with—" she looked over her shoulder, spotting a young woman who had just arrived and gave her a warm nod, "her."
Omar shot Sara a quick look, but there was no arguing with her determined grin. Reluctantly, he stepped into the gondola with Aisha, who tucked herself in by the window, a little too aware of his presence as he settled beside her.
As the ferris wheel started its slow ascent, an unexpected silence enveloped them. Omar glanced out over the city lights, avoiding Aisha's gaze, but he could feel her warmth beside him, her scent mingling with the cool night air. They'd never been this close before, not in this quiet way, where the world felt so far away.
Aisha, heart racing, dared a sideways glance at him, her hand lightly brushing against the edge of her seat, close to his. She wanted to pull it away, but something held her in place.
The wheel paused briefly at the top, swaying softly as they hovered above the world. Omar finally allowed himself to look at her. In the glow of the fair lights, Aisha looked serene, and he felt a strange pang in his chest, an urge to reach for her hand. He almost didn't recognize it as his own feeling.
She looked back at him, surprised to find his eyes on hers. Caught off guard, a gentle laugh escaped her, and her hand shifted slightly, brushing his. Omar felt a jolt but didn’t move away, his fingers hovering near hers, barely touching yet electric.
They sat like that, silent but somehow closer than they'd ever been. Omar's heart beat faster, an undeniable warmth spreading through him. It was a moment both unexpected and overdue, and he realized just how much he'd been resisting,not her, but himself.
Sara watched them with a knowing smile, nodding to her own seat companion. "Sometimes, people just need a little push."
As they descended from the Ferris wheel, Omar glanced at his watch—12 AM. His eyes widened. “Freak. I have office tomorrow,” he mumbled to himself.
Sara, walking beside him, caught his words. “Did you say something?”
Omar turned to her, the reality of their late night settling in. “Yeah, it’s already twelve. We should head home. I have to go to the office tomorrow.”
Sara nodded, her understanding evident, and they both began walking toward the exit. Suddenly, Omar stopped. He had just spoken to Sara, but where was Aisha? He scanned ahead, hoping to spot her, but all he saw was Sara engrossed in her phone, completely oblivious to her surroundings. “Sara!” he called out, panic creeping into his voice.
“What’s wrong?” Sara asked, her concern evident as she noticed his worried expression.
“Where’s Aisha?” Omar’s question caught her off guard. The realization struck both of them: Aisha was nowhere to be seen. Fear crawled through Sara’s body as she stammered, “I... I don’t know. She was just behind us... Gosh, where did she go?”
“Okay, relax. She has to be here somewhere. Let’s just look around,” Omar said, attempting to keep his voice steady despite the rising anxiety within him. He needed to calm Sara; they had to act quickly.
But seeing the tears welling in Sara’s eyes made his heart sink. “Alright. You stay here and see if you spot her. I’ll check around the Ferris wheel area,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. Sara nodded, urging him to be careful.
Omar sprinted back toward where they had disembarked, his heart racing. How could he have been so careless? He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Just as despair began to take hold, he spotted her,Aisha, standing near a vendor crafting candy floss, her laughter ringing out like music. For a moment, she looked so carefree, so full of joy, that Omar hesitated. She was never this happy at home; she always worried about him, always put his needs before her own.
Aisha loved candy floss. Omar chuckled to himself, feeling a wave of relief washed over him. He had been so tense just moments ago, but now, seeing her so delighted, he felt lighter. He called Sara to share the good news.
Sara rushed over, eyes wide with concern. “Where is she?”
Omar pointed toward Aisha, still captivated by the vendor's skill. “Right there.”
“Is she serious?” Sara exclaimed, unable to hide her disbelief. Omar could only laugh and nod.
Sara approached Aisha with her hands on her hips, feigning annoyance. When Aisha finally noticed her, she blinked, looking genuinely confused. “What happened?” she asked innocently.
“Aisha!” Sara huffed in irritation,Aisha turned to Omar, her eyes questioning as he stepped beside her.
"We thought you were lost," Omar explained. "You weren't anywhere around us, and we were looking for you."
As the gravity of the situation sank in, Aisha immediately began to apologize to both of them. Sara, sensing Aisha's distress, pulled her into a comforting hug and said, "It's okay. Just don't do that again, or else Omar here will go crazy!" She added a teasing tone, letting Aisha know just how worried her husband had been.
Aisha felt a blush creeping to her cheeks as she turned to Omar, who was avoiding her gaze. To ease the tension, he suggested, “Let’s get some candy floss before we head home.”
As they walked, Omar watched Aisha devour her treat with childlike enthusiasm. “Here, take some of mine,” he offered, extending his hand toward her. Aisha smiled shyly and asked, “Don’t you want it?”
When he shook his head in a No, she eagerly grabbed it from his hand, a grin lighting up her face. Omar couldn’t help but smile at her antics, a warmth spreading in his chest.
By the time they arrived home, it was 1:30 AM, and exhaustion weighed heavily on them. Sara bid them goodnight and retreated to her room, leaving Omar and Aisha to make their way to theirs.
Omar freshened up first, then sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone. When Aisha emerged from the washroom, she wrapped a scarf around her head and laid out her prayer mat. He watched her intently; this wasn’t the first time he had seen her pray, but tonight he was struck by her dedication and the tranquility on her face.
As she finished her prayer, he broke the silence. “Do you think He listens to you?”
Aisha paused, surprised by the question. “Yes, He does. Allah listens to everyone, Omar. You just have to ask Him sincerely, and He will give you what you need.”
“Even if the person asking is a sinner?” he pressed, wanting to hear her reassurance.
“Absolutely. Even if they are sinners. If you ask for forgiveness sincerely, you will find Allah answering your prayers,” she replied calmly, as if speaking to a child.
Omar nodded, lying back on the bed, lost in thought. He realized how distant he had grown from his roots and faith, absorbed in work and obligations. Watching Aisha, he felt a pang of guilt for straying so far.
Aisha climbed into bed beside him and turned off the lights, ready to sleep. Just as she began to drift off, she heard him call her name softly. “Aisha?”
“Jii?” she replied, alert.
“When I came back from office, what were you two talking about?” His curiosity piqued.
Aisha’s eyes widened in surprise. Did he not forget about it? “Um... Sara was just saying something,” she stammered, caught off guard by his directness.
“What was it?” he pressed, lying on his side with one arm propping up his head, his interest unwavering.
“She was talking about you,” Aisha finally admitted, her gaze shifting nervously.
“What about me?” Omar’s curiosity deepened.
“Um, she was sharing stories from your college days... like the time you wore those... um... unusual pants to class.” Aisha bit her lip to stifle a laugh, remembering how absurd it sounded.
“What the hell! Did Sara tell you that?” Omar’s eyes widened in mock outrage, as if it were a betrayal.
“Omar,I'm sure Sara didn't mean to.It just slipped out,” Aisha said, looking genuinely worried.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at how concerned she looked. “Anyway, I’m sure she didn’t tell you the whole story.”
“It was a dare. Faraaz dared me to wear those pants to class, and I never back down from a dare,” he clarified, a hint of pride in his voice. He knew he was lying about the context, but Aisha didn’t need to know the embarrassment behind it.
Aisha nodded, though she looked skeptical. She let it go, sensing the moment was too light to spoil with doubt. They both settled into bed again.
“Did you enjoy today?” Omar asked, wanting to keep the conversation flowing. There was something soothing about talking to her.
“Yes, I did. Thank you, and I’m sorry for making you worry,” she replied softly.
“It’s okay,” Omar said, a sigh escaping him. The fear he felt when she went missing lingered in his mind, but he was grateful to see her safe. Was it simply because she was his responsibility? Or was it because she was his wife? The thoughts tangled in his mind, but he pushed them away. At least he had managed to ease some of the guilt from the previous night by making her smile.
What he didn’t realize was that in acknowledging his guilt, his heart was also stirring with new, unrecognized feelings.
As they drifted off to sleep, smiles lingered on their faces, each hoping that tomorrow would be better than today.
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and then Add to home screen.