"Ya Allah," Ermina closed her eyes and gasped. "Welcome back!" Ermina heard a cheering voice. Peaking through one eye, she saw Ambika, Tiyana and Jeremy grinning, seated in the white Fortuner.

"Surprise," Jeremy exclaimed as he stepped out to grab the bags from Ermina's hands.

"You stopped the car like I was being kidnapped!" Ermina slapped Jeremy's arm playfully. He chuckled.

"It was his plan..." Ambika embraced her in a soothing calming hug, guiding her to sit in the backseat with them. Looking at the seating plan, Jeremy stood outside the car with hands crossed and frowned dramatically at them.

"What happened?" Ermina asked confused.

"Someone sit in the passenger seat or I'll not drive..." He said sounding angry. His pouty face made them burst into laughter. After a brief discussion, Ermina agreed to sit in front.

Jeremy grinned and started driving.

"When did you buy this car?" Ermina asked Jeremy with a proud face.

"Diwali offer! Plus, Diwali bonus from office." He replied smiling widely. 

"I am so happy for you." She replied with a smile.

"Yeah, and finally our group has a car now and so we can travel anywhere we want now." Tiyana cheered with excitement.

Before going further, let me, your author, introduce Ermina's friends in her point of view.

Ermina: Assalamualaikum. Myself Ermina. I am currently a 4th year medical student studying in LNCT homoeopathic college Bhopal. 

Ambika and I were once roommates in hostel. After I moved due to inconvenience every now and then, Tiyana joined her as the roommate because of her previous troubling roommates. Tiyana is the younger sister of our super senior, Fione Mam, who got married recently to Jeffrey.

Jeremy is our batchmate. He works part time at a startup business to overcome his financial troubles, and pursue his passion for coding. He is a very kind and hardworking person. 

A little secret here...

Jeremy has a crush on Ambika since day 1 of our college, but he knows that Ambika's family won't accept him due to differences in them. He also didn't want to ruin their friendship. I hope the best for both of them. 

And now about Qizra. My batchmate and an unexpected friend. I didn't know we would be such close friends. Though we didn't talk in starting years of college. But once we started sitting together from 3rd year, we were inseparable.

That's when I got to know about the 3BHK house her father brought under her name and she wanted a roommate. I suggest myself after 3rd year exams due to all the hostel troubles from oily spicy food in mess making me ill every now and then, the roof of my room almost fell on me and the leakage of water tank in bathroom roof. I was so frustrated that when I told this to Qizra, she knew I would suggest myself and she agreed. I met her mother and Nani (maternal grandmother) who were so sweet and welcoming. They loved the idea of me living with Qizra. The perfect roommate they imagined. 

Now speaking of her...where is she...

Ermina turned to Ambika and Tiyana and asked,

"Where is Qizra? She is not answering my calls..."

"Well, she is admitted in hospital." Ermina was shocked to hear the answer.

"What? I spoke to her yesterday. She was fine..." Ambika cut her off and narrated the incident.

"She was fine until the evening, but then we got a last-minute invitation to a senior’s wedding. We took her along since she was alone, and—"  

"And?" Ermina asked anxiously.  

"And she ate way too much ice cream, despite us warning her," Tiyana continued. "She even glared at me when I tried to stop her. You know how unstoppable she is when she wants something."  

"Uff, this girl! It’s winter—she knows ice cream doesn’t suit her now." This made Ermina worried.  

"Like you’re any different," Ambika teased. "You eat chocolates every day, even with cavities."  

Feeling caught, Ermina looked down at her hands and chuckled.

"See that... She chuckled at that statement..." Tiyana said making the friends laugh. But Jeremy brought them back to the moment by saying,

"Guys, stop it now.. We have to pick up Qizra... It's time for her discharge."  

Taking a turn, they reached the OPD of the college campus where they found Qizra sleeping under a thick duvet.

"Qizra, look who's here..." Ambika said tapping her shoulder.

"Let her sleep." Ermina whispered.

"Ermina... is she here?" Qizra’s eyes fluttered open.  

"Yes, I’m here. And this is how you welcome me? By being sick?" Ermina teased, sitting beside her.  

"Ermina!" Qizra cried, hugging her tightly.  

"What happened?" Ermina asked worried.

"They admitted me for a simple cold! Who does that?" She whined, sounding like a child.  

Tiyana and Ambika burst into laughter, earning her angry glares.  

"Poor baby," Ermina playfully scolds them to make Qizra laugh and soon, after completing her discharge works, they took her home.  

At her house, Ermina helped her settle into bed.

"Ammi said she will be here in 3-4 days as tickets were not available for two days. She said Bhai is coming tomorrow to meet me and stay here till then." Qizra informed.

"Ohkay. Bhai?! Who is he?"

"Bhai... I told you about him na .. whose parents passed away during COVID, months after his brother died." Qizra was half asleep due to medications. She sat up and said, "My Khala's son." 

"Ohh right. You told me that earlier. I hope he is fine now."

"Yeah he is Alhamdulillah. He has started his own company. It's his startup business regarding games and apps. He got permission to open the company in outer Bhopal so he will be looking for a place to stay here. " Nodding, Ermina tucking her in the duvet properly and said,

"Rest now. I’ll unpack and check on you later."  

"Shabba Khair," she whispered.  

(Good night.)

"Shabba Khair," Ermina replied, closing the door with a soft smile.  

(Good night.)

Ambika, Tiyana and Jeremy soon left as it was time for attendance in hostel at night and they didn't want scolding. Jeremy wanted to stay but he knows it will be awkward so he went to his office for night shift. 

Ermina slowly walked to her room. Looking at it for a few seconds she took a deep breath. The lime coloured walls, the cleaned cream tiles, the windows covered with fresh pair of curtains, the dark purple ones she liked in winter making the room dark reminding her if the hidden darkness in her heart. 

Ermina smiled as she knew Qizra cleaned and decorated her room.  

Uff Qizra... She smiled with tears in her eyes... Even by wiping tears, they kept felling down as there was so much in her heart that she has suppressed. But only one thing she knew was everything will be good soon. 

She walked into the bathroom to freshen up. She made wudu and walked out. She took the small book of Surah Yaseen she always kept in her bag like her mother instructed and recited the sacred verses.

"Auzubillah minashaitan nirajeem bismillah hirrahman nirrahim" 

{translates to "I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"}

"Ya seen... " Reading every words made her heart to calm down. In her heart everything she suppressed burst out in the form of tears. Few drops of tears fell down on the dupatta she covered herself with. The big drops of tears. After reading the surah, she cried and prayed for the right path. 

"Ya Allah, I am a wandering believer. Please guide me to the righteous path. Bless those who are in need, whoever is suffering, is sick, is in trouble, who has no shelter, who has no home, who is mentally and physically tortured, who has gone astray, bless everyone, give them healing, give them mercy, make them healthy, and show them the right path, please.. Ya Allah..." 

After completing the prayers, she wiped her tears and removed the dupatta as she started to unpack. 

The sudden knock on the door startled her.

"Ermina?!" It was Qizra's voice.

Ermina opened the door and let Qizra in.

"Are you feeling better now... after crying?" Ermina was not surprised by that question. Qizra discovered this habit of Ermina when she first moved in the house. Ermina cried out in her prayers. Qizra could hear it through the wall of her room. Qizra once asked her why does she cry so much and that too only in room. Ermina answered that crying in front of Almighty is better rather than in front of people. You don't know what people have in their mind while you cry, but you know Allah will be there for you with his blessings and mercy. You can feel it in next few days or months that the problem or trouble you had before is now nothings as you receive a better solution with Allah by your side. 

Qizra was so inspired by her words that they both started praying namaz as much as they could.

"Yeah.. I feel better now..." Ermina replied with a short smile.

Qizra sat on the bed and looked at Ermina as she started arranging the items in her closet and drawers.

"So, how were the Diwali holidays?" Qizra asked, all awake after a short nap of about an hour.

"It was amazing. At first, Mummy prepared Matar Keema with pulao for me, one of my favorites. " 

"Wow..." Qizra's mouth was already watering at mention of favorite food.

"Ohh, that reminds me... I have brought the famous halwa from my city. I have given one pack to Ambika-Tiyana and one to Jeremy. This one is for you and this extra pack for me. And here is the packed dense vanilla and chocolate cakes for both of us. I have given Gujiya and mathri pack to Ambika as she loves it and this one is for us. Mummy prepared this for all of us." Ermina passed the bags of dishes she brought from home with excitement. Qizra felt hungry and started eating dense vanilla cake.

"Thank you so much to Aunty." 

"Here... tell her yourself." Ermina passed her mobile to Qizra and she dialed the number.

"Reached the home?" Mummy asked.

"Assalamualaikum Aunty. Yes, Ermina arrived here. Ambika, Tiyana and Jeremy went to pick her up."

"Walaikum assalam. Ohkay. That's good. What about you?"

" Aunty, I got sick…" Qizra muttered over the phone.

"Why?" came the concerned reply.

"Mummy, she ate so much ice cream yesterday, even though she knows it’s not good for her in this weather!" Ermina complaint.

Ermina's mother sighed. "Qizra, this carelessness towards your health is unacceptable. You both are studying to become doctors, yet fall ill every other day!"

Qizra couldn’t help but giggle as Ermina’s mother began another lecture. Meanwhile, Ermina quietly placed the packed food in the fridge to avoid spoilage and returned to the room, shaking her head at her friend’s antics.

As Qizra ended her call, she turned to Ermina with sparkling eyes. "I heard you showed Aunty the photoshoot we did before the holidays!"

Ermina smiled shyly. "Yeah, I showed her."

The memory of the photoshoot flashed between them. Ermina, in her shiny blood-red kurta paired with pants, adorned with intricate embroidery and mirror work, had posed like a bride. The dupatta draped over her head, falling gracefully to her abdomen, completed the look as she shyly did her pose.

"What was her reaction?!" Qizra asked, practically bouncing with excitement.

"She said I look ready for a wedding," Ermina replied, grinning. "And that they should start searching for my groom soon."

"Wow! That’s amazing!" Qizra squealed, jumping up and hugging her.

"Yeah, but I told her to at least let me finish this fourth year first. Then they can search for the groom...," Ermina added with a laugh.

"Well, Aunty already told me, and guess what? She’s assigned me the task of helping you set the criteria!" Qizra teased, hugging her again.

"What?!" Ermina exclaimed, her eyes wide as Qizra pulled out her phone, opened the Docs app, and said, "Start talking! How do you want your husband to be?"

Ermina couldn’t help but laugh as she passed her phone to Qizra, revealing a pre-made list.

"Chhupi-Rustam! (Secret genius!) You already made this list?!" Qizra asked, astonished.

"You know me, Qizra," Ermina chuckled. "It’s all set...my wedding dress, his wedding dress, rings, venue, menu, guest list, jewellery... everything! All I need is the groom."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Qizra said, rolling her eyes. "You’ve been planning this for years. But tell me, how are you going to meet your Mister Perfect? Your ‘zawj’ obsession is something else!"

Ermina blushed at the mention and threw a cushion at Qizra to hide her embarrassment.

Qizra laughed, dodging the cushion. "Ab theek ho gayi tum aur tumhari sardi-khansi? (Now you must be feeling better from your cold and cough, right?)"

"Jiju ki baat se hi theek ho gayi. Dekho, kitne ache hain woh. Meri bimari bhi theek kar di!" (I’m fine just thinking about your future husband. See, he’s so good, he even cured my illness!)

"Qizra!" Ermina exclaimed, throwing another cushion.

"Okay, okay! Let me read the list!" Qizra said, laying back on the bed and started scrolling through the document.

A few minutes later, she looked up, grinning. "I like it! But honestly, I am worried about your K-drama obsession. Not everyone will care for their partner the way you’ve written here, Ermina. It’s a dream. You need a reality check." Qizra looked at her worried.

"You and my brother sound exactly the same," Ermina sighed.

"That’s because we care about you, Ermina. We don’t want you living in a fantasy world. Real life isn’t always so perfect," Qizra replied, pointing at the list.

"Jisko karna hoga, woh karega." Ermina was determined in her opinion.

(Whoever wants to do it, will do it...)

Qizra studied her friend’s expressions, whose smile now faded.

Qizra sighed and prayed in her heart,

"I hope that you get what you have imagined and wished for. Not everyone gets to be loved the way they want. But I want you to have it because you deserve it. If anyone deserves it, it's You! "

To be connected...