Alhaji Mahmud handed Maheer a bundle of money and said, "Here, keep this in your account." Maheer stood up, walked over, took the money from his father, and returned to his seat. He shifted slightly and smiled, saying, "May Allah make sure I use it well in His service." Hajiya Hajarah shook her head slightly and smiled gently, responding, "You are closer to her anyway..."

Alhaji Mahmud looked at the young woman seated on the carpet, who appeared to be no more than twenty-two years old, and said, "May Allah bless you, my daughter." The young woman kept her head down, playing with the edge of her small scarf, without saying a word. Hajiya Hajarah then said, "Go on, get some rest now." The young woman raised her head and looked at her parents, saying, "See you in the morning." Alhaji Mahmud and Hajiya Hajarah replied in unison, "May Allah keep us safe," and she also bid farewell to her other brothers in the large hall before leaving the room.

Hajiya Hajarah sighed with relief and said quietly, "Alhamdulillah, Allah has brought us to this moment safely, covering our secrets and granting us more than we imagined..." Maheer looked at her in amazement but didn’t say anything. She smiled at him, understanding his unspoken question, and said, "So, it’s you who will marry my daughter, our only child." Alhaji Mahmud added, "It’s the same day for you as well, servant of Allah." Maheer, a bit surprised, said, "Oh, I didn’t know. May Allah grant us success and good health." Usman and Umar, who were in the hall, responded with "Ameen, may Allah answer our prayers."

Maheer then stood up, wished his parents goodnight, and went upstairs to his room. His other siblings followed him, while Umar went to his room downstairs. As Maheer was about to enter his bedroom, he saw her standing by the walkway leading to the bedroom, leaning against the wall. Seeing her tears, he asked, "What happened?" She broke down crying and fell to the floor. Usman approached and asked, "What’s wrong?"

In a trembling voice, she replied, "So now, they are arranging a marriage for me with a young man, and I’m just his older sister?" Usman went to his room without saying anything, while Maheer knelt down in front of her and said, "Who told you that you’re getting married? You’re just going away for a short break and will come back. We can’t do without your food in this house." She began wiping her tears while looking at him. Maheer smiled and said, "But I see you brought this person into our home, didn’t someone else bring him?"

She looked at the money in his hand and then stood up, saying, "But please put this money in my account. Don’t spend it; I don’t trust you with money." He looked at her in surprise, and she quickly left, laughing. He shook his head and went to his room.

As she was preparing for bed, her phone, which was on the mirror in front of her, started ringing. She picked it up, saw the caller, and answered, greeting him. In a calm voice, he responded, "Evening, Mayraah." The way he said her name made her heart sink. He asked, "Are you done with your defense slides?" She replied, "Not yet; I want you to review them before I continue." He said, "Okay, that’s thoughtful of you."

There was a brief silence before he asked, "How are your parents?" She replied, "They’re fine." He said, "Maa sha Allah, I’ll be traveling tomorrow, so I’m going to sleep early. Is there anything you need to tell me?" She shook her head and replied, "No...

 May Allah keep us safe."