She sighed sadly sitting before the eating table after finishing dinner.



Her mother looked at her concerned… “What happened dear? Is everything okay?”

“Yes Ummi, but its just that… the vacations are over, and tomorrow I have to go to college again”



“I know it’s a trouble going there, child”, her mother collected the dishes from the table, “but it’s necessary to gain knowledge. It was your fathers wish that you got a good education, for knowledge is power…”



Latifa stared, uninterested, at the roof reclining back, it was a studied instruction given by her mother, not that she did not agree with her, but things were very difficult at college, there was a battle ensuing over there… and because she was alone having ‘No’ friends at all, it was an unbalanced one.



“Stop eating like a monkey… look Ummi how shabbily he is eating…” Latifa glared at her younger brother.



“Lateef, eat slowly, and eat from one side of the plate…”



“Yes Ummi…” he stuck his tongue out at his sister



“Shut your mouth, don’t stick your tongue out with food in your mouth… disgusting…”

She got up from the chair as if to hit him. He closed his eyes waiting to be beaten… but when it didn’t come, started eating slowly.



“Calm down Latifa, go to bed early you have to go to college tomorrow”



“Yes Ummi”











She went back to her room, small as it was, but it was her own. Or was it? When her house had been raided last time, that was a couple of years ago, she had lost the true feeling of feeling at home… could she call it home if anyone entered it at any time under any pretext… but she had lived too long in it to think of it as otherwise.



Five years back, her father had passed away… fulfilling his covenant to his Lord, he had got martyred in the lands of Jihad. He had left a small family of two kids and a wife in the guardianship of Him whose guardianship is the safest abode. But nevertheless trials kept their way, for that is the way Allah exalts a group of people over another by seeing who is more pious and truthful.

Latifa opened her dairy and looked through the pages…



“Today we went to park and Abbi bought for me a new dress. I rode on a horse…”



Tears welled up her eyes… shining down as they trickled down her cheeks onto the table…



“Abbi!” She murmured sorrowfully



“It is not wise to cry for someone you love, who has gone to a better place and to a better company!”



Latifa turned round to see her mother standing at the door with a glass of milk.



“Milk costs Ummi, you must have kept it for Lateef, I can do without it”, she said wiping her tears.



“Yes, but I have no problem paying for it, so you mustn’t worry about that”



Her mother came close to the table calmly and placed the milk on the table. “Drink it before you sleep dear”.

And then as calmly as ever she picked up Latifa’s dairy and flung it out of the window



Latifa horror struck didn’t move and kept starring at the gone book.



“Listen child, your father would have done the same thing had he been here. Was this what he left you?”



Latifa looked at her mother, there was serenity on her face and determination in her eyes



“Did he ever tell you, Lutfee, remember me and cry, or did he say, “Be strong for you have become a woman and cultivator of generations… Did he not ask you to fight your battle hard, even if you are all alone? Did he not tell you that Muslims do not run from the battlefield? Did he not tell you that you are a Mujahidah in the way of Allah?



Its time you stand up and challenge the world my girl, it time you join the front!”



“Ummi…” Lateef called. “Ummi…”

Her mother got up and walked to the door… “…Think over what I have told you Lutfee, you are a woman now!”











Would she ever become as strong as her mother? She remembered her face even when they had received the news of her father’s martyrdom. She had had a normal look on her face… then starred down… “By Allah your father was true to His Lord, so may He accept him in the vastness of His mercy!”



Slowly she had walked back to her room and packed all his things and put them in the storeroom. She had explained the then very small Lateef that his father had gone to a beautiful garden and was waiting for him there with lots of gifts.



While Lateefa herself had stood and cried at the loss of a support she had so long felt as a stronghold in her life.



Since her very childhood she had been bullied over her headscarf. And now the veil was utmost unbearable for the students who despised her due to the modern context of war on terrorism. Though some sympathized with her thinking her oppressed behind the veil, they were better than the bullies from who one of the guys was… His name was Samuel and since the very beginning he had been hostile to find an all covered terrorist in his class. What if she is carrying a bomb in there? He would mock…



Lateefa stood up and walked to the window… the dairy couldn’t be seen anywhere… slowly she smiled having set her mind… perhaps it was gone for good.













The college was swarming with students that day. It was the first day and the classes were about to begin.



Lateefa tried to come into the class but found some boys standing on the door. She turned round and went to the ground. Just before the bell struck for the classes to begin, she came in and entered the already packed class seating herself in her seat… the bully was there… she sighed, ok lets just ignore this… she thought. Another girl came to her.



“Hey! Lutfee…”

“Assalamualikum”

“Ehmm… waalaikum assalam”

“How was the vacation?”

“It was good. I had a nice time. What about you?”

“Amazing. We had such a perfect time. I, Andy, Rashid, Meha and others… we had gone for a camp… and it was wonderful…”

“Good for you… I hope you had no quarrels over there!”

The girl quieted, “Wh…Why do you say that?”

“Well! It would have been a nice time only if you guys did not end up fighting… at least that’s what I understand”.

“Well we had a bit of that but it was a nice time…”



Latifa looked at the girl, who smiled uneasily and excused



Then she opened the books and started to go through some pages uninterested



“Hey hoodlum! I didn’t expect you to come today”, Samuel said at the top of his voice, the class became silent.



Latifa did not reply as if she heard nothing. He came over to the front of the class and said, “The suicide bomber is all set this time I think… have u brought your things with you?” he said and laughed fiendishly



Latifa looked ahead… “If I had, I wouldn’t have waited to let you creep all over the class…”



The whole class including Samuel stared at her dumbfounded. Did she speak?



The teacher came in, “Yes students so…”















But Samuel did not forget this quiet. And Latifa knew its retaliation would come sooner or later. The following day in the ground she sat reading an Islamic book, it was the refreshments time. Some other students were sitting with her but were busy talking with each other. She sat a little apart to keep herself from being disturbed. Just then a football hit her straight at the side of her head… her book fell off her hand and for sometime she could see nothing… her mind was shaken…



“Lateefa! Hey Lutfee… are you ok…” some of the girls came to her “… it is that idiot Samuel… you are ok, aren’t you dear…”



“Yes I am… who did it…”



“Samuel… Sam…”



“We will complain to the superintendent about this…”



“There’s no need. I am ok… he mustn’t have meant it”. Lateefa lied… but she had different plans.



In the next class when Lateefa came in, she saw Samuel playing cards with some boys. He looked at her, grinned triumphantly and resumed his play. Apparently he was winning the game













The next day, Samuel and Lateefa were called to the superintendent’s room and were questioned about the incident.



“No sir! I have no problem with him, he was playing and I just got hit as anyone else could have!”



“You have no offence against him?”



“No sir!”



“Please be careful Mr Samuel!”



“Yes sir!”



“And you too Miss Lateefa!”



“Yes sir! Thank you”



When they came out, Samuel stopped and looked at her



“Don’t try to act good… you guys are terrorists and I believe that in my blood”



“I believe you too…”



Samuel looked at her in disbelief, his mouth still open of half completed speech…



“… and that is why I want to settle this at a personal stance with you instead of going up to the management. I heard you are good at playing cards, Samuel…”



“What on earth have…”



“… I am good at it too… but I play cards in a different way. Remember you have lost your father, and I have too. Your father worked in the military army in ******* and was a Commander and my father was a Mujahid and fought at the front too… you aspire to become like your father and I aspire to follow my fathers footsteps to martyrdom too… so here is where we play cards… this is… the card of death…”



She extended her hand, pressed between her forefinger and middle finger was a card on which was written… “Covenant and Death”… red in color… he took it hesitantly



“There are two of them, that one with you and this one with me, she held out a similar card…

Lets see who wins this card game…



All the best Sam!”



She smiled behind her veil and walked away…

















Four years had passed since the card game began.



Samuel sat smoking dressed in military… starring at the card… I think I have won the game. He grinned. Yet he still kept it with himself just for the sake of… what he didn’t know. “What’s that…?” his mate came and sat beside him. “Love letter…?” laughing



Samuel grinned again… “No… Hate letter…”



And narrated to him the whole incident. The soldier laughed… “These childish fervors of ours seem so foolish now… why have you kept it with you?”



“I don’t know… it just lies in my pocket and I somehow end up taking care of it… as if…” he started laughing… “as if it has a destiny…”



“Stop talking of foolish things now, we are moving in the next hour and you need to be ready. There is a village we have to overtake… there are many terrorist supporters over there, and we might end up getting useful information…”



“Well! we have been trying that and telling that for the past two raids as well… and nothing comes of it. But I hope you are right this time. You know! I can’t wait to get back home…”



The soldier said nothing and went into his cabin.











The village streets were empty, there were only a few people in the market, and it seemed really like the intruders weren’t welcome at all.



As per the instruction, the soldiers were going into every house and checking for evidences… Samuel stood back near the tanks guarding it when he was surprised to hear his name…



“Samuel Bent!”



“Who is this?” He pointed his gun at the veiled lady standing before him. “Remove your veil and talk properly…”



“I don’t think I said anything offensive, and I don’t remove my veil if you remember…”



She removed a red colored card and held it out…

“Wh… what… its …sss you… Latifa?”



“Yes, and I have come to tell you that I have won the game this time…”

“Well you are wrong!” He grinned and aimed the gun at her… “You are an enemy combatant and that…”



“That’s why it’s not easy to kill me… and win the game…”



And there was no other moment for anyone to realize what happened. A powerful explosion shook the streets…



Some souls had risen to high ranks close to their Lord, while others had been thrown into the heat of the Hell fire…






Written by Umm Saad

mashallah great story... i know this is a stupid question but is this true?