Lucknow, India
The morning sunlight slipped quietly through the lace curtains of our Lucknow home - soft, golden, and far too bright for someone who had overslept.
I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. "Ya Allah... just five more minutes," I whispered, knowing fully well Ammi wouldn't let me have even two.
Right on cue, her voice floated from the kitchen, calm yet commanding -
"Hazel Ahmed Khan! It's 8:15! You'll miss your first lecture again!"
My eyes flew open.
"Oh no!" I jumped out of bed, tripped over my slippers, and landed halfway between the rug and my study chair.
Glasses - missing. Hair - definitely a bird's nest. Dignity - gone.
Scrambling up, I tied my messy hair into a bun, found my glasses under the table, and stared at myself in the mirror. "Perfect," I muttered sarcastically, straightening my dupatta.
"A future English-literature graduate who looks like she wrestled with her alarm clock."
Rushing into the kitchen, I called out softly,
"Assalam walikum, Ammi!"
She turned from the stove, smiling. "Wa walikum assalam, meri neend ki pari!"
Her dupatta was perfectly pinned, her expression halfway between love and exasperation.
"Good morning, my sleepy sunshine," she added teasingly, "or should I say good noon?"
I gave her a sheepish grin. "Ammi, I was just revising late at night."
She raised an eyebrow. "Revising? Or writing in that diary of yours again?"
I froze mid-sip of chai. "...Maybe both."
Before I could change the subject, my elbow brushed the teacup - splash! Chai spilled across the counter.
"Hazel!" Ammi scolded softly, grabbing a cloth. "Beta, you can't go a single day without breaking or spilling something, can you?"
I pouted, helping her wipe the mess. "I swear, Ammi, it's not my fault. The universe has something against me!"
She chuckled, shaking her head. "No, meri jaan. The universe loves you. It's just testing your balance."
Her laughter filled the kitchen, warm and familiar. I smiled despite the mess, adjusting my glasses that kept slipping down my nose.
Ammi packed my lunch while I grabbed my bag. "Chalo, jaldi. And don't forget your notebook like last time!"
"Already packed!" I said proudly - then froze. "Wait... which notebook?"
Rafia sighed lovingly. "Dining table, right where you left it. Again."
I laughed, kissed her cheek. "You're my savior, Ammi. I'd be lost without you."
"True," she teased. "But maybe today, try to reach college without causing a mini disaster?"
I grinned. "InshaAllah, I'll try!"
As I stepped out, wind brushing my face, I whispered a small dua under my breath -
"Ya Allah, make this day better than yesterday."
And with that, Hazel Ahmed Khan - the clumsy, chai-stained, hopeful dreamer - rushed into another day.
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Qalb-e-Jaan - where love meets dua.
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