Predestined

|The Wedding Parties|

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These events of the wedding are also based on everything that I experienced at my cousin's wedding in the US recently (Sobia's POV). However, THE ROMANCE PART IS COMPLETELY FICTIONAL. I just got inspired to write this while there.

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Shehzad

I arrived in Washington on a crispy cool afternoon, and was grateful for the coat that I had chosen to wear. It was late November and it was absolutely freezing.

"Shehzad!" The familiar voice of my maternal uncle made me look to my left. 

Khalid Mamu, his wife Shahista Mumani, and their daughter (and the bride-to-be) Ayat stood amongst the crowds in arrival, waiting for me, all with bright smiles on their faces. 

I dragged my average-sized four-wheel trolley towards them, and greeted them. "Assalam Alaikum!" 

"Walaikum Assalam!" Khalid Mamu's voice boomed in happiness as he gave me a tight hug, patting my back repeatedly. "I'm so, so happy that you made it!"

I bowed my head in front of Mumani, who ran her hand over it, giving me countless blessings.

"Shehzad Bhai, thank you so much for coming!" Ayat smiled at me. Ayat was barely five foot three, and with a baby face, she looked too young. And yet here she was, getting married In Sha Allah.

"I came for the wedding food." I grinned at her.

"You came all the way from the food capital of Pakistan to have food?" Ayat raised an eyebrow at me.

"We foodies can do anything for free food. Don't underestimate us." I told her.

"But you should have stayed at our place, Shehzad. I can't believe you booked a hotel room!" Mamu shook his head at me.

"It didn't feel right, Mamu. With the wedding preparations, I'm sure Ayat and Ayla are going to have friends around, and it didn't feel right." 

Ayla was Ayat's twenty-five-years-old sister, and worked as an Assistant Manager at a bank, where she was right now. Mamu's family had broken the unnecessary cultural tradition of getting the elder daughter married first, as Ayla didn't want to get married yet. Meanwhile, an arranged marriage proposal had come for Ayat through mutual friends, and the family had no problem either that the younger daughter was the first one to get married.

See? That's how things should be, simple and uncomplicated. It's us humans who tangle everything up with unnecessary traditions. Religious traditions should be the only one that should be followed, in my opinion. 

"So, tell me more about the groom..." I asked my Mamu as we headed towards where the car was parked.

"Well, his name is Affan Imtiaz. He's a pharmacist from New York, and he lives with his parents and one brother, Owais." Mamu told me. "He's a very nice, well-mannered boy, and we think he's perfect for our Ayat." 

Ayat blushed, bringing the end of her hijab up as if to cover the lower half of her face with it.

"It's funny, but even they have family arriving from London today." Mumani told me. "I'll called Iffat, Affan's mother, and ask about them later."

"Well, Mamu, I might be staying at a hotel, but please tell me if there's anything that I can do to help you out in any way." I told my uncle.

"Oh, beta, don't doubt that. You'll only be going to the hotel to sleep. The days you're going to spend with us, helping out."