"Nadiya, wake up! The henna artist has arrived!" Hajiya Hadiya woke up her daughter who was sleeping. Nadiya lazily stood up and stretched her body, her face frowned. She raised her head to check the time of the room's wall clock and didn't realized when she gaped.
"Mama it's 9am! Oh God!" She groaned loudly and noticed her cousins weren't in the room because she remembered she slept together with some of them. "Mama where are Halima and the rest?" She asked, confused.
"Exactly. That was why I woke you up. They're all downstairs getting their hands designed. You should also stand up and get ready now." Her mother said before leaving, not allowing her to utter any word.
"Is getting married resulting to your sleep getting cut short?!" Nadiya uttered to herself before she grumpily headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.
She came out few minutes later and changed her pajamas to a simple black A-line Abaya. She put on a black cap and headed straight to the living room where the rest were. She saw about four henna artists in the room professionally designing her family's hands and legs while one amongst them sat idle, not doing the same.
The type of henna that the designers were applying to the elders wasn't the black henna, but the local Indian henna paste that looked maroon once it's been washed off. But to the elders, it always turned out black because they were used to applying it.
Most of her cousins looked like they didn't just woke up from sleep, as if they'd awoken a long time ago. They appeared like they'd already bathed and their face didn't also look swollen like hers right now.
"There you are sleepy head!" Hafsah said, making her cousins to laugh when they saw her coming.
"We wanted to start and let you sleep before you start getting your hands designed. Looks like Aunt Hadiya didn't buy that." Halima said and chuckled.
"She really didn't." Nadiya said when she sat on the floor next to Halimah. She greeted the elders and the henna artist who responded politely.
"Look Nadiya, my henna looks so beautiful!" Yasmin exclaimed while outstretching her hands for everyone to see.
"Right. The designer made it perfectly, I loved it." Nadiya commented and the henna artist smiled gratefully at her.
"I know right? You should tell her to design your hands too."
Before Nadiya could agree, Halimah interrupted the conversation.
"No no. I agree the henna artist is really good and can design beautifully, but there's a henna artist who arrived specifically to design Nadiya's hands." Nadiya realized she must be the one who was not working on any hands earlier.
"Oh yeah I forgot. There she is even."
"Nadiya go and meet your henna artist and start already. It's going to be a long day!" Khadijah said and Nadiya nodded before standing. After exchanging pleasantries with the henna artist, they began.
About two hours later, Nadiya's hands, palms and legs had been beautifully decorated with both the Indian henna, turned into a paste, and the black liquified one. She's currently waiting for it to dry while her cousins and their mothers had already washed theirs as they did it long ago.
The henna artists were served food and they're currently eating before they'd leave. Her cousins were taking pictures of their hands and minutes after, they were now complimenting Nadiya's henna.
"Wow Nadiya, your henna looks amazing. I'm jealous." Yasmin said and Nadiya rolled her eyes.
"Well of course you'd be jealous. After all, it's a must that the bride's henna tops everyone else's own!" Halimah said.
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NADIYA'S STRUGGLE
General FictionNadiya, a teenager who grew up and was unaware that her father existed. First her mother abandoned her, then she was told about her father's existence. And finally, he came back with the intention of snatching her away from her mother. Why did Nadi...
