Her Boyfriend, My Husband

CHAPTER 36

Maryam's POV

The black evening gown I had on made me feel like I wasn't myself. Like I was staring at someone else in the mirror and not me. I doubt that I even look good in black since I wasn't that light skinned. I took moments more looking at myself and feeling majorly uncomfortable and nervous. The dress was an evening gown Farida helped me buy from her friend. It was flowing in the bottom and had a bodice that I thought to be too tight.  Hence why I was going to drape a large veil and make sure it reaches over my chest no matter how awkward I was going to look.

I held the golden border of the veil and positioned it over my head, winding it into a hijab style around my face and as I reached for the pin on the dressing table, I was interrupted.

"You look beautiful." he said from the doorway, I didn't even have to turn to know that it was Yusuf, obviously.

"Uhmmm thank you," I said, still not turning to him and instead reached for the hijab pin on the dressing table.

Perhaps my fingers had been too shaky and that was what made the pin slip to the ground, making a clattering sound as it did so but I still failed to locate where it had fallen to.

I was annoyed and hissed as I got up from the chair and tried to find the pin on the floor. I pulled the chair away and scanned the area but I didn't see it, I was about to get on my knees and search under the dressing mirror when Yusuf's feet came in into view and I raised up my head to look at him for the first time that day.

"Looking for this?" he showed me the pin in his hand.

"Yes, thank you." I collected it and wished that he would now kindly exit my room but instead, Yusuf stayed there as if waiting for something.

I had to look at him questionably and hope he would get the signal that I wanted him to leave but he still stayed put. He was dressed in a ceremonial uniform in a dark green suit that was adorned with the stars and medals of his rank. It was the first time I've seen Yusuf in a uniform that wasn't his camo and I had to admit that these more formal wears looked better on him. They didn't even look like an army uniform but something you could wear to a fancy black-tie event like this one. Noticing that I was looking at him for too long, I hurriedly turned away and went on to try to pin my hijab in place.

"You need some help with that?"

"With what?" I asked back.

"That." Yusuf pointed to where I was struggling to position the needle into my hijab.

"Oh, no I got it."

Suddenly, I felt Yusuf's presence so close behind me that I could feel the heat from his body. I was too slow to react and move away and instead I felt his hands slide the pin away from mine. I stayed put and felt like I couldn't move, my whole body stayed rigid in place as I felt Yusuf's palm slide up my arm and through the ruffles of the veil. I felt his hand beneath my veil and his touch brushed against shoulders before he clamped the pin from the inside.

Yusuf let go just as suddenly and as abruptly as he had held me and before I could even turn back, I heard his footsteps walking out the room. I took a deep breath to steady my wildly beating heart and I had to sit down on the chair in front of the dressing table to process what had just happened. I placed a hand on my chest in a bid to calm it down but all I felt was it's hammering on my palm. Why did Yusuf have such an affect on me?

"Ya Allah!" I exclaimed, I just couldn't help the treacherous feeling in my heart.

"Allah save me from this. Give me strength Ya Allah. Astaghafurullah, astaghafurullah." I continued chanting in a whisper.