The Soulmate

Chapter-5

'It's alright. It's okay. I am not going to get my hopes up. No point in setting up for future disappointment. InshaAllah khair—It's alright if it wasn't the one. What's the worst that can happen? I'll just have to go through hell again is all—' I was still talking to myself, when suddenly I heard the car honk.

With a racing heart and a prayer on my lips, I came out of my room to see my parents stepping in with a placid look on their face.

'Oh.'

Immediately my heart sank. Yet, I uttered a greeting to Papa as he came forward to get to his room.

"How was it?" I couldn't help but inquire.

"It was great. Everything was perfect." Papa remarked nonchalantly with only a hint of delight towards the end, before rushing to the bathroom.

I stood there for a moment, watching him blankly when my attention was caught by Mama's appearance and I impulsively redirected the question towards her, who began relaying the whole meeting to me from start to end.

"It was really good. Their house was constructed years ago but it was twice our size, with a big garden in the back. It was very well kept MashaAllah. Ghazala mentioned how she was fond of gardening, so she took me to see it as well. They had gone all out and prepared so many different food dishes. Samiya was there too with her husband. Everything was very nice and pleasant—"

I was sitting on the couch, intently listening to Mama go on, with a mixture of confusion and excitement. That's when Papa made his re-entry into the lounge.

"Yeah, now ask—" He shot off and sat down next to me.

"You were gone for a long time." I remarked in a daze.

"Yeah, it just went on somehow. We didn't realise it had been this long. Even now they didn't want us to leave—" I sat there quietly listening to him tell his version of what Mama had just said a while ago.

"Didn't they say before that you guys will be able to talk to him on video call?" I posed the question with hesitance.

"It was still night time there—So, they gave his number and told us Ibrahim will call us after he woke up."

Weirdly enough, I suddenly felt myself go quiet at his mention.

"We told them that we would like for you two to get to know each other and talk for a few weeks before we finalized anything. After all, you two are the ones who would be spending your life together. Javed seemed a bit reluctant about it, since it doesn't happen like that in their families. But Samiya and her husband put an end to it, saying if we don't mind they don't either. " Papa was still going on and I was only humming in response. I had always felt a little wrong about talking to a Non-Mehram before wedding. The idea of courtship just didn't sit right with me. If it were up to me, I would rather have had him come here and ask him about the important questions I needed answer to in the presence of my Mehrams. However, since that seemed impossible nowadays, I guess I just to make do with what I had. But I must say, it did pleasantly surprised me, that the family I might end up marrying into is practicing Muslims too.

"—They hadn't even seen your picture yet. So after this conversation, Samiya asked me if they could have your picture for rest of their siblings and I sent her these two of yours—" My eyes shot up at Papa's words but my mind had gone completely blank.

'Wait—so, he hadn't seen me? Yet, he agreed to this proposal without even knowing what I look like..? This feels unreal ya Allah...it's just like when I prayed for him to be the one that day...only from what they told me of him.....'

I couldn't comprehend my thoughts anymore, but I didn't need to either because only an hour later he had messaged Papa, asking if now was a good time to call.

I sat there on the couch opposite to Papa as he talked to Ibrahim on a video call. Surprisingly, my heart was somehow very calm. All I could feel was an unexplainable sense of excitement, intermixed with a hint of intrigue.

"Walaikumusalam Uncle. I am good Alhumdulillah. How are you?" I heard his calm and collected response to Papa's greeting and instinctively my eyebrows shot up at the sound of his deep and reverberating voice.

'He has a nice voice—' The thought automatically echoed in my mind.

"We have already met up with your parents. They are very well pleased with this match too. But I want to know if these are your thoughts as well." Dad asked after a while of formal exchange.

"Uncle, I believe that our parents decisions are best for us, because they always hold our best interests in their heart. My choice is no different from my parents. If they chose someone, then I trust it's the best. Parents duas are the key to happiness in this world and the next. And no doubt everything I am today is thanks to Allah and my parents duas." As he answered slowly, I felt a weird emotion surge through me at his words. For a moment I just sat there still; my eyes glued to the back of Papa's phone in a blank stare.

'He is so different from me—So mature and sensible. Wherease, I have always found it difficult to believe the same, despite knowing it for a fact.'

His answer pleased Papa so much, who was now conversing with him in a gaily manner. Asking questions about his job, education, future plans, interests and extending so far as to what he expects from his partner. Papa even asked him about what he thought about me continuing my work after marriage and I intently listened to it all—becoming more pleased by him and his answers with every passing second.

I sat there with growing nervousness, when Papa went over to hand the phone to Mama, who too began conversing with him happily.

"He is very good looking! So smart and handsome. The pictures didn't do justice—" Mama remarked happily after the call ended, when Papa seconded her opinion and began singing his praises alongside Mama. While I just sat there in my place quietly, unable to keep the heat from rising up my cheeks. I could do nothing but gulp to stop these unexpected emotions from displaying on my face.

"Speaks so decently too. Did you hear what he said? MashaAllah such good thoughts." Papa was still going on about his virtues and I made a dedicated attempt to act like it didn't faze me.

"Yea?" I remarked in a disinterested tone, coupled together with an unbothered look on my face as I stood up to leave.

"I sent him your number. He is going to call you in a bit—" Papa remarked excitedly without a break, still lost in his own tune. Whereas I could now feel my heart hammering against my ribcage.

"Oh, I wrote Musfirah Ahmed. Let me correct that—Dr. Musfirah Ahmed." I felt my feet stop at Papa's words.

"Papa!" I cried out in embarrassment, but he obviously paid me no heed. Shaking my head at him in defeat, I stepped into my room. I was giving updates to my sister on call, when suddenly my phone rang with a message notification.

"Assalamualaikum Musfirah, this is Ibrahim! Your Dad gave me your number so we can talk. Please let me know when you're available. If it's too late I can call you tomorrow."

For a few moments, I could do nothing but keep reading it over and over again...unable to believe that all this was real..

Assalamualaikum wa rehmatullahi wa barakatuhu! Hope you all have been well! Sorry for the looong delay🙈Hope you enjoy the update inshaAllah🥰❤️