Mending Broken Hearts

36. The Plan

I was going to be a second year resident in just a few days. Yet, disappointment hit deep. An incoherent "Uh..ok," escaped me. 

"How is Uncle doing?" she asked her usual question. 

I gave my usual update. He was feeling much better than before, his blood levels of inflammation were trending down, we had been able to get him off the BiPap. 

"Well dear almost-second-year-resident I should get going. I've had a really long day and I still need to work on these schedules for Fall," I heard her yawn, and her voice trailed as she mumbled good bye. 

No wait, I screamed internally. The truth tumbled out quickly. "Our parents want us to wait for the pandemic to be over before getting married." 

Just as quickly she seemed to have been snapped back to life. "What?" she said so loudly, I nearly dropped my phone. "No. Absolutely not. We are not delaying this anymore. This is our wedding. We should be able to have it when we want."

I chuckled, picturing her facial expressions shifting from disbelief to indignation. "I thought you said you were not head-over-heels in love with me."

"Oh, you know I lied," she snapped. "I want to get married now. I have had enough of following the rules and keeping away from you. Talking is not enough, Omar. I want to be in your..."

Her words abruptly halted, at precisely the moment she realized what she had blurted out. The delightful image of her cheeks turning a deep pink, her gaze lowering, her hand flying up to cover those temptingly full lips, filled my imagination. 

"My what, Madi?"

"I...uh...I meant..." she stammered. 

My apartment, my arms, my lap, my bed? Every moment of my life? I could have pressed her further, even reveled in teasing her, but whatever her desires were I knew they would match my own. Besides, I couldn't bear to see her embarrassed, especially when I had a proposition that would put us both out of misery.

"How would you like to get married in three days, so you can finish that sentence with ease?"

Madiha

"In three days?" I asked again to make sure I had heard him right, even though in my head I was already screaming: Yes, yes. Qabool hai!(I accept)

In an instant, flushed cheeks and awkward confessions faded into the background, as did that moment of profound tranquility my heart still yearned for—the one when I stood outside a train station, enveloped in his warmth for just mere seconds, which seemingly, may now become permanent in a matter of days. 

"Yes Madi," he repeated. "A Nikah 72 hours from now."

"But you won't even be in Chicago then."

"According to Sehr and Maliha's plan, we would have a Nikah over Zoom while I am still in Karachi and you are in Chicago. I insisted on a Rukhsati as soon as I reach Chicago."

The Rukhsati part I got, but the Nikah-

"Nikah over Zoom? Is that even legal? I have never heard of anyone doing that." I meant, I was desperate to get married but not desperate enough to ignore the Islamic laws of marriage. 

"Actually, it is. As long as the Imam is satisfied that you are genuinely agreeing to this marriage, you have a relative in Karachi willing to be your representative, and we have the two required witnesses in place, you and I don't have to physically be in the same city," I relayed to her what Sehr and Maliha had convinced me off earlier that day. "This way my parents will be a part of the Nikah, and we can have a small ceremony while I am still here."