Accepted With Flaws

صبر
Sabr

The wait will show you, that everything happened for a reason
That's the love of Allah
-unknown

Omaiza's PoV

As the joyful cry of "Qubool Hai" filled the garden, the air was alive with celebration. Party poppers burst, and the crowd cheered, showering the newlyweds with congratulations and warm wishes.

"Barakallahu lakuma wa baraka alaikuma wa jama'a baynakuma fii khair," the heartfelt blessing echoed through the air. May Allah bless your union, shower His blessings upon you, and unite you in goodness.

Throughout the festivities, I found myself constantly reacting to and liking the old messages between Luth and me. I wanted to make sure he knew that I was awaiting his messages.

"It looks like someone is eagerly waiting for my text," his voice suddenly sounded behind me. I turned to face him, my heart skipping a beat. I was dressed in an off-white garara with a beige hijab, and he stood before me in a perfectly ironed, crisp white kurta. He exuded elegance.

He playfully snapped his fingers. "Now stop staring at me, Zawj," he teased, his hands sliding down my waist.

I gathered my courage and confessed, "I... kind of missed you, Luth." For the first time I took the initiative, I wanted us to truly come together in this relationship.

He leaned closer, his voice a whisper in my ear, "Not more than me, babe." His words were chosen to tease, and I couldn't help but playfully slap his shoulder before turning to attend to someone calling my name.

"Assalamu Alaikum. Do you need any assistance, aunty?" I offered to a fair-skinned lady who didn't seem like a native.

"Walaikum Assalam, Omaiza. No, dear, I just wanted to talk to you," she said, her eyes glistening with emotion. She introduced herself as Aasiya, Aysha's younger sister—my maternal aunt. Her words hit me deeply, and tears threatened to spill.

I embraced her immediately. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you," I apologized sincerely.

"It's alright, baby. I never wanted to burden Omar with reminders of his past," she comforted me, making me sit close to her. "I was shocked when he called to tell me about your walimah. I had to fly here; how could I miss it?" she continued, hugging me once more.

We talked about many things, and meeting someone from my mother's side felt like a long-awaited connection. I had always wondered about my maternal family, and now I was learning about them. I discovered that my mom and Maasi were immigrants who had been in India for many years. They completed their studies here, where my mom met my dad and they fell in love.

Every day seemed like a new surprise, just as Allah had promised: "Verily, with hardship comes ease."

Later that day, I texted Luth , "dont get your hopes high Dear" to which he replied with "Not when I have a beautiful Zawj *with wink*".
Mahira and I enjoyed our final face mask session before the ceremony. We stood together in prayer, offering Duas for our future, and then settled down for a beauty sleep. Tomorrow marked the day Mahira and I had eagerly awaited for the past five weeks—our Walimah!

We began the day with an early morning bath, the warm water easing away any remaining traces of sleep. Dressed in matching pajamas that read "sister brides," Mahira and I prayed Fajr side by side, our hearts aligned in gratitude. From being sisters to now becoming co-sisters, our journey was unfolding with the blessings of Allah.

With a lot on our plate, we knew the day ahead would be eventful, especially when it came to makeup. We excitedly opened the massive box that held our walimah Lehengas—the masterpieces that would adorn us for the big day.