The Good Wife

As his

Aamna

I wake up at 4 in the morning just like every other day, but surroundings around me are different. Besides me, a man is who is my husband now. I look towards him, and his facial features are still developing. His beard  started coming, and there were tiny hairs on his face. It gives me the realization that we are still very young. Our tastes, priorities, and views towards life are forming. We have yet to decide what we want from life.May be we grow differently or may not. There are always two possibilities of things either it will happen or it will not . Most of the time, our focus is on the result, but we forget the process.

Voice of Adhan brought me back to reality and ran in washroom to do Wadu.I heard footsteps and opened bedroom door ,Asma and Anara going downstairs . They signal me to join them, and I follow them.We move towards prayer room ,the room I liked the most in the entire house.My mother in law extended her hand towards me to give me something and I take it . It's a prayer mat.

"Welcome in the family, Aamna. I hope you'll never abandon this prayer mat, " She said with a wide smile .

"InshaAllah,I'll pray all mandatory prayers ."Soon, Aamir joined us ,my father in law leads us today in prayer . This is my prayer in years where I don't cry on my prayer mat . I think either I am numb or my mind is still processing things.Ee heads towards garden and maid serves morning drinks. My father in law took green tea,followed by his wife ,Aamir took coffee, and Asma Anara took chocolate milk. All eyes towards me ,expecting me to express my choice. I am not used to it ,I have seen this kind of variety in the morning itself first time.

"Aamna,don't hesitate, please tell me what you want to have ?" His mother break chain of my  thought.

"Umm ,can I have a cup of tea, please?"

"Sure ,Ma'am," she replies. "I am still new to it."

"Desi( traditional) heart ,I like it  This girl will keep food tradition alive in our family."His father praised me, and I feel shy. I look around and find exotic plants in garden same I noticed inside too.

"Bhabhi ,Devlop a habit of listening praise because father will bestow plenty of it." Anara brought me back, and I nodded.

Will you blame me if I say I am liking this place . People ,food and vibe, everything is so good here. I know it's too early to say anything, but I think I am feeling things that I always wanted to have. May be it will last for micro second, but I am liking it till it lasts.

Breakfast has the same scenario. There are some common dishes, and there are some preferred by each . I chose bread butter, which I used to have in the hostel. Safe option, you know.

" Few people are coming to meet you two," his father said, and all eyes were on him.

"Who is coming on the morning itself?"

"Aamir, don't be annoyed ,they are important people,greet them politely. " he said, and Aamir nodded.

Asma and Anara help me get ready for this meeting. My mother in law selected my attire, and I'll thank her later.She is helping me adjust to the new environment infact whole family is trying it. I guess they love Aamir so much ,I wish someone would have loved me too like this.

Soon, we move into a drawing room where one man and woman are already sitting. His parents are talking to them, and they are noting down it. Strange .

"Assalamualaikum,"they said respectively to Aamir and me, and we replied "Waalaikumussalam "

"We came from Islamic daily," they said, and we acknowledged them. "We came to take your interview."

"Interview for what ,we got married not won Olympics " Aamir blurted and everyone chuckled.

"It's related to that only,"

"Really," we said in unison. "It amused us. People are getting interviewed for doing marriage ,great ,this is new low.

" Why do you people choose Mosque for wedding, you could have booked a resort or garden or any other lavish place ?"Lady started.

"Its her choice, and I honored it," Aamir said, and they are looking at me  expectantly.

" As you know, marriage completes half of our religion." they nodded in agreement, and I continued, "and this kind of important thing should be in limit that anyone can avail it .When rich people choose simplicity, others can easily follow it. Apart from that, what's a better place than Mosque in the world. " I completed.

"Why are you two married in such a young age ?"

"Earlier, I had the same thought process, but as I started researching about this topic in Islamic texts. I find it's wrong to pursue someone for this kind of relationship. I know I like her, so what's the point of  roaming with her ,hanging out with her when I have a better alternative. Marriage is better than relationships .Islam doesn't permit it. I feel our sole focus is on the thing that what  will happen if marriage doesn't work out . Nowadays ,we  fear marriage and start running away from it, but It's a better way,Islamic way of life. Another way is sin and what we get by committing forbidden things . "

"What about you, Mrs a ?" They asked me, and I hadn't noticed till Aamir poked me by his elbow.

"Sorry,I am new to it ,I agree with him completely. " It's better to toe his line than any other answers.

"How you convinced her ?"

"He convinced my father, "

"Nice job,"that interviewer laughed loudly, which I don't like a bit . Girls' opinion matters too.

"What will happen to your studies now ??

"What should happen to it? " I asked that person. This is a ridiculous question. " Marriage doesn't mean we should abandon things we like the most ."

" Our studies won't be hamper by our relationship.If you look around, everyone is in the relationship. Ours are official, and others don't mKe it official.  Many of them are not clear what will happen to their relationship where they wanted to take it . They want marriage or take it as timepass.This process is creating heartbreak.  There are many heartbroken people with multiple relationship failures. We, on the other side have elders to guide us ,we give our commitment to each other which brings stability. " He talked like a philosopher, and I imagined him in those serious expressions.  He will look funny even in that attire.

"Mrs Sheikh,We heard you were married earlier,"

"Yes, it was true."

."Aren't you afraid for  another failure.?" My anger is on rocket high , how dare  they  ask such a personal question.

"Are you wishing bad for our marriage?" I raised my brows

"No,no, that was not my intent ."

"If you have asked whatever you want, can I leave ?" I was wishing to say it to them, but I doesn't insult them like this. Its my first day here, and they are guest.

"I know who she is, and I like her the way she is .Its not a crime to love and married a divorcee, " Aamir replied firmly

"No,no, it's not conmon in our surroundings so we asked ."

"No problem in that  right now we are feeling tired ,can we continue it some other time " He said calmly and they get the hint to exit.

I ran towards his room and start crying Once again I become topic of gossip and this time on much larger scale . Demons of my past keep coming in light from time to time. I just wish people forget that such incident happened in my liffe.