Journey to 'I do'

25- Seeking Conviction

DISCLAIMER‼️: Dear readers, I'd like to extend my apologies for a mistake in the timeline. Originally, there was intended to be a two-week gap between Rabia and Ya Fahd's wedding, but due to an oversight, it has only been a week in the past chapters. I appreciate your understanding, and the necessary adjustments have been made. Thank you for your continued support.

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Aisha's POV

I found myself grappling with the events of the previous day, Muhammad has been trying to reach me for 2 days now but I'm just not ready. The weight of unresolved conversations hung in the air, and I decided it was finally time to at least face the messages and missed calls that had accumulated on my phone.

Doubts and reservations lingered in the corners of my mind. The past two days had given me time to reflect on the dynamics of our relationship. Muhammad's dominance and my reluctance to conform had surfaced as red flags. Not to mention his past inconsistency and how unreadable he sometimes was. Our backgrounds, vastly different, seemed to collide more than complement.

In the midst of wedding preparations and familial expectations, I grappled with the question of whether I truly wanted to proceed with the marriage. The prospect of stepping into a life with someone whose outlook diverged so significantly from mine weighed heavily on my thoughts.

I mustered the courage to confront the digital aftermath. Among the notifications was a message from Jamal on Instagram. The words "I didn't know you were taken" stared back at me. Though the blog post had been deleted, I already knew it must've been a picture of me and Muhammad. My response was a simple, "You didn't ask."

replied "you didn't ask."

He immediately responded.

Jamal_: Aisha how're you doing? I hope you're okay?

Me: Yes alhamdulillah I'm fine thank you.

Jamal_: having your privacy invaded like that must've been hard.

Me: lool you have no idea. Alhamdulillah though. How have you been?

Jamal_: I'm fine as well just been worried about but I don't know if that's my place since you're engaged to be married as I see from the post.

Me: don't worry about me wallahi I'm fine and I am not married or engaged

Jamal_: alhamdulillah then. What have you been up to?

Me: nothing really just preparations for my brother's wedding.

"A'isha," Mamma yelled out my name from downstairs.

"Na'am" I shouted back and I left my phone and headed downstairs to meet her. She asked me to dress up and go with Faiza and Am'ma Meena to stock up the fridge and store in my brother's house.

Faiza and Amma Meena awaited me, outside already. The mundane yet familiar activities served as a temporary balm for the wounds inflicted by public scrutiny.

As we ventured out to complete the errands, the routine of preparing for my brother's wedding provided a comforting semblance of normalcy. The bustling market, the banter with Faiza, and the warmth of Am'ma Meena helped momentarily shield me from the storm that was my life.

Between discussions about wedding preparations and household chores, I couldn't shake the lingering thoughts of Muhammad. The unresolved conversation, his abrupt departure, and the subsequent radio silence tugged at the edges of my consciousness. The wounds of the previous day's confrontation were far from healing.

"Faiza, take this and go upstairs to the master bedroom," Am'ma Meena instructed, handing Faiza a basket filled with items for the room. I had noticed her arranging things in that box earlier, wondering about the purpose.