The Red Necklace

Chapter 32

This chapter is dedicated to my friend... thanks to her lovely comments; trust me it encourages me a bunch :)

Love:*

 

Neha's POV :

The engagement was held at Saturday night at 8:30 pm. Bilal Bhai insisted that I don't cook the eve's food but I told him that there was no need to hire a chef on ad-hoc basis where I could easily do it. We had a small argument and I won at the end.

So at 4:00 pm of Saturday I was in the restaurant's kitchen making the food for my engagement. I thought about the day when I had expected Salman to show up and had cooked for him. The swan's statue I had broken. I thought about my parents and what would they be doing right now. I wondered if they found out that there daughter was getting engaged today to someone very honorable would they then approve? Maybe no. Maybe yes. But I guess it was something that I would never find out.

At 7:00 pm I was already at home, had gotten ready for the engagement, had prayed Isha and was now dressing Fatima up. Sana had bought a white frock for Fatima that welled up from the waist. It touched her knees. Sana had also bought white shoes and socks for Fatima. When I was done putting the shoes on her foot Sana came in and handed me a headband. I looked at her and couldn't help but smile. It was a lovely red headband with a red flower on the left corner. I took it and put it on Fatima's trimmed head. I kissed her on the lips and left her on the bed to do the veil.

Uncle Kamran wanted to call almost two hundred people and it took almost an hour of pleading to get him to call only the close relatives and that too only ladies. I told him that if there were any man from outside then I'd be doing hijab. So there were going to be only four men in the engagement. And about fourteen women including me.

I was wearing a green shalwer kameez that Uncle Kmaran had bought for me. It was an elegant piece of fabric and I actually liked it. I put a long shawl around me before taking Fatima and going downstairs. Bilal Bhai; who was wearing a white shalwer Kameez smiled at me when I came downstairs. He kissed me on my forehead and said,

" May Allah bless you ji." I smiled at him and saw Sana come out of her bedroom. She was wearing a mehroon Shalwer Kameez that was decorated with white beads. As usual she looked stunning.

Bilal Bhai took us to the restaurant and I was amazed when I noticed the internal décor for the evening. It was all decorated with pink flowers and green petals that matched with my dress. Uncle Kmaran was wearing an off-white Shalwer Kammez and patted me on my forehead when I entered in the hall and said ," Mabrrok Neha Jan." I blushed at the use of 'Jan' and instantly I was reminded of my father. I tried to mask the fact that I all of a sudden was feeling miserable on the use of the word 'Jan'.

" JazakaAllah Uncle Kamran." I said casting my eyes down. Uncle kamran took Fatima from me and lead me on the stage. There I met Tanya and Aqil Bhai who also congratulated me and told me how happy they all were.

At about 9:00 pm Raza showed up with his mother, Aunty Razia. She was a nice lady who strictly followed Sunnah and made sure everyone around her followed it as well. She instantly grew likings for me when Sana told her how I never missed my Tahajjad.

She was wearing silk's gray shalwer kameez and a white wool's sweater on top. She kissed me on the cheek and said, " My, My Raza! What did you do to get such a beautiful girl. "

In that moment I looked up and noticed Raza was staring at me and realized that he was seeing me for the first time. Raza was wearing a brown Kurta with white shalwer and he looked quiet convincingly the kind of a man that the girls would drool over and would do anything to get him to talk to them. Instantly I blushed and looked down. I didn't know how I felt about Raza gazing at my face and why exactly was I blushing.