DISASTER in the CAPITAL

Chapter 4: A tale of an anxious friend

As the time was nearing, Sarah started to become nervous. She suddenly felt sad in a peculiar way, as if her stomach was floating up to her chest, the feeling one gets when one is in a roller coaster. She could not complain to anyone about it either. What would she say? If she said anything, they may think she did not like Adam or that she has someone else in mind. But those was not the case at all. 

Furthermore, it was not because she was being forced into Adam's hands, no, not at all. In fact, she loved the idea of having a man to take care of her and to guard her from all harm and to give her all the spousal attention; in return, she would respect him totally and love him with all her heart, she decided. So she couldn't pinpoint anything. Was there something wrong with her? Was she possessed by the unseen spirits, the Jinns? It was not because Adam was a bad person in any way known to her. After all, she knew him all her life. They used to play together sometimes when they were children.

But why shouldn't she feel this way? After all she was leaving her family into a new family, leaving her own home and family behind only to visit them once in a while. She couldn't just stay like this, she needed to talk to someone; she needed to lighten her head, to offload her thoughts and to put her into perspective. Who could she talk to? There was Zainab who loved teasing her but Sarah didn't mind that. But the problem with her was, she talks too much, too fast. That wasn't as concerning as her talking before listening to the whole story. There were Jane and Kareema, 'the night zombies' the friends Sarah often talked to regarding the latest fashion trends, make-up tips and problems at work. And then there was Haleema, the musketeer with more sense and maturity.

Sarah decided to call Haleema that evening. "Look Sarah, it's natural for you to feel like this, it's natural for any girl, not just you. Besides, Adam is a good guy, even you said it" Haleema advised. 

After a pause, she continued "You have known him all your life. You said it your-self, he is one in a million."

Sarah nodded, "I know, I didn't see him like this before... It's strange, especially provided I have not spoken to him since I was ten or eleven."

Haleema continued to elaborate, "It's not strange; that's how things are. You are a pure person. You have kelp yourself clean and so has he. The way I see it, you two deserve each other."

Sarah welcomed the praise, "Oh, thank you very much. This makes me feel so much better. Actually, you saying that makes me feel he is already mine and I am already his" she silently smiled.

As Sarah took the phone receiver to the left ear because the right one was red and hot, she was pleased with the fact that fact the she chose to call Haleem and not anyone else. A mother of one, Haleema was the wisest and more experienced amongst her friends.

Haleema continued with her wise words, "Well, perhaps it's because Allah has already written that you two are for each other. You are actually really lucky. You knew him from before without having to have any personal relationships with him; you just had a kind of ceremonial meeting if you like. You just wanted to see him smile, that's all," Haleema teased.

Sarah realised Haleema not only became more wise but also more devoted to her faith. She was great at that because her mannerisms were just so comforting and pleasant to everyone; she would never enforce her beliefs up on anyone, especially not to her non-Muslim friend. This, Jane appreciated so much to the extent that she considered these girls like her sisters, they all saw each other like sisters.

"I, on the other hand, I had meetings after meetings with my Mr for six months before deciding he was for me and him proposing to me" Haleema complained.

Sarah remembered the whole gossip when her engagement was announced. Prior to that Haleema did not dare to tell anyone about it. She kept it real 'hush hush', in case it did not work out. Haleema's husband was recommended by a friend. She had meetings with him in public places. Finally, when he decided to marry her, he sent a digital strip to her home address with instructions from him on how to assemble it and turn it on. 

The digital strip read "Haleema, will you marry me?" Up on see this, all the 'musketeers' went "oooh, how cute and romantic".

The 'daddy's girl' showed his bio-data to her best friend in the family. With a clean heart, her father turned it down "my dear Haleema; it's not going to work; my princess is more educated than him; not only that, you two are different". Haleema also knew there was some truth to that, she could not just shun his unbiased judgement as she already knew that her personality was very different to his; but this smart, well-read girl would justify to herself that 'opposites attract'. She had to confess to her family that she had been meeting him for six months and now she wanted to marry him.

"Oh! What an embarrassment but it had to be done" she moaned to her 'musketeers'. 

She could not eat, nor drink anything, her inner-mouth was as dry as red sandy, humid desert out of anxiety as her father decided to meet him. He was right, his fears were true; the concerned father found him to be shy, soft, quiet and humble. 

The judicial father warned him "my daughter is loud and angry, are you sure you can handle her?" Astute Zahid respectfully but modestly answered in affirmation quite confidently in his natural low tone.

So now her side was sorted. It was his turn to tell his family. His parents were so very unwelcoming to her due to their deep-rooted cultural influence. They were worried she would completely control him and they would lose their son. What a joke she thought that was. His mother even went to the extent to call her family to warn them that this relationship will not happen otherwise she would do black magic on her.

Shocked, frightened and broken, Haleema called Zahid to tell him it's off, after explaining the threat. Shocked, He apologised and did not say anything else.

He broke down to his parents, shouting "You can't do that; black magic takes you out of the fold of Islam". 

He explained, "Arranged marriage is fine, choosing by myself is also fine, provided you don't do anything before marriage and I didn't, I came to YOU before anything could happen".

They knew he was right. After all he was more educated in the religion than them. They were proud of that fact too. They could not openly defy him, what he said was totally logical and right. His mother wanted to say something to him but what could she say? A few days later, his parents came to her house and apologised and asked to take Haleema for their son. 

Their official meeting was funny; "it was just for show" Haleema would confess. 

They sat there facing each other, instead of asking each other questions in order to try to get to know each other; they just laughed looking at each other like children. That was a rare moment when Haleema acted childish. They found it humorous. They finally got married. What happened after their wedding was another story.

Recalling all of this drama, Sarah truly felt blessed. Sarah blushed, suddenly all that anxiety faded away resulting her to feel a warmth of happiness filling her heart. 

"I don't get it, Haleema! It's so perfect for me. I am so lucky, how come? How is it so easy for me?" 

Haleema hummed in acknowledgement as her friend confused with emotions continued "perhaps that's my fear that its too good to be true and that something wrong will happen; it's just that I can't see it".  

"Well, this only means one thing Sarah! You are lucky and you have been favoured by Allah. Now show gratitude to him by giving some charity. Give two hundred and fifty pound in charity for the wedding project which will fund a poor couple's wedding in the third world".

"That's a brilliant idea but I wanted to give it to the Rohingya refugees" Sarah exclaimed. 

Haleema who is also an occasional charity volunteer explained that is possible, she just has to mention that she wants sponsor a wedding in the Rohingya community. These 'Musketeers' felt for the Burmese minority Muslim community, as they were ethnic cleansed by the Burmese Buddhists in all the inhumane one has heard of. This has been going on for some time but it was happening more so in the year two thousand and seventeen. The girls could not understand why the global community was ignoring this crime against humanity.

Just that moment, Sarah saw a new text message that was received in her inbox on her mobile phone. She entered the four digit pass-code; to her surprise it was from Adam. It was the first text message he sent her in his life. Why does it have to be this? Sarah thought for a moment, without reading it entirely, she forwarded it to Haleema. She did not tell her that she was forwarding it from Adam. In the next message, she wrote 'be careful' just as Adam had done when they last met.