Noor

Chapter 1

PART I

Greetings

Nineteen hundred and fifty-two is the date that my story begins, the twelfth of September, to be exact. It was the day that I started college. I was one of the only woman going to college in this small town. Although it was a local college, anything could do. I just wanted an education. It was my dream.

My father was not a wealthy man, but he worked hard to earn enough money to send his me, to college. He had little faith in me, but I most definitely proved him wrong. His small faith allowed me to go as far as to where I am right now. But that's not where the story begins.

The story begins when I am at home. Luna, my sweet little cat, accompanied me by my side, watching me with large gentle brown eyes. I reached down to pet her, and as I do, there was a banging sound on the front door. I looked up curiously, then called for mother to answer the door.

I could hear her footsteps echoing across the wooden floor downstairs, and then halt when she reached the door. The door creaked open, sending an eerie sound throughout the house. My ears immediately listened to what was going on downstairs.

It was a few minutes before I heard a voice. It was mother's.

"Adali, please come downstairs. There is someone here for you." Her voice didn't sound afraid or mad, so the visitor couldn't have been someone with bad intent. Curious, I stood up and walked down the stairs only to be faced with a man dressed in a Thorb. He looked fashionable in this Thorb, and with me thinking to myself, I wondered how that was virtually possible. No one looked good in a Thorb. Chuckling at my own thought, I bowed my eyes to him and approached this mysterious man.

He smiled at me but didn't utter a word.

"Asalamu Alaykum!" I said cheerfully with a bow. He continued to stare at me with a sheepish smile as I spoke, watching me carefully. Then I looked up just the slightest, but i didn't peer at his eyes. That wasn't proper.

"Wa'alaykum Salam." He finally replied. It had been near a whole minute of just us staring at each other. "My name is Noor. I do know your name is Adali, and I have come here to ask you a simple question about a project we are doing in mathematics. Would you be kind enough to help?"

I stood there shocked. His voice was low and peaceful, quite beautiful to the ears. It was as dark as the wide ocean at night, that deep royal blue with a tint of black... The voice of a mahram. I was attracted, Astafiruallah. I shouldn't have been thinking this thought.

"Of course I can help you, my friend. What is your question?"

He gave me the paper and I explained the answer to him as mother watched, intrigued.

"Ah! I wish you the very best, thank you for helping me! Please, next time come and speak to me in class one time! You are too kind!" He spoke his farewell and I replied as I should, then I slammed the door behind him.

Mother looked at me with an exited expression. "Adali don't you see this! He is a mahram! And he looks just perfect for you! Alhamduillah!" She placed a hand to the side of her face and began to walk away, her long black gowns flowing behind her. I watched her leave and didn't move from the doorway enterance.

Please mother, I don't want to be married, I am so young. But I can tell I didn't have a choice. My future laid out in front of me like a person throwing a carpet on the ground. It flowed out before me with all the designs and beauties that made up life... I was most likely to be married to this man. And that was fine, he wasn't going to stop me from being sucessful and traveling around the world for my profession. No one will.

I know that this seems fast, but it's completely true. I wish it happened slower, like any good romance story.