Another surprise update! Make sure to shower your love through comments.
Weddings were no joke, especially when it came to intercultural weddings.
It started with the number of events, then progressed to the debate of white versus red wedding dress, and then towards determining the number of guests. Rafa was compromising, he could see. But so was his mother. It had taken some polite negotiations between both families to settle on a number of guests that was more than the typical American wedding, but smaller than the typical desi wedding. The events were mutually condensed into two ceremonies, the nikah and reception.
The location for the nikah that Rafa picked out was a botanical garden, and fortunately the beauty of the place had won over his mother who had been adamant on getting a hall. The reception though, was decidedly determined as a dinner in the same hotel as the wedding suite the couple had picked to retreat to after the nikah.
Since the wedding date had been set only a couple of months ahead, arrangements were made last minute for guests who flew across the continent, mostly in hotels for which the ladies of his house prepared guest baskets, while he was put in charge of everything else. Thankfully Mahad came to the rescue again and again by picking guests from the airport and settling them into their hotel rooms, helping with the supplies for the day to day activities at home, and with helping Abdur Rehman finalize on a suit for the reception.
The closer members of the family roomed in his house, like his maternal and paternal grandmothers. And both women made sure to be at the center of all festivities.
"Gotta' give it to you, putar. Saday wastay gori nuh laya hai, achay pyaray pyaray bachayn hongay," his Nani gushed, accepting chai from Badr while Manahil, who had flown in a day before struggled to get her sons to seat themselves for breakfast. (You've managed to bring us a White daughter-in-law, that will surely produce beautiful babies)
Abdur Rehman's cheeks burned with his grandmother's bluntness, but he laughed it off. His Nani had arrived a couple of days after he finalized his engagement with Rafa, and since then she had been a constant source of teasing comments.
"Kitna sharmanda paya hai, just look at him Badr. Waisay jab sharmanda hai tu bilkul apna piyo lagta hai." (He looks like his father when he is embarrassed)
"Ammi, please stop teasing my son," Tayyab announced, entering the living room. A grin stretched across her face, evidencing how pleased she was.
"Aakhir pota kiska hai," Dadi laughed off, winking towards the ladies, and then Nani gushed, "Alright, Abdur Rehman, go rest now. You have a lot to accomplish tonight."
"What?" His cheeks burned.
"Oh-ho bhai, she's talking about the nikah," Manahil yelled from the dining table, making all the women surrounding him burst into chuckles.
"So say afternoon, not night," he whispered under his breath, getting out of there before more teasing followed.
Retreating towards the staircase, his hand went to his phone unconsciously, checking if he had gotten any messages. He was waiting for Mahad to pick him, but he was also waiting for a text from her.
Since the engagement they had exchanged numbers to talk about the wedding preparations, but sometimes Rafa would send him a meme or photographs of the wedding preparations on her side.
A grin appeared on his lips. The time had flown since the day she had accepted his proposal. Days had become weeks, and weeks had finally become two months until that day of the wedding. That night, they would finally become a married couple.
A contentment filled him, keeping him on cloud nine. He gave his phone a last look before looking over his shoulders to check no one was around, and then walked through the patio doors taking himself outside. Manahil's oldest son paced the lawn, glued to his cell phone as he talked in a clipped Irish accent.
"Muneeb?" Abdur Rehman called out, gesturing to his nephew to approach him.
"Yes Mamoo?" The tween said, muttering a quick goodbye on the phone.
"It's 9 pm in Ireland, who were you talking to?"
"A friend?"
"I hope it wasn't a girl friend." He placed his hand on either shoulders of the tween.
"No Mamoo," Muneeb blushed, running a hand through his silky hair.
"Okay, that's good then." Abdur Rehman laughed. "I'm heading out with my friend right now, if your mom or my mom come looking for me, don't tell them I'm out."
"Do you want me to lie?"
"Of course not." Abdur Rehman plucked a leaf from Muneeb's cotton vest. "Just don't say you saw me leave."
"I won't, since I won't see you leave." Muneeb winked, and then promptly closed his eyes.
This new generation is far smarter than I thought.
"Where are you going though?"
"To get your Mami a gift."
The hum of the fluorescent tube light filled the empty restroom as Abdur Rehman scanned himself one last time. His fingers combed through his oiled beard, stopping at his collar to fix the crooked tie and tighten the top button of his suit jacket.
It was time. Rafa would be entering the area any minute.
He let out a shaky breath before nodding at himself and leaving the restroom to take himself to the makeshift stage at the other end of the guests' seats.
Blooming white roses with pink baby breath flowers contrasted pleasantly with the vivid greens of the botanical garden. The guests who filled the area, engaged in animated conversations, sent him looks of acknowledgment as he crossed through the room and approached the stage.
"Mamoo!" Arsal, the youngest one of his nephews called out, running up to him. "Mum is saying that Mami will come out in two minutes." He clenched his gaming console tightly to his body, his little suit jacket was scrunched up with his running around the hall.
"Thank you." Abdur-Rehman grinned, patted the six year old's head affectionately before proceeding forward.
Butterflies seemed to be doing jumping jacks in his stomach as he actualized how close he was to having his dream become a reality.
From the day he had seen her at the hospital, something had been growing, and that day as he stood minutes before becoming her husband, he felt it bloom fully.
He was in love with Rafa. Not with the image of who he thought she was, but with who he had seen her be in the past few weeks. In their concise conversations about the wedding preparations, the drives to and fro dropping supplies, discussing and coming to common grounds with her over decisions, he had realized exactly how precious she was.
His heart trembled the slightest with the fear of whether he would be enough for her. They were worlds apart, he knew, but that wasn't a bad thing, was it?
He gulped, turning his head to find Mahad making his way towards him. His best friend's face held a supportive grin, as if assuring him that he would be okay. Behind Mahad followed Tahmeed, who was sending a last parting grin to Badr before she went towards their seated grandmothers.
"Relax," Tahmeed advised, patting his shoulder from the other side. "It's your wedding, enjoy yourself."
Abdur Rehman nodded, taking a deep breath. He ran his eyes across the seated guests, finding familiar faces of his family, friends and work colleagues, who were all there for him. He took strength from their energies before directing his gaze to the one who never failed to make him whole.
His mother sat in the first row, at the edge of her seat as if she was going to get up any minute and inquire about the arrangements again. She sipped water from a clear bottle that was part of the take-away presents for the guests. Wajih and Muneeb lingered close, with Manahil fanning his mother with the back of the event's agenda.
He wanted to leave his spot and go over to her. He needed her encouraging words before beginning the longest journey of his life.
"Hey, get ready. Here she comes," Mahad announced, stopping him before he could move.
Abdur Rehman peeled his eyes off his best friend and towards the entrance of the glass bubble they stood within. Weaving her arms with Yahya and her father, Rafa entered. His heart halted as soon as he looked past the layers of white that wrapped up the woman who was going to become his wife.
If love was tangible, he was sure that is what he saw.
Ya Rabb, you have given me more than I deserve. Was all he thought as she locked her eyes with his and offered him a warm smile.
The glory of the afternoon sun filled the cracks of the glasses, rays peeking from the gaps-enlightening the greeneries to shine with a golden tinge of brightness, the flowers blooming to bliss, the different shaped leaves of the plants attracted the onlookers admiring gaze.
It was all awe-worthy.
And it all filled every nook and cranny of Rafa's heart to bubble with joy.
She remembered clearly how she got down, making sure the lengthy back of her dress that flowed didn't get stuck in the car, she held her hands out with a laugh as her brother and father took each.
"Doesn't Anjum look breathtaking today?" Yahya whispered in her ear, making her turn to the direction he was gazing, from her veil.
"May Allah protect her from the evil eyes of my brother," she seriously spoke while Yahya scoffed. "Well! You didn't praise me about how I look," she stuck her tongue out and he rolled his eyes.
They entered the curving of hedgerows towards the main building made of glass and were filled with different plants decorating the niche as people sat on the beautiful tables. "Daddy! How do I look?"
"Tell me, how do I look?" Hisham bowed and whispered near her ear instead.
"Like a King," Rafa grinned, acknowledging her father in all his handsomeness-clad in a white tuxedo, matching the color of the wedding with a green bow near his chest.
"Now, just know the answer to your question. If I look like a King, you look as beautiful as a princess," Hisham smiled, "My princess."
Rafa grinned as she entered the hall, her eyes immediately scanning people and halting at one particular one, who like always stood out from the rest of the world. A gorgeous smile spread through her face when they both locked eyes.
He was like the Sun, no matter how vast her sky was, he sure knew his sublime position. He was like the Moon, no matter how stary her night was, he sure knew to attract attention, even when he came in phases, even when he wasn't full, even when he was just a crescent, he didn't leave her without making her feel baffled.
She couldn't remember how the time passed, how hazily the events painted themselves while she just remembered how easily with just a yes, she became eternally his.
All the barriers, boundaries that were set to separate them were opened and with just a small ceremony in between the heart of nature, two souls clicked-connected for this life and the hereafter.
Congratulations pooled her ears as she was engulfed into warm hugs, thrown kisses of likings, and blessed with prayers to have a happily ever after.
As she sat stealing glances of her face beneath the transparent veil that covered her face in the mirror across from her waiting for her husband to return from the check-in, she could still detect the aura of true happiness descending from her posture. Adorned with the most ethnic jewelry for the first time in her life, she felt as if she was floating among clouds, and the parable for all the glee she felt was like, lying in the fluffy clouds while being stardusted with blessings.
She thought of how the night descended with all its glory, how the time for sending off-parting fell over the family and how Yahya had pulled her into a hug and cried into her shoulder, it was not funny, she knew but she couldn't control her laughs, "Stop being a cry-baby," she wrapped her arms around his body.
Being in his arms which she seldom got to experience always left her with a feeling though- a feeling that these arms will be forever open for her and to be in them, she needn't even have to knock.
The whole moment had been bittersweet, like a bird she stepped into the sky, leaving the secure shore of her nest to taste the sweetness of the flight.
And also the final magical moment where she clasped her hands with Abdur Rehman and walked out of the gardens towards the car that waited for them to take them to the honeymoon suite, and just as it began, so did the commencement of their journey, together, forever.
The door to her hotel room opened and she grinned as she turned around to see Abdur Rehman lock the door, placing the papers on the stand beside it. Their gazes met and smiles automatically stretched through their lips.
With a quick pace, he walked up to her, kneeling, he pulled a box out of his pocket. "In our culture, when the groom sees the bride for the first time, he gives her a present," he explained with a sheepish smile. His hands reached up to take off her veil to fully view her face.
"This is not the first time you are seeing me," Rafa laughed as he opened the box and at once she gasped for inside it, sat a rose gold embarked sapphire ring. "It's...it's beautiful."
"As I said, it's a silly tradition...shall I?" He asked, gesturing towards her hand and she happily obliged, he held her hand in his palm, sliding the ring into her finger, "It's my Mum's selection."
"Masha Allah," she gently took her hand from his grasp and examined the gemstone glint over her fair fingers.
"That's not all, I have something for you too," he grinned, making her tear her gaze from the ring to him.