Maryaam Madinah.
Just as Ya aisha had said, my nap lasted one hour before I was being tapped on by Ammal. It was time for Asr so I prayed and started getting dressed.
Though Ayaan said we were leaving in the evening, I still had to go through series of meetings with my aunties and parents.
Zara and Ammal perfumed my skin throughly before handing me my dress and helping me into it.
Madinahs dress. (without the veil)
Ammal put a pearl necklace on my neck while zara adorned my arms in dainty white gold bracelets. I sat like a statue while they did their ministrations.
Lastly, one of them applied some gloss to my lips and mascara to my eyelashes to 'give me life' since I had specifically said I was not going to wear makeup. They packed my hair into a low bun which took the most time, while my hair was quite long, it was not easy to deal with at all.
I had 4c hair, that was the easiest way to describe it. Finally, they let me off the chair and helped me into the alkyabba that felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. It was so so heavy but so beautiful as well.
Madinahs alkyabba.
"Simply stunning." Zara comments, they pulled the hood over my head and pulled me out of the room with them.
"We are going to go meet su aunty first." She meant my dads sisters and some of maama Sarah's sisters and friends.
"Assalamu alaikum." We walked into the room with Ammal and zara by my sides directing me cause my sight was very limited.
"Ina wuni." We all greeted simultaneously.
They responded to our greeting. The first person to speak was Aunty Halima, I recognized her voice. She was Abbie's twin, my family was a family of twins! Abbie had five sisters, only three lived close by so they were the ones present.
My grandmother lived in Katsina so she was going to come in a few weeks for the events.
"First of all I will start by saying madinah your level headedness and calmness is already unmatched! Duk Wanda ya sanki ya sanki da hankalinki, Saboda haka maganar da zamu yi yau shawara ce kawai." (Everyone that knows you knows how sensible you are. So whatever we are going to say here today is only additional advice.)
"Marriage is not all you youngsters portray it to be, or what social media portrays it to be. Those cute videos and pictures you see on social media is only the surface, because marriage is so much more than that. Duk abinda da Allah yace na bauta ne kasan it's not a joke. (Anything that Allah says is part of your deen you know..)
"I would not use the word 'worship' but anything close to that, do it for your husband. Whatever he asks of you, as long as it does not directly go against Islam or your personal values, do it. If he picks up a piece of red clothe and says it is white then it is white.."
I zone out for a bit as Ammal pinches my sides and Zara stifled her laughter. Ammal always got pissed off when she hears things like that, feminist and all. I couldn't relate, but the piece of clothe thing was quite ridiculous. It was like encouraging you to support your husbands wrongs, In my opinion you could correct someone and still respect them.
"..Allah ya bada zaman Lafiya mamana." That was the last thing I heard her say, we all say a quiet Ameen as the next person took over.
"You are leaving a respectable home and marrying into an even more well known respectable home, remember that always. Remember where you come from madinah and act accordingly, treat his family as your own, don't ever give them a reason to badmouth us. And also keep in mind who you're marrying, albeit him being young, his line of work has earned him respect from people old enough to father him. You can imagine that he must take respect very seriously, I know we would not have any problem with you in that aspect.."
Then she prays for me. Almost everyone said their piece, I was there for an hour before Ya aisha interrupted and said mommy wanted to see me so we went back to her room.
On the way, she handed me a black bag. A Victoria's Secret bag to be specific, I did not have to open it for my cheeks and ears to redden. "Inallilahi ya aisha!" I exclaimed and put the hood of my alkyabba back on, she only chuckled at me and said she'd put it in my bag.
They'd already taken and arranged all the new clothes and things we'd bought to the house. I was only going with a handbag.
I walked into mommy's room and ya aisha left me.
"Madinah come sit." She patted the space beside her on the bed, I did so and faced her.
"I don't know if you would remember this, but when you were much younger, your mom used to call you 'my golden baby' she had a collection of gold specifically for you, I have it with me here and we'll get to that.
Madinah you know how close of a relationship I shared with Fatimah, admittedly at first I disliked her.." maama chuckles, her face sported a distant look. "But overtime she won over me as she did everyone around her, we lived as sisters instead of co-wives. I even named my daughter Fatimah zara after her. When you were born, your father had already named you but she cried to me and she said 'Yaaya I will name my next after you!' But as Allah would have it, she never gave birth again after you and your brother..
Your looks and attributes are hers exactly, she copied and pasted you in every sense. You have a level of patience that only rivals her own, even with Khadijahs antics (Mimi), she took everything she did gracefully just as you do. And Allah will reward the both of you abundantly for it.." we were both crying at this point.
"Madinah forgive me, forgive me for not being able to replace your mommy, but even looking at you hurts. It feels like grieving her all over again." She hugged me to her as we cried, this was the most maama had ever said to me and I'd never seen her cry.
Admittedly, whenever she get things for zara she'd do the exact same and sometimes even more for me, but what I truly craved all my life was this. A sense of belonging.
"When your Abbie brought up the marriage proposal, it killed me to be quiet and say nothing. But I thought about it in that moment, about how distant and quiet you are. I did not know the family, but I knew for your father to suggest it, then they had zero flaws. Asides you being done with school, I felt you needed that the most, to be brought out of your shell. And perhaps even to find the love you deserve so so much. So forgive me for that too. I want you to know that even if you go there today and the marriage doesn't sit right with you, come back to us. Come back here and I will support you, so will your father and so will your sisters, even your mommy."
I broke into a new set of tears, all this time I was so hurt over a false narrative. It especially hurt that this was only happening when I was leaving.
She got up and opened a safe in her wardrobe, brought out a box and came to sit back beside me, "this was mommy's gold collection for her golden child, I will ask Aisha to put it in the car."
I nodded at her and attempted to wipe some of my tears, "In everything that you do in your home, do it with your all. Strive for jannah, and please him so you please try Allah."
She picked up her phone and called Ya Aisha to take me to Abbie. "Thank you Aunty, ki yafe man for everything i have done knowingly and unknowingly."
"Nonsense! you have never hurt a fly in this household."
When ya aisha got to the room, maama Sarah hugged me a final time and let ya aisha carry me away.
She took me to Abbie's parlor and left me there once again. I knelt infront of him, unable to be close to him or look him in his eyes.
"Our golden Maryaam.." his voice was low, "I truly cannot believe you are married already, your mommy would have given everything to see this day, she would have been so so proud of the woman you have become. Allah ya jikan ta.." we both say Ameen.
".. I know as a father I am not supposed to have favorites and I do not, but you maryaam, you're the closest to my heart. Do not tell Muhammad a thing of this." Abbie chuckles, "I remember the day the both of you were born, your mother held Muhammad and I held you closely to my chest, you were so tiny, placed right on a heart that was filled with joy. You were Fatimah's carbon copy, still are, and you remind me so much of her. The way you talk, the way you laugh and even how you runaway when you get nervous is exactly the same. But all that is asides the point," he sighs,
"I know your mothers and aunties have told you everything already, and I trust that the moral and values we have carefully instilled in you would never disappoint us. So kije maryaam, Allah ya bada sa'a kuma ya bada zaman Lafiya my gold. Allah ya miki albarka. I love you so dearly and you will always remain my baby girl, although levels are to change since you are now a whole generals wife huh?" This time I joined him in laughter, but when Abbie hugged me, all the tears I had tried to keep in escaped.
"Abbie I don't want to go." I cried to him.
"Don't be ridiculous." He patted on my back as I cried and cried until Ayaan came into the room.
"The sunnah ordinarily is for me to take you to your house, but your brother wants to do so. And since he is leaving tomorrow, I thought it was fitting."
"Abbie ka yafe man." (Forgive me.)
"You have never wronged me." I caught a lone tear slip from his eye and it only broke me further. I felt a hand grasp my shoulder and drag me out, the scent that perforated my nostrils confirmed that it was my brother. Coconut and oud, we always matched scents. Mommy's favorite scent was coconut.
Ayaan takes me to Mimi who only passed me a wedding gift and muttered a half hearted dua, I did not care because I could barely think properly at the time.
I wanted to go back to my room, to the comfort of my bed. I want to wake up tomorrow to Basma's torment and Ayaan forcing me to eat. I want to listen to zara argue her fake court cases and ya ummi redecorate the house a millionth time. I want Inaayah and saadiq to come wake me up by jumping in my bed when ya Aisha brings them early in the morning. I wanted to remain in my home.
As we walked to the door, all my cousins.. including ya muneera and ya khaltum from mommy's side, my aunties, sisters and Ammal gathered by the door of Ayaans car and sang,
"Ta zama, Ta zama, Ta zama. Ta zama matar Adeel.." i zoned them out and hugged my sisters and best friend.
"Where is aunty maaya going?" Inaayah asked ya Aisha when I went to hug them.
"She is going to her home." I looked at ya Aisha as if she betrayed me. The house i had just stepped out of was no longer my home.
Ayaan walked me to the car and opened the door as they continued singing. As i stepped in, i reckoned that my life was never going to be the same again. For better or for worse.. I did not know.
********************************
The security we had to go through before we could get into daddy's house was crazy.
I was sat on the passengers seat crying my eyes out the whole time, but we stopped about two times before getting to the main gate of the house, and it also took nearly ten minutes for us to go past the gate. Though admittedly, Ayaan only had to say Abbie's name and they'd let us in.
The hood of my alkyabba was now taken down, Ayaan did so to wipe my tears.
A beautiful woman who did not look to be older than thirty stood by the door of what looked like the main building. She was wearing a cream colored, stoned A-shaped gown that sparkled in the dark of the night. Next to her stood a little girl who wore a blue mini dress and had her hair packed into a ponytail.
I did not know who she was because there was no way she was old enough to be Adeel's mother, but I still crouched down as much as I could to greet her, it was my in-laws house so I couldn't take any chances.
"Ina wuni." She pulled me up by my shoulders,
"Welcome madinah, welcome home!" Her smile was so wide and contagious that it found it's way to my lips as well despite my tear stained face.
"Welcome home yaaya's wife." The young girl beside her says cheekily, slightly hiding behind the older woman's dress.
I reached out a hand to her and she reached for it eagerly, before I could say anything she jumped into my arms and hugged me. My smile got wider.
Once Ayaan exchanged pleasantries with the woman, she turned to face me.
"You can call me maama, I am generals mother, and this is Alisha." She gestures to the baby girl, "Let's go meet Daddy, he has been waiting all day!"
My brows furrowed in confusion as I shared a look with Ayaan. If this woman gave birth to Adeel then she needed to start counting her blessings because she aged so beautifully.
Alisha held on to my hand the whole time as we went to meet daddy, he was in a living room to the south of the house.
"Assalamu alaikum." We all said in unison as we walked into the living room, i quickly put my hood back on before going in.
I felt someone who I assumed to my maama hold onto my arm and direct me into the living room, she stopped somewhere and I could see daddy's feet so I knelt down infront of him, just like I would Abbie and greeted him,
"We meet again, maryaam." I smiled to myself, he was such a kind old man. It made sense to me how him and my father were so close, they were very alike.
"Open your face, you are at home." I slowly took off my alkyabba, skeptical because my hair was uncovered beneath it, but he was now my father inlaw so it was okay.
"You were not brought to your in laws house today, my dear. You have been brought to your own. I want you to feel free and act just as you would in your own home. Because before today i had two daughters, now I have three." I teared up at his words, atleast I was going to get love and affection somewhere in this marriage.
"This beautiful woman here is Adeel's mother, she is now also your own. You can ask her for anything you may need, that is if you don't feel comfortable bringing it to me. Because I am always going to be accessible to you.
I want to assure you maryaam, and your brother here." He looked to Ayaan fondly, it seemed Ayaan already knew him. It did not surprise me though because daddy went everywhere with Ayaan whenever he was around.
"Your father is a very dear friend of mine. I had specifically gone to him to beg for you, and not just I, but my whole family will treat you accordingly. May Allah place His endless baraka in your marriage, Allah yayi albarka."
"Ameen daddy, nagode." I wiped what i decided to be my final tears of the day.
"Muhammad and I will be going to be mosque, i am sure we would meet General there already. And my wife and I planned a photo shoot since that husband of yours missed the one you had at home. Forgive him, i will bring him back to you. But go with maama in the meantime, she would brief you." Daddy got up and Ayaan followed suit, he leaned in a placed a chaste kiss on Alisha's head and walked out with my brother.
"Let's go madinah. Your home is to the west of the house, so you could freshen up and pray in mine. The makeup artist is already here."
I stared at her, not knowing how what response to give. A photoshoot?? Though it was still quite early, i was so tired. And I didn't have a dress! Was i to shower and then wear what I had back on?
I said none of that, instead I nodded at her and walked behind her and she led us to her room.
Maama gave me new toiletries and a fresh towel, then left me in the room.
I took a brief shower and performed ablution. When I got out, i met a soft full length cotton dress and a hijab on the bed. She'd said she was going to send me clothes, so I wore them and offered my Maghreb salaat since a prayer mat was already set facing the qibla.
I was praying my adhkar when mommy came back in with two ladies in maid uniforms trailing her.
She gestured to the one holding a white dress that was on a hanger, "This is the dress you're going to be wearing. I spoke to your mother and she told me your size, but I ordered it last minute and it was a ready-to-wear so I really hope it fits."
The maid walked forward and dropped the dress on the bed, it was classic, silk, and so so beautiful.
"InshaAllah it will, thank you Maama." I felt a little bad that she went through the trouble but I did not ask for it. I would have been just fine without it.
"Oh don't be so formal. Come out here once you're done, the makeup artist is waiting in my parlor."
The other maid stepped forward and dropped a tray that contained some jewelry, next to the dress and walked out of the room. I stayed back to fold the clothes I'd taken off and arranged everywhere i touched to make sure it was how I met it, once I was satisfied, i walked out of the door.
Maamas parlor was right out, the makeup artist was seated on a chair. When she saw me, she smiled and we exchanged pleasantries.
"Please make it very light." I tell her. I did not want to be a buzzkill but I was too tired to sit through two or more hours of makeup.
She nodded and assured me before getting to work..
Hi my loves💓
A lot of mentions of mommy in this chapter, it was honestly a lil emotional for us. Her and maama Sarah's talk was so eye opening. Even us as the authors did not know zara was named after madinahs mother🙊
Funfact; this chapter was actually about 5k words so we broke it down into two separate chapters because the limit for each chapter is nearly 3k. This is still past that but we'll let it be.
Please comment down below whether or not you prefer short or longer chapters so we'll adjust to your tastes.
Thank you, kisses💋