"Mabrook!" Mom celebrates, pulling me into a tight hug, and I try my best to not flinch.
I feel relieved when she pulls away. Pops pats me on the head with a smile though there is an uncertainty I see in his eyes. I squeeze his hand, wishing he never leaves my hand, wishing he never hands it to Azar. Instead, he becomes less worried as if I assured him, totally unaware of the chaos in my head.
Maliha comes towards me, hesitant to hug me, but I engulf her. "Thank you," she whispers.
"Anything for you," I say, and I hope she knows how I mean it.
Mom immediately calls Mrs. Noor to decide the Nikkah date, and Pops jots down the name of his friends and colleagues. Meanwhile, Maliha and I browse the net to select the wedding card.
Maliha looks very excited as she goes through the cards. I, on the other hand, am trying my best to not break down. I simply agree to whatever card Maliha chooses and put on a convincing smile.
How would have Azar reacted? I wonder. I can almost hear his I told you so. Am I that predictable? I sigh inwardly. I have to be strong, but it is so hard to be strong.
Mom comes toward us and says, "Your Nikkah is on 28th May, which is Friday."
Isn't it too soon? I want to say, but I refrain from doing so, and with a dizzy mind, I realize that Mom might have already made arrangements. I feel sick because of the twisted, but very much possible thought.
"What about the shopping?" Maliha questions, her cheeks flushed. "Will we have enough time to shop?"
"Yes, of course, only the guest list is the problem," Mom responds, smiling ear to ear. "I don't want to miss anyone. Maliha, Abeer, write down your friends list and give it to me."
"Okay," Maliha replies, and I nod. I don't have anyone to invite. I did have a few friends in school, but I don't want to call them as they would definitely recognize Azar, and I didn't make any particular friends in university.
"You are pathetic and lonely, angel, so what is the use of being an angel even?" His voice echoes in my ears. "You have me alone, and you will have me always."
"Abeer?" Pops calls out from the study, and I snap back to reality.
"Yes, I'm coming," I answer back as I head toward him.
"I want to ask you whether Eshaal forced you to say yes," he states quite bluntly, leaning on the desk. "If she did, you have every right to say no."
"No, Pops," I insist. "Mom got too emotional and panicked before. She apologized, and I know she didn't anticipate my refusal."
"Are you sure? It has only been a week. You can take more time," His offer overwhelms me, and I'm tempted to say no.
"I promise you. I have thought about it," I say instead. "This is my own decision."
"Okay, I believe you," he concurs, looking relaxed.
Maliha knocks and enters. "Pops, I made the sample as you said." She hands him the tablet, and I can tell she has been experimenting with it for a while now.
"Ma Sha Allah, this is so good. Eshaal!" He calls her, and she comes rushing into the room. Tears fill her eyes as she looks at the card.
"My babies have grown," Mom fusses over.
"Mom," Maliha calls in embarrassment.
"Save the tears for the wedding, Eshaal," Pops points out even though his own eyes fill with tears.
"Oh Allah! I almost forgot!" Mom exclaims. "Get ready you two. Noor's family is on their way to our house, and we all are going shopping together."
The truth weighs down my heart. This is where it begins. How will I face Azar? As I pin my hijab, looking at my reflection, my mind wanders away. The dream keeps coming to me... The light bursting out of Azar's heart, the clear water in his hands... He gave me water, and I took it.
If it wasn't a dream, I could have never taken water from him. If it was ever in my hands, I would have never taken any favor from him, but I did it in the dream. I sipped it... The doorbell rings bringing me out of my mind. I wear my veil and head downstairs. I don't even look at Azar as he stands at the door, but I can feel his eyes on me.
We head outside and go in different cars Alhamdulillah. We go to the clothes shop first. As we look through the dresses, Azar passes by me and says when others are out of earshot, "I knew you would say yes. It was obvious."
"Obvious?" I repeat before I can stop myself.
"Simple. I could tell the way you clung to that expensive ring. I knew you didn't have the heart to return it." I turn around with my jaw dropped. How dare he? "Not to mention it was given to by your one and only." And with that, he turns away, pretending to look at some tuxedos.
I groan internally as I walk away from Azar to Maliha and Mom. They are discussing with the shopkeeper to adjust the fitting of Maliha's dress, which is breathtaking indeed, in Maliha's favorite colors, dark green and golden.
"Do you like it?" Maliha quips when she finds me admiring the dress. "Do you want a similar one?"
"It will look amazing in it, but I don't think green is for me." For some reason, I think about Azar's eyes I say so. We both glance over our shoulders at the same time to look at Azar and Ahmed, their backs facing us.
"Did you choose any dress?" Maliha whispers.
"No," I tell her.
"Abeer, come here," Mrs. Noor calls me, and I approach her. Mom and Maliha follow too.
"I think you will like these ones," she gestures at the dresses under the glass.
"Hmm..." I really don't feel like choosing anything. They all look nice so I just randomly choose one. "The pink one," Azar and I say in unison.
I avoid both Mrs. Noor's and Mom's eyes as I know they both are looking at me, probably with mischief in their eyes. Maybe if it wasn't Azar, it would have been cute, and I might have been red for other reasons.
"Perfect," Mom proclaims as the shopkeeper takes it out.
It is dark baby pink in color with floral silver embroidery on the top and flows elegantly at the bottom. Mom gives the shopkeeper the measurements for the sleeves. Then she with Mrs. Noor search for their own dresses, and the fathers look through the electronics section. Maliha and I, on the other hand, go to the jewelry shop.
"Maliha, do you like this?" I hear Ahmed ask her about a particular item, and she blushes and ends up buying it.
"I want you to look your best on our wedding day," Azar resumes annoying me, leaning on the counter beside me when the jeweler goes inside to bring more sets. "I know it is hard obviously compared to me, as I literally have to do nothing to look handsome, but I want you to look the best on the day I destroy you."
I ignore him and walk away back to the clothes shop. "Mom, I need your help to choose the jewelry."
I wait for Mom and Mrs. Noor to pay for the dresses. Maliha and I both get platinum and diamond jewelry. I tried talking Mrs. Noor out of it, but I fail to do so. I feel so guilty looking at everyone spending so much money for a wedding that isn't even in the slightest something to celebrate for. We choose similar plain silver rings for Azar and Ahmed too.
Mrs. Noor decides to shop for gifts and other new dresses we have to buy the next day. I almost smile with relief that the day is over, but my bubble bursts when we end up going out for lunch before parting ways.
We take a table of eight, and Ahmed and Azar sit across from Maliha and me. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and try to look busy on my mobile. As if I ever have any notifications except random updates, I think to myself. Ahmed leaves as he has a call from his client, and the elders are deciding on the menu.
"Abeer, can you pass the water bottle?" Maliha asks, and I do so. She pours herself a glass of water and drinks it, but midway she starts choking on water.
I pat her back as I say, "Easy, Maliha." She nods and takes out her mobile.
My mobile vibrates, and I see that she has texted me: "I think Azar hit me with his leg thinking it is you O_O."
I text back: "I think I'll just go to the restroom so that he stops."
I excuse myself and head to the ladies' room. My mobile buzzes again, but this time it is an unknown number.
"You can't run away from me, angel," it says. My heart skips a beat. How? How has he found me? My hands start sweating; I feel dizzy slightly. He is here. In the restaurant, and he knows I am in here.
Buzz. "You think I didn't know you ran away to the ladies' room to escape from me."
Buzz. "How long will you escape your soon-to-be-husband?"
I let out a breath. It's Azar. It is only Azar. Not him.
"How did you get my number? And stop calling me angel," I type back, my fingers still trembling.
"Is that necessary?" It is as if I can hear the irritation in his voice through the texts.
Why am I even replying to him? I block him on WhatsApp and go back to our table. The appetizers are already served, and I sit down and join eating with the family acting oblivious to the daggers Azar is shooting my way.
"Jummah time is perfect," Mrs. Noor is saying. "I am so excited that my best friend is now becoming my family."
"Believe me, I am too," Mom boasts. "In Sha Allah, everything will be great. We have drafted the guest list, but I am sure there are so many people I have missed out on. Is your guest list ready?"
My mobile vibrates, and now Azar has messaged me. "How dare you block me? You are going to pay for this, angel. You can't keep avoiding me forever." I delete the message straight away without reading further, and I switch off my mobile. I notice Azar clenching his fists for a moment, and then he smiles sweetly at me before suggesting, "Let's all play a game. Maliha, Ahmed, Abeer and I, okay?"
Ahmed rolls his eyes at his brother's attempt at conversation. "How straightforward is he," he mutters loud enough for me to hear. I try not to smile at that.
"Come on, Ahmed," Azar says, giving him a thump on the back. "It is kind of a rapid-fire. I say a word; you three say the first thing that comes to mind. Then Ahmed says a word, and we three say the first thing on our minds, and so on. So do you want to play?"
I am about to refuse, but Maliha says yes before I do.
"Family," Azar says.
"Life," I say. Maliha says important, and Ahmed says, love.
"Sky," Ahmed says.
"Blue," Maliha says immediately, and I say, "Earth."
"Heavens," Azar says, and I look at him, but turn away when he looks at me.
Maliha goes next, "Color?" she sounds unsure.
"Blue."
"White." "Black." Azar and I say in unison. We really need to stop doing that.
"Black," he repeats again, "until they invent a darker color."
"You know why it always is dark here?" He asks me, sharpening his knife. "I love black, angel. Black represents evil, it says power, and that is enough for a person to like black until they invent another color that can represent me."
"Abeer?" Maliha nudges me, and I snap out of my thoughts.
"Why white?" Ahmed asks, addressing me for the first time. "I thought girls usually like vibrant colors."
"White reminds me of purity," I reply. "It reminds me of light and reminds me of hope that even in this cruel, bloodthirsty world," I glance at Azar, "there is still good out there somewhere. It is just the way I feel. It doesn't need to be right."
"Deep," he concludes with a chuckle. "What's yours, Maliha?"
"Dark green," she replies.
"Nice."
"Rain," I say. Maliha says rainbow, and Ahmed says clouds.
But Azar takes me by surprise saying, "Childhood." Was he as pretentious as a child too? I muse. "Water," he says.
"Dream," I realize after I say it.
"What did you say?" Azar asks curiously, leaning forward a little. "Dream...? Why would you say dream?"
"I..." I can feel all three of them looking at me. "I don't know," I lie. "It was the first thing that came to my mind."
I look at Maliha in panic, and she, as always, covers up for me, "I think this game is a little unnecessary, to be honest."
"Come on, we are doing nothing wrong. All the elders are here," Azar argues.
"But no one is paying attention to our conversation, Azar," Ahmed says, siding with Maliha.
"Yeah, yeah, you would obviously agree to whatever she says," he taunts grumpily. I am amused by the fact that he is jealous. He is actually jealous. "Imagine what will happen after the wedding."
"Someone's jealous," Maliha says so that only I can hear.
"Mom, we are going home after this?" I ask her hopefully.
"Oh yes, Abeer," she replies carelessly. "Kids these days," she comments to Mrs. Noor. "They get tired so easily."
I feel so relieved when we finally leave the restaurant. Yet even though I am with family, I feel strangely homesick. I hug Mrs. Noor even though I feel very uncomfortable. I guess I have to get used to it. Not everyone can understand.
We say our salaams and sit in the car. "That was one hectic, but wonderful day," Pops sums up, adjusting the rearview.
I lean back and look outside as Azar's car drives away. That is when I notice someone, someone whose face is unforgettable, waving at me with a wide smile. I freeze and my lungs forget to breathe. I can't be mistaken this time. They have found me. It is her.
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Woah! Everyone calm down, don't shout, don't throw food at me. A big cliffhanger I know. Assalamualikum, I hope you all are doing well In Sha Allah.
Vote if you enjoyed the chapter.
Special shoutout to
@StoryWriter1267
Moonlight-Shimmer
Muazah
for answering all the questions I ask them
Best 3 comments in chapter 9
@HaajarSuge
1) I wasn't expecting it and I'm a bit surprised but now looking back, Abeer didn't seem so close to her mother (fake one)
2) I feel like she needs a wake up call but I also feel the mother should have been considerate since she doesn't really understand what Abeer is going through
3) Maybe because Maliha was always thought of second if that makes sense
Forgot the numbers. I feel like her real parents allowed Abeer to have such a horrid past and she was taken in by the current family and the guy from her past is related to her parents. I also think she met the guy from her past at her old school since mentioned how much she hated it. I think I'm writing way too much.
@ssha1kh
I actually missed Azar in this chapter. Hope he will be in the next chapter. I feel bad for Abeer. It seems like she really doesn't have a choice. Hopefully Azar will fall in love with her. Looking forward to the next update which I'm hoping will be soon
@comforts2013
Azar is the easiest one! But I think it's not Azar. You sure are doing a great work by making us break out heads. Well mostly for people who are really lazy to think like me. And this was totally unexpected how they aren't even her real parents. A great twist :)
Best 3 comments in chapter 10
percabeth1223
Welll... Not really despite what everyone here is saying. And I know she did Istakhara and all. But idk I feel like she's marrying him for the wrong reasons. She's only doing it to please and satisfy her family, but she is a selfless person so I guess that makes sense. And from the way Azar treats her, it scares me of what their future would be like. Oh well. Let's wait and see aye :) cool chapter thought I liked it ❤️❤️
@CrazyProfessor
Hmm yes, I felt she was sincere with her apology and yes she did go a little extreme with her words to Abeer but that was because of the sudden 'no' which she wasn't expecting maybe. She does care for Abeer and loves her. With all the difficulties Abeer is suffering through, her Pops and Mom can sure be considered as a great gift.
Afia20
No one wants to be in her shoes but if I was I would have done what she did because Allah's guidance is for our good. He gives us what we deserve and what's good for us.
This is what I want to know in the comments:
1) Her. Who is her? Any guesses.
2) What do you think about what Azar said about Azar keeping the ring because it's expensive and about how he taunted her on her looks again?
3) How did Azar get Abeer's no.?
4) What is your favourite colour and why?
5) Favourite scene and line
6) Point out any errors :)
Jazakallah Khairun for reading and all the support :) Stay Blessed Ameen.