Samaar's POV
How did my in-laws get here? Wait... Why am I freaking out? Cuz no one gave me a warning! What is wrong with them? I look at my mom trying to make eye contact with her so I can glare at her for not telling me... But she ignored me after giving me a cheerful smile. What in the world? I looked at Sheath who was also looking around quietly. Then I saw my hands wrapped around his, and I blushed as I slowly got up and left him. He followed me to the door and so did the rest of the family. When the door opened we saw my mother-in-law exhausted. But she was dressed up nicely... probably tired from the ride here. She said salaam and got extremely excited when she saw me and Sheath standing next to each other.
"My son and daughter-in-law! I have been waiting for this day!" I smiled and hugged her back. I looked over at Sheath and saw him smiling at the ground as he hugged his mom. I greeted the rest of the family along with Aakifah. Subhee was there too and he said salaam to both of us then went up to Sheath. He took Sheath's hand and did some weird huge handshake which I stared at horrified. Because that was Sheath's bruised wrist. When Ruhi's mom caught me staring at them horrified, she asked me what was wrong. And I just smiled and said nothing. I was looking at Sheath's face. He was grinning but also... sweating. That must have hurt. Subhee was basically dressed up the same as Sheath except he wore a navy suit. His hair was neatly placed which made him look a little more professional. I saw Aakifah trying to keep her gaze down. When I nudged her, she was startled.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I have a bad feeling today..." She replied quietly.
"Aakifah... just forget about the past and focus on the present. What ever happens happens for a reason so leave it to Allah." I whispered to her. I think I knew what was about to happen but I couldn't put my fingers on it.
Right when my in-laws entered they started talking to Ruhi's mom like no tomorrow. I really did want to see Ruhi but I'd figure that she was upstairs getting ready with Kashifah her younger sister. Right after thinking that I saw Ruhi come down with a hijab wrapped tightly around her head. It was done exactly how Aakifah had taught her and to be honest she looked gorgeous. I was standing there grinning.
"Oh my. Oh my. Oh my! Masha'Allah!" I said to her and Aakifah started laughing.
"You guys were meant to be, eh?" Aakifah said referring to Ruhi and her hijab.
"Oh, we get along just fine. I think I might leave my husband for this little thing called hijab." We laughed. She looked really pretty. She was wearing some light foundation and just a little eye liner with a light transparent lipstick covering her lips. She was wearing a nice long black maxi dress. She was a bride to be and now she looked like it too for some reason. With us, she was always goofy but now she looked a little mature. She looked super mature for a twenty three year old girl. But I guess that's what she was supposed to look like.
"I won't be taking this thing off for life now." She said confidently.
"Does the groom know about that?" I asked. Well, you can never know a guy's preference. Sometimes its rare to find guys that like their wives going out without the proper covering in our culture. But then again that's basically only 5% of the Arab society or something like that. Or not even close to 5%. To be honest I thought I was a feminist before but then I realized... equality comes in different forms. I probably learned that the hard way... after getting married or after I started to fall in love with Sheath.
"He was asking me if I was going to start anytime soon. The only reason they accepted me wad cuz I told them I'd be starting to wear it soon." I smiled.
"Now you gotta be beautiful for yourself and your husband not for anyone else." I said grinning.
"Ugh, you make me feel disgusted, Samaar." Ruhi said and Aakifah grinned at her too.
"You're welcome!" I said as I continued grinning.
"She's not wrong though!" Aakifah said after laughing a little. We saw Kashifa coming down the stairs a little while later. She.. was surprisingly wearing one too.
"Kashifa... You're wearing it too?" I asked shocked in a good way. Despite her obsession with tattoos and all the bad things she was pretty nice.
"Yup! I need to grow up now." She said.
"Masha'Allah! Give me a hug!" I said. For some reason, I was starting to feel really happy.
A few minutes later Ruhi, Kashifa and Zafeer were introduced and so were our in-laws. I didn't get to talk to Sheath for too long. I started talking to my mother-in-law.
"Me and your mom were wondering..." She began as she started speaking in a low voice. "Actually I think we should include Sheath in this conversation too." My mother-in-law said. This is weird. It's almost like they're telling us to move in with each other... well, that can't be it, right? "Why don't you come into the guest room with Sheath?" She asks me and I nod. Suddenly my stomach ties into a billion knots. What's going on?
I walk up to Sheath who is talking to Ruhi as she starts to make jokes about me and how I might turn out to be the worst wife on earth. Well, I actually didn't mind because he should be knowing this by now. At this thought, I grinned. When I nudged him he looked at me and gave me a look of relief. It must be so awkward talking to girls keeping your gaze lowered, hunh?
"You're mom's calling both of us." I said in a really low voice. My mom sees me whispering to Sheath. And when our eyes meet, she turns around and starts walking away. My mom obviously knew she had the duty to tell us something, but what could it be? I walked into my room and I saw my mom's sister sitting down in the corner with Sarah fast asleep in her lap. She was smiling at me and that's when I knew something new was going to happen. Not only because of that, because my parents were on one side and Sheath's parents were on the other and everyone suddenly turned really serious. Sheath was standing right next to me. I didn't see anyone else in the room and I saw my dad get up to close the door behind us.
"Sit down." My mom said to both of us. And we both sat down on the same couch. "We were thinking... of asking you two that... if you two are going to study here, then are you going to raise your family here too." My eyes opened wide open. Start a family? Like, you mean having kids and all AND living together? That was too much to take in. I looked up at Sheath and almost broke out laughing because he gave a puzzled look to me. I turned away, expecting him to answer.
"Well... we haven't really discussed this yet. I mean I'm pretty sure we came here to study only. America's not that bad, but... I think we need to discuss it first." Sheath said in a really awkward but sweet voice. And yes I was getting butterflies again surprisingly. I honestly did not want to have anything more to do in America other than studying. I want to go back home and hang out with Yusra like usual, have kids and become a great mother and try to attend some weddings too... mainly Yusra's. I was missing Yusra so badly and it's only been two months. I didn't notice until now but everyone was looking at me now.
"I really think we should discuss it first too, because I wouldn't mind living in any country it's just..." Canada has the health benefits people! "Well I was thinking why not get Aakifah married soon too. It doesn't make sense that I, the younger one, am married before her." I blurted out in the moment. My parents actually sighed when I said that and my mother-in-law was smiling.
"That's the one thing we came to talk about so don't you worry Samaar." My mother-in-law said. Did I mention how awkward it was calling Sheath's mom my mother-in-law? No? Well it's SUPER awkward. I looked at my parents, and they sort of looked down trying not to get embarrassed because of my loud mouth. Yeah sure they were my in-laws and I needed to have the outmost respect but my sisters come first in any situation. I'm sure Aakifah wants to get married too and I don't have to ask her because I know. She was the one to always lecture me when I said I hated the concept of marriage and all. She used to talk about it as if it was her dream to be married to someone who has Deen (Religion) as his way of life.
Me and Sheath walked out of the room and I found Aakifah laughing with Ruhi while Ruhi was imitating some guy that I was too lazy to make out. Sheath went to Subhee and I went to Aakifah. Aakifah gave me a what-the-hell-is-going-on look and I just shrugged. "Just try not getting angry... cuz I have a feeling you're not gona like what you hear." I said in a low voice so only she could hear.
Aakifah walked into the room swiftly like a ninja... yes I had to add the ninja part, because a few seconds later Ruhi asked where Aakifa disappeared off to and I shrugged my shoulders to that with laziness. I was starting to get really tired. When I looked at the clock it was 7:00 pm. I saw Sheath standing in a corner as he saw Subhee leave his sight. When I went up to him, I saw him trying to not close his eyes. He was sleepy just as well. But why was I so tired today? My usual bed time was still nine pm but if I had homework or work to do in general then I'd stay up later. He yawned and saw me staring at him. I raised my eyebrow and he just rubbed his eyes like a kid.
"What time did you fall asleep last night?" I asked, trying not to show how sleepy I was.
"3 am." He answered. My eyes opened wide open.
"3 am?? I asked in shock. If I didn't get a full eight hours of sleep... I'd be sleepy the whole day.
"Why?" He asked out of bordome.
"No reason... Wait... how come you didn't tell me you were coming to this gathering!" I asked him as I pointed my finger at him.
Then he gave me a dissapointed look and answered, "Well if you answered my text messages we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Well..." I was about to say it would be awkward because I couldn't forget what happened that day but I didn't because he interupted me.
"Well what? Were you that scared to talk to me after all that happened?" He asked. I nodded as I looked at him and he just grinned. "You shouldn't be acting like that cuz you'll be getting used to it." I stared at him in shock and then I sort of punched him.
"No way am I getting used to all that happened at your house. " Then I leaned in closer and so did he... "And that kiss id probably the only one you'll recieve in your whole entire life." I looked up and saw that he was offended. Was I serious? If only I could control my feelings... sure I'd be serious.
"Stop depriving your husband of what he should be recieving." He says as I look away to the ground and smile. I raised my head up and started looking at his arm. He was crossing his arms while he was standing next to me but he was only crossing his arm so he could seize some of the pain and I knew it because he was starting to sweat again. He saw me staring then put his hands down. Then I looked away. I started walking away from him and he didn't follow. I walked to get my purse and found a napkin. I walked back to him and started whispering to him. "Lean down." I said. He gave me a confused look and did as I told him to after giving him a glare. I started wiping his sweat off. "Are you sweating because you're standing right in front of the heater or what?" I asked, trying not to acknowledge the wound as much as it hurt to look at it. He needs more treatmeant than that.
He didn't answer and just stared at me. "Done!" I said in a happy voice. He went back to standing in his original position and smiled looking away. I grabbed his hand on purpose and the colour of his face washed out. "You know... if it hurts, you can just say so." I said, trying to sound a little innocent. I walked away again and this time he followed me, not saying a word. I went to the freezer and took out some ice and grabbed the huge zip lock bags my aunt stored in the shelves for Zafeer's lunch. I dumped a whole lot of ice into and i rolled up Sheath's sleeves and placed the ice there. Kashifa cam in two seconds later and examined Sheath's wound.
"How did it happened?" She asked, looking at me.
"He apparently fell down the stairs." I put some emphasis on 'apparently' and she grinned.
"No way is that something that could happen just by falling down the stairs mister." She said as she got a glass out and poured some coke in it. Her hijab was all messed up but it didn't look like she cared. She reminded me of Sarah a little and I laughed.
Sheath didn't say a word. It was more like he was closing his eyes and he wanted to sleep so badly.
Aakifah's POV
Why am I here? I look around and I see all the adults sitting down. My mom gets me to sit down too and I see Subhee entering the room a moment later.
"Aakifah..." My dad said. And I looked over at him.
"Yes, Dad?" I asked quietly.
"We were thinking... maybe it's time for you to get married as well." He said. I was about to interupt and say 'WHAT?' but then he continued by force after he saw my face. "Your little sister also requested it. She said she doesn't want to move in with Sheath if you're not married. She's younger than you and she loves you and wanted you to be happy." If this was going to lead me to thinking Subhee was my potential husband. No way. Why would she think that way? Ya Allah, please help me.
"But..." I was about to say something when Subhee's mom interupted me.
"You probably know what we're thinking. But don't reject the idea right away. Why don't you do some *Istikharah (asking Allah to guide you when you have difficulties in life) and maybe just maybe this is the best decision Allah has decided for you." I stopped trying to speak and just continued to listen with a worried look on my face. She was right... "It was at the time when you were hospitalized that Subhee came to us. He was actually really worried about you." I looked over at Subhee and saw his eyes wide open as he looked at him mother. His mother continued. "He wanted us to talk to your parents about you and him. All me and his father are doing is asking you. The decision is all yours by the way." She said, smiling. I could tell that my face was still scrunched up. I didn't want to face this at all. Samaar had a chance to reject the marriage but she didn't. She went on with it. But I... if it's in Allah's will, I'll have no choice... because this might just be the best option there is. What do I do?
"So what we want... is for you to decide what your answer will be. We'll wait as long as you want, Aakifah." Subhee's dad said with a smile.
After a while I left the room with Subhee.
"What were you thinking?" I asked calmly. I didn't look up.
"Can't you forget the past?" He asked in a pleading voice. I continued to look down and then I finally turned away to leave him.
I walked into the kitchen and found Samaar and Sheath. Sheath had his head down and Samaar was watching him as she sat right beside him placing an ice patch over a bruise of his.
"What happened?" I asked quietly.
"He bruised himself. Apparently he fell down the stairs and landed on his wrist." She said, grinning as she spoke in a whisper. Apparently? I laughed.. then she asked me what happedned in the room and I stopped laughing. She started laughing at my reaction and asked me once again.
"What's this about? You clearly told them you guys won't move in together if I wasn't married." I said whispering in a harsh voice. She frowned.
"Come on. I know you wanna get married."
"Not to him!" I whispered even louder. She looked me up and down as I gave her a frantic stare.
"Do Istikharah." She replied and grinned.
What am I ever going to do with this girl?