Hafsah jerked up from sleep as she heard her name been called. "Subhanallah!" she gasped.
"What's wrong?" Sameerah asked. "It was only a dream." Hafsah sighed.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Sameerah asked worriedly. "Zayden." Hafsah breathed out.
"What happened to Zayden?" Sameerah sighed. "He kidnapped me and he was going to force me to marry him." Hafsah replied.
"Everything will be fine Hafsah. Don't worry, it was just a dream. You made it clear you were over so he wouldn't come back. Not now, not ever." Sameerah said, rubbing her back. Hafsah nodded and got up to get ready. When she finished taking her bath, she sat down in front of her mirror where a popular makeup artist in Kaduna started to work on her face.
When she was done, Hafsah looked extraordinarily beautiful. Her highlight and contour brought out the glow on her face. She smiled as she took a look at her face in the mirror.
"Thank you." she thanked the lady that made her up. The lady smiled in return and did Sameerah's makeup. When they were both ready, a very expensive benz pulled up into their compound. Hafsah, Sameerah and Mrs Imran got into the back seat and the driver drove them to The Castle Event Centre. The venue was beautifully decorated and it didn't cost a thing for Alhaji Imran, it was just a million naira to rent the centre and about two million naira for the decorations.
Haneed on the other hand was already seated in the hall, waiting for his bride to arrive. Everyone was seated and waiting for Hafsah to come in. Her bridal train went in front of her and danced their way to the front, while Hafsah and Sameerah walked slowly behind them.
Haneed cracked a smile as his eyes met Hafsah's. She bowed her head and walked shyly to him, taking a seat beside him. He held her hand as she sat which made her cheeks heat up and turn a crimson colour.
"You look beautiful." Haneed told her, kissing her forehead. "Thank you. You don't look bad yourself." she replied, giving him a smile.
"You are all welcomed to the wedding celebration of Haneed and Hafsah. Today, two hearts shall become one. In sickness and in health, through the good and bad times although I don't pray for bad times, to love and to cherish one another. Today, I pray that Allah(SWT) blesses this union, may nothing come between this beautiful couple and may Allah fill their home with children who'll make the home full of laughter." A man said before handing the mic to Sameerah.
"I feel so happy today, I feel like the one getting married. Today, not just my best friend but my sister is getting married. It's been a wonderful three years since I've known Hafsah. She's been a great friend and sister to me. If I ever do anything wrong, Hafsah will scold me. I remember the day she told me about Haneed. She was all happy and hyper. Guess what Sameerah! I met this cute guy at Ihsan's school. He was so tall, handsome oh my God did I forget his beards? Well, he asked me for my number and a chocolate. He's this, he's that. I knew then and there my best friend was crazy in love. Trust me Haneed, you will never find someone as pure as Hafsah.
Apart from being a beautiful girl, she's a great cook and I'm sure even you can testify to that. Remember the lip smacking and finger licking samosas she made for you? If Hafsah had the chance, I know she would love to be the one to prepare all the dishes on the menu here today. She's a good dancer, even though I'm most definitely sure she will not dance here today.
Hafsah's a shy girl, obviously. She loves chocolates, chocolates and anything made from chocolate. Be it snickers, chocolate fudge, chocolate ice cream, chocolate everything. So, the key to this beautiful girl's heart is chocolates. If she ever gets mad at you, get her a box of chocolates and you're fine. All I'm saying in essence is she's in love with chocolates.
Hafsah loves to read. As long as she has a book with her, she's fine. Now by books, I don't mean chemistry and biology notes. I mean, novels, most especially cliché love stories where the bad boy falls in love with the nerd. Werewolf? Hafsah is in love with that genre. As long as there are hot shirtless guys whose names have a Ryder in it, she'll stay hooked to her phone. She isn't a Game of Thrones kind of person, she'd rather watch Stranger Things.
Taste in music? Forget that Hafsah wears a hijab. She looks innocent but her playlist is hood I tell you. Cardi B? Nicki Minaj? Yes! I would go on and on but I know that so many people here have something to say about Hafsah." Sameerah finished. All this while, Hafsah was a bright shade of red. Sameerah!
The crowd erupted in cheers as Sameerah left the stage. Next in line was Farouq.
"So, Sameerah has said everything there is to know about Hafsah. Hafsah is a nice girl, I remember the day we met. She had a veil over her face but I could tell she was smiling. She's everything you need in a good friend. She's like the sister I never had. There are a lot of things I'd say about her however there's something more important that I'd love to say.
I remember that night we met. It was like a dream come true for me. I couldn't have met anyone more beautiful, more perfect for me. I knew right there and then you were the one for me. Is it the way you talk? The way you walk? Everything about you, I love. Even though you'll most definitely kill me after this, I want to ask you this question right here. Sameerah, will you spend the rest of your life with me?" Farouq finished.
Sameerah gasped and looked around. All eyes were on her and people even chanted yes yes yes. Sameerah got up from her seat and walked to the stage where Farouq was knelt on a knee with a box in his hand. He opened the box and she stretched her fingers out.
"Yes." she whispered. He slid the ring unto her finger and the crowd erupted in cheers. He stood up and kissed her on her forehead, before leading her down to take a seat.
"Well well, that wasn't expected. Another wedding coming up soon y'all. So, there's someone else here who has something to say." the man from earlier spoke. Zayden walked to the stage and Hafsah stiffened beside Haneed. He squeezed her hand in reassurance as she took in deep breaths.
"I know I'm the last person you'd expect to see on your wedding because I said I wouldn't attend it. I can't miss your wedding for anything Hafsah. You deserve everything you have right now. Haneed is a nice guy, he'll never hurt you that I'm sure of. Be happy. I pray Allah blesses your marriage and gives you children. And I hope when you have a son, you'll name him after me. Here, I have a gift for you guys. Two flight tickets to Paris for your honeymoon. Please don't say no, this is the least I could do for you." he said and walked towards them, handing the tickets to Hafsah. She collected them with a tight smile and shoved them in her purse. He returned the smile and left to his seat.
"All that been said, may we continue with the celebration?" the man spoke again. Caterers were serving food on each table while the wedding continued. When they were done eating, it was time to cut the cake.
"On the spell of Hafeed, cut the cake." the man said, using their ship name. The crowd spelled it out and when they said the last letter, Hafsah and Haneed cut the cake. He took a piece and fed it to her. Hafsah blushed and fed him a piece too. They danced to the music and soon after the wedding was over. Hafsah followed her parents back home to wait for when she will be taken to her husband's house.
As they waited at home, Hafsah changed into another dress. Some minutes later, Haneed's family brought cooked food to their house. It was their tradition for the groom's family to bring food to the bride's family on the night of the wedding. Some old women and Hafsah's friends got her ready to go to her husband's house. Hafsah cried into her mother's chest. Ihsan didn't know why she was crying so she just watched.
"Mum, I'll miss you." Hafsah cried.
"You're not going away forever my child. You'll visit me anytime you want to." Her mum consoled her. Hafsah sniffed as she held her tight.
"Thank you mum. Thank you for getting me married to Haneed. I could never find a better match than him." Hafsah said, wiping her eyes. Her mother smiled and they all got up, helping Hafsah to the car that'd take her to Haneed's home. She took one last glance at the house and entered the car with Sameerah and the old women. The other girls got into another car and followed behind. On their way to the house, the women preached to Hafsah about being a good wife, to be patient and to love her husband unconditionally. And that, was what Hafsah did.