The morning of the wedding came faster then Haniyah thought and she felt numb.
All she had been doing is crying. She felt so alone. She felt so hurt. She literally had no one. Sure Asiya was sweet, but she wasn't her mom. Shoyeb was kind, but he wasn't her father. She wanted my family. She wanted her brothers and their annoying selves, she wanted her mother nagging and her dad's warmth, but the way Shoieb acted last night gave her some hope, but no matter what, today her whole life was going to change.
She getting married. Today.
She sat on the chair, dressed in the gown that had laid in the room she was staying in the traditional red bridal gown, the henna that was drawn on her hand the night before had beautifully stained her hands.
She slowly stood up from the chair, moving away from where people had to work on her for the past three hours trying to make her look perfect.
As she walked towards the mirror, the only thing on her mind was,
I'm getting married.
There, in the mirror, staring right back at, Haniyah didn't recognizes her. It was as if she was looking at a completely different person.
This girl isn't me.
Her once bright eyes were dull, but she managed to look flawless with the makeup and the heavy jewellery.
She noticed that all the girls that were in the room had left, she made her way towards the bed and sat down, waiting for Asiya to come.
She heard a sob from the door, it was a familiar sound. A voice she thought she would never hear again. She looked up as fast as she could while making sure the vail didn't move, there standing beautifully was her mother.
The woman who gave birth to her
The woman who kicked her out of their house without a second thought.
"Meri guriyah (my doll)" her voice was shaky as she took small steps towards her daughter.
Her baby, the little girl she had given birth to, the little girl her husband gave away without thinking twice. How can she explain to her daughter that her dad wasn't who he seemed to be, that-
"Mama?" Her princess's voice broke her thoughts.
She made her way towards the bed and sat down next to her.
Her baby looked beautiful. Every mother dreams about seeing their daughter dressed as a bride and her Haniyah day in ground of her. In her beautiful red dress, flawless make up, her hands with her beautiful mehndi (henna design).
Haniyah looked away from her mother's shaking figure and stared at her henna filled hands.
Shaeena place her hand on her daughters head as she recited some duas and then blowing them on her.
"Forgive me my child" she cried as she took Haniyah stained hands in her own.
Tears that had welled up in the bride's eyes and they fell onto their connected hands.
One by one, tears fell onto their hands.
"Listen to me, my child, after today he will be your husband, take care of him, no matter what happened to stay by his side, no matter how much he hurts you fulfill your duties as his wife." She spoke.
Funny how a strange woman told Haniyha not a while ago something opposite of what her own mother was saying.
"Don't let that boy hurt you, even if your his wife"
Yet her mother is telling her to take the abuse and pain if he ever did cause her that. He promised her that he wouldn't.
Haniyah wanted to say something to her, she wanted to scream her words at her mother. She wanted her to understand, that it's not easy for her daughter. That it's not easy for her to comprehend the fact the less then a week ago her parents kicked me out of their house because of her ex- bestfriend, that in matters of minutes she'll be married to someone she had met once, that also in the terms she wished ghetto never met.
Their eyes snapped up as the sound of heels stopped at the door. Looking up they saw Asiya standing there.
Haniyah heart began pacing as the two words left Asiyas mouth,
"It's time."
She couldn't recall what was going on, her heart began to beat. Her hands began sweaty and tears welled up in her eyes.
Her mother's and Asiya helped the bride up, and walked her out of the room, bringing her down the stairs where waiting eyes waited for her. She was made to sit beside the man she would call her husband in the next few minutes. She didn't look up. She couldn't look up at him.
Aaban heart stopped and a small smile grew on his face as he saw his bride being brought down. She looked beautiful, like an angle, his angle. The love that he had for her grew.
Finally she will be mine
Haniyah eyes finally looked up, when he walked in
Her father
He didn't even look at her.
She stared at him with hope.
Hoping that he'll say no and that he'll take her away.
Baba, please.
Baba look at me
Baba, I'm your child, your daughter.
Please, baba, please.
All hope left Haniyah as the Imam began the ceremony. Questions were asked by her soon to be husband first. Haniyah was lost in her thoughts, sparks from her hand brought her out of her thoughts. She looked down to see that her hands were covered by the man who with two words she will call her husband.
"Do you?"
Haniyah started at the Imam in confusion.
"Do you Haniyah Aminah Azad accept your nikkah to Aaban Zaveer Waheed for $30,000 as Mehar in the witnessing of Aayan Raheem Waheed and Zulqurnain Hamad Ali?"
She looked at her father who still hadn't look at her.
Daddy, please say something
"Haniyah?" I heard her mother's voice.
With the little strength she had, spoke two words that would change her life.
"I accept"
And the question repeated two more times with Haniyah answered back with the same words.
"Barakallah hu lakuma wa baraka alikuma wa jamaah baina kuma fii khair. (God bless you and God bless upon you And gather you in good)" a Daya was recited by the Imam.
She was married.
The tears streamed down Haniyah's face as her mother kissed her forehead. She felt Aaban hand tighten his hold on her hand. The sparks were flying everywhere, just how they are explained in the books.
"May Allah bless you with all the happiness, my child. May Allah bless you with all the best in this world." She spoke silently
And then she backed away.
Haniyah looked up from her lap, only to see the figure of her father, mother, and brother leaving.
They left.
Her father and Zuber didn't even come to her.
They never spoke to her.
How could they?
She closed her eye hoping when she open them this will all be just a dream, but deep down she knew this was a reality.
This wasn't a nightmare.
This was her life.
This was her new life.