STIGMA

CHAPTER 60

It was two months to Salamat's graduation and It was her wedding night. A day she had waited for, like it would never come. They had both anticipated this day but now it was crowded with fear in her mind...fear and anxiety.

She had cried all through the day and she couldn't point out the reason for her tears. Maybe it was the fear of an unknown future as a married woman or the fact that she was leaving her parent.

She was now going to be living with her husband, leaving her parent whom she had always shared shelter with.

Things have changed just within a day and the fact that remained after her tears which were still evident in her beautifully decorated face was that she was now a married woman.

She was no longer the little Salamat of yesterday. She was now someone's wife, not just anybody but Saleem, her ideal husband.

Even though they were already entitled to each other, even before they tied the knot, they hadn't gone past the limit of kissing each other, and Salamat was used to it. But the real deal was scaring the hell out of her.

She remembered the rains of prayers her parent poured on her before she was conveyed to her husband's house and her mother's advice on how to be a submissive wife who will never deprieve her husband of his conjugal rights. Tears gathered in her eyes and before she knew it, it began to pour.

They were now in front of the home. The home of Saleem and Salamat, where their marriage will be consummated and where they would bore and raise their princes and princesses, she thought with a smile as she wept silently.

Her parents didn't come with her, but Hadiza, Rekiya, Oga Buks' wife, and Alhaji Bashir's wife were with her and they alighted from the car, singing, and dancing as they took her into the house.

After some minutes, every one of them disappeared leaving the newlyweds alone in the sitting room looking at each other.

Salamat wished they would stay till daybreak so she could keep on chatting with her friend Hadiza, who was Saleem's immediate.

She felt like running after them as the silence lingered, so they could take her back home. She dare not voice that out and she knew that was impossible. Her parent's home was no longer hers and her mother would gladly send her back to her husband.

Saleem was lovingly staring at her and muttering "alhamdulillah (all praises be to Allah)" repeatedly, with a sly smile.

"Welcome to our home, wifey", Saleem stood up and stretched his hand at her.

"First, we need to observe the nawafil (voluntary) prayer for newly-weds and others would follow."

Her heart thumped wildly with fear, at the statement.

"Have you eaten?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Go and perform ablution then", he said and strolled towards the bathroom.

15 minutes later, they were done with the prayer and Saleem supplicated some more, asking her to spread her palm out and rub it over her face.

"Ya Rabbil Alameen", he finalized and Salamat quickly chipped in with "Ameen."

"I want to go and shower", he told her and went into the bathroom.

Salamat stood up from the prayer mat and folded it in a hurry before going over to her box to bring out her nightwear. She removed her bridal dress and quickly wore the nightie before laying on the bed and closing her eyes.

The door to the bathroom opened immediately and Saleem came out. "Babe, go and take your shower too."

Salamat sighed and stood up to go to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she was out of the bathroom to see Saleem already seated on the bed. She wore her nightie back and joined him in bed. She tried to lay down but he stopped her.