Hawwa's Paradise

Chapter-9 #Rewritten

 Hawwa was looking at the picture of a man in Khadija's mobile. The man had fair skin and a stubble on his round face. His neck was partially noticeable. His build was large with his belly and chest protruding forward. Hawwa was standing next to the bed on which Khadija was sitting. She was in her and Khadija's room.

"I don't like him. He is fat and has an unattractive face." Hawwa's face contorted in disgust as she looked up from the mobile to Khadija. 

"His look is not enough to reject him." Khadija frowned.  

"Yes it is!" Hawwa's eyes widened. She held up the phone facing Khadija. "He may even get larger in the future."

"You can tell him to lose weight. Husband and wife are supposed to encourage each other to be a better version of themselves."

"What if he doesn't? Besides, I don't want a husband whom I have to convince to lose weight. It should come from his heart." Hawwa shook her head.  

"Then what if you get another proposal and you reject the man because of any other flaw in his look?" Rolling her eyes, Khadija scoffed.

"Why should I marry someone if I am repulsed by his look?" Hawwa fisted her hands on her sides trying her best to suppress her growing frustration from being reflected in her face. She got reminded she was holding Khadija's mobile as her fingers were digging into it. But unfortunately slight portion of it spilled out with her words. "I am not asking for perfect looks. I just want someone I am attracted enough," Hawwa gritted her teeth. "...to share a bed." Her cheeks heated up. 

"What you are asking for is not wrong. But you won't get everything you want in the person you marry." Khadija's voice was back to normal. 

"That's why we should carefully choose what we want. What I am asking for is important. Desiring looks to a certain extent in one's spouse is not shallow."  

"Apu, I want to see the man's picture." Hawwa looked over her shoulder hearing Ayesha. Marium and Asma were standing at the door. Hawwa reached out her hand to give the mobile. Ayesha took it after she got inside the room followed by Asma. Both sisters then glanced at the mobile screen. Biting her lips, Hawwa prayed for her cousin's to take her side.

"Apu won't look good with him." Asma turned to Khadija with a look of disapproval on her face. Hawwa's heart jumped in pleasure. 

"Yeah." Nodding Marium turned to Khadija smirking. Khadija looked from Asma to Marium with conflict in her eyes. 

"See?" Hawwa threw her hands in the air, her voice booming with confidence. 

"There are better looking men than him. Apu can marry one of them." Marium shrugged, tossing the mobile on the bed. 

"I am not marrying him. Tell this to the matchmaker.  And please don't tell me that I can't because of the lack of time. We had spoken about this before." Then clasping her hands, Hawwa raised them up. "Please. I have my dreams of marriage." Hawwa reminded, desperation laced in her voice. Khadija stared at Hawwa with more number of lines on her forehead. A few seconds later Khadija closed her eyes for a moment.

"Fine." Khadija announced but she looked displeased. Hawwa clapped with a grin on her face. 

"Thanks. Your help meant a lot." Hawwa turned to her cousins with gratitude brightening her face.

"Welcome." Asma responded with a smile. Marium smiled too. 

It was the morning of 27th February. Hawwa was walking towards her classroom with a smile. Her nerves were tensed with anticipation of meeting her friends and classmates. 

"Happy Birthday Hawwa!" As Hawwa entered her classroom in the morning, she was met with Shazia's greeting. Hawwa's heart jumped in excitement. 

"Happy Birthday!" Lubaba waved her hands at her. Hawwa waved back, her grin growing larger. Noticing, some other students wished her. 

"Thanks. I turned nineteen today." She was staring around at the students as she walked towards Shaiza and Lubaba who were sitting on the 3rd row of 2nd and 3rd columns. She sat on the empty seat behind Lubaba. Tasfia and Namira hadn't arrived yet. 

On the evening of 3rd March, Qibriyah reached for a chicken nugget from the bunch lying on a plate on the center table. The table was in the middle of the two sofas He and Khadija were sitting on in the drawing room of Khadijah's house.

"Has Hawwa's started courting?" Qibriyah asked Khadijah taking a bite from the nugget.

"No." Khadija shook her head, her lips pursued and the brightness in her eyes flickered. 

"I am ready to court her if she is still interested." Swallowing, Qibriyah spoke. 

Khadija blinked. Her hand jumped up to rest on her chest as she broke into a grin. 

"Thank you my son!" She asserted, her eyes beaming. "What made you change your mind?" Then she raised her eyebrows.

"I want to make you happy by fulfilling your wish. The way you broke down that day when I rejected Hawwa didn't leave my mind. I realized it could be," He lowered his voice as his heart constricted to say the next words. "...the last wish you ask of me." Khadija's hands clenched into fists. She seemed close to tears. 

"I don't have enough words to express my gratitude." 

"There is no need." Taking a second bite Qibriyah finished off the nugget. 

It was 23:48 on the digital clock sitting on Hawwa's reading table when she opened the door of the room. Her eyes travelled towards the drawing room from where Khadija was reading a book while sitting on the sofa.

"Dadima you can come inside. My studying is completed." Noticing Hawwa, in a rush, Khadija closed the book, got up from the sofa and switched off the light in the room. Hawwa's one eyebrow raised up.  

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" Hawwa inquired as within the same pace Khadija was approaching the room with the book in her hand. 

"Qibriyah has proposed to marry you today!" Khadija hugged Hawwa coming to a stop at the doorway. Hawwa's jaw widened.   

"What did you say?" Hawwa exclaimed pushing Khadija by the shoulders. Hawwa's heart had started racing. 

Did she hear it right?

"Qibriyah wants to court you!" Taking a deep breath, Hawwa let the words settle in her mind. "You are still interested in him, right?"

It was reality. 

 Slowly a smile spread through Hawwa's face. She nodded as warmth spilled in her stomach.

"Why did he change his mind?" Now Hawwa's voice was back to normal. 

"He wanted to make me happy. So, he started seeing a psychologist to help him deal with the problems which were resisting him from remarrying." Khadija's head was held in pride. "I will give you his number. But don't speak to him more than five minutes. You need to wake up early in the morning to study. You have a class test on Sunday." Khadija warned. Hawwa nodded. With quick steps Hawwa picked up her mobile from the dinning table. Then keeping up with the pace she went inside the room to pick up Khadija's mobile from the bedside table. She copied Qibriyah's number in her mobile from Khadija's one. Then she gave a call. Anticipation started pounding her heart as she heard the first ring of the call. All of a sudden time slowed down testing her patience.

It was after five rings the call was received. Hawwa breathed in relief. But the next moment, a shiver ran down her spine hearing a familiar male voice from the other side of the line.

"Hello."