Ayla Ahmed, a nineteen year old girl has been married to someone nine years her senior, under unimaginable circumstances. She has now moved to Canada, where she doesn't know a soul and soon after she's married she finds out some things about her hus...
Ballay ballay Ballay ballay ni torr punjaaban di Jutti khall di marorrha nahion chal di Torr punjaaban di, ballay ballay
Today was my mehndi/nikkah day. It feels unreal, sure, I dreamed of getting married ever since I was a little girl but never did I think that I'd be married under such circumstances. There are two girls working on the henna of my hands whilst one of my cousins is doing my hair. I notice a few of my cousins cracking jokes, giggling and looking at me. Anyone looking at me would think I'm just nervous as I'm going to be nikkah-fied in the upcoming hour, but to be honest, that's the last thing on my mind.
My name is Ayla Ahmed, I'm nineteen years old, I have just finished my A Levels and I'm getting married to someone I've only talked over the phone for 10 minutes. His name is Shehryar Abbas and he's twenty-eight. It's an arranged marriage and all I know he's somehow related to my sister's mother in law and the entire family lives in Canada. To think of it, I don't even know where in Canada.
"Ayla tayyar hai kya? Larkay walay aur qazi sahib aa gaye hain!", my train of thought was suddenly disturbed by my brother in law's voice. I could faintly hear my cousins oohing to the fact that my soon to be husband was in the house. (Is Ayla ready? The groom and the officiant are here!)
"Ammi abbu kou please bula'a dain", I, somehow, managed to croak that out and everyone understood and instantly left the room, leaving me with my thoughts. I wanted to cry but my tear ducts were dry. I heard the door creak open and I saw my dad wheel in my mom's wheelchair, both of them reciting a chain of Masha'Allah looking at me and I just looked at them blankly. Ammi got up with the help of abbu and put a white chaddar over me, I instantly recognized it. It was what my grandmother and mother wore on their respective nikkahs. (Someone please call mom and dad)
I stared back at my parents and wondered about how our life changed in the past year.
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Flashback starts
One year ago
Ammi is for sure going kill me if she receives another call from my college that I'm running late. I need to get rid of the habit of sleeping in after ammi wakes me up but what can I do? Extra sleep never hurt anyone, except when ammi is angry. I'm only five minutes away from college, but this traffic jam UGHHHHHH. I'm leaving this on God and Insha'Allah I'll reach college on time.
"You're late again, Ms. Ayla", Mrs. Shakeel said as soon as walked in the door.
"Sorry ma'am, I was stuck-", I said
"bup-bup-bup no excuses, you're going straight to the coordinator's office, this is the third time you're late in this week and its only Thursday.", screamed Mrs. Shakeel.
I'm pretty familiar with the way to the coordinator's office by now. Other teachers let you in if you're less than five minutes late, but if you have Mrs. Shakeel and that too in the first class of the day, she expects you to be in class before she comes, if you're later than that, off to the coordinator's office you go!
"Yes, Ms. Ayla are we late again?", said Ms. Ayrah
Ms. Ayrah is twenty-six and the coordinator and guidance counsellor for the college. She's the sweetest human being alive and is literally like a bonus older sister.
"You know how it is, I was seven minutes late and Mrs. Shakeel sent me your way", I sighed and sat down on her couch.
"You know the drill Ayla, I'm afraid, I'll have to call your parents now" said Ms. Ayrah.
I start using my phone, when I hear Ms. Ayrah lightly gasp and nod. Looking up, I see that she's nodding on the phone and saying that she'll tell me calmly. I was confused but I patiently waited for her to hang up.
"Ayla, my love, you need stay strong and get your bag, you and I need to go somewhere", said Ms. Ayrah.
"What's going on?" I asked cautiously and what Ms. Ayrah told me shook me to the core. My ammi had passed out and was now hospitalized.
Flashback ends
"beta jaani kahan gum hou, qazi sahib bas aanay walay hain", I heard my mom say. I instantly snapped out of my thoughts. Both of them, held my hands and squeezed it lightly and told me that they would always be there for me. I don't know how to explain my feelings, a thousand things were running through my mind and the top one I could recognize was fear. I was scared to leave my parents and I was scared because something about this entire arrangement felt off. (Where are you lost, my love? The officiant is about to come!)
The Qazi sahib entered my room and started reciting a few Quranic verses. My mom held my hand and I knew its time. I took a deep breath in and that's when the Qazi sahib asked,
"Ayla Ahmed binte Ahmed Ali, kya aapko Shehryar Abbas ibne Abbas Ullah say haq mehar $500,000 Canadian dollars main nikkah qubool hai?", said the Qazi. (Ayla Ahmed, daughter of Ahmed Ali, do you accept Shehryar Abbas, son of Abbas Ullah as your husband, with the dower amount being $500,000 Canadian dollars?)
"Qubool hai", I breathed out thrice. With every qubool hai, I could hear my mom squeezing my hand tighter. (I accept)
I did it. I was a married woman by nineteen but now what? My mind was blank. I didn't know what to do, everyone was coming hugging me, my parents kissing my forehead. I was left alone with my thoughts while everyone had now gone to the TV lounge to conduct the nikkah from my soon to be husband's side.
I go deep into thoughts again, when I remember the past year again.
Flashback starts
One year ago:
We rushed to the hospital; Ms. Ayrah rushed me to the oncology department. I was confused as to why where going there. I saw abbu and he was crying whilst hugging my sister and my brother in law was running around doing the paperwork. I went to them and they hugged me and told me to stay strong.
I was confused, I had no idea what was going on until the doctor came and revealed that my mom was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a brain tumor that would only allow her to live for sixteen months, if we started the treatment right away, if we didn't, she'd succumb to death within four months. I felt as if the ground was slipping right under my feet.
Flashback ends
I was brought out of my thoughts by a knock at the door, I was about to get up to open the door, when the person outside opened the door. Behold, in all its glory was my husband, the picture that was shown to me did not do him justice. He was every girl's dream, tall, muscular, and handsome. He mumbled a quick Salam and I replied back with a Salam as well.
We had eye contact and I could get lost in his beautiful hazel eyes, but me being me, blushed furiously and looked down in my lap and I started playing with my bangles as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. After about five minutes of silence and awkwardness, he said
"Yeh aapki munh dikhai, Khuda Hafiz" (This is your wedding gift, bye)
And with that, he walked out of the door, without initiating any further conversation with me leaving me just confused.
A/N: this is my first ever story. The idea just came to me and I felt like writing it down so if it's shit, I apologize 😭 If you actually like it, please vote and give me a raw review on what can be done to make it better!
