Salaam

Chapter 1 : Maryam

Chapter 1 : Maryam

Weddings are not my cup of tea. I am always ready to serve and help people out but to socialize with the constantly increasing number of aunties, telling me I am next in line is a pain I am not at all interested in bearing, but I have to deal with it anyways, since Appa is the one getting married. Oh to be the eldest child, an agony I will never face in this lifetime. Zainab Aapa is 28 years old and according to my community she has surpassed the age to blossom, her beauty is already in the declining stage and I would like to strongly disagree. She is glowing like a tubelight, full voltage, with a big led size flashing smile. She is one of those bigger sisters who wants to be treated like a queen, and will definitely not react to a single comment coming her way to dull her energy. She is stubborn like that. I am not complaining, she has made my life bearable and quite easy going. Our parents are so done with us, I am sure if Amma will enter the room and see her cracking like a monkey, she will faint out of frustration.
For the past two days, the only thing she has been telling her to do is behave.
"Zainab, you are getting married, please behave,"
"Zainab, what will the aunties say?'
"Where are your manners?
'Act like a bride.'
'Have some haya.'

Aapa has been keeping up the shy bride act only in front of Amma. The moment she leaves, the cousin gang goes crazy. I have been greeting and serving the guests ever since 10 am. It's lunchtime already and I am not hungry at all. The amount of samosa and jalebi I have gulped in the transition from the living room to the kitchen is uncountable.

I have two things to say when it comes to muslim indian marriages.
One never bring the guests home.
Two always book a villa for the marriage.

The amount of cleaning I have to do after this Nikah and Walima situation is surpassing my imagination.
"Maryam"

Aapa is calling out to me from our room.
We live in a 2 Bedroom Hall Kitchen house in Mumbai. When I say our living room is packed, with guests. You better believe it. The kids are running from one corner to another, touching every single item on the shelf, making me regret every single decorative purchase ever.
Amma did tell me to hide all of them, but I have no space to spare. My room is filled with art supplies and Aapa's wedding items. Her clothes, luggage, accessories, shoes and everything else.
The moment the groom's side will pick up her things, we will be able to breathe proper air, without any glitter in the air whatsoever.

"MARYAM CAN YOU COME HERE PLEASEEE".

I think amma is going to have an attack at this rate.

I looked at her apologetically and she smiled in pain. We are going to miss her a lot, she is the only person with a loud personality, the rest of us are silent wanderers. I rush to her and see her all tensed.

"What happened, you almost gave me a heart attack, why do you look so worried?"

"What is this?" She is looking puzzled.

"What?"

"Yusuf is saying we'll be flying out the next week of our walima? Did you know this? Why did nobody inform me? What am I supposed to do? How will I manage? All alone? Maryam say something!"

Realization was hitting its sweet spot. The truth is we were against this, but Yusuf bhai had to fly out. He had his business there and according to his family this wedding was kept on hold for too long. 2 months after their engagement. That was all the time we had to prepare for the wedding, hence the chaos.

Ofcourse it is an arranged marriage. We never considered love marriage to be an option not as if it's Haram but it has to be done in a pure manner, or as we call it The Halal way. Even right now when the house is full of guests, we both have our Hijab on, since we have non mahrams around us.