Salaam

Chapter 2 : Maryam

Chapter 2: MARYAM

"Maryam, what time is it? Is the baraat here? I am not even close to ready, what is happening there tell me."

I swear if she calls me one more time, I will give up and leave this hall and find a corner and hide until she is ready and good to go.

"The baraat is not here, I am greeting our relatives, literally standing at the entrance of the women section of the hall."

"Okay let me know when they arrive."

"Okay."

The Nikah is being held at a hall near our house, it has a garden attached to it and it is simply beautiful. The nikah ceremony is in the garden and the rest of the reception indoors. It's September, and you never know how humid Mumbai can get at any time of the year. Sometimes I fear that one day this entire city will evaporate. News flash, the city of dreams turns drowns in the citizens sweat.

My mouth hurts with all this smiling, the amount of people I have shaken hands with, the way they have "complimented" me on my hijab is unreal. I want to sanitize my hands and sit in a chair. My feet are hurting and the heels are not at all helping me in this situation.

"Finally you have reached somewhere close to my height, Maryam."

Faisal commented from the stairs.

"And what will I achieve by competing with you and your height, your majesty?"

"Why do you prefer me as a king Maryam, Do you know someone who wants to be my queen? or should I assume it's you?"

"I'll answer your question but before that will you do me a favor?"

He smiled as if he was about to get his jackpot.

"Sure, anything for you."

I wanted to slap that smirk off his face right now.

"Yahan se sidha jaao, aur wahan se dafa ho jao."

"Can you please go straight, and get lost?"

His smile dropped and he gave me a flat expression and then genuinely left the scene.

I turned to find Omar bhai standing near the Ladies section, he was looking past me with an angry look on his face. The moment he saw me he smiled.

I urged him to tell me how I look to which he gave me a thumbs up and left.

Why can't Faisal be half decent like Omar bhai. He would have been more tolerable. I don't understand men and this is exactly why I am half afraid to be in an arrangement with a man. To understand them, tolerate them, adjust with them, it's a lot to handle.

"Maryam, you could have dressed better, it's your sister's wedding, at least you could have removed the hijab beta."

A very distant relative commented and Astagfirullah ( may Allah Forgive me) what is wrong with the world today? If our own community will treat us like something to be on display, I can't even say anything about the rest of the world. The way this world has fashioned us into thinking that women should dress like they are on display and everyone should know what my hair looks like, do I have a pear shaped body, am I fat, thin or mediocre is so wrong. There are days I really want to fix all of their mentality with a strong fact-filled speech, but not today. If I create a scene, it'll be a mess which none of us is interested in cleaning for the time being.

"Maryam, your Hijab looks so gorgeous, you are looking so pretty Masha Allah"

Hamna khala ( mother's sister ) grabbed me by my arm and gave me a quick hug.