BEING MUSLIMAH

CHAPTER THREE

       I'm going to meet my friends at Barista Cafe, our regular hang out. I'm sure they will be late as usual, those two are never on time. As I walk on the footpath, I see a nail lying on the ground so I pick it up and throw it in a trash bin. That's one good deed on my list today!

According to Islam we have two angels writing our deeds, on our right is the angel that writes our good deeds. When we make an intention to do a good deed it's written down as if we have done it already and we get full reward. On our left is the angel who writes our bad deeds, though he waits some time before writing our bad deeds down. During this time, before the angel writes down the bad deed, if we sincerely ask God for forgiveness then the bad deed is not written down and we are forgiven by God, the Most Merciful, Most Gracious.

Since the day I learnt about these angels, I've been talking to them. Like I said, I can be very crazy. Still, it's fun when people around you get a confused look. Another weird habit that I can't get rid of.

I enter the cafe. It's a very cozy little place with a fire place, the interior is done to look like the Jane Austen times, which I love because she is my all time favorite author. Pride and Prejudice has been my favorite classic ever since I was in middle school. Mr.Darcy is the only guy I've ever been madly in love with till the present day.

I chose the table farthest away from the door with outside view, this was our favorite table. I plop down on the chair and look at my watch...these girls are always late. Half an hour later I see Christy walking to the cafe. High time, I think. Still no sign of Vini yet. Christy sits down next to me. I admire her so much. She is elegant in every way. She looks a little tired though; she obviously must'v been awake all night talking to her boyfriend Ryan. We are not allowed to meet with guys who are not closely related to us, such as our brothers, nephews, or uncles, so I usually ditch her when she invites me out along with Ryan. I've always studied in an all-girls school, so I'm not used to guys at all. However, whatever much I've seen of them two together, they looked fabulous together. They totally click.

I look at her again, Christy has green eyes and she is of Anglo Saxon descent. Her dark brown hair comes down in waves at the end, its fringes always hanging on the sides. Her skin always has a sheen to it, "Ma sha' Allah" she is very beautiful.

We spoke about random things for a while like the latest trends and brands in town until Vini came. She is pretty too in her own way, she is a little stout and chubby, with clear ivory skin but what I really love about her is her heart. She is so loving, caring, and thoughtful in every little way. I'm so lucky to have these two as friends.

Christy is going to Bangalore tomorrow for further studies, Vini was looking for a job and I...well it's time to break the news now.

"Guys I have something to tell you!"

They both look at me expectantly.

"I'm getting married and you two are invited"  I blabber in one breath, those two look like they have just been hit on the head. I'm so dead, they're gonna fire me with questions any moment now.

"Who is the guy?"

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"What does he do?"

"What about your wedding dress?"

Wonderful, even I dont know most of the answers. I wonder what he does and where he stays. Heyyyyy....where am I going to live the rest of my life? I'm freaking out again, I  dont know a single thing about this guy.

I look up and see Christy and Vini staring at me. I answer as much as I know and tell them everything that has happened to date. They look stunned, obviously. With the situation I am in every person's reaction will be the same. They comfort me anyway telling everything will be just fine, I even told them about the feeling of foreboding that I kept getting, taunting me, telling me it's all a big mistake and I should back away as soon as possible. They say it's because of thinking about the marriage and all the stress it's causing me, nothing else. I hope so.

We chat for another hour or so then Christy gets up to leave. We bear hug and she wishes me luck. Vini and I sit back down as I watched Christy sashay out of the cafe, someone else came into view. It was Ahmed.

"You see that guy?" I ask Vini, "that's Ahmed."

 "He's pretty good looking." says Vini.

"i guess so." I reply

Christy is talking on her phone now, she did not look at the guy in front of her. As she passes him by I think, although I'm not sure, I think he spanks her bum. What the hell? Did Ahmed just spank Christy on her bum? Can't be, can't be, can't be! This is so not happening, could it have been an accident? Christy turns around looking enraged and shouts something at Ahmed, but I can't hear it from all the way at the end of the cafe. I don't know what I should make of this situation.

CHRISTY'S POV

I look at Sarah, she is so innocent , she has no idea how beautiful she is. Absolutely perfect from head to toe, yet she doesn't realize it; and now she is getting married to an idiot called Ahmed. Seriously, she doesn't even know the guy, what is she playing with? One wrong decision may ruin her life and she's taking it so easy. Still, I don't want to upset her so I keep my mouth shut. Sarah is the most beautiful person in and out  she deserves only the best and if this Ahmed guy turns out to be a freak he's going back all the way to where he came from without my beloved Sarah. I got a text from Ryan saying to meet him outside in five minutes. Sarah's so pure she's never even met Ryan and has always maintained a distance from guys. Mark my words that girl is the best in everything.

I dial Ryan, "where are you?" I ask, "I can't see you yet." I'm too into the call to realize that the guy who just passed me by spanked me on my butt. That idiot! I turn around and he gives me a cheeky grin. I start scolding him with all the bad words in my dictionary, his face turns cold. I back up; he suddenly looks like he wants to beat me but thankfully he regains control and gives me an icy glare. Whoever this bloody guy is, I hate him all the way to hell.

"Get bloody lost!" I shout and turn around to find Ryan looking curiously at me.

"Anything wrong?" he asks.   

"Nah, just some loser," I say as I swing myself on his motorcycle. If I see that guy ever again I hope it will be on the last day of his life.