Aaban

7. N I K K A H - M A R R I A G E

The morning of the wedding came faster then Haniyah thought and she felt numb.

All she had been doing is crying. She felt so alone. She felt so hurt. She literally had no one. Sure Asiya was sweet, but she wasn't her mom. Shoyeb was kind, but he wasn't her father. She wanted my family. She wanted her brothers and their annoying selves, she wanted her mother nagging and her dad's warmth, but the way Shoieb acted last night gave her some hope, but no matter what, today her whole life was going to change.

She getting married. Today.

She sat on the chair, dressed in the gown that had laid in the room she was staying in the traditional red bridal gown, the henna that was drawn on her hand the night before had beautifully stained her hands.

She slowly stood up from the chair, moving away from where people had to work on her for the past three hours trying to make her look perfect.

As she walked towards the mirror, the only thing on her mind was,

I'm getting married.

There, in the mirror, staring right back at, Haniyah didn't recognizes her. It was as if she was looking at a completely different person.

This girl isn't me.

Her once bright eyes were dull, but she managed to look flawless with the makeup and the heavy jewellery.

She noticed that all the girls that were in the room had left, she made her way towards the bed and sat down, waiting for Asiya to come.

She heard a sob from the door, it was a familiar sound. A voice she thought she would never hear again. She looked up as fast as she could while making sure the vail didn't move, there standing beautifully was her mother.

The woman who gave birth to her

The woman who kicked her out of their house without a second thought.

"Meri guriyah (my doll)" her voice was shaky as she took small steps towards her daughter.

Her baby, the little girl she had given birth to, the little girl her husband gave away without thinking twice. How can she explain to her daughter that her dad wasn't who he seemed to be, that-

"Mama?" Her princess's voice broke her thoughts.

She made her way towards the bed and sat down next to her.

Her baby looked beautiful. Every mother dreams about seeing their daughter dressed as a bride and her Haniyah day in ground of her. In her beautiful red dress, flawless make up, her hands with her beautiful mehndi (henna design).

Haniyah looked away from her mother's shaking figure and stared at her henna filled hands.

Shaeena place her hand on her daughters head as she recited some duas and then blowing them on her.

"Forgive me my child" she cried as she took Haniyah stained hands in her own.

Tears that had welled up in the bride's eyes and they fell onto their connected hands.

One by one, tears fell onto their hands.

"Listen to me, my child, after today he will be your husband, take care of him, no matter what happened to stay by his side, no matter how much he hurts you fulfill your duties as his wife." She spoke.

Funny how a strange woman told Haniyha not a while ago something opposite of what her own mother was saying.
"Don't let that boy hurt you, even if your his wife"
Yet her mother is telling her to take the abuse and pain if he ever did cause her that. He promised her that he wouldn't.