Our Worlds (An Islamic story)

Introduced

Hajara POV:

I absolutely hated the fact that I had to get married right now. Why was everything happening so fast?

 I had bigger plans for the future, going to University, having a career before marriage. Even though Mom said I can do all that after marriage because Yusuf will allow such thing, I wasn't so sure... because with marriage comes greater responsibility and kids. To be honest, I don't even know why I'm upset, It's not like I'm forced to live with him at this age.  Mom said we'll be living together later in life when we all make out safely out of here, definitely not now. 

Yusuf doesn't seem that bad. I hope!

Someone cleared their throat and I abrupty turned around startled, finding Yusuf along with a grinning Sarah, like doesn't she feel mad or annoyed that she's forced to marry an unknown guy who was our cousin all along? But again, Sarah was blushing the last time she saw Benyamin which made me slightly suspect that she may have developed a crush for him. 

Why is the last person I want to see here? I'm not even in the mood to face him.

 "Hi!" He greeted awkwardly. I rolled my eyes turning my face away from him wiping my tear stained face. I probably look like a mess right now to him.

"Assalamu alaikum." I corrected looking down since lowering your gaze is a big part of Islam (it is stated in the 18th chapter of the Quran). I greeted him in an Islamic way as commanded by our prophet, a mandatory act that must done when meeting another Muslim (which means peace be unto you in Arabic). He took a seat beside me keeping a little distance between us, after all we are not married couples 'yet'. 

"Walaikum assalam." He replied with the awkwardness again looking at the ground. "Um, your dad told me to get you." 

"I don't want to go in there at the moment." I frowned looking up at the blue bright sky, like how did they even lie to us about our cousins our entire life and then shower us with the shocking news of our marriage and now they expect us to simply accept this news and move on.

"Why are you sad, is it because of ... this sudden marriage proposal?" He arched an eyebrows, looking at me through his almond coloured eyes.

"Don't know." I shrugged looking at the far tree that was distanced away in our garden.  Our house was always big, almost close to a mansion. My father was a pilot and had a good income causing us to live in such a fascinating place. The garden at the back was always my favourite part of the house. Whenever I felt sad, I came her to calm my emotion. It was filled with colourful flowery bushes acting as the border for the garden and different fruit trees were randomly sprinkled here and there.

 I took a huge breath inhaling the  scent of the freshly cut lawn. You know the times when you just want to disappear because your life is just so stressful, yeah that's what I wanted to do right now. 

"Do you not like me or is it because you don't know me much?" Yusuf said with a big cute smile and glint of seriousness in his eyes. Shut up Hajara, control your hormones!

"What if I say both."

"That's quite understandable, since I have pained you many time by bumping into you." He chuckled quietly leaving a quiet comfortable silence between us.  "Let me ask you few question. How old are you?" He was suddenly staring at me. Did he forget how to lower his gaze?

"Seventeen, you?" 

"Turning 18 on December."

"Oh, Okay. Tell me something interesting about you or something you've never told your school friends before?" I smirked, I don't know what caused me to ask him this stupid question but I still wanted to know how he would say.