"You have to tell her man," Dawood frowned. "You have to tell her asap."

"What would I tell her exactly?" Yusuf clipped, even though he already knew.

Imam Abdullah said the same thing as Dawood when Yusuf told him what happened when he broke the news about Asiya to his family.

"Uhh, I don't know," Dawood scratched his chin theatrically, "Gee, how about, hey Asiya, the room you're going to walk into this weekend is going to be full of people who don't like you!"

"Only my mum and aunt are attending. It won't be full of people," Yusuf mumbled.

"Stop taking the piss, man," Dawood snapped.

Yusuf stretched his body out on the floor while his brows knitted together. "I'm scared," he confessed quietly.

It had taken his mum a week to make up with his aunt Hina, but less than twenty-four hours for his aunt to decide that she would be following Yusuf and his mum to meet Asiya's parents.

Yusuf's mum had reassured him that aunt Hina had promised to be on her best behaviour at the meeting. So, was it worth Yusuf exposing his family's skeletons, especially when the information could kill his relationship with Asiya?

"I understand. Your family sounds, no offence, but yikes," Dawood said. "However, Asiya deserves to know where she stands with them. If she were my sister, I'd want her to know so she could decide if the guy was worth it."

Dawood's words rippled through Yusuf, making him shiver.

Yusuf's brows tightened as he prayed Isha salah. Failing to concentrate, Dawood's words moved through Yusuf's mind like a pendulum.

Decide. If. He. Was. Worth. It.

If Yusuf's worth was being assessed by what had happened so far, he was certain he wasn't worth it.

Because Yusuf knew Dawood and Imam Abdullah were right. Yusuf knew what was right, and that was telling Asiya.

However, doing so felt like he would be pressing the blade Asiya could use to kill him into her hands.

Yusuf wanted to protect her, but selfishly, he also wanted to protect himself.

He loved her.

His use of the word love may have been premature, but Yusuf's feelings were so strong and felt so deep like they were running through his bloodstream and pumping through his heart.

No other word would do his feelings towards Asiya justice.

Yusuf was speaking to Asiya and could see her, but he still yearned for her. Yusuf needed to marry Asiya. If he could sink his hands into her and melt his body into hers, he would. That was how badly he wanted to be with her.

The thought of losing Asiya caused cracks to splinter through his heart.

He couldn't lose her.

-       

Yusuf's eyes absentmindedly tailed the commuters passing through Kings Cross as he waited for one of the busy billboards to display what platform his train would be docking on.

"Asalamu alaykum," a small voice greeted him from behind.

"Wa alaykum salam," Yusuf responded.

He knew it was Asiya before he turned around and saw her.

"What are you doing here?"

Asiya put her bag on the floor, uncapped her cardboard cup of tea and smiled. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I'm waiting for the train, silly. Our families are finally meeting. Remember?"

How could I forget?

It had been all Yusuf could think about.

Saturday, the visit day, felt more like doomsday. Yusuf still hadn't told Asiya what his family thought.

Yusuf pushed the idea of telling her to the back of his mind, where he kept all the other things he didn't want to discuss each time he thought about the meeting.

But he could feel the information crawling forward now that Asiya was standing in front of him.

"I didn't think we'd be getting the same train...are you stalking me?" Yusuf asked teasingly.

Asiya rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. "You wish. I prefer early trains, but I've used up all my flexi-time at work."

"How are you feeling?" Asiya questioned as she pressed the back of her hand against her cup. "About our family's meeting."

"I don't know. I don't know how it will go," Yusuf answered truthfully. 

Asiya's eyes softened. "InshAllah, it'll be okay. You wowed my parents over when you visited, and my sisters are practically in love with you."

Asiya took another sip of her tea. Yusuf swallowed. The truth escaped from the back of Yusuf's mind, where he had chained it and ventured forward.

"They were very kind to me," Yusuf said as he fiddled with his fingers.

"They really liked you," Asiya smiled.

It was touching his tongue.

Words stretched out into sentences that pressed on Yusuf's tongue like a boulder, forcing it to move and throw them off. "Asiya, I need to tell you something."

Asiya's smile immediately lost its elasticity upon hearing his anxious tone. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Yusuf felt his heart rate increase.

He had to tell her the truth.

The information tasted stale and sour in Yusuf's mouth. Telling Asiya the news was something that had been long overdue.

"The reason why it took so long for our families to meet was because I only told my mum about you last week, after I had visited your parents."

Asiya sipped her drink without taking her eyes off him. "Why?"

Yusuf exhaled. "I just–"

"Are you ashamed of me?"

Yusuf could hear Asiya's insecurities seeping into her speech. Panic bolted through him. "No! Hell no! Of course not!"

Asiya's eyes felt heavy on Yusuf. "Then why?"

Yusuf tested how his words sounded in his head before he answered.

"My family has...expectations–ones that people hardly ever seem to meet. They can be pushy, loud, and sometimes...not nice," Yusuf grimaced. "My mum... doesn't think like them...but she sometimes acts like their mouthpiece."

Asiya didn't speak but bit her lip like she wanted to.

"I'm sorry. For not telling you or telling them about you sooner."

Asiya gulped down her tea as though she were washing down Yusuf's words. Yusuf shifted his weight as he waited for Asiya to speak. It felt like he had been standing in the station for ten hours, not ten minutes.

"So you are ashamed of me," Asiya finally said.

Yusuf felt his face fall. He wished he could physically reassure Asiya by taking her hand or hugging her, but he couldn't, so he forced power into his words.

"No, I'm not Asiya." 

"You didn't think-no, you assumed I wouldn't be good enough for them. That they wouldn't like me. Accept me," Asiya said calmly. "True or not true?"

Both. Yusuf knew his external family wouldn't accept Asiya. He had been unsure about whether his mum would. But Yusuf had never doubted Asiya's worth. Not for a second.

"Not true," Yusuf said. He tried to mimic Asiya's steady tone, but her words were moving through his heart, and they were at risk of snagging on an artery and tearing it to pieces. "I was scared they wouldn't accept you, yes. But I never assumed or believed you wouldn't be good enough for them. Ever. You're too good for them. They're-we're the ones that aren't good enough for you."

Asiya pressed her lips together tightly.

"I understand if you don't want to do this anymore," Yusuf said quietly, his heart squeezing in his chest. "I can send you the money for your ticket if you want to call everything off."

"There's no need for that," Asiya said as she crushed the empty cup. "Plus, my ticket's first class. I got it through SeatFrog. It's non-refundable."

Asiya moved her gaze from Yusuf and onto the billboards behind him. "Our train is on the platform."

Yusuf's brows pulled together, and he opened his mouth to confirm whether Asiya actually wanted him to follow her, but Asiya picked up her bag and started speed walking.

Yusuf lifted his suitcase and jogged after her, joining the swarm of passengers walking through the station barriers.

He followed Asiya onto her carriage, feeling like he was coming closer to having a heart attack with every step.

Yusuf helped Asiya hoist her bag into the overhead storage and sat opposite her.

He still had seven minutes till the train left the station.

Asiya's statement about her ticket had sounded...agreeable.

As though she didn't want their families to meet or to continue things with him, and she would've accepted his offer to refund her if her ticket had been refundable. But she had just made him chase her onto the train.

"Asiya, what's going on? What have you decided?" Yusuf's voice was distorted with nerves.

"Decided?" Asiya's head shook slightly. "There's nothing to decide, Yusuf. Our families are meeting tomorrow. InshAllah."

-

Author's Note: Let's see how this play outs. 🤍. Hope you're enjoying it!

-

Chapter Glossary

Asalamu Alaykum: Arabic greeting. It means peace be upon you.

Wa Alaykum Salam: Arabic response to the above. It means, and unto you peace.

InshAllah: Arabic term. God willing.

Imam: A title. Someone who is a leader.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un: It means, surely we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. It is said when someone has died.

Salah: Arabic Term. It means prayer.