Hayat and Aayan's Nikkah.

Hayat's Pov.

Tonight is my Nikkah and I am nervous but Sameera isn't helping me in calming down.

I couldn't help but remember the pout that Aayan showed me when I hugged Azaan instead of him.

How can I hug him when we aren't married yet?

"Hayat, are you alright?", Aunt Hasna asks me while Sameera looks on raising her eyebrows at me.

"I miss mamma", I tell her letting a tear escape from my eye. I quickly wiped it away.

As she was about to reply, there was a knock on the door. Sameera gets up and goes to open the door.

It is Leila.

Aayan's mother.

I stood up and went to greet her. She surprised me by hugging me and kissing me on my forehead.

"How are you doing, my child?", she asks me.

"I am fine alhamdullilah, Aunty...."

"Don't call me aunty. Call me mama, okay?", she cut me off.

I couldn't help but think of my mamma. No one can take her place but at least I have someone I can count on just like Sameera.

"Okay, mama. Please take a seat. Do you want anything to drink or eat?", I asked her as she took a seat beside me.

"No, thank you. I am here because I want to be. I know that I might not be your real mamma but I will try my best to be your mama. And if you need anything don't hesistate to ask me personally. Now, let's get you settled for the make up artist to arrive. She will be here in a minute. First go and shower and do what you do. Then sit on the chair while I make some snacks for you to eat", she tells me as she looks over to Sameera giving her a sign to get up from where she is sitting to come and get me.

I got up and walked up to my room with Sameera behind me.

"Stop right there and turn back around", I tell her but all she did was ignore me and walk past me to my room.

I couldn't help but sigh at her antics.

It was almost time for Magharib's prayer. I quickly took a shower and made wudhu.

"Sameera come let's pray", I tell her but she shakes her head meaning she won't be able to pray.

I turned to start praying because in half an hour the make-up artist would be arriving. There's one question that's on my mind.

Where is Maryam?

I have seen Jameela and she looked happy to me but even a sheep can be a wolf and vice versa.

I start praying to hope that everything will be okay.

In shaa Allah.

As I finished my prayers, I heard knocking and Sameera went to open it to find that the makeup artist had come.

She quickly settled her things and waited for me to finish my Duas.

As I put away the prayer mat in its place and walked to the chair that was kept for me in front of the mirror that Sameera covered.

She says that when the makeup artist is done with me, she will uncover it and I will get to see myself.

"Can I have a request, please?", I asked Lisa who was the makeup artist.

"Sure"

"Could you not apply like heavy makeup?", I explained to her how I wanted it to be done. It isn't that she was a bad makeup artist it's just that everyone has different opinions about putting on makeup and clothes.

"I understand. And don't worry I will do as you requested", she tells me.

I thanked and she started working on my face.

Ya, Allah. Grant me the guidance, and the wisdom to be a good wife and a good mother to Azaan. And I pray to you Allah to help Aayan in whatever is lacking in his life.

Aayan's Pov.

Now I understand how Zahir felt on his wedding day. People will think that when someone is getting married the second time will be easier.

Well, they are wrong.

The nervousness will always be there no matter the number of times you get married.

There are many unanswered questions in my mind,

Will I be a good husband to her?

How will she react to my decision that might change things between us?

"Aayan go shower. You stink", my best friend Zahir tells me scrunching his nose.

He was right but I wouldn't tell him that.

We had just come from the gym. I need to release some things that need to be gone from my mind. I didn't want to start our marriage with doubt from both of us.

"You too. Stinky".

I looked at the time to see that I had more than two hours to get ready plus am not a girl.

No offence to any girl.

I walked into my room leaving Zahir in the guest room where I could hear the shower going. I know that am lucky to have had him in my life when I was in the dark.

I couldn't help but think of Zainab.

My love.

Weird, right?

Here I am getting married to someone else and I am still thinking of my late wife.

How can I stop when she gave me someone worth living for? I got into the shower and cleaned myself.

I then got dressed and sat down on my bed while thinking about how Hayat will be living here with me.

I got up and walked into the guest room to get some advice from my best friend.

"Zahir can I ask you something?", I ask him.

He nodded and I began explaining what I was planning to do in the living arrangements of Hayat and me.

"Its not that I don't want to move. Its just that It is getting harder and harder to open my heart again for someone else".

"I know and I get what you mean but remember that Hayat will be your wife and she deserves the respect and care from you. I know that she will understand what you will be doing. Let's get dressed for your Nikkah so that I can finally get to see my wife who has been with Hayat ever since your engagement", he tells me. "By the way Hayat isn't the kind of woman to throw a tantrum when you want something from her. Talk to her and explain to her", he added before throwing me out of the room.

"But don't we have more than two hours?", I ask him through the door.

"This clock is broken. It is almost time for us to leave so go back to your room and get dressed", he replied.

Great.

I hurried back to my room and started changing into my wedding attire that was placed in the cupboard by Mum before she left.

I walked out of my room at the same time Zahir walked out of the guest room where he has been staying for a week now.

"Ready to get married, brother?", he asks me. I give a nod and we head down the stairs and into the car.

"Before you ask, my parents are always there. They said that Hayat will miss her mother today so that's why they left me with you and they took Azaan with them", I tell him. I knew that he was going to ask that.

We arrived at the venue to find that the guests had already arrived.

Thankfully, they were just a few people Hayat and I knew plus our parents.

We headed inside where I was ushered by my parents to where I was supposed to be. Being scolded like a kid by your mother on your wedding day isn't fun at all.

I shook hands with the Imam while waiting for Hayat to arrive. It was about five minutes when I saw her walking toward the partition.

Even though I couldn't properly see her because of the curtain that was separating us.

Beautiful. Ma shaa Allah.

As I searched for Azaan only to find him sitting beside her holding her hand.

Happiness is what I felt when seeing that my son has begun to be himself.

The Imam started with the Duas and asked us if we were willing to be married.

"I do, I do, I do," I said to him.

I could hear Hayat say the same on the other side. Then the Imam gave me the marriage certificate to sign after that it was passed to Hayat who signed it.

After a small Dua was said. The Imam left. My parents lifted the partition so that Hayat and I could see each other.

I moved closer to her side and took my hand with hers but when Azaan saw this he pouted like a baby.

"Azaan come with me. I have chocolates for you" " Mum says to him. When hearing this Azaan quickly stood up and walked toward her.

"He must really love chocolates", Hayat says to me laughing and shaking her head.

"Yes he does"

I cleared my throat and turned to face her. She looked beautiful.

Ma shaa Allah.

"Now I can get a hug, right?", I tease her making her eyes wide open. She wore a green lenga with black embroidery and a matching hijab which covered her entire head.

"Let me guess you got jealous when you saw our son hugging me while you cant. That's abit childish", she says laughing.

When I heard the words our son I couldn't help but admire her more.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have said that...."

"No, you are right. Azaan is our son. Yours and mine", I tell her putting my hand on her cheeks and making her blush.

"Hey lovebirds. Time for pictures", we were interrupted by Sameera who was with Zahir.

They sat with us while the photographer took pictures of all four of us together.

"Can we have two for the three of us?", Hayat asks Sameera was with the photographer.

"Sure. Get ready and let me know if you are ready to take the picture".

What did she mean by the three of us?

Before I could answer my question, Azaan came running toward us with a huge smile on his face. Hayat took him in her arms and placed him on his lap.

"Now, we are ready", she says to Sameera who nods and walks away so that the photographer can take the picture.

But there's something that I need to tell her before we go home tonight. I hope she will understand and get what I mean.

After taking pictures, Mum and Dad requested that Azaan stay with them but Azaan being stubborn didn't want to go until Hayat promised him something.

Ya Allah, help me to make this easy for both of us.