"it's not about how people affect you . it's all about how you affect yourself - sulaymaan."

Sulaaymaan had been engrossed in his dream land of fantasies so much that when the doorbell - the one that sounded oddly horrifying and continued to play along for a few minutes - rang he had had a mini attack . It was a very special day for him and despite the ecstaticy bubbling in his heart , he couldn't just ignore the sinking feeling.

"Oh God ! The bell !"

He ascertained that nothing had occured as he wildly moved his eyes around to analyse his surroundings .

It was only the bell .

That morning he had woken up for tahajjud and he had to - undeniably - admit that the feeling that followed later was of pure serenity and peace of mind .

It was barely seven at the moment and the house was as silent as the dead . If it hadn't been for the fact that he was expecting guests , it would have most possibly left him paralyzed with fright .

With due acknowledgment of the fact that his Nikaah was in a few hours , he just couldn't digest anything more than a date and some water.

During the time he was putting on his black , elegantly designed crisp thoub , a dark nostalgia hit him like a wisp as the incidents of the past whirled in his head like the unfinished story.

As he positioned the igal over his head and let the material fall across his chest uptil his stomach , he sighed. It was still not as clear to him as he had anticipated it to be.

After securing the igal in place with a round, black ring git over his crown , he moved on to pull over the long sheer black cardigan with a thick golden border ; gotra .

The most impossible was to become reality in a matter of time and as he jumped across the hall happily with that thought , he didn't want anything to ruin that moment of joy for him .

The bell rung again .

Alas ! He had no choice . Either the threatener would win with his maddening games or he'd have to keep his excitement at bay and figure things out .

As he pulled open the doors , the whole gang stood there with their sunglasses on and bright smiles .

Sulaaymaan couldn't keep his chuckle in as they walked in with a cool aura that resembled the magestic feel of a group of extraordinarily talented men . The dramaticnes sure was on point .

He shut the doors behind him and gestured towards them all to get seated .

"Congratulations sir. We're thrilled to hear that you'll be having your Nikaah soon . Our prayers and blessings are with you. May Allah bless you both till eternity."

Aasiq placed a large bouquet of red roses as everyone stood up in their seats to congratulate him for the same.

Sulaaymaan smiled gratefully.

"Allahumma Aameen . This was really very kind of you all. Jazak'Allahu Qairan Katheeran."

A few greetings and formalities were exchanged before Faaris cleared up his throat louder than necessary . Once Sulaaymaan's gaze fell over his figure , he could make out how he kept shifting in his seat and rubbing his palms vigorously .

"Can we , like , have a private talk ?"

Sulaaymaan looked about at the crowd and when everyone agreed eventually , he smiled heartfully at Faaris .

"Of course ."

Faaris shot up almost immediately and he followed thoughtfully . He was a wonderful guy , no doubt . However , something about his edginess that morning made Sulaaymaan feel shaky as well .

When they had moved towards the hallway leading up to the kitchen , Faaris stopped , took a minute and turned around .

For a minute after that as well , he kept his gaze fixed on Sulaaymaan . And as Sulaaymaan began to nervously flicker his eyes around , he blew air from his mouth and his expression relaxed .

"Look , you probably might have already got an idea of what I want to discuss with you ."

He paused as Sulaaymaan respectfully clasped his hands behind his back and nodded at every word .

"I - " Faaris slapped a hand to his chest and then straight away to Sulaaymaan's . " - want to have a man to man talk with you - "

He abruptly stopped and his face contracted again .

"And you might start saying that I'm not even Afra's real brother so I shouldn't even bother and mind my own business ."

He sucked in a breath , calming down a little and raking a hand through his hair .

"Let me , nonetheless , point out to you that I've known Afra more than you and she is my dearest sister in Islam . Whether I'm her mahram or not , that is secondary . But I sure am her brother and it my duty to make sure that I let you know of certain criteria you should know ."

Sulaaymaan nodded . The guy was probably having a panic attack keeping in mind how beads of sweat were tricking along his neck and how he kept licking his lips .

"First off , don't you dare even attempt to hurt my sister . I don't care if you're a Prince of whatever . If you bring harm upon a woman , you're no man ."

Sulaaymaan instantly nodded , keeping his expressions as sincere as possible .

"And I happen to be aware that this decision was rather abrupt . If you're being lustful , by Allah , I won't spare you ."

Sulaaymaan resisted the urge to roll his eyes . He was overreacting .

"Faaris , can you please calm down ? Look I can understand what your troubles might be . However , you need to put your faith in me . Man to man ."

He paused , taking a closer look into Faaris' facial expressions . When he sighed and nodded weakly , Sulaaymaan continued .

"I am very much aware of what my duties will be as a husband . And a man of course . It takes a lot of effort and consideration to decide to take responsibility of another person ."

Faaris bit his lip .

"I am sorry . It was just too sudden and I know I overreacted ."

Sulaaymaan smiled widely and held out an arm .

"You can keep in touch and you can definitely question Afra about my behaviour with her . Also , I won't dare to hurt her. After all , you're the brother y'know."

Faaris seemed to calm down a little as his muscles relaxed and he smiled naughtily .

"That I sure am."

They laughed together and the tension between them eventually disappeared into nothing . A few seconds of them awkwardly standing and gazing around passed and Sulaaymaan suggested that they move along .

"Congratulations by the way ."

On the way to the others , Faaris turned to him and flashed him a large smile .

"Jazak'Allahu Qairan Katheeran ."

"How are you feeling ?"

Sulaaymaan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly , passing him a small anxious smile .

"I'm.... not sure . I mean I'm excited and all . But there's this nervousness.....-"

He trailed off and Faaris instantly broke into a loud laughter , patting Sulaaymaan's back .

"It all gets better with time . I've been through that phase ."

Sulaaymaan rolled his eyes with a sheepish grin at his meaningful wink .

When they walked in , the men had already gotten ready with their equipment.

As Sulaaymaan neared Aasiq , he smiled wide .

"Is everything alright ? Shall we move with the proceedings ?"

Sulaaymaan and Faaris glanced at each other .

"Of course !"

Aasiq's pleasant smile was instantly replaced with a serious look.

"We will be staying back Sir.I have also brought along some other people to assist you as guards. In the meanwhile , we'll keep on surveying even after you leave and rest assured , everything will work out for the best.

Sulaaymaan nodded with a shaky smile.

He really didn't want anything to happen today.

Afra had been shaken awake the next morning . When she had taken a peek at the clock , it read fifteen minutes past eight.

She had been busy with the triplets last night . Although she hadn't had that much fun altogether in a long while , it was heavily exhausting . Not to mention , she had her Nikaah in a few hours .

That one thought was worser than a thousand watts of electric current. She sat upright in her bed with a jolt and tried to act cool when she found four faces looking down upon her with confused eyes .

"Assalaamualaikum Habibti . Are you...okay ?"

Afra's eyes moved along the faces before resting on the Queen's.

Queen Basmah shooed away the Kat and Dandelion politely and sat down beside Afra , a hand patting down her hair .

Afra sighed and attempted to calm down . It was a rather rocky night and despite being extremely exhausted , she just couldn't fall asleep even until a few hours before dawn .

She rubbed her eyes and smiled carefully at the Queen , making sure to not end up with bleeding lips .

"I'm alright . It's my Nikaah today and I'm not aware of my feelings at the moment ." She snapped her head towards the Queen , her face pale and frightened .

"I mean - ," she held the Queen's hands and squeezed them . "- why am I feeling hesitant now ?"

Her eyes almost teared up and Queen Basmah smiled warmly , making Afra feel a rush of relief .

She patted Afra's hands and kissed them .

"My beautiful princess is alright . All that's happening with you is that you're nervous and anxious about this new step you'll be taking in life . You might have heard quite a lot of excluxive material related to your duty as a wife . However , it's not as stressful or nerve wrecking as is told."

Afra pushed her bangs away and looked anticipatingly at the Queen who flushed with joyfulness .

"It's quite a remarkable journey really . Our beloved prophet Muhammad Sallalahu alaihi wa sallam was himself young and immature when he had taken the decision of marrying Khateeja Razi allahu anh . The whole idea behind the concept is quite simple for the people who are ready to understand it . Allah knows what he's doing . He's aware and knowing of what you aren't . Obviously it is a fact that he created us humans . Adam alaihi salaam was the first human he had created . But what happened next ?"

Afra was intrigued at this point . She shifted closer and leaned a little unknowingly out of curiosity .

"Allah created Hawwa Alaihi salaam . Allah was very much accustomed to the point that Adam alaihi salaam would feel lonely and alone . Keeping that in mind , he ended up creating our mother Hawwa . With the intention that both of them would keep company for the other . Allah knows that despite him letting his servants know that he is there for them , humanly nature is so that they still would need some physical console . Although parents will forever be there as supporters , it's still not enough . There are other needs as well ."

Afra's eyelids fluttered as colour rushed to her cheeks and she dispised how a weird thought had made her feel uncomfortable all over again .

Perhaps Queen Basmah had taken notice of her sudden nervousness and she tilted Afra's head up to meet her gaze .

"I can see that you have understood my point . And let me make it clear Habibti , it's nothing to be ashamed or be embarrassed about . You should not push that thought away but rather ponder over it and embrace reality . Because it is human nature . It a natural instinct. And while it had been considered as a taboo to educate girls and boys alike , about certain sensitive sexual topics , I feel like it's necessary to be told aloud ."

Afra's awkwardness subsided eventually and her heart beat returned to normal as the queen's stern orders about the topic made more sense that she had expected.

"Finally , know that , you're not alone anymore . Through this ceremony or the Nikaah , your soul is to be bounded by Sulaaymaan's and it shall forever be , lest anything should make you both move apart , Ana'aoodubillah . It is the joining of two souls upon Allah's orders , however , like every other aspect of this world , you shall face tests . Please don't think that marriage is the end of your happily ever after . Make sure to get this stuck in your head that it is only the beginning of a lifelong journey . Everything in this world - whether it be a degree that you attained , or a person you met , or a child you gave birth to , or a calamity that had befallen over you , or a disease that had sickened you , or a mother that had abused you , or a husband that had loved you - are nothing but a test . Don't get too comfortable in this duniya . Be happy with the trails that Allah throws in your path , stick to your faith and trust Allah. This life is your test and you shall reep the result of your harvest in the Aakhirah . I hope you will keep this with you and have a blissful life ahead. "

By the end of it Afra had slammed herself into the Queen's arms , crying . It was going to be all okay as long as she had this woman by her side .

"But will I be a good daughter-in-law ?"

She pulled away and rubbed her eyes .

A slow and unexpected smile dawned on the Queen's face .

"There's absolutely no doubt."

They both broke into a light laughter as Afra's fears slipped away and she was left afresh and much more prepared.

The Queen's words and her humble authoritivness wasn't something everyone had in them .

"Shall we get ready then ? Phew , that was one boring speech . I nearly feel asleep ."

Afra bit her tongue to stifle back her laughter as the Queen stood up on her feet and stretched.

"I'll go get refreshed ."

Afra pushed her covers away and rest her feet on the soft carpet . As she got up to straighten her sheets and fold her blanket , the Queen came back to her side .

"Also , I have a nice surprise for you ."

She excitedly cooed and Afra smiled .

"Really ?"

The Queen nodded and snapped her fingers .

"You get going and I'll be right back ."

She nodded and turned around , merrily hopping away . Afra wondered where she got the vitality to be so energetic from .

She shook away her thoughts and headed for a nice shower. Twenty minutes later , she came out with a towel over her body and was greeted by the Queen and the Triplets ; all of them with silly grins on their faces .

She frowned first and slowly a smile formed on her face as the Queen and the girls dramatically stepped aside , revealing a dress that lay spread over the bed .

Afra gasped surprisingly, her hands flying to her face. The dress nearly blinded her with all the sparkle . It had a fitting collar with light pink lace sleeves . The bodice had heavy sparkly embellishments and it flared out at the bottom with flecks of pink sparkle along the small train .

"This....I'm....what do I say ?"

The Queen came forward and so did Kat and Dandelion.

"What do you think ?"

Afra turned to her with a dry chuckle .

"Are you kidding me Queen Basmah ?! What do you think I must be thinking . I'm going Insane with amazement !"

The Queen threw her head back and laughed .

"I'm glad . That is all I needed to hear . By the way , just a fact . This is my wedding gown ."

Afra's mouth dropped to the ground as she whirled to face the Queen .

"You're kidding right ?"

The Queen rolled her eyes with a half smile .

"I'm not young lady . Let's let you know the story behind it . These Triplets have always had their small little eyes over this piece of adornment ever since I had showed it to them while sorting out my closet . Somehow the love for this gown faded with the everyday activities as time passed until two days back , when Sulaaymaan talked to me about his love for you . The first thing that popped into my mind was this dress and going along with the wishes of these girls , I concluded that it can be passed on over to you ."

Dandelion and Kat were busily counting the glittery embellishments on the bodice while sitting cross legged on the bed and over the whole dress in order to reach the upper half of it .

Afra chuckled and her gaze fell over Jazz who didn't seem happy . She really needed to mend her ways and find a plan to get through the little angry bird.

"Well , we still had to do some alterations of course considering the dress is an old lady. I got her thirty one years ago."

Afra just couldn't accept how generous the Queen was being .

"This is marvellous."

She whirled around to face the Queen , holding her hands out and smiling widely .

"I can't thank you enough. You're truly an extraordinary soul."

Basmah held her hands and eyed upon her towel , changing the topic in a second .

"We don't want that towel slipping now do we ?"

She wiggled her brows and Afra instantly rested a hand over it.

For the rest half an hour , they carefully got Afra into the dress. It was a heavy endorsement and although Afra loved it , she just couldn't accept well enough how heavy it was. Besides , it was fairly loose for her body so they had to pin up the dress to her fit.

When it felt like the dress had finally sat well on her , the Queen moved away a few steps and examined her with a finger on her chin.

The triplets - or the twins in this case - had copied their mother's style of analysis and Afra had to admit that nothing was more cuter .

"It's perfect. Alhumdulillah !"

The Queen announced and hurriedly held Afra's hand to help her turn towards the floor length mirror .

As she twirled around , the mirror held more of her than the last move . And when she finally did stand completely looking at her reflection , she squeaked.

Standing before her - reflecting from the mirror - was a maiden that wasn't looking anything less than snow.

Somewhere in her surveyal , a few words mumbled out.

"This dress is unrealistically stunning."

The Queen stepped in front of her , blocking her view and gaze her a stern glance. Her eyes were fixed on Afra dangerously and the bride heavily pondered over what had changed her so suddenly.

"You're unrealistically stunning my dear lady. Don't you dare consider yourself ugly. Allah definitely makes no mistakes and in case you didn't know , you can't criticize Allah's creation. He knows what he's made and why."

Afra pouted sadly as reality hit her . It was true that Allah committed no mistakes and there was a reason everyone was created the way they were. She had yet to get that fixed in her head.

"In Shaa Allah . I'll be better ."

The Queen nodded in approval and walked away as Afra smiled amusingly.

"You look so pretty ukhti."

Kat fazingly said , her eyes fixed on Afra like she were admiring some toy.

Afra smiled happily and pulled the kid in for a hug .

"Thank you so much. "

"I also think you're pretty. "

Dandelion raised her hand , a little hurt that Kat was cuddled up in her arms. The Queen chuckled with her arms around Jazz.

"Aw , I'm sorry . Come here."

Afra pulled her in with Kat and smothered them with kisses as they delightfully giggled.

A few minutes later , Afra struggled to stand up on her feet to make sure to not slip. Kat and Dandelion had gathered most of the train in their tiny hands and Afra had to divert her attention from them and concentrate on taking to her feet. They resembled two little snowgirls.

"Now that we're done with the dress , let's move on to makeup." Queen Basmah clapped her hands with a huge grin. "Not that you need any , but just a little touchup here and there you know."

Afra half smiled and bit her lip hesitantly.

"Um , can we like go without any makeup ? I am not very fond of how it feels on my face. My mother had once smothered my face with it for my farewell party and I remember I couldn't breathe."

She scrunched her face and shook her head slowly as a no. The Queen patted her cheek fondly in response.

"No Habibti. All I'm going to do is apply some kohl to your eyes and some gloss to your lips. That will make you look presentable and elegant. "

Afra's face lighted with relief.

"Boy , am I relieved to hear that."

The Queen smiled and pulled her fake collars with a geeky expression.

"I'm so cool."

She sang as she walked out of the door to God knows where while Kat and Dandelion gave her company. In the little while that she was gone with Jazz who had ran behind her , the twins had basically done all sorts of arts and crafts with her hair.

At a point she was so certain that she was going to go bald that her hands automatically grazed across her scalp to feel her roots. When things didn't seem alarming she withdrew her hands back on her lap and let the girls to whatever they were upto.

Ten minutes later , the door was thrown open with Jazz stuck to the Queen's legs as she struggled to walk with a huge vanity in her hands.

"I've got you a few jewellery pieces too."

With Afra's assistance she managed to barely place it on the bed. After lifting it open on the bed , she stood a little away with her eyes examining the million multicoloured pieces with a sharp vision.

"I think...-" she trailed off , bending and reaching out for a hair band that was laden with white pearls and soft imitation petals. "- this head piece will look fabulous. However it won't do much good to you if you wear it while being covered. I'm pretty sure you can flaunt it when we return home with the ladies , in shaa Allah."

Afra didn't know what to do or what exactly to look out for. So she was more than content with what Queen Basmah had picked out for her.

A minute more passed and the Queen finally shut her vault and smiled at Afra.

"Alhumdulillahi Rabbil Aala'meen. We're done with everything. Now all we need to do is get you into an abaya."

Afra nodded sincerely , looking down with a half smile at her puffy dress and then shrugged nonchalantly.

"What do you propose I wear ? My abaya will look like a baby dress over me rather than a hijab."

The Queen smirked , going hands on hips .

"You think this Queen didn't keep that problem in mind ?"

Afra laughed loudly , her hands around her stomach.

"You're definitely really cool."

The Queen bowed ever so slightly and fake flipped her hair . She walked over to the desk and lifted a packet from over the chair.

Afra keenly focused her gaze on what was going to be pulled out of it. In a minute she held out a flowing black abaya that looked four times her size atleast.

"Now this - ," she flared the abaya over the ground ,"- is my maternity abaya. I had worn it while I was five times my original size with the triplets."

Afra's eyes immediately travelled over the Triplets who had laid down on their stomachs and were busy in some rather serious conversation.

"They sure were very naughty. I could literally feel them dance in my tummy. "

The Queen shuddered.

Afra laughed and put on the abaya which to her amazement was loose enough for another three people to fit in.

Once she had been dolled up for the day , the Queen asked her to relax while she went ahead with the triplets to get them ready.

Half an hour later , Kat and Dandelion danced around in circles in their bright golden gowns with their hair tied in side French braids and small glittery crowns.

"Oooh , how beautiful you all look ma shaa Allah."

She clapped her hands as Kat and Dandelion ran up to her and placed kisses over her cheeks.

"Mama , are you all ready ? It's nearly time. We'll be leaving in ten minutes."

The mere echo of Sulaaymaan's voice made her stomach flutter uneasily. It was a peculiar feeling , something she had never been aware of. All the time that she had been with him , he somehow was around her for most of the times. Perhaps along the way she never realized how soothing it could be to hear him out for the first time in a day.

She had missed hearing him speak.

Happy that her face lay sheltered by a dark veil , she didn't restrict the flow of blood to her cheeks. Even during normal times , how evidently her cheeks flushed she didn't know . But it sure made others question the abrupt change in the colour at her cheeks so she probably did.

"Let's go Habibi. I'm ready."

Queen Basmah yelled and Afra shivered out of her thoughts.

"Habibti , let's go."

She held out a hand for her to take as an aid while walking.

Taking her time , she took each step while making sure that she had tied her scarf and veil well. She was so heavily adorned that everything seemed like it was slipping off.

About five minutes later , she had safely climbed down the stairs with the triplets holding the dress' train from behind.

As she moved , she could feel the dress swipe the whole ground underneath. She made sure to not be too bothered by it.

Afra's eyes fell over Aasiq and his members who had taken to their feet with welcoming smiles.

They went ahead to meet the Queen first and after having talked to her in some reassuring tone , they turned to Afra.

"Congratulations Miss Afra . We hope you enjoy your day."

"Jazak'Allahu Qairan Katheeran."

She smiled and waited a moment till the Queen held her hand tight again and the gentlemen held the doors wide open , while bowing respectfully at either sides as they exited.

Aasiq smiled , holding his hands in front of him and he walked side by side to them and stopped once she reached the doors.

Her eyes squinted and she had to take a minute to adjust to the brightness before she could walk.

"Are you alright ?"

She smiled and looked down upon the Queen's hand as she held it out for her .

"Oh of course I am. The sun just blinded me that's all."

Big black cars waited for them right at the entrance where the guards had kept open the gates.

Two stood on either sides of the one on which Sulaaymaan leaned. Afra's smile automatically widened when she found Sulaaymaan's body being illuminated by the bright sun rays.

She paused at the gates and waved at Aasiq and his team after which they securely shut the doors.

When they approached , Sulaaymaan swung around , revealing his attire. A black thoub .

"Assalaamualaikum ."

He didn't look at her but just gestured towards the car door. She felt a little hurt that he hardly had acknowledged her presence but that could be for some other reason too.

She couldn't risk judging him again .

The Queen first helped her in and later on , the triplets each sat beside her .

Along the journey , she was silent. Either peering at Sulaaymaan from under her lashes or pondering over her endless thoughts.

The girls kept asking him silly questions and every once in a few minutes , they'd find her seated and shout with pure astonishment.

"You're getting married to ukhti."

"Girls , I know I am . Can we just relax so that I won't cause an accident with all the fuss you're creating ?"

Afra didn't miss the irritable tone in his voice as she turned to face out of the window and keep her laugh in.

"Mama , can we have an ice cream ? It's silk's wedding."

"Of course my baby. However , only after we reach home and get undressed."

Afra was ready to hear yet another childish argument. But much to her dismay , she obediently sat down.

"Okay mama."

After another fifteen minutes , they stopped at a small , fairly isolated town with a glassy black tomb that stood discernably tall in the sky.

"Here we are ! A nice quiet place."

Sulaaymaan happily smiled looking around at everyone and stopping at Afra's face. He let his gaze wander for a moment more before abruptly whirling around in his seat.

She blew a breath she didn't think she was holding back and unlocked the door.

"This is a lovely place . "

Queen Basmah thoughtfully mumbled as she slid out of the car to her feet and instantly reached out to help Afra .

Afra stood a little uncomfortably and once she had managed to gather up enough abaya and the flare to take a safe step further , she began to feel better.

"Let's move ."

Kat and Dandelion very obediently took ahold of her abaya and the gown's train together.

It was a rocky path with sand and pebbles scattered about. About three times she had slipped and almost fallen had it not been for the Queen.

"Phew , we're here . You did well ."

Afra smiled tiredly as the Queen patted her back and ushered her over the three stairs that led to the Maajid's entrance.

Sulaaymaan had stood with his back to her and just as she set foot down a little behind him , he pushed open the doors to reveal a light blue interior with cool wind gushing over her. A few shelves lay stuck to the wall on her right and there were four to five pillars diagonally positioned equally throughout the area.

Soft plush carpet massaged her sore heels after the few rocks that had pricked her feet. As she further adjusted herself to the environment , her eyes made out several known faces a little forward looking back at her.

"Afra !"

Before she could even take another moment to adjust , she was suffocated by Inaya.

She then forcefully pulled Afra away by her hands on her arms , examined her head to toe with teary eyes and thrashed her again into a fight with the hug.

"Let her breath Inaya. Step aside."

Afra was so thankful to whoever that was and had just about opened her mouth when she felt the same history repeating itself . Only with a different person this time.

"Stop it you guys. Let the bride breathe."

This was Hafsa for sure.

"I'm so sorry Afra. Mahn , you seem to attract some odd species all the time."

She threw a meaningful glance around the crowd and Afra smiled so wide that her cheeks hurt.

"Hafsa , I missed you."

Hafsa turned back to her with her eyes crinkled.

"Look who's speaking. Ignoring all of our calls only to be dramatic now."

Afra pulled Hafsa in for a quick hug and mumbled a soft sorry in her arms. It had been a heck of a long time before she had seen them all. Missing these hugs was one of her greatest fears while staying away from them all. Their mere voices held the soft authority to lure Afra's feelings and making her crave for their touches.

"Oh yeah ? I suppose I am not needed then."

Inaya raised her brows at her accusingly. Hafsa and Afra exchanged looks before she moved away to make space for Inaya.

"I'm sor - "

"I'm sorry what ? You idiot , you had us all so extremely overwrought day and night . You'll be the first ever bride in the history of brides to have been scolded at her wedding venue."

Afra held her head low and murmured.

"Maybe we could try our luck at the Guinness world records."

Inaya's eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah , we could......hey ! Stop changing the topic."

Sarah and Samantha cleared their throats together. At first , neither Afra or Inaya had paid attention.

"Inaya and Afra , you can do your bickering backering later on . In case you both have forgotten , let me remind you that there's a wedding we have to attend ."

Inaya instantly slapped her forehead.

"Oh shoot , of course."

Sarah rolled her eyes at Inaya and moved ahead to give area a hug.

"We missed you girl. This was the first time we met and we sure have become so close. And to think that we would end up attending your wedding right away !"

"I know. And I feel so horrible that we couldn't spend much time together. Perhaps , I can come visit you all in London."

Sarah hugged Afra once more before paving way for Samantha.

She silently drew Afra in for an embrace and after moving away she had this naughty smirk on her face.

"And who knows the next time we come visit , we might have some tiny surprises waiting for us."

Inaya burst out laughing while Hafsa began poking her elbow into Afra's ribs.

She was so grateful she had a veil on always.

"Girls make way please. We don't have much time."

Valerie yelled as the girls jumbled in their paths to step aside and let the ladies come closer. Mariam , Valerie and Elsa closely gathered around Afra.

They took turns in greeting her and blessing her with prayers. Once all the formalities had been cleared , Mariam came closer to Afra and held her hands.

"I missed you so much Anna."

She smiled , nodding in the process.

"We missed you the most baby."

Afra's eyes welled up as her voice melted her heart.

"However , one last thing my love."

Mariam moved her head closer until her forehead grazed over Afra's ear.

"You will only nod for a yes and shake your head for a no."

Afra wanted to ask her what was wrong but decided against it when Mariam instantly rushed to the question.

"Is this marriage forced on you ?"

Afra's heart began to race. Of course if was happening without her consent to a degree. But she didn't necessarily have any serious issues to be taken into consideration.

She slightly shook her head.

Mariam breathing resonated in her ears and that made it seem like she pried over her hesitation.

However a moment later , her voice whispered.

"Are you sure you're happy with this decision ?"

Afra held her breath. Was she ? Not yet. But will she be ? In shaa Allah , it was what the Almighty Allah had planned for her and there was going to be an amazing reason behind it.

She shook her head , a little confidently this time . And with the sigh that Mariam blew out , it relaxed Afra's heart too to know that she was at peace.

"Okay , so you accept this procedure for Nikaah with all of your heart and soul ?"

Sulaaymaan's face popped in front of her eyes. She didn't understand why , but the instant she imagined his smile and the cute hesitation in his eyes , her heart beat with surity.

"I accept it with all my heart and soul."

Mariam snaked a hand around Afra's shoulders and let her head rest against her.

"Aameen ya rabbal Aala'meen ."

Mariam mumbled and they both stood transfixes in the moment of absolute joyousness and sincerity.

When she moved away to let the other two ladies hear of Afra's words , their eyes travelled over the bride and filled with tears.

"Okay , we might need to move already. It is getting late."

Elsa clapped her hands to let the group know of their readiness.

All the crowd had settled down ; with the ladies towards the extreme right and the gents towards the left. They had their eyes fixed hard on the bride and the groom and Afra had to sit much more comfortably on the ground in order to prevent collapsing.

The Imaam started off by glorifying Allah Subhana wa Taa'la. He talked and pressed his concern over the importance and cruciality of the blessed nikaah . Once that was finished , he looked up at Sulaaymaan and briefly cast his glance over Afra.

"I must ask you both to place your honest and truthful answers before me ."

He rubbed his beard and gathered his papers. Turning towards Sulaaymaan , he mumbled certain questions and Sulaaymaan did the same in return as his answers.

With the time that seemed to slip , Afra's anxiety started to gnaw hard upon her. Her hands had already started to sweat a lot but this was alarming her to an extent .

She didn't know why they were taking so long.

Was Nikaah procedure normally as long as this ?

Just as she had tried to pull out a tissue from the box at the corner , the Imaam turned back to his initial position and bent his head low.

She froze and placed his hands in her lap , hoping to hear him out and finish it soon before she could no longer take the challenge of having to tolerate the anxiousness.

"Assalaamualaikum sister."

"Walaikumusslaaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu."

He didn't look up to her but kept his gaze focused on a stack of papers before him. Although his voice was low and soft , she could still hear him out. Obviously enough though , the people around her couldn't hear them out and so did their faces express the same tension.

"Now , first off , I'd like to ask you if this decision is sincere from your part ? If you're being forced or pushed into saying a yes , fear not and be truthful. We're here to help you out."

Afra's eyes instantaneously fell over Sulaaymaan who was seated with his head low and the igal that mostly hid his perturbed face. Most likely though , it made her gaze fall onto his fingers that were twitching.

"This is what I want. Alhumdulillah , I know i have a choice here. But I'm happy and I have made up my mind to marry him."

The Imaam nodded vigorously and quickly jotted down something on the papers. It took him a minute as his back bent low over the papers.

"I'll be asking you a question now. The only one that would be needed to sincerely be answered here for you to be called as a lawfully married woman."

Afra drew in a huge breath and focused her attention on her breathing rate. If she - even by the slightest mistake - considered concentrating over the Imaam's questions , she would fall unconscious.

"Would you like - with due respect - to marry Mr Sulaaymaan Ibn Aa'raaf and accept him as your Islamically married husband with the meher of one hundred thouand Saudi riyals ?"

Afra licked her lips and tried to find her voice . Not that she didn't want to answer , but that her mouth was parched. And under the constant scrutinizing gazes of the crowd , she felt her heart get stuck in her throat and suffocate her.

"By Allah's will and permission....... yes , I do."

The Imaam nodded again and kept his gaze fixed over his interlocked fingers.

"Please repeat it sister."

Afra licked her lips and gulped hard. Was it medically healthy for a person to go through so much trepidation and worry in a day ? She didn't think so.

"I do accept Mr Sulaaymaan bin Aa'raaf as my husband with the meher of one hundred t - " she choked as the amount that she was being told to her made her stop abruptly.

The Imaam waited a moment patiently and when she didn't recollect herself even after a few tensed moments , he urged her to continue.

"Sister , are you alright ?"

She nodded weakly and continued to speak.

"I'm sorry , I just felt choked."

The Imaam nodded and raised his head to face the wall ahead of him .

"I do accept Mr Sulaaymaan bin Aa'raaf as my husband with the meher of one hundred thousand Saudi riyals ."

The Imaam nodded his head encouragingly .

"Again , please."

"I do accept Mr Sulaaymaan bin Aa'raaf as my husband with the meher of one hundred thousand Saudi riyals ."

Finally , the Imaam turned to her but didn't lift his gaze and slipped a paper and a pen towards her on the carpet.

She reached out her hand and pulled it closer to her. Several details were mentioned and she took her time to read through some of them and skim her eyes through the attached documents.

Her eyes lay over Sulaaymaan's signature over the left that read something she didn't quite understand. Except for the few Arabic alphabets that were almost calligraphically poised and held so much more authority than Sulaaymaan's attitude itself.

"Please sign in the right box ."

She could confidently say that her hand had never shaken as much as it did in that one minute. With a hope , she prayed that the sign atleast looked like hers.

When she was finished , he grabbed the papers and stood up. His neck was bent over the papers as he surveyed each document before folding them with a light hand and skimming his eyes across everyone seated.

"By the glorious will of Allah , I declare Mr Sulaaymaan bin Aa'raaf and Miss Afra Aazeen Varghese as Islamically married husband and wife."

« Assalaamualaikum Princesses ❤

I hope this chapter made you all happy. One of the most anticipated ones in my whole journey as a writer. Their story is yet to start but it's going to be unique and special.

In Shaa Allah , hopefully as always you'll all stay with me. ❤❤❤❤ .

As a small request , I'd like you all to kindly include me in your prayers. At the moment I need as much help as possible. Please do keep me in your precious duaas.

Also , FORGIVE me for taking sooooo long. For some weird reason , i had felt extremely demotivated to continue writing and had left to clear my mind off. ❤❤❤❤. I really do hope you all enjoyed this chapter .

Please do keep being by my side. I figured along the journey I somehow forgot to mention a very important fact.

If at all - intentionally or unintentionally - I hurt anyone , please please do forgive me. I never EVER want to hurt anyone. ❤❤❤❤❤❤ . You all are my family and I cannot even think about it in my wildest dreams.

Stay blessed all of you and I sincerely love you alllll so much.

Much love ,
Me ;) »