7. The approval

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~Hooriyah

The beautiful turquoise and white stonework sparkled elegantly and shimmered with metallic hues and crystals throughout the length of the gharara.
The neck of the ivory shirt was traditionally hand embroidered with copper wires and Zari . The baby pink dupatta was shimmering with peach and off white crystals and beads.

Alizeh's wedding dress was magnificently flawless without any doubt.

I politely caressed the beautiful stonework with my delicate fingers, admiring every single bit of the hard work done on this masterpiece which was spread flawlessly on Alizeh's queen sized bed.

Lost in my own thoughts, I failed to notice that my eyes have been twinkling with tears for a long time while I had tried thousands of ways to stop them from coming out. But it was getting harder as I pretended to fix my gaze on the embroidered stonework.

"What happened hoor?" Alizeh chirped.

I was still lost in my own thoughts, staring the dress blankly.

"Hoorayy!!! Are you fine?" Alizeh shook my arm for the third time until I realized she was asking something.

"Yes?" I asked blankly.

"What happened hoor? You don't seem well! And what's that in your eyes? Is my bestie crying?" She asked with nervousness.

"Are you crazy? Why would I?" I laughed.

"Hey hey, look at me!"

I tried to blink through my long thick eyelashes for the umpteenth time in order to remove those unwanted tears.

"Did he misbehave?" Alizeh asked worriedly.

"Who are you talking about? Look I am absolutely fine girl!" I laughed again.

"I know you since childhood idiot! You can never hide anything from me! And these silly tears in your beautiful eyes are narrating thousands of words Hoor!" Alizeh smiled weakly while wiping away a lonely tear which had already managed to escape through my eyes despite of my immense struggle to stop it!

"I was just missing Baba and Mama!" I excused.

What an extremely lame excuse it was!

"You can't simply win from me! I asked you something. Did he misbehave with you?" Alizeh repeated her question at which I jerked abruptly.

"Who?" I tried to pretend.

"Shahveer Bhayi of course who else?" She asked angrily.

"No! Not at all" I smiled while trying to calm her down.

"So? Did he say something? " She smirked while teasing.

"What's up with you both brother and sister ,always smirking ?" I asked weakly with annoyance.

"Hahahaha, that means he had annoyed you a lot lately." She giggled.

"No, he didn't. " I wanted to avoid all sorts of conversations about him.

"Yes he did! I know he misbehaved!"

How can she read my mind?

"It's just that____" I paused while recalling what happened few hours ago.

Finally deciding to give up , I started narrating each and everything to her.

Alizeh gasped me with horror.

"Holy Quran? You gave him a Holy Quran?" Alizeh looked at me with excitement.

I nodded.

"It's a beautiful gift indeed, but for a very very wrong person!" Alizeh chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"A person who had barely touched Allah's Book since 15 years, what could you expect from him?" She sighed painfully.

My heart sank right into my stomach as I gasped her with horror.
It felt as if someone had brutally tore my flesh apart! A huge painful lump of hopelessness was stuck in my throat. Goosebumps rose all over my body, which was stiffened due to this unbearable shock!

Barely in 15 years? Hardly recites the Holy Quran? Was this man even a Muslim?

"Well! I am sorry if he hurt you. But his habits are so hard to be changed." She smiled while hiding her pain.

I mustered up some courage to speak as staying silent would have made her feel awkward. I didn't want anyone to know about my haphazard and unsynchronized heart beat.

"What has happened to Shahveer?" My voice cracked with immense pain.

There was complete silence in the room.

"He wasn't like that in childhood! Tell me Alizeh! What has he done to himself?"
I asked worriedly.

"After spending 18 years away from your homeland, what can you even expect from a man like Shahveer to transform into? And that too because of staying in a company of a bunch of toxic and totally drug addicted friends?" She asked painfully.

I was still confused. Not sure if I could absorb what was coming next.

"You are very innocent, pure and pious, Hoor! I don't want him to take any advantage of your piousness. He loves to flirt with all types of girls. He had uncountable girlfriends back in Manchester. Things which you might consider to be too bold and vulgar, are something he assumes to be very very normal! Mom and Dad are always worried because of him. They want their son to become the same as he was in his childhood, but being stubborn by his nature, he hates to change his nonreligious lifestyle which had been perfectly destroyed by his friends!" She pursed her lips trying to stop those unwanted tears which had already started to brim in her beautiful eyes.

Expectations always heart. And I was certainly not prepared well to encounter this reality!

"He has changed, a lot!" She murmured and my heart broke into millions of pieces.

I wanted to scream madly. As loud as my lungs would allow me to. I wanted to throw this beautiful vase, which rested peacefully in front of me, on the mirror. I wanted to pull my hair like a crazy mad woman.

I wanted to kill him!

I wanted to kill Shahveer!

What the hell did I do to end up loving a person who was not pious at all? I didn't deserve this Oh Allah. I had been praying for him since I had learned how to offer prayers. I had been praying for his love since two decades only to learn this awful truth? Maybe all those years and nights of longing, pain and tears were just not enough, I guess!

"He's not the same as he was ten years ago. It hurts me to see how he has made his life non-Islamic in some aspects !" She lowered her gaze as it was difficult for her to look into my eyes.

I was literally about to pass out any second!

"Mom and Dad had struggled a lot to bring him back to his normal ways. But his friends have completely ruined him. He is nothing more than a spoiled brat now!"

She looked very disappointed.

There was pin drop silence in the room where both of us were sitting hopelessly.

I had always been begging Allah to bless me with Shahveer's infinite love.
But Oh Allah! I also asked you for a pious love. For the love of a man who truly loves YOU first, then me! For his love to be completely pure and beautiful, without any flaw! I also begged you that may he love YOU more than me! I asked you to bless me with his piousness and chastity too, not just his love. I asked you to bless him with more love for Islam and a stronger Iman than mine.

Then why did I fall in love with a man who doesn't even recite Quran?

The man who doesn't know what is ablution!

The man who doesn't even pray!

How can I fall in love with someone who doesn't love you, Oh Allah?

I was about to burst into tears as my head started to ache with so many painful thoughts. My mind had already stopped functioning. I was feeling completely hopeless and destroyed. I held my head in my hands while trying to ease my pain. How I wish this pain could reduce a bit. My head was spinning wildly. I badly wanted to bang my head on the wall until this headache could vanish. I wanted to hurt myself more than my soul could bear.

"If Allah wills, he will certainly come back to the path which is righteous!" Alizeh squeezed my hand with affection.

"And Allah has assigned this task to only one." She smiled weakly while looking at me.

"Who?" My voice cracked again.

There was another wave of complete silence for the next few seconds.

"It's you, Hooriyah!" She caressed my cheeks.

I jerked. What the hell was she even saying? Why on Earth would he change himself for me?

"Me? Impossible, how can I ____"

" Your love for him will!" Her eyes twinkled with joy and hope.

I stared her blankly.

How can someone's love show a misguided person the righteous path?

My heart started racing faster and faster.

"I have seen that special light in your eyes since childhood, which shines merely for him. And that light will guide him towards the righteous path!"

"Alizeh, I don't understand what you are talking about!" I pressed my forehead once again while taking a sip from my coffee.

"My brother may seem arrogant some times. But his heart is very pure Hooriyah. He has a very kindhearted and loveable nature which he expresses not that frequently. If he has a dark side, then there is his bright side too, which I believe is more powerful than the darker one" She smiled.

I stared her with amazement.

"I believe that he is not like the other guys. Although he is not that religious, but I know, he has that tendency to love his beloved ones with the depth of his heart. And when he would love someone, he would do anything. And by anything, I mean that he can even risk his life for the sake of love!"

My thoughts started to waver awkwardly making me feel lost in a world which I wasn't familiar with.

"And perhaps, he can turn out to be the one who would even die for the sake of your happiness!" She smiled again.

"My happiness?" I gasped her with shock.

"Oh you Silly! " She giggled

"Don't tell me that you were unaware! I thought your parents would have told you!"

"Have told me what?" I eyed her curiously.

"Mom and Dad had even started to dream about Bhayi's wedding with you! " Alizeh smiled widely while shaking my shoulders with full excitement.

The mug immediately slipped from my hand spilling that deliciously brewed coffee on the brown wooden floor, while I gasped the now-broken mug with horror.

"I'm so sorry, it was just____" I panicked while my hands trembled with fear.

Alizeh burst into laughter.

"Hahahah, I thought this news would have enlightened your heart. But you seem a bit shocked."

Alizeh giggled while dialing her intercom to call the maid to clean the mess.

"But___"

"Everyone is serious about this relationship, Hooriyah! Even your parents too. Its decided since childhood. Don't tell me you didn't know this idiot!" She was shocked.

" I...... I......I don't .... I really didn't know this" I stammered.

"But.. But... Now.. You...You..Know..oKkayy?" Alizeh tried to copy me while laughing hysterically.

"Remember when I called you 'Bhabi'
during the call , a day before you came here? So now you know!" She chuckled

I didn't know whether to feel happy at this situation or disappointed! I would have been extremely super elated if I had not known the truth about Shahveer. But now, there was something which was troubling me from inside.

I felt numb all of a sudden. I didn't know how to react on this. I never knew my prayers were going to be fulfilled this soon but at the expense of some other things!

I tried to hide my cheeks which began to warm up and turn crimson.
People usually blush when they are shy. While I only blush when I start panicking!

"That's the reason why Mom and Dad were so happy when they met you! Because they were greeting their future daughter in law after 18 years!" She laughed.

My heart skipped a beat. Future daughter in law? I wanted to run away.
Runaway from here and offer two rakaat for some peace of my mind and heart which I badly wanted right now!
Don't know why tears of hopelessness started to brim in my eyes.
Those struggling tireless nights started to float in front of my eyes. Those heartfelt prayers started to remind me how helpless I was since 18 years and how partially hopeful I am now!

"It's only you, who can make him sane again! The person who deserves to be with you should be like you too!" Alizeh squeezed my hand.

"But how will I bring him back to the righteous path?" I asked nervously.

"Your love will!" She repeated again and again.

"Your love will, Hoor!"

I would have thought a billion of times before making space for him in my heart, if only I knew that Allah was going to test my love, with such a difficult responsibility!
But people say that right, with love comes lots of hardships! And if Allah wanted me to be the route through which he could be blessed with eternal guidance and righteousness, why should I back off?

If my love can bring a lost soul back to the path of piety and righteousness, I should consider myself to be lucky!

"Someone's blushing?" Mrs. Shehroze knocked on the door and laughed while coming in ,sensing my nervousness.

"Yeah Mom. See? I told you. Our Hooriyah will turn all red when I will disclose this beautiful news to her! " Alizeh giggled.

Oh God! Help.

"Oh my God my future daughter in law looks thousand times more prettier when she blushes!" Mrs. Shehroze came and kissed my forehead while blessing me with prayers.

"I had been waiting to call you my daughter since years dear! I can't wait anymore to see Shahveer's life become magical and colorful as it was 18 years ago. Are you happy with this news Hoor?" Mrs. Shehroze smiled.

"Err...Uhh...I ... I am....Err" I stammered stupidly.

"More than happy!" Alizeh giggled.

"Your parents have already agreed. But still I wanted your consent. So shall we consider yes from your side?" Mrs. Shehroze asked.

My consent?

My answer was yes since I wasn't even mature enough to take decisions.

My answer was yes since I had learned to call his name inappropriately through my small tongue.

My answer was yes since I had laid my teeny tiny eyes upon him.

My answer was yes since I had not even known the meaning of love!

How I wish you knew this before asking for my consent, dear aunt!

I didn't have time to wait or ask for some time. I wasn't going to wait anymore now.
Even if he was the worst human being on the Earth, my answer would still have been yes.

Love is not something which starts to weaken upon knowing the flaws of your loved one. No!

It strengthens. It becomes more powerful. Love is blind, and it certainly doesn't defend itself from any harm coming it's way.

And so was I.

Blind!

Completely blind for him! No matter how much evil or cunning his personality was, I was ready to sacrifice myself for him.

Because.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I loved him.

And love has no boundaries, no restrictions and no expectations.
All I wanted was to seal my destiny with his fragrance! To completely become a part of his soul and bring him back to the life which was more beautiful than the life he was living.

I was ready!

Like always!

I was ready!

Finally, without giving a second thought and without wasting any more time, I politely nodded and smiled which indicated my approval.

Both the ladies chirped with excitement and one by one hugged me tightly.
"Congratulations! Thanks my love. Thanks a lot! Love you dear!" Mrs. Shehroze smiled.

"Welcome to our family, bhabi!" Alizeh teased.

My eyes popped out. Oh God! It was so hard to control my overwhelmed emotions.

Was it an ecstasy?

An euphoria?

Or merely a magical dreamy moment?

My cheeks were going to become a tomato soon. I seriously wanted to hide myself in my chamber where no one could see this idiotic state of mine.

"Uhhh.....if you don't mind can I have some rest, as this headache is driving me crazy?" I excused.

Both of them burst into laughter.

"Sure princess. I will send one of the maids to your room, she will give you the the medicines for head ache okay?" Mrs. Shehroze caressed my cheeks and allowed me to leave.

Blushing crazily, I finally got up and left the room.

All I wanted to do was express my gratitude in front of Allah. I wanted to make lots and lots and lots of Duaa.
I quickly performed ablution and offered two nafl prayers and started praying to Almighty Allah.

"Ya Allah, You are the Writer of my destiny! You are the Designer of my fate. You are the Fashioner of my life. Please choose the best for me! And remove everything from my life which is the worst. Don't attach my heart to something which is not destined to be mine! And strengthen my heart with the love of the one who was always meant to be mine!"

I smiled like an idiot and finally murmured Ameen.
Little did I know that this Dua was indeed being accepted on the heavens high above, but in a way which was totally unexpected and unpredictable!


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