5| Nawal

Today is my wedding. The day I get married and leave my family, my house, and my life all behind and move in with someone who I barely know. Reality is hitting only now as I sit with arms spread out and two girls sitting next to each arm, applying henna.

Sarah's sitting in front of me, talking to me about how everything will be fine and how life will only get more beautiful from now onwards. She got married last year to her cousin, her mamu's son.

*mamu: mother's brother.

My bridal dress came today in the morning, all pressed as it hung on the handle of my closet door, as a reminder that my life will change after tonight, either for the better or the worse. Ahad and his family are very nice people but that doesn't change the fact that I barely know him. We've exchanged a few words only and I'm already wearing a ring of his name and after tonight, I'll entirely belong to him. I sighed at the thought.

Somewhere between the anxiety and sour thoughts, a ray of excitement shone through. I was excited to know how my life would turn out to be as a married woman. The thrill of being with a man who would love me and who I would love too. Having a second family that I would get to call my own.

"Appi, what's the name of your groom?" One of the girls who were applying henna on my hand asked.

"Ahad. Ahad Iftikhar." I resisted the urge to smile because if I smiled now, I would never hear the end of it from Sarah.

***

Later that day, bhai dropped Sarah and me at the salon to get ready. Sarah had come along so I wouldn't be left alone. The hairstylist was straightening my hair and I felt it all getting more real with each passing second. I felt tears forming but I quickly dabbed my eye and smiled at myself in the mirror as courage to go through with this. Sarah came and stood behind me, patting my shoulder.

"Remember that it only gets better from now on. Ahad bhai is a nice man, he'll keep you happy so just smile. Enter your new life with a smile on your face, not tears in your eyes. And as a best friend, I must warn you that taking the pins out of your hair tonight will be very troublesome, get Ahad bhai to do it unless he-" I know that she was going to say something inappropriate so I lightly slapped her hand and teased, "Yes, mama." She playfully rolled her eyes and sat back on the couch.

Bhai had told me that first the nikkah will take place, then my photoshoot with Ahad followed by my rukhsati. I just know that the night is going to end in a pool of tears. Rehana aunty had called me earlier today, asking me how I was holding up. She reassured me that I'll be treated like the 'princess' I am and that I'd never feel the absence of my own family. She even told me how everyone was preparing the house for my welcome.

The make up artist asked me to wear my lehenga with which Sarah helped me. Fastening the hooks of the lehenga were harder than I had thought. Next the make up artist touched up my lipstick while the hairstylist put my hair in a bun and pinned the dupatta on top of my head. I wore my earrings and Sarah knelt down to take a picture of us two together. She suggested I take a pic of myself and send it to my family to tell them that I was ready. Bhai already knew the time I would be done so he would be here any minute. Mama had convinced both my father and brother to wear shalwar kameez today instead of suits. Bhai had chosen a grey shalwar kameez with a dark grey waistcoat to match and baba decided on beige and brown. Mama's dress was a beautiful lilac color that I had selected for her when we went out.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Rauf bhai came and picked us up from the salon. Both my best friend and my brother helped me into the car as my dress was very heavy. I got into the backseat with Sarah beside me and he drove us to the hall. Mama had sent me hearts on the picture I sent her of myself and I replied with a kissing emoji.

"Nino?" Bhai asked and I looked up from my phone.

"Yes?" He sounded very serious which was rare so my anxiety skyrocketed.

"You're fine, right?" It was sweet of him to worry.

"Yes, you don't have to worry." I smiled though he couldn't see me.

"The moulvi is already here so we'll go in and your nikkah will be done." He informed.

"That quick?" I inquired, trying to hide the panic in my voice.

"It has to be done, anyway, so we might just do it. Ahad and his family have already arrived. Everyone's just waiting for you now." Right, it was my wedding. I wasn't the guest, I was the highlight of today.

Bhai parked the car and led me inside into a secluded room where everyone was waiting for me. My mind was lingering between turning around and running away or signing the papers as quick as I could and get this over with. I, obviously, decided on the latter.

I sat down in between the moulvi and my father and my brother sat on the other side of the moulvi. Mama was sitting on an adjacent chair and Rumi and Sarah were standing behind her. The moulvi did his thing and I repeated 'Qabool hai' thrice before signing the papers. I had officially turned to Nawal Ahad from Nawal Arshad.

Everyone, except mama and Sarah, left the room and mama hugged me and cried. I felt like crying too but Sarah shook her head and mumbled 'your makeup will get ruined' and I nodded in reply. About ten minutes later, I was left alone in the room before Ahad came in with two other men who were the photographers, I assumed from the camera hanging down from one of their necks. I instantly said 'Masha Allah' under my breath when I saw Ahad.

My heart was thumping wildly in my chest, hard enough to make me think it would just pop out now but it wasn't entirely because of how handsome Ahad looked in his black sherwani. He wasn't standing in front me as my fiance anymore, he was my husband now and that thought alone made me want to melt into a puddle.

"Congratulations on your wedding, Mr. And Mrs. Ahad!" The photographer wished enthusiastically and Ahad thanked him while I just politely nodded.

My husband walked over to me and placed his hands on my waist and gently pulled me closer where I put my hands on his chest to save myself from stumbling. I panicked due to the sudden intimacy and my face might have shown it because Ahad softly muttered 'relax' before the camera flashed and clicked. I had completely forgotten about the photo shoot.

We got into several different poses– my back pressed into his chest; him kissing my forehead; him twirling me around; me sitting down while he stood behind me and looked down at me; my hands around his neck while he held my waist; him leaning in while I looked away and finally Ahad down on one knee, holding my hand as we looked into each other's eyes. The entire time, I was fighting a battle against my body to stop it from reacting to his proximity.

I had never been this close to a man before, except my brother and father but being this close to my husband was on a whole new level. While the concept was foreign to me, the feeling felt good and... right. It was like I was meant to be here, with him.

The door opened after a soft knock and bhai came in. He instantly mouthed 'Masha Allah' when he looked at us. "If you're done here, we should go out now." He gestured to the door with his thumb. Ahad intertwined our hands instead of simply holding It, and I involuntarily smiled, and led us outside where we both walked up to the stage under the shower of rose petals. He stepped onto the stage first then helped me up with both hands and sat us down on the golden couch placed in the center.

The moment we sat down, everyone's attention was on us and guests crowded around us like bees. I was afraid we might get crushed under all of them. Many clicked pictures while others came forward and congratulated us and clicked pictures with us. After a few minutes, thankfully, bhai came and moved the guests aside and they all left and sat down on their respective tables. The buffet was opened as soon as everyone sat down and Sarah and Rumaisa brought plates of food up to the stage and set them down on the table in front of us and left us alone to eat in peace. Ahad dug in right then but stopped when he noticed I wasn't eating.

"Why aren't you eating?" He raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged. "I don't feel like it. Too many people are watching us, I'm not comfortable eating like this."

"Nawal, no one's watching us. If there's anything more important than the bride and groom on a wedding, it's the food. Everyone is eating, they don't care about us right so eat up. Unless... you want me to feed you?" He reassured then teased me about it. I laughed and shook my head but he brought a spoon full of biryani up to my mouth and opened his mouth to signal me to open mine too. I slightly parted my lips and he placed the spoon in my mouth and I covered my mouth before chewing it. He ate with the same spoon and the small action made me feel fuzzy.

After a lot of eating by ourselves and feeding each other, the food was cleared out and Sarah came up on stage with a glass of milk in her hand. Doodh pilai was a ritual in the Pakistani culture where the bride's sister(s) offer a decorated glass of milk to the groom and, in return, the groom gives them a gift or, usually, money– how much ever the sister(s) in law ask for. I had no sisters and Sarah was an only child so we had decided that we would hold the ritual at each other's weddings. I had done my part at her wedding and earned a good amount of money and now she was here to do hers.

Ahad carefully picked the glass up from its matching tray and drank from it and pretended to make a disgusted face as he hurriedly put the glass back on its tray and Sarah acted hurt. I silently laughed at the exchange.

"Why am I supposed to give you anything for this milk? It's rotten!" Ahad accused and Sarah gasped while everyone around us laughed.

"It is not rotten!" Sarah defended.

Ahad took the glass and brought it up to my lips and I sipped from it. "It's rotten, right?"

"Nawal, I swear if you disrespect our years of friendship like this by taking his side, I will kill you!" Sarah and glared and Ahad coaxed me into agreeing with him.

I shrugged. "It seems fine to me." Sarah looked smug and Ahad slightly shook his head in disappointment.

"Hmm... 50k is a good amount, right?" Sarah placed her finger on her chin thoughtfully. Instead of putting up a fight, like most grooms do, Ahad pulled out a blank cheque from his pocket along with a pen and filled it in with the amount. Everyone, including me, gasped in surprise. Sarah seemed shocked too but she quickly recovered and showed me a thumbs up and mouthed 'he's a keeper' before thanking Ahad for the money and hopping down from the stage.

Next, Iftikhar uncle came up on stage and whispered something in Ahad's ear to which he got up and offered me his hand. "It's time to go," Ahad softly informed and I placed my hand in his and got up. I understood that now I had to leave and move to a new house with new people but that didn't mean I liked it. It is what it is, though.

Like last time, he intertwined our hands again but I couldn't bring myself to smile because I knew I had to say goodbye to the people I've spent my entire life with. We got down from the stage and walked down the 'aisle'. My family walked with me, then we stopped and I hugged everyone. Mama and baba engulfed me in a big hug and quietly sobbed on my father's shoulder, all while still holding Ahad's hand. Rauf bhai hugged me next as I cried a little louder this time and he patted my back to comfort me though he was crying himself too. I broke away from the hug and wiped my tears with the tissue I had been holding and walked out to the cars with my husband and in-laws. My family had followed where I bid one last farewell to them and got into the cars. My parents-in-law and Rumaisa rode in a separate car, Zoha Appi and Sameer bhai followed in their car while Ahad and I had a separate car that he drove. His car was decorated with small flowers spread all over it, nothing over the top. Rumaisa and Ahad helped me sit down into the passenger seat before he shut the door and sat in his seat and drove off to my new life.

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(A.N): THEY'RE MARRIED! I've been so excited to just publish this chapter because the real stuff starts after this. Get ready! Leave your thoughts in the comments <3