Falling Innocently

Chapter 16 -How to let go?

Chapter 16 —How to let go?

**Nasheed to the side, play when he says "Alhamdulilah you're my wife"**

"When a husband and wife look at each other with love, Allah SWT looks at them with mercy."

                        -At-Tarbaani

Waliya was tearing up. The sight of her family and Aahil's family —her in-laws —were all huddled around Aahil. It was a tear jerker, a complete contrast to what people show in the movies.

Of course, being Indian meant a lot of drama. The little cousins were running around the crowd laughing, completely oblivious to the cry-fest happening among their elders. Aahil's uncles and aunties were wiping tears from their eyes, his mother was crying as well, but next to him stood his father with pride shining like a lighthouse in his eyes. Aahil however, remained stoic and unphased by all that was happening since his eyes searched only for his Waliya.

"Dad, where is Waliya?" he asked, getting irritated by all the crying. To him, it was a waste that everyone was at the airport to see him off. He was only going for six month for work, he was not going for war in any way. The airport was just making unnecessarily money from his dramatic family.

To his surprise however, it was his brother in-law that answered him. "She wanted to give you time to spend with your family so she left to buy you some snacks to eat on the plane," he said softly to him. Aahil did not want to be rude and blurt out that he would not really eat on the plane. He wouldn't need those snacks in any case, but he was two minded about Waliya leaving to go and buy those snacks.

On one hand, it was the thought that counted. She wanted to do something good for him, but he wasn't as close-knitted to his family as she was to hers. He was content with greeting them at home and having her coming to drop him off at the airport. Yet on the other hand, he was upset with her; because of her he was forced to be around his crying mother and aunties. At least if she was beside him then he could be more worried about her and how she was taking it.

He was worried about her. He just married her and now he was leaving her. It was so unmanly of him to do that to her. One the bright side, he was glad that her family was here for her. If, she was in any way affected by him leaving her. As soon as he caught sight of her, he pushed his way —carefully —through his crowd of his family and stood in front of her.

He towered over her, engulfing her small, petite and feminine frame in his shadow. It was only as he took in her appearance that he noticed her hands filled with packets of sweets and biscuits and even a bottle or two of water. He chuckled to himself and allowed a small smile to remain on his lips as he took the stuff from her hands. Sheepishly she grinned back at him, but he could see her hesitance. "I couldn't fit these into my bag," she said shyly.

With widened eyes he looked at her. "You mean to tell me there is more?" he asked surprised. She just nodded at him and went to reach into her handbag, but he stopped her with his free hand. She frowned at him as she noticed that everything she tried to balance in both her hands cupped together, fit comfortably into his one hand —with space to spare. "That's not fair!" she said upset.

He smiled and kept hold of her hand, the smile broadened when he noticed that she didn't shy away from his touch. It made him that much prouder, that even after three days together she was already comfortable with him. "So much of sweets you bought?" he asked her as he began leading her away from their huge crowd. Was it so wrong of him to want the last few minutes with his new bride before he left?