Habibti [my love]

[٤]

FIRDAUS AJMAL.

Two unknown cars parked on our driveway adds as a reminder of how late I am.

I park my car next to them and in a rush grab my two bags. Locking my car door, I speedily walk to our front porch almost running. I'm late meeting our guests and that's not good for a first impression. Another reason to make my heart spike.

My mom opens the door hastily ushering me inside and helping me with the bags.

"I am so sorry I'm late mom, We had a lot of people coming in." I tell my mom as I crouch down to untie my shoes. I'm not supposed to be working on a Sunday but I got an email in the morning from the hospital saying there's a shortage of staff because there was an accident. A code orange where we expect a mass of patients coming in.

"You're not that late, they just got here." She assures me and hand me my bag back. "Go freshen up, they already excused you."

The living room has an allowance that has a bit of a clear view of the staircase meaning that I'll have to greet them before passing. Removing my mask, I try to stop on my tracks but my mom pushes me forward making me almost fall on my face.

"Mom, how many are... As Salaam Aleikum."I greet them. Different types of pleasant fragrance hit my face as three women look directly at me and a man with his back towards me. Having no doubt he is Amir as he is the only man in the room. He doesn't turn to acknowledge me but the lady's smile at me, except for one whose look I can't decipher.
[peace be upon you]

My dad isn't present in the room and it tames my heart a bit knowing nothing will happen without him being here in flesh.

They all greet me back and I excuse myself to go and freshen up, with my sister hot on my trail. I give her one of my bag as I carry the other one.

"Tell me their names." I say to Fatiha once we enter our room. I remove my hijab and sit on my bed to remove my socks.

"There is your husband to be, whom I don't know his name yet." She tells me, but it's something I already know. Her nosy self starts to open my bag removing clothes I wore to work today but didn't get time to change back.

"I knew that." I tell her. Her eyes shoot up and find mine. "His name is Amir, I want to know who the women are."

Curiosity gets the better of me as I seek to be informed whom I'm about to meet. Something am content about is they're his family but I want to know whether the older woman is his mother or aunt or the other two are his sister or cousins. There's no shock they might be his aunt.

"The older woman is their mother Sarah." She tells me as she walks to the bathroom, putting my clothes on the laundry basket while I place clothes on my bed for me to wear when I come out. A sticky routine that I have adapted. Picking out my clothes before having a shower. "The other two are his sisters, Shahd and Maryam. And just a heads up, Maryam is super rude."

"Don't make assumptions of someone you've recently met, Fatiha." I say to her as I make my way to the bathroom.

"Oh, you'll see it for yourself." She says before I close the bathroom door on her. Rolling my eyes at Fatiha's comments, it's rude of her to make negative expectations on someone whom she's met minutes ago.