iman | hakim ziyech

.7

please pray if you haven't done so already :)

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[1452 words]

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the 'wedding' was very simple in comparison to the one that had passed merely two weeks ago. she couldn't meet her own mothers eyes as it happened, and her voice almost quivered when the cleric asked her for her confirmation.

she's half expected hakim to get up and leave, not able to go through with it.

the ceremony itself was small, but hakims family was not so there was clearly the hustle and bustle expected from their part. his sisters, sabrina and chaima, took particular interest in dressing her up regardless of the situation. them and manal, of course, who didn't waste time in getting her gifts ready.

they were happy all the while speaking in dutch with one another. iman didn't feel like they were saying anything particularly bad about her, but even then she was dead inside so she wouldn't have been able to care if they did.

otherwise she hadn't expected such a reception from his siblings, given the strained relationship she had managed to form with her husband and mother in law so far.

she felt guilty as hell, feeling as though she had casted a big stain on her brother and sister in law. she had overshadowed what was supposed to be the best time of their lives, yet any time she shared her concern with the couple she was sternly put down and told to stop speaking nonsense.

she looked down at her henna adorned hands. she couldn't even fathom that she was now married. just two weeks ago she was applying this on to someone else's hands and now her own ones became a matter of interest.

manal sat down next to her as she settled in her room for the night. the grooms party has retreated back to their hotel room with any guests that had arrived with them. it was almost silent on the brides part, giving the negative reputation surrounding iman at the moment. the only other people present were manal's family, who always thought iman to be one of their own children. no amount of bad press would keep them away.

yet she couldn't believe their nerve. always ready to jump in their happiness yet could not bear to be present for their hardships. it felt like her fathers funeral all over again. only this time iman understood a lot more.

her father. the thought occurred to her again as it had the entire day. she wished he was here right now, certainly he would've done something that would have made the situation infinitely better. she knew he would have fought tooth and nail for iman. just like achraf.

she was sitting quietly, not bothering to change out of the fancy kaftan that had been given to her, lost in thoughts. manal nudged her as she poured out some tea for the two to drink.

despite it all, manal was smiling radiantly. iman had some suspicion it had something to do with achraf but felt too drained to comment on it. did most brides feel like this after their wedding? drained? tired? absolutely exhausted?

when manal laughed out loud all of a sudden, her curiosity got the better of her.

'what are you laughing about?'

'nothing, it's just funny.'

'i can literally not name a single even slightly funny thing about any of this.' when her friend shook her head, iman added, 'what had achraf done to you?'

manal carefully took a hold of her friends hands. 'i think its hilarious that a day after i comment on how your henna turned such a deep colour,' manal gestured to the once again dark red almost maroon ink patterns, 'someone agrees to marry you without even knowing you.' iman swatted at her friend whose attempt at lightening up the mood worked. she fought her smile, the irony not lost on her.