NADIYA'S STRUGGLE

Chapter 47

Nadiya's cousins just left her home, after successfully buying her off to her husband with the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand. It was a great struggle as the groomsmen wanted a reduction but the girls weren't relenting. They said the groomsmen should consider this amount because initially, they wanted just five hundred thousand. They gave up and transferred the money to them and the girls happily celebrated.

After that, Nadiya stayed with her cousins and some of the few friends she had, before they announced that it was time they left. She cried when hugging her cousins and Khadijah cried the most as they were more closer and even lived together.

She was now in her room, alone. She knew Umar would be here soon as he texted her that he was on his way. She got up and went straight to the bathroom to wash off her makeover. She was tired of it and her face seemed heavy as a result of it, even though it was done four hours ago. Her face dried up quickly due to the blasting air conditioner in the room and harmattan caught her soon after. She didn't know where to find a cream to apply on her face, but she really needed to find it soon as she hated to get harmattan on her body.

She checked the drawers in the dressing mirror and fortunately found a cream, thanking whoever for putting it close by. She applied it and used the lipgloss that she saw on the little drawer by the side of the bigger one. Now she loved how she looked.

She went back to the bed and sat just in time when Umar entered with a salaam.

"Wa'alaykum salam." She whispered and he removed his shoe before coming closer to her side.

"How are you doing? I hope I didn't keep you waiting." He said, not letting his gaze off her, while she on the other hand, kept her face down more often.

"No, not at all. I'm fine, just a bit tired from the stress..." She trailed off with a light yawn.

"I understand. You must be hungry. I bought food, let's go eat." He stood up, but she didn't. He turned his face to look at her and she suddenly turned shy.

"I thought we'd pray the Nafawil first and then we'd eat after that." It was on Umar's mind to pray as well, but since eating is ahead of praying and he thought she must be hungry, he didn't offer it. However, it wasn't compulsory.

"Sure. I wasn't too hungry, so the food could wait." And then she stood up to the bathroom while he stepped out of the room, to head to his room and perform ablution, then change into a jallabiya.

After he was done, he entered her room and found her already waiting for him. She has sprayed the mat and wore her Hijab already. She turned when he emerged in and he flashed her a smile she found adorable.

He led the prayer and when they were done, he stood up to fold the mats and kept it next to the bed. She removed her Hijab as well and folded it while her cap was secured on her head, then joined the mats he kept openly and her hijab to put them in a drawer.

"I'll bring the food now." Umar said and Nadiya simply nodded, before sitting back down on the bed to wait for her husband to bring the meal. He arrived sooner than she expected and the food was already set on the plate and everything else they needed like water and spoons. Everything was on a tray so he'd be able to bring them all at once.

"Thank you Umar." She muttered with a bright smile that had him lost for a second, before he resumed back to lifting the items out of the tray.

They ate in silence, both enjoying the meal as it was clear they never had dinner due to the wedding ceremony. Soon after, they were done and Nadiya gulped down the water Umar kept next to her and when she dropped it, he took from her bottle as well. She stood up and took everything to its place, leaving only the two bottles of water for later.