Affianced By Force

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - An Exhilarating Experience.

They arrived King Abdulazeez's airport at 4:45PM along with the crowd of Nigerians. Faisal led them towards the arrival and found a restroom for her. Umamah had thrown up all she ate during the hours of the journey.

Surprisenly, she came out of the restroom looking refreshed and beaming all smiles.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concern evidenced from his tone.

She beamed again. "Finally out on earth. I am more than okay. You don't look good though."

Umamah knew she was the reason.  Faisal had been so worried about her airsickness that he, himself might fall sick soon. But he just shrugged, pulling her along.

"Come. There is a crowd I would like you to meet."

"Oh, if it's not King Faisal trying to integrate his wife into the Arabian society." Umamah jested as she allowed a smiling Faisal to guide her to a waiting crowd of six. Three men and three women. The way they were tagged showed each were a couple.

"Brother Faisal!" One of the men greeted, pulling her husband into a hug. He looked Indian.

"Assalaam'alakum Brother Khan." He returned the hug.

And then, he gave the rest two men, whom she realized were Brother Abdulateef from Riyadh and Brother Hamza from Somalia the same hug.

Faisal turned to Umamah then. "These gents and their families never miss Hajj. This is my wife, Umamah Sulaym."

The men gave her a quick greeting and soon the women walked towards her while Faisal joined the men's lane.

"I am Asia. Brother Abdulateef's wife." One of them introduced.  "This is Rodhia, Brother Hamza's wife, and the extremely white one is Sara..."

"Brother Khan's wife." Umamah supplied and the women giggled.

They followed the men from behind, chit-chatting about their basic infos until they hitched the all ladies ride and arrived their lodge.

Umamah was dismayed to find that it was the same general one everyone used. Faisal hadn't booked a five-star hotel, a few days-live-in apartment or even a motel. He intended they used the public space, like everyone else.

She fought the tears that threatened to role down her eyes. He was the richest, humble man she had ever been fortunate to meet.

"Are you Okay, Umamah?" Sarah asked as she passed a blanket to her. The other ladies had also stopped in their attempt at settling in to stare at her. Apparently, she had been in a daze for quite a while.

Umamah shook her head, taking the blanket from her. How did she explain how proud of her husband she was to these strangers?

"I just can't believe I am in here. In Macca. The birth city of our Noble Prophet." She replied. It was true.

Asia came to her, sitting in her bed. "First time Hajj is always like that. Wait untill you are used to it. It will take only the Mercy of Allah to renew this Iman you have today in your heart."

"By the way, I have wanted to ask you this, since we arrived. Are you going somewhere from here?" Sister Rodhia asked.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Do you intend lots of sadaqah?" Rodhiyya probed again

"Nit understanding her, Umamah became uncomfortable. "Uhhhh..."

"Leave her be Sister. We all packed bigger than her on our firsts too." Sarah chided. That was when Umamah u derstood their allusion to her four boxes. Umm Fatimah had finally been able to convince her to reduce the boxes by two.