rah e ulfat

آٹھ

D U A A H

The final event is the rukhsti-Walima, which is only a couple of days away. There's much more preparations from the girl's side than there is the boys, I realise as I switch between the two.

My parents' main focus is the Walima part of it; they are sorting out the invites and the food whereas Deena's family are dealing with the rukhsti part, which involves a lot more than I expected.

My Walima was very small, even for a desi wedding event. I don't remember having to do this much in terms of preparations. But maybe that was because I was too busy convincing myself that this was what I wanted.

I spend most of my time helping Fatima aunty out but I also take the twins to visit their Nano's house, who is stressing with making sure everything is perfect even though I've told her it's all going to go well.

I think her biggest fear is Usma Begum; who's veins don't run with blood but drama.

Right now, as Fatima aunty and I prepare the favour boxes, I keep my ears focused on the door in case she will walk in. The coffee table is filled with all of the items and I sit on the floor in front of it, picking up the black ribbon to tie around the treat filled box.

Zayn and Zaara are building the tallest tower with their colorful building blocks and Deena is helping them with a face mask on her face for a "natural glow."

"Do you think Wasiq Bhai's family is going to come?" Fatima aunty asks all of a sudden, adding one more chocolate to the box before handing it to me.

Deena shakes her head. "No chance. Mrs Wasiq is still mad we didn't go to her daughter's mehndi."

"Why didn't you guys go?" I ask, curious.

"It was Deena's graduation," Fatima aunty shakes her head tiredly "she expected us to skip that and go to her event."

That's not really something you should be mad at somebody over. But women in our community wait to pick up on a small thing like this and take that grudge to the grave.

"Asian aunties, I'm telling you," Deena shakes her head "wait, Zayn put that block on slowly."

Zayn freezes with the blue block in the air and looks at Deena and then at Zaara, who has her hands out in caution. The tower is very close to falling.

"You go." Zayn shakes his head and pushes his blue block in Deena's hand with his eyes pinched shut.

Blowing out a dramatic breath, Deena prepares herself before taking the block from Zayn's hand. The twins stand behind her as she very, very slowly places the blue block on top of the yellow one. Everyone has paused what they are doing to watch what is going to happen next.

The faint sound of the front door closing sounds in the distance and then the living room door opens.

"Asalaamalaikum-"

The tower falls immediately.

We all groan in unison and Fatima aunty chuckles as Zaara holds her heads in her hands like this is the biggest heartbreak of her life.

"Bhai!" Deena exclaims at Hamza, who's just walked in, like he's the one who caused the tower to collapse.

He puts his hands up in surrender like she has just pointed a gun at him. "What did I do?"

"Go slow!" Zayn says as loud as he can to show his disapproval.

"I did!" Deena argues back as she helps them pick the fallen soldiers back up.