LET ME WALK YOU TO JANNAH

Chapter 22

I decided to go back to work but Shahzad's mother was against this.
"A wife shouldn't work, it's dishonor to her husband. People will think that my son can't provide for you." Shahzad's mother said making anger to brew inside me. I wanted to escape her presence and job was the only way out. She wouldn't let me do anything in the house and her hateful remarks were hard to take.

I didn't complain though since Shahzad was nice and sweet to me.
"But I asked for Shahzad permission and he said I can work." I told my mother in law. She shrugged a big frown etched onto her face. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it instantly when she saw her son walking out of the room.

"Mom, Fi amanillah." He kissed her cheeks and nodded to me. "Shall we?" He asked and I nodded and we both moved towards the gate. Shahzad opened the door for me and I lifted myself sitting on the passenger seat.
He closed the door and moved around the car to get into the driver seat.

"Buckle up." He told me before he put the keys into ignition and we skidded against the asphalt.

"You know I could have gone with Fareeha. You shouldn't have taken the trouble." I said making Shahzad's eyes lift from the road to the rearview mirror to meet mine for a second.
"it's my responsibility to take care of my wife and am not neglecting my duties." Shahzad said, his eyes fixed to the road.

After a moment of pure silence, Shahzad asked, "Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?"

"What?" I asked unsure if I heard him correctly. Honeymoon never crossed my mind and I never thought that Shahzad would want us to go to one.

"Any place you fancy us to go?" He persisted and I shook my head. Any place would be fine with me as long as I would breathe a different air without having my mother in law on my  neck. It was not like I hated her but I didn't appreciate her presence. She was always rude and cold towards me and her son was unaware of it.

Shahzad dropped me in front of Belden restaurant. He lowered his body and placed a kiss on my forehead and he let his lips linger on my skin for a while making my heart thump in my chest.

"Have a nice day my love." He said flashing me his beautiful smile making his dimples prominent on his cheeks. My love. He always called me that. A sweet feeling burst in my chest flooding my lungs making it hard to breathe.

He waited until I disappeared behind the entrances of the restaurant and then I heard the sound of the car engines.

                         ***
We had packed our clothes since we were departing the following day for our honeymoon. Shahzad suggested that we visit Lateefa before our journey and I loved the idea.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me while I was getting ready infront of the dressing mirror.
I was combing my hair when I noticed Shahzad staring at me through the reflection.

He stood up and took the hijab placed on my lap while I was putting my hair in a bun.

"I will never get tired of this view," he pated my hair with his right hand while in his left hand he still had my scarf. "I never thought that there would be a day when I wouldn't be forced to lower my gaze." My heart thumped in my chest threatening to leap out of its cage. One thing about Shahzad was that he was never shy to spill the words of his thoughts. He was always bare and straightforward, not fearing to speak from his mind while I was a person who pushed her thoughts in the dark and buried them in her mind.

"Let me help you with the hijab." He said and placed my scarf on my head and without struggles he wrapped my scarf perfectly and pinned them in place. Then he stared into my soul, with his eyes pleading mine to let in and peek into my heart.

"How can you perfectly do this." I said suddenly trying to break the spell his eyes had cast.

"Fareeha always challenged me to do her hijabs." He stood up and grabbed the car keys from the nightstand.

We sat in his car in silence as he speeded past the trees that lined the side walk.

Shahzad got out of the car after parking infront of the big gate that read " welcome, here lies support and love". A gust of emotions flooded me reminding me of the first day I walked inside this place with a nurse.

My tears fell uncontrollably when I hugged Lateefa to my bosom. She clutched at me like a mother hugging her son for the first time after years of being away in a war.
"If you tear like this then I will be forced to think that Shahzad isn't treating you well." She shot daggers at Shahzad and he instantly raised his hands in the air shaking his head.

Lateefa was ecstatic when Shahzad told her we were going to our honeymoon. "I pray it becomes a memorable time for you and an opportunity to understand each other and bond. I will pray for you and I have a feeling that it will be a beautiful journey for you."
Afterwards we had tea and chatted a bit before we departed.

On our way back Shahzad played Quran and I let my soul confide in the soothing effect it had on me. I rolled down my mirror and closed my eyes as the cold breeze slapped my face. Opening my eyes I stared at the dark sky glowing with the group of stars that formed constellations. I couldn't help but think that life was unpredictable. It was crazy the route my life had taken.

Shahzad parked the car in front of an ice cream vendor. "Which flavor?" He asked as he unbuckled his seat belt.
I never had an ice cream in my life and telling this to some people might sound incredible. People who have their life smooth always tend to think that others have it the same.

I shrugged and Shahzad jogged to the vendor. A few minutes later, he returned with the ice creams and offered me mine. "I hope you do like chocolate flavour?" He asked unsure and I looked away from his intense gaze that always had a tendency of slipping into my soul.

"I never had ice cream though." I said carelessly as if it wasn't a big deal.
Shahzad stared at me unblinking, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Are you serious?" He asked and I nodded as a response. "Atleast you are having a first time experience with me." He smiled before slipping out of the car leaving me confused with my heart and mind racing, each trying to outrun the other.

He returned after few minutes with a large container. "Here is all the ice cream flavours. We are embarking on a journey of finding your favorite flavour." He said and offered me a spoonful of the chocolate flavour.

Then followed all the other flavours.

"So its chocolate? Atleast our similarity is laced on ice cream," Shahzad shifted closer to me and placed his thumb near my mouth. He rubbed the cream from my mouth with his thumb and licked it. My heart started thrushing against my ribcage and butterflies decided to build homes in my stomach.

Shahzad moved closer to me until the distance between our faces was just an inch. I begged my lungs to hold on and not release air, I fixed my lips together trying to even my rugged breathing but the rise and fall of my chest was giving me away. "Am glad that you have something to associate with me. Am sure everytime you take icecream you will remember me." He smiled goofily, closed the distance between us and placed a kiss on my cheek near my mouth.