Flawless love

Chapter:10 yusuf

  ⋆ ˖   ݁ 🦢 ݁ ˖ ⋆
Finally, Abdi's wedding is over. It had been five days since the celebration, and we had all been busy with the preparations and post-wedding arrangements. During these five days, Aaliyah had been occupied with her work and fulfilling orders from customers. As a result, we hadn't had a chance to see each other. It felt strange not seeing her for such a long time. She would leave the house at 6:00 a.m. before I even woke up, which made it difficult to cross paths. Nevertheless, I was eagerly awaiting her response to my confession, unsure of how she felt about me. Today, being Friday and a day off from work, we were planning to have a family lunch after the Salah prayer. I hoped to see Aaliyah there, not knowing whether she would ignore me or not.

Abdi and I prepared for the Friday prayer early in the morning after breakfast. I still hadn't seen Aaliyah, as she had gone to the market to buy vegetables and meat for the lunch. We took a shower and left the house, intending to meet Aaliyah and her mother at the mosque. When we arrived, we greeted them with a salaam.

"Are you guys going to the mosque?" Aaliyah asked, her gaze lowered, not yet looking at me.

"Yes, what do you want from us?" Abdi playfully responded.

"I don't want anything from you, dumbass! Yusuf, come back after Salah. We're going to have a family lunch. If you already knew, then both of you go away," she laughed. I recognized the sound of her laughter from a mile away. It was distinct and different from any other girl's laughter. She had a way of captivating me, even without meeting her in person.

"Okay, we know about it, and we'll leave now," I replied with a smile, bidding them farewell.

After the prayer, as Abdi and I walked back home, we engaged in conversation. Suddenly, Abdi turned to me and said, "Yusuf, I'm your best friend, and I can sense when something's on your mind. Are you in love with my little sister?"

"What? What do you mean?" I asked, taken aback by his observation.

"No one knows you as well as I do. I've never seen you talk to a girl so much before. I have this feeling that you're interested in her, but you're afraid to admit it or talk to me about it. Are you worried it might ruin our friendship?" Abdi probed.

"No, it's not that. But I do have feelings for your sister. Ever since you showed me her picture that day, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I wanted to tell you, but then your wedding preparations took over, and I couldn't find the right moment," I confessed.

"You should have told me earlier. It's not something haram or bad. It's normal, and I trust that you, as a man of character, would never harm my sister. If you want to get to know her and consider marrying her, my dad will support you wholeheartedly. We'll see how Aaliyah responds to it," Abdi assured me.

"I'm truly grateful for your support. I never expected this, but I'll take the first step today, Insha Allah," I replied, feeling a mix of relief and excitement.

"Buddy, are you serious? We have a bond that can never be broken. I, too, fell in love unexpectedly and asked for her hand after a few weeks. It's normal, and I'm thrilled that my sister has caught your attention," Abdi shared, his joy evident.

Upon reaching home, we joined the rest of the family at the lunch table, including the babies, Abdi's parents, and Aaliyah, who had been preparing the meal for us. As we began eating, we engaged in conversation and shared stories. I felt a deep sense of comfort and belonging with them. This was the longest I had stayed in someone else's house, and I felt blessed to be a part of their family.

After finishing the meal, we retired to the living room to rest. As we sat there with Abdi and his parents, I gathered the courage to ask for Aaliyah's hand in marriage.

"Uncle Abdullahi and Aunt Khadijah, today I want to humbly request your daughter's hand in marriage. I wish to marry Aaliyah with your permission. Before that, I would like to get to know her better. If you grant me this opportunity, I would be immensely grateful," I said, praying earnestly for their acceptance.

"My son, do not be disheartened. You are not asking for something wrong or bad so heads up.You are choosing your future, and if you believe your future lies with my daughter, I will not say no. Although I had always envisioned my daughter marrying a Somali manfrom our community, I also understand that love knows no boundaries. Aaliyah is a grown woman, and it is her decision to make. I will support her in whatever she chooses," Uncle Abdullahi responded, his voice filled with warmth and understanding.

Aunt Khadijah added, "Yusuf, we have seen you grow up alongside our son. You have always been respectful, responsible, and kind-hearted. If Aaliyah feels the same way about you, we will not stand in your way. We want her to be happy, and her happiness lies in her own hands."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I thanked them for their kindness and acceptance. This was a moment I had been waiting for, and I couldn't believe that they were willing to consider me as a potential partner for Aaliyah. A sense of gratitude overwhelmed me.

Finally, dinnertime arrived, and we sat down to enjoy our meal. Aunt Khadijah instructed Aaliyah to take the babies to their room and put them to sleep before returning. Aaliyah followed her mother's instructions, and when she came back, she was surprised to see Abdi, me, and her parents gathered in the living room.

"Okay, what's going on? Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"No, my love," her father responded gently. "We just wanted to talk to you about something."

Curiosity filled Aaliyah's eyes as she looked at us. Her father took a deep breath and spoke, "Our son, Yusuf, would like to get to know you better."

A wave of shyness washed over Aaliyah, and she turned away slightly. Her mother quickly reassured her, "What's wrong, my girl? It's okay if you don't want to, please don't be upset. We simply wanted to let you know."

"No, Mommy, I'm not mad," Aaliyah replied softly, struggling to meet our gazes. "I just need a moment alone. It's okay if Yusuf wants to get to know me. I'm okay with it too. I want to learn more about him."

With a barely audible voice, she addressed her mother, "Can I go to my room, Mom?" After receiving permission, she quietly left the room.

A mixture of surprise and joy filled her parents' faces, and Abdi smiled widely. As for me, I felt like I was floating on cloud nine. In that moment, I was the happiest person alive.