Collision of hearts

Chapter 11

It's been three days, and Nadia still hasn't come out of her room.

"Nadia, Nadiaaa! Open the door, or I will break it down!" Mami says from the door. She has been asking her to open it for a while, but Nadia refused. At first, Mami wanted to give her some space, but now it's too much. She was surprised when she heard Nadia finally open the door.

Nadia had lost a lot of weight, and her eyes were swollen and red, with her hair sticking to her face. She opened the door and went back inside, laying on her bed and covering herself with a blanket. Mami sighed as she walked inside.

"Nadia, get up. We need to talk," Mami said, and Nadia responded, "There's nothing to talk about. You've already made your decision."

"Come on, sit down," Mami urged, and this time, Nadia listened.

"Wallahi, Nadia, we didn't do this to upset you or make you unhappy. We have your best interests in mind, and you know we would never do anything to harm you. Zaid is a good guy, and my heart will be at ease knowing my daughter will be safe and happy. What I want from you now is to pray and ask Allah for the best. And if, after everything, you still don't want to get married, then it's okay. We won't force you. What matters is that you're happy," Mami said.

Nadia nodded, trying hard not to cry.

"Now go and freshen up, you stink!" Mami said as she stood to leave.

"What about you? Will it make you happy?" Nadia asked. Mami turned around, looking at her for a moment before saying, "Yes, but your happiness always comes first."

Nadia's POV

Two hours after Mami left, Biba came and told me dinner was ready. I went downstairs and saw everyone was already there.

"Good evening, Baba'm," I greeted Baba, and he responded, "Evening, dear. Come and sit next to me."

I lazily sat down, and he continued, "Let's eat, and we'll talk later, okay?"

After we finished dinner, Baba called me to the living room and sat me down.

"Nadia, you know I always want what's best for you, right? And I always do what I think is best for you," he said. I replied, "Yes, Baba."

"Yusuf has been my friend since primary school—almost 40 years now. We did everything together. Yusuf came to me asking for your hand in marriage for his son. He wants to strengthen our relationship, and I couldn't find it in my heart to say no to him. This is the first time I'm asking something from you. Please accept this marriage, and if after one year you feel like you don't want to continue, you can come back home," Baba said.

I answered, "Toh Baba, in shaa Allah."

He said, "Promise me you'll try to make it work. Allah ya yi miki albarka."

I replied, "I promise. Amin, Baba."

With that, he dismissed me. I had already reached the stairs when he said, "Nadia, Zaid is a good boy. I'm sure he'll treat you well."

I nodded and went to my room, where I saw Mami waiting for me.

"Mami, what's wrong?" I asked. She handed me three shopping bags, and I took them, clearly confused.

"What is this?" I asked again.

"Wear this tomorrow. Zaid is going to take you out," she said. I nodded. We talked for a while until she said she was going to bed. I changed into my pajamas, performed wudu, and drifted off to sleep.

The Next Day

I woke up early and made breakfast. I was setting the table when Ya Muhammad came in.

"Hey, baby sis. How are you doing?" he asked.

"Fine. How about you?" I replied.

"Fine, too. So, you're getting married to Zaid?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Are you sure you want this, or are they forcing you?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"No, nobody is forcing me," I replied, and he nodded, saying, "If he hurts you, I'll kill him. But I must admit, he's a good guy."

I chuckled.

"Nadyyy is all grown up," Ya Muhammad said, laughing.

After Asr, I started getting ready. I showered and put on the dress Mami gave me yesterday. It was a beautiful brown dress with a matching veil. I instantly fell in love with the shoes and bag. I must admit, I looked pretty. After spraying some perfume, I went downstairs to find Zaid looking handsome in his light brown kaftan.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Mami said, drawing everyone's attention to me.

"Thank you, Mami," I said. I looked at Zaid and saw him already looking at me.

"Hey, lower your gaze," Ya Muhammad said, a little annoyed. Zaid turned his attention to his phone.

"Ina yini," I greeted.

"Lafiya lau," he responded.

We sat for a while when Mami said, "You guys should leave. It's getting late. And make sure you bring my daughter back before six."

With that, we left.

The ride was silent and awkward.

"You look beautiful," Zaid said, breaking the silence.

"Thank you," I replied.

He nodded. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good. How about you?" I responded.

"Fine," he said. I asked about his work, and he said, "There's this deal that's stressing me out."

"Allah ya bada sa'a," I replied.

"Amin," he answered.

He asked about school, and I told him, "I'm taking a break for a year before starting university."

He nodded and asked about my likes and dislikes. I told him, and then I asked about his. He likes horse riding, traveling, drawing, photography, and cooking. He dislikes lies. His favorite food is grilled fish.

That's how we kept talking until he stopped at a mall.

"Are you coming?" he asked, and I shook my head no. He went inside, and after 15 minutes, he came back holding two poly bags and one paper bag. He put the bags in the backseat, and we drove home. We arrived at 5:50.

I was about to open the door to leave, but he stopped me, saying, "I still have 10 minutes, I believe." I nodded.

"One last question: Do you want to marry me?" he asked. My heart skipped a beat. I stayed quiet for a while, and then he said, "Answer me." His voice was soft.

"If you don't want this, I can talk to our parents so they can call it off," he continued.

"I-I want..." I said shyly.

"What do you want?" he asked mischievously, and I rolled my eyes.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I want to marry you, of course," he replied.

I couldn't help but blush so hard, feeling butterflies in my stomach.

"Your 10 minutes are up, dark prince," I said as I tried to open the door, but it was locked. He got out of the car, took the two bags from the backseat, and walked to my side of the door. He opened it for me. I stepped out, and he closed the door behind me. He walked me to the front door and handed me the bags.

"Are you not coming in?" I asked.

He said he was in a hurry. I thanked him and bid him goodbye.

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