𝘼 𝙑𝙊𝙄𝘾𝙀 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 || 𝖪𝖳𝖧 Halal 𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 ||

Chap 6: Uncertainty

The streets of the old city were eerily silent, the only sound being the soft hum of a distant generator. The walls, once adorned with vibrant murals, now wore a dull, faded look, like a once-colorful tapestry that had been left out in the rain. The streets, once bustling with life, were now empty, save for a few scattered figures hurrying to find shelter from the impending curfew.
The air was heavy with tension, the smell of smoke and fear hanging like a thick fog. The grim reminder of the conflict that had been raging for months.
A door knock was heard.
“Mom…mom there's someone on the door mom I'm scared mom please don't open mom”. A girl in her early 30s said to her mother in arabic language being scared.
“Hey it's okay dear it maybe someone” the woman about 50 years said.
“No mom please.. please mom, ukht…Yusra ukht (in Arabic ukht means sister) stop mom please” now the 20years old girl name dareen said to her older sister.
“Yusra and Dareen don't be scared it can be your dad Dad”. Mother of yusra said  calming her down.
“I'll look”. Yusra's mom got up from the floor where they were sitting.
In slow steps she reached the door to see who was outside.

“W-Who is there” she asked stuttering.
“I'm Asiya…Fatima open the door”. An old woman's voice was heard from outside.
Fatima the mother of yusra and Dareen  instantly opened the door letting her sister inside.
“What happened Yusra you look so scared” Asiya the aunt of Yusra and Dareen and the sister of their mother Fatima.
“She got scared when the door was knocked”. Fatima while gesturing her to sit down.
“Oh, Yusra my dear, I know these are difficult times, and it's natural to feel scared and uncertain. But remember, you are a strong and capable woman, just like your grandmother and mother before you. They faced their own challenges and came out even stronger”. Asiya said giving motivation to her niece, Asiya is so supportive woman she always motivates her children.
“But I'm not a strong women I'm not like them I'm so coward so loser I can't handle this why it's happening to us” this time yusra's voice was heavy.
Yusra's aunt held her close and replied:
"Yusra, my dear, I know it's hard to understand why these things are happening to us. But remember, we are not alone. Our people have faced oppression and hardship for generations, and yet we have always found a way to persevere. We have always found a way to love, to hope, and to keep moving forward. It's not about why it's happening to us, but about how we respond to it. We can choose to let our circumstances define us, or we can rise above them. We can choose to let hate and fear consume us, or we can choose to love and forgive”.

She now drank the water they gave her.
“You and Ali are a symbol of hope and love in a world that desperately needs it. Don't let the darkness around you extinguish the light within you. Keep shining, my dear. Keep shining." Yusra's aunt wiped away her tears, her voice cracking with emotion. She held Yusra at arm's length, looking deep into her eyes.
“Aunt it feels like I'm a victim”. Yusra said wiping her tears.
"Remember, Yusra, you are not just a victim of circumstance. You are a survivor. You are a warrior. And you are loved.
You are not alone, Yusra. You have Ali, who loves and supports you, and you have us, who will always be here for you. And most importantly, you have your own inner strength and resilience.” This time her mother Fatima said to motivate her child. 

“Oh I forgot to ask you that is it all arrangged from your side? Cause Ali said that before the circumstances become worse you both should get married tomorrow it is said to be that tomorrow the soldiers will be busy for their own work”. Asiya said to Fatima.

Tomorrow it was a very important event of her life. Tomorrow yusra was going to marry her cousin Ali, who is the son of Asiya. From Ali's side it was a love marriage and from Yusra's side it was an arrange marriage but Yusra's knows that Ali is so decent man he knows how to treat a woman cause he is so obedient to his and her mother. Yusra had always known that her marriage to Ali would be an arranged one. Her parents had chosen him for her, and she had accepted their decision. But as she got to know Ali, she realized that he was different from what she had expected. He was kind, gentle, and genuinely cared for her. Ali, on the other hand, had fallen deeply in love with Yusra from the moment he got to know her, her modesty her discipline. He had been overjoyed when their families had agreed to their marriage, and he had been counting the days until they could be together. As they prepared for their wedding, Yusra couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment. She didn't feel the same way as Ali did, and she worried that would she be able to reciprocate the love her gave her?. 

Yusra's aunt hugged her tightly, her words and warmth filling Yusra with a sense of determination and courage.

                       ______________

The wedding ceremony took place in a historic mosque, its stone walls bearing the scars of conflict and neglect. The once-vibrant tile work was now faded and chipped, and the stained glass windows were cloudy with age. The air was thick with the scent of incense, but also with the hint of fear.
The courtyard was filled with guests, their faces etched with worry and concern. They had all come to celebrate the union of Yusra and Ali, but the circumstances were far from ideal. The mosque was located in a particularly volatile area.
The women's hijabs and dresses were still vibrant, but their eyes told a different story - one of fear and uncertainty. The men's faces were set in determined lines, their eyes scanning the surroundings, ready for any sign of danger.
The archway at the front of the courtyard was still beautiful, but it was now flanked by sandbags and makeshift barricades. The chandelier above was dim, its crystals dulled by the dust and smoke that filled the air.
In the center of the courtyard, the wedding throne sat atop a raised platform, its golden finery tarnished and worn. Yusra and Ali would soon sit there, surrounded by their loved ones, but the atmosphere was tense and foreboding.

The guests waited in silence, their eyes darting towards the exits, as if ready to flee at a moment's notice. The air was heavy with fear and uncertainty, but also with hope and determination. Yusra and Ali's marriage was a beacon of light in a dark time, and their wedding was a defiant declaration of hope in the face of adversity.

“Inn the name of Allah, who is Most Gracious, Most Merciful, you Ali ibne ibraheem do you take Yusra binte Alfid as your wife”

The imam said addressing Ali.

Ali looked at Yusra smiling in a assuring way in which yusra smiled in return.

“Yes, yes I do”

“You Yusra binte Alfid do you take Ali ibne ibraheem as you husband”. Now this time the imam was addressing yusra.

Yusra took a deep breath and said “Yes I do”.

The people present there became happy they had smile plastered on their faces.
Everyone was congratulating each other.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of bombing and shooting from a far.

Yusra knew this happiness couldn't be last forever.

(Ibne means son of
Binte means daughter of)

Stay tuned for upcoming part which you've to read having hand on your heart.
Allah Hafiz ✨