A Match Made In Jannah

Chapter 4

ZAID'S POV

I was 25. Unmarried at 25 was unheard of for females, but this was the age when most Muslim men married. My mother had set me up with a girl today, and I was super excited, to say the least. I had only had around four girls I had liked before, but nothing could compare to the excitement of waiting to find out who your wife is. Literally grinning from ear to ear, I put on itr and my cream thawb (kurta) and a cream topee.

My hair happened to cooperate with me today, sitting in its thickness and holding my topee rather amazingly. I twirled my beard around my finger and looked into the mirror, unable to contain my happiness. Today was the day. Today...

I drove, partially because I needed to concentrate on something to calm my nerves and partially because I loved to drive. In the car, my father filled me in on all the information I needed and had refused to hear until now to avoid my thoughts straying.

"Her name is Safiyyah. She is in her final year of Madrassah, and she is 22. She only started Madrassah after school and is also studying teaching. She wants to be a lecturer."

Hmmm. Not ideal, but she seemed like a good person. Teaching was a good course, and she seemed to want to better herself. Today would reveal everything.

We walked into the house, and like a typical Indian family, we had kunchas (gift trays) and jewellery in the car.

After greetings and introductions were exchanged, I began conversing with my potential future wife. To be precise, I began talking to her, and it was as if I was talking to a brick wall. Her replies were meek and barely audible, she was shy in a way that was not even Islamically impressive, and she was someone I could imagine being quite bunny like. To say she annoyed me would be an understatement, but I continued the meeting without letting it on as a way of politeness. It wasn't her fault that she was that way. Okay, so it was partially her fault, but I wasn't going to be rude and ungentlemanly.

I shook my head slightly indicating that my Dadi should NOT bring the kunchas and we left soon thereafter. I just couldn't bring myself to accept that no girl would be the perfect girl, my dream girl.

Why?
After a dozen aunties wanting to get me married to their daughters, a few proposal visits, and an equal amount of interested girls, I was not finding my match.

Did Allah have something different in store for me?