He & She

Chapter 4

The next few weeks passed in an absolute blur. It was a whirl wind of shopping, house repairs and pre-wedding cooking.

The wedding day, the 10th of July was fast approaching. There would be a few occasions leading up to the final wedding day. Starting on the 4th when all the guests would InshAllah arrive. 5th we would have the first official get together with both the families where everyone would get to know each other much better. The 6th would be Sanaa's friends party. 7th we would have the two families come together again for a Quran night, with dinner. 8th which also happens to be Sanaa's birthday, I mean how crazy is that, where we would have  the Vanaai ( a traditional ceremony where you give gifts to the bride and groom and then mess the groom) something I was really looking forward to. 9th would be a resting day for all before the Niqah. 10th the Niqah and finally on the 11th the Walima.

Yes, it was a long wedding, but that was the only way our family knew how to do a wedding. Plus all these functions were all on a pretty small scale, so it should be more fun than a tension anyway. I just couldn't wait for all the fun to begin. But then again it would mean my sister going away. I knew deep in my heart though that our bond was too strong to ever be broken, but still she wouldn't be living at home anymore. Anyway,shoving those depressing thoughts aside, I walked into Sanaa's room only to be greeted with lots of fragranced smoke.

"Oh my god! How much oud are you getting done?" I said in between coughs. I mean I loved oud and all, but this was so much.

"She's the bride, she has to get this much done" my mum replied, currently ouding my sisters hair. Poor Sanaa, I thought. But on second thought, after looking at her smiling face, I'm guessing she was enjoying it after all.

"Sanaa, I'm going to Tesco, do you want anything? Mum do you need anything as well?" I asked. Since Sanaa had started her oud she hadn't left home for hijab purposes and mum was so busy, so I thought I would help out with the house groceries.

"Ooh, a B&J cookie dough for me and a packet of Doritos." Sanaa said excitedly. And before I could ask her which flavour of Doritos she wanted, we both said at the same time, "chilli heat wave!" After which we both laughed.

"Mum what about you?" I asked before leaving.

"Oh nothing sweety. I think we have everything." She said going through a mental checklist, which i knew she was because I know her so well.

"Mummy!" I said going over and giving her a hug. " I didn't mean for the house, I meant for you!"

"Awh! Nothing dear, thank you" she said hugging me back.

"Okay Cadbury buttons it is then!" I said giving her a cheeky smile and wink.

"Hanna! Don't you have to go to the airport to receive all the guests. I can't believe I forgot its fourth today! Oh no! What time are they coming? Have they already landed?" She asked, ready to go into full panic mode.

"No mummy don't worry. I remember. I'm going with Ahmed and papa. After we finish at Tesco, we'll make our way to the airport. Don't worry mummy. It's all taken care of." I said while putting on my headscarf. "I'll see you both later InshAllah. Fiamanillah" I blew them both a kiss, grabbed my purse and rushed toward the car where I knew Ahmed and papa would be waiting, because I am always late!

An hour and a half later, Ahmed, papa and I were waiting at the airport arrivals eagerly waiting for our guests to come out. Luckily all the guests, ours and Kumail's side aswell, were coming from America today. So we had told Aunty Zainab and uncle Hassan, Kumail's parents, that we would pick them up aswell.

"Assalamun Alaykum!"I heard my father greet in a happy voice. I broke out of my stupor to see Aunty Yasmine with a trolley that carried a lot of bags. I silently chuckled at this. I ran straight to her, followed by Ahmed, where we both gave her a big hug. Aunty Yasmine was our mums sister and literally the coolest, craziest and most awesome Aunty ever. She was quite young and didn't have any kids as of now.

"And how are my most amazing nieces and nephews?" She asked, not letting us go from that hug.

"Aunty Yasmine, that's not fair, you always end up calling Sanaa your favourite niece aswell." I said pretending to pout.

"Well, how about Tim Hortons hot chocolate and their maple pecan pastry thingy to make it up?"she asked with a gleam in her eye knowing that Tim horton's was my absolute favourite, especially since we don't get it her.

"Aunty Yas you're the best. I love you!" I said excitedly while Ahmed tsked tsked me.

After Aunty Yas came out, quite a few other relatives came out as well. There was our cousins farheen and samiya, both amazing girls. Uncle mustafa, papa's brother and Dadi, our precious grandmother, who came with uncle yahya.

"Hanna, is that you?" My Dadi asked, trying to fix her glasses so as to see better. "You look just like Sanaa, which reminds me, you should thinking about marriage too." She said reaching out to hug me. I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but smile, that was typical Dadi. As much as I hated her obsession with my marriage, I missed it and her when she was not there. After all she was Dadi, and she spoilt me rotten. I eyed her small hand luggage, knowing full well that it was jam packed with duty free goodies.

"So, I think that's all the guests right?" I asked papa, after a few more of Kumail's relatives had arrived. Good thing we hired a bus for this! "Oh no wait! Kumail's grandmother is left, and little Ali aswell." Kumail's grandmother, amina, lives here. But she had insisted on going to New York to pick up little Ali, Kumail's younger brother. I liked Dadi amina, she was so exciting and spunky.

"Little Ali?" My dad asked, amusement laced in his voice.

"Uhh ya?" I replied uncertainly, making it come out more like a question. Why else would his grandma go all the way to the big apple to pick him up? Plus I had always pictured this cute, little sweet boy as Ali who would come out of the airport arrivals clutching his Dadi's hand tightly. "I even brought him a lollipop!" I said holding it out proudly.

"Why thank-you. Little Ali sure does appreciate that." An unfamiliar voice said from behind me, which indicated that it definitely did not belong to someone who was little! With wide eyes and flushed cheeks, I turned around to see someone who was not little or cute or sweet. In fact, he was tall, handsome and I would soon learn, the devil.