A Surprise #ANBONUS

#ANBONUS

"I'll be back before you know it, hamsar-am" Laleh smiled into the phone before she replied, "And in shaa Allah, I have a surprise waiting for you, habibi."

"Another?" He groaned, "maybe this trip is a bad idea after all. I should just hop back onto the plane now." Zayn teased her and felt his heart skipped a beat as he heard her laughter at the other end of the line. Ma shaa Allah, he wondered if he would ever get used to how she made him felt. This was their first period apart since their nikah and he already missed her even though he just settled in the hotel suite. Hearing her laughter made him wished she was beside him even more.

They spoke a little more and hung up after Laleh reminded him to perform his Isha.

Laleh turned back to the iPad to replay the hijab tutorial and pulled a black shawl over her head again, trying to mimick the hijabi's actions. The tutorial video was titled, 'Easy Peasy 1 Min Hijab Tutorial' but Laleh barely managed to pin it in place. A min my ass, Laleh grunted as she slumped further down the cosy bench under her window. She sighed as she looked out, the sky had a beautiful orange hue as the sun slowly crept over the horizon.

Laleh did not realise that many hours had passed since she was out of bed since four in the morning after tossing around the whole night. Zayn's absence made her felt tinier in the already large king size bed and she let her hand wondered many times over his side of bed missing his warmth. So she tried to kill time by finally giving the hijab tutorials that she saved a try while she waited for Zayn's call. The bench was littered with pins and shawls which Maryam generously gave her when she told Maryam of her plan the day before.

For the past few months, Laleh somehow had a nagging feeling in her chest and later found herself secretly looking up and saving hijab tutorials. She finally confided in Maryam instead of Zayn because she knew he would be overly excited and would go overboard shopping for her. But she did not expect Maryam to squeal when Laleh told her that she was keen on donning the hijab. When she returned to the palace last night, Maryam gave her a paper bag filled with an array of shawls and pins, ''basic neccessities'' she called it, but Laleh wondered who needed that many shawls and pins.

There was a soft knock before Maryam came in. She scanned the room before she spotted Laleh by the window and smiled warmly. Maryam had been such a wonderful personal assistant since her engagement to Zayn, ensuring Laleh was comfortably adjusting to Malikbahr; from its lifestyle to royal etiquette.

Laleh pouted her lower lips as she pointed to the mess before her but Maryam could only laughed as she closed the distance. Carefully Maryam placed the shawls and pins back into the paper bag before she sat at the other end of the bench.

Laleh hugged her knees to her chest and lowered her head. "I don't think I'm doing this right", she murmured.

She felt Maryam's warm hand on hers. "Well, it would definitely get some used to. But you will be fine, in shaa Allah!"

"But look at me!" Laleh threw her hands up in exasperation and looked straight at Maryam. "I kept reminding Zayn of his prayers but God knows that I skipped one too many. And those few times when I do pray, I know it's not perfect. Heck, I still don't understand whatever you guys were reciting. I don't know if I deserve to wear this."

Laleh looked out the window and Maryam could see the anger in her stormy grey eyes. But beyond the anger, Maryam could genuinely see the struggles Laleh was facing. Laleh used to swear, more than Maryam could stomach, whenever she was riled up but Maryam herself noticed that Laleh had really tone it down, despite a few slip up, and she was determined to help this fellow sister of hers.

"You may find it hard to believe but it took me a while to finally embrace my hijab too," Laleh's eyes widened in surprise and Maryam continued, "it took me a year, in fact, to finally walk out of my home with my hijab on. And just like you, every night I spent an hour or so in front of the mirror trying my best to follow those tutorials. And trust me, that was just the beginning. I love the desert heat here but with a hijab on, it felt like I just stuck my head into a microwave!"