Chapter 1
Present day - Nuriyah’s pov
“Done”! I celebrated with myself, that I was finally done editing my Asian fashion week vlog.
Two weeks ago I was in Jakarta for that very reason.
The trip had been amazing, a much needed breath of fresh air. I pressed upload but for some reason I didn’t feel satisfied or excited uploading this video for my thousands of subscribers.
I’d come so far but, I Nuriyah Martinez felt like I was missing something.
Looking away the screen of my Macbook I felt really silly, I have a family, I have a house in a stunning city that was safe for Muslims most of the time. I have almost everything.
Thank Allah for that.
I heard a knock on my bedroom door. The knock belonged to Aslam, my brother.
“Asalamu Alaykum” He greeted opening the door a bit.
“Walaikumsalam. Come in Akh”. I replied to his greeting and called him brother in Arabic which is our first language.
“How are you ninta?” Aslam said and came to sit next to me on my bed. Ninta means little girl in our second language Spanish. I may be 24 years of age but he still insists on calling me it.
“I’m okay”. I reply with a shrug.
“What about you? How is Nabila”? I ask about him and his wife.
“We are Alhamdulillah. I’m actually here to see if you’d like to come for dinner with us. Would you?”
He used the word us as in him and his n wife Nabila. They had just gotten married a few months ago.
It wasn’t the fact that he was married to Nabila that I didn’t like; it was because I still hadn’t gotten used to idea of him being married.
It was hard for me to admit even, that they are both made for each other.
Also whenever I talk to her I have no idea what to say, she is so sweet and pious compared to me.
“You newlyweds wouldn’t want me bothering you. Are you sure you want me to come along?”
“It’ll be fun. Bring Ahmed along I think it’s about time I met him” he teased.
“No! I don’t think I am at that of the relationship with him”! I exclaim.
Ahmed is the guy I’ve been dating for the past two months. He is a business lawyer who I met at a blogger event.
“And plus you’d have a chance to wear that brand new Hijab Papa got you for Eid?” Aslam suggested. My beloved brother so always so supportive of my Hijab journey, a few months ago I didn’t wear Hijab but after last Ramadaan I’ve been making a lot of effort to wear it every day.
“Okay fine you win!” I playfully hit him with my throw pillow.
“Alhamdulillah! So I guess we’ll be seeing you after Asr prayer.”
He then gave me a kiss on the forehead and left my room
I turned my attention back to my laptop it busy was finishing uploading a vlog for my YouTube channel.
The video had finished upload but the feeling of something missing returned.
What was I to do with myself?
But of course I was to text Ahmed and then go steam my hijab and outfit. After texting him I went to my cupboard and got my hijab. The colour of it was indigo and papa said he gave it to me because it brought out the blue in my green eyes. It’s fabric was soft silk and it had there beautiful crystal beads on either side of the ends.
I loved it. It was most certainly my favourite hijab because I felt like a queen when wearing it.
After I finished pressing the hijab I went to my cupboard and got out a black long sleeved mini dress which I would pair with black jeans and high heels.
Now looking at the outfit all nice and pressed I took out my phone and uploaded a photo to my blog. Which was only a little older than my Youtube Channel, I started it not long after I started wearing hijab.
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“Oh my word! That was amazing”! I said after I downed the last spoon of my scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Aslam gave me a questionable look; he opened his mouth to say something but closed it.
What had I done to make him look at me like that?
With the meal finished it meant it was time for us to go home. Nabila and Aslam gave us salaam and went to their car.
Ahmed had accepted to come along with us. I don’t know why but I got the feeling that he board. In fact the day we met he said he was board. Maybe it’s because he a business lawyer and normal life is too boring for him? Maybe I was right and it was too early in the relationship to bring him to a dinner with my brother?
We scanned our subway cards and went down the yellow stairs. As it is Friday night people were either going to parties or coming from them.
Ahmed and I didn’t talk much, I wonder how long it’s going to take for us to get over the formal faze?
My friend Anne says I’m quite lucky to have a successful job and a sort of stable relationship. Why do I feel so unfulfilled then? Again, what am I to do with these thoughts?
Ahmed’s train pulled up to its place. And he stepped in and before the doors closed he told me he would see me soon.
With him on his train I made my way to my platform.
I sat by the nearby bench. The train would arrive in a few minutes, this was the perfect opportunity to take a selfie.
I hadn’t had a chance to take one all evening, I’d send it to papa to tell him that I love it.
But being the perfectionist that I am getting the right angle was a rather big thing for me.
I took my iphone out to take a snap of myself when a slush of something yellow came over me.
My hijab now totally ruined!
I stood up angrily to see who the thrower of the yellow smoothie was. He looked at me and laughed.
“What are you going to do about it? Bomb a stadium?” he’s blue eyes snapped from playfulness to anger. And that’s when he said
“You need to go back to your Aladdin’s lamp and stay there!” I wanted to retaliate but then I realized why should I waste my time on people like him.
They’re not at all worth it.
