Life Under the Hijab | ✔

{23} The World Is Full of Perverts

Zaynub Khalid

I approached Laila's room. I could hear her sobs from inside. I wonder what's up with her and this guy Khaliq? Zakir seemed tense when talking about him. Oh Allah, why was I constantly in some sort of trouble?

I knocked on her door and heard a faint, "go away". 

So, I just walked in anyway. I gasped at Laila's condition. Her face was tear stained and her lips quivered as she cried. I went up to her and wrapped my arms around her. I started to gently stroke her hair.

"Care to tell me about this Khaliq guy?" I asked softly.

She got up and sat straight. After wiping a few tears she began to tell me more about Khaliq.

"You see when I was a freshmen in highschool, I was socially awkward. I only really talked a lot to the people I knew well. One day I had a class assignment to do with Khaliq. Khaliq was a confused Muslim. His parents weren't very practicing and his parents had problems with each other. Basically, Khalid wasn't raised in a good Islamic environment," she said.

I motioned for her to go on.

She sighed. "While we were doing the project I told him more about Islam and how wonderful the religion is. And that Islam isn't a burden. That's just what society sees. He listened very closely and I've seen him try to become a better Muslim. He was even trying to help his parents see the light. I saw him struggle to become a good Muslim. I saw him trying his best to learn more about Islam," she mumbled the last part quietly.

"Where does Zakir come in all this?"

Her fist clenched. "A week before we went to your house to stay for a while, Khaliq came to our house and asked for my hand in marriage. My dad and Zakir were talking to his parents and they could tell that he didn't have a good Islamic environment to grow up in. But they never saw the drastic change in him. I did. I witnessed it. I tried telling Zakir and my dad that Khaliq wasn't like his parents, but they simply didn't listen. I wish they heard my argument," she said as tears started to fall again.

"Shh, it's okay. Maybe Zakir and your dad were catching something that you weren't. You should talk to them," I recommended.

Laila's face turned red. "Are you siding with them? Just because Zakir is your husband doesn't mean you have to agree with everything he says."

"I'm not. I jus-"

"You're just like them! Why does nobody see my point of view?" she screamed.

"Laila, calm down please. I was just saying check out their point of view too."

"Get out, please. I need some time alone," she half whispered.

I nodded and walked out of the room. I closed her door softly and headed back to my room. As soon as I got into the room, I closed it and sighed. Sometimes children didn't know what they were doing. It was always good to see things from parents' point of view. 

As I walked towards the bed, a warm arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me to their chest. I started to feel tingles in my core and I knew that meant that it was Zakir. Only he made me feel this way. I turned around in his arms to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Can I ask why you're sneaking up on me?" I asked, amused.

He nuzzled my neck. "You seemed stressed so I wanted to get your minds off things."

"By sneaking up on me?"

He pulled back and glared at me. "Oh shut up. It sounded better in my head."