The Perks of Having a Nikah (A Muslim Love Story) *BACK 2023*

14.

❝"[...] this world is a bridge and a bridge should not be taken as a home."
Ibn al-Jawzee, Disciplining the Soul❞

I wake up freezing under my covers and trying to go back to sleep but failing. I drag myself out of bed, with the sun barely up in the sky. I am definitely not ready for school today. I go into the bathroom, do my usual routine, get out and get dressed, and pray Fajr (Morning prayer).

Still yawning, I tie my niqab on, grab my coat from the closet, and head downstairs to make tea. As usual, I find Ummi and Maryam chatting in the kitchen as if they were teenage schoolgirls again. I smiled at them through my niqab and hoped Fadwah and I would have a relationship like that even at the age of eighty, in sha Allah.

"Assalamu Alaykum." I say, proceeding to hug them both, starting with Maryam since she was on my right.

"Wa Alaykum Salam." They both greet me back with smiles.

"Let's hurry up and eat." Maryam smiles. I raise an eyebrow at her smile. It wasn't like her usual ones. Something was about to happen.

I could tell Ummi was trying to hide her excitement. "Why? What's going on in a few minutes?"

"Something good."

"Will it take long? I have to leave for school in like an hour."

"No, it won't, in sha Allah." Ummi replies, dragging me to the living room, no longer being able to hide her excitement. I'm sure under that niqab she had a million dollar smile. "Call Zane."

Maryam calls Zane and he comes down dressed, yawning and stretching his arms. He looks like he hadn't slept all night. "Na'am (Yes), Ummi?" He yawns again before sitting next to his mother and across from my mother and I.

I cocked an eyebrow at the two women but they seemed oblivious to me. I was just about to ask what was going on until Maryam said "We decided that it'd be a good idea if you two have your Nikah (marriage) as soon as possible. Then Yasmeen won't have to cover around you anymore," She points to Zane. "and you won't be in a rush to find an apartment." As soon as she said that, I froze. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. I was just in shock.

"What do you think?" Ummi turns to me. "Great idea, right?" After a few seconds, Zane realizes I won't be responding any time soon and replies to Ummi.

"So you guys want to bring the wedding up and not wait all of these months?"

"No no, the wedding will still be after school finishes, but it's much better if the Nikah happens now."

"But we barely know each other." I say in a whispered voice. "What if by then we don't want to be together?"

"Nonsense! That won't happen." Maryam waves her hand in the air as if I sounded ridiculous.

"I'm asking if it happens, then what?"

"Then we'll figure something out, in sha Allah." Ummi says, agreeing with Maryam in doubting that it will actually happen.

"I mean think about it, if you both have the Nikah, things will be much easier in this house."

"I don't know." Zane says, scratching at his five o'clock shadow, a bit unsure.

"Me either." I realized then I didn't want to be there anymore. Things are going too fast for my liking. I get up to leave. "Well I'd love to stay and continue to chat on this," No I don't. "but I have to go to school and learn. Yay." I fake enthusiasm and leave with my knapsack school bag out of the door before they can say anything else to me.

Zane and I having a Nikah this soon? Really? What was Maryam thinking? And what was Ummi thinking agreeing with her? What were they both thinking when they planned this out? Subhan Allah. "I can feel a headache coming on." I say to myself as I wait for Fadwah to finish coming down the row of houses.