Barakah

- Commencement

13/7/2020.

. . . . . .

Barakah

"The sweets are ready to be sent off!" Her Grandaunt's voice, Aana Zohal boomed from the outdoor kitchen. She was the eldest member from her father's ancestral family that had emigrated to Nigeria.

Their house was packed to say the least. A grim week left before Barakah would become someone's better half.

Scoff.

A wife, she's soon to be someone's trouble and strife and today was day one.

The commencement.

Barakah's wedding was going to be a merging of both her heritage. The same scenario as her twin sister's. Only hers would be more intimate. A khastgari should have been the first beacon to open her wedding but it would have been nonfunctional. Seeing as there's bad blood between her father and father in-law.

So they were starting off with the Shirini, a small reception that was holding at their residence. At the affair, her family would give varieties of sweets to her in-laws in a khancha. Barakah wasn't really going to have any presence at the event and she was grateful for that. Her mother and aunties would be the forefront of everything.

The only bit of the event she wasn't looking forward too was meeting her mother-in-law. Her mother had told her that her mother-in-law was very interested in her and couldn't wait until the Nokrizi Shpa, her henna night as they were skipping the Dusmal. Her disliked groom wasn't going to be present on that day. For her kamu, they would be separated by a thick veil. The Nikah would follow and then a grand dinner before she's sent off to her matrimonial home. The significant events from her Pashtun culture would be dismissed at her wedding simply because her family felt the groom didn't deserve the honor to be apart of their culture.

The wealth, status and culture that was going to be put into the wedding made outsiders conclude Barakah was very fortuned when she was barely holding herself together. She would hoard her pain until she was in her own privacy before unwinding and breaking down.

      Over and over again.

She barely got sleep.

She wasn't as fortunate as every mimic of  congratulations she had received from strangers made it appear. She was just careful enough to patch up the stitches of ache that would come undone almost immediately.

"Amal your color today is red. Lovely, isn't it?" Kulthum laid out the dress that had very rich and intricate embroidery of stones. It was a kuchi dress, long sleeved but with a modish revolve to it. It had a shoulder flare around it's collar and the attire smelt divine.

"This is lovely." Barakah meant it as she traced over the black embroidery and stones.

Kulthum sank on the bed next to her, "You look a bit ashen Barakah? It's just my stepmother you'll be meeting. She's actually very nice and welcoming. She loves you after everything I've told them about you. Don't worry too much." Kulthum kneaded her shoulders before getting the burner filled with incense that had the saintly fragrance of Lohan and rose petals.