Married To My Best Friend.

Seven: Mothers.

I yawn.
I love afternoon naps but unfortunately for me they never last.
Mama opens the door and smiles. I could tell something was off with her.

"Mama? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, yes of course" She says sitting next to me.
"Are you sure?"
"No".

I smile, Mama doesn't know how to hide her feelings even when she tries to. I think I get that from her though.
She holds my hand, patting it "You know I've always been fine with your friendship with Khaliq and Rahim, they care for you so much and that made me happy" she takes a deep breath "But getting married to Rahim is another story entirely. His mother—you know how she is, I don't want you suffering because of her".

I nod.
"This is a very serious and delicate matter, marriage is no joke so I don't want you making rash decisions".
"Rahim is the rash decision you're talking about, right?" I ask disappointedly.

"Not him but his mother, everyone of us is worried about her attitude, your brothers included".
"Mama you don't have to worry about her, she has always been nice to me, I can handle her".

"She has been nice as your friend's mother not your mother in law"
"Don't worry Mama, trust me I can handle it".

She smiles, "I hope so".

::

I lie down on Nura's bed and groan.
I have no excuses for my present situation.
He comes back in and sits down. "What are you planning to do exactly?"

I sigh "Mama thinks his mum might be difficult for me to handle".
"Since your mother says that then find out. This is marriage not anything else".

I groan "You also don't like the idea?"
He sits next to me and pats my back "Don't be in a hurry to get married, Rayhanah. You still have time".

I scoff "You told me the same thing three years back. Yes I have time and this is it, this is my time".
He lies down, resting his head on my back "Okay. If you say so".
"I didn't judge you when you got married".
"It's because I care".

"So you're saying I don't?" I ask.
He nods.
I push him off my back "Ahh so that's what you think?"

He laughs "Don't take it seriously, I'm just joking".
"I'm hungry, let's go to a restaurant".
"Anything for you".
I pick up my veil and bag "Hurry, it's getting late".

"Okay, Okay".

I'm not yet ready to explain this part of my life yet so please just bear with me a little.

::

Rahim.

I've seen Khaliq with his older sister, Khalil's twin sister and I always get envious when I see how much she cares about him. It's ironic how their mother has two sets of twins.

She didn't need to hug him, cry for him or even give her life for him to show it. It was the way she looked at him, the way she spoke about him, the way she cared about the littlest things but I got Ruqayyah instead, Amma's exact replica.

"Rahim?" she calls me.
I look at her. They even look identical.
"Yes?"

"Is it true you're thinking of marrying Rayhanah?" She asks blankly, without emotion whatsoever.
"Yes. Anything wrong with that?"
"Not really, no but she's not like you. She won't fit in".

"Does she have to?" before she could say a word I speak again "I don't want her to"
"Why not?" she asks surprised, her first expression since she came this afternoon.

"I do not want to live in a miserable home, that's why both Baba and Your husband never stay home".
She laughs, like I just said the most pathetic thing she has ever heard "Suleiman doesn't travel to stay away from me, it's because of work".

"And that's always their excuse. It's not like you and Amma care so just respect my decision to marry Rayhanah".
"Okay, its your life anyway"

She continues using her phone. I really don't want to see the day Suleiman gets fed up with my sister. She rarely plays with her kids because she believes our mother didn't and we turned out great.

The difference between Baba and Suleiman is that Baba was busy when we were children, he was hardly ever around and it's not because he was avoiding our mother but because he was genuinely busy but by the time he actually realized how twisted our mother made us it was too late.

He tried but failed to change us. But Suleiman is one of the most free-spirited people I have ever met and I know he's avoiding living with my sister and he'll eventually get fed up. If not for him, I'm sure his children would have been exactly like their mother.

::

"Rahim!" I hear baba call me.
"Na'am? (yes?)" I answer back.
I enter his living room and find him seated with my mother who was too engrossed in the work she was doing on her laptop.

"Sit down, I want to discuss something with you".
I sit across him. "Okay".

"You're a grown man now and I know I don't have to tell you what to do, you'll do what's right" I nod. He continues "Are you sure you want to marry this girl?"

"Yes I am Baba, you know her too".
"I've known her as your friend, so I'm not sure if she's good enough to be your wife, if she's the one to make my son happy".
I smile "I know she is Baba, I have never been more sure of anything my whole life".

"Okay then we'll proceed with everything accordingly and please talk to your sister about her attitude towards her children, okay?"

"I doubt she'll listen".
"Whether she wants to or not she'll hear it, the problem is will she do anything about it? At least talk to her about it. I'm afraid that boy maybe getting fed up".

"I said the same thing".
"She told me".

"I'll talk to her, I promise".
"Good".

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