Irrevocably In Love

Chapter 7

Deeds are by intentions إنما الأعمال بالنيات

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَتَزَوَّجُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ

Verily, deeds are only with intentions. Verily, every person will have only what they intended. Whoever emigrated to Allah and his messenger, his emigration is for Allah and his messenger. Whoever emigrated to get something in the world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that to which he emigrated.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 54 

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Mehendi ceremony is one of the important pre-wedding ceremony in India. It is one of the colourful and fun celebration that is held a day before the wedding. It is a ceremony to wish the bride good health and a happy married life. Many people believe that mehendi signifies the amount of love your soon-to-be-husband has for you based on the stain. The deeper the stain, the deeper the love of the spouse.

Aahana wore a simple peacock green coloured salwar suit. She was sitting in her bedroom while all the girls were downstairs. She had not worn her hijab. Her hair were neatly tied in a single braid. Her face did not carry tons of makeup but a simple makeup that was done by her cousin. Her black eyes looked more beautiful with the kajol that she had applied. Her lips had a light pink gloss and her cheek looked pink due to the blush. Her hands were covered in dry henna that was applied to her in the morning so that she can get her sleep at night.

Bushra and Khadija entered the room with their daughters trailing behind them. The two ladies were decked up in a yellow coloured salwar suit. The ladies had decided that except Aahana, all the girls of the house were going to wear yellow.

They smiled at Aahana and made her stand up. Aahana had her head lowered. They guided her to the backyard where the function was going to be held.

The backyard looked bright and colourful. Vivid coloured drappings surrounded the entire place. At one end of the place was kept a couch for the bride. There were dreamcatchers hanging above the couch while the back was decorated with peacock coloured drapes. It gave an entirely different look to the whole backyard. It was like all the colours were brought in the backyard. Aahana had always been the bright, cheerful and fun loving person in their family, so the boys had set up the setting, just the way that could perfectly define Aahana.

The girls stood at the entrance of the backyard on either side with a plate full of rose petals in their hand. While all the girls wore yellow or yellow and white salwar suit, there was exception and that exception was Rida. She was wearing a yellow coloured kurta paired with black jeans and a black pearled hijab. Even after the girls pressurising her to not wear black, she stuck with her outfit. She did not like bright colours. She believed that such colours attracted eyes and she never liked it. She hated being the centre of attention in a crowd.

The girls threw the rose petal at the entry of the soon-to-be-bride. Aahana smiled looking at the girls. They had gone beyond their limits to arrange the ceremony and they could see it all worth it because of the million dollar smile on the bride-to-be.