Trust Me (An Islamic Love Story)

Chapter 20

"Yes! Now the Prince Charming and Ana are happy." Hooriya squeals.

Bilal and Hooriya start talking about something I don't quite understand as they leave the room.

There is an extremely awkward silence between Azar and me, and to make everything worse as always, Azar watches me as if he is trying to figure me out. Without looking at him, I walk past him, wishing he hadn't seen me without my hijab.

"Angel," I halt. I know it is Azar, but that is always my reflex to the word "angel". He comes and stands in front of me and demands, "Show me your Mehndi."

"Excuse me? No!" I step back, fisting my hands behind my back.

"Do you want me to force you?" He threatens.

To this, I move back and put my palms up in defense. "Happy, you are to see the dark color?" I taunt. "What did you mix in that cone? Hair color or something...? My instinct was telling me to not listen to you, yet I went against it."

"I—" Azar tries to say something in defense, but I don't let him.

"First the dress, then the bangles, then this...! Why do you want to draw attention to us, Azar, when in reality everything is the opposite of what people are thinking?" I grill him.

"Is that the reason why you are so angry?" He responds, amusement dripping in his voice. "That this is not real?"

"You always listen to the part you want to hear, right?" I conclude, wary. I just want to be away from everything.

"You think I want to draw attention to us? That is hilarious because I want anything, but that," he claims as if it is obvious. "This Mehndi was supposed to be almost transparent. I know you didn't do as I said, and now you are trying to put all the blame on me!"

"I don't believe you for a second," I say coldly. Azar has always been an attention-seeker. There is no way what he is saying is true. "Besides, there were two cones with 'A' written on them. How could I have known which one to put?"

"Your lie is pathetic," he retorts.

"You don't believe what I said. I don't believe in your story, fair and square," I point out.

"Abeer, you didn't answer my question on the phone," Azar reminds me.

"What question?" I repeat, bemused.

"Do my eyes look greener because I'm wearing green?" He asks in a serious tone.

It is so obvious that it does. "Azar, you are hopeless."

With that, I finally go, and as I do, I hear Azar saying after me, "What did I do now?"

I look at the rose in my hand and realize I am still holding onto it. What am I supposed to do about it? Should I keep it or throw it away?

I see Kareem coming towards me with a ringing mobile in his hand. "Have you seen Azar Bhai Jan, Abeer Api?" He asks me, almost in a panic. "He gave me to play, but now someone is calling him again and again, and I can't find him."

I glance at the mobile, and I stop breathing for a second. It is Mishal.

How could I forget this? How could I forget that Azar is still seeing Mishal?

"Api?"

"Sorry, he is there," I point at the room, and Kareem goes inside.

I'm boiling in anger, and I don't even know who I am angry at; at Azar or at myself. I realize I'm clutching the rose, thankfully it has no thorns otherwise, I'd surely have a deep cut by now.

How could I even consider keeping it? "You are foolish, angel, innocent, and foolish." I see him leaning on the opposite wall.

Keep calm, keep calm... I order myself and tightly shut my eyes. Auzubillahi minishaitaan rajeem. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

"Angel?" My eyes fly open as my heart skips a beat. "Replaying the little rose scene in the head, are we?"

I see a dustbin in the corner of the passageway and throw the rose away. "You are sick, Azar."

Azar is about to say something, but I turn and leave.

When I enter the hall, I notice people are gathered around Maliha, and I see that she has washed her Mehndi. Thank God, it looks great, as dark as mine.

"Abeer, show your Mehndi!" Maliha says excitedly, and I'm astonished.

I show her, and she compliments, "Ma Sha Allah, very nice."

"It is a superstition yet a very interesting one that the one who gets a dark Mehndi her husband and mother-in-law loves her very much," Mom recalls, her eyes twinkling as she speaks. "Well, half of it is already true so..."

Maliha and I share a look, and everyone around us starts teasing us about it. How ironic the superstition is. In fact, everything about this marriage is ironic.

What am I supposed to do about Azar? Am I supposed to fall in love with him and win his heart or something? Everything is so messed up. Azar and I are both messed up. He is still stuck with the girl he loved in school, and I am still stuck in my cage of fears; in his prison.

I don't know what's happening, Allah. I have no idea what to do. Oh Al-Fattah, I beg you to make a way out, an escape from all the fears I have. Ameen.

When everyone is greeting each other and bidding their goodbyes, the four of us, Azar, Ahmed, Maliha, and I are standing almost at the end of the hall, behind everyone. Soon, some Aunty calls Maliha and me to give gifts and greet us.

I look at Maliha, and at the same exact moment, she turns and looks at me back, and I know that she understands what I am telling her through my eyes. I am telling her to be happy, to free herself from her delusional insecurities. I am telling her that she has nothing to worry about and there is nothing to be afraid of. I am telling her Ahmed will be perfect for her In Sha Allah. I am telling her she will be happier than I will ever be.

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Assalamualikum warahmatullahi wa barakatahu :)

How's everyone doing? Good? In Sha Allah.

*Al Fattah is one of the 99 names of Allah SWT. It means the Opener: He who opens the solution to all problems and eliminates obstacles.

I hope you enjoyed the update :) Don't forget to vote. Azarful chapter wasn't it? ;)

What I want to know in the comments:

1) So is Azar telling truth about his plan that he wanted Abeer's colour to be bad? If you think he is lying, then why do you think he is? If you think he's telling the truth, then why do you think so?

2) Mishal is in the picture again. Who was Abeer angry at? Herself or Azar?

3) Azar's eyes do look greener in green XD don't you think? ;)

4) So who liked the Niqab conversation?

5) Favourite dialogue(s)

6) Favourite scene(s)

7) How was the chapter overall? In Sha Allah only one function left...

That is the Nikah!!! Aren't you excited?

To all readers silent and non-silent ;) those who have exams going on or are coming soon, may Allah help you and make it easy for you, and guide your pen/pencil Ameen I feel you people! I totally understand.

80K reads?!?!?!? Me. Dead. Due. To. Happiness. Came back. To continue writing. So that readers don't kill me 😜

Jazakallah Khairun for reading :) Stay tuned and stay blessed Ameen.