Him & His Muslimah

42

Zaib/Zoya

Zaib jerked awake to the noisome sound of the alarm, blaring close to his eardrums. He quickly switched it off. His gaze drifted to his wife curled up within the blanket, clinging to his arm. He nudged her gently.

"Zoya, fajr athan will go off in a while. We should shower," he muttered and Zoya stirred within her slumber, letting out a sigh and murmuring something incoherent in her sleep. Zaib smiled and gently nudged her causing her to wake up. She adjusted herself, yawning as she opened her eyes. She moaned, pulling him closer as she nuzzled into his side. "I'm tired."

Zaib stared blankly and then shifted with a hint of redness on his cheeks. Zoya jerked awake, her eyes wide as she realized the words that had come out of her mouth. "I—I mean, tired from the trip." She then jumped off the bed, skidding to the bathroom.

She mentally scolded herself for that embarrassing moment and cringed. She should've thought about her words.

Zaib broke into a light chuckle. She was always so shy yet unintentionally blunt around him.

They prayed Fajr together and then succumbed back into a restful sleep.

((((((•)))))))

ꕥ 𝟽/𝟷𝟶 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚢 ꕥ
ℕ𝕖𝕨 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕌𝕟𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕 ✈︎
𝑍𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑆𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝐹𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝐵𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔

As their flight back to America took off, Zoya journaled and doodled while Zaib watched a comedy show on the television. The honeymoon had now come to an end after two weeks of pure escapism. Zoya felt a deep change within after spending two weeks of her life with this man.

She got to reflect on herself and her relationship with Zaib throughout these weeks. They barely used their electronics and it was a rejuvenating experience. They just had each other in a foreign country and it made them both realise how important they are to each other.

They had cycle raced through the streets of Lucerne by the serene river and enjoyed a cute little picnic under the shade of the towering trees of Bern. After Zaib captured the sunset, they had a fishing competition. Zoya won both even though he begged to differ, saying he let her win to be 'romantic'. They barbecued the night before their flight and it was the greatest chicken barbecue she had ever devoured.

She surveyed him and noticed his details, falling deeper in love. She realized it was almost impossible to understand someone before marriage. After the lawful bond was complete, you'd get to explore each other's emotions and technicalities.

Many people would argue that dating before marriage makes you understand a person more but honestly, you can't know someone properly until you've lived with them and seen them in different situations. Zoya had just gotten a glimpse of Zaib's personality before and had trusted her gut feeling for their marriage. Now, she knew him even more and her trust had paid off.

Zaib had a lot to him. Not only was he incredibly handsome, he was respectful and well kept. He liked spending his time and wealth for her sake and also bent his rules to fit for her happiness. He liked to observe and was never irrational towards her. He liked taking pictures of her.

"Zaib, show me the pictures you took," she told him while he sipped his fizzy drink. Zaib looked at her with a narrowed gaze.