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Dahlia Ahmad's mornings began with Kaveh taking her on a walk.
Their their alarm clock went off a little before Fajr. Dahlia had always had trouble waking up with alarms, so Kaveh was the one to leave the bed first and gently shake her awake. She encouraged her husband to learn about their Faith, but made it a point to not pressurize him into anything; but he began by default praying both Tahajjud and Fajr with her regularly.
After their prayers and just before Dahlia began to doze off again, he insisted on taking a stroll around the neighborhood together. Every morning, she attempted to convince him anew that staying in bed longer was a better idea, but he always argued, "you don't get fresh air like this in the city".
They left the mansion whilst it was still cloaked in darkness, Dahlia reluctantly rubbing the last bit of her sleep and murmuring under her breath, "any other husband in the world would have delightedly chosen the option to stay in bed."
They started with the pathway circling the lake, slowly making their way into the rice paddy fields that stretched on for miles. The roads snaking in between were narrow and uneven, and Kaveh had to keep looking over his shoulder to check on Dahlia, and at times extend his arm to allow her to use it as support.
During this time, Kaveh shared stories of his visits to this place in his childhood. So despite her vexations, Dahlia secretly enjoyed these walks since they allowed her to learn more about her husband.
By the time they made it back to the house, the sun slowly rose over the mansion, waking up the residents along with it.
Dahlia's stay at her husband's ancestral house stretched on longer than she expected. Their trip was originally supposed to last for only a couple days, but Arshad Fayyad decided to extend their stay until Eid-Ul-Adha.
The night before Eid, all the Fayyad cousins gathered to apply henna. Some of the elder women, including Dahlia's grandmother-in-law, took it as an opportunity to lock her up in a room and give her unsolicited advice on the most efficient ways of getting pregnant.
The morning of the Eid started with the men gathering in the main hall for the prayer and the 'Allahu Akbars' echoing across the house. Dahlia was heartbroken to find she could not participate in the Eid prayer. A man and a woman praying in the same congregation, though allowed religiously if the proper sequence was maintained, wasn't permitted in the conservative culture of the village.
The Eid prayer was something she always looked forward to performing with her family. It was an integral part of the holiday for her – panicking the night before about waking up in time, leaving bed with ample time to shower and getting dressed with her sisters, observing the prayer with her entire family, and then breaking fast together. The Fayyads did everything differently, and Dahlia did not realize beforehand what an adjustment it was going to be for her.
