A Muslim's Romantic Journey

Chapter 13.

Safia’s POV

Saturdays were becoming very eventful. I had grown a little more confident when messaging Yusuf. We were still asking each other lots of questions. I felt I knew him quite well and he never ceased to impress me. My family was also very happy about Yusuf which made me feel really good about what was going on. That was until Saturday actually came.

"Hafsa, I'm not ready." I moaned.

"That's what you said last time!" Hafsa huffed.

"Yeah, but this time I really mean it. I think I wanted a love story instead of a marriage. I got my cute little story and that's enough for me." Hafsa rolled her eyes and flicked me on my forehead. "Ow! What was that for?" I asked flicking her back.

"Hey! You have no right to flick me. You," she flicked me again, "deserved to be flicked," and again, "because your dream is finally coming true and you're freaking out." When she flicked me again, I grabbed her finger and bit it. Then we got into a flicking and biting fight. 

"Stop! Flicking! Me!" I shouted. "Ow! You got my eye!" I cried holding my flicked eye. Hafsa gasped.

"I'm so sorry! Here let me take a look." After I'd recovered, I'd forgotten why I was stressed. Then the sound coming from my phone reminded me. I grabbed my phone and saw it was just good luck wishes from Layla. Disappointed it wasn't Yusuf, I put my phone down and turned towards Hafsa.

"As I was saying before, I don't think I'm ready."

"I know you like him by the way you just pounced on your phone and then looked disappointed and tossed it to the side. If that was Yusuf who sent a message, your eyes would go really shiny."

"Really? My eyes go shiny? Cool." I thought for a while. "I like him but I'm not ready for a marriage. I'm scared I might die as soon as he looks into my eyes."

"Don't worry. If you die, there are plenty of other girls for him."

"Hafsa!" I shot her an angry look throwing a tissue box at her. It was the closest thing to me.

"See, you already can't bear thinking of him with anyone else." She laughed.

"He is not the problem. The problem is, how am I going to survive being married to someone? I'm going to have to try to look pretty all the time even when I'm sick. And what am I going to do if I get sick? I'm sure he wouldn't be happy with his wife in bed coughing up phlegm all day. That's really unattractive."

"Marriage isn't about being attractive all the time. I mean, if he got sick, would you suddenly regret marrying him? Besides, people get sick all the time and their loved ones take care of them. Think about women when they're carrying babies and are at their most unattractive point in their lives. Yet their husbands seem to look at them with even more love and concern than before."

"You sound so much like me." I told Hafsa and she mocked a disgusted look on her face.

"It wasn't my intention to sound like an annoying preachy granny."

"I do not sound like an annoying preachy granny!" I was thinking of a witty reply when Amaan came in.

"Mum told me to tell you that your pasties might be burning." Oh no! I forgot all about my pasties! I jumped off my bed and ran down at the speed of lightening. I opened the oven and to my relief, they were okay. A little browner than I preferred, but okay.

"Yusuf sent me a text, they'll be here in 10 minutes." Hamza informed me and all my stress and nerves rushed back. I felt like crying. I took my pasties out and let them cool while I went upstairs to get ready. I was going to meet Aunt Jerry again today, but under completely different circumstances.