Love in 10 day§ (Unedited)

Day four (big family reunion)

The sound of my aunt camila's voice woke me up from sleep, hearing her voice after so long I thought I was dreaming, "this our lazy bride, she is still sleeping" she said tapping me on the back to wake up, I opened my eyes, and met the face I hadn't seen for a long while now, "goodmorning" I said to her and she smiled as I now stood up from my bed "you should start practicing how to wake up early" she said and I smiled, "aww when did you arrive" I asked her, now looking at the time, it was some minutes past five, "yesterday night, you all were sleeping, when we arrived" she said, "we??" I asked, and she nodded, "yea came with Aunt safeenah, aunt kareema, aunt mahra, in short we are here, you didn't think we would miss your wedding did you??" she asked and I smiled, "now go pray and come downstairs, you have to tell us all about Ibrahim!!" she said winking at me as she left the room, I never thought this day would come, lol don't get me wrong I have wished to get married and of cos insha Allah I knew it would come but the day all my Aunts would come together to celebrate my wedding, 'wow!!', I remember when Ruqayyah was getting married, and aunt said the same to her, with that same look on her face, with that same wink. I smiled again after she left the room and did as I was told, after I was done praying, I went downstairs where the house was really full, all my aunts and cousins where here, I greeted each of them and each time I did they all smiled saying "our bride" which made me feel a little bit shy, I went to the kitchen to help Ruqayyah with breakfast but it was already done, so I went to the dining room where everyone was eating and so I sat down to eat, "so Fatimah!! Tell us about our son in law!!" my aunt safeenah said and I smiled, but didn't say a word, "yeah tell us all about him" my cousin said, and I replied "well!!" I said not knowing what to say, and praying Allah saves me from all these questions and luckily for me, Allah answered my prayer, my cousin Jameela rushed to the dining table and handed my phone over to me, which was now ringing, as she handed me the phone I realized all eyes were on me, "is it him??" my cousin haneefa asked and I smiled, it was him but I didn't say, I stood up and walked out of the dining, I didn't pick the call until I left the room and it began a missed call, he seemed to have called more than once and even in by 5, I decided to call back but before I did, he called again, "asallamu alaikum" I said as I picked the call, "wa'alaki sallam, habibty" he replied again and I smiled, "hmm!!" I said, "you don't like me calling you that??" he asked, "I can stop if you don't like it" he said and I unconsciously said "no, no, don't" I said before pausing and saying "I mean you could call me that if you wish" I said and he laughed, "o.k!! habibty" he said, "well, I saw your missed call, am sorry I wasn't close to the phone!!" I explained to him and he replied, "no problem, I understand, so are we still on for the picnic??" he asked and I smiled, the picnic was a great idea, I actually never liked a full house, "no!! we are not, fareedah hasn't asked me yet" I said, "alright let me go get her|" he said as the line stayed silent for a while, before he came back on, "she is still sleeping" he said, "alright, maybe later" I replied, "no!! I don't have time, let me wake her" he said and I shouted, "no!! please don't" and stubborn Ibrahim refused to listen, I heard him whisper her name several times before finally saying, "she is awake finally!!!" then he whispers again "here is aunt Fatima, tell her what I said you should tell her!!" before giving her the phone, she really sounded like someone who was woken from sleep her voice so low, "asallamu alaikum" she said and I answered "wa'alaiki salam, fareedah how are you??", "I am fine" she replied, "ya Ibrahim said I should tell you to please have a picnic with us" she finally says, and I replied "O.k!!" then I hear him whisper "ask her if she would come??" before she said again, "would you please come!!", "yea I would insha Allah!!" I replied and she said "thank you!!" before handing the phone over to Ibrahim and I guess going back to sleep "so now you are coming for sure right??" he asked and I smiled as thought he could see me, "that poor girl just wanted to sleep, and you woke her up!! O!! Ibrahim" I said and I guess that was the first time I had really called his name to him, he giggled, "her sleep is a small price to pay, I like how you call my name!!" he said, and I felt a little bit shy, "hmm!!" I said again and he chuckled "her sleep is a small price to pay?? Cause it isn't your's right, I am sure you sleep so deep you can't be woken up, at least she tried" I teased, "no!! I don't!!" he said, "I believe you" I mocked, "honestly, I don't, why am I even arguing about this, you would find out soon" he said and now I thought "o!! God, making things weird again'..."gosh!! You have a way of making things weird" I said and he chuckled, "sorry about that!!" he said and again I smiled as though he could see me, "so pick you up by 12??" he asked as I now looked at the time it was now just 7, "12?? Why 12?" I asked, he teased "too far right!!" he said and I chuckled, "you mean, close!!" I said, "why not 2 or 3" I said and he shouted "2, 3?? To far!!"..."there is no room for negotiations, fareedah has already decided that its 12 and its final" he said and I chuckled, "hmm!! Fareedah who is sleeping??" I asked, and he laughed, "No!! no!!" he said sounding like his been caught, "uhm, you know, we decided this like since...since, a long time ago" he said and I laughed, "since a long time ago??" I asked, "hmm!!" I said as he now said "please!!" like a small child begging for what he knew was impossible, I could imagine his face right now, "o.k!! would think about call me back in an hour, and I would tell you what I am decided" I said, and he replied "would do!! In sha Allah" he said sounding eager, as I now hung up the call, I didn't even realize we spoke for more than an hour, after the call I was unconsciously still smiling, I turned around to see my could sitting behind me, 'did they listen to my discussion' I thought but didn't say a word as my smile now faded, "hmm, the bride" Jamila said to me as I smiled and now walked out of the room. 'no 1 problem with having a full house, no privacy!" I thought to myself, as I went straight to the kitchen to see if I could help with the dishes but as soon as I lifted a plate my aunt camila stopped me, "hey you, what do you think you are trying to do?" she asked and I replied, "uhm, wash the dishes" I said and she grabbed the plates from my hand, "not here, for now you are not to do any house choirs untill you are in your house!!" she says and I sighed, I never really thought deep into this whole marriage stuff and now there were all just pushing the thought to me, 'really are they all trying to scare me?" I thought but smiled, "go meet your sister in the living room they are discussing recipes, am sure you need them" she said and I smiled "hm!!" I said as I did as I was told, I went into the living room where my aunts and my sister were and sat down, I didn't really understand what they were discussing until I heard Aunt Safina say: we are going to make samosas, cakes, meat pie, doughnut, and every other snack" she said and they all nodded, they were talking about making snacks and I didn't know for what exactly, "uhm snacks for what exactly I interrupted: for tomorrow ofcourse as if it was national news or something I should have known "tomorrow??...what exactly is tomorrow?" I asked totally forgetting what it was, "really!!! u don't know what tomorrow is"...Ruqayya asked laughing I didnt really get why she was, "yes I don't know" I said feeling a bit foolish as they were now all laughing at me, "you are telling me you don't know tomorrow is your engagement??" she asked and I smiled, I totally forgot, "o.m.g!!! Subhanallah I totally forgot" I said now feeling quite foolish, 'I bet Ibrahim forgot to??' I thought, "well that's by the way, so we are going shopping for stuff so as to prepare all this things" ruqayyah said to me and I nodded, "with me??" I asked now trying to know my schedule before Ibrahim call back, "yes of cause!!, we need to get you something to wear tomorrow" ruqayyah said, "wow!! O.k well, actually??" I said contemplating whether to tell her or not, she looked at me waiting for me to talk when I finally said, "well!! Actually!!! Fareedah wants...to..take...me..out for a pinic" I finally said really slowly, "fareedah?? Who is that??" ruqayyah asked and I smiled, "ibrahim's little sister!!" I said and she smiled, "you mean Ibrahim want to take you and fareedah out??" she understood, I nodded and she smiled, "when??" she asked and I replied "today!! By 12!!" I said now starring at all of my aunts who now listened to ruqayyah and I's discussion attentively, "wow!! Well you need to go out with us today, we need something that really fits you" she said and I nodded, "I understand, maybe we could go by name and come back before 12" I asked and she nodded, "yea!! But still postpone till at least 2...12 is too early" she said and I nodded, luckily for me I had already told him that I would think about, and I didn't just accept...so now I had an answer for him when he called back, "do you love him??" my sister asked out of the blues and now all eyes were on me, 'do I??' I asked myself and I still didn't know the answer to that question, "don't ask her that yet!!" aunt camila said walking into the kitchen, I smiled as I thought to myself "life saver!!"... "that is a question for tomorrow, she would have to answer that in front of everyone" she said again now as smiled smile faded, I really didn't think about all that, I didn't think of how our tradition made an engagement day so hard for a lady, in our tradition the engagement day was always the day when the in-law all came to the house of a lady with boxes of cloths, jewelry and every accessory you could think of, all those things given to the bride and family but before the bride and family but before the bride and family are to accept the gifts, the bride is asked a very important questions which are, "did you know this family??", "there here on behave on their son to ask for your hand in marriage" they say before asking "do you love him and do you accept" really hard question aren't they, I remembered when they asked the same question to ruqayyah and she partially chocked lol, in her case she actually loved him, and in mine I am not sure...they all laughed, "don't chock like your sister did" they teased ruqayyah as they all started to laugh, usually I would have laughed to but the thought of tomorrow made my throat sore and my laughter dry..i forced out a smile, then stood up as my phone now began to ring, as I stood up all eyes on me and I felt like I had to tell them who It was, "its Ibrahim" I said feeling all defensive, as they now all smiled and I left the living room, "asallamu alaikum" he said as I picked the call, "I am so sorry I can't go to the picnic with you" I said even before answering the salam, "wow!! O.k" he said with his voice sounding quite down, "it's all good insha Allah...maybe some other time" he said and I felt quite bad, I just knew I couldn't go out with him today when I had other important things to think about like....what to say tomorrow... "yeah!!!" I said as I now felt a warm hand on my shoulder, "why??" aunt safeenah asked, now walking from behind me ask I now quickly hung up, I loved all my aunts they were second mothers, I smiled then said, "I don't know what to say when they ask me if I love him" I said and she smiled, "I understand" she says now holding my shoulder, "I think he knows that too, and that's why he wants you to get to know him today before the question is asked tomorrow" she said and I guess she was kinda right, that could be the reason why he wanted this picnic today, and maybe that's why he wanted time..."yeah aunty but!!" I said and she smiled, "I know what you are going to say...but just still go with him today" she said, I was sure she had no idea what I was going to say, I was going to say, 'even if I go out with him to day or I don't I would still have to say yes!!" that was the whole essence of an arranged marriage, agreeing to marry a person even if you don't love him... "get to know him, so that if you say yes tomorrow you would at least know what you are getting yourself into" she said and I smiled, mothers and aunties always had a way of giving helping you make the right decision, and now more than ever I wished my mother was still alive, she would have been the one telling me all this, she would have been here to see get married, I thought as tears began to flow, "I miss my mother!!" I said to her as she now hugged me tightly, "we all miss her to!!" she said my mother was the first born of her family and she practically raised all her siblings after their parent's death, they all grew up under her and she gave them all out for marriage, she was there and the most participatory part of all their weddings but today it was going to be mine and she wasn't here as I now began to cry, "we are always going to be here for you, and always have this at the back of your mind, ALLAH KNOW BEST!!" she said as I now stopped crying, then whispered "alhamdulilah!!!" I forgot how totally ungrateful I was, here I was crying for my lost instead of thanking ALLAH for all he gave me, I had a family who would come celebrate this day with me, aunties who would wipe my tears when I cry, friends who would listen to my every worry, a sister who would take care of my every need and soon a house of my own, soon I would be making my own family with my husband, there are so many other who never had all this, who live on the streets with nobody and yet they still don't complain so who am I to...and am I to say except "ALHAMDULILAH" thank you Allah for this love I have...I slowly released myself for her grip then said "I would call him and I would go for the picnic with him" I told her and she smiled. I called him back then told him that I was going out and that if I was back I would inform him, after I had called him I went up took my bath and got ready to go the market, after I was taking my bath I went back downstairs, "sis!! Are you ready should we go??" I asked Ruqayyah who was now picking up some cloths from her wardrobe and she shook her head, "not yet!! I want pick up some cloths for faisal!!" she said and I got confused, "where is faisal??" I asked considering the fact that I hadn't seen him since I woke, "he, uncle muhammad and uncle hashim are renting a hotel to stay so we ladies can have the house!!" she said and I nodded, 'aww poor ya faisal being kicked out of his own house' I thought as I now smiled, she finished picking up the cloths for faisal then said, "well we are going with aunt camila and aunt safeenah, too, we are first going to the hotel before the market" she said and I nodded...as we both left her room, "should we go" aunt camila asked and ruqayyah nodded as we all left the house to the parking lot, where ruqayyah's "black lexus" was parked, "can you take drive us there" she asked me handing the keys over to me, I got my license since I was 18 ruqayyah said it was good for me to have it for emergencies for emergencies I think she means incase she is in labour and her husband isn't around lol, ever since I got it she had only allowed me to drive twice and now today was the third time, I smiled as she handed me the key...I smiled as I held tightly unto in, I quickly got into the driver sit and she sat beside me, making sure she put on her seatbelt, speeding, drifting and all where kind my things and I guess that was kinda the reason she never liked it when I drove I was always speeding and that scared her a lot, my aunties sat at the back sit, as some Nigerians call it "owners corner"... "what hotel??" I asked "Hilton hotel" she answered and I drove off.