Zarrah looked into the mirror and saw the pretty heart shaped face, the lovely hazel eyes lined with kohl. She smiled and the face turned beautiful with a child like quality that would make anyone want to protect its owner. She closed her eyes and remembered the first time.
She had been three. He was four. She was sitting in the sand dune playing with her friends. He came next to her and joined her. She had looked up at him and smiled. He had thick curly hair and long eye lashes. He had looked at her and her golden brown hair. “I’m going to marry you one day” he told her. Zarrah didn’t know what to say. She turned deep red and turned away. His eyes scared her. He then did that one thing that got him yanked by Ms. Ahmed and locked up in the ‘Bad Children Room’. He had ever so gently and silently leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek. All the children had squealed. Ms. Ahmed came rushing and took him away. She had been in a state of shock. She didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or to celebrate the happiness she felt. He had turned back and looked at her. A look that promised he would be back. Back.
However, that was the last day she had seen him. Her parents left the city that day. Zarrah’s father had been promoted and they were moving to the capital city. He would be managing the central office.
Soon years passed and Zarrah blossomed into a beautiful girl. Her beauty was even more precious for she covered it up. She was a jewel. Just like how the most beautiful things in the world are hidden, be it the pearl in the oyster’s protective arms or the diamond deep down the mine. Zarrah often sat and thought who would unearth her, and it was at that time she heard those words: “I’m going to marry you one day” She’d hid her face in the pillow and think of where he was. She knew she was crazy. He had been just four, yet what he said was with so much determination.
Today Zarrah turned eighteen. Today a man was coming to see her, to ask for her hand in marriage. She had overheard her mother telling her aunt. Her parents were friends with the family before Zarrah was born. They had moved to Muscat a few years back and now they were coming with their son was coming to see her. Zarrah’s mom went on to say that she would want Zarrah to marry now. It’s always good to marry early. There is charm and beauty when two who are young come together. They become one more easily and stand by each other at every point of life.
Zarrah had rushed to her room and thrown herself on the bed. Her heart was beating. She was scared. What if the man liked her, and then would that little boy, who had promised to marry her, never marry her? She laughed through her tears because she knew she was being silly. She touched her cheek, fourteen years later she still felt the same tingle.
Her parents told her a day in advance. They asked her if it was alright with her. She nodded silently. What could she say? “No Ammi, I actually am waiting for a four year old who once said he was going to marry me” They would laugh at her. She didn’t even know the name of the boy.
The smile in the mirror quivered. The heart shaped faced turned sad as the hazel eyes carried a far away look. “Zarrah!” her mother called her. It was time, time to go down and meet the man, the man who could be her future and the end of her childhood fantasy.
Adnan sat there waiting nervously. He couldn’t control his heart beat. Would she like him? Would she be ready to marry him? Would she remember his promise- the one he had made in the sand dune. If she didn’t, would she like him now? As the young man he was? His hand shook as he quickly laced his fingers to hide his nervousness.
She came in the room and he thought he had stopped breathing. She was wearing a turquoise salwar suit; the duppatta that covered her head was laced with beads that made her look like a fairy with flower buds framing her face. She kept her head bowed and eyes down. His parents saw her and nodded with approval. They looked at her and nodded to him. He seemed to notice all this from one angle of his eye. He didn’t know when he was more mesmerized: The day he first saw her or today?
His parents were talking to her. She replied still with her eyes cast down. He didn’t know he was staring at her. Until his mother nudged him. Zarrah hadn’t looked at him. “Why don’t you two go in the balcony and talk” her father told him. He nodded shyly and got up. She also got up and moved towards the balcony. It had a lovely view of the lawns- A glass panel that separated it from the living room where their parents sat. They could see them sitting in the balcony. Both seemed to be at a loss of words.
He didn’t know what to say. She still hadn’t looked up. “I did tell you I will marry you one day”. Her head jerked up. Her eyes searching his face: searching for the face of the little boy, the boy with thick curly hair and long eye lashes. Her hazel eyes shone with excitement and disbelief, of shock and relief. It was then he realized, she hadn’t forgotten. He felt a surge of happiness as he smiled into her eyes. She turned the same deep red when he had told her when they were kids. A tiny smile crept at the corners of her mouth. It was unbelievable. It was him. He truly had come.
She had been three. He was four. She was sitting in the sand dune playing with her friends. He came next to her and joined her. She had looked up at him and smiled. He had thick curly hair and long eye lashes. He had looked at her and her golden brown hair. “I’m going to marry you one day” he told her. Zarrah didn’t know what to say. She turned deep red and turned away. His eyes scared her. He then did that one thing that got him yanked by Ms. Ahmed and locked up in the ‘Bad Children Room’. He had ever so gently and silently leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek. All the children had squealed. Ms. Ahmed came rushing and took him away. She had been in a state of shock. She didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or to celebrate the happiness she felt. He had turned back and looked at her. A look that promised he would be back. Back.
However, that was the last day she had seen him. Her parents left the city that day. Zarrah’s father had been promoted and they were moving to the capital city. He would be managing the central office.
Soon years passed and Zarrah blossomed into a beautiful girl. Her beauty was even more precious for she covered it up. She was a jewel. Just like how the most beautiful things in the world are hidden, be it the pearl in the oyster’s protective arms or the diamond deep down the mine. Zarrah often sat and thought who would unearth her, and it was at that time she heard those words: “I’m going to marry you one day” She’d hid her face in the pillow and think of where he was. She knew she was crazy. He had been just four, yet what he said was with so much determination.
Today Zarrah turned eighteen. Today a man was coming to see her, to ask for her hand in marriage. She had overheard her mother telling her aunt. Her parents were friends with the family before Zarrah was born. They had moved to Muscat a few years back and now they were coming with their son was coming to see her. Zarrah’s mom went on to say that she would want Zarrah to marry now. It’s always good to marry early. There is charm and beauty when two who are young come together. They become one more easily and stand by each other at every point of life.
Zarrah had rushed to her room and thrown herself on the bed. Her heart was beating. She was scared. What if the man liked her, and then would that little boy, who had promised to marry her, never marry her? She laughed through her tears because she knew she was being silly. She touched her cheek, fourteen years later she still felt the same tingle.
Her parents told her a day in advance. They asked her if it was alright with her. She nodded silently. What could she say? “No Ammi, I actually am waiting for a four year old who once said he was going to marry me” They would laugh at her. She didn’t even know the name of the boy.
The smile in the mirror quivered. The heart shaped faced turned sad as the hazel eyes carried a far away look. “Zarrah!” her mother called her. It was time, time to go down and meet the man, the man who could be her future and the end of her childhood fantasy.
Adnan sat there waiting nervously. He couldn’t control his heart beat. Would she like him? Would she be ready to marry him? Would she remember his promise- the one he had made in the sand dune. If she didn’t, would she like him now? As the young man he was? His hand shook as he quickly laced his fingers to hide his nervousness.
She came in the room and he thought he had stopped breathing. She was wearing a turquoise salwar suit; the duppatta that covered her head was laced with beads that made her look like a fairy with flower buds framing her face. She kept her head bowed and eyes down. His parents saw her and nodded with approval. They looked at her and nodded to him. He seemed to notice all this from one angle of his eye. He didn’t know when he was more mesmerized: The day he first saw her or today?
His parents were talking to her. She replied still with her eyes cast down. He didn’t know he was staring at her. Until his mother nudged him. Zarrah hadn’t looked at him. “Why don’t you two go in the balcony and talk” her father told him. He nodded shyly and got up. She also got up and moved towards the balcony. It had a lovely view of the lawns- A glass panel that separated it from the living room where their parents sat. They could see them sitting in the balcony. Both seemed to be at a loss of words.
He didn’t know what to say. She still hadn’t looked up. “I did tell you I will marry you one day”. Her head jerked up. Her eyes searching his face: searching for the face of the little boy, the boy with thick curly hair and long eye lashes. Her hazel eyes shone with excitement and disbelief, of shock and relief. It was then he realized, she hadn’t forgotten. He felt a surge of happiness as he smiled into her eyes. She turned the same deep red when he had told her when they were kids. A tiny smile crept at the corners of her mouth. It was unbelievable. It was him. He truly had come.
That's how the two children came together for the rest of their lives.
3 comments:
Assalam alaikum.
Nice blog.. loved the short stories.. read a couple.. i write too .. but havent tried fiction yet .. well would love to read more from you :) Insha Allah .. youll be a great writer as you have the potential.
Allah-hafiz.
Md. Musheer Alam.
Md. Musheer - Walaykum Salam and thank you very much for your encouragement. Unfortunately I have not been able to make time for writing but inshaAllah I hope to write one soon. :)
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww thats so sweet and romantic!!!!! it made me smile.
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