Married To You?

My Wife

Being married is unlike everything I've heard stories about from relatives and friends. They say being married is full of extra responsibilities, chores and very rarely a perfect evening with your spouse especially when you live with your family.

When I was listening to people I know complain about everything they have to do and all the aspects of marriage that they didn't think about and how they should have planned better, I began worrying and wondering if marriage was the right thing for me at this moment in my life, when I just began building my career.

But Khadijah, she was an angel. All my worries, all my thoughts faded away within the first week of being married to this god-sent gift.

Waking up beside her even when her hair was tangled and basically looked like a birds nest, although I would never tell her what she really looked like, the view of her in the morning made me smile and I felt like nothing would ruin my day.

The simple actions she had made a habit of; asking me what I want to wear, kissing my forehead whenever I go to work, smiling at me randomly, all these small things made me feel so lucky.. Those smiles, they made me feel as if my heart will explode from happiness; I know that's not possible but the amount of happiness she gives me from a simple action such as a smile, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the first person it happens to.

We didn't get a chance to have an evening alone with each other ever since we got married, without my siblings pestering us for movie nights/game nights or my parents wanting some family time. But not once did my beautiful wife complain or scowl at the fact that my family were so involved with our relationship instead she would encourage their ideas by busting out the board games or picking a movie and this habit of hers made me fall in love with her even more than I do if that's even possible. I expected her to complain to me privately or even subtly try to explain she wanted time alone with me but this heaven-sent gift just blessed me with smiles even when losing in Monopoly.

A week in and Khadijah had already established a routine and taken on all the chores of the house as her own duties and in doing so she never complained about how many chores there were; instead she would insist on doing them all herself ignoring my mother's protests and declining Aneesah's constant offers of help. There was nothing she wouldn't do to make my family's life a little easier; even taking on all of Abid's duties (ironing his clothes, preparing his lunch for work etc) and seeing her do all this made me feel so happy as she transitioned from practically a stranger to basically the backbone of our family.

I did feel maybe she was hiding her feelings by keeping herself busy with the chores of the house but when confronted she denied my offer to talk about it, “Talking about it will just make them seem bigger than they are and really they're so small. I just miss my family sometimes and really that feeling will fade one day, I don't know when but I do know they don't take over the feelings I feel for you and us so what is the point of discussing something that is normal? Maybe I get a little too sad and that's nothing FaceTime or an evening of Monopoly with Abid won't fix.. Sounds like I am going into one of my minute-long rants..”

“You kinda were baby” I grinned at her hugging her feeling so overwhelmed at the fact that she told me her feelings for me is stronger than the pain she felt when missing her family.

“Yeah well it's been a while” she muttered

“I agree” I nodded at her cheeky response making her shrug and push me away

“Whatever”

After the mini conversation we had about her feelings we never bought them up again until a couple of weeks later when I caught her crying in our bedroom, in her defense I was supposed to be on my way to work but I forgot something so when I walked in I didn't really expect my wife crying her heart out sitting in our bedroom holding her mobile phone.

“Hey Deeds, I forgot something”

“Huh what did you forget?” She jumped slightly wiping at her tears

Walking up to her I realised a video was playing on her phone; more specifically Khadijah's favourite video of her and Umar when they were at a funfair and they were on a Merry-Go-Round where Umar was sat on his aunty and screaming his lungs out whilst my beautiful wife laughed her head off. I figured out the events that had transpired to lead my wife to sit alone and cry.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing” She muttered pausing the video locking her iPhone.

Grabbing her phone out of her hand and using her face to unlock the Face ID login, I sat beside her wrapping my left arm around her and using my right arm I pressed play on the video and I sat with her and we replayed the two minute and forty second video.

This video was also my favourite just because of Khadijah's laughter as she laughed her heart out at her nephew's screams, she was dressed in a maroon skirt with a white shirt tucked in and she had a matching maroon hijab draped around her beautiful face. The colour of her hijab around her face made her stunning eyes seem like they were reflecting the sun, making them look lighter than they really are. She had minimal makeup on and honestly it didn't make a difference, she looked ethereal.

The second time I played it Khadijah gave up and burrowed her face into my chest sobbing so heavily, pausing the video I chucked her phone on the bed and wrapped my arms around my oh so stunning wife, “Oh Dida”

“I can't help it, I'm sorry, I just miss them so much”

“I know, I know baby” I muttered into her hair

She didn't say anything instead she sobbed her heart out into my arms as I sighed unable to come up with anything that will help her, “What can I say to make it better?”

“You can't, just hug me and let me cry”

“Whatever you want”

Hugging her I combed my fingers through her hair hating the feeling it gave me to hear her sobs again especially when I couldn't do anything about it.

After a few more minutes of crying she sighed, taking huge breaths in as she managed to take control of her sobs, “Are you okay?”

“I'm better”

“Really?”

“Yes”

“Do you wanna go home for a few days?”

“No, I'm fine”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes..”

“Why don't you go for a few days?”

“Because it's the same thing, in fact that will make me feel worse also Aneesah is still in school, on the weekend both of us will go, okay?”

“How will that make you feel worse?”

“Because then I'll miss you” she looked up at me my arms smiling cheekily.

“Very funny”

“I'm being serious Qasim”

“No you're not”

“I am and I am fine, I promise”

After a few minutes of me trying to persuade her I'll take a day off from work so we can finally do something as a couple alone to which she kept declining and telling me to go work.

I decided to go to work but come home early, in between my meetings I messaged her constantly with silly jokes to which she would reply with pictures of her 'serious' face,the last picture she sent though was of her grinning so happily and I swear I might sound so cheesy but seeing that picture made my heart soar and I told her that so she sent a video of her rolling her eyes making me laugh, I then decided to get on with my actual job so I could get to leave work faster.

Getting home early to see Khadijah smile at me when she opened the door made me coming home earlier just my best idea yet, “You're not ready”

“What would I be ready for?”

“We're going out”

“What? Where?”

“Anywhere you want”

“Can we take Abid and Aneesah?”

“Really?” I looked at her trying to figure out if she really wanted to take those idiots along with us

Grinning she nodded at me, “Yes please”

“Okay baby, anything you want”

“Yay” she high-fived me, “Do you want to eat anything?”

“No, we'll eat from out too”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep”

“Shall I get ready now then?”

“Yes”

Two seconds later she was running up the stairs yelling at Aneesah and Abid telling them to get ready and from the direction of her footsteps she was going into our bedroom to get ready herself.

I headed into the living room and sat down, I knew they would take at least half an hour to get ready so I took some time to relax, it takes me all of two minutes to get ready, remember?

Forty minutes later we were saying bye to our parents who were relaxing with an Asian drama on TV and heading to my car, “So where do you want to go?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don't mind so decide amongst yourselves”

After ten minutes of them bickering between themselves they decided on cinemas and dinner from Pizza Hut, we were all craving pizza and ice-cream.

Once we were in the cinemas the movie choice was mine and Abid's to the ladies dismay as they groaned at our choice; Insidious, The Last Key. We took our seats; Khadijah, me, Aneesah and Abid, we all had our drinks and our popcorn, we were going to share a carton of popcorn but when I realised my wife is crazy -she opened a packet of Magic Stars and threw them on top of the salted popcorn- I decided I had to get my own. The movie was great due to the benefit of Khadijah being so terrified she hid into my arm making me and my siblings laugh at her, well siblings equals Abid because Aneesah was using Abid to prevent getting scared herself. Dinner was yum, it's pizza.. What's not to like? After our dinner we headed to the local desserts bar for ice-cream and cookie dough, the combination from the heavens!

So now here we were in bed at two am watching short comedy skits on YouTube. And honestly I couldn't have asked for a better end to the day.

She was amazing, my wife, I couldn't have prayed for a better woman to spend the rest of my life with!

In fact I didn't and Allah really blessed me with an amazing human to be my companion till the end of my life InshAllah..