Are We Okay?

Chapter 8

"Asalam Alaykum, masi (aunt)," Aisha and Salim greet ummi. 

"Walaykum Salam, beta." Ummi smiles then greets Abdullah and the rest. 

"Ummi, where's Daneen?" I ask her eagerly. 

"She's getting ready," ummi says while escorting guests inside. 

"I'll be back." I turn to Abdullah, who nods. I pick up my long, blue dress and rush past all guests. In haste, I bump into someone, causing them to fall over. 

"Oh my, Allah! I'm so sorry, I should've been looking." I gasp and quickly help her up. She brushes her dress angrily and glares at me. 

Once she sees me, her face softens. "You are Daneen's sister? I'm Ibraheem's sister, Aliyah." She holds her hand out with a sweet, polite smile. 

"Oh, nice to meet you and sorry again." I shake her hand. 

"You are way too excited for this," Abdullah whispers into my ear. I just chuckle because he's right. I'm literally jumping up and down on my seat, eagerly watching Daneen sitting on her seat waiting for Ibraheem. 

Everyone's going up to her wishing her the best in her marriage. They're not even married yet, but hey she's not complaining. 

Finally it is my turn. I jump up from my seat and rush to her and ignore the laughter coming from my in-laws side. 

"Oh, you are stunning, mashallah." I kiss both her cheeks, then her forehead. 

"Sis, stop, you are embarrassing me," she groans. 

I chuckle and wink. "Wait till later on."

"Sis, what are you up to?" she asks with a glare but I just smile and hum. 

I turn around and notice mom and dad whispering to each other, looking very scared and worried. Frowning, I step down from the stage and walk over to them. 

"Ummi, baba, what's wrong? Where's Ibraheem?" I ask. 

Tears stream down mom's face as soon as I finish. 

"Ummi?" 

"They canceled the wedding, Aminat. Ibraheem doesn't want to marry Daneen... he eloped with some other girl," baba says. 

Before I know it, my hand covers my mouth and tears fill my eyes. I turn around and look at Daneen, who's smiling at everyone. She looks so happy. Baba and ummi will be so humiliated. Ya Allah, what do we do?

"He eloped?" a voice whispers in shock. We turn around to find mama there with her eyes widened. "Ya Allah," she whispers. 

"What are you going to do?" 

Ummi covers her face and shakes her head. 

Sahil walks over scrolling through his phone. "Sahil," mami whispers repeatedly, then her eyes widen. "Sahil can marry Daneen," she says. 

"Sahil?" Baba furrows his eyebrows. We turn to Sahil, who's looking at us with confusion. 

"Sahil, you are getting married to Daneen, I'll explain later, but please do this," mama whispers. 

"What? Her? No way, ummi," Sahil whisper yells. 

"Sahil, beta, please." Ummi holds her hand together as tears stream down her face. "Please," she breaks down, crying. 

"Her future will be ruined otherwise." She cries harder. 

"Ummi." I hug her tight as tears slide down my own eyes too. 

"I'll marry her," Sahil whispers. I look at him in shock. Mama hugs him tightly. 

"I'll go talk to Daneen," I tell them. Ummi nods and wipes her tears. I wipe my own, then walk past everyone. 

I guess Aliyah left too. Aliyah Ali and her stupid bro--

Aliyah? "Aliyah Ali. Aliyah Ali," I whisper to myself repeatedly. 

My eyes widen instantly. Aliyah Ali, Abdullah's first love. Ya Allah, it's her. It's really her.

"Sis, where are they? Is everything okay? And why's ummi crying?" Daneen asks, cutting off my thoughts. 

"Daneen..." I sit beside her and hold her hands. I explain everything to her slowly, so she can grasp everything in. 

"What?" she yells.

"Daneen," I whisper, trying to calm her down as everyone is now staring. 

"Daneen, please calm down," I whisper. Her arms drops as tears fill her eyes. She pushes me away then runs off the stage and into an empty room, then locks herself in. 

"Daneen!" I yell. "Daneen, please wait!" I run after her. 

"Daneen, please. Daneen!" I bang on the door, while crying along with her. 

"Let me talk to her," baba says. I look at him, then at ummi, who hugs me tightly, letting me cry on here. She doesn't care that everyone is watching us. 

"She's broken, ummi. It's all his fault. Why couldn't he just break the marriage earlier? Why now ? His family didn't even feel any shame... they left her stranded." I cry harder. 

"Aminat, beta, please." Ummi tries to calm me down. 

Baba walks out of the room with an emotionless Daneen beside him. "Daneen," I whisper. 

She walks past me and onto the stage, then takes her seat. I cover my face and shake my head. 

"It's okay." Abdullah wraps his arms around me. I look up at him and shut my eyes tightly. 

"Beta, I'm so sorry. I didn't know this would happen kasam se (I swear)." Ummi hugs Daneen tightly. "Please don't be mad at me." 

"Ummi, this isn't your fault. Why would I be mad at you?You did this to protect my future, thank you, ummi." Daneen smiles a little and hugs ummi back. She hugs baba, then turns to me. 

She doesn't say anything, but glances at Sahil, who's looking everywhere but not at us. 

"We should get home," mama says, then looks at ummi and baba. "Don't worry, Zaynab. I will take care of both your daughters like they're my own." 

Ummi smiles and hugs mama each, while baba and Abdullah's baba talk amongst each other. 

Abdullah and Rahul both whisper to Sahil, who just nods to everything they're saying. 

"Come on, bahu (daughter-in-law)." Mama holds Daneen's hand.