19 Chapter 17 : Henna ceremony
Zehra was sitting in same position from long time, as henna artists were applying henna on her hands and feet. Her cousins and friends were giving her company from time to time.
She was sitting in same position from 7 in the morning and now clock was showing 2 in afternoon. Her henna is almost done just little detailing was happening but she was tired already.
Almost her feet's henna was dried and hands also. Here and there was a little wet henna only which will be dried hopefully before her haldi ceremony.
After Mehndi, she has an haldi ceremony at 4 in the evening and then tomorrow will be her nikah.
"Aapi, name kya likhna hai?(Sister, what name should I write?)" henna artist asked her.
"Ha ha, bataye name kya likhna hai?(yes yes, tell her what name she should write?)" Afiya teased her from where she was sitting.
Afiya's mehndi was already done and she was sitting in front of her. She was awake before zehra and gave her company through out.
"Zaroon" Zehra told her smilingly while glaring at Afi for teasing her.
"And make sure to hide it carefully!" She said in whisper to henna artist.
"Aap fiqr na karen aapi, bahut acche se chupa dungi, wo dhundh hi nahi paenge!(Don't worry sister, i will hide it very efficiently that he wouldn't be able to find it!)" henna artist told her while giggling.
She wrote his name starting from the end of her right index finger to heart of the palm, and hide it very well with henna design.
After getting done with henna, she called afiya closer to her. And showed her henna.
"Masha allah, Zaroon Bhaijaan ki mohabbat ka rang to abhi se chad gaya aap par Zehra bibi( Zaroon brother's love's color has already got on you zehra!)" she said while pointing at particular part from where dried henna has came out and dark maroon color can be seen.
Zehra blushed at her statement but kept quite and diverted her attention towards finding his name in her henna.
"Tell me can you find his name?" She said while forwarding her both hands.
Afiya tried to find his name but couldn't find it. after trying for few minutes she accepted her defeat. Zehra showed her his name and she clapped in appreciation. They were talking when Afiya's phone started to ring. She looked at the caller and smiled mischievously at Zehra.
She stood up from her place and went further away from Zehra where her hands can't reach. Zehra looked at her being confused. Afiya picked up call and put it on Loudspeaker.
"As salamu alaikum!" She said.
"Walaikum as salam" voice came and Zehra's heart beat picked up its pace.
"Kya baat hai Zaroon Bhaijaan, aaj meri yaad kese aa gai? ( What happened Zaroon brother, how come you remember me today?)" she asked while wiggling her eyebrows at Zehra.
"Umm.. Actually i wanted to ask what are you doing?" He asked while scratching his forehead in nervousness.
"You want to know about me or Zehra?" She asked and Zehra thanked Allah in her heart as Afiya has already closed the door otherwise anyone would have come inside by hearing her overexcited voice.
"You, i mean to say.." he was fiddling with words as he didn't know what to say.
"If you want to ask about her then she is blushing right now!" Afiya said and Zehra looked at her in anger.
"Now she is glaring at me!" Afiya said and in response Zehra threw pillow at her which she dodged easily.
"And now she is converting into angry bird and throwing pillows at me!" She continued her rant and Zaroon on the other hand seem to enjoy the live telecast of their happenings.
"Would you stop your live reporting?" Zehra asked in anger feeling annoyed due to her teasing, but she realized soon after saying that call was still on, she cupped her mouth with her hands and shut her eyes tightly at her stupidity when she heard a chuckle from other side of phone.
"Afiya, don't irritate her!" He said after sobering up.
"Ohh! So much worried huh!" Afiya said looking at her best friend who was blushing like a tomato on his comment.
"Afiya." Zehra said and glared at her angrily.
"Okay, okay i am not saying anything now." She said and turned off loud speaker of phone. She talked for some more moments and disconnected the call.
Afiya went out the room to bring something to eat for Zehra. When Zehra removed his handkerchief from under her pillow and took it in front of her eyes. She smiled looking at his Handkerchief.
Yesterday night she was having wedding jitters and she was feeling very emotional, at that time she remembered his handkerchief and slept while holding his handkerchief tightly in her hands. It gave her a kind of peace and feeling of relief.
She knew in her heart that he would never disappoint her, if he could postpone their marriage for her childish wish then he can do anything for her. She felt a different kind of emotion thinking about him.
Soon after, Afi came and fed her food while reminiscing their memories and all the pranks they had done during their school time. They laughed at their memories.
Then she prayed her Zuhr namaz, Afiya helped her in changing her dress. She was ready in her Yellow haldi outfit.
In Zehra's Family they have custom that bride does not get ready on her Haldi, so the glow could be seen on her wedding day.
According to that, she just wore outfit, applied moisturizer and lip balm. She didn't applied any makeup.
Soon she was brought down in living room. Where everyone got emotional seeing her ready and thought of leaving her tomorrow was enough to make them cry.
Soon she was made sit on couch, her mother came first.
Zubaida hugged her daughter to her heart and started weeping, she felt like it was just yesterday when she was born, when she took her first step, when she spoke her first word which was mama, when she cried to not go to school, when she got her first trophy in primary,when she got her SSC results, when she started going to college and now.
Everything looked like in front of her Eyes and today she is all ready to leave this house and go to someone else's house as someone's wife, someone's daughter in law and many other relations.
Her baby girl has really grown up. She kissed her temple and fed her some sweet, applied turmeric paste on her face. And prayed for her bright future.
One by one all ladies repeated the same process. After completion of ritual she was brought back in her room.
It was later in the night when Zehra wasn't able to sleep. She got up from her bed and looked at other side of bed towards afi who was sleeping peacefully tired due to all activities and jumping whole day in her house from here to there.
She felt hungry, so she went towards the kitchen, where she found her favorite Chocolate which her father keep always stored for her knowing about her late night eating habits.
She remembered the fact and that brought tears in her eyes.
From tomorrow I won't be able to accompany everyone after Fajr for tea.
I will leave this house forever.
Everything, from tomorrow I won't be having brunch or mama's scolding, or shaan bhai's irritating statements.
She looked around her house from the time she has remembered, every memories, everything related to it.
Where she fell down first time while riding bicycle, or where she burned her hand while frying snacks, or the time when she went to park without informing anyone and her parents got worried and when she returned they got so angry that they didn't talked to her whole day and finally at night when she cried in front of them, they forgave her and hugged her saying not to do it in future.
She got reminded of all the things. She went back to her room's window while her tears were flowing continuously from her eyes.
She looked at the sky which was blank as moon
was absent to spread it's shine. She felt the rush of emotions going through her mind and she didn't know what to do.
So she grabbed her phone and did the only thing came in her mind at that time.
Zaroon was working on his pending work as he knew that he won't be able to work for sometime after his marriage. So he was working on his laptop when he heard his phone ringtone, he looked at wall clock which showed 2:25 a.m.
He forwarded his hand towards bedside table to grab his phone, where he saw caller id his heart trembled in fear.
He picked up the call and went to balcony. He was met with a silence from other side of line.
"Zehra"he said in softest tone, in return he heard her sniffing and sobs,he got panicked.
"Zehra, tell me what happened? Is everything alright?" He asked in one breath.
"I..i am .. scared"she said while hiccuping.
"For what?" He asked.
" i don't want to leave my parents or my house." She said in small whisper, she sounded like a child demanding something from his parents.
"Zehra, if you are leaving your parents then you will get my parents in return na! You will be having two sets of parents,you will have two houses to stay in,think about that." He said whatever came to his mind as he didn't knew how to handle the situation.
"What.. what if I wouldn't be able to handle responsibilities?" She asked still sniffing.
"I will be there with you on every step, if even something will go wrong then we would handle it together, you won't be alone right?" He said trying to make her understand.
"But still.." she was going further when he cut her off.
" Just listen to me, you trust Allah right? Nothing will go wrong, in sha allah. Don't overthink about the matter. You should just sleep right now." He said.
"Don't disconnect the call, lay down" he said and she complied him
"Now don't think about anything and close your eyes." He said and she closed her eyes.
" Nothing will ho wrong, in sha allah, i will always be with you!" He said and his words worked as lullaby to her as she slept in few moments.
Hearing sound of even breathing from other side he disconnected the call and came back in his room. He felt happy that she thought to share her worries with him, he smiled at himself.
~*~
Mehndi - Henna
Haldi - Turmeric paste
Haldi ceremony- where women applies turmeric paste on bride
