By Miryamah AQ
miryamah230@gmail.com
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"Yaya!" Aunt Ralia calls warningly.
"Leave us" Hajiya Babba barks and all those unfamiliar faces scrambled out. But Jakadiya stayed behind.
"Look here Sule. The last time I let you made your own choice, you ended up marrying an outsider who nearly brought this kingdom down to ashes. I'm not letting you make that mistake now. Baturiya is marrying Yarima and that is final. Mark my words" she sneered and I can see my Abba's face getting harder and harder with every word she utters.
My heart was already beating erratically in my heart. Ya Allah what is all this? Tears were already welling up in my eyes.
"Jakadiya go on!"
Jakadiya clears her throat one more time.
"So we talked matters with Mai Martaba(His Majesty) and Sarauniya(The Queen)and they've somewhat agreed on the issue since Yarima's wife is not ready to return to her matrimonial home. "
He has a wife? Oh Allah !
"What do you mean by 'somewhat'?" Hajiya asks.
"Well.." Jakadiya adjusted her veil again. "Sarauniya was not quite keen on the issue. She doesn't want Baturiya to...."
"What nonsense!" Hajiya Babba barks. "She is not the boy's mother so she doesn't decide on matters like this. Da uwarshi na raye data bani hadin kai(if to say his mum was live she could've supported me)" she huffed.
"Well...we have decided the wedding should take place on Friday. The Nikah will be done after jumu'ah prayers and then a small Walima will hold here before she'll be conveyed to her husband's house insha Allah" jakadiya explains.
"There will be no party or celebration, Yarima's orders"
Oh! So he's in this too.
"Excuse me?" I managed to speak for the first time,my voice thick with tears. Everyone turns to look at me. "Why are you all acting like am a piece of rock. I'm the one whom the subject of the discussion is all about and you're already tuning me out. I haven't yet agreed to marry the guy and you're already planning a wedding? For real?" My voice was beginning to pick up speed.
"What nonsense!" Hajiya barks,this time hitting her walking stick on the floor, Nanny McPhee style. "Who says you have to agree to marry him before we proceed? We are all your superiors here. You have no right to order us around or make us do what pleases you. You're marrying Yarima and that is final"
"And what if I say I'm not uhm? What can you do?" My voice was now raw with anger. My vision was blurred by tears.
"Miriam!" Aunt Ralia calls warningly.
"You see Sule. You have disobeyed me countless times in front of this girl and she's already picking it up. How shameful" she shakes her head vigorously. I wish it falls off her neck. "Ralia,take her out. Sule we have a serious discussion to make"
Aunt Ralia reaches forward to hold me but I push her away.
"I'm not going anywhere! I have the right to say whatever I want to say. I am not marrying Yarima in a million years and no one can make me do so. No one!" I shouted. Aunt Ralia pulls me hard by the arm and I kept jerking away but she was way too strong and I was afraid she'll get my arm fractured so I just gave up struggling and followed her into Hajiya's room.
"Leave us!" She said the moment we got in and all the maids rushed out,closing the door behind them. I fell on the floor in a heap of sobs and sniffs,my body shaking uncontrollably due to the effect of my sobs.
"Shhhh....its okay" Aunt Ralia hugs me from behind,her hand running in circles on my back.
"No its not!. Its not going to be okay!" I shriek as I sit up straight.
"You just saw how she was trynna ruin my life right there. She ruined my mother's happiness and now she's ruining mine too? I can't let this happen Aunt Ralia. She's not God . She can't decide what's to happen and what's not to happen.
My fate does not lie in her hands.
She can't just marry me off to some dude whom I don't know. This is not fair."
"Miriam" she calls softly. It feels so good to have someone that calls me by real name. Not that 'Baturiya' of a thing. "There are certain things in life that are meant to happen no matter the situation. You just have to accept them. Accept this marriage as Qadr and I assure you Allah will bring out the best in it"
"So you're also on her side huh?" I huffed. "Unbelievable!"
You're her daughter anyways so you
have to be on her side dama ai.
"I'm not on anyone's side. But you know,Hajia has been choosing spouses for everyone in this family even before you were born. I was ballistic at first when she wanted me to marry Yusuf but look,we have four kids and are happy Alhamdulillah.
You just have to put Allah first in every situation. Leave everything in His hands and insha Allah it'll work out well"
"I can't let this happen Aunt Ralia.
No No No. I need to do something.
She can't just make decisions off hand." I buried my face in my hands and cried.
"There's nothing you can do. Just pray okay? Do istikhara and if you have a positive feeling about it then its all Khayr insha Allah" she whispered soothingly.
"And if its not?"
She smiled at me.
"It'll be Khayr insha Allah. Trust me."
We were silent for a while as she just hugged me while I cried softly into her shoulder. I finally gave up crying and looked up.
"Why does she want me to marry him anyways? Is it because I'm the only girl? What of Yusrah? Isn't she her granddaughter too?"
Yusrah is my cousin and Aunt Ralia's eldest daugter.
"Well..first Yusrah is just sixteen remember? She's still in the highschool so she can't just be married to Yarima. And she's not her favorite granddaughter though."
"I'm not either" I roll my eyes.
"Stop being childish" she hits my arm playfully. "Seriously she thinks you're the best person to marry Yarima."
"Why?"
"You see three years ago,they had this really big fight with Ameerah his wife and there was a near divorce issue but then Ameerah went back to her parent's house and later on returned their baby. She flew to Saudi months later and as rumours reached us,she's now running her own business there.So he's been sorta single for like two and a half years now and baby Nur needs a mother figure in her life so...." She trails of,shrugging her shoulders.
"This is ridiculous. So I'm like a babysitter of some sort. Clean his room,nurse his child,cook meals and get paid at the end of the month. I can do all this without getting married to him. Can't I ?"
She sighs in defeat and pats my shoulder.
"You need some rest darling. Make du'a and sleep. I'll see you in the morning" she hugs me one last time and heads out.
I pulled my legs up to my chest and rested my chin on my knees,several thoughts raiding my mind. I wish I will just wake up and realize this is a dream
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