"Are you okay?" Zaib looked intently at Zoya trying to interpret her expression. While leaving the Masjid, Zoya had broke into silent tears saying goodbye to her family. It was the first time Zaib had seen her cry and he didn't intend on this being a regular occurrence.

When they sat in the car to go to Zaib's home, he'd tried to comfort her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder as he patted her gently. None of them had spoken a word on the ride home as she cried out her sadness and he attempted to console her.

Her make-up, however, had been done using waterproof supplies and she still looked as she did back in the masjid, just a little dishevelled. Zoya occasionally looked up at Zaib in her crying state, his worried expression calming her down. She didn't want to stress him out when it had only been a couple of hours since their Nikkah.

It was only when she saw her father shed a tear that her tears emerged out. Her father was not a man who cried and she rarely saw him breakdown but in this situation, he was passing off his beloved daughter to another man. Her father's eyes were the warmest, overflowing with love and affection as he held her in his arms; her mother's sobs were audible to the farthest of guests as she embraced her daughter; Bilal seemed fine until she stepped towards the car with Zaib.

Bilal grabbed her and hugged her which made Zoya's chest ache with love. Her memories with Bilal were mostly of their fights and stupid arguments but they were all so precious, she never realized how valuable they were.

"I don't have to stand your stupid Netflix shows anymore Zoe. That TV is all mine now," he chuckled, his eyes shining with tears and she simply punched him in the gut as she sobbed into his chest.

The next time she visited her family home, she would be a guest.

She had lost her independent life as a single woman but she had gained the person she loved so much. She had Zaib now and he was all hers.

"I'm okay."

------>~

Zoya had been to Zaib's house before but entering as the daughter-in-law of this household was a different story. The white lights of the living room blinded her as she slowly entered with Zaib's hand holding hers.

There was Zaib's family and multiple relatives diffused throughout the rather large living room, all eyes on her. There was a faint murmuring amongst them as they took in Zoya who looked even more gorgeous up close except for Mariah who envied her and stared uncomfortably.

"Sit down dear," Zaib's mother hushed her to take a seat on their most comfortable sofa. Zaib couldn't help but feel taken aback at his mother's kind nature to Zoya for the moment as she was originally against this marriage. He met eyes with his mother in confusion and she caught on, giving him a reassuring look: she was being genuine.

The newlywed couple sat side by side as everyone awed at them, their chemistry together could be felt with them just sitting next to each other. Zaib sensed Zoya's shoulders tense up and he realised how nervous she must be such an overwhelming atmosphere. After all, she was suddenly being faced with so many strangers all at once. He looped his fingers through her fidgeting ones causing her to feel a little flustered. She wasn't used to this contact with him.

They'd known each other for quite a few months but in that time they weren't Mahrams to each other and therefore avoided any physical contact. Now it would become a part of their daily life and it surely would be difficult to get used to. But Zaib's touch was magic as it calmed her down and she was relieved she had him by her side.

"You two are so cute together!" The smiliest aunt with a black scarf exclaimed, being the first one to step forward from their relatives and taking a seat next to Zoya, grasping her other hand between her palms.

"Zaib is so lucky to have you, I'm still surprised he managed to find such a gorgeous lady," she teased, easing Zoya's nerves and causing her to giggle and shyly respond, "I'm the lucky one."

She peered at Zaib shyly and he smiled warmly in return, "You're right, how did I find such a pretty woman."

The lady giggled. "By the way, I'm Afeesa, Zaib's aunt. You can call me aunt or Afeesa. I don't mind neither." Zoya's smile widened. Zaib's aunt was easy to talk to and very sweet.

Soon enough the tension cleared and many of the relatives were talking to Zoya like they had known her for many years prior. Zoya also slipped into conversations with them and Zaib just gazed at her in admiration. She had such a warm energy that it was hard not to like her.

:-:-:-:

"I love your henna, by the way, it's done so intricately," Zaib's sixteen-year-old cousin Sumeira praised, lifting Zoya's hand. Now the girls had accompanied her and they were all sitting in Zaib's room while the men remained downstairs and the older women in the bedroom.

"Thank you Sumeira, I love your bangles," Zoya complimented back, eyes glinting in happiness. She had been received so well in Zaib's family and she was just grateful to Allah.

"So how did you meet my cousin?" Mariah chirped sarcastically. She had been crushing on Zaib for about three years before this and even suggested; however, she found out later that Zaib had rejected her for Zoya.

What did Zoya have that she didn't? After all, she believed she would make an amazing housewife for a hard-working Zaib. Even now, she was curious to why Zaib picked Zoya over her. Sure, Zoya was attractive but so what?

Zoya had noticed a bit of tension from Mariah's side the whole night and she wondered why this woman she had never met before acted peculiar towards her. But she was Zaib's cousin after all and now Zoya was a part of the family so she would have to warm up to her eventually.

"We met at my our friends' engagement. His best friend is marrying my best friend and my brother knows him as well," Zoya replied with a smile. Mariah sighed in return.

"How well do you even know him?" The interrogation just kept intensifying as Mariah glared daggers at the confused bride.

"Mariah." Zaib's cousin Farah warned. Almost all of Zaib's relatives were aware of Mariah's very obvious crush on Zaib but most of them disliked both Mariah and her brother Khaled so they never paid much attention to them.

"What? I'm just asking a question," Mariah crossed her arms, rolling her eyes.

"I probably don't know him as well as you all do but I intend on getting to know him better as soon as possible." The girls admired Zoya for answering that question optimistically. Mariah just turned away dramatically and exited.

"It's almost eight! Zaib's going to be here soon!" Sumeira squealed excitedly.

Zoya felt flustered just thinking about Zaib in the room with her. It would be the first time Zaib would see her without hijab and it may not seem like a big deal to many people but it was a humongous deal for her.

From a young age of thirteen, she had practised Hijab strictly. Only her mahrams had seen her hair. To her, it was like a second skin, she felt naked without it. At the same time, she was feverish. Thinking of Zaib to be the only one who would see her like that made her shy.

She had no idea what this night had in store for her; she didn't know how she would act around him or talk about. She just hoped to not mess things up.

"He's here!" Farah yelped, catching the attention of everyone in the room and causing them all to look at the door. Sure enough, she was right.

Zaib stood there in his sophisticated tuxedo, holding something behind his back while beaming like he was the luckiest man in this world.

"Salam girls, would you mind clearing out now? I'm sure you've bothered Zoya enough today," he joked as he entered the room and made sure there was enough room for everyone to leave.

He waited for all of them to leave. One of them turned back to wink at Zoya causing her to feel even more nervous. Zaib shook his head at their antics and softly closed the door after the last girl had left.

He gulped, nervously approaching Zoya who sat on the bed, gaze down and fingers fidgeting.

"I got you something," he extended his arm forward. His grasp held a small bouquet of gardenias. Zoya's eyes widened at the beauty yet simplicity of this gift. This small yet thoughtful gesture warmed her.

"I bought gardenias because they represent purity and gentleness which I find to be a couple of your best attributes." Zoya stared at him silently. Zaib felt awkward for a moment thinking she didn't like them.

"Uh, I know it's cheesy but I-"

"I love them, thank you so much." Zoya reached her arm out and received the white flowers from his hand, hugging them to herself as she took in their sweet scent. "There's a vase on the table, I'll put them there for you." Zaib felt content that she had accepted his present so joyfully.

After placing them in the vase, he hesitantly took a seat next to Zoya on the bed. She sat with her legs folded to one side, her hands in her lap. Then he took her in properly for the first time that night. His eyes travelled across her angelic features and she took the opportunity to scan him as well.

Even at this proximity, his face was glowing. His lips were bright pink and his eyes were a dazzling pool of admiration. Their gazes met and for once they didn't look away. They didn't have to. Not anymore.

"You look stunning. You always do, but today you look extraordinary," Zaib broke the silence, picking up one of her hands and resting it between his palms. "Thank you, you look amazing as well," Zoya replied with sincerity.

"Honestly Zoya, I feel like I've conquered the entire world right now. I've longed for you and from the first moment I saw you I knew that you were the one I wanted beside me, forever."

Zoya's cheeks tinted slightly at his genuine confession, "I—I feel the same way." She bit her lip nervously. "I want you to know that I— I'm probably going to be very awkward and annoying but—"

Zaib face lightened up with a smirk. "But what Zoya?" He whispered, his gaze becoming playful.

"But... but, you chose this upon yourself!" She exclaimed, reddening upon his teasing.

Zaib lifted her hand and laid another peck on her hand for the second time that night. "You're adorable." He chuckled and she broke into an annoyed smile.

Zoya suddenly realized how her mother had advised her to thank Allah for the delightful gift of marriage. "Uh Zaib, should we pray together?" Zaib's smile widened as he nodded impatiently and got up from the bed. He grasped her hand within his and helped her rise from the bed.

"You can perform ablution first I'll—" Zoya shook her head slightly. "I was in wudoo this whole time. You can make wudoo I'll wait for you," she explained causing him to nod and quickly leave to the washroom.

She heard the water run and her heart began to pace in exhilaration. He was performing ablution at the moment and would soon stand by her side praying to Allah. She had always imagined her spouse and her offering prayer together but now that it was happening, she felt her body gush with adrenaline.

Zoya's heart fluttered when Zaib returned with his black hair dishevelled and the ends wet. His shoes were off leaving him in black socks. He strolled to the desk at the corner of his room and grabbed the prayers rugs.

He splayed then out next to one another. Zoya gulped and stood beside him. The two then started the two voluntary rakaa's and prayed calmly. Zoya's mind eased as she realized all her sadness and frustration had dissolved when she prayed with her spouse. Zoya's smile widened as she thanked Allah for this beautiful relationship.

After prayer, Zoya realized she was still wearing her hijab. "Zaib, I'm going to take my hijab off now okay?" Zaib's eyes widened, he had gotten so used to her wearing hijab that he didn't know what to expect.

Zoya herself felt anxious about this but she reminded herself, this was her husband. But it would be kind of dramatic to remove it in front of him. "I'll be right back." With that, she left to the joined bathroom.

Her hennaed hands slowly travelled to the top of her sheila and she started removing the pins one by one. It was going smoothly until she realized that she couldn't find the third pin which was holding the top of her maxi and sheila together from the back. She panicked, searching for the last pin desperately.

Should she ask Zaib to help her find it?

She usually got her mother's help in removing pins from a very complicated hijab or hairstyle, wouldn't Zaib help the same way? She took a deep breath before opening the bathroom door and stepping out.

"Zaib?"

"Yeah?" His gaze travelled to her sheila and he saw that it was a bit dishevelled but not off yet. "I need help with removing a safety pin that's holding my maxi and sheila together from the back," she mumbled, a bit red-faced about this situation.

Zaib realised it was probably hard for her to do it herself. "Yeah of course." He got up and approached her immediately. Hesitantly, she turned around. "It'll be right at the top of my maxi." He held up her sheila slightly from the back, looking for that pin. A gleam of silver confirmed its location and he held it up. With his eyes concentrated on the safety pin, he fumbled with it trying to unbuckle it without pricking her.

Zoya shivered as she felt his hot breath hit the back of her neck. He was so close behind her and she felt the tip of his fingers graze her skin. His touch was delicate and made her feel elevated into a whole new world. She looked down, feeling like the luckiest woman on earth right now.

"It's done," he whispered, holding out the pin in front of her. She almost choked at their proximity and with trembling hands, accepted the pin. She set it down on the table and turned around to face him.

Not breaking eye contact, she steadily slid off her sheila and umta, revealing her brunette head of hair, tucked into a bun. His eyes widened as she pulled off her hair tie, allowing her umber tresses to cascade down her shoulders. She ran one hand through her hair, causing it to fall in place.

His heartbeat palpitated and his mouth ran dry as he stared at her.

This was his Zoya but she looked so different. He had thought she was as stunning as she could get with her hijab on but this was a whole another story. Never in his life had he been this attracted to a woman before, her hair framed her face perfectly and bought a whole new level of beauty to her appearance.

And this was only for his eyes to gaze upon, no other man would get to see her like this. She had reserved her beauty for so many years and now she was his only.

Zoya, on the other hand, felt very exposed and nervous. At the same time, it was also refreshing. Now that the initial exposure was over with, she could relax around him and be able to go around without her hijab when she was alone with him.

"Zaib?" Her sweet voice called his name, snapping him out of his daze.

"Zoya," his whisper was sensual as he traced her every feature and slowly extended his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, gazing at her like she was the starry night.

He leaned further in but halted. "I have something I want to show you. Don't worry about your hijab my family has gone out with my relatives right now. It's just us at home."

And with that, he led her out of the room.

He held her hand, guiding her up the numerous stairs, decorated with bedazzling lighting. She followed confusedly. Upstairs, Zaib pulled the wooden door open leading them to the rooftop and shifted for Zoya to see his preparation.

Zoya's gasp echoed within the empty house as she surveyed the beautiful view before her. Right, where she stepped forward, there was a path of white flowers welcoming her with candles on either side of the route; however, Zaib noticed the unlit candles and groaned. "I didn't think of the wind," which caused Zoya to burst into a melodic giggle.

She followed the path of flowers and came across the thick blanket situated on the ground with a picnic basket resting beside it. "It's not much but I didn't want our first date to be a night in my room," he called out behind her, causing her to turn around.

Overwhelmed with happiness, she lunged forward and pulled him into an embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his body tense up at the suddenness of her action and within a second, his arms were around her waist, tightened his hold on her.

Her body felt electrocuted as goosebumps flooded her skin upon the warm contact of his body and her heart thudded harder than ever. His scent brought back a feeling of deja vu as if she was forever familiar with his cologne even though she had never been close enough to identify his scent. Whatever it was, she wanted to keep herself caged within his arms.

"Let go Zoya. Because I sure as hell can't."

She breathed him in again before reluctantly pulling away and seating herself on the blanket. Zaib followed swiftly, grabbing her hand within his. His charismatic smile made her heartthrob as he drew small circles on her palm.

Zoya felt her body grow alert and she gulped to ease the adrenaline rush within her body. She grabbed the picnic basket and opened it to see what he had stored. She found packs of halal gummy bears and giggled at the adorability of his choice.

"Gummy bears huh?" She giggled again. Zaib chuckled along with her. "At short notice, I couldn't have planned anything better. I wanted to give you a feast," he excused, his eyes gleaming with apparent joy as he gazed at her.

Zoya turned to meet his gaze. "It's the simple gestures I am falling for," she mumbled.

Zoya looked away towards the night sky. The dazzling stars loitered the splash of navy, enticing all eyes towards itself but Zaib's gaze was only on her. He was starved for more of her when he fell in love and he was forced to restrain his gaze but now, admiring her was not only a right but also a part of his faith.

"The sky looks surreal from up here," she breathed, her eyes scanning every little gleaming light. Upon hearing silence from the other end, she glanced back at Zaib and found him surveying her.

"Is there something on my face?"

He shook his head, silent.

"Then why are you staring?"

"I'm admiring Allah's gift."

Her abdomen clenched as the butterflies she didn't know existed in real life roared to life. All the romances she had read were now coming true. Her face heated up as she felt his intense gaze stuck to her frame. Suddenly, he brought his hand forward and gently traced the redness of her cheek.

"You've blushed so many times today," his voice called out. Zoya rolled her eyes. "It's the blush used in makeup!" She yelled, embarrassed.

His laugh filled the night sky and he pulled her close cupping her oval face into his hands.

"Zoya..." his whisper was almost unheard. With shaky breathing, he asked, "can I kiss you?"

The question held such vulnerability, she felt her chest swell. Normally, the husband would consider it his right and do whatever he wanted the first night of the wedding but Zaib wanted her acceptance and joy in every step of the way.

Zaib's love for her was far larger than his desire.