Zaib jerked awake to the noisome sound of the alarm, blaring close to his eardrums. He quickly switched it off. His gaze drifted to his wife curled up within the blanket, clinging to his arm. He nudged her gently.

"Zoya, fajr athan will go off in a while. We should shower," he muttered and Zoya stirred within her slumber, letting out a sigh and murmuring something incoherent in her sleep. Zaib smiled and gently nudged her causing her to wake up. She adjusted herself, yawning as she opened her eyes. She moaned, pulling him closer as she nuzzled into his side. "I'm tired."

Zaib stared blankly and then shifted with a hint of redness on his cheeks. Zoya jerked awake, her eyes wide as she realized the words that had come out of her mouth. "I—I mean, tired from the trip." She then jumped off the bed, skidding to the bathroom.

She mentally scolded herself for that embarrassing moment and cringed. She should've thought about her words.

Zaib broke into a light chuckle. She was always so shy yet unintentionally blunt around him.

They prayed Fajr together and then succumbed back into a restful sleep.

((((((•)))))))

ꕥ𝟽𝟷𝟶𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚢ꕥ

ℕ𝕖𝕨 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕌𝕟𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕 ✈︎

𝑍𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝑆𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝐹𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝐵𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔

As their flight back to America took off, Zoya journaled and doodled while Zaib watched a comedy show on the television. The honeymoon had now come to an end after two weeks of pure escapism. Zoya felt a deep change within after spending two weeks of her life with this man.

She got to reflect on herself and her relationship with Zaib throughout these weeks. They barely used their electronics and it was a rejuvenating experience. They just had each other in a foreign country and it made them both realise how important they are to each other.

They had cycle raced through the streets of Lucerne by the serene river and enjoyed a cute little picnic under the shade of the towering trees of Bern. After Zaib captured the sunset, they had a fishing competition. Zoya won both even though he begged to differ, saying he let her win to be 'romantic'. They barbecued the night before their flight and it was the greatest chicken barbecue she had ever devoured.

She surveyed him and noticed his details, falling deeper in love. She realized it was almost impossible to understand someone before marriage. After the lawful bond was complete, you'd get to explore each other's emotions and technicalities.

Many people would argue that dating before marriage makes you understand a person more but honestly, you can't know someone properly until you've lived with them and seen them in different situations. Zoya had just gotten a glimpse of Zaib's personality before and had trusted her gut feeling for their marriage. Now, she knew him even more and her trust had paid off.

Zaib had a lot to him. Not only was he incredibly handsome, he was respectful and well kept. He liked spending his time and wealth for her sake and also bent his rules to fit for her happiness. He liked to observe and was never irrational towards her. He liked taking pictures of her.

"Zaib, show me the pictures you took," she told him while he sipped his fizzy drink. Zaib looked at her with a narrowed gaze.

"You want to delete my masterpiece don't you?" He rasped and she physically cringed at the thought of that one picture he took of her eating pasta with sauce dripping from her lips. "I look like an actual hungry walrus please let me delete it!" She grimaced and he laughed after winking.

"That's the beauty of it, babe."

Zoya punched his chest, frustrated. His great photography was sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse.

"Zoya, do you like photography?" He randomly blurted and Zoya shook her head blankly. "No, not really. I like to paint sometimes," she added which suddenly raised his spirits as he turned to her.

"What kind?" He questioned.

"I love abstract art. I always liked doodling random things. I also really loved doing mosaic eggshell painting back in middle school but it took so much effort, I never finished my painting," she reminisced the time back in school, drained out on the floor with a bunch of eggshell fragments and paints clattered around her.

He thought about it and smiled.

The flight was over very soon after that. They reclaimed their baggage and Zoya sprinted out, holding his hand. "I'm so excited to see everyone from home, especially Zayna!" She squealed while Zaib hailed a cab.

As they settled into the cab, Zaib grabbed her hand and traced the lines of her palm. "I need to take you somewhere else first." Zoya arched an eyebrow, confused. He smiled and then off the car zoomed.

O-O-O-O-O-O

"How am I supposed to walk blindfolded?" She yelped, folding her arms, standing on what seemed like a grass.

As soon as their cab had neared some vast garden, Zaib had pulled out a tie from the pocket of his jeans and tied it to Zoya's eyes, consuming her with darkness for the remaining ten minutes of their journey.

She heard him chuckle vibrantly and he wrapped his arm around her waist suddenly lifting her from the ground into his arms. Zoya shrieked as her feet left the ground, pushing against his chest.

"What're you doing!" She shrieked. He held her up, wrapping his other arm beneath her knees and then began walking silently. She eased against his warm chest, trusting him and a tad bit feverish for the surprise.

After a few silent steps, she heard his shoes clack against a concrete surface, presumably a floor. Growing impatient, she poked his chest, hoping he could put an end to the anticipation. And then, he set her down. He turned her towards the south and from behind her untied the pitch darkness.

She hurried to open her eyes but the blaze of sunlight caused her to flinch and when she finally opened her eyes, her jaw dropped. The sun above her stung her eyes but she narrowed them to have a better look.

They were standing on a concrete porch with a sandstone coloured, terraced house towering before them. The smell of freshly painted walls lingered which she only noticed now. Zoya turned to him, her brain unable to form any words.

"This is our home," he introduced, his smile wider than the moon. "It is a right of yours to ask for this but since you didn't, I wanted to gift it myself Zoya," he explained, his gaze warming for her.

She closed the gap between them and embraced him, tightening her hold. She couldn't have asked for a better man. "I didn't want you to slip away from your family. You love them so much," she whispered against his chest and he chuckled gently, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I love them but my love for you is different. You have rights and my parents have different rights upon me," he elaborated. Zaib loved his family but he knew that Zoya wouldn't be able to comfortably walk around their home with his brother living with them and they wouldn't be able to have more time to themselves. Additionally, this house was located closer to his workplace and her university.

She smiled, pulling away and kissed him on the cheek. "The exterior is gorgeous!" She chimed and then hurried in, pulling the wooden door open. The little cheek kiss made his heart flip and then he chased her, following inside. The interior was even more pleasing to the eye.

The walls were white and the marble floor was polished. The living room was cosy, extending to the backyard. On their right-hand side, there was an open kitchen with an elongated kitchen island accompanied with tall stools. There was a door connecting to an office which both of them could use for their work.

Zaib took her to the other end towards the rooms. "I've only bought things of immediate use, like a sofa and bed. We can go furniture shopping tomorrow." He told her as he took her through the empty guest room.

"Our room is upstairs, along with a storage unit and wardrobe." She hurried upstairs, beaming with exuberance and Zaib's face brightened at the sight of a lively Zoya. Her jaw dropped in awe at their large bedroom. A king-sized bed with light blue and white sheets sat in the middle against the wall, leaving room for other furniture. She could already imagine the furniture she wanted here.

Connected to their room was an ensuite bathroom which was beautifully developed with a shower, toilet and a vintage bathtub. Best of all, there were two sinks in front of a vast mirror. Zoya felt excited just thinking about how they could brush their teeth side by side.

Their room had a regular closet space but they had another room upstairs just for using as a closet as well as a storage room. There was a smaller room which Zoya imagined could be used as a prayer room. Zaib walked her through, satisfied that Zoya was so happy. She was ranting about what furniture they could get and where to place everything.

The house was big but not too big, it was perfect for a couple.

"When did you even plan this?" She questioned as she descended the polished staircase.

"I took permission from my parents to live separately before marriage but I officially rented this on our third day of marriage," he explained, holding her hand within his. "I liked it because of its tactical location. It takes five minutes on foot to get to the supermarket and twenty minutes to my parents' house. The parking spot is vast and the rooms are not extra luxurious, neither are they mediocre. The sun is right above and the houses in this neighbourhood are spaced between each other so it's quiet."

"Okay Mr Architect," she teased and he rolled his eyes pulling her close.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it and I love you. It was my dream to have a home of my own with my little family. Thank you so much for this." Her eyes sparkled as she spilt all her emotions into her words, her heart beating against his, full of love.

Her eyes welled up as she looked up at the rooftop instinctually. "It's Allah's gift to us." He nodded with a giant smile. The couple then fell into prostration before their Lord, thanking Allah for the happiness and fulfilment.

The empty house with nothing but their love was now under Allah's protection.