The sky was turning navy by the time the graduation ceremony ended. Everyone collectively decided upon gathering for dinner at the newly opened halal restaurant. "Ladies, would you mind parting now? We're heading to the same destination," Ehsan interrupted as they walked to the parking lot. Even after the ceremony, his wife stuck like glue to her best friend- his presence was nonexistent. Naimat glared at him sourly for his blunt remarks, but Zoya giggled as she waved goodbye to her best friend. The bantering couple boarded the car and drove away.

Zaib, who was walking at a safe distance behind Zoya, swiftly grabbed her hand and then he threw her into his arms, his towering frame embracing her tightly. "I've been yearning to do this for so long. I didn't even get to congratulate my wife because of her annoying friends."

"Hey! Don't say that," she mumbled, throwing a jab against his chest, which didn't faze him. After the ceremony ended, she was immediately pulled into the familiar faces graduating with her, and the photo session lasted an hour. Then, Naimat had swooped her away for more single shots with the certificate. Zoya, herself, felt frustrated because she wanted to see his shining eyes up close, but she could only silently complain.

Zaib's embrace warmed her heart, and she softened into his chest, her arms easing around his back. "I'm so lucky to have you," he told her as if the look in his eyes wasn't already enough to convey his emotions. Zoya appreciated her husband's straightforwardness; he never left things unsaid; it would be a hassle for her to constantly guess, so he never left a speck of doubt. He made sure she felt his love every time, loud and clear.

"Zaib—I want to say something," she felt her throat tightening as she spoke up, her heart overflowing with affection. She wanted to bare her soul to this man.

"I'm listening," he responded softly, eyeing her curiously. "Well— I..." Zaib's phone began ringing, interrupting her.

Zaib frowned as he leaned back, pulling his phone out of his back pocket. "It's Bilal," he told his wife with a scoff and answered the call. "Yeah..." he replied nonchalantly.

"Everyone?" Zaib asked out of the blue, and Zoya heard Bilal responding through the phone. "Yeah, yeah, we're on our way-" Zaib cut off Bilal's rambling and then shut the phone call.

"Everyone's arrived, so he's complaining about us being late," Zaib remarked and chuckled as he registered how different the siblings seemed; Bilal was impatient and loud; whereas, his wife was the opposite: composed and patient.

"Let's talk later, otherwise Bilal will blow up your phone," Zoya warned. Zaib nodded and paced ahead, pulling her along with him. "Also, Naimat better not steal you away at the dinner," Zaib sheepishly threatened, his bright gaze narrowly eyeing Zoya as he dragged her along.

She laughed at his absurd demands. "Why are you so clingy?" She inquired. Zaib opened the door of their car and glared at her. "I'm clingy because you're not—someone has to maintain the balance for a marriage to work," he said self-righteously as she climbed inside the car.

Zoya shook her head in disbelief and waited for him to get inside, and as they set off, she smiled at her clingy husband. She secretly wanted him to hold onto her until he forgot how to live without her. Yes, it was selfish, but when she looked at Zaib, she found herself thinking, 'Ah- it's sometimes okay to be selfish.' Of course, she would never tell him that.

On their way, Zoya was surprised at how it merely took them a couple of minutes to reach their destination. It was a spacious building that could be seen from a mile away due to its unique, brightly lit exterior. Standing before it, the towering structure seemed like a monument out of Ancient Rome: the walls were brittle and tawny, a stony texture layering them. Zoya stared, mesmerised. If she looked to her left, it was the familiar 21st-century land- but as soon as she looked back, she time-travelled to the past.

Zaib chuckled at her wide-eyed reaction.

"I wanted to bring you here for a while now, but your exams were in the way," he confessed. Zoya looked towards him curiously. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide as she looked back at the building. "Wait-you were working on a restaurant!" Zoya gasped, her jaw-dropping. Zaib watched her, an amused smile playing on his lips as his wife put two and two together. "This is it, isn't it? This place is your work, Zaib," she deduced, her voice cracking in disbelief.

"It's been almost two years since I got my hands on this project. The opening ceremony was three weeks ago." He felt proud to show his wife a primitive achievement. It was one of the first Halal Italian restaurants in their town, and Zaib had poured his soul into planning and designing. The model alone took him months to finalise and then gaining the approval from his clients felt like a sweet victory.

Zoya's eyes were brimming with tears when she faced him. "This is stunning. I'm so happy-I'm so proud of you-" and instinctually, she threw her arms around Zaib, her mind blank. She could only feel her admiration for this man pouring out like lava, her heart so ecstatic, drumming against her chest like a lively bird. He tightened her embrace. He didn't need her to say anything more. "Thank you."

Zaib held her hand, wiped the corner of her eye and guided her inside.

"Good evening Mr and Mrs Khan, this way, please," a man in a tailored suit addressed them.

The interior was classically lavish. It was designed to seem like a scene out of ancient Europe: a retro-styled chandelier hung low from the middle of the hall accompanied by small candelabras, illuminating the room. The textured walls were groomed with antique paintings, and even the round tables were traditionally silver, distributed evenly. Zoya's mouth dropped again. It seemed like she was back centuries.

"I've been flinging my arm for ages! Are you both blind?" Bilal's shout emerged from across the hall, and Zoya caught sight of their entire family situated in the VIP section, in the middle of the hall, smiling at them. "Of course, we saw you, B. We just chose to ignore," Zaib muttered archly, and Bilal's goofy smile narrowed as he glared at his brother-in-law. Zoya giggled, and the couple followed Bilal to their table.

"Zoe, I've saved you a seat!" Naimat cheered, patting the back of the empty chair between her and Amira. Zoya reluctantly stepped forward. She could already feel Zaib's penetrating eyes drilling holes into the back of her head. As she glanced back, she caught sight of her husband's face etched with gloom. As much as she loved her friends, she desperately hoped to sit with Zaib during this dinner.

"I feel stuffy sitting in the middle. Naim, scoot over," she pushed at her shoulder. Naimat mulled over it and then nodded, adjusting with Amira. Zoya sat down at the edge. Thankfully, the chair in front of her was vacant, so Zaib immediately grabbed the opportunity. He smiled at his obedient wife whilst Zoya merely rolled her eyes. If people knew the magnitude of Zaib's immaturity, he'd lose his respectable 'clever' and 'hardworking' image as fast as light.

"Zoya, this is such a wonderful place! Brother Zaib is talented," Amira squealed as she stared at the dazzling ceiling. Zoya looked towards her husband, her cheeks aching with the prolonged smiling. "He is," Zoya confirmed.

"Oh, look at the servers' attire! They follow their theme pretty well," Amira gasped, awed at the sight. Zoya surveyed her surroundings, most of the waiters were dressed in tunics alike, completing their old fashioned look. It was interesting how much fashion and architecture had evolved from a few years ago.

Zoya's happiness was immeasurable tonight.

Since everyone was famished due to the long ceremony, the table went empty almost immediately, with everyone diving in. "This is the best ravioli I've ever had!" Bilal's excitement was unrestrained. Since everyone was busy stuffing their mouth, his remark was ignored. "B, you should try the caesar salad. It's heavenly," Zain recommended while biting into the appetisers.

"Naim, the sauce is dripping down to your hijab!" Amira whisper-shouted and Naimat's panicked state made Zoya laugh as she grabbed the handkerchief, wiping Naimat's chin and scarf.

"You've got a little something as well," Zaib mumbled, bringing his hand to her cheek and wiping the invisible 'something' from the corner of her mouth. Zoya's gaze followed his, and she stared narrowly. She was well aware that her mouth was perfectly clean, and it was Zaib's tactics coming to play. She rolled her eyes at him while he enjoyed nestling her face.

"You two just can't give it a rest? I'm trying to eat here," Bilal fake-gagged while Zaib stared at him like he'd swallow him whole.

"Yeah, but Zaib's experience makes me consider marriage," Zain, out of nowhere, confessed. The table immediately grew silent. Zoya watched him wondrously.

Noticing everyone's eyes on him, Zain quickly looked down, his face reddening. He had idiotically blabbered something he meant to keep a secret. "Zain, you deserve the best." He hesitantly glanced up. His brother was smiling at him. Zain felt his throat tighten.

It took him a while to figure out what happiness meant, but he had finally figured, happiness was not a possession. He spent so much time searching for his perfect meaning when in reality, it was always before him. He was just blinded by a momentary epiphany.

"Hold up, do you have someone you like!" Ehsan hyped, and that caused Bilal to finally stop munching. "Oh my god, who is it?" They interrogated. "Tell me too, Zain!" Zayna squealed, bouncing up in her seat, and Zaib watched with interest.

"I don't like anyone!" He shouted, but it didn't help restrain the assumptions.

"Zain, you can always tell us," and this time, it was his father poking fun at him. "Baba!" He protested, and everyone burst into cackles. Ayesha stared at her son, her eyes welling up as she perceived how much he'd learned and grown. A few months ago, he was tortured and giving up on himself, but Allah didn't give up on him. Who could love humanity more than its creator?

"Okay, shush now everyone! This is to celebrate my daughter-in-law's graduation," Ayesha announced, and everyone quietened down, eyes on Zoya glinting with anticipation. "Zoya, do you want to say something?" She encouraged politely.

Zoya froze up in her seat, but as she watched the welcoming smiles, she loosened up. "I just remembered a while ago why I was striving so much for this day. I decided upon doing medicine when my grandmother passed away from a heart condition. It devastated me so much that I wanted no one to go through with it," Zoya's mother, Mariam's, eyes fell heavy with tears. "Now that I think back, I was so egocentric because I believed I would change the world and no one would ever have to die," she laughed. "I don't dream the same anymore because life and death are not in our hands," she stated. "But I found something I love in this profession which is hope. When I worked in the town of Shahamill, it was their hope for a better tomorrow that made me happy."

"I'm so grateful to my family, most of all my baba who gave me this life. Baba, you're the one who believed in me every time I doubted myself. I love you," her words made her father's joy grow, but his eyes fill with tears. He quickly blinked them away and watched his daughter with admiration. He was the lucky one.

After dinner and Zoya's heartfelt speech, the elders were talking amongst themselves; Naimat and Amira were taking more pictures; Zain, Ehsan and Bilal were competing to see who was Zayna's favourite brother (basically the guys getting fooled by Zayna into promising her cool gifts). Zaib grabbed Zoya's wrist and pulled her to follow him. He swiftly passed by the tables and brought her to an opening on the side of the restaurant. Zoya's eyes grew wide. It was a beautiful terrace which she hadn't noticed from the entry gate. It was probably built on the backside.

There were lively plants, surrounding them and eye-catching embellishments hanging from the door. The sky was mystical, shaded by midnight blue and grey with a few stars shining down at them. It was not the perfect starry night from a movie scene, but for some reason, it made her feel like she was living inside of a dream. Zaib's arms trapped her against the railing, and he hugged her from behind, his chin settling on her shoulder.

"It's so pretty," Zoya whispered as if she would wake herself from the dream.

"It's alright," he rasped while staring just at her.

"Zoya, aren't you going to ask me for a gift?" His black hair tickled Zoya's cheeks as she turned to look at him. She felt her heartbeat escalate as his eyes were so warm and mesmerizing, reminding her that this was, in fact, reality. "You've given me so much already," she told him with sincerity.

"It's not enough." He turned Zoya towards him and dropped his forehead on hers. "Remember how you wanted to visit your home country once in your lifetime?" He asked. "I want to take you, Zoya." Zoya almost fell out of his arms. "What!" She shouted.

"I want to take you to Palestine with me. You've got a while before starting your specialisation," he explained, hoping to convince her. She was overwhelmed: how did he remember something so trivial? She'd longed her whole life to visit her home country one day- to be closer to the place her beloved grandmother had come from.

"But- Zaib, don't you need to stay for work?" She asked. "I just finished planning a huge project, and it'll take time to launch construction work, so I've got time," he encouraged.

"Come on, Zoya. I want to go with you," he mumbled, frowning as he sensed her incoming rejection.

Zoya pondered upon it. She had put so much effort into those exams; she could use a vacation at the moment-on top of that, they probably won't have much alone time soon. She made up her mind and nodded reverently, causing Zaib to break into a relieved sigh.

He kissed her hand in delight.

Zoya watched the man she was head over heels for, and her heart ached. She couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore. "Zaib- you gave me a gift-it's my turn now," she mumbled. Zaib paused, staring down at her with a quirked eyebrow. "It's your graduation-you don't get to give me a gift," he argued.

Zoya stared at him, smiling huge like an idiot. "What is it?" He questioned, secretly anticipating her gift for him. He watched her intently as she bit her bottom lip, her plump cheeks rosy and her eyes lowered.

"Zoya, what is it?" He asked again. He felt himself grow nervous at her silence.

Zoya looked around and then stood on her tiptoes. While grabbing onto his collar, she pulled him down, letting his face be directly against hers. In his head, he assumed she wanted to kiss him, but then she put her lips on his ear.

"I'm expecting,"

He stared at her. "Expecting what?"

Zoya almost facepalmed, her smile widening. Was her husband an idiot?

"Zaib...I'm pregnant."

The loud cheering from inside the hall deadened. The children playing out in the garden halted. The leaves rustling against the pavement paused. The world seemed to vanish. Above him, there was a vast dark sky, and before him, there was Zoya. His heart was pounding against his chest so hard; it was as if electrical energy had found its way through his skin and bones. His throat was tightening- his eyes were inflamed. He didn't even comprehend what had caused this surge of emotions, but he felt so alive.

"Zaib? Did you hear me?" She awaited.

Zoya then saw the most beautiful smile uplifting his lips, his eyes wet and face red, blooming with joy. He was suddenly cupping her jaw, rushing to kiss her eyes, nose, her forehead, cheeks, all in a frantic- loop of passionate emotions. When his lips finally found hers, he poured his heart to her; it was a powerful, addictive kiss that made her toes curl in ecstasy. As she pulled back for a breath of air, he pulled her back into a tight embrace, lifting her off the ground. "Zaib!" She squealed, but he seemed to not care as he held her up.

"I'm going to be a father!" He shouted. Zoya quickly put her palm on his mouth, interrupting his excitement.

"Zaib, no one knows yet," she quickly told him, but Zaib seemed to be in his world as he stared at his wife, his eyes brimming with affection. He then put her down and swiftly moved away from the railing; he immediately fell into prostration on the ground. Zoya's gaze softened as she watched her husband thank Allah for the good news. Zoya had done the same when she found out today morning.

He then stood to his feet, grabbing her hands in his. "Thank you," he whispered. Zoya's body tensed upon his words. "Zaib, you don't need to thank me." She didn't comprehend it, but her eyes were dripping with tears on their own accord. Zaib nodded feverishly. He edged forward again, fingers tenderly wiping her tears. He caressed her face.

"Why not?" He muttered, his warm breath cascading down her forehead. "Because this is a part of you and me," Zoya's heart was palpitating. "Thank you," she muttered, her tears falling unrestrained. Zaib surveyed her lovingly and then pulled her close to him, enjoying her warmth against his. He wanted to stop time, so he didn't have to let go, ever.

"I love you," he mumbled against her forehead. Zoya flashed him a breathtaking smile, her face glowing under the moonlight.

Zoya's heart felt heavy.

Murmurs of her heart kept her awake at night: if her destiny was any different, would she have been this happy? If this perfect man hadn't barged into her life, would she have been so thankful? Even her rejection didn't repel his affection for her.

The Quran says, (65:3), and this comforted Zoya in the most extraordinary way. Until her last breath, Allah will always have a path sketched out for her to walk down. In case she diverts, Allah will wait for her to return. In case she never finds her way, Allah will guide her back; it was the beauty of Islam.

Zoya looked down at her womb, and then her husband and then the blue sky.

"This path is never lonely, thank you, Allah."