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•••

M A R I N A ♡ S H A H R O Z

Today was their Nikah, and to say she was ecstatic was an understatement. Today was the day she and Shahroz would be married in the eyes of their Lord.

They were done with their exams and even got their results. Marina was flabbergasted by the outcome.

86% was what she got.

91% was what he got.

She could even remember the phone call of that day clearly.

"Hello, Maria?" He had said once she picked up the phone and answered it.

"Shahroz," she paused before settling herself on the bed, "what's wrong?"

Her parents weren't home at the moment, and Saad was out for one of his cricket matches again, so she had the house for herself.

She heard some shuffling on the other end before he spoke again, "Did you check your grade?"

She hummed in response.

"What is it?" He asked, and she could sense the smile on his face.

"Uhh.. an eighty-six.." She paused for a moment, "What's yours?"

Before she could wait for his answer, she heard a loud laugh from the other end that her hand had to pull the phone away from her ear to keep her hearing abilities intact.

"What.. what's wrong? Why are you laughing?"

She was genuinely confused as to what the reason was for his laugh to not cease.

"Mar.. Maria.." He was snorting now and a smile appeared on her face in instinct.

God, he was such a kid sometimes.

He calmed down after a while, his breathing still erratic as she waited patiently for him to continue.

"You're joking, right?" He had asked.

She was baffled and took a moment to respond.

"Umm.. no.."

He grinned, "I got a ninety-one."

The line was silent for a while until she responded.

"WHAT?!" She practically shouted and now it was his turn to pull the phone away from him.

"HOW?!" She voiced in the same tone.

He chuckled before answering, "I don't know, baby."

She had opened her mouth to speak but the last word made her close it, her heart going into overdrive.

He had started laughing again and she wanted to punch his shoulder like usual to shut him up.

"Well that finally stopped you from screaming." He calmed down and sighed dreamily.

"I was not-"

"Relax, Maria." He paused, "None of this matters to me right now. These marks really don't mean that much to me at the moment. All that matters to me right now is that I'll be married to you in a couple of days."

She was silent for a while until she spoke.

"That was cheesy."

He chuckled, "Only for you, Maria." he smiled on the other end before he continued.

"Only for you."

She was speechless and kept quiet, not sure of how to reply to his idiocy.

He had started laughing again, "Oh my God, you're so-"

She didn't let him finish as she cut the call immediately and rubbed her temples.

This guy really gave her a headache sometimes.

She was worried about how she'll cope with him for the rest of her life.

•••

The makeup artist applied the last dash of makeup on her face and she opened her eyes only to gasp.

The eyeshadow on her eyes was simple yet elegant, and the lipstick was one of a neutral shade. Her skin looked different, but it was a good different.

Overall, she was content with how she looked.

Her Rukhsati (event of sending the bride off to the groom's house) was after two days, and she would be leaving to Manchester with Shahroz the day after.

Shahroz told her that he didn't want to pressurise her into the marriage. He wouldn't see her hair or do anything of that such on the day of the Nikah.

As she made her way downstairs, she could hear the voices of her parents and brother die down until she reached the bottom.

Her mother had tears in her eyes, and her father and brother had proud smiles on their faces.

"Beta," her mother started, "you've grown up so fast. You were literally born yesterday and today you'll be married."

She engulfed her mother in a hug and pat her back, her own tears threatening to come and she was thankful of the waterproof makeup.

"Ammi," her mother sniffed, "I'm not leaving today."

Her mother's crying had thankfully stopped and they all made their way out and sat in the car to their destination.

The mosque.

•••

The large shawl was placed on her to cover her entirely before starting the Nikah ceremony.

Her mother, Amira and cousins guided her to a large sofa where she settled.

Her palms were sweating and she kept rubbing them on her dress, her attempt to get rid of her anxiousness was futile.

She soon felt the other end of the sofa dip, and her hands were visibly shaking now.

'He's here!' A voice practically screamed in her head and she was afraid she'd faint any moment.

The imam started off the ceremony with a few duaas which touched both of their hearts before getting to the real part of the wedding.

The imam spoke the words which vibrated through her body to the core.

"Do you, Marina Ali Malik, take Shahroz Saahir Afshari as your lawfully wedded husband?"

The crowd was quiet and the air was tranquil, but her heart was beating erratically that she was afraid everyone in the room could hear her.

Her voice was gone for one moment and back in the next as she finally spoke.

"Q-Qabool h-h-hai." She stammered a bit too much and her cheeks turned red.

She was thankful that her face was covered from everyone else.

The imam asked her the question two times more, with her replying a bit more confidently before giving her the documents to sign.

It was now Shahroz's turn.

He cleared his throat.

"Do you, Shahroz Saahir Afshari, take Marina Ali Malik as your lawfully wedded wife?"

He paused for a few moments and Marina had doubts running through her head.

'Does he really want me?'

'Does he regret anything?'

'What's taking him so long?'

She couldn't really ask the last question as she too took her time. She sighed.

"Qabool hai." Shahroz said confidently, with no ounce of regret visible and Marina exhaled in relief.

The imam asked him a total of three times and he repeated it until he announced that they were finally claimed as husband and wife.

The adults raised their hands and all of them made a series of duaas for their marriage, for Allah to bless both of them abundantly in this life and in the Hereafter.

'Allah bless you, and may He send blessings upon you, and may He unite you both in good.'

The room was filled with 'Ameens' and Shahroz was told to lift the veil off Marina.

The shawl was first removed, revealing Marina's silvery white dress completely, and Shahroz scooting closer to her, his hands quivering.

He slowly took the end of the shimmery white material and held it between his fingers, his lips mumbling a faint 'Bismillah' before he slowly lifted the cloth above, her face being revealed to him slowly as seconds passed.

Soon, he had lifted the whole thing up, her face was casted down in shyness.

He placed his finger under her chin and brought her face-to-face with him, their eyes meeting in the most exquisite of moments.

The moment was slow, yet beautiful.

She peered at him through her lashes before her lips curved up in a smile which took his breath away, his hands holding her face delicately.

"My beautiful wife, MashAllah." He whispered so softly that she felt his words touch her soul.

His face inched towards hers, his hold still gentle as he tenderly pressed his lips on her forehead, both of their eyes closing as his lips lingered there for a while before pulling away and gazing at her, his thumbs caressing her cheeks softly as he held her.

The crowd erupted in cheers and both of them grinned at each other, their eyes never leaving the other person as they fell in love all over again.

He was still in a trance as he looked down at his wife, his heart and soul finally feeling complete.

Oh how he could stare at her all day..

•••

It was two days later after the Nikah, and right now she was in the car heading to the banquet for her Rukhsati.

Her red dress had diamonds at the bottom and on her veil which glimmered as she walked, and her henna-stained hands had colours painted on the nails.

The back of her dress was kind of a low-cut but her veil covered it all.

She felt slightly uneasy when her mother had showed her the dress for the first time.

"Ammi," she had whined, "look at the back of this." She pointed at the low-cut back and frowned.

Her mother hadn't seen the dress after she picked it up from the tailor and was as shocked as her daughter.

"I told her to keep it as modest as possible." Her mother said disappointingly.

"Can it be fixed?" Marina had asked but her mother shook her head.

"It would take too long, beta. And your wedding is in only a few days."

Marina's expression dampened as soon as she heard that.

"Then what do we do?" She was losing hope now.

She didn't want to wear an inappropriate dress to her wedding, especially when she's a hijabi.

Her mother searched for something in the bag and took out her veil and placed it on her head properly before examining her.

"This doesn't look bad." She grinned, "You can't see it anymore."

Marina walked towards the full-length mirror of her room before turning around and seeing if her mother was right.

Indeed she was.

"B-but Shahroz.." She started and her mother turned to her.

"He'll see my back.."

"Beta," her mother gave her a playful look, "he has to see you anyways."

Her face turned hot and her cheeks reddened as her mother smiled at her.

She had totally forgotten about that..

She zoned back in once the car door opened and cameras flashed in her direction as she got out, her father helping her with her dress.

Saad was right by her side as she realised it was the big moment of her life.

She had to walk down the aisle.

Her father and mother stood by her side as the gates to the banquet were opened and they walked in step by step, the cameras capturing each moment.

Saad and Amira were right behind her followed by the rest of the close couples related to the bride.

For a moment, she looked up ahead and there stood Shahroz with a smile on his face as he looked at the woman he'll spend the rest of his life with.

He was wearing a black sherwani which fit him in the right places and she mentally thanked Allah for giving her a husband as handsome as him.

He wiped his eyes a few times to prevent his tears from being too prominent to the public as he mouthed 'beautiful' to her as soon as she was close enough to see his face properly.

He took her hand once she stood in front of him and kissed it before leading her to their sofa on stage.

He couldn't help but think that their hands fit so perfectly together.

As soon as they sat, he couldn't help but train his eyes on her as she looked down again just like the day of their Nikah.

He smiled warmly before bringing his lips close to her ear and whispering gently as his fingers pushed her veil slightly to the back from the side.

"Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?" He made sure to discreetly brush his lips against her earlobe.

She gulped before nodding, her eyes still not meeting his as he chuckled softly to himself.

God she was so cute.

The time flew by really fast as they took pictures on stage, with Shahroz having his arm around her the whole time.

Several of their relatives congratulated the couple and sent blessings for their life ahead.

It was now time to leave and Shahroz took his wife's hand and led her down the steps as all of their relatives surrounded them.

Marina could feel tears forming in her eyes as reality hit her.

She won't be living with her parents anymore.

They passed the gates and Marina's mother approached her first as soon as Shahroz left her hand.

"Beta," she sobbed as soon as she hugged her, "I can't b-believe it's time for you to finally l-leave."

Marina wiped her tears with her fingers and nodded her head with a sad smile.

"I'll still visit you, ammi. I'll still be in the country."

Her mother nodded before giving her daughter a final hug and Marina moved on to her father who too had a pained expression.

"My little girl is finally married, huh?" He said with a sad smile and she hugged her father's tall figure.

"I'll always be your little girl.." She pressed her cheek further on her father's chest as he stroked her back soothingly, her hands holding onto his arms for dear life.

He kissed her forehead and let her go and Saad came up to her soon, his expressions serious for once.

"I'll miss you, little sissy." He whispered as soon as he wrapped his arms around her, the nickname making her sob louder.

"I'll miss you too, Saad bhai." She nodded as he pulled away slightly, his arms still around her as he pressed a quick kiss on her forehead before pulling away completely.

As she had moved on to her aunts and uncles, Shahroz was busy meeting his own family as he'll be leaving his parents' house too.

He was waiting for Marina to finish meeting everyone when Shaheer approached him and tapped his back.

He turned around and paused for a moment, his expression neutral.

Shaheer cleared his throat.

"Congrats, little brother." He brought his hand out awkwardly and Shahroz shook it, not sure of why he's doing this.

"Thanks." He gave a small smile just because they're in public and Shaheer nodded.

They gave each other a brief hug and pat each other's backs before parting, Shahroz taking Marina's hand and leading her to the passenger's seat before he jogged around the front and entered.

Looks like he'll never know why his brother hated him.

As soon as he sat down, he rolled the windows down and both of them waved goodbye to the people outside before driving off.

They were heading to a hotel as Shahroz's house was a couple of hours away from the banquet hall.

He glanced at Marina who looked down, her hands playing with her thumbs as her mood was slightly getting better as the time passed.

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern and she gave a brief nod, not meeting his eyes.

He sighed before inching his left hand towards hers and placing it on her right one, his thumb playing with her fingers mindlessly as his right hand held the steering wheel.

They had finally reached their destination and Shahroz hopped out of the car and closed his door before opening hers and helping her out, his one hand holding hers and the other holding the bottom of her dress.

He had walked by her side, with him having the biggest smile on his face as they reached their room.

He unlocked the door and let her enter first as he closed it and turned around to look at her as she sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes looking up as she smiled at him.

She may have been sad before, but she's finally got her true happiness now.

She's finally married the guy she's in love with.

She had been praying to her Lord day and night to let her meet the man who's meant for her.

Little did she know that he was right in front of her the whole time.

The room was slightly dimmed as the lamps in the corners shone, giving it a romantic look as it casted shadows in the right places on them.

Shahroz came and sat down next to her, his hand going straight for hers as he grabbed it and faced her.

"Marina," he started, "you're the best thing that has ever happened to me.." He whispered, "And I want you to know that I'll try my best to be good enough for you. I-"

"Shahroz." She stopped him, "You're the best thing that's happened to me." She held his face in her small hands, "And I don't want you to do something extra special for me. I don't want you to be someone you're not just to impress me. You're perfect just the way you are."

She smiled and he did too and he looked down for a brief second then looked up, his eyes on her veil.

She noticed.

Her hands went to her veil and she took off the pins which kept it in its place before removing the sparkly red material completely from above her head.

Shahroz watched her in a trance as she took off a clip from her bun, her thick hair falling down in loose waves which ended up till her waist.

She looked in the mirror sideways and checked if she looked fine before turning to him and giving him her innocent smile.

His eyes roamed her face before settling on her eyes as he gulped.

"You're breathtaking, you know that?" His right hand tucked a strand behind her ear as he brought his face closer and leaned his forehead on hers.

Her heart was jumping inside her body and she could feel the flush on her cheeks.

"I want to do so much to you, Marina. So much." his breath fanned her lips as he whispered," But I won't, because I respect you too much to do anything like that when you're just getting used to me."

His eyes hypnotised her and she nodded, his fingers still in her hair before he pulled away.

"That dress must be killing you. I think you should go change." He told her and she nodded as she got up and fetched her clothes before entering the bathroom.

He caught sight of her bare back due to the low-cut of her dress and closed his eyes painfully.

It was getting harder for him to control himself now.

She soon came out, a plain green kurta and black pants hugging her body as she fixed her hair in the mirror and sat down on the bed next to him.

He noticed something on her face and frowned.

"What's that?" He asked as he pointed at her left cheek.

She stiffened immediately.

"That was from the accident.." She trailed off.

He paused, his eyes focused on her scar as he remembered what she'd told him before.

"How come I've never noticed it?"

"I used makeup to cover it up before.."

She felt slightly uneasy but answered his questions anyway. After all, he was her husband now.

"Why did you cover it?" He knew she felt slightly uncomfortable but he wanted her to let someone know, as keeping it all in would pain her more.

She shrugged, "I don't like looking at myself when it's shown."