The Day I Signed the Contract...

For us girls, this one particular day is the most emotional and the most hectic, let alone the drama of the family members around us. "What day?", you might ask. Well, it's the day a girl signs a contract with someone she hasn't completely discovered yet, who she hasn't lived with and who is going to take her with himself forever.

Yes, It's the marital contract, the Nikah Nama...

It's almost a year since I got married but the memory is still fresh in my thoughts.
I had always wanted to get married wearing a white dress, in a masjid (mosque). ALWAYS! Well, the problem here was that in Pakistan, white is not considered to be a color of celebration and happiness. "What's red for then?", the distant relatives exclaimed.

I paid no ears to them and continued with my plans. I designed the gown myself and when I wore it everyone's eyes were glued onto me and my dress. Alhamdulilah, it came out so gorgeous and beautiful. But only I know how many times the dress had to go for modifications to the tailor. As a bride-to-be, I probably had 1001 things to do and I was so caught up with everything that I wasn't eating or sleeping properly.

Just one day before the Nikah ceremony when I'm getting my pedicure done at Natasha's salon in Karachi, I get to know that my gown's been stitched in a different cut, which was UNACCEPTABLE for me, the kind of picky and stubborn person I'm. And I can never leave my dress designing to anyone except I'm a religious follower of theirs. But this time, I had to rely on my sisters to get my dress fixed... It surely was going to be a disaster! My sisters had to go buy a suitable embroidered chiffon fabric to match with the embellishments and give it to the tailor all without me even seeing it. What was going to happen now??

I was freaking out to the point I started shivering at just the thought of it. After a sleepless night, when I got my dress from the tailor, right after seeing it, I couldn't believe my eyes... Had my sisters, who are both known to be relying on me when it comes to fashion, really pulled it off?

It was gorgeous! The cut, the fabric, everything was wonderful...

Well I had to get ready around 10 in the morning as we all had to leave for the masjid, which was in Hyderabad, for the ceremony which was to take place after Zuhr Salah. Only close friends and family members were invited. We had boxes of sweets arranged and everyone seemed so happy. 

Just as I entered the masjid, everything seemed perfect and the feeling.... that feeling... I can't put into words even if I try...

The Khutbah of the Nikah took place and I listened to it very carefully, every word of it...
Random people were invited by the people of the masjid for the Nikah ceremony so many unknown ladies were just chanting prayers for me and giving their blessings.

When they came to me with the marital contract, the Nikah Nama, my eyes were watery as I was signing and till date I can  not explain whatever was going on with me... After I had signed, this person who I was marrying, was closer to me than those in front of my eyes. It's a very very strange feeling I tell you.

At that moment, nothing seemed to matter, the dress, the sleepless nights, the rest of the upcoming events... Nothing... Not a thing! Something had changed inside me and it was really weird but good weird... I'm speechless at the power ALLAH has put in Nikah. The sheer beauty of it is mind blowing. This one person, who you haven't lived with before, becomes a sudden addition to your life and one of the strongest ones, to the point that he is as much family to you as your siblings or parents would be.

The Day I Signed the Contract, I knew how strange life can be... Good Strange...

My Bestie and sisters had this surprise cake planned. It was the best surprise of my life.