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“We’re desi. We live with our parents until we get married,” Dina said flatly.
On the stage, Hania sat down beside Samir, and the Imam started the brief Muslim marriage ceremony, starting with a few quick remarks. She tried to concentrate and focus on her sister, but Arshad, surprising no one, had decided to live up to his Arshole nickname.
His breath was warm and sour in her ear. “Don’t worry, Dina, I’ll keep your dirty little secret for a while longer. I’ll add it to the growing tab of favors you owe me,” he added.
Onstage, her father recited a few Arabic words, then Hania and Samir were holding hands, and the Imam announced the two words the crowd was waiting to hear: “Ijaab” and “Kubool,” the bride’s hand offered in marriage and the groom’s acceptance. Dina loved that in the Muslim marriage service, the bride took the lead. She blinked away her tears. Despite her own current conflicted feelings about matrimony, she was happy for her sister. She looked over at Arshad; he was scrolling on his phone. He looked up and smirked.
“Any guesses how long they’ll last?” he asked.
That did it. Dina rose from her seat and walked out of the hall. She needed to get away from Arshad and the bad decisions that had led to him sitting beside her during her sister’s nikah. Including her current bad decision not to tell her family about her divorce. If Lisa were here instead of sitting with her own family, she would no doubt tell Dina that she had told her so.
Outside in the foyer, a few guests were milling around waiting for the appetizer station to open. She made her way to a secluded alcove before pulling out the bright-pink Post-it Note she had written in her bedroom that morning, after she had changed her clothes, while Lucky waited below:
I am in charge of my own happiness. I can rise to every challenge.
She stared at the paper, willing the words to ring true with every atom of her being.
“Are you okay?”
Lucky’s voice was a warm blanket, and then he eased beside her, leaning against the wall. She could feel his body heat from where she stood, and she shivered, suddenly cold. Looking concerned, he straightened and made to remove the shawl that came with the suit Deepak had lent him, but she stopped him with a gesture; that was all she needed, to return to the hall wearing something from Lucky. She must have been frowning, because Lucky spoke again.
“How was Hania? Not too mad at you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “She used my lateness to add some drama to the live stream,” she said. “Ambreen said our fight did great numbers.”
“As long as the numbers are up,” Lucky said. They stared into the hall, at caterers rushing past with trays, guests trickling out in search of food or the bathroom.
“It’s all such a gamble, marriage,” Dina said. “Promising to love someone for the rest of your life. You never know how long that will feel until after you sign the contract.”
“You’re making it sound like a fool’s bargain,” Lucky said, laughing.
She turned to him, besieged by a sudden fear. “She’ll be happy with Samir, right? She’s not making a mistake?”
Lucky’s smile was gentle. “Samir is a really good guy. Hell, if I had a sister, I would be thrilled to have him as a brother-in-law. His parents are genuine and kind too. Hania will be in good hands with Samir and his family.”
She exhaled. “Good. If he turns out to be a disappointment, I plan to nuisance suit him into the poverty line.”
“And I’ll sabotage his next home renovation,” Lucky promised.
They smiled at each other. Despite their complicated history, it was amazing how much she still liked Lucky. He was funny, reliable, loyal, and kind. Qualities Arshad only pretended to have. She pushed away from the wall.
“I should get back inside,” she said, though she was reluctant to leave Lucky. “Thanks for coming to check on me.” Which was more than her supposedly doting husband would have thought to do.
Lucky must have been thinking the same thing. “Listen, I wanted to let you know that Arshad was a bit suspicious earlier. I guess he spotted you getting out of my car. I explained to him what happened last night, and Deepak texted too. I hope he didn’t give you a hard time about it.”
Her smile was sad. “Not at all.”
Lucky nodded. “Always. Plus, Jiya and my mom wanted chai,” Lucky said.
Her stomach fell; he had come out here for his family, not to make sure she was okay.
“Right. I should get back . . .” she started, when Ambreen appeared in front of them and stuck a microphone in Dina’s face.
“I’m compiling some reaction shots to the wedding,” the social media manager said. “How did it feel, watching your little sister get married?”
“Oh, um, great!” Dina said. “I’m really happy for Hania and Samir.” Ambreen looked at her expectantly, and Dina realized her comment wouldn’t cut it. “You want me to try that again?” she asked, and Ambreen nodded. She pasted a smile on her face. “Hania and Samir, I am So happy, So thrilled for you both! I wish you a lifetime of happiness and many blessings. Samir, I’ve always wanted a brother to boss around. Get ready!”
She kept her smile fixed on her face until Ambreen nodded her approval. “Let’s try some advice for the married couple,” Ambreen said, after playing back the footage. Dina couldn’t tell if she was happy with her words or not; she couldn’t read the younger woman, though Hania had once told her that Ambreen expressed her emotions through her eyebrows.
