10:49am

At the mosque where the nikah is going to take place, JD stood waiting for Anwar and Ammar to arrive as people have started asking of the groom already and there was only fifteen minute left to the nikah. He checked the time on his wrist watch again as he paced in front of the mosque every now and then looking at the road to see if he'll see any sign of them but there was none.

Some group of men approached him and engaged him in a conversation he couldn't get out of.

A hand was placed in his shirt that's underneath his gara slowly and one of his phones was slipped out before he can notice it. The same person stood behind one of the men JD was conversing with and did the same thing he did with JD except that this time, the man removed two phones and a wallet. The thief then swiftly walked away disappearing amidst of the large crowd before anyone can realize it as they were all engaged in a conversation.

"Yo!" A hand was placed on JD's shoulder making him turn, he saw Anwar which made him sigh in relief.

"Where have you guys been? People have been asking of you" JD said looking behind Anwar as if looking for someone.

"I stopped by one of our Uncle's house. Where's Ammar is he in the masjid already?" Anwar replied, he too looking behind JD as if he'll sight his brother amidst of the crowd.

"Wait" JD said, his eyes squinting slightly as his gaze now settled on Anwar, "What do you mean 'Where is Ammar?'" he asked stressing each word Anwar just said.

"Isn't he with you?" JD asked after a second of Anwar just staring at him.

"No. I thought he came with you" Said Anwar.

"But I left him with you" JD said pointing his finger at Anwar, the frustration in his tone distinct.

"No" Anwar shook his head, "We left him upstairs with mom. And then I left the house with the mindset that you..." he pointed at JD "...will come with him because you're his best friend and best man. It's logic man!"

"You're his brother, it only makes sense you'll come with him!"

"Nope, that doesn't make sense" Anwar said dismissively though he knew it did make sense but so does JD coming with Ammar too. And if JD wasn't going to admit that, he too won't.

JD folded his hands over his torso. He face palmed himself and shook his head before scoffing, "So what you mean is that we both left him at your house stranded with no car?" he asked slowly using his hand to gesticulate. His tone though came out low and feigned calm.

"Stop worrying! He has his car keys to come with" Anwar said trying to wave the problem away as he turned to look at the crowd wanting to spot someone else he can converse with.

"Which car keys?" JD stared at Anwar as if he's stupid which in a way he sort of is in this situation.

"His keys..." Anwar stopped when he remembered that he gave one of their driver's Ammar's car keys to pick up some of their relatives that came all the way from their village. And the driver won't be back for another hour. "This is bad I think" he muttered to himself slapping his forehead with his palm.

"You think?" JD half yelled. He furiously reached his hand to his pocket to bring out his phone but he only felt the presence of one. He waved it off not paying attention to that as he had more pressing issues in hand. He logged into the contact log and dialed Ammar's number but he wasn't picking it up.

He tried the same thing over and over with Anwar doing the same thing but still, he wasn't picking up any of them.

"Where do you think he is?" asked Anwar still trying to call his brother too.

"I don't know" JD replied hitting the end button of his call in frustration.

"Have you called him?"

JD glared at Anwar for asking the obvious, "No I was dancing" he replied sarcastically making Anwar half glare at him though he knew he caused that on himself, "What did it look like I was doing to you?" he half yelled exasperatedly.

Anwar kept quiet afterwards knowing he deserved that. He knows if he dare say something wrong again he might just make the ticking bomb that's JD explode.

Alhaji Edrees Bulama approached the two men smiling and greeting the guests he came across. He looked at JD then Anwar, "Where's Zayn?" he asked.

Anwar and JD looked at each other exchanging silent eye gestures amongst themselves before they turned their attention back to Mr. Bulama and gulped at the same time.

"What?" Mr Bulama asked once he saw the looks the two exchanged. He knew clearly something was wrong that instant.

"Dad...the thing is, we don't know where he is"

"Huh? What do you mean you don't know where he is?" The old man sounded genuinely confused.

"We accidentally left him at home" Anwar said slowly.

"With no car and no means of communication" added JD using the same tone Anwar did.

"There is just five minutes left to the nikah, the Baraus said they want him to be here before the tie can be knotted and you're telling me that he's at home alone?!"

The two nodded slowly looking down.

"You do realize what this means right?" Mr Bulama half yelled, "Have you tried calling him?"

"Yes we did but he's not picking up"

"Try again"

Minutes passed with all three men calling the groom whom still wasn't picking up. The Baraus representative is already waiting in the mosque with no groom. The Baraus seemed to be worried that he will leave them stranded and refuse to show up completely. To them that meant incompetency and lack of commitment which also meant he is not fit to marry their daughter. To cut things short, they have started thinking of calling off the wedding.

Mr Bulama went back in the minute he heard of that to calm them down and assured that the groom is on his way though he wasn't sure of that.

"This is allyour fault" JD said all freaked out.

Anwar glared at him, "How is this my fault?"

"If you didn't take his car keys he could've drove himself here we wouldn't be having his problem right now"

"Well if you have actually done and know your job as the best man then you'll know the groom shouldn't drive himself to his wedding!"

"To hell with what should and should not be here. The groom is..."

"Both of you shut up!" Fahad who has just joined them said cutting their arguments short. "We don't have time for your useless argument. What matters now is to find the whereabouts of the groom because..."

"Wait!" Anwar cuts him midway.

"What?"

Anwar pointed at something behind them, "Isn't that...Wait it can't be" he looked genuinely taken aback.

JD and Fahad turned back turned back to see what's the issue and their eyes dilated slightly.

"Do you really think?" Fahad asked; his tone showing he wants to laugh but astonishment stopped him from it.

"It can't be" JD didn't hold his laughter and almost immediately Fahad and Anwar joined him.

Approaching them is the one and only groom of the year; husband of Siddiqqah on a bicycle paddling towards them hastily. His gara hung on his shoulder and his Zanna Bukar pushed to the front of his forehead. Sweat drips from his forehead but he kept paddling; one leg up, the other leg down. The sleeves of his shirt pulled back to his ankle and his shoes are tucked between his laps.

Once he reached where they are, he jumped off the bicycle letting it fall while putting on his gara hastily.

"Bro..." Anwar said amidst of his laughter.

Ammar glared at his friends and friends.

He pushed his head forwards ignoring them after fixing his cap and the sleeves. His shoes are now tucked under his armpit but he didn't care.

Hum of noise became louder in the mosque once it had been announced that the groom has arrived and that the wedding can then commence.

By the mosque door, Ammar dropped his designer shoes while his father inquired about his wellbeing to which he replied that everything is alright.

And like that, the wedding knot of Zayn Ammar Edrees Bulama and Siddiqah Aydah Hameed Barau was tied.

After the nikah, crowds began to gather around Ammar congratulating the latest groom in town. He stepped outside by the mosque to put on his shoes before going back to the guests but he couldn't find it which only meant one thing;

Someone has stolen the groom's designer shoes.

While Ammar was mourning the lost of his shoes, one of his uncles came and dragged him away for a photo shoot session.

"Smile!" Said the albino looking photographer that seemed to have really just bleached his skin to that point as Ammar noted.

Ammar excused himself for a brief minute to converse with the photographer. He dragged the photographer by his shoulder slowly with a bright smile on his face so as not to look bad in front of the crowd.

"Bro" Ammar muttered slowly in a warning tone.

Alaji haffa" Replied the photographer modeling for Longrich toothpaste or maybe Oral B.

"First of all I'm having a bad day so don't you dare ask me to smile in any picture am I clear?" he said lowly in a tone that states he isn't joking.

"Secondly don't you dare take any picture from head to toe. It should be from the knees up" he added in a tone lower than earlier because he is embarrassed to admit that he's barefoot. Thos time he didn't wait for the photographer to answer before he strolled back to the awaiting group.

"Alaji" the photographer called out now noting the huge stain of mud covering over half of Ammar's gara from the side. Probably while paddling a car passing by sprayed mud on him.

"Alaji your..." Ammar ignored him once again not giving the man a chance to tell him what the problem is.

He tried to gain Ammar's attention like that but it was of no use so he followed Ammar's instruction and snapped pics as he was told to—with the mud stain evident in all the pictures. After all, he was just a photographer and whether the pictures came out good or not, he had already been paid.

Many, many, many photos later Ammar walked back to where his friends are narrowing his eyes at them when he noticed them still laughing at him having noted the mud on his which he was still unaware of.

Anwar was the first to spoke when Ammar reached where they are, "Bro did you sit on your ear ne?" asked Anwar laughing at his brother.

"What is it now?" Ammar asked still mad at the trio for leaving him stranded and rendering him with no choice but to ride a bicycle he hasn't ridden since he was sixteen. He had completely forgotten about the bike's existence until today.

"Tell me you didn't snap pictures" JD said struggling to control his laughter.

"I did. What happened?" Ammar glared at them when noticed their gaze now fell to his bare feet, "Are you mocking me now because of my shoes?"

"No" Anwar shook his head.

"Then what?"

"Dude" Fahad pointed at his gara below, "This"

Ammar looked down and immediately raised his head up. He gulped and then set his lips into a straight line. The guys laughed once again only infuriating him more, "Take me home" he said in a menacing calm tone, "Now"

He walked ahead not waiting for any of them.

"Bro..."Anwar called out.

"Not another word" Ammar said still not turning back.

And that's how the mud stained, shoeless, fetid newlywed groom left his nikah.

Indeed, he shall forever remember his nikah.

For it had been an experience worth holding onto.

~*~

30/09/20

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Jannah.