In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you!

♡at the beginning- Anastasia

-------

Ruqayyah

I smiles when I saw Zahi sleeping in Iqraam's arm as they watches spongebob

"He really loves you, Ruqayyah" said Fatima ma'am

I looked at her in shock

She chuckled

"Come with me" she whispered before walking towards the stairs

Taking one last glance at Iqraam, I walked behind her

She led me to a room

I have never seen or been in this room before

She took  seat on the bed and gestured for me to sit with her

The room was huge and painted with white and lavender colors

It was very pretty

"This is my room" she smiled and I nodded

"You know you can take off your niqab" she said grinning and I felt my heart rate pick up

Why?

I did not even bother

I unpinned my niqab and placed it on my lap staring at it

"Masha Allah!" She whispered and I blushed

"You know what I said was true" she said and I looked up to her

Her brown eyes were shining

I could not help but think about his eyes. It were not like his mothers

"I.. I don't know.." I replied playing with my niqab

"You should have seen the way he blushes when he talks about you, ya Allah! I almost had a heart attack!!" She laughed

"Oh my.." I said smiling

"I can see how much he loves you..." she said sobering up

"I can't see why he should love me... ma'am he has not-" I say and she interrupts me

"Na'ah- call me Fatima aunty of just masi or... ammi?" She winked and I felt heat creep up my neck

I never had a conversation this way with my own mother

She was always really strict and all

"I would go with Ma aunty" I said smiling

"At least you call me ma-" she said and I chuckled

"Thats Iqraam... seeing best in everyone... and I don't see any reason for him to NOT like you! You are loveable!!! Oh how I wish you could see how he told us about you!" She whined and just then a knock came on the door

I quickly tied my niqab as Iqraam's father entered the room

He grinned at us and I winked at Ma Aunty

It was her turn to blush

I smirked

"I heard you wanted to show our lovely to-be daughter-in-law how Iqraam confessed about her?" He asked during me

Again, I felt my body heat up

He did not tell me he already told his whole family about... well.. me!

"Yes... pity we did not record it." She said sighing

"Or did we?" He said and I looked at him, completely confused

"Really?" Asked Ma aunty and he nodded

She beamed

He gave the phone to her and she plugged it in the LED tv

Just before it could play the videos, Iqraam's step sibling, Namaan burst into the room

Following him we're Iqra, Nafaasat and Nabaahat

I actually liked the girls

"Ruqayyah di- Zaik and Zahi are in bhai's room sleeping..." informed Nafaasat and I nodded

Zaik is a kindergarten student and Zahi is a pre- scholar

They both get tired from school

Iqraam strode into the room and grinned at me

"Oh Zaik and Zahi are asleep-" he informed me and I nodded

"People settle down so we can watch" said his father and they did so

The video started playing

It was the one where they we're in the pool playing

They seemed pretty happy

The other one was them playing 20 questions

The final one earned a groan from Iqraam

"Please tell me you did not do that!!" He whined and everyone else laughed

Even I did too

The video was him, all nervous, sitting across the room

He spoke, stuttered and stopped

He was awfully adorable as he did that

Then he told them about me

Much to my surprise, his mother kept calm

Soon everyone in the room errupt to cheers and I chuckled at the scene in front of me

His moms hand was on mine and I turned to her

She smiled widely at me

"Welcome to the family!" Whispered Iqra before winking and looking away
I chuckled

I am not even part of this family and they treat me like their own

Can this get any better?

"Oh Ruqayyah?" Said Ma aunty and I turned to her

"We are planning on hosting a dua at our place for the family.... maybe coming Sunday? How does that sound?" She asked everyone including me

They nodded and so did I

"Its agreed then, Ruqayyah, i want you home on Sunday- if possible Saturday as well- please?" said Ma aunty and i nodded

"Oh and we need to look for another house-" said Iqraam and i turned to him 

His eyes were sparkling as he smiled 

masha allah 

"So um... when?" he asked 

"Why can't we just shift into our old home?" asked his father and Namaan nodded

"Its huge enough for all of us- and its in Cape town!" he said 

"Thats the thing- i can't leave Durban until my new firm is complete and if i do leave- i will need to switch the manager of my cape town company with me- there will be alot of paper works and i doubt i can handle it soon-" explained Iqraam 

"So we just look for a house here?"asked Naaman and the rest nodded

"Ruqayyah, email me the property on sale sites and suitable houses for the family" said Iqraam and i nodded 

"Oh and make it near the offices so i can at least be on time-" he added and i nodded

"Anything else? other requirements?" i asked him as i tapped it in his IPad 

"ask them, they need to live in it-" he said and i nodded

"Oh and the funds for the Agarwal hotel project is up and the race for tomorrow is scheduled to be at 9am- all your meetings have been postponed until after Zuhr tomorrow-" i said checking the details for tomorrow 

"good and the charity event?" he asked me 

i typed charity event and the date came 

"22nd December, christmas charity- but before that- there is a request-" i said looking up to him 

"Which is?" he asked me scrolling through his phone, a broken iphone 6+

"A walk marathon for the pre school and kindergarden kids- of Durban public school Library" i said and he looked up to me 

"What?" he asked me incredulously and i nodded

"Fine- when is it?" he asked me sighing 

"Its on 19th December, starts at 9am and ends by 11am-" i replied and he nodded smirking 

"Sign up the entire Ibrahim family for it and call Edris empire to check if Shumayll is going-" he said and i nodded

"NOOOO!" whined Namaan, Nabaahat, Iqra and Nafaasat 

"You can't do this to us!!" said Namaan and the rest agreed

"its for a good cause!" replied Iqraam smirking "-Plus its healthy-" he added

I messaged Shumayll asking about the walkathon and he replied with a yes

'Which reminds me, bhai where is Shumayll?" asked Iqra standing up 

Iqraam shrugged

"Home? i am not sure, why?" he asked 

"I tried calling him but he won't answer-" she muttered 

"Oh try calling Huma bhabhi-" said ma aunty and she nodded

soon everyone began walking out of the room

I, however kept seated 

one reason was that Ma aunty was holding my hand and another was that i did not want to go out with Iqraam 

the room was empty and she turned to me 

"Is something bothering you?' she asked me concern lacing her voice

I shook my head hastily 

"Ruqayyah, i heard... your in laws came- something happened?" she asked me 

i shook my head

she placed a hand on my shoulder in a motherly gesture and i felt tears brim my eyes

my mother never asked me about my life in the Ali household with Musawwir 

both our surnames were same btw 

My dad, he would at times but my mom would always pressure him to not to 

my brother was my moms pet and although he loved me, he was also under her pressure 

"Oh my,why are you crying?" she asked me as she held me in her arms

tears fell out of my eyes like waterfalls and i continued crying 

i had parents but it felt like i had none 

"Shhh.... baby girl, what happened?' she let me sit up and gave me a glass of water from the nearby table 

i took off my niqab and set straight wiping my eyes off 

she stood up and locked the door before sitting back down with me 

"Now tell me, what happened?" she asked me gently 

she would hate me if i tell her...

"I would never hate you! i treat you as my daughter- what happened?" she asked me 

it did not bother me that i said that out loud but the concern and sincerity in her voice and actions had me doubting myself

"I- i never had the motherly love from my mother.. never thought about it. until now- i guess i had too much of emotions pressed down in me for a long time and it just.... flowed out when... you hugged me" i said slowly looking down at my hands

"Why would that be.... did your mother not care about you?" she asked me and i sighed

"She did- she cared, loved me but... she always thought a woman must always remain in the kitchen... she married me out when i was 19- i was not even 19 that time, i was to turn 19- to a person i hardly knew... a family that was not right-" i said as i remembered the painful times when i was married to Musawwir 

"Oh my Allah! did you not tell her your dreams?" she asked me and i laughed slightly 

"She never bothered, she would throw away my art books and my dad would sneak them back to me..... and at times she would just burn all my art-" i said remembering how much she yelled at me for doing art 

i loved art since i was a kid 

thats how i got the passion for interior designing 

"Ruqayyah, you do know that you still have a life ahead of you, right" she said and i nodded

"My life resolves around my kids- and thats why i always said no to Iqraam- he has asked me to marry him countless times-" i explain and she chuckled

"He is like his father- but why do you keep saying no?" she asked me 

i sighed and looked down at my hands

"Ma aunty... he has a life... with hardly any difficulties.... his life resolves around his family and he is happy on his own- but me- i need to look after my kids and i need to secure their future-" i said and she smiled slightly 

"You are worried about your kids, how they will react to your relationship with him?" she asked me and it was an unspoken question that i was too scared to answer 

yes

it will be negative

"It may -may be negative- i dont want Zahi and Zaik to get angry over me and what if they can't adjust with Iqraam, what if Iqraam can't adjust to them?" i questioned more to myself 

"I think you need to let them bond... if you really like Iqraam.... yu should say yes to him... and we would be glad to have the kids over for some bonding time-" she said and i sighed deeply 

"I wish but its not easy- i have a past that i don't think Iqraam will be able to live with- i have reminders of those horrible moments with me- i can't get rid of them... at all- i- i don't think he will be able to live with that-" i said looking down at my hands

it was true 

i really am not sure

"Why don't you try?" she asked me 

maybe?

"You do like my son, don't you?" she asked me 

truth is, i don't know. 

the more time i spend with him, the more of a good person i see him as 

but what Musawwir did just makes me hesitate to even think of Iqraam in that way 

"Ruqayyah, i know something happened with you that you don't want to give love a chance- but please don't let that mistake make your decisions now- maybe Allah has better plans this time" she said 

those words were suppose to prick but instead they were soothing 

its been years since i ever had someone talking this way to me 

unconciously i hugged her and she giggled

"I feel teenage again!" she said and i laughed

"I guess i do too!" i let her go and winked

"I have to check with the kids" i said and she nodded

I stood up and tied my niqab before walking towards the door

"They are in Iqraam's room- you know the way!" she giggled again and i chuckled

"See you downstairs" i said before heading out of the room and striding to Iqraams

I stood outside the door hearing giggles of Zahi and laughter of Zaik and Iqraam 

what were they up to?

I slowly opened the door and my mouth hung open 

Ya Allah what were they doing!?!!

_______

As salaam!!!

Hey i updated!

so hows u all?

anyways... 

one question: which actor and actress should play the roles of Iqraam and Ruqayyah??

Comment in your answers!!

Love u all!

P.S sorry if this chapters are boring 

they are just leading up to the main story line :D

Anyways..........................

i love u all 

muahhh

~QUEEN

(P.S- THANKK U ALL FOR 15K reads, yesterday was 14 and today is 15- wow- i love u squad too much!!!!!!!!!!)