The wedding party walked back to the inn in buoyant spirits and settled around the table that had become their de facto meeting space, joined by Anna, Josh, Deb, Kath, and, surprisingly, Tenisha. They passed dishes around family style, and once they had all eaten, Maryam stood up to make her big announcement.
“When we first arrived at Snow Falls, I think it’s safe to say we had no idea what we were in for,” she began, looking around the table. “The worst snowstorm in a century had us all worried and far from home. We were fasting, and my sister was about to get married in Toronto. Nobody was happy when we had to make an emergency landing in a town we had never heard of.”
Smiles and nods as the breakfast party relived those hectic first few days. To her right, Anna twinkled at her, resplendent in a black velvet holiday dress, her hair piled high.
“Remember our firstsuhoormeal? All we had was junk food from the vending machine,” Saima called out.
“Those ketchup chips were pretty good, actually. I bought a box to take back home,” Saif answered, and everyone laughed.
Looking around the group, Maryam felt her heart swell. They had all been through something difficult together, but they had made the best of it, had made new friends, and rekindled old relationships. In that moment, she knew this was where they were meant to be, and where Saima was meant to have the wedding of her dreams.
“Saima, I know you’re the most disappointed of all of us. Your wedding to Miraj was derailed, and no matter how hard we tried, there was nothing we could do about it. In the end, you had to cancel the whole thing.”
“I’ll drag him to the Imam yet,” Saima said loudly, all bravado. Everyone laughed.
“He might be the one dragging you,” Maryam said. Saima stopped laughing and looked at her sister.
“What do you mean?” she asked, a thread of something that sounded like hope creeping into her voice.
“How would you like to be married today, in Snow Falls?” Maryam asked.
Saima jumped to her feet, face transformed into a bubbling cauldron of excitement. “What. Do. You. Mean!” she asked, this time nearly dancing. With a subtle nod at Saif, Maryam turned to her sister.
“Saif’s older brother, Raihan, works for a company thatcharters planes. Miraj and his family are on their way to Snow Falls as we speak. Saima, the wedding is back on.”
For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence around the table, and then pandemonium reigned as everyone jumped to their feet, cheering. Saima ran around the table to hug her sister, lifting her bodily off her feet. Overwhelmed, Maryam called for silence, eager to explain the plan. It would take all hands on deck to make it a reality, and they had no time to waste.
Maryam explained that Snow Falls Inn had generously offered to host thenikahceremony, while the reception would be held in the playhouse and town square.
“We only have a few hours to make this happen,” she said, getting down to business. Saima raised her hand.
“Are you sure we can organize a bigdesiwedding in”—she checked her watch—“six hours? It’s not as if we have a crew to help us.”
Maryam looked at Saif, and then at Josh and Anna, and smiled. “Don’t worry, Saima, we’ve got this,” she said, and started handing out the clipboards.
—
If being a pharmacist doesn’t work out for you, you could always give party planning a try,” Anna said fifteen minutes later, after Maryam had marshaled her troops and given them their orders. Everyone in the wedding party—including Saima, because brides didn’t get off easy when planning a last-minute wedding—had been given a specific to-do list, along with a rundown of events for tonight. They were to report to CommandCentral—aka the dining table in Snow Falls Inn—in three hours. Anna had generously offered to execute the wedding theme Maryam had dreamed up, a cross between one of Dadu’s Bollywood wedding scenes and a Christmas gala. Either way, there would be a lot of gold tinsel and red velvet.
“I never realized how much overlap there is between South Asian fashion and Christmas decor,” Anna mused as she ran her finger down the list Maryam had handed her. “Both use a lot of candles, gold and silver, red and green.”
“Do you really think we can pull this off?” Maryam asked, suddenly nervous. It had seemed important to appear confident at breakfast, but now that everyone had dispersed, her anxiety was spiking.
“I have absolute faith in us. Look what we accomplished in just five days! We saved the Holiday Hoopla, survived the Storm of the Century, and made friends with Hollywood stars.” Anna clasped Maryam’s hand and squeezed affectionately. “You and I are unstoppable. Now, don’t you have somewhere you need to be? I found everything on your list and dropped it off. Good luck.”
It was hard to leave her post at the dining table, but Anna promised to make sure things ran smoothly and to deal with any problems that cropped up. The old Maryam would have worried, but the new Snow Falls Maryam only thanked her friend, and rushed to prepare her surprise for Saif. She returned to the inn a few hours later, just in time to check on the progress of the wedding planning. Her troops had worked miracles—the flowers had been arranged, and the restaurants on the list enthusiastically agreed to contribute a feast. Annahad managed to source most of the supplies, and her family had sorted out music for Saima’s entrance, and accommodations at Snow Falls Inn for Miraj and his family.
At Rockport Airport, Saima anxiously waited for her fiancé and his parents, older sister, and brother-in-law.
“They’re going to love you,” Maryam whispered in her sister’s ear. “You got them a ride on a private jet!”
Saima was too nervous to respond, but when the guests finally disembarked, she ran straight toward a short, handsome man with light brown skin, hazel eyes hidden behind chunky dark glasses, and a beaming smile. They hugged, before trailing up to Maryam and the rest of the family. Introductions were quickly made, and she studied her sister’s new family.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” Miraj said, gazing adoringly at Saima. “I thought our plans were snowed under that storm. I was so worried about you.” This comment endeared him to Maryam immediately.
The jury was still out on the rest of his family, though. Maryam couldn’t forget how snooty they had been when she was coordinating the wedding from Denver, and their current aloof expressions fit her initial judgment. Miraj’s parents were fashionably dressed, as if they traveled by private jet regularly, his father in a smart dark suit, and his mother, her features haughty, dressed in a floral silksalwar kameezsuit completely inappropriate for the wintry weather.
“How fortunate the wedding can proceed,” Miraj’s mother, Mausam, offered through pursed lips, but her son’s clear delight was enough to vanish any lingering worries Maryam might have had. Difficult in-laws were such a commonstereotype among South Asian families, they had practically inspired the entire movie and drama industry. What really mattered was that Miraj was clearly besotted with Saima, and the feeling was very much mutual. This wedding was happening, one way or another.
