A Beautiful Secret

Salams Everyone,
  So this entry is a story written by my sister it was published in an online magazine called Muslimah Girl. If you would like to subscribe to the magazine please follow this link: http://muslimahgirl.com/?page_id=72 .
                                                                 Enjoy!

                                                             A Beautiful Secret 

                                                            By Mariam Ghanem

           “Dana you have such gorgeous hair mashallah,” Salma said as I smiled sheepishly. I let my hijab drop as I pretended to fix my hair in the mirror. From the corner of my eye I could see Salma fixing her hair as well letting her long curls flow beautifully over her shoulders. I let out a small sigh and stared at myself through the mirror, listening to the small whispers: I’m just as pretty as Salma, I could even be prettier. There’s nothing wrong with my hair, if only…
 

          I let out another sigh, this one was louder and Salma turned to look at me. I smiled weakly as I wrapped the hijab back over my hair and stared at myself in the mirror. It wasn’t that I felt ugly wearing hijab, on the contrary, I believed it maintained my beauty, however there were days when all I wanted to do was go out and show people that I had more to offer. The feeling came on days like these when all my friends and I decided to go out for dinner and maybe take a stroll through the city streets and stop for ice cream somewhere. I was the only one of my friends who wore hijab and on nights like these it was perfectly clear. Everyone looked beautiful in their dresses and high heels, while I opted for a long skirt and ballerina flats.

            

           I had become an expert at hiding my moody ways so I smiled at the appropriate moments, offered my fair share of good jokes and stories, and complimented everyone as enthusiastically as I could. Throughout the entire evening the whispers grew louder and louder until I finally excused myself to use the restroom. I stood over the sink and tried to keep my balance as I felt my entire body get consumed with the agonizing, pathetic murmurs of a tormented girl that I fought daily. But I didn’t want to fight anymore, so I slowly started to take off my hijab. I let my hair fall down my back and watched my vision blur as the tears began welling up in my eyes. She was beautiful.
 

             As my vision cleared up again I realized something so obvious that I had to catch my breath before my brain could sort it out. I looked at the stranger in the mirror and realized that not only did I not know this girl standing before me, but I also felt no desire to share her with the world. I wiped my tears slowly and stared back at the girl in front of me, “You, my friend, are very beautiful. But no one needs to know that, you’ll be our little secret.”
 

            “Hey Dana,” Salma said as she walked through the door. “Are you okay?”

            

             I turned and smiled widely at her, “I’m absolutely perfect, Salma, just perfect.” The words came out with so much truth to them that I almost cried again. As we all walked out of the restaurant I could see my reflection in the glass and it was difficult for me to contain my laughter as I realized that I was a beautiful secret, the one that Allah had bestowed upon me with all the trust in the world. My heart was the only beauty people needed to see, and frankly that sufficed. I am a beautiful secret.