Traditions Can Wait

Safiya and Malik arrived at Oshim's little hut at night; the wind blew, gently caressing Safiya's skin. Safiya looked up and noticed the sky darkening and the moonlight dimming.

"The rain will fall soon," she said, dismounting from her horse.

Malik looked up, staring at the clouds forming and listening to the rumble in the sky; he had not yet dismounted from his horse.

Safiya turned to Malik after finishing tying her horse rein to a tree, "Let's go in," she said.

He looked at her and smiled, "I want to stay here for a while."

Safiya watched him with wide eyes. Did he want to stay until the rain fell? Did he want to get drenched?

Malik then dismounted from his horse, just like Safiya, and tied the reins to a tree.