The ViDress spreads

While Fatma and Aliah adjusted to their new situation, our focus shifts to the street in front of their house itself.

Crowds of people still wander about, but something new seems to be happening. Men and women are going about their routines, without a care in the world. But on closer inspection, the former seemed... distracted. Their gazes bounced about from woman to woman, then over to their clothes.

While the women paid them no mind, the men's thoughts were all over the place.

"Why do I feel so itchy?"

"It won't stop..."

"What did I do to deserve this?

"What is happening to me?"

With it, came an urge to free themselves from these clothes. But not here. That would be lewd and worse, indecent for their fellow men.

Their answer came in the form of a small store just around the corner.

Similar to the cart that Fatma had bought her then future niqab and abaya, it housed even more garments suitable for muslim women. They were running quite a sale to boot.

"What can we help you out with?" a man in a hijab and long dress inquired, his makeup doing quite a lot of work to sell a feminine appearance.

The remarks that followed were a flood of answers. So the clerk called for the rest of his staff, getting to work dividing them up into pairs.

Which was how Aabid and Ross had ended up together. One a single muslim man, the other an american tourist. Sure, it was probably not the intention of the latter, but that's sometimes how life ends up - dressed in a hijab and long dress with some other man dressed the same way.

"You're quite cute." Rose whispered, Aabid looking away. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to say that, but he just did in that moment. "Sorry."

Aabid just chuckled.

"It's alright." he answered, shifting his hijab slightly. "You look quite nice as well."