Muslim Matchmaker (2025) s01e06 Episode Script

1
[cheerful music playing,
Daniel Farrant "Wounded and Blue"]
Something's waiting ♪
It's not fading ♪
All I wanted was you ♪
There's a lot going on
in my head,
but I'm feeling it,
I'm here for it.
I don't wanna leave you ♪
On our first date,
I didn't feel as though
that we had, like,
what you would call sparks,
You know? That magic.
-I'm confused.
-[intriguing music playing]
Like, what is that a shot of?
It's light.
-[both laugh]
-[Fulani] But then over time
we've connected
in a lot of different ways.
So I think the real magic
is something
that you develop over time.
And that's what
I wanna talk about today.
[music fades]
[suspenseful music playing]
[phone line trilling]
[phone line trilling]
-[music fades]
-[phone line trilling]
Salam!
[Fulani chuckles]
Assalamu alaikum!
What's going on?
Salam, Fulani. How you doing?
It's going all right. I
[clicks tongue] We are
Things are happening.
So, I'm out here in DC.
Okay.
-[suspenseful music playing]
-[clicks tongue] Sh
Omniya decided not to show up.
[gasps]
[theme music playing]
[music concludes]
[disco music playing,
Raphael Lake "As Long as It's Real"]
Let it grow, let it feel
Let it run, let it chill ♪
It don't matter
As long as it's real ♪
You can give, you can take
You can leave, you can stay ♪
It don't matter
As long as it's real ♪
[Bucky] New York, I think, can be tough
in terms of dating, for sure.
I wouldn't say I date a lot.
I think I'm pretty selective
about who I go on dates with.
Muslim, practicing,
preferably Pakistani.
Also,
if you've been good-looking
your whole life,
I don't trust you.
I need someone that's
had some sort of a struggle.
Acne, braces.
I was a very chubby kid.
You know, so it forced me
to develop [chuckles] a personality.
My name's Bukhtawar.
My friends call me Bucky.
I'm 30 years old.
I'm a Pakistani American woman
living in New York.
And I'm currently doing
my dermatology residency
in New York as well.
I think I care really deeply
about the people in my life.
About my family,
my friends, my patients.
And I'm creative.
I like to think.
-[upbeat music playing]
-[audience cheering]
[Bucky]
My name's Bukhtawar Waqas.
White people usually
pronounce it Buck-tower Walk-us.
And mean boys
in the fifth grade
used to call me
[bleep] tower Wack-ass.
[all laugh]
In fact, you know, I think,
my parents are proud of me,
'cause I did the thing, and,
you know, I became a doctor.
I actually do dermatology.
And something
that I learned recently,
as a dermatologist,
is that male pattern baldness
is actually the only known cure
for modern man's
commitment issues.
[all laugh]
When I write my stand-up jokes,
it all stems
from my experiences.
-[audience laughing]
-[Bucky] Dating, of course,
that lends itself
to a lot of punchlines.
And I think it's been
an unexpectedly
more challenging part of dating,
finding someone that meets
your same halal/haram ratio.
It's not something
that I really thought about
when I was younger.
Muslim men love feet.
So many of them
have foot fetishes.
[audience laughing]
And I don't honestly think
it's their fault.
Because men,
when you were younger
and a girl was walking by,
what is it
that the aunties and uncles
would tell you to do?
[man] Lower your gaze.
-"Lower your gaze!" Exactly!
-[audience laughing]
That's how foot fetishes start,
my friends.
[audience laughing]
People do write cringy things
in their dating profiles.
I think one of the worst
I've seen is a guy who wrote,
"Looking for someone halal
in the streets,
haram in the sheets."
I mean
come on, man. [chuckles]
For me, I'm someone that,
you know,
I try not to do the bad things.
So, like, drinking, drugs,
intercourse before marriage,
all of that stuff.
[soft music playing]
[Bucky] I decided to reach out
to the matchmakers,
because I just haven't
had so much luck
in trying
to find someone myself.
Some people, you know,
find that right fit
maybe a little bit earlier on,
but I just
It's just taking
a little bit longer, I guess.
You could flirt to convert.
That's plan B.
That's plan B.
So if this doesn't work out,
watch out, Goreh. [chuckles]
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
-[Bucky] Hello, Ammi Jaan!
-Wa alaikum assalam, beta!
-Hello, beta! [kisses]
Hello, guddu, my jaan!
Your mom sent you some pictures
for the two rishtas.
-Two guys.
-Boy's pictures.
-[Bucky chuckles]
-Did you like them?
I mean, it's hard to say,
just from, you know,
the picture, the bio data.
They seem okay.
[contemplative music playing]
I think my parents
really understand all the things
that maybe
the modern Muslim woman
is looking for in terms of compatibility,
in terms of personality.
It's not just
that two people fit on paper.
You know, you guys got lucky.
-You found each other pretty young.
-Yes.
In our time, arranged marriages
were more common,
and I believe they were more
successful too.
-Really?
-But still,
we had a love marriage.
What made you two
fall in love with each other?
He has a very good
and big
-A big body, and
-[Bucky laughing]
[Khola laughing] I mean
Oh, you don't need to be shy.
[chuckles]
-[Bucky giggling]
-I like big men.
So maybe that was the thing.
I don't know.
I fall in love with him.
[chuckles]
I think they're definitely
getting a little worried
and a little anxious
about me not being married yet.
I think
all South Asian parents do
after a certain point,
but they never made me feel
like I lacked anything.
I don't care about money.
Inshallah, you will make
your own space in the world, no problem.
But only see the good degree,
good manners, good heart.
Everything come to you
in a good manner.
It will be in the future, too.
You will be
[voice breaking]
successful in your life.
In the future
you will be successful, too.
-I hope for you to get there.
-I
Inshallah. Inshallah.
[Bucky] And everything that I am
is because you guys did
what you did.
-[Yaqub sniffles]
-Oh, Baba. [chuckles]
-[chuckles, sighs]
-[Bucky] I knew you would cry. [chuckles]
Both of my parents
are like big teddy bears.
In fact, that's probably why
they're diabetic now,
'cause they're turning
into teddy bears.
-We'll be happy when you are happy.
-Yes.
It's getting the age
you have to make a decision now.
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
What's going on, brotherman?
-[waiter] Start with any drinks?
-Do you have sweet tea?
We have unsweet tea.
Oh, man, I forgot I'm in DC.
Do you have hot tea?
-[waiter] Yeah, we have hot tea.
-Earl Grey, milk and honey.
-[waiter] All right.
-Thank you.
I came here to see Omniya,
and I was really looking forward
to just kind of having a moment
to sit, talk with each other,
go through it, the highs,
the lows, the future.
[cell phone trilling]
[cell phone trilling]
How you doing, man?
Don't tell me
this about to go left.
[Fulani] I'm not gonna say
it went left.
Where we're supposed
to be meeting here
at this restaurant.
Like, she just didn't show up.
-She didn't show up.
-How do you
That's kinda lame.
How you not gonna show up?
And I can't speak for
what inspired her to do that,
-because I don't know
-Yeah.
the full story. And I don't
wanna speak ill of that.
Because I don't wanna diminish
what her feelings may have been.
-But I can definitely
-[Muhammed] Yeah, definitely.
I can definitely say
that I'm disappointed.
-How we connected increased.
-[emotional music playing]
I felt the love. You know,
I felt the connection.
I want to help myself manifest
my highest self, right?
That's, like,
the best activity ever.
-Thanks, Fulani.
-[Fulani] I know.
Hype me up. Hype me up.
[Fulani] I was very open
and receptive to that process.
So, the moment you check out
is the moment you lose.
I hate that this is the outcome.
-I hate that this is how
-Yeah.
[Fulani] you know,
we're trying out, just experience,
'cause from what I've had,
there was no reasons
for me to think
that something was wrong. And
No, 'cause y'all spent
quality time together.
-Right.
-Multiple dates where it didn't seem
that there was any sort of,
you know,
-mishap or whatever for them.
-Yeah, yeah.
And anybody would be confused.
I would be confused
-if I was in this situation.
-[Fulani] Right, right.
It's just like, you know what?
We're ghosting, I guess.
-[Muhammed] It was just a complete "duh."
-Dawg, weird.
This is that sign
that this wasn't meant for you.
You know, who knows?
-[Fulani] Right.
-Only Allah knows.
Man.
-All right, salam, my boy.
-[Fulani] All right, bro.
-[Muhammed] You stay up, bro.
-Absolutely. Love you.
-Assalamu alaikum.
-Love you too, man.
-And wa alaikum assalam.
-[Fulani] Peace.
[waiter] There we go.
-I appreciate that so much, man.
-[waiter] No problem.
[Fulani] Like, three months,
we've committed to each other
and nurturing that relationship.
That's what I thought
that we were doing, and
It just
I guess we were doing
we weren't doing
the same thing, maybe.
[music fades]
[hip hop music playing,
Neemz "I Choose Myself"]
I just want to be the best
Put my pride to the side ♪
Elevated life
when I'm tapped in with mind ♪
Knowing that my life ♪
[doorbell dings]
-[Bucky] Hi! Oh, my God!
-Hi! Salam!
-I'm Yasmin.
-[Bucky] Wa alaikum assalam.
Nice to meet you!
-So nice to meet you, Bucky.
-Come on in!
So, what I know from Bucky is
that she has fantastic energy.
She's got this multifaceted set
of really cool talents.
So I feel like I instantly
am going to love her.
I wanted to learn a little more
about your background.
-Are you Punjabi?
-I am Punjabi. Wow! Oh, my God!
Hello there, Punjabi!
You really know
what you're doing.
-Yeah, I kinda do this for a living.
-[chuckles] Okay. Fair.
Okay, so you're Punjabi.
I love it.
-Yeah. Exactly.
-[Yasmin] Okay, okay.
And I grew up in Queens.
My dad was a Yellow Cab driver,
and now he drives for Uber.
So he's still out on the grind.
-Yeah. Yeah.
-Waking up every morning, doing the job.
[Bucky] That's why
I'm just waiting to finish up
this last year of residency,
-and then I get to make some real
-Yeah. Yeah, real dough.
-adult money! And then
-"Adult money", I love that.
I can, you know, tell him, like,
-calm down now, let me take care of you.
-Yeah.
When they came here,
I don't think
they ever even expected
their daughter would go
to medical school
or anything, you know,
they just came here
trying to give us a better life.
You know, I come from
a pretty humble family.
You know, my parents,
certainly, you know,
aren't very wealthy,
by any means.
They just wanted to make sure
that I got a good education,
so I can support myself,
and take care of myself,
and never have to depend
on a man.
I have met
with other matchmakers before,
and it's always that
the boy's mom really likes me
-Of course.
-but she doesn't like my family
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
-background.
Even though
my parents are so sweet.
-There is an element of classism
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
that is very alive.
I'm really sorry about that.
I'm really sorry about that.
Honestly,
I used to get hurt by it,
but now I'm like,
that's your loss.
[exclaims] It is!
And honestly,
it's the biggest bullet
that you dodge.
Because that is
what we call misaligning values.
It's unfortunate when people
do have classist,
ethnocentric views,
but sometimes
you have to see people
or who they are,
and you have to be okay
with who you are.
And not wish to be something
that you're not.
You have to be whole
on your own.
What's the deal, girl?
Tell me what's happening
out here in these streets.
Why are you single?
I think an issue
that I keep running into is,
maybe the kind of guys
that I go for that are,
you know, like,
attractive, handsome,
-intelligent
-Hot?
-Hot. Yeah, hot guys.
-[Yasmin] You go for hot guys?
-Yeah.
-It's a pitfall.
Well, it is when I think
a lot of them expect certain
[clicks tongue]
physical things
out of a relationship.
So you're like, "I'm not going
to be physically intimate
until I'm married."
Yeah. Like, well,
you know, past a certain line.
[Yasmin] "Past a certain line."
I love that.
You're like, "I'm flexible
to a certain point."
-[Bucky] To a degree.
-To a degree.
'Cause I've had guys dump me
for that reason before,
-so now I tell them pretty early on.
-[Yasmin] Wait, wait.
People have dumped you
because they're not respecting
-your boundaries?
-[Bucky] Yeah.
-Your physical boundaries?
-[Bucky] Yeah.
Like, those are my values.
I just I can't.
[Yasmin] Honestly,
I am very surprised
that Bucky is still single.
I feel like she's such a catch.
But I think Bucky
has a certain image in her mind
of a guy
that she keeps going for.
So I worry about that for her.
I want her to be truly open.
And I think she was willing
to accept that maybe breaking the cycle
is a good idea.
I see you
with a high-achieving man.
I don't think you would go well
with a man who isn't
high-achieving. Is that right?
I like a high-achieving man.
[Yasmin] You like
high-achieving men, right?
-[Bucky] I like intelligence
-[Yasmin] Goals? Meet 'em!
-[Bucky] ambition.
-[Yasmin] Sure.
Because I feel like
I'm always juggling a lot of things,
between residency, stand-up,
you know, family, friends,
all this stuff.
And I can get
kind of overwhelmed sometimes.
So it would be nice to be
with someone
who's maybe
a little bit more type A.
[Yasmin] Yes.
-[Bucky] A little bit more regimented.
-[Yasmin] Organized.
-[Bucky] Organized, regimented.
-[Yasmin] Planned.
Yeah, helps bring out
that side of me, too.
[Yasmin] I agree with that.
I want to know your red flags,
-especially on the dating scene.
-Okay. Red flags, like I said,
someone who doesn't respect
my physical boundaries.
-[Yasmin] Big red flag.
-[Bucky] Drugs.
-[Yasmin exclaims]
-[Bucky] Yeah.
-[Yasmin] Not sexy.
-Smoking.
[Yasmin exclaims] Smelly?
Smelly
well, maybe we can work on it.
-[Yasmin exclaims] No.
-[Bucky chuckles]
So, I want to know what
you're physically into, Bucky!
What's the guy?
How does he look?
-I like a nice, thick beard.
-Ooh, okay!
-I don't mind a hairy man.
-[Yasmin] Yeah. [laughs]
'Cause if he's hairy,
he's handsome.
That's, like, synonymous.
-Yeah. Like, a nice beard makes up
-[Yasmin] God.
for so much.
He doesn't need to have a jaw.
'Cause I'll never know.
You'll never know about his jaw
'cause it's gonna be
covered in thick carpet.
-[exhales]
-Yes, okay!
But for me, the way
my parents raised me was,
-you know, Allah is so loving
-Yes.
and so merciful.
Islam is something
-that's important to me.
-[Yasmin] And you want to
-raise your kids Muslim.
-Absolutely.
And I think having
a place for it in your heart
is what brings you back.
-That's kind of like your
-[Yasmin] Anchor.
your lighthouse. Your anchor.
And then apart from that,
I want someone who, on Friday,
will go to Jumma prayer with me,
and pray with me on a Friday,
but then Friday night,
like, go out to the comedy club.
Ooh, yes!
[Bucky] Just someone
who can balance both.
[Yasmin]
I think that that's very doable.
I think
we're gonna find a guy
-A husband?
-Yes, a husband!
-A husband?
-[Yasmin] A husband!
-A husband?
-To be bonded forever.
Okay.
[upbeat music playing,
Imperial Highness "Shake the Night"]
So, what kind of haircut
you want?
Let me get a low fade,
starting with a number three.
-Right.
-Keep the top the way it is.
And then just clean up
the beard a little bit.
-Keep the mustache natural.
-Yep.
Yep. Right.
If I was to pick a character
who would be my type,
it would probably be,
like, Lois Lane.
-[electric clipper whirring]
-[Uneeb] She ends up marrying
not Superman, but Clark Kent.
Someone can see a Superman,
and still choose you.
[uplifting music playing]
[Uneeb] The fact that
I'm working with a matchmaker
puts a little bit more,
you know, motivation.
I feel like
I need that extra pressure.
Listen, diamonds are made
from pressure. [chuckles]
I'm just a little bit
of a coal right now. [laughs]
So, I am going on a date today.
It's a matchmaking date.
So I don't know the person.
I never met before.
Somebody else set us up.
I'm a little nervous,
but I wanna look my best.
-Me too. [chuckles]
-Yeah. [chuckles]
-I wanna do a good job for you.
-Yeah, thanks.
And if you don't,
and the date goes bad,
I'll come back and get a refund.
-[laughing]
-[chuckles] No.
I would love it
if I could be with somebody
who sees the real me.
You know, I want my wife
to have the best version of me.
[uplifting music playing]
Looks good, man.
Thank you, amigo.
[indie music playing,
Vincent Steele "Rise Up'"]
A new day time to change ♪
Time to start livin' ♪
Forget about yesterday ♪
It's time to start livin' ♪
So, like,
going into another date,
It is hard thinking about
the last person I dated.
And what went wrong.
So, yeah, I'm super nervous.
Rise up! Rise up! ♪
-[Farah] Hey, Salam!
[Uneeb] Hi, how are you?
Assalamu alaikum.
-Wa alaikum assalam.
-[Uneeb] Hi, I'm Uneeb.
-Farah. Nice to meet you.
-Hi, nice to meet you.
-I got you some chocolates.
-Oh, thank you!
-Oh, this is perfect. Thanks!
-Yeah.
Now, sit down.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
I actually have not
had chocolates brought to me
on a date before.
So it's kind of exciting
that he thought to bring
a gift with him.
So, what do you do in Raleigh?
I'm doing my residency
in emergency medicine.
-Oh, okay, very cool!
-Yeah.
-I like Raleigh.
-[Farah] Yeah.
There's a lot of my people there,
surprisingly.
I know. Both,
like, Pakistani, Arab.
They really do have, like,
a beautiful, like,
-Muslim community.
-[Uneeb] Yeah.
They have
beautiful masjids there.
Uh, but, yeah
Let's see, what else
[tense music playing]
I'm trying to think
what I was gonna say.
I lost my train of thought
-when I was talking about it.
-[Farah chuckles]
[music fades]
[tense music playing]
-I like Raleigh.
-Yeah.
It was a lot more diverse
than I expected. You know?
'Cause I thought it was gonna be
all like One Tree Hill.
-[laughs]
-No, no, for real! Oh, I loved
Did you watch One Tree Hill
when you were
-I did. [chuckles]
-[Farah] I love One Tree Hill!
[both laughing]
Oh, okay, very cool.
-[Farah] What about you?
-I'm an electrical engineer.
-Okay, nice.
-So, yeah. I really love my job.
Like don't tell them,
but I'd do it for free. [laughs]
[laughs] Yeah, yeah!
But it's cool.
But, like, you know,
I like to have
some creative outlets too.
And I do I sometimes
I go to Comic-Con.
-[tense music playing]
-I'm into comic books a lot.
I You know,
I'm a big I'm a part
of a lot of fandoms.
You know, the MCU, and Marvel,
and DC Comics.
-And lots of
-I was about to say, I love Marvel.
-Yeah?
-My sister and I
watched all of the movies.
-Yeah, yeah.
-And then we went to the Endgame premiere.
And she actually cried
-during Endgame, too. [chuckles]
-What? [chuckles]
I know! [chuckles] She, like,
started crying, but she had gotten
a spray tan for prom,
like, right before.
-[Uneeb chuckles] Yeah, yeah.
-So she sat there this, like
-[imitates crying, chuckles]
-[Uneeb laughs]
She knows a lot about movies,
so I think that's really cool.
A nerd score of ten,
is what I give her. [chuckles]
She's beautiful. She has gorgeous eyes.
And I was like, this is,
you know, someone who's smiling,
and having a good time.
And they're talking to me,
so this must be going all right
or great.
Tell me about your family.
I have
these two adorable nieces.
They're, like,
the best part of my life.
-Aw! That's so cute!
-[Uneeb] Yeah, yeah. They love that stuff.
-It's so much fun.
-[Farah] Yeah?
Do you have
a fun-cle shirt?
-Shut up. Shut up!
-Yeah! Yeah! I know!
Hold on, hold on.
I'm gonna show you.
-I'm not even
-Nice. [laughs]
Literally, it says "fun-cle."
I'm not gonna lie,
I'm a little self-conscious,
but it felt like I was getting
to know somebody I already knew.
Oh. My family and I
are very close like that too.
-My sister is my best friend.
-Yeah.
She's much cooler than me,
though, I will admit, so
That's probably
'cause of you, you know?
So, like, it's easy
to be confident when you
have, like,
someone to back you up.
Don't sell yourself short.
[sentimental music playing]
I really liked Uneeb.
He seems very genuine,
and very knowledgeable
about the world,
and about experiences
and cultures.
But then,
he's also really in tune
with who he is,
and who he wants to be.
These shoes
make me look like a clown.
-A clown? I know.
-Yeah.
[upbeat music playing]
[Farah] Do you bowl?
[Uneeb sighs] I haven't bowled in,
like, ten years. [chuckles]
[Farah giggles]
Oh, I have bowled
-[Uneeb] Okay.
-and I'm terrible at it. [giggles]
-Not totally embarrassing.
-Both of us are like,
okay, we gotta, like,
-put our best foot forward.
-I know! [laughs]
[laughs] Okay.
[bowling pins clattering]
-Oh, no! I'm in trouble!
-I lied. I'm actually so great
-at bowling. Clearly.
-Oh, you're a shark!
-[Farah laughs]
-So you're hustling me.
-Like, look at this. Look at this!
-[gasps, laughs]
-Look at that!
-[Farah laughs, gasps]
-Oh, no. It's really stuck!
-[Farah giggles]
Oh, no. It's really stuck?
-[chuckles] Okay, hold on.
-[thumb pops]
-[exclaims] Ah, the
-Did you hear that?
-[Farah gasps, laughs]
-Did you hear that? [laughs]
[Farah]
Come on, come on, come on!
[exclaims] Oh, oh, it's potential!
There's potential!
-[cheers, laughs]
-[Farah cheers, laughs] Nice!
[both gasping, giggling]
If it wasn't
for the three month rule,
would I want to see her again?
Yeah, for sure!
Yeah. In fact, I'm gonna probably try
to see her later today.
[both laughing, gasping]
-[laughs] Strong work.
-That's so funny!
-That's hilarious.
-[laughing]
[upbeat electronic music playing,
Muszette "Boom"]
-No mercy!
-[Yasmine] No mercy!
Comin' in hot! ♪
[Danielle] Love the hustle!
Always on top!
Always on top! ♪
Ooh! Wasn't ready for that one,
was ya?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
[Yasmine] It's been a few years
since I've been divorced,
and I haven't gotten back
to the dating scene,
or a courtship with anyone.
It's a bit nerve-wracking,
but I feel ready.
You know, inshallah. I think
I think it's the right time.
-Gonna make it go ♪
-Boom! ♪
-Oh. [cheers, laughs, screams]
-Let's go! Oh, no! [laughs]
[Yasmine] It took me so long
to find my voice.
I had to go through
a marriage and a divorce
to actually find it.
I wanted
to talk to you about something.
I'm thinking of getting back
Like, out there.
We're trying
to get back out there?
[both gasp, chuckle]
-Like, date? [sighs]
-[Yasmine] No.
No? Okay.
We don't want to date. [sighs]
[Yasmine] Well, no. So, like,
Muslims don't date. [sighs]
It's more of, like, a courtship.
-Mmm.
-So think, like, just like old
-Old traditional.
-[Yasmine] Old times, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get you.
The dating and courtship market
is like, a fiery dumpster.
Like, I don't [sighs]
I've heard
so much horrible things.
And I refuse!
I refuse to be on a dating app.
And there's also,
like, matchmakers.
I mean, matchmaking,
that's a big deal.
Where y'all gonna be
dating at? Here?
[Yasmine] I'm gonna tell the matchmaker
that I'm open to anybody.
-Like, they don't have to be
-Come on, girl!
-I love it!
-Yeah.
Like, they don't have
to be in Georgia.
-Okay.
-Like, I mean, in the US, clearly,
-but, like
-They don't have to be in the US?
Oh, that's not true.
I don't want someone
from the Midwest.
Keep it coastal,
like, near family.
-Okay, okay. It's too much.
-[chuckles, exhales]
So I'm, like, excited for it.
But then, there's always
that, like, "Oh."
Like, "What if"
But you can't do the what-ifs.
-I'm like trying to stop myself.
-Yeah. But no,
the what-ifs are real, though.
You know what I mean?
My previous marriage
was long distance,
and I couldn't see how they,
like, existed in the world.
So I couldn't really gauge,
like, do they open doors?
Are they kind
with the people around them?
How do they interact, right?
I need to see them play sports.
Oh, my God, you can learn
so much about a person, like,
when you watch them play sports.
Like, how considerate are they?
And are they just trying
to be the center of attention?
Or can they actually work
with a team?
How are their
communication skills?
And really, like, pray.
-Yeah, I have to pray about it.
-[Danielle] Right, pray.
And just pray for discernment.
So we have this prayer
specifically for, like,
if you're in a bind, and you don't know
what decision to make,
or you're just, like,
asking for, like, guidance.
So we call it, like,
Istikhara prayer. And so, you
You're literally asking God,
like
"Whatever is best for me
in this life and the next."
And it's literally
a breakup line for people.
They're like,
"Um, I prayed Istikhara,
and, like, I just didn't get
good vibes. And"
"It's not gonna work."
The guys are probably like,
-"What?" Like, "Come on."
-[giggles, gasps]
That's a big step.
Yeah. I'm excited. [sighs]
Hoping for the best.
It's going to be great.
Like, you're gonna have fun.
If they're good for me,
then let it be good.
I'm gonna talk to you about him
when I find him.
-[Danielle sighs] Oh, my gosh.
-[Yasmine] But when he's You know?
How do I, like, talk to a boy?
What do we talk about,
like, Bitcoin?
- [laughs]
-[Danielle laughs]
[upbeat pop music playing,
Deep Cut "Ready to Love Again"]
I'm showin' up, I'm steppin' out
I'm ready to love again ♪
-[Yasmine] Welcome.
-[Hoda] Oh, thank you!
Your place, I love it.
So cute, so homey.
Yeah, thank you.
It's my mom's decor.
[both laughing, gasping]
-How are you doing?
-Good, good.
-Excited.
-Oh, I'm glad.
I'm glad you're excited.
Are you nervous at all?
I am. When I last spoke to you,
I was married.
I am no longer.
Have you, like,
talked to anybody since,
or tried anything?
No, I didn't feel, like,
ready/didn't want to.
I wanted to, like,
embrace that time alone.
And with myself and, like,
healing, and just relearning
-who I was again.
-[Hoda] Yeah. Yeah.
[Yasmine] Me and my ex-husband met
on Instagram,
and then I ended up moving
[sighs] to Istanbul.
It's one of the hardest things
I did.
I would just be homesick
all the time.
I think I cried for, like,
four months straight.
And I was like, all right,
it's time to go back to America.
We had to do a long distance,
and so it just broke down.
So, do you feel like
you're ready to be married?
I'm ready for a partnership.
Live with someone
and love someone
-and have that, you know?
-[Hoda] You made it sound like,
"I'm not ready
to sign any documents."
I'm like, "I'm ready
for a roommate." No, no, no
I'm ready. No, I'm
It's gonna look different.
I can understand
that the fear is gonna be there.
You know,
she was married before.
And it's
a really delicate space to be.
Because, you know,
she's been hurt before.
And I don't want her
to have bad experiences
to start off with.
The first meeting or the first
conversation might be kind of eh,
and a lot of people are really
are just like
-They, like, expect a spark
-Expect a spark
-on a first
-Yeah, you expect the spark.
Exactly. But it might take
a little bit
to develop chemistry,
and develop a relationship.
But once you get there,
it lasts.
So, when you meet somebody
through us,
what we recommend is to try
and give it three months of,
like, consistent talking,
communicating,
like, meeting each other,
like, in person,
at least three times.
And within that three months,
also, like, FaceTiming
if you don't, like, live geographically
right next to each other.
It's crazy. And it's crazy.
[laughs, gasps]
And I get it.
That's the process,
and I need to trust the process.
And it's crazy. [laughs, gasps]
Let's kind of start super,
super basic.
-What are you looking for?
-I mean, I want to be,
kind of in the same,
like, age, culture.
So I'd say maybe, like, max 35.
[Hoda] Okay.
Um, I do want someone
who likes to travel.
[Hoda] Okay. So, some adventure.
And someone who's just, like,
kind, like, nurturing.
Just kind, and not a
[sighs]
not a prick.
One of my things is,
like [giggles]
just how someone's voice is.
You don't want them
to sound like Oscar the Grouch.
Someone who's allergic
to cats is a deal-breaker.
[Hoda]
Must not be allergic to cats.
-Okay.
-I would love for us
to, like, cook together.
But,
if they don't like Chick-fil-A,
that's a big red flag,
'cause I love Chick-fil-A.
Oh, my God. If they were,
like, vegetarian?
You sound like you really
just want a friendship.
-I sound lonely as hell.
-[laughs]
I do want a friendship, though.
At least has a bachelor's.
Master's, okay. PhD, great.
Great. Okay.
So the more, the merrier.
-[laughs]
-[laughs] Yeah. Is that a unicorn?
-I don't want
-It's not.
I want them to be able to,
like, wake up at 3:00 a.m.
If we have a kid who's, like,
needs a diaper change
-or is crying or something
-[Hoda] You want a partner.
without me having to be like,
"Hey, can you do this?"
-That might be a unicorn. Just kidding.
-I know.
[both laughing]
[light pop music playing,
Kari Kimmel "Moody Boy"]
Hi! Assalamu alaikum.
-Bro.
-Talk to me.
So, I am taking you in time
to right after that third date
that did not happen.
-Great.
-Because someone bailed.
She reached out
about five or six hours after
she was supposed to be there.
Like, there was not like a,
"Oh, my bad."
"Hey, sorry what happened."
"It sucks." Like
-Acknowledgement.
-[Fulani] I'm not even saying
Yeah, acknowledgement
of the fact that, like,
I'm in your city. I flew here,
and I sat, and I waited.
And she told me, she was like,
"Yo,
I just got back from dinner
with my friends."
[tense music playing]
[Fulani sighs] Yeah.
Like, that's crazy!
That was the last conversation
we had.
I can't believe she'd done that.
I'm so sorry.
It [bleeps] me up for a second,
'cause, like, I was
You know,
when it first happened,
I was like I was like,
"Well, why?"
I was like, what did I do?
Like, was she upset?
Was she mad?
Did I offend her?
I also think, like,
sometimes people feel like
if you're not in it
or if you're going to dump them,
they are straight
in their avoidance
to get away from that.
So what I'm wondering is,
do you feel like you sent
any kind of signal
that you weren't really in it?
Nope.
-Are you open to relocating?
-Me? No.
-That is selfish.
-[Fulani] It is.
I was engaged when I was 19.
Every day, I was always happy
to be in her presence.
The question, she was saying,
"Oh, well, I think he may
have forgot a couple times
that when we were supposed
to start."
I don't think so.
So you've been on the computer
this whole time?
Not the whole time.
I only ask because
I've been waiting for you.
Not trying to point fingers.
But you were late
last two sessions,
and you did not communicate.
Omniya did not show up
for her third meeting
with Fulani.
And it's not the way
that I would have handled it,
maybe not the most mature way.
But I can also understand
her perspective
where if you feel
like the other person
has checked out,
not respecting your time,
you check out.
And you sort of retaliate.
And while it's petty,
it's plausible.
[Fulani]
Thinking back on it, you know,
the process
was very nerve-wracking.
So, like, I can understand
someone being really nervous
and if someone has,
like, avoidant,
-you know, tendencies.
-Yeah.
[Fulani] I don't know.
I'll t Whatever is the load
that I have, you know,
contributed to
I accept that wholeheartedly.
But, nobody, Allah knows,
bro. I was in.
I had somebody who was,
like, really seeing through
the process,
So for her to not, you know,
be present for that,
it left a feeling of, like,
"What if?
Could that have been something?"
Fulani was willing to commit.
He was willing to show up,
and follow through
with the process.
With Omniya,
it will be a good lesson
for her in the future.
If she doesn't feel respected,
for her to say that,
without the need to avoid,
perhaps, a direct conversation.
I really appreciate you
just taking accountability of
when we don't show up
as our best self.
And I appreciate you seeing
the entire process out.
It was a lot.
It was a roller coaster,
to say the least, honestly.
[sighs] Yeah. We're going
to get it right, inshallah.
Yes, ma'am. Inshallah.
[upbeat pop music playing,
Lee Richardson, "You Set Me Free"]
You set me free
You set me free ♪
Whoa! Whoa! ♪
No escaping, you set me free ♪
You set me free ♪
[Fulani] Something I learned
in this process,
you learn a lot about what
is good about you,
and isn't good about you.
It's the audit of your character
and your personality.
And that's
extremely informative.
Especially, if you want
to move forward,
and have good relationships.
I would do
the rule of three again
with someone who I feel like
I have that spark with.
If I feel that connection,
then it's like, "Yes."
Just how much
more effective dating can be,
when you date with intention
and you devote specific time,
effort, energy to the process.
I feel like it's pretty cool.
That's fire.
Whoa! ♪
-No escaping ♪
-You set me free ♪
[song concludes]
[oriental music playing]
[Bucky] When I'm getting ready
for my date,
I like to have two or three
conversation points in my head.
That way, in case, like,
if there's any sort
of awkward silence,
there's just, like,
something to talk about.
Something safe, like politics.
Kidding. [chuckles]
But since I don't know anything
about this guy,
I'm just, like,
wondering everything.
How old is he?
What does he look like?
What does he do? Is he bald?
Am I ready for that? [chuckles]
[sensational music playing]
But of course, yeah, I really,
you know, do think,
Allah has someone written
for everyone out there.
[music fades]
[mellow pop music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
-Hello!
-[Bucky giggles] Hi!
-How are you?
-[Bucky] Nice to meet you.
-Rehan.
-[Bucky] Bukhtawar.
-Nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you, Bukhtawar.
Nice to meet you.
I'm definitely
a little nervous going in.
I think, I still tend
to get a little bit nervous
before I meet someone new.
Hopefully, I don't say
anything embarrassing. [chuckles]
-[Rehan] How's your day going?
-It's good. It was good.
-Yeah?
-[Bucky] Nice day, nice Saturday.
-[Rehan] Were you born here?
-No, I was born in Pakistan.
-[Rehan] Okay.
-In Lahore.
-[Rehan] Lahore, okay.
-And then my parents moved
to Queens when I was two.
Have you mostly lived in Queens?
I grew up in Queens,
and then I went to college,
and med school in Manhattan.
So you're a physician?
[Bucky] We don't know
anything about each other.
-Yeah, you're a physician, I presume.
-[Bucky] I am.
I am in residency right now.
I do dermatology.
Would you live anywhere else?
I would like
to be in a big city.
It doesn't necessarily
need to be New York.
I feel
like I'm rapid-firing questions,
because I'm so nervous.
Yeah, okay. [laughs]
Hopefully they can bring
some water soon.
Yeah, I was gonna say,
-water would be good.
-That would be nice.
Yeah, water would be great,
-Water would be great.
-Yeah, yeah.
If I see a waiter,
I'll flag 'em down.
[Bucky chuckles] Okay,
I appreciate that.
[Rehan] Yeah.
Does she work here?
I'm not sure.
I don't [chuckles]
That's fine. It's fine.
Okay. Oh, she does.
I've been on dates with people
where they're just not
that great at conversation,
but very, very, very rarely
does it ever lead to anything
more than a first date.
[dramatic music playing]
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
[music fades]