Fated.

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺𝟸

𝑨 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.

OMNISCIENT

12 flight hours and 6,700 miles later, Nasreen had finally arrived. While the Institute had offered her an option of a chauffeur to come pick her up at the airport, she had settled for a more homely option.

So now, she was in the back seat of Uncle Mo's car, as Little Ridwan was trying to show her how he could count from 1-10 backwards.

"Ten. Nine. Seven. Eight. Six-"

"Woah woah woah." Nasreen let out a hearty laugh. "Why does eight come after seven, that's not how it goes. Start again."

"But aunty Nath." He pouted. "This is thimes three I'm starting over."

Nasreen found his childish lisp so adorable. "Okay Ridwan, you say'this is the third time I'm starting over', and not 'this is times three I'm starting over'."

His mother let out a short laugh from the front seat. "Don't mind Ridwan, he gets a little confused sometimes, but he is so keen on learning."

"That's a very good thing." Nasreen acknowledged. "Most children now just want to watch PJ masks and-"

"PJ MASKS!" Ridwan squealed excitedly from his booster seat and proceeded to begin singing the theme song.

Everyone in the car burst into laughter.

"So Nasreen." Uncle Mo began when the giggles had settled. "You're going to be staying here for long yes?"

"Yes." She nodded. "6 months."

"Wow." He shook his head. "I can't imagine staying away from my family for that long."

Something tugged in her heart at his statement. She had tried to refrain herself from such thoughts on the flight over, but it was really all she could think about. Immediately she had sent that e-mail, the Institute replied her, expressing how much of an honour it would be to work with her. Knowing fully well she couldn't just leave without telling anyone, she went to her mother and mother-in-law, explaining how she had tried everyday for the past week to try and sort things out with Salim, but he just wouldn't listen. It was safe to say Mrs Dikko was furious, but she gave Nasreen her blessings to leave, and told her that she would handle Salim. Meanwhile, Mrs Burja begged her daughter not to go, to stay and fight for her marriage, she knew her daughter too well, she was only running away from her problems because she hated confronting her own feelings.

On the surface, Nasreen presented this serene facade, but deep down she felt empty. With Salim, she had felt whole and alive, now, she was just existing, like she was on earth just to pass time. And she couldn't reconcile with the fact that she was the cause of all this, she had ruined the good thing in her life with her own hands.

Aloft all her burgeoning thoughts, she gave Uncle Mo a small smile. "I'll have to get by."

"So will you be going back home frequently or will Salim be doing the visiting?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "It's complicated." She answered truthfully.

"Oh really? How so?"

"I don't...really want to talk about it."

"Oh." Uncle Mo remarked in understanding.

The two hour ride from the airport was mostly silent, except for hyperactive bursts from Ridwan once in a while. It was 2:09pm here, meaning it was 7:09pm in Nigeria.

She snuggled more into her three layers of clothing which did nothing to protect her from the harsh winter cold. She watched from the moving car as snow settled on the empty branches of the season, creating a dainty scenery.

As at the time they reached home, the weather had toned down a bit but Nasreen was still glad to have entered into full warmth.

"You're going to have to get used it." Ridwan's mother laughed when she saw Nasreen trying to shake off the cold as she stood in front of the heat vent.

"It's...so...cold." Nasreen replied through clattering teeth.

"Come to the kitchen. It provides more warmth."

Nasreen's toes tingled with cold as she took tentative steps. She rested against the counter while Ridwan's mom whipped up a cup of tea for her.

In the distance, Nasreen's ear caught on the musical creak of a swing, shortly followed a few squeals from a child or two.

"Do you hear that?" She asked Ridwan's mom.

"What?" Her brows furrowed, then released when she realized. "Oh, you must be talking about the park. It's right behind the house. I guess now that the weather is a bit fair, the children have started coming out to play."

Ridwan rushed into the kitchen, having heard what his mother said. "Park!" He squealed.

He then tugged at Nasreen's coat. "Aunty Nath, can we go to the park?"

His mother cut in. "No, Nasreen is tired."

"No no no, I can take him. It would be good for me to get a good view of the place."

"Mommy pleathe." He pouted.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"I am." Nasreen answered. "Come on Ridwan."

As they stepped back out into the cold, Nasreen ensured that Ridwan's jacket was buttoned. Then they began their short walk to the park. Snow began pelting Nasreen's face, and she pulled up the collars of her coat to protect her from the snow's glacial feel.

Ridwan let go of Nasreen's hand the minute he caught sight of the other children playing around.

"Be careful!" Nasreen called out to him. Her eyes followed him until he reached the group of kids that were queueing up for the slide.

She took her position on one of the benches, making sure to keep her distance from where the parents clustered. She quietly took in the scenery, she had to admit, it was a beautiful one. Her lips tugged upwards at the sight of Ridwan and the other children now trying to build a snowman.

It was when she caught on to a happy couple taking a stroll down the park did her smile falter. Her heart suddenly squeezed.

She missed Salim. She missed Salim so much that it physically ached to not be near him. She clamped her eyes shut, as if that might possibly impede the hoard of emotions that were churning within her.

The fates had definitely done a number on her now.