She stood alone, thinking about everything and nothing, Muslim called her everyday to ask about her well-being but she didn't pick at most times, she was thinking about the baby she had lost. Attending Zunnurain's naming brought her back to her senses, she wished she could turn back the hands of time and keep her baby safe to witness when she would kiss and cuddle her baby like Aidah was doing, that pout and she does when the baby starts crying. She was regretting what she did but the did has already been done, she couldn't change anything so there was no going back.
"Hey." A deep masculine voice dragged her out of her reverie.
"Wa'alaykas-salam." She sarcastically said and rolled her eyes.
"Oops, sorry. Salamu alayki." He said and stood beside her. She didn't say anything.
"You must be Jasmine if I'm not mistaken." He said to her freely like he had known her for long.
"Yeah what?" She asked him.
"My sister could not stop talking about you that you're the woman I dream of and here you are." He said and raised Jasmine single brow in confusion.
"Without wasting time or beating around the bush, I want to be your Aladdin." He said and chuckled, looking at the stars.
Laughing heartily, Jasmine turned to him, she noticed his fairly dark complexion even in the dark, he looked so much like a non-nigerian judging by the nature of his hair, it made her want to run her hands in it, she quickly lowered her gaze. "First, I'm not a princess and second you look too good to be Aladdin."
"Oh really." He said and checked himself out, he admired the kaftan he was wearing for the first time in his life. "Well, genie made me look this good." He said and earned her cute laugh for the second time.
"By the way, you look familiar. Do I know you?" She said and mentally slapped herself for asking.
"Yes of course. Too bad that you can't recognize me but it's not your fault, it's been quite a while. Two decades to be precise."
"I was five then." She smiled, enjoying the convo.
"Nah you were six, it has been nineteen years. Can you remember what happened nineteen years back?" He asked, he was messing with her brain.
"Tell me who you are already." She said, resisting the urge to smack his shoulders.
"You like looking at the stars, aye?" He said and she felt a tiny voice in her head asking her the same. It felt like a voice from the past, a memorable moment.
"And the sunset too." She replied, she knew she had said that once in a long time ago but she couldn't remember.
"Nature is beautiful because Allah created it, and so we are. Allah loves us so much Diabla, that's why we're so beautiful, even more beautiful than nature." He said and smiled, hoping that she recognizes him.
"Yeah Diablo." She said, as in it just passed her lips before knowing what she said. She gasped and whisper-yelled, "Askariy!"
Yes that was what he tells her whenever they are engrossed in looking at nature.
"Yes yes. It's me." He smiled at his victory.
"Oh my Allah. But you look darker." She said out of curiosity.
"Not in the slightest." He said and turned on his phone's flashlight, then aimed at his face and stopped midway. "See, I'm not dark."
"Masha Allah," was all she could say. "When did you come? Where is Eira and Aunt Benazir?" She asked if her cousin sister and her mother. Of course she wouldn't ask for their father, her uncle and her mother's elder brother as well, she had long forgotten about him but his son's sudden appearance made her remember the beast.
Chapter 16
Start from the beginning
