Crossed Paths✅

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Emir's Palace.
Kano, Nigeria.

"----so that was why i whined him at the age of one because i was getting thinner by the day." Sultana said while Ariana laughed.

"He's still a foodie Mom." She said.

"Hm! Aryan and food are best buddies ai." Sultana smiled. It was a quiet Monday afternoon and Sultana suggested they had a "chill time" in her words together.

"You would love this! i made it last night." She said pouring the milky tiger nut into a tumbler and passed it to Ariana. She also poured some for herself and they cheered their tumblers together before taking a sip.

"It's really nice Mom. I love it." Ariana cooed.

"Glad you love it! you should create a time so i could teach you my signature recipes."

"In Sha Allah Mom." She smiled.

"The palace is extremely quiet today." Sultana hummed watching the chirping birds on the tree from where they were seated in the gazebo.

"You're right Mom. I guess it's always quiet during weekdays right?"

"Hm! you guessed right. The kids to school....adults to their workplaces or rooms either of the two..and the Queens at their respective chambers."

"Have you thought about practicing your profession Ariana?" She added.

"Yes Mom..but i haven't talk about it with him yet..i was thinking maybe after my Nysc."

"You really should start talking to him about it now.....that is if you really want to practice. I love seeing women practice their fields of study...probably because i didn't get to practice mine." Sultana said with a sad smile on her lips.

"Mom? you're also a Barrister??" Ariana shockingly asked.

"Yes dear." Sultana chuckled.

"Wow!Mashaa Allah." Ariana smiled staring at her mother in law's beautiful face.

"I studied Law because of how i was passionate about it and how i loved it! My dream was always wanting to become a judge so that i could judge matters and make rightful decisions and you know hit that hammer while everyone stood. That had been my dream since childhood." She completed letting out a bitter chuckle.

"Well you know how things were back then..i was betrothed to your father at age 5. My Dada and his were the Emirs of Zaria and Kano respectively..so that formed a strong connection and friendship between them and to strengthen their bond...they formed a matrimony between us. I was only five years old when my Dada announced my bethronment to the heir of the Kano emirate hence every male kept their distance.

"I got married to him when i clocked thirteen still in high school and that was when the battle began. His mother insisted i must drop out of school to carry out my wifely duties responsibly even though our fathers made an agreement that i would carry on with my school after marriage. It took like a decade before my father in law finally convince her and i continued my schooling and after three years i was done at the age of 16. By then people started talking about how i haven't became pregnant  not knowing we haven't consummated our marriage yet. I didn't loved him so as gentle as your father was..he decided to patiently wait to whenever i'm ready and whenever my heart decides to give him a chance." Ariana blushed ducking her head due to her mother in law's statement.

"Well.. he got a job in Canada,so we relocated there. I started my tertiary education there without the knowledge of his mother ofcourse!while he worked. I got pregnant with Aryan five months after our arrival and that was when the real battle began. My mother in law insisted i travel back to Nigeria so i could be taken care of properly. We panicked because we couldn't say no and on the other hand i was schooling. That moment was one of the toughest of our lives. Well after she was informed i was schooling she disliked me right from there because she hated the idea of the female child education. We returned back to Nigeria when Aryan was five and i was done with my studies.