Adornments Of The Heart

09

She slept for the half of the day, glad that she hadn't fixed any lecture for today because even if she had, she'd have no choice but to cancel it. She had sent Mama a text on WhatsApp regarding her call that she missed yesterday and said she was sick before she slept off. She woke up to find no missed call even though Muhibbah was sure she had received the call.

She was starving by the time she had her bathe. She walked into the kitchen with the hopes of seeing at least a kettle to boil water and if she was lucky enough to find milk and milo so that she can atleast take tea before she went out to get proper food. But to her surprise, Muhibbah found the kitchen fully stocked. There was even a fridge inside and upon opening it, Muhibbah couldn't close her mouth due to how shocked she was.

There was everything a person would need to cook and even beyond. She instantly felt her hunger intensifying because of the tons of things she was craving that came to mind. Then she thought, was it really his house that he brought her? Wasn't it some couple's house or something? Maybe they had traveled?

Shaking off that thought from her mid, Muhibbah began to cook as she watched the clock because she was really starving at this point. She was done and had just sat to eat when he opened the door to the living and was glued to his spot when he saw her.

She had forgotten how she was dressed until she saw him staring without even blinking. She was dressed in an A-shape Ankara gown that looked so beautiful on her and she had worn her head tie in her signature style that always made her looked gorgeous, as Sareena had always said. Sareena had tried all she could to learn how to tie hers like she did but she always grumbled that it never quite looked like hers.

She hardly wear Ankara, especially when she was in Dutsinma. It was always Abayas and gowns because she felt more comfortable in them. Whenever it happened and she wore one, Muhibbah always wore a hijab that day. So it was possible that he had never seen her in an Ankara before, especially now that she didn't even have a veil or hijab on her and her hair was fallen on her shoulders because she had realized that Maman Fatima pulled at her ribbon yesterday and it wasn't like she had another nor did her hair stay in place if she were to braid it or something because of how soft and silky it was.

"I thought we spoke about how you always stare at me?" Her voice broke their silence and he seemed to have regained his composure because of that.

Bilaal quickly took his eyes off her but he still wasn't able to walk further into the room. "I'm sorry, I cooked without asking you if I could touch anything in the house. I was hungry and saw everything I need so I just decided to cook instead of going out."

"It's fine." He said, his voice a little disoriented.

Muhibbah could feel his battle with himself in between staring at her and taking his eyes off her. She subconsciously pulled her hair away from both shoulders and had it laying on her back while she got to her feet.

"I've left some in the kitchen in case you're hungry." She realize it was only decent if she cooked with him as well. He was a student after all, and good cooked meal was one of a student's biggest challenge. "I'll just eat in there and come out. I'll probably have to leave to Katsina if the house couldn't be gotten today."

"Okay, ma." He said as she walked away. And from the corner of her eyes, Muhibbah could see him walking into the kitchen. She didn't know why he seemed shocked and at a loss of words. Even though she knew taking too much wasn't his forte, he still looked as if something had gotten him gobsmacked.

She walked into the room, ate and gotten everything she needed to pack into her bags before she walked out, wearing her hijab. She saw him on one of the sofas, eating while he stared at his phone, scrolling down absentmindedly. She didn't know how it happened, because he seemed so engrossed in his phone to have noticed her presence when she hadn't even made a single sound.