CHARMED

Chapter 47

Bilkisu didn't make eye contact with Akram as they stepped into the backyard. "Bilkisu -"
She cut him off. "Can we get straight to the point?" Bilkisu asked Akram. The latter sighed as he focused on breathing in and out.

"Look, I-I won't lie and say I've not missed you since you left, I have...and you have no idea how much it hurt whenever I think of the reason why all this happened." He said.

Bilkisu pushed back the urge to roll her eyes. "Akram..." she paused and sighed. "Akram, at one point I was very angry at you for thinking I was having an affair. I've loved you for as long as I can remember and I could never bring myself to think a day would come when you would doubt me so you could imagine how painful it was." Bilkisu said all at once.

Akram remained silent "yes, I did miss you...a lot, and it broke me everytime I thought about you. I prayed Akram. I prayed and prayed that everything would be fine again and I had hope, I gave up at one point but deep inside I knew I still had hope. Sudais reached out saying how sorry he was for both me and you, he had blamed himself for everything and it got to a point where he asked if everything would have been fine if he didn't come into the picture. He's been nothing but nice and caring but you couldn't see that, and it isn't my fault." Bilkisu added.

"That doesn't change the fact that you cheated bilkisu." Akram said slowly. Bilkisu couldn't believe her ears, she chuckled lightly. "Really Akram? I had to deliver this baby alone, you were not there. I always imagined you being by my side but that didn't happen, my family had to keep consoling me and taking care of me when it was your responsibility. I always hoped you'd text and not even once, not even once did you think of reaching out. It hurt in more ways than you could ever imagine but I pulled through, and I'll continue to do so if you decide to be stubborn about it." She said all at once.

Akram felt guilty then. He looked at Nahla and then bilkisu. "Bilkisu..."
"I have just one question. Do you still think Nahla isn't your child?" Bilkisu asked her eyes glossy. Akram felt as if arrows were targeted at his heart and each one of them hit the target.

"Bilkisu..."
"Answer me Akram." Bilkisu said as a tear slipped and rolled down her cheek. "I-I don't know." Akram replied. Bilkisu didn't know if she was expecting a better answer or not but what she did know was that she had not expected the answer he gave at all.

"She has your eyes, and your nose, but you still say you don't know if she is your child or not?" Bilkisu asked staring at him straight in the eyes.

Akram took a moment to look at Nahla again committing every detail to memory. Her eyes which true to bilkisu's words looked like his, her nose that had little to no difference with his, then her cute pink lips which she got from Bilkisu. Akram sighed.

"Bilkisu. I really need more time to think this through. I'm sorry this isn't how you expected this to go but please...just a little more time to think everything through." He said.

Bilkisu smiled sadly as she wiped her tears. "Give her to me." She said coldly. "W-what?" Akram asked confused. "Give Nahla to me." Bilkisu said through gritted teeth.

Akram slowly handed her - Nahla - to his wife. Bilkisu left him there and headed inside. "God bilkisu I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." Akram whispered.

~~~
The second day of Eid was spent at millennium park. Different snacks and dishes were prepared, they - the Ahmed's - hosted a picnic and invited few people.

Once they arrived at the park, bilkisu spread the plain white sheet and placed the dishes carefully on it. When she finished, Amal told her that they left something's behind and zayd was going back to get them.

Bilkisu nodded "alright. Oh and mama I've invited Aisha, husna, Chinelo and Ahmad." She said.

"That's okay, Aunty fauziyya is coming." Amal informed and bilkisu nodded with a wide smile.

After an hour, everyone had arrived and the picnic started. "God abeg! Mommy bilkisu is such a good cook." Chinelo said savoring the food.

Amal chuckled and thanked her. "I cooked the food, what are you saying?" Bilkisu said teasingly. Chinelo glared at her "if I nod you! Better keep quiet there." She said making everyone chuckle.

"Chinelo stop acting as if you can do any better." Ahmad said with a small smile and Chinelo glared making bilkisu and the others laugh.

"Exactly." Bilkisu said when she sobered. Chinelo looked at her "it's not your fault. It's my fault." She said and hissed. Bilkisu laughed even harder.

A few feet away, The Ibrahim's had a similar set up; a white sheet spread on the grass and dishes placed on one side of the wide spread.

Akram laughed at something Sa'ed said and turned his head to the left. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of his wife laughing at something.

Akram had no idea that the Ahmed's were coming to the park as well. Bilkisu laughed yet again at something Ahmad had said and akram's chest twisted painfully.

"Bro!" Sa'ed yelled and Akram faced him. "Y-yea?" He replied. "That's the fourth time I'm calling you, what's going on?" Sa'ed asked. "Nothing." Akram replied with a tight smile.

Akram turned his head to look at bilkisu again, this time she held Nahla in her arms and smiled at the latter.

~~~
At gwarimpa, Akram sat on his bed thinking about everything. He didn't know what to do, he had a feeling Nahla was his daughter but he didn't want to accept it.

Sighing, he stood up, entered the bathroom, performed ablution and came out. He headed straight to the mosque forgetting to pick his phone.

After praying Isha'a, he came back home and went upstairs to his room. As soon as he entered, a notification came in and he sauntered towards the bedside table to pick the phone up.

It was a message from Aisha. Thinking of a reason why she would absurdly text him, he clicked on the notification and read.

Aisha: Akram Ibrahim Ayaan. What on earth is your problem? Bilkisu told me about the conversation you two had. How can you still say that she cheated after she told you how much she cares...no cared for you? I'm very sure you can see how hurt she is but you're not saying anything because of the ego you have.

Akram I'm begging please, if you're not going to take care of her then let her go. Just end this, I can't imagine how hard this is for her and you? You're not even making an effort. If you don't love or care for her anymore then end the relationship, I'm sure bilkisu would take care of Nahla all alone. You can't imagine how scared bilkisu is that one day Nahla would grow up and ask where or who her father is. What do you want her to say then?

Akram you better do what you have to. If you can't keep this relationship going then stop hurting my best friend and just free her from it.

After reading the message, Akram kept the phone aside and cried wishing he didn't read the message. "God what do I do." He whispered silently.

He cried and cried and then asked Allah to show him the right way. Akram wiped the tears after a while and thought of a plan.

He immediately called Sa'ed and asked him - sa'ed - to help him with everything. Sa'ed was more than happy to help and Akram was grateful.