Two months later
Mira's POV
Zain insisted that I see a therapist. In fact, he forced me to keep the sessions or I will be forced to stay at the hospital until they are ready to discharge me. Since he won't mind paying unnecessary hospital bills, and I am tired of staying at the hospital, I decided to just comply. Afterall, I don't need to speak to the so called therapist.
The therapy that worked on me is the one Momsie engages me in. You know how mind are. They make you feel at ease with your misery. So I opened up to her freely telling her stuff I would never have thought I will tell anyone ever.
Her therapy help included recitation of the Quran, listening to waazi and putting Allah first. She is determined to heal me spiritually and somehow, wallah I feel so much better after every session which Marmie said is just another way for me to visit Abuja every week.
Now Marmie and Momsie don't visit us anymore. They are determined to make the men see the value in their visits and Baba Murtala already admitted defeat.
"Can you really leave your Mira suffering alone in Lagos? It's just her in the big mansion" he would sometimes tease.
"I will not be called a nosy mother in law ever again. You can go and see her yourself if you are so worried" she would reply. The funny thing is, she is the one telling me and I can hear her worry it's like she is indirectly asking me is I am indeed alright.
I swear it's also funny how both Baba Mufeed and Baba Murtala drop by all the time for a few minutes just to check up on us now. I think both traumas we went through has not left their minds yet. Though I appreciated Baba Murtala, I still feel detached when it comes to my father.
It's hard to think of anyone worrying about Zain so I am definitely sure it's only me they don't believe am doing okay.
Sha, it's Nayel's first birthday and we didn't want a big celebration as usual. Zain and I, though not as chummy as before, are at least being civil to each other.
So we kinda chose the cake together, his outfit, the interior decorator for the event and everything.
It's just family members and I get to see Annie for the first time in a long while. We had a teary moment where she confessed that she also wants to get married but she still hasn't found someone she is willing to sacrifice her freedom for. That her parents are blaming her for being too choosy...
I got to see some of my cousins I haven't seen in over year as well. I swear, it's turned into a big party with us grown ups shamelessly taking the spotlight. The little children were later just taken to a park where hey spent the rest of the day partying and playing to their heart's content.
Of course the photo shoot is quite lovely and Eman's fiancé, xeexee also came.
We hit it off immediately and she wasn't what I was expecting. I honestly thought she would be snobby seeing as she is so beautiful. Or that she would try to be shy and annoying. But she was so nice that we became friends immediately. Now I can't wait to have her as my sister in law!
Anyways, with all the posting of Nayel's picture and all the hype about the heir of king co, my little champ has become a celebrity.
Umar kinda brought his grumpy girlfriend too who travelled all the way from Abuja just to meet my little Nayel.
"What kind of a girl is she? This is LAGOS! Why did her parents let her visit her boyfriend's family in a different state?" Huzaifah is complaining.
He doesn't like her much since she is not trying to be too nice to him either. She is just so grumpy in nature and didn't care what others think of it. Umar definitely doesn't care though and yet again, Huzaifah noted why some wise people never fall in love!
"Her heart is in the right place" I defend her cox seriously, I love anyone who loves Nayel and what is the cause for concern? They aren't getting married yet. And even if they are, none of us is living with her. It will be Umar who is gonna eat all the grumpiness. We can either help him share the burden or we let him carry the load!
Kashim has gotten so much better and I try to forget the changes I am seeing in him as well. I don't want to get too curious. I just don't want to poke my head anywhere near those evil experiments. Life is so much better when I pretend it is not happening!
Everybody is nicer and I can even pretend we are a normal family.
Seriously though...this Kashim is bright and friendly. Marmie said getting kidnapped has helped his perspective on life. Momsie just said he was improving his character.
Only a week after Nayel's birthday, we took Eman's lefe to the bride's side and it was such a surprise when they gave us a measly 50k for our efforts. All the relatives are complaining that they didn't even give us enough snacks to welcome us grandly. Good lefe that we spent millions on...
I shook my head, wondering if it's her brother's fault. I am told he is very stingy.
Anyways, to shut everyone's mouth, we ordered a lot of snacks from the restraurant and we even paid for everybody's flight back home.
I pleaded with Eman to tell me if his bride's family is bankrupt or something. I mean, I helped them choose this big mansion for their house. It's has three amazing parts with everything money can buy and they are busy arranging local furnitures inside that has given me a lot of sleepless nights.
"Her brother is the one approving of the money and he doesn't believe in extravagance" he finally confessed.
"You shouldn't have kept quiet. Instead of that lefe, we could have used the opportunity to tell them to prepare her clothes so we can furnish our own house. When she comes to us, we can just give her the lefe too. Now if we talk, it will sound insulting" I pointed out.
"Is it that bad?" Eman is asking.
"I am even underestimating how bad" I admitted sourly.
"What should we do toh? Maybe we should just offer to furnish the house ourselves and forget the insulting part" he looks really worried. No lie, Eman is just like his brother when it comes to comfort. He likes everything posh. So it's gonna be a big blow of the house is not up to its natural standards at least.
"We can't do that ya Eman. They are your in laws. They will feel as if we have insulted them. Let's just wait until after the wedding. We will just change the house for you guys" I suggested.
"Mira! I can endure it after the wedding cox we can change few things here and there in our own. But before the wedding fah? CEO, artificial intelligence department, King's co.! And I have a trash house? Impossible! Wallah because of these 'karanta' stuff, I can stop the marriage. Ai it's not by force" he kept ranting.
Ah..where is the love I wonder!
So I told him to speak to Zain and he did. But Zain said it's not a big deal. That they have a right to bring any type of furniture they deem fit.
It did not end there oo. I ordered three dresses for her wedding and asked Eman to take it to her cox Eman and Xeexee wanted to have a close knit dinner party in Maui, Hawaii so after, we can just leave them to progress with their honeymoon. Of course we are having another dinner in Abuja and then one in Lagos. The bride's family is not throwing any dinners. They will end up doing the traditional Kanu and yini which we decided we can lay off of so the events don't get too many.
Anyways, the gowns were returned cox her family thinks it's too revealing. Diqee, who is carrying her big tummy, kept looking at the dress and complaining that the bride's family is just too bold.
"Fine dress with long sleeves and such amazing details...look at the big veil! Omo are they blind people!" She is so annoyed on my behalf.
Esha said Ya Eman should insist his bride wears it, afterall, it's our event and not theirs. We can't afford to let them shame us.
Come and see different wahala for this wedding. Eman is so looking forward to this wedding film video he has spent a lot to make happen and the same family said even the prewedding pics were haram and happened when her brother wasn't around. It's now coming out that she was punished severely for it too.
Come and see us trying to calm Eman so he doesn't stop the wedding!
Truth is, despite all of their issues, we all love Xeexee. Well, except Eman now apparently. Poor guy is realizing he can't get everything he wanted.
It was hard convincing him to have the film done with us relatives and after we reach Maui, we can include the bride and couple moments too.
It's only Zain that had managed to shut him up. Eman is looking so dull as the wedding approaches.
During the actual wedding, there will be Kamu and yini before any of our dinners. But his friends prepared a bridal shower for the bride and the groom and his friends also so a bachelor party of sorts which they took to Dubai. I swear his friends are all posh and like to show that they are true sons of rich people oh. I feel sorry for the bride for having a monster of a brother.
So the bridal shower was a blast even though her brother made them finish in only three hours so nightfall doesn't drag them with the celebrations.
Come and see the yini! We visited of course because it's in Abuja and we just kinda thought we would be attending it for a few minutes to take pictures with the bride.
They offered tuwo and gurasa which somehow became an issue cox no one understand what pure water is doing next to the plate.
Everybody felt insulted and no one accepted anything from them as we left. I think I am the only one who took a picture with the bride. It will be all nice if the family is poor. Now everyone feels like they are mocking us.
That event forced us to carry out a Kamu of our own, and they brought the bride in traditional saki clothes which I did my best to primp with a diamond necklace and a super delicious makeup. She is instantly looking like a million bucks.
I have never seen wedding like this honestly. The bride's family came to take her away in the middle of the ceremony and I did everything to keep her but her damn brother has given them time. I wonder why everyone is following one stupid man's orders. It's so hard not to hate jimoh. He is too strict for our tastes and since he is not the bride's father, it's even more galling!
Anyways, my Lagos dinner wiped a lot of tears and we prepared our bride ourselves ignoring her poor set of clothes. She wore one of the gowns after pleading with me to let her wear it. She is so afraid Eman will turn into a bomb and blast her away. The daurin aure hasn't happened yet and so there is no insurance whatsoever!
Dinner is so so good and we had such a wonderful time. Eman's expression has improved a little and he even smiled occasionally in the bride's direction.
After the bride's brother sent a jet to take her back home, another wahala broke out. Her family felt insulted that she wasn't proud of the clothes they have provided for her. It feels as if she is ashamed of them. So her brother dictated that she would not be attending any other dinner. That after the daurin aure, she can do whatever she likes.
Which means Momsie's dinner is going to be blown apart cox the bride is not attending!
Xeexee is crying telling me all about it. I tried to calm he but I know if she does not attend that dinner, Momsie will be very mad.
Cox Momsie has invited all of her friends. The ines she wants to show off too, the ines she respects and all those ones she is going to have fun with in her old age where these occasions are rare for her when she is so involved!
I know how much Marmie has put into this dinner too. Everybody is looking forward to it. All of our snobby Gaddo family members will try to come and wish Momsie well...
"Is there any way we can convince your brother to let you come?" I asked her.
"If the daurin aure can be shifted..." she sounds desperate.
It's impossible of course. Changing the date is just not an option.
What a dilemma! I spoke to my friends about it and Diqee said I should speak to Zain so he can speak to the brother in question.
Esha thinks the grown ups should go to the bride's home and bring her over themselves. That the bride's family will feel bad if they don't allow her to come even though their in laws came to ask for it.
The first option is possible except I don't know if Zain will listen to me without asking anything in return. And the second option is sensitive because Momsie will have to hear about it and I am afraid of the consequences. She might become very angry and she might not even want the bride in her own dinner anymore.
Anyways, I didn't have any other choice but to speak to Zain so I went to his office to speak to him. He doesn't stay much in his home office now and I can't even tell the exact time he comes home anymore.
His secretary did not stop me from entering his office and I found him speaking to Kashim who is looking over a big white paper that has a diagram on it.
"Mira?" Zain is surely surprised to see me.
I smiled a little. "Darling! Are you surprised to see me?" I state sweetly. Let me just pretend we are not still fighting.
Kashim packed up and throwing a smile in my direction, he left the office for the two of us.
I put my bag in his desk and looked around the spacious office.
"It's so elegant" I approved.
Zain is still watching me, wondering what brought me to his office.
I dragged a chair and sat down facing him.
We are so silent until I grew enough balls to speak. Clearing my throat, I said "the office becomes you"
Zain shakes his head and says "I am sure you are not here to flatter me or my office"
I looked away from him cox the power he exudes just sitting there behind his desk is weakening me. It's been so long since I felt an overpowering reaction towards him just by looking at him. I don't know if I am no longer mad at him or it's because I can't deny facts. The office really does become him.
"Well, it's about the wedding..." I began.
"Jimoh is causing trouble again right?" He asks.
"Yes. He is trying to stop the bride from coming to Momsie's dinner in Abuja" I explained, looking back to see his reaction.
Zain doesn't look shocked or surprised. "And you want me to speak to him so he allows her to go?" He asks.
His tone tells me he is not gonna make it easy for me. He will ask what I am afraid he will ask and it's more than a little annoying so I frowned when I nod y head in the positive.
"Jimoh is strict. So asking him to change his decision will be hard. He might seek something from me which I am not ready to give. And so if I am willing to risk it, you should be able to give me something in return as well" he explained.
Sometimes, I regret the way I handled the situation. This would have been a given for me had we have our old relationship. I was the one to ruin it by challenging him. Life just isn't fair...
My eyes fill up with tears as I look at him. "Please don't ask me to forget things that I know. I can't do that. I can't let it go when it's not over. It's till happening around me..." I pleaded.
From the way he is frowning, I can tell he doesn't get the tears are crocodile ones at all. I can't believe I fooled Zain King!
"I won't ask you to forget. But I need you to trust me" he murmurs.
"How can I trust you when you won't be truthful with me?" I ask, the tears falling freely. "I trusted you with all Of my heart but you did not value it, it's hard to trust again so soon" I stated through a thickness of throat since I am crying and all.
"And if I tell you about the experiments? Will you trust me again?" He asks. I wonder why it's so important to him that I trust him when he doesn't even need it nor put any value to it!.
"Dies it matter if I trust you? You don't need me for anything" I complained, wiping the tears and trying to act like I am stopping them just as they fall freely again.
"It matters to me" he states quietly.
So I nod. "I can only promise to try" I assured him.
I think it's good enough for him.
"Let's go out tonight. One date?" He asks hopefully.
"Okay" I agree. Not that we don't do couple stuff. Just that I don't let us grow any closer at all. I feel as if Zain misses our moments more than the coupling and I am trying not to to feel the warmth pouring all over me.
"Deal" he smiled.
That was when the secretary announced that he has a visitor and Zain asked her to let the madam in.
But she is no madam I swear. More like picture perfect starlight who is so excited to see Zain that she is smiling and flapping her lashes like crazy.
Kutmelesi...who is this one Kuma? I am asking myself.
Zain looks excited to see her too and they greet like old friends.
What made my heart calm is the way he walks around his desk to stand behind my chair before introducing me. That did put a damper in the green monster trying hard to choke me where I sat!
She instantly began to behave which also succeeded in making me a bit calmer. I replied her greetings cooly and to prove I trust that Zain wouldn't be enamored by such a fake sport, I prepared to leave them to whatever meeting they were about to have.
I swear, I had to put alot of effort into my expression still. Zain excused us and holding my hands, we walked out like the dynamic couple I wish we were.
He walks me all the way to my car and I can't help but smile genuinely when he kissed my cheeks goodbye and whispered. "Take care habibti"
I don't even know when saying habibti has begun to melt my heart. Maybe cox I missed hearing his sexy voice drawl out Mia habibti...
And maybe it's because there is a Medusa veiled like a desperate hippy flashing him a poisonous smile...
Our date turns out to be a movie night with me and Zain after Nayel fell asleep. He is weaving his magic again, being so nice to me.
I swear when Zain wants to be nice, no one can beat him.
He was soft spoken and attentive. It's like I am all he sees, all he hears. Nothing mattered anymore... It served to ease my mind about that woman earlier today.
I seriously don't know how I forgot we were fighting. In fact, snuggling up to him didn't feel awkward at all. Bit by bit, it's like nothing happened before.
We watched the stories of the prophets. The story of prophet Musa is the one we watched fully before loosing ourselves in each other.
That morning, I woke up with a smile on my face and I didn't even mind Nayel crying for no reason.
What's more, Zain looks very calm. That moodiness he carries around like a shadow is gone. And I realized our fights affected him too.
Knowing he suffered made me feel better about myself. At least I am not alone in the suffering department. Love bah...lets also suffer together!
I don't know how Zain convinced him but Xeexee came to the dinner the next day in Abuja.
I can't stop taking selfies with Momsie and Marmie. I swear everyone is taking selfies with them. They are dressed like the big Alhajas that they are. I swear the dinner is so matured and lively at the same time. Momsie was so proud of the bride too. And she couldn't hide her big smiles.
After the dinner, Xeexee hugs me tight, thanking me profusely cox she knows she would have been in big trouble if Momsie doesn't like her too. Eman is still acting as if he is wanting to see the end if the wedding to make a stand.
Anyways, Diqee and Esha couldn't go to Maui. Diqee went into labor and Esha is too heavy to travel.
It's only me and Annie who went off to the dinner in Hawaii. I can say with confidence that it's the most lively dinner so far. We had so much fun and the view is breathtaking. A combination of nature and the coast...so tropical, so calming.
We only spent two days there before returning. We all left the bride and groom there so they can return in three months. That is why the bride was taken to her home the same day the daurin aure happened.
Eman is glad cox he was waiting to see if people will have to go and see his local interior of a home. He was relieved when the bride was taken to Momsie's house and so everyone is told they can come and see the bride's house when they returned from their honeymoon.
Asirinmu kasururuf! Especially big boy ango who is surely having sleepless nights over people's reaction to his bride's family's insult.
"I have suffered" Eman told me when we were leaving Hawaii.
"She suffered too. Don't forget it" I implored.
"Ai she is used to it Mira. It's her bloody brother for Allah's sake! It's my suffering that counts" he won't just accept it.
"Welcome to the marriage mart Ya Eman. Even if you feel that way, you need to compromise and respect her family as well. It's not her fault either" I pointed out.
He didn't say anything and so we said our goodbyes and left.
After the wedding, everything calmed down. Zain travelled and so I am always with Diqee helping her take care of her children. Did I mention she had twins? They are so adorable too! Me and Nayel are always at her house so her relatives are always asking who I am and soon, I have practically become family cox whenever anyone comes and they don't see me, they will surely ask where Mrs Ziki went which is Diqee's stupid joke on me. I have already forgotten about Hassa and her claim as Mrs Ziki.
Anyways, we had the naming ceremony in her house since she didn't return home after the birth. I was so busy. Yet, the next day, Esha went into labor too and I am the one who went with her to the hospital. Diqee offered to keep Nayel but he won't stay behind so Kashim, who arrived out of the blue, took him out for a drive.
Esha suffered a lot during labor and she labored for two days before giving birth to her little champion.
It's was such a relief! Now I am always at Esha's house. Her husband's family are always trooping in so much that I didn't enjoy stayin there as much as I enjoyed stayin with Diqee. I usually leave in the evening and I always went to see Diqee before going home.
Kashim's stay in my house makes the house a little less boring. He is so bright that you can't stop smiling around him. He is so carefree and has an innocence I'll ever willingly attribute to the Kashim that I knew. In fact, he is generous too cox he would always buy something for Nayel whenever he is coming home.
Now people change, that's a given. But this is a new level of change. I can't stop suspecting him.
At last, I couldn't keep my mouth shut. "What's your real name?" I ask him out of the blue.
He looks at me with a practiced confusion and I roll my eyes at that. "Just answer freely. It is clear you were a part of their experiment. I am just wondering why Zain accepted you knowing you are not his brother" I explained.
He smiles rather than look affronted. "What makes you think I am not his brother?" He questions back.
"Because you are not Kashim" I returned straightforwardly.
"Wallahi Mira, I am your cousin brother. I am Kashim" he states with quiet dignity.
I choose to let it go. Perhaps it's time Zain tells me about these experiments.
So I texted him to ask him when he is going to return.
'Next week'
That's his answer.