Chapter 40 y'all🥺🤧we're getting there, slowly. Oh and guess who's back?? Full time!!
Meee mee mee!!
Who missed me??🙈
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"Well i landed in Nigeria with no place to stay, Ya Nadia gave me your house keys" She spoke in a thin, mouse-like voice
She turned and casted Noor a downgrading look, scrutinizing her from head to toe "And who's this?" She directed her question at Nabeel
"My wife" He emphasized the word wife
She scowled "I see" She looked at Noor again while Noor glared at her harshly
Nabeel sighed and said "It's late, you can stay in the guest room and we'll figure everything out next morning"
"Fine" She picked up her suitcase "Where's the guest room?" She asked
He pointed in the direction "This way" Then turned at Noor and mouthed 'I'm coming'
Noor went ahead to the room and changed into her pj's and Nabeel was still not out, that got her wondering. She sharply cooked dinner and went to call Nabeel only to find him sprawled on the large bed, his face squeezed into a frown
"Now why are you worried?" She asked
He stood up and stepped closer to her "How can you tell?"
She laughed slightly "Oh c'mon hunnay it's written all over your face"
He ran his fingers over his face "Aren't you gonna ask about her?"
She paused for a minute "Nahh, you'll tell me when you're ready. Oh and dinner is done"
She stepped out of the room and set up the dinner table. She set up three plates knowing there's an uninvited guest in the house
Just then Nabeel came out of the room and settled down and she served both of them on a single plate. They were eating in peace until the uninvited peasant came out, wearing nothing but a silk night dress that showed off her body
Noor finally had the time to look at her properly. She is beautiful, no denying that
Her body and face is every photographer's dream, she could be a model. With skin like melted honey and eyes that made it look like she was sleepy. Rosy lips and hour glass figure, she is the epitome of beauty
She walked languidly and sat down on the chair beside Nabeel, serving herself and raised a brow when she saw them feeding on a plate
She broke the choking silence between the three "I miss you so much Boo, you've got to tell me everything about your life since you left the states. You never contacted me since then" she pouted
So she was with him in the states, nice, Noor thought
She faced Noor and gave her a bright smile "My bad, we haven't introduced ourselves properly. I'm Boo's oops i mean Nabeel's long lost love, Yusra. And you are?"
Noor could feel her blood boiling in her veins. Oh the nerves of that woman! She shot her an apparent fake smile and forced out through gritted teeth "Nice to meet you. And I'm his present day love, his wife. Noor" She emphasized
Nabeel smirked, that's one thing he loved about his girl, she could match up to anyone who tried to get in her way
"I see" She laughed "Oh Boo seeing you made me remember all those good times, remember when you confessed your love to me? You were so nervous like a little girl" She laughed whereas Nabeel just looked at her alarmingly, giving her signs to stop whatever game she was playing
She didn't get that and continued talking "Oh i missed those times. Do you remember our first date? It was so much fun" She laughed yet again
Noor gripped the fork on her hands, making such a loud, clinking noise
"Let me tell you something Noor, you're so lucky to get him as your husband. He could be the most romantic person on earth" She winked at Noor
"Yusra" Nabeel turned to face her, and called her name in a warning voice
Yusra wouldn't stop, she ignored him and continued, directing her statement at Noor "And do you know he gave his first kiss to me? Oh Gosh i will never forget that kiss, it was so magical and amazing I'm sure he'd never..."
Nabeel cut her short "Yusra!" His voice raising an octave
That does it! Who does this woman think she is. Noor finally grasped what game she is playing. The woman is still in love with her so called boo and thus trying to get Noor jealous
"I'm so glad you two had fun while growing up. Though he never spoke to me about you, maybe you're not as important to him as you thought, that's why" Noor shrugged non chalantly
Two can play this game hunay! Noor mentally praised herself
Nabeel decided to stop things before they step any further "It's late, let's get to bed" He stood up and quickly cleared the dinner table then took Noor's hand in his, literally dragging her to the master bedroom
"Don't mind her, she can be a little.." He paused trying to find the right word to describe her attitude
"Insane?" She suggested and he just laughed in response
She leaned against the bed frame, her eyes drifting shut "So long lost love huh?" She opened her eyes as she watched as he moved towards her on the other side of the bed
"Listen, all what she said can you ignore her? It's just what she does best, trying to get on people's nerves"
"Obviously" Noor laughed in response "She's still in love with you though"
As much as Noor wanted to deny, but it hurts. Hearing some girl who's not herself mention how he gave his first kiss to her is not something you hear everyday. And even though she's acting as if she's not affected, her heart and blood are boiling with plain jealousy
And the urge to kill her of course, her conscience added
"It doesn't matter Noor" He moved closer and held her hands "As long as i'm not in love with her. She'll be leaving first thing in the morning, i promise. I don't even know why Ya Nadia brought her here in the first place"
When Noor kept mute, he looked up her with questionable eyes "Don't you trust me?" He spoke, his voice just an octave above a whisper
She was reluctant at first, but then whispered back "I do" Truth be told, she is scared to the core. Scared he'll just turn his back on her, scared he'll go back to his apparent first love, scared he'll not love her anymore
Intimidated by her beauty, her body, her confidence and boldness, but that doesn't mean Noor would easily give in
"Well then trust me when i say it's you, it's always you. Whatever happened between the two of us, it's in my bitter past that I don't like remembering"
Noor nodded as he pulled her closer to his body, feeling her warmth. He turned off the lights and cuddled her tighter whereas her head rested on his sculpted chest, listening to his steady heartbeat
Her eyes fluttered close and the last thing she heard before drifting into a slumber was a soft peck on her temple and something along the lines of "It will always be you"
•
Nabeel gently peeled Noor off his body, trying not to wake her up. He needed to set things right, even before they get worse
He knew, right from the moment he set his eyes on Yusra, she was up to no good. She had always been the bad twin after all
True, she was his first love, but that was before he was even mentally stable. Truth be told, at the time he just messed around with girls
And even though Yusra had been superior to his other girls, it was more of an infatuation. Everyone assumed they'll get married, considering how close they were when they were young, and she let that get into her head
She still loves him, he knows that. That's why she returned back from the states, purposely for him
Nabeel shook off all unnecessary thoughts and and quickly scribbled some words on the paper, then kept it by the bedside table. He quickly showered and took his breakfast
He entered the guest room and found Yusra sleeping by the edge of the bed. He could remember vividly, she's such a crazy sleeper that she'd fall off the bed once or twice when sleeping
He called her name loudly, twice and she immediately woke up "Get ready, I'm taking you back to Ummi's"
And with that, he left the room.
He got back to the living room and waited for her, tapping his foot furiously. Noor is still not up, and he wanted to get rid of Yusra before she could wake up. He didn't want her to doubt his love for her, especially after what Yusra had said, she seemed skeptic. When he grew tired of waiting, he barged into the room unannounced only to find her in a bath robe
He stopped in his tracks and then stammered "Sorry i..I'll just.." He turned around without finishing his words
"No wait!" She stopped him
He turned around to face her, and with an angry expression he muttered "What again?"
"Nabeel" She called softly "Can't you see it?" She asked and with ever word that leaves her mouth, she was taking a step closer to him
"I love you, i really do. I thought you said you'll wait for me to come back from the states and we'll get married. But my heart was shattered when Ya Nadia told me you got married to that stupid village girl. I had to come back almost immediately" He eyes were brimming with tears, she looked so innocent yet she can be so cunning
So it was all Ya Nadia in the first place, he thought angrily
"I thought we made a promise to each other, that we'll love each other no matter what. Remember?" By now she was so close to him that he could feel her warm breath on his neck
"That was in the past Yusra, and this is the present. I'm a changed man now" He said pushing her off him
But she wouldn't relent, she got even more close to him and wrapped her arms around him , wiping the tears that managed to slip she said "Oh please, drop that façade will ya? We all know you still want me"
She seductively trailed her hand down his sculpted and broad chest "Please Yusra No, I'm a married man" He pushed her hand away
She got closer until there was not an ounce of space between the two of them. She buried her face in the crook of his neck whispering "Remember when we were so close? When you wouldn't even sleep without seeing me huh?" She placed a slimy kiss by his collarbone
And she had just went too far. Why won't she understand that there is a difference between the old Nabeel and this Nabeel. That was before he met Noor, before he changed his lifestyle and behavior
Nabeel didn't realized what he was doing as he pushed her to the ground, thundering "Yusra!"
He sucked a deep breath and wiped his face with his sweaty palms "I'm waiting for you in the car" And without another word he left the room, not even caring as he left her on the floor in tears
By the time he got to the car, he was seething with rage. How dare she? Even after he told her not to cross the limits, and she did
Nabeel was pretty much sure Ya Nadia was behind all this. She was against the marriage after all, and promised to break it by force or by fire
He quickly dialed her number and she picked almost immediately. He didn't care how furious he sounded her just spoke "Where are you?" He barked out
"At Ummi's" She replied "What?" He didn't care to reply her as he cut off the phone
Soon enough, Yusra emerged from the house dragging her her suitcase along her. He didn't even acknowledge her presence as he got in the car and so did she
Neither of the two said a word to each other but when she finally decided to speak, he chose not to reply "Look I'm sorry Boo okay. I know i went too far even after you told me you've changed" She released a breath "I'll accept your wishes and also accept the fact that you're married now"
He didn't reply nor made an attempt to, his arms just tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. And she knew better than not to make him more angry
When they arrived, he got out of the car and slammed the door shut
He bashfully entered the house and fortunately met Ummi chatting with Ya Nadia and Yusra was trailing behind him like a lost puppy
She greeted Ummi and Ya Nadia and directly matched into the guest room without any hesitation. So that means she came here, Nabeel thought
He greeted his mother as they exchanged pleasantries, chatting about one thing or the other. His mother and Nadia were sitting on the two sitter while he is directing opposite then on the one sitter
"Ya Nadia can i speak to you for a moment?" He questioned, remembering how Yusra had mentioned her and his anger resurfacing
She turned to face him, a grim look on her face. She must have noticed how angry he was "I'm all ears"
Nabeel was pretty much sure smoke would come out from his ears anytime soon. His anger was radiating off him in waves "Why would send Yusra to my house? When you fully know i have a wife there and you truly know what Yusra is capable of!" His voice raised at the end, he was trying all his willpower not to shout at her in the presence of their mother
"Well she finally returned to Nigeria, and i thought who would be so happy to see her except you? And I thought if you see her for the first time in years, maybe, just maybe you'll consider divorcing that village girl" She shot him a smile
His anger got the best of him, he stood up furiously "Are you the one marrying her or I? Tell me?! Are you the one marrying her?!" His voice reverberated around the whole living room and Nadia visibly flinched by the intensity of his voice
Even though she is older than him, his aura, especially when he's angry is to be feared. He stepped closer to her until he was towering over her "Let me tell you something Nadia. No one, I repeat no one, can make me divorce my wife. Not you, not anyone else. So you better start preparing ki maida ta daga inda ta fito"
"Wallah She's not going anywhere. And you just watch, I'll make you divorce that stupid girl and make you marry Yusra!"
Nabeel acted subconsciously and raised his hands to slap her, but his mother was quick to interject "Nabeel!" She stopped him
"Ummi just let me deal with her. I don't what her problem is, why must she disrupt my marriage? Is she the one living with Noor?!" He furiously tried to withdraw the arms that were around him
She laughed in a sinister way "I'm not the one living with her but she's an obstacle. I can't just sit and fold my hands to watch my brother marry a village girl! It doesn't say well to our reputation!"
Of course that's all she cares about, her reputation as the daughter of a well known senator
"There's a difference between you and me" He lamented warningly, this time not raising his voice "You care about your reputation, I don't. And even Abba hadn't opposed to this marriage, so why would you out of all people?!"
She laughed bitterly and shook her head "Maybe cos he's not your real father that's why he doesn't care about your affairs!" She wailed loudly
"Nadia!" A voice called loudly, but this time it wasn't from Nabeel, it was Ummi
Nabeel staggered backwards, his heart pounding in his ribcage. As she was talking the reality was dawning on him
Like bullets, like knives, wounding him deeper with each passing second "What did you just say?" His voice was barely heard
"Your father was a drunkard, a womanizer! Obviously you got your traits from him" She added moving closer to him
Everything stilled for a moment. There was a certain silence that hung in the air. It was a type that lingered but remain unnoticed, the type that swiveled around from corner to corner, post to post. The only ones who could truly grasp on the silence were the ones living in it
And then a loud slap was heard, but it wasn't from Nabeel, it was from Ummi. She slapped Nadia so hard that it sent her to her knees "Are you crazy! What has gotten into you!" Her eyes were red, he had never seen his mother like this
She clasped her cheeks as tears rolled down her cheeks "I'm sorry Ummi, it was just a slip of tongue"
"Ummi is it true?" He asked silently but she didn't acknowledge him as she tried to hit her again "Ummi!" He called this time loudly "Is it true?"
She was in tears by the time she turned to him. Her head was ducked down as she couldn't even make eye contact with him, she shook her head and he immediately got his answer
He took two steps back and then he was out of the living room. He walked without knowing where he was going, he just found himself in his old room where he used to live
He entered the room and locked the door then slid on the wooden door down. His mind was in a haze
Your father was a drunkard, a womanizer...a drunkard...a womanizer
These words were reeling his mind, he pulled on his hair and wailed "Ahhhh!!"
His brain had gone numb and his nerves, cold. He felt like someone had taken his soul away from him and then placed something heavy on him. His chest felt so heavy and numb that he was afraid it would burst out of his ribcage any moment from now
He laid in the floor and rolled into a ball, sobbing like never before. His eyes got red and puffy and his lips were trembling
He could hear someone knocking at the door but he turned deaf ears to the person. He could not think straight at the moment, all he wanted to do was find Noor and hug her, he wanted to feel her warmth
Noor! He shot up immediately and tried to find his phone, he needed to find his phone. He checked his pockets and all through the room incase the phone fell but it was not there
By the time he was done searching, the room turned like a dumpster. Noor, Noor! He really needed to see Noor
She must be wondering why he's still not back, she must be so worried dammit! He really needed to see her
He paced around the room, trying to figure out ways to contact her. He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled
The person at the door was still knocking, so the only possible way was to open the door and talk to the person
"Nabeel please open the door" He heard his mother's voice, and hearing her voice made his heart clench and remembered the pain they had just inflicted on him
He opened the door and laid his eyes on his mother. And for the first time in years, he saw someone different, someone vulnerable
Her eyes mirrored his, and when she stepped closer and hugged him, he broke again. The duo both burst into tears as they hugged each other like their life depended on it "I'm sorry" She whispered continuously
After what seemed like hours but were just mere minutes, the two let go "Let's sit" His mother ushered wiping her tears
They both sat down on the bed, facing each other without uttering a word. Ummi took a deep breath, then spoke "I'm sorry Nabeel, i really am"
He released a breath, quiet for a moment then spoke "Ummi, I'm not angry at you. I'm just hurt, don't you think I deserved to know?"
She ducked her head down "You really deserved to know, and I'm sorry for not telling you"
He shook his head "It's okay Ummi, and it's not too late"
"After i gave birth to Nadia, me and her father got divorced" She paused as she saw Nabeel flinch at her words "That's when i married your father, even though i was warned several times that he's not a good man, i turned deaf ears to my parents and married him.
Turns out he's a drunkard, and a womanizer. He would harass me and abuse me every single day. When i grew tired i demanded for a divorce and he did divorce me, but not after beating me black and blue and he threw me out of the house
I really regretted not listening to my parents and by the time i went back to my Husband's house, i was already pregnant with you. I never got the chance to tell him i had his baby because he got drunk to his death" She cringed at her own words "But all thanks to Allah, Abba took you as his own son and he took care of you like his own"
Nabeel felt his heart shattering into pieces. So all those times he'd utter harsh words at Abba and he'll overlook them, he was not his father after all.
He felt his stomach sink as he remembered all those times he disrespected that man. He really needed to apologize to him
"So that means i took after my father, i did not just..." He started
Ummi immediately stopped him "No, Nabeel No! Don't even start, you're not like him and you will never be. Don't let what Nadia said get into your head" She laughed softly "You know Nadia had always been jealous of you. Why? Because I've always loved you the most out of all my children. I always considered you special" She stopped and wiped a tear that managed to slip
"I never stopped, i never stopped praying for you...I never stopped believing, i always had faith in you...i knew one day Allah will hear my pleas, and he'll answer my prayers. I exercised patience and kept praying, and now he answered my prayer
Her sent a blessing down and now you've changed your ways, and I'm so happy" She said kissing his forehead
"May Allah SWT continue to bless you my child, may he continue to guide you through all your endeavors. May Allah guide and protect you in whatever you do, May Allah bless you with a good family and pious children" She prayed and he muttered an 'Ameen'
He pecked her cheeks as she stood up to go out of the room "You sister wanted to apologize, please give her a chance" She pleaded as she made her way out of the room
He nodded and leaned back on the bed, feeling a tad bit better. He watched as his sister made her way into the room with a tray in her hands, she sat down close to him with an apologetic look all across her face
She dropped the tray in front of him and started "I'm so sorry Nabeel, i was just angry at the moment and i spewed out words I wasn't supposed to say. Forgive me?"
He sighed "I guess i was bound to find one way or the other, and it's this way. Forgiven but not forgotten"
"Thank you so much and I'm so sorry. I brought you some water" She said handing him the glass of water
"Thank you" He gave her a tight lipped smile
She stood up "You should rest, then you can go back home later" And with that she left the room
He gulped down the water down his throat and leaned back on the bed. He felt his eyes clouding and his mind reeling
Noor, he needed to see her
He stood up to leave the room but stumbled on his feet, he was seeing things in a haze. He could see a girl coming into his room, he squinted his eyes trying to figure out who she is "Noor?"
His mind was reeling, he wasn't thinking straight, he couldn't even see clearly. He tried to stand up but ended up falling back on the bed
She came closer and sat beside him, using her palms to caress his cheek "Noor!" He breathed out, and then closed the space between them by hugging the living cells out of her
He called her name continuously as he pecked her forehead. He pulled back from the hug and before they could both speak, he closed the distance and merged their lips in a sync
•
Noor paced back and forth, it's almost midnight and Nabeel hadn't returned back home. She knew he went to drop off Yusra but she didn't know of his whereabouts after that
She tried calling his number several times but it was switched off. She called Hajar and was told that he left hours ago
What if something bad happened to him? Where could he be? Ya Allah please let him be safe wherever he is
She decided to purchase data and message him through WhatsApp and as soon as she opened the app, an unknown number popped up
She opened the number and realized that the number sent pictures. She ignored it but minutes after she decided to open the pictures, and what she saw, shattered her whole being.
•
Phew! This is one of the hardest chapter i ever wrote, like really hard😩
I felt sorry for Nabeel🥺 who else?
Things just took a drastic turn. I mean one minute everything's fine and the next minute boom!💥
See ya all
Love,
Salmerh✨💕