Aya
For 20 seconds straight I couldn't move an inch, I was frozen like an antelope in headlights, With widened eyes and a dropped jaw, if you see me at that point, you'd think I was the one who got slapped.
Kai!
I don't even need to do anything to her again because this makes up for EVERYTHING. The way his hand left a mark on her face is enough to serve as a big lesson for her, coupled with the pain of the slap and the dangerous glare he was shooting towards her.
Again, Kai!
"What kind of a woman are you Layla? What kind ghetto behavior is this? You went to my room and stole my money just so you can set her up for drags and laugh at her while she cries, what kind of wickedness is this? Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" He yelled, and wallahi even I was shaking like a leaf "FUCKING ANSWER ME!!" He bellowed as he took a step closer to her, looking like he was going to pounce on her at any second, so I quickly ran and stood in front of him, putting my hands on his chest to push him back slightly, but he was too strong, he wasn't even budging "Move!"
"Hafeez please, P-please calm down" I pleaded with him, but this guy didn't even look at me "Aya, I Said move!" He repeated each word through gritted teeth as his gaze was still fixed on a hysterical Layla, which made me swallow the lump that formed in my throat. I didn't know what to say again, but thankfully, Maleek rushed to us and dragged his brother back with all his might, he said something to him in Kanuri, but Hafeez was not Having any of it.
"Haba maleek, wane irin mistake? For crying out loud She's a grown ass woman approaching 24. There are absolutely no excuses because she knows exactly what she was doing, and her reason for that is what I want to know because i wont let her get away with this!" He got out of Maleek's hold and marched towards Layla again, but before he could do or say anything else, He was interrupted by Hajiya rushing down the stairs with mama following her behind. Which was king of funny because just a while ago she said she wasn't feeling too good.
"What's going on here? Why are you shouting?" Hajiya asked, standing right beside Hafeez. Again, he didn't get the chance to say anything because Layla pulled herself up and held Hajiya, going hysterical once again like a hungry little baby "what's wrong, Layla? Why are you crying?"
"He-he slapped me Hajiya!" She explained, showing her left cheek which had a mark of Hafeez's hand to Hajiya in the process.
"Haba Hafeez? Mari kuma? I though I told you to take care of it in a mature way? Why did you slap her?" Mama scolded him.
"Mama I-" Hajiya cut him "will you shut up? So you even have words to defend yourself after what you did? Just look at how you injured her face over a simple mistake, wannan ai mugunta ne!"
He chuckled humorlessly "it's wickedness because it's Layla right? But when you slapped Aya the other day, you claimed it was out of anger, I didn't hear anyone call it wickedness"
"How dare you talk back at me?" She glared at him "because of this stupid girl?" She pointed towards me.
"Aya is not stupid! The stupid one is standing next to you"
Omg the SHADEEEEE!
Layla's eyes looked like they would fall out of their holes at any moment, she never expererrit!
"Kin gani ko, Rabi?; do you see that, Rabi?" Hajiya turned to mama, who was practically speechless "her sorcery is working, she has successfully turned him against everybody!"
"if me standing up for her against people who desperately want to oppress her means I'm under some kind of spell she casted, then I don't ever want to be released from it" he stated and grabbed my hand, making me stand right next to him "what did Aya do to any of you? I really really want to know because I don't understand where all this hatred is coming from. Aya is literally the most unproblematic person I've ever seen, she does her best to always mind her business and stay on her lane, which even makes her appear as arrogant, she's always facing her front but for some reason, you both have a problem with that. why?"
"Because she's not fit to be your wife! She's not the kind of woman a man like you from a well respected and reputable family should spend the rest of his life with, why is it so hard to understand?"
"I'm sorry, but It's not your place to make that decision Hajiya, it's my life, and I'm old enough to make my own choices!" He calmly replied "I'm the one who's staying with her, and I think she's very fit for me. I'm content with her the way she is, so your opinion doesn't matter"
She shook her head "You're making a huge mistake!"
"Okay" he shrugged "Why not let me realize that on my own?"
"Hafeez, shut up!" Mama warned.
"No Mama, let me speak, I've been quite for way too long"
"I said stop it! That's your grandmother you're talking to. is she your mate?"
"Mama it's not his fault, Aya is making him do it, she's messing with his head, I know My Hafeez would never do that," Layla spoke for the first time in a while, which made Hafeez hiss "I should've slapped you harder!" He sneered, making her shut up and hold on to hajiya even tighter.
"he's not doing anything wrong Mama, he's just standing up for his wife because the disrespect is getting too much and she really doesn't deserve it" Said Maleek "Layla refused to apologize for what she said over the pictures, and then she was caught framing Aya red handed, yet Hajiya is still blindly supporting her and looking for ways to push the blame on Aya, of course he has to say something. Aya is not a carpet anyone can just walk over"
"Exactly" Hafeez agreed "Everyone thinks she's an easy target because she doesn't retaliate. she has what it takes to give the same energy back but she doesn't do that because of the respect she has for me and everyone in this family. She was raised well enough to know that silence is the best answer in some situations, but you both took that as a weakness, and if you think I'm going to let you use it to your advantage, then you're wrong, especially you Layla!" He pointed towards her "enough is enough, if you can't respect her for being a woman like you, then at least have the decency to respect her as my wife"
I was overwhelmed with the insane mixture of emotions and how tight the air was, but mostly because I was surprised at how Hafeez was really standing up for me against His lover and his own grandmother, it just made me want to burst into tears because for the first time in my life, apart from my family and friends, someone else cared about my feelings, apart from me, someone else was fighting for me and my self respect, I've always been the one to do that for myself, but I wasn't in a state to do it that day, not because I was scared, but because my values were in control, and I also didn't want to because I know how I can get when I've had enough. The victim inside me ceases when I stand up in opposition of what oppresses or intimidates me. Something powerfully intrinsic happens when the courage to no longer be silent awakens within me and I am compelled to confront my problems rather than cower to them. It has just never ended well, which is why I try my best to be as patient as possible.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when Layla let out a shriek of irritation with tears filling her eyes "Your wife your wife your wife! I'm tired of hearing that nonsense, am I not your wife too? Why are you treating me like this? Where's my own respect?"
He shrugged "you left it under the sofa in Aya's room along with your shame while hiding the money"
Yikes!
"DAMNNNNNNN!"
I really really really tried so hard to not laugh at Hafeez's savage response and the look on Layla's face, but the way Aleena suddenly blurted that 'damn' out like Tiffany haddish just let the cat out of the bag, i immediately bursted into laughter but was quick enough to cover my mouth with my hand. I looked around and saw everyone else doing the same, Maleek, Azeeza, Asma, And even mama herself, though she tried to force a serious face.
Forget, Aleena is a mad woman.
"Hafeez wallahi ba ka da adalci, you're shamelessly entertaining one wife at the expense of the other. Yes Layla made a mistake, but She doesn't deserve such humiliation, especially in front of everyone!" Hajiya lectured, making him roll his eyes.
"Do you even hear yourself Hajiya? When you went to my house and gave Aya's character the beating of its life, you did it in front of everyone, you even used the wound Majeed inflicted on her to your advantage and you're not even sorry for it, yet you say I'm being unfair?" He raised an eyebrow "I'm honestly done with this conversation. I can't keep repeating the same thing over and over again while you purposely try to ignore it just to defend the one you like despite knowing that she's at fault. I'm done with this"
She hissed "you're done? Toh sai ka dauke ta ku Tafi ai. Do everyone a favor and get her out of here, I don't want to see her face for another minute"
"Great! I'll make it easier for you," he shrugged "I'll take her away from you and everyone else who's feeling choked by her presence. let's see who you'll make the next villain in your story while we're away!" He stated and grabbed my hand once again "goodnight!" And with that, he started pulling me towards the front door, but just as we were about to leave, he stopped and turned around "aren't you coming?" He asked Layla, who just glared at him "I'm not going anywhere with you!" again, he shrugged "goodnight!" And then we walked out the door. Hand in Hand.
****
"Here's you tea Mrs," Nengi's tiny voice made me snap out of my thoughts. I lifted my head to look at her and saw that she still had that massive smile on her face, the same one she has the moment I walked into the house. Gosh! That girl threw herself on me like a monkey, we almost fell flat on the floor.
"Thank you Nene" I smiled back and took the medium sized mug that was filled with the amazing vanilla flavored milk tea she made for me "please take some to Hafeez too, I'm sure he needs it"
"I tried to, but his door is locked, and he didn't open up even after I knocked" she said "maybe he wants to be left alone"
I sighed, Knowing that she was right. Judging by the way he acted after we left his Family's house, he definitely didn't want to see or talk to anyone, neither did he want to be seen or talked to.
His eyes held so many emotions and stories, there was so much going on in his mind, way too much for a person to comprehend unless he's the one who sits down and pours whatever he's holding inside out to the open. He was so pressured, he couldn't even drive the car back home, I was the one who did that, and when we arrived, he just headed to his penthouse and locked himself. I tried to start a conversation because I knew we had a lot to talk about, but he wasn't open for it, at least not at that moment, and he also complained about having a migraine so I thought it'd be best to leave him alone for a while.
From the little time I've spent with him, I've noticed that to be his toxic trait; isolating himself whenever he's in a difficult situation, and then later he'd come back like nothing ever happened. He's like a closed book, one that you can never judge by the cover.
"Speaking of sir," Nengi started as she took a seat next to me on the bed "he was devastated when you left"
That almost made me choke on the milk tea "devastated?"
"Yes" she immediately replied, and then sighed "okay that is a bit too strong, What I meant was that he wasn't...happy, you know? Like he was just down and...and off"
I tried my best to not smile at how cute she looked while giving me that gossip "really?"
"Trust me Mrs, he really really really missed you, it was as if a part of him was ripped off, he even lost weight and-"
"Weldone ma! General overseer of gossipers, sannu da aiki!" We were interrupted by an all too familiar voice, and yet when we turned to where the voice came from, we couldn't believe who was there.
Hafeez.
He just leaned on the doorframe with arms crossed over his shirtless torso as he wore a small smile on his face, barely even noticeable.
"Uhm...S-sir I-I was just..." Nengi stuttered, looking like she was about to melt right there, which was really funny. He kept looking at her in amusement while she was embarrassed until she couldn't take it anymore and actually ran out of the room, making the both of us burst into laughter.
"I really can't imagine this house without Nengi," he said as he came into the room after closing the door behind him.
"Me neither. She's like my bestie" I smiled widely.
"Of course she is, especially with how y'all gossip about me like it's your job," he smirked.
"Must you always flatter yourself?"
"It's because I'm worth it" Ugh! Again with the cockiness "Oh! Milk tea" and then he just grabbed the mug from my bedside drawer and started drinking the content I left inside, mind you, I was planning to drink it after a while but oh well, I guess i won't since he has finished it.
"So," I started.
He lifted his head to look at me "so?"
"Why are you here? I thought you said you had a headache?" I Asked.
He dropped the mug where he picked it and sat on the bed, facing me directly "I did, but staying alone in my room won't help me get rid of it," he said "we need to talk!"
For some reason, that made me swallow a lump in my throat, I didn't even know when that lump formed and why it did.
"W-what about?"
"Just....everything! From the beginning to this point right here," he replied "I'm sorry, Aya. I'm really really really sorry. I don't even have words to express it. I've made this relationship some sort of punishment for you just to ease my anger when it wasn't even your fault. I couldn't understand your pain and I didn't care about your feelings. Instead I used them against you" he said "out of my own stupidity, I thought I would feel better if I just....poured all of my anger out on you, I didn't know how else to handle it, I put it above everything when I was supposed to be there for you as both a husband and a good human being. I was supposed to be comforting you, I was supposed to be helping you clean the wound my brother inflicted on you, I was supposed to be by your side, and I knew it all along but my ego didn't let me come to terms with it"
"Hafeez I-"
He cut me off "No wait, please let me finish" I kept quite and he carried on "I am an imperfect being, VERY imperfect, but that does not justify any of the mistakes I've made, and even if I say sorry, i know it will not change anything, my words can't do shit to erase what happened, but that's the best I can do because The guilt inside me won't let me think of anything else, all I can do is apologize"
"The truth is that, I am awfully greedy and selfish; I want everything from life. I want to be a man and a child, to have many friends and to have loneliness, to work so much and relax endlessly, I just want everything, and always want things to go my way no matter what, and when I don't succeed at that, I go insane with anger. I've tried to be forgiving, but I couldn't do it, because I was so familiar with using my anger to get what I want, it got to a point where it controlled and got the best of me, it's Ugliness turned me inside out, and I don't know why, but There was just a certain satisfaction in holding that bitterness. I literally courted it like a girlfriend" he let out a sad chuckle "I didn't even understand who i became. I felt justified in revenge and had no room for learning mercy or forgiveness. I didn't care about anyone, other than who is making me feel superior. I'd rather put out someone's light than to find my own. I didn't have the ability to see beyond the false sense of happiness i got from destroying others. I knew what happiness was and i knew very well it wasn't that, yet I didn't care. I didn't even see my success as my deliverance, It was just a mask of vindication which had no audience except my own kind. I believed that I was entitled to win because my life didn't go as I planned. it was just.......always about me, myself and I"
"I was angry at how I was forced to marry my brother's fiancée, I was so hurt and pissed off, all I wanted to do was cry, but I couldn't do that, because I had many inhibitions against crying, I felt that it is an expression of weakness, femininity or of childishness, so I took it as an abomination, but in reality, I was just afraid, I was afraid of pleasure because in a situation of pleasure, I get anxious, but that anxiety is nothing more than the conflict between my desire to accept things as they are and my fear of actually accepting things as they are"
"I hated you so much, Aya. I hated you to my bones and used to think that you were the villain, I knew Majeed wronged you terribly but I still thought you were quite shallow and as usual, I was looking for a prey to pour all of my frustration out on, so I hated you. but now...I see it all too well, i see that you're a good person and that you deserve nothing but happiness Because that's all you try to spread. You're nice, you're humble, you're unproblematic and you're always minding your business, basically just the opposite of everything I thought you were," he turned to look at my tears filled eyes "You're the strongest woman I've ever known. I'm sorry for putting you through all that, I'm sorry for trying my possible best to break you just so I can feel better about myself. Says a lot about my self esteem and how much I don't deserve you"
I quickly shook my head and sniffed, looking at him with a small smile as the tears finally rolled down "No Hafeez, don't say that. It's okay. It's really okay, I don't have anything against you and I never will" my voice sounded like a whisper because I was trying so hard to not sob like a child "my hands are too busy catching grace and blessings, I don't even have the capacity to hold any grudges"
"So.....you don't hate me?" He raised an eyebrow, to which I was forced to chuckle "of course not. You're a good person as well, maybe a bit too...twisted, but it still doesn't change that fact"
"If I were you I'd hate me though. A lot" he replied with a sad chuckled "I don't even understand why you don't hate me? Why won't you hate me?"
"Because it's a strong word. Yes I used to be angry, but I never hated you, nor do I think I ever will" I explained "you see, Anger is like flowing water, there's nothing wrong with it as long as you let it flow. But Hate is like stagnant water, hate is the anger that you denied yourself the freedom to feel and denied the freedom to flow, hate is like water that you gathered in one place and just...left. It's stagnant, and Stagnant water becomes dirty, stinky, disease-ridden, poisonous, and deadly. that is hate. And God knows that I don't have a place to keep stinky water in my heart" he Listened attentively "And besides, You're not bound by your past because that is not who you are. your feelings are not who you are, but how you felt at that moment. Your bad choices defined you yesterday, but they are not who you are today. Your future doesn't have to travel the same path, You can always start over, You shouldn't feel bad about your actions, I know it was a very difficult time in your life, I understand because I went through the same thing too, just that I handled it differently, and it's okay, everyone has their own way of handling things, so I won't use that to judge you" my smile got wider "All you have to do now is walk forward with a positive outlook, and trust that God has a plan that is greater than the sorrow you left behind for you. I'll never need you to explain the beauty of your heart because I already understand what being human is; it's a roller coaster ride of emotions during rainstorms and sunshine, it is far from perfection"
He sighed "I just wish I could go back in time and fix things"
"It's never too late," I told him "what has passed will not come back, so just close that cycle and forget about it"
I watched closely as the edge of his full lips twitched and eventually bloomed into a smile, though it was small, it was a genuine one "I'm ready!" He said with a nod "I want to let go off everything that's at war with my peace of mind. All the anger and resentment has to get out and stay out," he looked straight into my eyes once again "I'm ready to make this work!"
I furrowed my eyebrows "Make What work?"
"our relationship" he replied and then took another sip of the milk tea "do you remember the offer you gave me after we prayed on your first day in this house?"
I was confused for a while until realized hit me "About us not living like strangers?"
"Yes" he nodded "I hope the offer still stands," he then brought his right hard forth "Pals?"
I couldn't help but allow that smile to take over my face, because after what felt like forever, that huge mounted had been lifted off my shoulder.
I looked up to him with a look of relief and serenity before bringing my hand forth like he did and taking his for a handshake "pals!"
Finally, the beginning of a new chapter!
Actually No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is closed, ended, and tossed into the seas, never to be spoken of again, but this new book is newly opened and has just begun. This is just the first page, And my Goodness is it a beautiful one!
I've passed through many paths in this book called my life, and Each time a chapter closes by, my heart sinks in a whirlpool of emotions. Sometimes I walk through a canvas of moments And smile with a bunch of happy tunes replaying in my head, while other times I wallow in my despair, shunning my foolish heart for being too emotional, too caring and too loving, But then, theres a breeze that suddenly clutches me and shows me all about being alive and the importance of taking the smallest things seriously. I warmly wrap them up in my heart, tucking every moment in like a small baby, And then I prepare myself to walk on to a path of unknown again in another journey.
"I'm glad we talked," he said "it's like I can finally breath again" that made me chuckle lightly.
"Me too" I smiled at him "thanks for saying something"
He returned the smile "thanks for listening and giving me a second chance" and then he stood up, keeping the mug of tea which was almost finished back on the bedside drawer where he took it "goodnight"
"Goodnight"
He opened the door and was about to make his way out but suddenly stopped and turned to me once again "I did"
I furrowed my eyebrows "you did what?"
"I missed you. So much" before I got to say anything, he walked out and shut the door behind him, leaving me with a heart that's beating at an abnormal pace and a smile that's bigger than Kilimanjaro on my face.
That night, I slept like a baby.
💕💕💕💕💕💕
Hey guysssssssss! Salam alaikum 😃👋
How have you all been? And how's everything? Hope all is fine.
I know 😩 I was supposed to update since Sunday, but I didn't get the chance to finish the chapter up because People didn't finish leaving until yesterday, and when I finally got to finish it and was about to publish, Airtel said NOT TODAY BITCH 😭😭😭😭😭
nuccytm and blackbillgate even started a whole protest 😂😂😂 oya drop your weapons your Haya is back and better!!!
So.....don't you just love How intimate this chapter is. Our husband has finally lowered his shoulder, Oh I can't wait to see Layla and Hajiya's faces 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 yan bakin ciki sai dai su mutu Wallahi 😆
Okay bye guys, thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it 💋