*BOLD AND SERENE*
EPISODE 37
Bismillaah
*ALHAGIE UMARRRRR💃💃💃😂* (Nusrat people,Mr Umarr's honorable name😂)
I sat in my hut and reminisced the memories I had with Ayesha. She had an impact on me the very first day I saw her...the day that Mahmud and I went to her school. I'd always tried to remind myself that she was Mahmud's girl as Noor insinuated until Mahmud told me about how he felt for her elder sister,Asiyah. I never even thought I was falling for her gradually,until I stayed with her in the village. She was more than my imagination. Her serene behaviour,her respect,her honesty...I'm giggling on my own because of her cuteness.
I used to think she would be like Noor to me since they basically have the same face but that was so stupid of me. She is a whole different person. Noor is my best friend...a sister even,but Ayesha is something else. I just wanted to be in her company so badly.
I left Noor and Mahmud in the city thinking of Ayesha's abduction. I had tried calling them the last time and informing them that Ayesha was staying with us but the network in the village is always so poor. I will have to tell them when I return finally,which will be tomorrow inn shaa Allah.
I walked to Nnaa's hut to keep her company and make best use of the last moments with her,I will miss her a lot after leaving.
"Come in Alhagie" she knows I am coming even when I am five meters away.
"Nnaa...I brought you some apples" I'd bought them from the market since Nnaa really loves them.
"May Allah bless you my child" I said Ameen and sat on the chair. "Are you here to enquire about Ayesha's reply? Hmm?" Nnaa is a whole vibe wAllahi.
"Not really,I was just missing you" I did miss her.
"Hmm Ok woo. Ayesha has even gone to the city. Bilal called to tell me that she will spend some days there. She did tell me that she needed some time to think about the proposal"
"Then I think we will meet in the city since I'm going back tomorrow inn shaa Allah."
"Are you that eager! Ehh Alhagie!"
"Stop it Nnaa" this sweet old woman will tease me to death. "Are you jealous that I have not still married you?"
"Ehen,yes now. I have been rejecting suitors just for you" we both laughed and continued our beautiful banter.
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Nnaa forced me to wait for lunch before leaving. I couldn't refuse her. Immediately after lunch,I bid farewell to Nnaa and my cousins and set out for the train station. It took hours for me to reach home but I did,Alhamdulillaah. I went home first,dropped my bags and had lunch before going to visit My Jamal Family.
I just hoped Ayesha was not in danger again. That Bilal guy is not a safe company for her but I know she will not understand. What if he takes her to his boss again? It's been two days and Ayesha's not returned to the village. I'll find out.
I rang the doorbell and Uncle answered it. I greeted him and he invited me inside. He said Mahmud had gone out but was on his way back so I decided to wait. I called him to let him know that I was waiting for him at his home.
Some minutes later,I heard a car honk at the gate. They were here. In less than a minute,someone walked in. She was clad in a green Abaya and a brown veil,a dark brown veil that matches her colour perfectly. The only dark coloured girl known to the Jamals was Ayesha...and yes,she raised her head and her face came to view.
"Alhagie! You! Here!" I know she would be surprised to see me. She wasn't even aware of my relationship with the Jamals.
"Ayesha. I looked for you everywhere." I even thought something bad had happened to her but Alhamdulillaah that she's fine.
"Alhagie? Is it the same Al..." Noor cut her sentence midway "Umarr!" She exclaimed. Wow! None of them was expecting me here,except Mahmud who walked up to me and hugged me.
"I missed you dude. How is your grandma?" He asked.
"She's fine bro. I missed you...and my bestfriend too!" I looked at Noor but it seemed like she was lost in another world.
"Wait,are you Alhagie or Umarr?" Ayesha asked. Oh My,I never explained it to her.
"I am both" I giggled. "I am called Alhagie at the village because I had embarked on the holy pilgrimage to Mecca. Nnaa wouldn't allow anyone call me Umarr in her presence. But in the city,I do not allow anyone call me Alhagie too"
"Wait,you both met at the village?" Mahmud asked with a confused demeanor.
"Yes,Ayesha was under the care of my grandmother. I'd called you the last time and wanted to inform you but the network betrayed our conversation so I thought of telling you after coming home" I shrugged casually.
"Hey Bestfriend,are you ok?" I asked Noor...she doesn't seem a tad bit Okay. She nodded and walked away. That was so unlike Noor. "Is she Okay?" I asked Mahmud but he also shrugged.
"Excuse me" Ayesha said and ran after her.
"These girls are weird" Mahmud and I laughed. "Let's go to my room"
We had a lengthy conversation after a long time. He told me about their relation with Ayesha and how they found out about her. I was glad that they'd also found their mother. Everything's been finally falling into place for them.
Thinking about it,it'll now be easy to love Ayesha because I'm sure Mahmud will have no objection to it.
"We haven't had biscuits since I came. Is my best friend on a diet?" I asked.
"Even if she's on a diet,she'll never leave those...I don't know what happened to her suddenly."
"Let me check on them" I excused myself and went to see what the girls were up to.
I knocked on the door and Ayesha opened. A smile escaped my lips before I could say anything.
"Umm Ayesha...where is Noor?"
"She's inside"
"I want to be left alone" Noor kinda shouted.
"What's wrong with her?" I was getting scared. Noor never acts like this. Even when she was younger,she was always jolly and bubbly.
Ayesha didn't bother to reply me. She just gave me a closed lip smile and walked pass me.
"Hey Bro,something is not right with the girls. I don't know what it is exactly" I told Mahmud after coming back into the room. He opened his eyes wide and dashed out of the room. I followed him and saw him knocking hard on Noor's door.
"Go away Bayyaaaa!" She shouted. The way her voice shook was enough to decipher that she was crying. Mahmud insisted and continued knocking the door.
"Please go away! Don't be stubborn" she added. Mahmud paid a deaf ear to all her pleas. After some minutes of continuous knocking,she opened the door and Mahmud went in. She immediately closed the door. Wow! I stood there,confused.
"Come with me" I flinched on the tone of the voice. I didn't know that someone was behind me.
I followed Ayesha to the balcony.
Her face looked so serious that I couldn't even say anything. I just sat quietly and listened.
"You sent Nnaa to convey your message to me right?" She asked.
"Uh-oh Yeah"
"I told her I was going to think about it....did she tell you?"
"Y..yess"
"Well,my answer is No!" She abruptly added.
"What...what do you mean?" I couldn't understand. Her eyes used to shimmer when she looks at me but today,they held a different emotion.
"I mean No. I have just rejected your proposal. I'm sorry" she shrugged and smiled lopsidedly. She walked towards the exit but I stopped her before she could leave.
"Why?"
"It's my choice" she didn't bother to look at me.
"Come back here" I know I sounded stern. "Please" I added a plea to make it not sound harsh. "Please tell me why you said No,I know you have a valid reason. When you said it's your choice,I know you didn't even believe yourself. How can I believe that then?" She came back and heaved a sigh.
"You'll have to believe it Alha...nope,Umarr! I cannot explain anything"
"I'll explain" Mahmud said. I couldn't understand anything that was going on. Mahmud looked so serious,this must be grave. Ayesha left us alone.
"Bro" he sat beside me. "Ayesha had to reject you because of Noor!" What was he saying? "No one knew about this except me. Noor is in love with you Umarr!" I gawked at him and he nodded. "Yes! She always hoped that you'll love her in return sooner or later. Her hopes just got shattered when she realised that you are the Alhagie that Ayesha has once told her about" Noor! Love! Me!? No. Noor might not just understand. She is like a sister that I've never had. I really love Noor and always envied Mahmud for having such a cute little sister. If I could,I would never allow her to feel any pain. Why does she have to love me? She! Uhh...this has gotten me speechless.
"What did Ayesha tell her?"
"She said you proposed to her,what else?" He sighed "they don't want to hurt each other dude. One will not be happy and cause the other one sadness. Therefore...be it Noor or Ayesha,I just want you to stay away from both of them. See them as sisters and nothing else. Can you do that?" How can things suddenly fall apart? Wow! That was fast.
But I do agree with Mahmud. I cannot be the reason for the twins' separation again. They have lived almost all their lives without each other. They really deserve togetherness and I cannot come in between them and that. I will have to control my feelings..........but I really love Ayesha so much, It's just that not all feelings get reciprocated. Maybe,she was not the one after all! Even though I felt the 'spark' whenever I find myself around her. I cannot just give up on my lifetime of friendship with Noor and Mahmud too! They were always with me,during my good and bad times and even more! Ohhhh! This is damn hard!
"I can" I nodded,most especially to myself.
If I could give out love,I would have given too much love to Noor that she won't feel hurt...but who am I to dictate my heart?
It just wants what it wants!
It wants Ayesha!
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(✏TIMABELLE💛)