Aya
When everyone was telling me about the heat back in Abuja, I didn't take them seriously, I just thought they were exaggerating and taking it too far because it seemed like there's no way people would be able to live like that, but when I came back and met it, it was even worse than they explained.
Ya subhanallah it was HOT!
Even the cold water in the bathroom was warm, and the ACs weren't helping as they were supposed to considering the fact that there was absolutely NO power supply. It was a total blackout in the whole of Abuja, and honestly, had it been that we didn't have solar panels and a generator, we would've melted like butter a long time ago.
Yes!
Sadly, holiday phase was over and we were finally back home. It was indeed a memorable three months which I will continue to cherish for as long as I live. Especially our Dubai moments Because Dubai gave me a combination of all the vibes I felt in Maldives and Paris at the same time.
We spent most of the first week just chilling at home and sort of contemplating wether to move there permanently or not. We were basically just bed potatoes, and then later we went into adventure mode, which started with horse riding. No doubt that Dubai is known for Arabian horses, which have been exported to the world since time immemorial. So we thought 'why not ride the majestic beasts in their land itself?' And I think that might be the best decision I ever made because A horse ride in the desert with the sand guzzling behind and cutting through the wind really worked up that adrenaline inside me. It was kinda scary because The horses were bigger than the ones I was used to seeing, but nevertheless it was a magical experience.
Then the next day, we discovered the magic of the dragons. Witnessing Franco Dragone's masterpiece at La Perle was absolutely fascinating. A scintillating performance filled with vibrant colors, glittering costumes, hypnotic dances and acrobatics, and stimulating music, it is honestly an experience that nobody would ever want to miss! Franco Dragone is known for his work with Cirque du Soleil, so be brought that mastery to Dubai with the aerial stunts, aquatic effects, and futuristic ambiance. That magical performance had me glued to my seat for its 90-minute duration, but Hafeez was not as excited as I was because he was sleepy, and he can be a total party popper whenever he's sleepy.
We also went on a hot air ballon ride, took a tour of the city in a helicopter, desert safari, spent a day at burj Khalifa, had a meal 50 meters above the sky, went shopping till we dropped, And last but not least, my favorite part about the entire trip; our visit to the miracle garden.
When you hear the word "garden", you're already thinking of the season of spring and a peaceful place painted with a thousand colors, cooing pigeons, butterflies merrily flapping their bright wings, daisies and daffodils peeping through the grass, and a wide blue sky above, magnifying the richness of colours, And you know what? I'm not making all that up, the miracle garden is just like that! With over 45 million flowers on display. The most amazing thing about that beautiful garden is that its floral structures are changed each season to ensure visitors get a different experience each time they pay a visit. The biggest highlight for me though was a life-size model of the Emirates Airbus A380. I learned that The plants and flowers used for the plane were sustainability harvested and grown in more than 4 months at the Dubai Miracle Garden nurseries and It took about 200 crew members and 180 days to build it.
If I could, I would honestly go to Dubai every year. Yes I know I've said that about all three places I went to but it's really not my fault, the experience is just legendary and one can never ever get tired of or fed up with it.
On a serious note though, I missed Nigeria. I missed everything about this painfully wonderful country, especially my house and my sweet little bedroom, so I was pretty excited to be back. but when I remembered how much work I had to get done and also the blazing heat we met, it made me wish we moved out of the entire continent permanently.
"...I literally just came back yesterday Linda, you people should leave me alone" I pouted through the phone, which I held between my ear and shoulder as I was using my hand to oil and comb my hair.
"I thought you said you want money?" I heard her chuckle.
"Yes"
"Then why are you complaining?" She Asked "And don't act like you weren't on holiday for almost 3 months"
I knew she'd use that as her defense!
"We all know that what I need is a 6 months long holiday twice every year, so your point makes no sense," after much digging through my poor bedside drawer, I finally found a ribbon to tie my hair with "but carry on, what am I needed for?"
She cleared her throat "tomorrow, you have a photoshoot with Pepsi, indomie and peak milk for approximately 2 hours each, and a meeting with multichoice. Then on Tuesday, you'll start filming season 2 of Aya's Table with honey TV, then a 3 hours photoshoot with Oriflame, an interview with BBC Hausa and a dance rehearsals for the Boomplay advert," i sighed at the same time she closed her mouth "use that to hold body for the moment, because if I were to tell you about everything you have to do in a week right now, I'm sure you will block me"
I chuckled at that, which made her laugh too. She just knows me so well "they'll be the ones to provide food right?"
"Of course"
"Perfect!" I grinned "but I don't want that rubbish chicken republic. It's Blu cabana or nothing"
"Yes ma'am" she chuckled once again "see you tomorrow"
"InshaAllah. Bye"
Just when I thought nothing could be worse than the heat in Abuja, I was proved wrong by my job. I literally couldn't even imagine myself doing all of that under that hot sun. I just wanted to be in my bed and cuddling with my husband, is that too much to ask?
I was literally about to lose it, But was forced to pause whatever I was doing and thinking when I felt my bedroom door being bursted open and Saw Hafeez walking in casually with his eyes glued to his phone and a few files in his left hand. He didn't even look at me or say anything, he just made his way to my bed, kept the files on the side drawer and made himself comfortable.
I looked at him in disbelief for a while before I decided to break the silence "Uh....hello?"
He quickly lifted his face up to look at me, to which I couldn't help but smile because he looked really cute "Oh, hi!" And then he went back to his phone.
"Didn't you just go to work like 30 minutes ago Mr man? What are you back already?" I crossed my arms over my chest "hope everything is okay"
"Everything is Fine, Just that I ran away"
"what do you mean you ran away?" I laughed "sai kace wani barawo?"
"my brain doesn't function well when it's hot"
"But that building is filled with ACs from the bottom to the top floor. The heat outside is literally none of your business"
"Toh ni dai na gudu And Wallahi I'm not going back. I want to sleep" he dropped the phone aside and pulled the duvet over himself.
"Alright. But if Sadiq comes here and drags you out by your ear, don't even look at me" I told him "and-Wait! Don't tell me you're on my bed with your shoes on"
"It's just socks" he lifted his leg up and showed me "I know better than to attract your masifa to myself in this heat"
I chuckled at that, because he was right. If he did get on my bed with shoes, he'd have never heard the end of it.
"Are you really going to sleep?" I Asked as I took a seat next to him, taking his hand in mine and trying to get him out of the lazy situation he was in, but he didn't answer me. His eyes were even closed.
"Hafeez!" I lightly tapped his cheeks.
"Hmm?"
"Get up!"
"No"
"Please get up"
"Get away from me" he tried to push me away but Instead I moved even closer to him,
"Hafeez wake up"
"I Can't. I'm Sleeping"
I smiled widely before leaning down and pressing my lips on his in a full, deep kiss, and that made his eyes flutter open and widen at the same time.
"Second thought, not sleeping" he sat up right immediately, and that was when I decided to cruise with him.
"Actually, never mind. Go back to your sleep" I stood up in an attempt to walk away but he grabbed my hand and forcefully made me fall on him, then he used both his arms to trap me.
"Wallahi na tashi. I'm not sleepy anymore"
Lol!
"I thought you said I should get away from you?"
"It's because of this heat, I had no idea what I was saying" he argued "you have to finish what you started"
I laughed "I don't know what you're talking about"
"Abeg Abeg I don't like this type of rough play" He was trying so hard to not laugh too "c'mon, do it again"
"Do what?"
"Kiss me"
I shook my head "No!"
"Please kiss me again" he begged, which made me smile widely.
"No," he was about to speak but I cut him off "You kiss me"
I don't know if I've said this before, but his smile is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. That smile can Soften stone walls, Warm a cold heart, Invite a new friend, Mimic a loving hug, Lighten heavy loads, Brighten a gloomy day, Comfort a grieving spirit, Offer hope to the forlorn, Send a message of caring, Lift the downtrodden soul, Patch up invisible wounds and Weaken the hold of misery.
But at that same time, his glare can do the opposite of all those things, so really, he's the perfect balance of fire and ice.
I wouldn't mind looking at that smile and appreciating it for the whole day, but I got a much better offer when I felt his lips on mine. The heat suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a cold sensation I could trade the whole world for. he used both arms that were around me and pulled me closer against him, which enabled me to feel the rapid beat of his heart and warmth of his glowing skin. I found myself sliding my hand into his hair, as ive always wanted to do for the longest time, I've always wanted to feel how silky it really was, and I wasn't disappointed, because it literally curled around my fingers.
That sweet moment instantly reminded me of Paris, and our first kiss. MY first kiss. back then I knew nothing about kisses or what they were like, but I had no doubt that, that was how a kiss was supposed to feel; electric and pulsing and smoky all at once, like you'd discovered a new source of fuel that could warm you from within. Never in a million years did I ever think that my first kiss would be with him, but now, if I were given a chance to go back in time and have things as they were before, I would gladly decline that offer and continue following this...mysterious road and see where it would take me, or rather US, to.
"Where have you been all my life?" He asked, staring deep into my eyes after we pulled away "actually, it doesn't matter. now that you're here, you're never leaving" once again be tightened his grip around me, allowing me to take a strong sniff of his calming perfume "It's really crazy how I've gotten so used to having you close in such a short amount of time"
Awwww!
"Me too Wallahi. I was really bored when you left for work this morning, That's why I didn't want you to sleep" i replied with a huge grin on my face.
"I honestly felt like smacking you, but if this is what I'll get every time for staying awake, I'll gladly become an insomniac" he said, to which I chuckled.
"Well, You're on your way to that since you were watching my Maldives vlog at around 3 am"
"You mean OUR Maldives vlog" he corrected "It's even mine since I was the one who made it interesting"
"How did you make it interesting? All you did was disturb my life throughout the entire footage"
"And by doing that, I gave you 1.2 million views" he smirked "you're very welcome baby girl"
I just rolled my eyes at him because I just don't understand how it's possible for someone to be so cocky. But in a way, he was kind of right, our banters and bickering were 90% of what the comments were about, then the other 10% were mostly shameless girls gushing over Him and telling me how fine he is. As if I didn't know already.
"Salam alaikum!" We were interrupted by a familiar girly voice, followed by the person's silhouette walking into the bedroom.
"Ukhtiiiiiiiiiiiii!" I immediately jumped away from Hafeez and ran to her like a little child who's mom came back from a very long trip. I wanted to squeeze the life out of her but I couldn't because she was carrying Ayaan, who by the way was excitedly stretching his hands towards me "hello habiby" I gently took him from her and placed him securely on my hips. I was so happy with how he was giggling and blabbing all sorts of stuff I've never heard before because the last I remember, he didn't like it when anyone touches him.
Adda went over to Hafeez and exchanged pleasantries with him while I continued fooling around with my adorable nephew. He certainly got a lot more enthusiastic, and his cheeks grew even bigger and were as soft as marshmallows.
Gosh I want a kid so bad!!!!!!!
"Let's go to the lounge room Adda," I Said.
"No no, I'll just go to my room," Hafeez interrupted as he got off the bed "can I take him with me?" He asked her, referring to Ayaan.
"Ofcourse. but he can be a bit...grumpy sometimes, just so you know" she replied.
"Then I'll bring him back when he starts crying" we both chuckled lightly while He carefully took Ayaan from me and held him as securely as he possibly could before exiting the room, leaving me and Adda alone to have our well deserved girl time.
"Well That was embarrassing," she sighed as she took a seat on the edge of the bed.
"What?"
"The way I walked in on you guys" the look on her face almost made me laugh but I couldn't get to do that as I got smacked on my poor arm "shegiya you told me he was at work!"
"He was Wallahi, but he came back like 10 minutes ago for absolutely no reason" I defended as I rubbed the spot she hit "you're honestly very rude Adda. This is the first time you're seeing me after over 3 months and the first thing you're doing is beating me," I Said, which made her chuckle.
"Gaskiya That was one long holiday, and the both of you completely forgot everyone. I even thought that you guys were planning to move there permanently or something"
I pulled a pillow from the bedhead and got myself into a much comfortable position "we just thought to use the alone time as an opportunity to deeply relax and....bond with each other"
Well, we didn't really sit down to think and decide to do that, it just happened on its own, but nonetheless it worked!
"That's Good. I was actually hoping for that, and I'm so so happy with what I saw right now," she smiled so widely at me "how was the trip entirely? Tell me everything!"
I grinned widely at the thought of everything, starting from the the moment we landed in Maldives to the moment we left Dubai "it was awesome! We had a really great time. It was such an eye opening experience and I wouldn't trade one part of it for anything else," my smile suddenly dropped "Well, except that....one dumb incident"
She furrowed her eyebrows "What incident?"
I swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in my throat and sighed "we saw Majeed and Yasmin"
Just like a movie, Adda went on pause for almost a minute. She couldn't say or do anything, her mouth just slightly parted and her eyes widened, which allowed me to see a few of her emotions.
I saw hurt.
I saw disappointment.
But the Oga kpata-Kpata Of Them all was anger. She instant turned into a femme fatale. Had it been he were anywhere near her, nothing would stop her from clawing his eyes out with her bare hands.
"Are you actually serious?" She Asked, still in disbelief.
"I wish I wasn't too Adda"
"Wow!" She chuckled humorlessly "and what did you do? Please Don't tell me you used your heart to think and allowed them to get to your head with sweet talks and crocodile tears-"
"No! Of course not!" I chuckled "I simply walked away from the scene and just....stayed alone for a while, I didn't even listen to any of them" I Said "but, I cried after we left. I cried so much that I can clearly remember How much my head hurt the next day"
"Were you crying because you missed them?"
"Haba dai! I'm not that useless" I shook my head "I cried because.....I was overwhelmed. Reality hit me really hard, and at once, when I wasn't ready for it" I Said "It's crazy how I allowed myself to live in denial for years. Deep down I knew what Majeed and I had wasn't what I deserved, but I suppressed that feeling because I thought I could change and morph him into a better version of himself, I knew very well that he is a rebel, but I made myself believe that I'd be the one to tame him as long as I can be patient and put up with everything he does, and before I knew it, I was alone at midnight, crying to Adele's songs, and wondering what the hell is the matter with me that I fell for such a goddamned heartless beast"
Adda let out a soft chuckle at the last part, probably at the look on my face because even I knew that I made a funny expression. Remembering all those things felt like chewing bitter kola, one of the things I hated the most in the whole world.
I be mumu sha! Because I honestly couldn't believe that I allowed myself to suffer all those easily foreseeable consequences.
"It wasn't your fault, and even if you had the chance to go back in time and change things, you still won't be able to do anything because the heart wants whatever it wants, and as weird as it sounds, you have absolutely no control over that" she said "just be glad for the lesson you learned. Yes it came in a hard way, but look at you now, you are literally at the best point of your life while being the best version of yourself, so don't waste your time thinking of that nonsense, appreciate your strength instead,"
I found myself smiling. It started off small and then blew up to a huge one.
"Why are you smiling like that?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Because I just realized that my strength is literally in human form" I replied "Hafeez is really such a blessing in my life Adda. He's like....my pillar, and he's always there for me to lean on when I need support" the thoughts brought the smile back again "And ironically I used to think that he would do nothing but make things worse for me, but instead he built me back together"
"Awww you guys so cute" she pouted as she looked at me with heart eyes "I honestly never expected the two of you to get along. Like at all. Not after you threw milkshake on his face, plus this your attitude that can switch at any moment"
"Trust me, it wasn't an easy process" I sighed, remembering the times we used to always be at each other's throats like sworn enemies "no day passed by without me feeling like killing him"
"Yanzu fa?" She smiled at me, and I found myself smiling too. Again.
"I don't know how....but he has become a part of me," I confessed "one that I don't think I can live without"
Yeah.
I said it.
And I mean it.
Hafeez has become a part of me that will be hard to get separated from. His memory feels like home to me, So whenever my mind wanders, it always finds it's way back to him.
I felt like I had been given a second chance to start my life over, and as much as I was really scared and having second thoughts, I didn't want to throw that opportunity away. I couldn't throw it away. If you get the chance to do something, and then decide not to do it because of the fear of the unknown, then you'll simply live with regret, and That's a much worse situation than trying that thing, no matter how daring it is and and not succeeding. At least you tried. That's what matters more.
"This is exactly what you deserve. To be loved, to be cared for, to be valued, to be respected and to be happy. You deserve someone who will do anything to make you smile," she said "and I think you have found that person"
I looked at her, smiling once again "I think so too Adda"
And I was sure I made the right choice.
*****
Next day.
"Hafsa, dan girman Allah hurry up so that we can get out of this place" I whined for the millionth time as she twirled in front of the floor length mirror yet again , looking for what she called the 'perfect angle' of the dress.
Hafsa had always been an indecisive person, she literally can't pick a shoe to go to the market with, so I wasn't surprised when she wasn't satisfied with how that absolutely gorgeous dress looked on her body. It was a brown and orange saki that was sewn into the finest corset mermaid gown i had ever seen, with excellent beadwork at the neckline, tip of the sleeves and the end of the dress.
That dress could easily pass off as the most beautiful 'kamu' outfit any northern bride could wear, but somehow, Hafsa was looking for faults in it. She won't be happy until she actually finds something wrong, gives it back to get it 'fixed' and ends up ruining it completely.
Time really does fly away though. I couldn't believe that we were just a week away from My Hafsy's wedding. Just a while ago it was taking forever to arrive, and when it finally did, I felt like it hit me when I least realized it. I actually would've missed the wedding, because it was meant to take place like 2 weeks before Hafeez and I came back from our holiday, but thankfully, something happened on the grooms side that forced them to postpone the actual date to three weeks later, and instead of Bauchi, both families decided that all events will be in Abuja since that was where the bride's home was afterall.
It's safe to say that the news pleased me more than anyone, because one, I wouldn't miss the wedding, and two, I wouldn't have to travel and leave my bestie at home. That would've been nothing but torture.
Speaking of my bestie, I had to go and pick him from his office right after That dress fitting with Hafsa. I actually forced him to go to work since he 'ran away' the previous day, and in response to that, he turned me into his driver for the day because he 'didn't feel like driving', and honestly, I didn't have a problem with it.
"We can't leave just yet, can't you see that it's a bit...baggy?" Again, she twirled in front of the mirror, which made me roll my eyes.
"It's a corset dress Hafsa, it can't be baggy" I pointed out "unless you want your organs to be squashed and finally kill your self,"
She rolled her eyes "you are so last season"
"Sannu latest version!" I eyed her "you should've brought Amal with you then instead of me"
"Amal will never have the patience to be here with me, she would've left like an hour ago" She chuckled "thank God she has a boyfriend now, at least she has someone else to annoy for no reason apart from us"
Honestly, if we could, we would've thrown a party to celebrate Amal's exit from the single and not searching gang. And if you were wondering who the lucky guy is, it's none other than Anas. After that super awkward encounter they had at Adda's surprise party where she revealed that she had an eye on him, I expected her to try as much as she could to avoid him, But instead, they formed something beautiful between themselves that doesn't seem to have an end.
My prayers at that moment was for them to end up married and have a beautiful family, because they're just the most perfect match.
"I wonder how chaotic that relationship must be, because the both of them are the definition of crazy" I laughed at the thought.
"I'm telling you," she chuckled as well "they'd make mad money if they do a reality show" and then she twirled again, for the hundredth and 1 time "Okay, I think I love this dress"
"Thank God" I sighed in relief "now please let's go, I'm sure even huddaya herself is seconds away from chasing us out"
She chuckled "why are you in such a hurry?"
"Because My husband is waiting for me"
"Tohhhhhhhhhhh..." And she immediately started teasing me, which wasn't surprising at all. She went on and on until I felt like smacking her, But I later decided not to respond and just smirked internally, because she was only a week away from falling into my league, and that would be when I will have my revenge.
She took a good look at the dress once again before finally giving it back for the finishing touches to be added, which was just some more beads on certain parts of the dress to make it look more dramatic than it already was. She did say that she was going all out with her wedding dresses, and that is exactly what she did.
I dropped her off at her parent's house before the long journey to central Area began. I made sure not to speed so much so that I could enjoy my AC to the fullest and also listen to a good number of my favorite songs.
About 20 minutes later, I found myself pulling over in front of the massive 20 floored skyscraper, which seemed to be a lot busier than I could remember. I would've just called and told him I was waiting for him outside, but he asked me to go to his office, which I only agreed to do because he said there's food, and me I'll do anything for food.
"Excuse me" I Said with a small smile as I stopped at the reception.
"Good afternoon. How can I help you?" Replied the receptionist, returning the smile.
"I'm here to see the CEO"
"take the elevator to the last floor, then take your left, the door to his office will be facing you"
I muttered a quick thank you to her before making my way to the elevator. That dreadful, glass elevator that allows you to see literally everything, i didn't even spend 10 seconds when I started to feel like throwing up, plus the bad memories that came with it because the only time I ever went to the headquarters was with Majeed, and that was the first time I met Hafeez. Not literally the first time but that was when I officially got to know him.
The elevator stopped just before my guts melted and I basically ran out, as if something was chasing me. That was when I made a mental note to always take the stairs the next time I had to go there.
I took the left like the receptionist told me to and made my way to the big white door, which was quite far away. That floor was a lot more quite than the other ones, as everyone was in their glass walled offices and focused entirely on the IMacs in front of them instead of walking in the corridor with files in their hands.
"Hello" I greeted the sweet girl that was behind the counter. It was still The same girl I saw the last time, and she had the same expression she did when we first met.
"Good afternoon ma'am. Welcome" she grinned widely.
"Afternoon. Fa'iza right?"
"Yes ma. I can't believe you remember my name" her grin got even wider "he's waiting for you inside ma"
"Okay. Thank you" I smiled at her again before pushing the big door open and walking inside, where I found Hafeez and Sadiq sitting in the small lounge area at the far end of the room "Salam alaikum"
My voice got their attention, and a huge smile immediately took over their faces, especially Hafeez's. He looked like he just won a lottery game or something.
"Wifeyyyy!" He stood up and opened his arm "Come to me" I didn't know when a smile took over my face too as I went to him and engulfed him into a tight hug, making sure to take in all of that expensive Tom Ford scent "I missed you" he kissed my cheek, still not letting me go.
"We were together just this morning" I chuckled.
"That was 8 hours ago"
we were interrupted by Sadiq clearing his throat "I'm still here dai incase you've forgotten"
That made me laugh, because I actually did forget that he was there, it was when he spoke up that I even remembered to greet him.
Hafeez is Honestly a huge distraction.
"So Are you ready to go?" I Asked.
"Just two more minutes please," he replied "we need to finish something up real quick"
"We could actually use a female point of view so we can end the nonsense debate we started," Said Sadiq as he pushed one of the two jewelry boxes in front of them towards me "what gemstone do you think would look better on this set?"
I took a good look at the piece of diamond and the answer just came rushing on its own "it'll be amazing with touches of blue or purple, so either amethyst or sapphire"
"YES! I knew it!" Sadiq cheered, like guys do when watching football while Hafeez started sulking "Aya is like the 10th person that mentioned sapphire, isn't that enough to tell you it's the winner here?"
He shrugged "I still think that emerald would look better"
"It really won't, not better than sapphire" I Said "I don't even like blue but it's the best for this set, and I think sapphire naturally goes better with diamonds"
"Exactly" Sadiq agreed "and besides, we used emerald for our last three collections, it won't make sense to put yet another collection out with the same gemstone, people will be so disappointed, especially because of how we've been hyping this new collection"
He sighed, finally giving in "alright fine"
He still didn't like the choice of gemstone, but he couldn't do anything about it because majority carries the vote everywhere.
"So when it's ready, how much will it be listed for?" I Asked.
"About 85-90k" Sadiq replied, which made me furrow my eyebrows.
"90k?" I Asked "Just 90k?"
"Yeah"
"But these earrings I have on now are like 95k and it's just gold plated," I was still confused, wondering if they were actually serious or not "That is ridiculously cheap for a jewelry set like this"
"Wait ooo, ba fa naira ba, I meant dollars" he clarified, and then we all bursted into laughter.
"Yawwa, ni dai abun ya Bani mamaki, because I know it's more of an asset,"
For a second I honestly thought they lost their minds, because That was the type of stuff women only wear at high class events to show everyone that money is scratching them, so Ofcourse I wondered how they could think of selling a jewelry set that was made with two of the most valuable gemstones in the world for such a tiny little price.
anyway, As promised, Hafeez had my food brought to the office from the cafeteria, a very tantalizing bowl of THEE best creamy Cajun shrimp and sausage pasta I had ever tasted in my life. It was spicy and creamy, with sauteed shrimp, linguini pasta, and smoky beef sausage instead of andouille to make it a halal meal. By the time I finished eating I was so full, I couldn't even drink the green smoothie I ordered, I had to settle for a cold glass of water because I was convinced that my stomach was seconds away from blowing to bits.
It took them over 30 minutes to finish their work and a total of 40 before we finally got to leave the headquarters, and of course, I became too lazy to drive, so I gave the keys to Hafeez and just relaxed in the passengers seat while taking videos to post on my Snapchat.
*****
"....so when is the due date?" I Asked as I set my phone on a tripod so I could use both of my hands to take my makeup off.
It was a little over 11pm when we arrived at home, and Of course the first thing I did was take a cold shower while Hafeez went to his room to finish a project on his laptop. The heat that day was more than the usual, so I had no choice but to put on the lightest pajamas I had, which was the feeling soft pajama set from fashion nova. I considered it to be a bit too revealing since it was literally just a set of bumshorts and a cropped spaghetti strap top, so I threw an Olivia von Halle knee length silk robe on top.
I decided to FaceTime Aleena while getting ready just because I missed my baby girl, she was seconds away from popping by the way, Her tummy was so big that if I was told she had the baby at that moment, I wouldn't argue. She was being a bit too carefree with the whole thing though because according to her, having a baby has just been stereotyped as painful, but it's not so bad since her older sister Rawan was able to have one, and apparently, Rawan is the weakest person the world has ever seen.
I didn't even know what to say in response, I just laughed and prayed for her to have an easy labour, because if she were to go through half of what Adda mimi did while having Ayaan, I don't think she'd want to have another baby ever again. Gosh! Adda's labour was HORRIBLE, she was in that excruciating pain for over 17 hours, and when she finally pushed him out, she was completely knocked out, she slept for more than 12 hours.
"Like 3 weeks from now," she replied.
"That means the baby can come at any moment"
"I would actually be ecstatic if it does happen right now, because I honestly cannot Wait for this child to finally get out of my stomach and be in my arms," she said "I still can't believe it you know? Wai small little me is about to be a mother, I've wanted this for as long as I can remember and now it's finally happening. I'm so so happy wallahi,"
That made me grin widely, because her happiness was visible and also very contagious. It was just so fulfilling to see a sweetheart like her live her dream, I could see the joy inside her eyes, it was too much that she even started getting emotional "Me too Alee. I'm really so excited for you. Barakallahu Feeki ya Albi, May yours be among the very best"
"Ameen ya Allah" she replied with a soft smile "I cannot Wait for your turn too," she added, but before I could respond, she cut me off "speaking of which, I can't believe you went away for three whole months and was alone with your husband but didn't come back with a big belly, why aren't we expecting another niece or nephew?"
That made me burst into laughter "I'm starting to think that you guys formed a group to interrogate me about this topic Because That's Exactly what Azeeza said to me the moment she saw me"
"Well we all want a mini Aya and Hafeez, we're literally begging at this point," she sighed dramatically, which made me roll my eyes "you guys just wasted your honeymoon sha,"
Again, I laughed "it wasn't a honeymoon madam, it was a vacation that we both needed so we can relax and be taken care of,"
"Do you even hear yourself?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yep! And I mean what I said"
She shook her head "That was definitely a honeymoon Aya, Because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I've lost my senses"
"Alright fine, believe whatever you want to believe" I decided to just give in. After all it was never easy to win an argument against Aleena on a normal day, talk more of when she was pregnant and has her hormones all over the place.
"No problem, I'll find my answer somewhere else, continue doing jan aji,"
I laughed again "Since when did you start speaking Hausa anyhow?"
"It's the baby fa, not me"
That was her favorite Habit at that moment; doing something and blaming the baby for it. she went as far as telling Maleek that the baby wants him to buy it's mommy a new car, and it wasn't even up to 2 years when Maleek bought her a brand new GLE 63, the audacity of that woman!
We were interrupted by the door being pushed Open and Hafeez walking inside, dressed in grey sweatpants and a plain black cotton T-shirt, as usual.
I actually used to think that he was repeating clothes, because he was always dressed in the same thing, but when I did a little 'investigation' in his closet, I found out that he had a whole collection of sweats and T-shirts, 80% of his clothes were sporty outfits, 10% were the morrocan jallabiyas he hardly wore, and the remaining 10% were shared between Jeans, shirts, formal wears and shorts.
I quickly ended the call because I knew that Aleena would start bombarding him with questions the moment she saw him, and I wasn't looking forward to that, at all.
"I thought you fell asleep," I said as I put my pack of face wipes away.
"Nope. I was waiting for you to come, but you didn't, so I followed you" he made himself comfortable on my bed, almost going into sleep mode.
"Sorry, I was taking a shower" I giggled "you have honestly turned into a baby now, you can't even sleep if I'm not there,"
"That's actually true, and I'm proud" he admitted, chuckling softly "speaking of which, I think it's time to do your job, so come to me" he opened his arms widely.
And of course, I thought of that as the best opportunity to tease him "Nope! It's time to wean you,"
"Wean me?"
"Yeah. You're going to learn how to sleep alone, and it starts right now,"
He chuckled "kinsan Allah, them no born you well"
"I'm serious fa,"
"No you're not. Come here" he sat up right.
"No"
"Aya!"
"Hafeez!"
"Don't let me stand up"
"Alright let's make a deal," I Said "if you're able to catch me, I'll cuddle you for as long as you wan-"
I didn't even get to finish when he stood up and grabbed me from where I was standing threw me on the bed, then hovered over me, using both of his hands to cage my body under his.
"So..." he wiggles his eyebrows, which I found very funny but refused to let myself laugh.
"Don't even start, this doesn't count" I argued.
"Why?"
"Because I wasn't ready,"
"Well, You Just Said 'catch me', you didn't say when," he smirked at me "next time, try to be a bit more specific with your words"
"You..." I was forced to stop when he used his hand and brushed the hair that was covering my face to the side and stared down at me, making me get lost in his eyes.
Those beautiful eyes, They were a deep shade of brown, the exact same color as mine, and they glowed with an intensity I had never witnessed before. A slash of black crossed each one, and the reflection of the dimly lit room made them sparkle like dancing crystals. His irises appeared to be swirling in circles, creating the illusion that his eyes were never-ending, and Flecks of an even darker brown clustered around each pupil, and that made my breath get caught in my throat, and Suddenly, all the bad feelings that were hiding in one side vanished, almost as if I had never felt sadness before in my life. Something about those eyes held me in place, as if I had found a balance, blanketing me in a cocoon of comfort, free of worries and concerns.
He slowly leaned down without placing his weight on me and placed a soft kiss on my lips, which was just an excuse for him to whisper into my ear "you smell so good!" And that sent millions of chills down my spine.
As each second went by, my heart beat increased in pace, and my breathing got a lot heavier. There was so much going on in my mind, so many emotions running all over the place, yet I couldn't point one of them out. All I knew is that I was completely....lost. I was lost in his eyes, and lost in the moment.
"May I?" He asked, with the edgiest voice I had ever heard and his eyes still not leaving mine.
I knew exactly what he meant, and I already had my answer intact, but I couldn't speak, so I just nodded and took his face in my hands, connecting our lips once again with so much intensity.
He mumbled his prayer, stretched his hand to switch the lights off, and that night, we moulded into one.
We became Haya.
💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
Salam alaikummmmmmmmmmmm!!!
First of all, I am so very sorry 😩 I know I took awfully long to update, but Wallahi it wasn't my fault. This past month has been so chaotic and messy for me, it demanded a lot of my free time so I only had the chance to be writing in bits and pieces.
But InshaAllah I've moved past all that now, and I will be more available 😊
Thank you so much to everyone who checked up on me. I love and appreciate each one of you, I can't even express it properly ❤️❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️
And also, RAMADAN KAREEMMMMMM! May Allah azzawajal accept our Ibadah and keep us alive and healthy to witness the next one. Ameen 🙏
SO,,,
What do we think about this chapter? Probably the longest one in the book so far 💕 was it a yay or a nay??? And who is missing Layla apart from me???
Team hopeless romantics how far nauu? 😏
Thank you so much for reading guys. I really hope you enjoyed it 💋
Will update soon InshaAllah. Byeeeee! Sannun mu da Shan ruwa 🍉