40
Two days later,
Eid day; yippee!
"Excuse me, coming through." Safeenah said as she ran through the bouquet of flowers, she held a girl her age's hand.
"I can't believe I'm a friend to the princess of Dubai. Thank you for inviting us—my dad is so thrilled!" The girl said with a smile.
"Don't worry Mehek, you're such a nice friend, let go eat strawberries!" Safeenah yelled as she dragged Mehek, Mehek pushed her nerdy glasses in; to stop it from falling.
In the royal green house, Zarah sat on the black pavement she loves sitting on, she was crying? Abubakar opened the glass–made door. "Zarah, why are you here?" Prince Abubakar said. "And you're crying?" He added as Zarah lifted her head.
"I'm nervous. What if we are not compatible? We barely know each other. I don't even know what your mum looks like, I don't know her personality!" Zarah ranted.
"You don't wanna be my wife?"
"I wanna, but, what if I don't fit in all the royalty stuffs!"
"Or should we elope?" Prince Abubakar suggested and Zarah chuckled softly.
"You love elopement, I can't elope with you, this our place now!" Zarah said confidently.
"You sure? Cause you're still scared." He said as he wrapped Zarah in his arms, "my mother is the most nicest person on earth, you don't have any problems and we have years to know each other. It doesn't matter if we don't know each other what matters is that we love each other—this is me, your man, the man you wished could be yours, for years!" Prince Abubakar said and Zarah smiled.
"For years? I was with Yusuf remember?"
Prince Abubakar scoffed. "Don't mention Yusuf; he is just a passing water in your life. He lost you and Safeenah." He nodded in affirmation.
"You're right, besides, it's just an engagement, what could ever go wrong; Yasmin should be in the plane right now. I feel bad for her. I look like a villain now!" Zarah whined.
"Don't say that. She had the choice to choose and she lost it—you chose to stay my love."
Zarah sighed heavily as she fixed her gaze into the Prince's blue eye balls. "What's gonna happen to me tomorrow."
"Zarah... Yesterday was history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift; that's why it is called present."
Zarah's sad face broke in a smile. "Thank you my love. Let's get engage. It won't hurt."
"Yes, my love. It won't." Prince Abubakar said kissing her forehead and hugging her tightly.
* * * * *
In Al Makthoum international airport,Yasmin pushed her suitcase which have an Eiffel tower charm on it towards the long checking-in queue.
Going back to wherever she came from.
Yasmin stood in silence; her emotions couldn't be read due to the she pink nose mask and a hearty sunglasses she was putting on.
Like avoiding someone.
Her phone started ringing and she retrieved her phone from her purse; it was a call from her dad. She was hesitant to pick the call at first but it kept ringing. She picked it.
"Salaam dad..." She started as her voice cracked.
"Yasmin, get back here. Don't disgrace me. Just get married to Abubakar. You can't guarantee he'll marry Zarah after their engagement." The other person on the phone said, not giving Yasmin time to talk.
"Dad... I can't marry someone who has a wife before. I'm sorry."
"Yasmin, you're engaged to Abu; you are and will always be the first bride."
"I'm sorry. I don't wanna share him." Yasmin said ready to hang up.
"I spent a lot of money in your wedding. Please."
Yasmin smiled in a bitter way. "Sell those stuffs." She hung up.
Tears trickled out of sunglasses as the thought of losing Abubakar came to her; disgraceful event. She can never speak of the prince to anyone, not even her fans on her blog.
"Salamualaykum, aren't you Miss Yasmin Al-Futtauim. I'm a big fan, can I take a selfie with you?" A die-hard fan requested in enthusiasm.
"Not in the mood. But I'll give you my autograph instead!" Yasmin interjected.
The fan hurriedly brought out a magazine that has Yasmin's picture on it. Yasmin signed it majestically with the fan's liquid ink pen.
The fan thanked her and was about to walk away then she paused and turned at Yasmin like she remembered something. "Aren't you supposed to be dancing with the prince now? I read it on your blog; you are getting married, aren't you?" The fan added again.
"You've got the wrong blog, fake news probably, excuse me." Yasmin said as she hid her tears. She walked away from that fan and moved next to a man. "Excuse me sir, can you watch my suitcase, I need to use the restroom." Even when her face was closed, her voice was still filled with sympathy—bit by bit.
The man in casual outfits smiled at her and nodded in affirmation.
She walked down to the airport's restroom, there, she removed her face mask; tears trickled down her face, she look at her reflection in the mirror, and was ashamed of herself.
'Bloody coward.' She thought.
'You can't marry him, save your pride, there is tons of boys for you out there.' Her devil side whispered.
"No!" She led out a loud yell, "Abubakar was always mine, he loved me before she came, Zarah ruined my life, she took my place, she came from no where and ruin my life, my perfect fairytale." She yelled and sobbed in agonizing pain.
After an hour of sobbing,
Yasmin walked out of the restroom and she saw that same man she asked to look out for her; he was panting, it seems he had been looking for her.
"Hey, lady." The man waved, he was surely American.
"I'm so sorry sir, I made you look over my stuffs. I'm done now." Yasmin apologized awkwardly.
"Not a problem, you need to hurry, it's almost our turn." The man said.
"Sir, may I know your name?"
"Ohh... I'm Alexander Graham Campbell, you can call me Alex; I live in Chicago, but just came to Dubai to chill. I am flying to USA to check my daughter—she gave birth." The man said, giving away his entire biography to a total stranger.
"You've got a grandchild? You look.. " Yasmin couldn't find the right adjective to qualify him.
"Young?"
" Yes, like thirty to be precise." Yasmin said, and they started walking towards the long queue.
The man paused. "How can I help?"
"What now?" Yasmin said, surprised.
"You've been crying, you've got mascara stain on your veil-" he paused. "Just always smile in life!" He smiled at Yasmin, waiting for a smile from her as well.
"What if you've got nothing to smile about, what if your whole world just shattered, when you've got no decisions to make." Yasmin said not hiding her tears.
"Life is always unfair—but we have to make a decision. There is nothing like a right decision in life, making a choice from your heart gives you your right decision."
"Are you a psychologist?" Yasmin asked as she stood in the queue.
"Yes I am." The man said as he inserted his hand to reached for something in his pocket.
He brought out a blueish yellow card. "Here, call me, when ever you need a therapist."
"Sir can you please step forward?" The airport worker said, ready to check Mr. Alex's ticket and papers.
"That's me, bye for now, see you in the plane or not." He said with a 'go for it' wink as he pushed his suitcase away.
Yasmin inserted the card in her purse. She stayed on the queue for a minute.
"Salaam ma'am step forward."
She did as she was told and gave her ticket and some papers to the worker.
The worker stamped it.
"Life is always unfair, but we have to make a choice, there is nothing like wrong decisions in life, making a choice from your heart gives you your right decisions."
Yasmin remembered the wise statement of the psychologist.
"Miss, take your ticket, Miss.. Miss." The airport worker have been hanging her right hand in the air,waving the ticket at Yasmin. "Are you sure you wanna travel? " The worker added.
"I'm not sure. I have a wedding to attend!" Yasmin said with a smile as she ripped her ticket to America apart and shred it into tiny pieces then spray it in the air like a confetti—she turned, pushing her suitcase towards the airport's exit.
Changing her mind.
~The end?~
Author's note
Salamualaykum dear readers; it's been a wonderful journey since the first chapter of this book.
Finally, I've finish the editing process; remember nobody is hundred percent perfect.
Eid Mubarak y'all. It was indeed an Eid with the prince, everyone!