His eyes were fixed on the road while his hands expertly moved the steering wheel around, she didn't know what had gotten into her to be staring at him this hard without an ounce feeling of shame that he might at any minute and he will find her staring. Something clicked in her brain, they had never spoken about her house, she didn't have his number nor did he have hers. How did he get all that within just a day? Or he dialled his number on her phone and tracked her address? No, he couldn't do that, she even had a password on her phone.
"How did you find my house?" She asked, and for a split second, he turned to look at her before he looked back on the road.
"Sulaiman gave it to me from your file, anything?" She shook her head, she needn't ask where he had gotten the number from, because she was certain it would be the same story as well.
They drove in utter silence while she thought about the possibilities of this being real. She hadn't forgotten what he had said, 'Beautiful. You look so amazing.' Jalilah knew that she would have those words carved into her mind for eternity, even the voice he spoke them with was exceptional, he didn't look himself.
"Are we there already?" She turned around while looking at the place he had driven in, he looked at her and nodded before he took his eyes off her. She was it was okay for him to be changing within minutes, but she didn't like this Yazeed anymore, she wanted the old him. The Yazeed that could be a parcel delivery man just to surprise. But she didn't voice a word out about how he had changed, she knew he would be back to his normal self within some time.
They got out of the car and she waited until he locked it before she walked to where he stood, "Which movie are we watching?" She asked with a hint of excitement on her lips, Yazeed loved to see her this happy.
"The invisible man." Came his short reply and she internally rolled her eyes before they walked into the building side by side.
He had already gone to buy their tickets when she spotted some popcorn and chocolate and she walked to the stall. She bought two for them and walked back to where she had left him. The first thing he said to her after he saw her was, "Where did you go? I've been looking for you."
She sly smiled and decided to tease him for a while, "Did you freak out that I might be lost?" No answer, just a hard glare that forced a pout out of her lips, "Come on, I just bought us some popcorn and chocolates, that's all." She brought forward all the things she had bought and Yazeed shook his head before he motioned for her to go in.
They walked side by side but with no voice shared that Jalilah wished she had stayed in her apartment, she would have had her work done b now and she would have danced to her brim, easing off her mind. They found their seats and sat down, she handed him the popcorn and when she gave him the chocolate, he shook his head.
"I don't take too much sugar, you can have it." She placed it back on her laps and turned to face him fully before the movie started.
"Please, can I not refer to you as the boss? Because right now I'm so pissed and if I do..." He didn't let her finished her sentence when he cut her off.
"You might want to punch me so hard that the security agencies around will come to my aid, right? Go on, no boss today until on Monday." He tried smiling but it came out as forced, that wasn't what Jalilah wanted to see. She wanted the real cheerful Yazeed that put no effort in being happy for himself.
"That will be it, but not enough. Because even if they rescue you from me, I'll make sure to throw something destructive at you so that you'd be forced to the hospital because you can't even move a limb. But please, I don't like this coldness, you brought me here so I could at least feel alive for a day, feel like there's more to life than hitting the buttons on my keyboard, why would be you sulking you face all along? You know I can't enjoy it this way, right?" Her voice nearly broke at the end, but she held a stoic expression. She knew they weren't a thing, him bringing her for a movie didn't mean anything to him, but to her, it was the everything and more.
"I'm not sulking my face, you're just conjuring things in your mind." He shook his head, but Jalilah was so stubborn to let it slide.
"Was it because you said I looked beautiful and now you regret every bit of it?" She had to ask because she had noticed since he said that his mood had changed and he had been doing nothing but fixing his eyes on the road as if it what the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He palmed his face and heaved out an exasperated sigh, she was so cute and stubborn at the same time. Yes, maybe that was his reason of sulking his face because he had realized he was only making things worse for her, even though he knew he wasn't supposed to do this, he wasn't supposed to say things, he did. Because he felt light within when he did, and he wished he could fight himself about that.
"So you need an apology now? And no, that's not my reason. It's just a mood that strikes, nothing more."
She turned away from him with the pout more prominent on her face, crossing her hands over her chest, Jalilah spoke again. "Yeah, the mood of course. I wonder how you could like a lady during her period at times. This minute you're all smiley and happy and the next you look so sad that it scares me out."
For the first time in her life, she heard Yazeed's laughter that she had to turn to make sure he was the one. "For real?" Those were the words he kept repeating while laughing and Jalilah fixed her eyes on him to have a soul satisfaction. She knew that she had told this to herself, that Yazeed was handsome, unnaturally handsome even. But she could swear that nothing could beat the laughing Yazeed. He looked so carefree and happy that she wished he could stay like this forever.
After he sobered up, it was so hard to stop laughing but he had to, because of the way she was shamelessly staring at him that she was beginning to make him uncomfortable. "Okay, I've never thought you could think this of me. I don't even know what to say, thank god I'm a man. But, has anyone ever told you you're crazy? I can't wrap it around my head how you could even think this of me, just because I don't smile often doesn't make me that way."
"You need to see the way you looked as you laughed, it was so amazing. Please laugh often and smile as much as you can. And yes, my best friend makes sure I know that more than a zillion times a day."
"I'll smile often to prove your words wrong."
"But you have to take these chocolates, they're so sweet. And no, I don't mean in a sugary way, but sweet in sensation, you won't regret taking them."
He looked at the bunch of chocolates she was handing him and wondered what he was going to do, he wished he could say no but it would be another problem. Maybe she would say he acted like a pregnant woman next time? He didn't know the way she thought nor was he able to predict her thoughts. She was so irrotational at times.
"I'd take one, it's fine, right?" He asked and she reluctantly nodded her head. He picked one of the chocolates on her palms and they all turned their attentions to the front, the movie was getting started.
She had herself immersed in the movie that Yazeed safely stare at her without any obstruction. He slightly turned and fixed his eyes on her, everything she did looked beautiful on her. From the way, her eyes dilated when something terrified her, which was everything because it was a horror movie. To the way she eased herself and a smile began to slowly found its way to her lips, she looked so relaxed and happy even though the moving was thrilling.
Jalilah couldn't understand how someone could kill himself and use his scientific knowledge to bring himself back to life as a ghost or whatever it was just because he wanted to get back at his ex, because who did that? She turned to look at Yazeed, to say her mind out and today, she met the most horrific and in other words, mind-blowing thing ever. Yazeed had his eyes yanked off from the screen and he had fixed them on her like he was looking at her as if she was the only thing that mattered. This had got to be the happiest she could ever be today.
When he realized she was staring at him, he smiled softly. "Do you need anything?"
She shook her head, but there was an appreciative smile on her lips, so cool that it calmed his mind. "No, I was just wondering how he could kill himself just because he wanted to get back at his ex-girlfriend, not even his ex-wife, what's his name again? Yeah, Griffin. Don't you find it weird? And why can't the police believe her?"
He chuckled softly and shook his head, "I'm not among the filming crew nor am I the writer, we just have to watch and if you aren't enjoying it we can leave."
She quickly shook her head, "No, come on. I'm enjoying every inch of it. I'm just curious." She turned back to the screen and he did that as well.
One of the most horrifying scenes of the movie was flashed and Jalilah didn't know when she half screamed and took a hold of his hand that was between them. She had her eyes tightly closed as she slightly shivered. "Oh my god, what just happened. If they pass this scene, please let me know."
He looked at how, how she had clutched her eyes shut and was holding his hand so tight as if her life depended on him. He chuckled and taunted, "Oh come on, didn't you love every inch of the movie? Open your eyes and watch it."
She didn't budge, "You brought me here because you know this will haunt me in my dreams for days, right?"
"I just watched the trailer and knew you'd love it, maybe even get some crazy ideas from it."
She slowly began to open her eyes until she fully opened them on his face, she was still holding his hand and she felt the way he had tightened his hold on her, this had got to be the most amazing gesture she had ever gotten from him. And so far, she had gotten a lot. "I don't think I need some crazy ideas to form this movie, but I surely need the perfect ways to plan an untraceable murder successfully."
He made a face and laughed lightly, "Where I'd be your victim without a doubt." She nodded her head at him and quickly turned her eyes back to the screen when she heard a sound. She knew she had to release his hand, but a huge part of her didn't want to do that, to him, it looked like he didn't notice they were holding hands. And she smiled to herself and herself, getting the best she could get from today.
❤︎
The movie was over and the lights were turned on, Jalilah turned to look at him with an appreciative smile that spoke how happy she had been for today. "That was amazing, I think I'll rewatch it at home."
He wasn't able to reply her when his phone began ringing and he slipped his hand out of her home, she instantly felt empty and cold and a certain feeling of yearning surged through her heart that she had to place her hand over her chest to calm her racing heart down, that was so bad.
He stood up a few seconds after he had picked the call and the next thing she heard was, "Oh my god! Really? We'll be in the hospital shortly." He said excitedly and looked at her with the widest smile she had ever seen on his face.
"Ilham has put to bed, and it's a boy." Jalilah instantly stood up, forgetting that she had a leftover of her popcorn and it got splattered all over the floor.
"Oh my god, should we leave already? Can I go and see the baby?" She liked babies, no, she loved babies. Was it because she had never gotten to see one in their house? Because even when Fareeda and Fareed were brought, they were five years old.
He looked at how excited she was and softly nodded his head, "Can we leave already?" He asked eagerly and she chuckled before she nodded her head.
They walked out of the building and Jalilah could see the smile on his face, she wasn't just exaggerating when she thought that Yazeed had never looked this happy, and even while he drove, that wide smile was still on his face. "You've never looked this happy, do you love babies so much?"
He turned to look at her, his eyes twinkling with so much love for the baby but she didn't miss a gleaner of sadness across his eyes. It was both a mixture of happiness and sadness and Jalilah found that amazing. How could a person have such powerful emotions at the same time in his heart? He surely had a very good soul.
He nodded his head at her with so much innocence dripping from his eyes, "Yes, I love them so much. And this particular one, his name is Yazeed Insha Allah."
"Oh my god! No wonder you're so happy, Masha Allah. I can't wait to see your name jr." She smiled and looked through the window.
Yazeed stared at her through his peripheral view with a teasing smile, "What's can't wait to see your name jr? And what's my name?"
She looked at him and didn't miss the humour in his tone, "Your name is your name, you just said it a few minutes ago."
He shook his head, "No, that's not what I want to hear. What's my name? Or is it that you can't say my name out loud, Jalilah?" Dear heart, please don't kill me this minute! She had to beg her heart to stop racing the way it did. And she had heard of the saying that when you heart or felt something good, the butterflies in your stomach rose and fluttered their wings. By Allah, she felt every inch of that, and when they rose, they painted an amazing blush on her cheeks.
"Please, say that again. Ya Allah, my name has never sounded this good!" She squealed after she had gotten a hold of herself because it was a whole battle when she heard the way her name sounded on his lips, she nearly drooled.
He chuckled and shook his head, "I'm not saying it again, I just called your name so you could know that I know what you're called. Now, what's my name?"
She shook her head with a pout, "I assure you your name wouldn't sound as good as my name sounds on your lips. Please say it again, I even want to record it for future reference, that way when I get back home, and I tell Mama that my name has never sounded so good until you say it, she wouldn't say I'm just exaggerating."
She pulled her phone out and got into the recorder, without doubt, she moved the phone closer to him and gave him her best puppy smile, "Please, say it again. Please?"
While battling to set his eyes on the road and her face, Yazeed looked at her for a brisk second before he turned back to the road. "I'll say it again, but only on one condition."
"Yes, what's the condition?" She asked desperately.
"What's my name? Answer the question first and I promise I'll say your name again until you ask me to stop."
"Oh come on, Yazeed. You know I can't say your name out loud, right?" The moment she closed her lips, she didn't realize what she had done until she heard the peal of laughter that escaped from his lips and that was when she recalled every word she had uttered and how she had called his name while implying she couldn't say it out loud.
"That sounded like a nice word, Jalilah."
"It's not a nice word, it's your name. And you said that I'll be saying my name until I ask you to stop."
"Yes, Jalilah." She laughed and placed the phone between them so she could record every word they had shared.
"I don't know how she's feeling, but she must have been the happiest woman right now. I'm so happy for her."
"Who are you referring to? That friend of yours that always makes you scream on the phone?" He turned to look at her for a minute before he looked back on the road.
Until his words registered into her brain and she realized he was talking about Farha, she had never laughed this freely. She could imagine what Farha would say if she told her what he said about her. "Oh my god, Farha will kill you in her dreams today. Farha, that's her name, and she's one of the most amazing souls out there. She finds you so cool and amazing though, I know she won't be angry at you for long. She might even be happy that you know her."
"Say that again, how did she know I exist?" The moment those words slipped out of his lips, Jalilah palmed her lips and closed her eyes.
"I don't know either, she just knows." She answered him through gritted teeth and closed her eyes. She reached out for her phone while muttering, "I can't have this conversation recorded." He snatched the phone away before she reached it and placed it on his laps.
"You can't record it, Jalilah. Just how does she know me? Wait, don't tell me, who were you referring to on that day? Something about a whole freaking angel sitting beside you was it..." He let his words trailed off and enjoyed the look on her face, she still had her eyes clenched shut, desperate for him to end the conversation like she had never done before, "Me?"
"Oh my god! No, hell, how could it be you? Ya Rabb, will you please pretend I didn't say all that? Wait, no, you weren't the one, she was telling me about her boyfriend." The way she was rambling without taking her breath and she was thinking of the possibility of taking her phone if only he hadn't placed it on his laps.
He chuckled and handed her back the phone, "Calm down, don't suffocate yourself, Jalilah."
She collected the phone and looked away from him through the window. She hadn't faced him until they arrived at the hospital and she got down, suddenly eager to see the baby. They walked side by side even though there were no words shared between them, but she loved it even when they said nothing. He guided them to the room Sulaiman had texted him and she stopped moving when they got there.
"I don't think I should get in now, you should. I'll wait for you here."
He turned to look at her, all the serious Yazeed was back, "What does that mean? We came here to see the baby, you have to enter."
She pouted and her shoulders slumped. "What I'm trying to say here is, they didn't know you're coming with me. Her family and yours too, because Sulaiman's family are yours, might be here already and I can't walk inside together with you. They will raid questions on you and you know? Just get in, you were so excited to see the baby."
He shook his head, "Our families and hers too are all in Kebbi, they aren't here yet. Maybe one cousin or two, and Sulaiman knows we're together, I'm sure Ilham knows too."
It took him sometime before he was able to convince her and they walk inside together. He was the first one that entered the room and his eyes fell on Sulaiman that held the baby while Ilham tiredly rested her body on the bed head as they conversed with loving yet tired smiles on their faces. The moment Sulaiman saw him, he stood up and walked up to him, handing him the baby.
"I was waiting for you to say the Iqamah for him and name him; Yazeed Sulaiman Bunza. Congratulations, Yazeed." He tentatively collected the baby and his eyes turned into an emotion he had never felt before, it felt like holding his child for the first time. And when Sulaiman congratulated him, he felt all jitter within.
"You're even congratulating me, Sulaiman? I don't even know what to say." He chuckled amidst his choked up emotions and brought the baby's forehead to his lips, giving him a forehead kiss.
"May he lead a happy life full of faith and success." He silently prayed, and they answered with smiles on their faces.
But one thing Jalilah had noticed was, as much as she was certain they were all happy, something was amiss. It felt like sadness still lingered somewhere in their hearts, most especially Yazeed that had his eyes fixed on the boy. If she didn't know him, she would have said he was nearly going to break down, but she knew it would never be him. Even if he was going to break down, it will when he was alone.
"Come in, Jalilah." Ilham broke the silence with a slurred voice and all eyes were turned to her.
Yazeed looked up at her with a smile and nodded his at her, "Come and see him, Jalilah."
She smiled and walked up to him, she stood beside him and stared at the baby's face. "He's so cute, Yazeed jr." She smiled when their eyes met.
"I think we should call him something apart from Yazeed, having the same name as his father isn't something good. Like what if he's all grown up and they're together? Someone might call out to one of them and they'll all turn?" That was Sulaiman, and even though he was joking, Yazeed knew he was initiating that so they could all think about it.
"No please, let's all call him Yazeed." He said and when Jalilah noticed that his hands were shaking a bit, she knew she had to do something lest she wanted Yazeed jr to be hurt.
"Can I hold him?" She asked and he appreciatively nodded his head before he spoke.
"Yes please, I need to calm my racing heart after seeing this bunch of cuteness." They chuckled and he watched as she stretched out her hands, waiting for him to drop the baby on it. He carefully placed the baby down but he realized their hands were touching and before he could take his hands off he had to make sure she was holding the baby. Their eyes were all fixed on the baby when they heard the shutter sound of the camera and they turned to where the sound came from after he successfully handed her the boy.
"Please, you all need to see this picture." Jalilah looked at the beholder of the voice and then back to their faces, but she saw that none of them was surprised. She turned again and she was smiling widely at her.
"Wafiyya?" She asked, finding it so hard to believe her eyes.
"Jalilah is, you look so cute holding that baby together."
Jalilah closed her eyes and shook her head for a while to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Are you their...?" She couldn't even bring herself to ask the question, because it was clear she was.
"Yes, I am. My name is Wafiyya Kamal Bunza, another cousin." She chuckled and Jalilah tried so hard to understand.
"You didn't...?" She let her words trailed off because she couldn't imagine what would happen, how embarrassed she would be if Wafiyya had told her cousin everything.
She came to where she was and side hugged her, whispering into her ears, "Act your normal self, girl. How could I reveal all that? He'll burn us together." She chuckled and brought her phone to her face, "Look at this picture, isn't it amazing? I'll send it to you all now, check it out and rate my photography skills."
Their phones beeped at the same time and she guided Jalilah to a sofa before she got the chance to take a look at the picture. It was a picture of them when he was handing her the baby and their eyes were all staring at his face, they looked like they were the parents, and even though Jalilah was shy about the picture, she loved every bit of it.
She instantly sent it to Farha with the caption, 'He's going to be the father of my children.'
She turned her phone into silent mode and locked it because she knew the moment Farha saw this message, nothing could stop her from raiding her phone with calls and messages and she knew she couldn't answer to all Farha would have to say in front of them.
She looked up at Ilham that had this soft yet mischievous smile on her lips while she stared at her phone, "Yazeed, have you seen the way you two look in this picture? Ya ilahi!" She exclaimed and turned to look at Sulaiman, "Don't you think we have to give them Yazeed jr for some time? He looks so much like them."
Wafiyya laughed and shook her head, "Ilham, I don't know where you have gotten this idea from, but by Allah, it looks like the best idea." She turned to look at Yazeed, "Bunza jr, should we give him to you?"
"Wafiyya," Yazeed warned through gritted teeth and she lifted her hands in surrender.
"I wasn't the one that initiated it, the baby's mother does. As much as she loves her baby, she is willing to give it to you as long as you'll get yourself a bride like my amazing friend. She's the only one we want, it's even high time you get married wallah because we ca-" she wasn't able to finish her sentence when Yazeed threw a bottle of water at her and she quickly dodged it, the whole room arose with laughter.
Jalilah was thankful that after she had given the boy to Yazeed to say the Iqamah to him, Sulaiman quickly diverted their conversation into something else. But she found it so hard to even know what they were talking about, she just wanted to go home. As if he heard her unvoiced plea, he turned to look at her.
"Should I take you back home now?" She nodded her head not meeting his eyes.
"Yazeed, will you please drop me off too? Umma said I bring some things to Ilham, and I didn't come with my car. Before you even say no, you know I owe you a lot."
Yazeed turned to Sulaiman with an exasperated look, "You alone knows how much I hate this girl, Sulaiman. Ilham, I'll be back shortly, what do you want me to bring for you?"
She giggled, "It's your way of saying I'm your favourite cousin after Sulaiman. Jalilah, let's go already, he can't say no to me."
"I think I'd like ice cream," Ilham replied to him because she was sure he was going to ignore Wafiyya for all he could.
"Babe, you can't take ice cream," Sulaiman corrected and turned back to Yazeed, "Just bring her maybe suya or something that she would love to eat."
They were walking out of the room when they heard Ilham's voice, "Yazeed, make sure you bring Jalilah to the naming ceremony. I'll wait for her arrival." Jalilah congratulated them once again and she promised Ilham that she would come to the naming ceremony, Insha Allah.
They walked to the car in utter silence with Wafiyya having a phone call with her mother about the things she should bring to the hospital. Throughout their sojourn, they didn't share a word until he dropped Wafiyya off and she leaned onto his window.
"Yazeed, will you please come back to take me to the hospital on your way? My car is with the mechanic and the drivers aren't around."
"Take an Uber, I have important things to do. And last I recalled, I'm not your driver, Wafiyya."
"At least you know my name. Bye, Jalilah." She rolled her eyes at him and waved at Jalilah until they disappeared from her sight.
Jalilah turned to look at him after he had parked and managed to smile, "Thank you so much for today, it's so refreshing."
"You're welcome, Jalilah. I'll send you an email with..."
She used her palmed and blocked her two ears while she whined outwardly, "Please, not work again. Wallah, I want to rest and think about nothing but my Korean oppas, I promise I'll work so hard on Monday."
The way she acted forced a chuckle out of his lips and he nodded his head at her, "Get ready to work so hard on Monday then."
She hopped out of the car and leaned onto her window, "You should smile more often, it looks so good on you. Oh, I wish I could emphasize that enough. And I forgot to mention, you have a lovely family there."
He only stared at her with the kind of smile he was sure she would love, and she waved happily at him before she walked into the house. The moment she slumped onto her sofa with a loud squeal, she brought her phone out and saw tons of notifications from Farha, she laughed. Today had been amazing, embarrassing and funny altogether.