..."marry her I said, marry Ummulkhayr."
*
Razzmatazz field the environment, cheerful indistinct conversations and brouhaha was coming from all angles of the house. Not that there was too many people there, just an average number of people that came to share the joy and celebrate with the bride and her family.
Well, you can't say, you can't testify that every single person in that house wishes nothing but good to that family, that's why we have our azkar to seek refuse against any evil, ask for Allah's protection, among the rest.
The duo that entered passed by many groups of people, some were chattering, some bickering, some arguing, some cracking jokes, some conversing, some silent, some snapping pictures, some on their phones and lots more. They greeted the groups they thought were necessary and proceeded inside.
"Come with me to maa's room." Sadeeq voiced after they were fully into the house and the noise was lessened. "It's just Mina and her two friends there." He added.
A smiling Aisha followed suit, trailing behind Sadeeq. Entering the room, the noise seems to have died down.
They said the salam and ambled inside. A sad looking bride looked up and them then broke into tears at the sight of her brother then went to him and gave him a tight hug.
"I don't want to leave you." Amina's voice came out broken.
"I don't want you to leave me either." Sadeeq swallowed the lump in his throat and resisted the urge to cry. "But you can stay if you want to, Muhammad will understand." He chuckled.
"I love him just too much to do that." She pulled away and pouted too. Aisha watched the brother and sister duo in awe.
"If you don't want, we'll call off the wedding." Safiyya, Amina's friend joked.
"Why would you call off the wedding?" A dramatic Ruwaida played along.
"Because she's sad." Safiyya replied.
"Oy yeah you're right. Come sit here." Ruwaida patted the space next to her for Aisha who smiled at her and went to sit.
"I'm not sad." Amina defended. "Well, I'm actually sad, it's mixed emotions." She clarified.
"Look at me, Mina." Sadeeq's masculine voice came. "Are you sure you want this?"
She nodded as tears continue to form in her eyes.
"Then do it, I wish you all the best. I'll be coming to visit you, and you will as well, innit?" Sadeeq smiled at his younger sister who nodded.
"If Muhammad makes an attempt to hurt you, I'm one call away, I'll make sure to disfigure his face. I'm giving him my heart so he should treat it with care." He kissed her forehead and she hugged him, sobbing.
"This is so emotional, but, the makeup! You'll look like a smudged cake." Safiyya yelled and Amina pulled away.
"This is Aisha, you've always wanted to see her so I brought her to you, have a good time while I go finish some stuff." Sadeeq told his sister then winked at Aisha, causing them all to gasp and awwn.
"You're the worst friends ever and I'm never missing any of you one bit." Amina mumbled to her two friends and hugged them.
"Note the sarcasm Sofy." Ruwaida laughed and the other two joined.
Let's check Amina's social dictionary a little.
Friends?
No.
Never.
Since her beloved father went missing, and her mother turned cold, she had been so distant, hence, she lost her friends. Safiyya was the only one that stayed-why not, they lived just a house away-while Ruwaida was the one that found goodness in her during her remedial at tertiary institution. And they always had her back.
"Let me introduce to you, our sister-in-law." Amina announced to her friends.
"What?" Safiyya, Ruwaida and Aisha asked unanimously.
"Yes!" Amina confirmed.
"But-" Aisha started but decided against it.
"Your face rings a bell." Amina looked closely.
"Exactly." Safiyya agreed.
"Have we met before?" Amina questioned.
"Yes, we must have, I attended Peak Academy and I think both of you did also." Aisha laughed lightly.
"Aha! That's it." Amina exclaimed. "Wait. You've been together with my brother since then?"
"No, we somehow met on Instagram." Aisha pursed her lips to a thin line.
"How did you manage to sweep him off his feet? Because there's this girl he spent years with her, she eventually got married so it's kinda surprising that he's in love with you." Safiyya blabbed.
"Um, actually, we're not-"
"Mina! Where is this bride?" They heard someone yelled from the hallway. "Oh there you are." The person came into view with a smile on her face.
"Mina what is this? Just look at your face." Munira, Maimuna's sister said, being a little dramatic.
"Aunt Munira, forget about the makeup we'll fix it. Now let me introduce Aisha to you, she's-"
"Oh yes we met outside." Munira interpolated. "Now sit down let's get this makeup fixed."
"Aunt Munira, I think it's better we leave it, we'll retouch it later, let her finish her useless tears first." Ruwaida suggested.
"Sounds like a nice idea." Munira smiled. "I'll go send the cousins to you." Munira smiled and left before they could protest against it.
"Lock the door and we'll keep quiet no matter who knocks. I can't stand a lot of people being in this room." Aisha vocalised and Safiyya locked the door.
They chatted and laughed for a while but no one even knocked on the door, the could hear noises from the corridor sometimes.
"What event is it today?" Aisha asked what she had been wanting to ask.
"He didn't tell you?" Amina narrowed her eyes at Aisha. Aisha shook her head as she grimaced a little.
"It's henna party." Safiyya blurted.
"And the henna artist is not here yet." Ruwaida joined.
"I'm doing mine at night and leaving in overnight, so I don't really care." Amina rolled her eyes at her friends.
"You must do with us, for pictures sake." Safiyya scolded playfully.
"Yeah at least on the palm." Aisha agreed.
"Okay, I will since sister-in-law said I should." Amina gave in.
"Hello maa...yes they are with me...four...okay." Aisha said through the phone and ended the call.
"Maa said the two of you should meet her at the courtyard." Aisha directed to her friends.
"Ooh gladly." Safiyya beamed.
"It's our sister's wedding after all." Ruwaida joined and they went out of the room. Aisha locked the door after them.
"So sister-in-law..." Amina started.
"I'm not your sister-in-law." Aisha smiled as if she didn't say something bitter.
"You mean you guys aren't dating?" Amina asked in a perplexed tone. Aisha nodded.
"You are 'just friends'?" Amina made a quotation gesture with her fingers. Aisha nodded in response again.
"My whole life is a lie." Amina wept dramatically making Aisha to giggle. "Tell me you're joking."
"I'm not joking." She chuckled.
"Wow. But, how about I pair you two, we make it real?" Amina beamed, like a toddler at the sight of his list candy.
"We can't date. We can't marry." Aisha chuckled.
"Oh so you're siblings, I see." Amina said sarcastically.
"That's not the case." Aisha was fidgeting with her fingers and stared down and then.
Amina placed her hands on Aisha's fidgeting fingers, making her to look up at her.
"You can trust me. Tell me everything." Aisha looked up at her and she smiled reassuringly. "Your secrets are safe with me." She said again.
Aisha breathed heavily a few times and smiled awkwardly.
"Listen," Amina moved closer to Aisha. "I am his sister. But whatever you tell me, I promise to keep it from him and do thee needful."
"It's nothing big. Just that I don't ever see him as someone I would want to spend the rest of my life with." Aisha lied smoothly.
"Does he have any red flag?" Amina questioned.
"Not at all." Aisha shook her head. "Just that, it's a strong platonic bond between us, nothing more, nothing less." Share tried to sound normal.
"I see." Amina decided to let it be.
"Let's leave here, people will start coming any minute, it's almost 5pm." Amina spoke and Aisha looked up from her phone.
"Sure."
And they left to the other room opposite the room adjacent to the one they left, where souvenirs were kept.
Aisha unlocked it and they went in. "Oh yes I was looking for you." Aisha said as she sighted Sadeeq just as she was about to enter.
"You go in, I'll join you in a bit." Amina said to Aisha whose eyes were on Sadeeq.
"Okay." She said and he turned, their eyes met, she smiled at her.
"About tomorrow's event that you said..." Aisha heard Amina's retreating voice.
Aisha sat alone in the dimly lit room, looking around as she inhaled the scent of was it cake, or meat pie? Well, something freshly baked.
Her lips were dry and she needed to gloss it. She realised she left her purse in the other room. She thought whether to wait for Aisha but then, few seconds, it's just lipgloss. She thought she should go get it.
She was about to open the door to Maimuna's room when something caught here ears.
"I don't love her, you're making a big deal out of this." She heard Sadeeq's voice low but angry.
"I'm a psychologist y'know." Amina's voice came. Aisha could see her arms akimbo since the door wasn't completely locked.
"Huh, you're an accountant." Sadeeq said in a boring tone.
"It doesn't matter since I can read through people." Amina thundered but her facial features softened almost immediately. She huffed and sat on the table in front of the chair in the room and dragged Sadeeq to sit on the chair. Now Aisha could only see Sadeeq.
"Give her a chance. I have a feeling that she'll fix you." Tears begin to form in Amina's eyes but Aisha couldn't see because she was backing the door. She could only see Amina's back and Sadeeq's shoulder. "Mu-hammad fixed me too." She almost stuttered.
"He did?" Sadeeq looked up, looking pale.
"In love, there's cure. Trust me." Amina tried to sound convincing.
"I can't do this to Jasmine. Aisha is just my friend because she came when I had no one, I'm just with her because I'm sick and tired of being alone, because I was bored and once I get over this feeling, or she gets married, we're definitely parting." Aisha was taken aback and she gasped.
"You're just using her?" Amina asked in a broken voice.
Meanwhile Aisha palmed her face and left saying, "that's what you get for eavesdropping." Totally forgetting about her purse.
"To fill the void in my heart." Sadeeq completed, his head in his hands.
Amina's lips stretched into a smile, knowing what that meant. "It's okay." She said and went to sit beside him, then pulled him into a hug.
"Wonderful." Maimuna's voice came as she smiled at her children. "I've always told you, you don't belong here and you'll leave one day. You didn't prepare for it." The last statement came out as a question although it was a statement.
Amina just smiled sadly as she wiped her tears.
"You looked beautiful." Something about the way Sadeeq said ‘beautiful’ wasn't right. So Amina went to see for herself in the mirror.
Smudged cake!
Amina rolled her eyes. "I left Aisha all alone, I'll go with her." She picked up a pack of wipes to clean off the mess on her face.
"Barauniya!(thief)" Amina heard, making her to avert her attention to the sound.
"Wallahi I wasn't–" Aisha was trying to defend herself as more women and children went to surround the scene.
"Rufa mun baki!(shut up!)" A slap accompanied that. Amina's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped whilst Aisha's hand went to her face intuitively.
"What's going on here?" Sadeeq's voice was heard.
"Sata na kama ta tana yi(I caught her stealing)." The giant woman that slapped Aisha said as she pointed at her. Sadeeq's eyes landed on Aisha who was looking down but he could tell there was tears in her eyes.
"You're not supposed to do this Jamila." Jamila's mother, Raliya, walked into the scene.
"Haba Jamila." Maimuna went there too
"What do you mean haba?" Jamila retorted.
"You shouldn't do this." Maimuna voiced.
"Aunty Maimu I caught her stealing some of the souvenirs. Ban ma san yadda akayi ta shiga cikin dakin ba(I don't even know how she got into the room)." Jamila was fuming with rage.
"Ya zaa yi kice haka a gaban mutane?(How could you say that in front of people?)" Aunt Raliya said after chasing the rest away and it's was just the six of them in the hallway—Maimuna, Raliya, Sadeeq, Jamila, Amina and Aisha.
"Bakuwar Sadeeq ce fa(She's Sadeeq's guest)." Maimuna thundered. "You always cause trouble Jamila."
Safiyya walked in with Ruwaida.
"Haka kikayi tarbiyan 'ya 'yan ki?(Is that how you trained your children?) That he even has girl someone to bring home as a guest, you don't know what's between them kuma hankalin ki ya kwanta da hakan?(and you're okay with that?). Well, that's likely to happen since you casted a spell on my uncle and made him disappear into thin air, had it been the father was here, all these–" Jamila was cut short by a resounding slap on her right cheek then another followed on her left cheek in less than a second.
It was believed that the first also would he more painful since it was done by a left hander.
It was Maimuna that slapped her after Sadeeq.
"All because of this thief?" Jamila mouthed and Sadeeq gave her a backhand slap on her right cheek.
"Yes and again, for insulting my mother." Sadeeq gritted at his cousin.
"God knows, this woman is trying amma kina bata kunya Jamila(but you're disappointing her Jamila." Amina finally talked, referring to Aunty Raliya.
"What part of I caught her stealing don't you understand?" Jamila thundered as she stomped her foot.
"I can't stoop as low as to trying stealing your souvenirs, I can buy this your golden accessories if I want." Aisha finally spoke. Of course she could, the properties her father left for her and her siblings.
"She wasn't actually stealing. I told her to wait for me in there because I didn't want anyone to disturb us. I have the key with me." Amina explained.
"Forgive her please." Raliya said to Aisha.
"I'll do that because of you." Aisha gave her a small smile.
"Maimu–" Maimuna raised her palm to stop her.
"It's okay, I'm used to hearing all of that." She gave a pale smile and Rakiya returned the favour and walked away with her daughter as she uttered what they couldn't hear to her.
"Get inside." Sadeeq said to the four women. They all went in leaving Aisha outside, she wanted to leave that instant.
"Take care of maa." Sadeeq said to Amina.
"Are you okay?" He asked Aisha and she shook her head.
"Let's get you out of here." He held her hand but she withdrew it and pretended to wipe her eyes.
She followed him to another part in the house, where there was no one, just a few workers.
"Calm, it's my room." Sadeeq voiced carefully and went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
It's was a simple yet elegant room but that was the least of Aisha's concern.
"Are you okay?" He asked affectionately as he sat beside her on the chaise lounge, dropping the bottle of water on the floor after pouring it into a cup.
She shook her head. "I want to go home." She looked terrified but managed to look beautiful and innocent. Weird.
"Take water." He handed her the cup and she took it slowly.
Sadeeq's hand went to the side of Aisha's face in an attempt to adjust her veil.
"Where's the pin?" He asked.
"It must have fell during that incident." She sipped from her water to avoid feeling vexatious.
"Oh Allah, you wounded yourself." He trailed his hand on the little cut just close to her ear.
"Yeah it must be the pin." She quickly removed his hand, pretending to trailed the place too.
"I'm sorry about what Jamila did." He voiced.
"It's okay. I'll get going." She just wanted a place to cry her heart out. She couldn't contain the thought that Sadeeq was just using her.
"No please stay. Henna will look so beautiful on your hands." He smiled at her.
"I, I really need to leave." She said.
"Please stay." It was hurting him to see her that way. His family humiliated her, she got accused and slapped. Nah, that was too much.
"My ride will be here in less than.." she checked her phone. "...five minutes."
"But when did you even call order for that?"
"None of your business." She sounded emotionless, not meeting his eyes.
Sadeeq looked at her deeply, pursed his lips to a thin line and clenched his jaw, unclenched, clenched again.
He didn't know what that was, but he definitely felt terrible seeing her that way, he would do anything to make her okay, back to how she was, the real her. He was looking for a solution to that, let her just be okay and not be hurting anymore, it hurt him to see her hurting because he brought her there and because of what her family did to her.
"I didn't steal anything by the way. I was just—" then, he did the unexpected, what he thought would be best for that moment. Little did know, that was only going to make things worse than they are.
As his lips moved against hers in a slow kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Entwining his left hand with her right hand, his other hand left her waist and before he knew it, she pushed him and slapped him hard.
"How dare you, Sadeeq?" She rose to her feet and walked away.
__________________
You can all flog me if you want to. Amman dai ayi mun hakuri🙂.
I even wanted to give you guys double update to compensate but I've been having issues with my wattpad so I thought of dropping this rather than keeping my loves waiting for much longer.
Don't forget to vote, comment and share. I take God beg una.
Thank you,
Fatiimah.