It was nine in the morning, and Zayn had just woken up from a nap that was very needed after fajr. He sat on the bed in the hotel room, while his head rested against the headboard. He was still fatigued.
The previous night had been nothing but levity, nonetheless, it curbed him of sleep. It was hard to believe that an introverted person like him was involved in such a huge circle of friends. Not that he didn't like it. The most beautiful thing about them being an entity was the fact that they had each other's backs through thick and thin.
Who wouldn't love such a sense of belonging?
He forced himself off the bed and grabbed his phone from the night table. His left hand operated the device while his right hand was tucked in his pocket.
A small smile made its way onto his face when he read the date on his phone. It was the 15th of October__ his birthday.
He read a WhatsApp message from Sultan and Mama Aisha wishing him a happy birthday.
His smile broadened.
He exited the app and logged in to his Instagram page. It was filled with most of their events from the previous night.
Several accounts had tagged him in posts and stories, wishing him a happy birthday.
He delighted in it all and replied to the ones he could. However, something didn't feel right. No one in his circle had even posted him or sent him wishes through SMS. Not even one person.
He shrugged it off after deciding not to prod over it. He placed his phone back on the table and headed into the bathroom to freshen up.
A late breakfast was set at the rooftop, and his stomach was already crying to be saved from emptiness.
The process of freshening up was a blur, primarily relying on muscle memory. Soon enough, he was dressed up and left for the rooftop. He didn't bother to check the adjoining rooms for them, because he deciphered that they were already at the rooftop. Even Mariya wasn't in their room when he had woken up.
The elevator ride was short and quiet, with no one joining him on the ride. He appreciated it a lot.
He wasn't surprised to find each of them on the rooftop, already having their breakfast. At a round table that was ladened with various kinds of delicacies. And they didn't even bother to call him.
Eskander really tried with providing the food and accommodations.
" Traitors," he sneered at them, taking a seat beside his brother. " You, especially."
They laughed when he directed the last statement at Mariya.
" Me?" She pointed a fork to herself, laughing lightly. " I just didn't want to wake you up." She defended herself, passing him a glass of water.
He took it from her, muttering a thank you as he looked away.
" That was personal." Nazeera chipped in.
" Someone woke up at the wrong side of the bed today." Emraan pointed out before biting into a piece of his fried egg that was ladened on a fork.
" He sure did," Eskander added. He pushed a plate of chicken wings to Zayn's side of the table, and then a glass of tsobo. " There you go, Maina's essence."
He only nodded and placed his glass of water on the table.
Why was he moody?
He couldn't even justify it.
What's happening?
Breakfast rolled by quite quickly, with his friends filling each other in on their plans for the coming week. It made him start to overthink the workloads that the coming week would bring. He remained quiet most of the time, only chipping into the discussion when needed.
He couldn't deny the relief he felt when Mariya found his hand under the table and gave it a slight squeeze. He raised his gaze to her, only to see a soft smile etched on her face.
If her love was an ocean, just allow him to keep sinking like a wanderer's marble. He reciprocated the smile.
It was simply beautiful. The noise around them faded, as they were shrouded in their own bubble. A world of two.
They were set to leave Abuja for Kano after Asr prayers. We were all done packing before midday and decided to have a last feel of Abuja before leaving, although Haseeb was to stay behind.
Zayn was in the room he shared with Mariya, making a last-minute cross-check, to guarantee they didn't leave anything behind when Mariya entered.
She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She stood there for a while, watching him as he went about his business.
" The weekend is about to end." He spoke, zipping up their suitcase. " Are you ready to get back to work?"
She whined, tickling a throaty chuckle from him.
" Call me lazy, but I'm not ready for it."
She forced herself off the door and made her way toward him. She sat on the bed, while he placed their suitcase beside the night table. He then turned to her and sat opposite her in a way that they were facing each other.
" Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything?" He asked, not moving his gaze from her.
Her brows knitted in confusion as she tried to point out what he was talking about. Their things were properly packed, so what else?
" No," she answered firmly. She was sure of that.
" Okay." His voice was flat.
Nothing really? He wanted to ask, but he kept his words to himself. This was his second birthday with her, and she seemed to have forgotten about it. Maybe he had gotten too used to being wished on his birthday. But it still felt incomplete without her wishing him.
He didn't tear his gaze from her, neither did she. His gaze dropped to her lips, lingering for a while. Something about it told Mariya that there was more to come. She was proven right when he leaned in for a kiss. Her hands moved to the nape of his neck, while his hands supported her back firmly as he dipped her onto the mattress, not breaking the lock of their lips. He hovered above her with his arms propping him up so he wouldn't burden her with his weight.
Mariya didn't miss the rough edge to his gentleness. He was snapping out of control. She smiled against his lips when he pulled back to catch his breath. He didn't move an inch from his position.
Their gazes locked for a moment, and Zayn didn't bother getting lost in her eyes. The very eyes that had mesmerized him from day one. He watched in fascination as they dilated slowly. Nothing about her felt distinct. Not in the least. It was the same Mariya he had fallen in love with, and he loved it that way. He was just about to reach for her once again when she spoke.
" Ashraf," she called, snapping him out of his reverie.
He hummed, clearly not satisfied by the interruption. "Hayati?" Nevertheless, he answered.
" Eskander asked to see you." She informed.
He frowned.
Not when he was in the middle of something important.
" I'll speak to him later." He concluded, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
" Zayn," she nagged. " Go and see him first. It must be something related to work. You can't afford to miss it."
He rolled over and landed on his back with an audible sigh.
" Just go," she instigated. " I'll be right here." She added with a smile.
Zayn decided to listen to her. He put it at the back of his mind to deal with Eskander if it turned out to be something that could wait.
" I'll be right back." He announced before getting up to leave.
Mariya didn't know she had been holding her breath until he closed the door behind him. She had wanted it to continue just as much as he, but there was something really important to be done first.
She picked up her phone and dialed Saratu's number. It didn't take long for the call to get connected.
" It took you this long." Saratu's voice rang in her ears.
" Those two just can't keep their hands to themselves." She heard Yasmeen's voice.
" Yasmeen, just let me grab you. As if you'll not marry." She warned shamelessly.
" Is Zayn out?" Saratu asked.
" Yes, he just went to Eskander's room. Just hurry up and come so we can start to set things up."
" We are coming," Sayida spoke.
" Sayida, don't forget to bring the parcel along." Mariya prompted before ending the call. She blew out a breath before getting up from the bed and making her way to the door.
She was so excited.
*~*
Zayn was just a pinch close to committing murder as he mindlessly watched Eskander ramble about some business ideas that could be beneficial. They sat on a two-sitter sofa in Eskander's private suite. Eskander did most of the talking. Fareed, Emraan, and Haseeb were seated about leisurely. They chose not to join the impromptu meeting.
This man doesn't know the meaning of a weekend vacation, he thought to himself and glanced at his watch.
Thirty-nine minutes had dripped by excruciatingly, and it was still counting. He couldn't concentrate on what Eskander was saying.
" Wait." He raised a finger to emphasize his word.
" Yes," Eskander looked up at him with arched brows.
" Why are we doing this now?" He questioned. Was it only him or nothing seemed to make sense? Everyone was acting sneaky.
Eskander spun his pen between his fingers, trying to make up a tangible reason. He was just doing a favour to his fiancee by keeping Zayn busy for a while.
Zayn shook his head at Eskander when it was clear that he had no answer.
" Seriously?" He deadpanned. " We are on a holiday, dan Allah."
" Just listen to me." Eskander leafed through the file in his hand.
" We were talking about innovative technology..." He paused when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
That was his cue.
He blew out a breath before setting the file aside. "You know what? Let's do this during the weekdays."
Zayn stared at him in disbelief.
" Now, let me escort Your Highness to your room." He got on his feet. " I'm sure I must have interrupted something really important."
Zayn shot him a glare.
" I mean, who doesn't want to be an uncle here?" He tried to justify and turned to the other guys for validation.
Emraan snorted. " I wouldn't mind."
The snort generated a fit of contagious laughter. Emraan really needed to work on his laughter. Like a virus, they all joined Emraan.
Zayn only stared at them, wondering how he got stuck with such friends.
Eventually, they got out and headed to the room Zayn and Mariya shared, talking and laughing with Zayn who had loosened up. He couldn't stay crossed at them for long.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he met with when he entered the suite. It was a sight to behold. He didn't know what stop him from moving away from his spot.
Mariya stood behind a trolley that was ladened with a round chocolate cake. His favourite flavour. It was sizeable. Beside it were two bottles of champagne and a knife to cut the cake. The candles on the cake depicted the number of his age. Thirty-two. He was that old.
Forgetting about the cake, he looked up at the person behind the trolley, onto see her already looking at him, taking in all the expressions that crossed his face.
" Happy birthday, Qalb." She wished him, an ever-beautiful smile on her face.
" Happy birthday!" The entourage echoed simultaneously.
He had forgotten about them for a moment.
That was when everything fell into place. Them pretending as if they had forgotten that it was his birthday, and planning a whole surprise behind his back. They could have fooled him completely. And that meeting with Eskander, he could have done better.
Words would degrade how grateful he felt at the moment. It was wholesome and intimate. It was nothing big, but the effort was all he wanted.
He turned to the rest of them and shot them his widest grin that day.
" Thank you so much."
He walked to Mariya and engulfed her in a warm but short hug. " Thank you, hayati." He kissed her veiled head.
" Now will you agree that you were moody because you thought we had forgotten about your birthday?" Eskander threw at him.
" Can I even deny it?" He countered.
" Guys, this is beautiful." His expression softened. No matter how much he held up himself, there was something about feeling special that intrigued him. Not to discard masculinity, but everyone needed to be treated with some special kind of love. It was a necessity.
" Just wait until you see the gifts." Nazeera chipped in.
" Colour me intrigued."
One by one, they all presented their gifts to him. They were a lot, and he couldn't even choose a favourite one out of them. Fareeda had gifted him a customized babbanriga of her brand. Even Zainab and Ameer had left behind gifts for him. Ameer gifted him a box of chocolates, while Zainab's gift was the painting of a sunflower he had once plucked for her.
He immediately requested video calls through their guardians ( since their parents were in the room with him) and let them know that he had received their presents. They wished him a happy birthday, and there was nothing beautiful like their cute smiles.
After the call with them, he turned to Mariya. She was the last person left to give him a present. Already, their friends had set up their phone cameras to capture the moment.
She handed him something wrapped in dark blue origami paper.
" What is it?" He asked, examining the parcel.
" Open it mana," she urged.
He complied, tearing off the wrapper gently to reveal a black and white picture of them framed in a dark wooden case.
" Wow."
He was mesmerized. He had even forgotten about the existence of that photo. He smiled as he recalled when the photo had been taken. It was at their wedding reception when they smiled after complimenting each other.
Already, he had decided where to keep it__ on his desk at his office. There was no better place.
All their friends gathered to take a look at the picture.
" Ah, love must be sweet," Sayida spoke, ignoring that one person who was stealing glances at her.
" It is," Zayn countered. " You should give it a chance." He knew what he meant by that, and it was confirmed when he shared knowing glances with the men.
" Sara baby, this is enough inspiration." That was Eskander.
Saratu didn't deny it.
" Just be there and be making us feel too single." Yasmeen playfully glared at them.
" We can change that," Fareed spoke.
The whole room went quiet as they swivelled their head to look at who had to look away from his phone because he was done taking a picture of Mariya.
" What?" He questioned their gazes on him.
Everyone knew that they liked each other. They only pretended as if there was nothing between them.
It was Eskander that started to hoot. Emraan joined the cheer, then Haseeb. Zayn only laughed.
Fareed wished the ground would open and swallow him. Luckily, the guys had left Yasmeen out of it.
Mariya shook her head.
" Let's cut the cake now." Fareeda urged.
" We should." Nazeera agreed.
Soon enough, they paved the way for the almost forgotten cake to be cut. When Zayn was asked what he had wished for, he chose that it remained anonymous. They didn't prod further.
They shared the slices of cake amongst themselves, not forgetting the champagne. No one tried to pull any stunt with the cake icing.
It was a day to remember.
They insisted that Zayn and Mariya should dance to wrap the day up. Reluctantly, they agreed. In no time, Eskander had prepared for a Bluetooth speaker. Zayn wondered how many days all that planning took. Fareeda was the one who chose the song they were to dance with. Zayn recognized the song as soon as it started to play. It was always the first of Mariya's playlist during their car rides. It was Paradise by Maher Zain.
It felt as if the world around them had faded out as she danced in his arms once again. The feeling never felt old. They swayed their bodies lightly to the rhythm as Mariya sang the words aloud.
" Now that we're here feeling so good
about all the things that we went through..."
He picked up from there.
"... knowing that God is pleased with us too. It's not a dream this is so true..."
Their friends who had been capturing the moment cheered up when the song slowly came to an end.
He turned to them smiling, as his arm wound around her waist.
" Guys, this is beats everything." He spoke with sincerity. " This has to be the best birthday ever. Thank you."
" You don't need to thank us," Mariya told him. This was the least we could do.
He then turned to Eskander who was whispering something to Saratu.
"Eskander," he called.
Eskander hummed, swiveling his head to look at Zayn.
" That fake innovative idea you were talking about to buy more time for this, let's turn it into a reality."
Eskander smiled sheepishly, scratching the nape of his neck. " Sure."
" Guys, let's raise a toast," Emraan announced.
All eyes turned to him.
It wasn't a bad idea.
All empty champagne flutes were filled, ready for the toast.
Haseeb, the self-appointed cameraman for the guys took a picture of their glasses when they were raised, and then when they were clunked together just before the toast. A perfect feed for his social media.
Mariya did the same with that of the women.
" Cheers to many years of togetherness!"
" Cheers!"
" And more to come," Fareeda added.
In the blur of excitement, Sayida wondered if things would have been the same if Khayra were to be alive.
She brushed the thought away, filling her mind with the thought that everything happened for a reason, and it wasn't her job to bother about things that were out of her capacity to control.
Asr rolled by quickly, and in no time, they were heading to the airport to leave for Kano. This time, with Emraan's private plane.
Fareeda and her husband left for Kaduna while Haseeb had to stay behind. Abuja was his home after all.
Having to say goodbye to Abuja was hard. Who wouldn't like vacations on weekends?
They got to Kano just a few minutes after six pm. They had to stop by the nearer mosque to pray maghrib before heading to their various home. As it was a short ride, they didn't have much to complain about jet lag.
*~*
Haseeb walked through the familiar corridor of his parent's house in Abuja. He preferred it over his penthouse at Maitama. He stopped in front of his room, already fishing his key from his pocket. He was glad to know that his parents weren't at home when he arrived. He wasn't ready to answer their never-ending questions about when he was going to settle down.
He pushed his key into the keyhole and unlocked it. He filed into the room and closed the door behind him. He strode towards his bed and plop onto it. He didn't bother to change his clothes.
His eyes were shut for a brief moment, and the only face he could see was hers. Sayida Maryam Zakeer.
His friends have been teasing them that he liked her, and he couldn't find it in him to deny it. It was clear as day. Even though he had never voiced it out, it was blaring clear in his actions.
He heaved out a sigh and opened his eyes. The first thing that came into his line of sight was a framed picture of him and Khayra that was propped up on the night table beside his bed. A picture they took the day she left Palestine for Nigeria. Her smile was blinding, just like always.
He stared at it for a while and looked away when he felt a lone tear escape his eyes.
" We are sorry, Khayra." He whispered to no one in particular. He would never forgive himself for letting her go. There was no way he would ever move on from her memories. He wiped the lone tear with his fingers.
Haseeb swivelled his head to the door when it swung open. His younger sister stood in the doorway, with her hand on her waist. Firdausi Shamaki.
" Don't you know how to knock? himaara." He shot at her, sitting up on the bed.
" You think donkeys know how to knock before entering a room?" She threw back at him. " Baba asked to see you. He's in the hall."
After doing what brought her, she didn't hesitate to close the door behind her and leave. It was the best for her, otherwise, she would have kissed his shoes.
That woman always found a way to play the strings of his nerves.
Reluctantly, he got off his bed and headed to the living room, where he figured out his parents would be.
Just like he had expected, they were seated together on a loveseat. Their eyes were already trained on him as he walked into the room. He glanced at his mother who looked younger than her age, as sophisticated as ever, in her evergreen atampa. Layla Shamaki. Although she was born and bred in Palestine, everything about her was Nigerian. Probably because she had lived in Nigeria for more than twenty years. She was a split image of Khayra, and it pained him so much. His mother had strong genes. Khayra took after her to the extent that no one would ever think that she was the daughter of a black man. Yet, this woman never seemed to care about her daughter, even after her death.
He turned to his father who stared back at him with a look he couldn't decipher.
" Sannun ku da zuwa," he greeted as he sat on a sofa opposite them.
" Ka dawo?" His mother spoke in a perfect Hausa accent that was to die for.
He nodded.
" What did I tell you about the kind of people you hang out with?" His mother questioned.
Her enquiry creased his forehead with a frown.
" Mama, they are my friends." He pointed out. " Most of them you see there were Khayra's safe space when you two had disowned her."
He resisted the urge to point his fingers at his parents. Rage was flaring through his being, and he didn't find it in him to control it. This night was Khayra's. He had a lot to say to his parents regarding her, and he had been keeping it in him for way too long. This was the night he would bring it all to light.
His sister scoffed. " You cruise with them in Kano and Abuja, attending parties and shows with them and you tell us that they are Khayra's safe space."
His body tensed up as his sister spoke. She didn't have the right to speak to him in that manner.
" Those people were the reason for her death." His mother added.
" Exactly what we are trying to insinuate." His father countered.
He stared at them in silence for a long stretched minute before speaking again.
" You three care about Khayra?"
" Of course," his Layla answered. "She's family."
He let out a humourless chuckle, throwing his head back while his fingers massaged the bridge of his nose.
" You're lying," he started. " Khayra's only fault was being naïve. She made a mistake, and instead of you to sit her down and talk it through with her, you disowned her, all because of your ego. I know she was stubborn, but she was your daughter too." He moved to the edge of the sofa he was seated on, as his hands rested on his knees. He continued. " You left her alone to the world, when she was only young. She had to fend for herself, and she couldn't even confine in me with what was happening to her."
" You think what she did was excusable?" Salman, his father asked.
" She was your daughter. That was what mattered at that time. And you say they were the reason for her death. Let me tell you how she died. She was raped multiple times and the culprit killed her too." He watched as horrified looks crossed their faces.
" What do you mean?" His mother was shocked.
" You heard me right." He knew he was being hard on her, but that was the only option left for him. " How many of you attended her funeral? I wasn't even told about her death, until after months later." He scoffed bitterly. " So henceforth, none of you have the right to say that my friends were the reason for her death when even you didn't try to find out. They were the ones who stood on their feet to see to it that the culprit was punished. Khayra didn't deserve you."
He got on his feet and stormed out of the house, ignoring the beckonings of his parents and sister.
He felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He finally got the chance to point out his family's negligence to them.
Khayra was dead and gone, and they all needed to let her rest in peace.
Hi, guyssss
In case you are curious about why Khayra was disowned by her family, it's going to be in the next book I'm going to release.
It's mostly going to be about Khayra and Zayn.
Mariya is excluded, please.
How was this chapter?
Can't believe I dedicated almost a whole chapter to Zayn's birthday.
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