"Thanks for opening up to me." He said as they strolled out of the house to the parking lot.
"I should be the one thanking you." She smiled at him, a smile extending appreciation.
"You did a lot for me, I Promise to give the company my best and pay you back."
"It's my pleasure, consider it a gift from me." He replied.
"Thanks, but I can't accept it as a gift, allow me to pay it back."
"Fine! You win as usual!" He surrendered his hands in the air while they reached his car.
"But since you insist, I don't want you to pay me back with money, I have enough of that." He said further with a lingering smile on his face.
"Oh really?" She chuckled. "So what does my boss want?"
"I want something special." He grinned leaning towards her.
"Like?" She mutters taking a step backward till she hits his car and she has no choice but to remain a statue.
"Why are you running, I don't bite, do I?" He smirked resting his hands on her shoulder, they stood an inch apart, Hanan could barely breathe properly as she found their position awkward, and with a laugh, she pulled his hands away.
"Hands off! You're now my boss, not just a friend, we can't be too casual."
"We aren't at the office and neither is this working time." He smiled as he shifted away from her face to stand beside her.
"Okay, so what is it that you want?" She asked.
"You will get to know soon not now but soon."
"Hmm! I hope it doesn't surpass my power."
"It won't, I assure you, so is there anything else you need before I leave?"
"No, You've done more than enough, you may leave."
"Good and be sure to resume early on Monday, and I have a surprise for you." He says walking into his car.
"Surprise? What surprise?" Hanan asks.
"The surprise will be here soon, goodnight." He replies while switching on his car to leave.
"Faruk, please tell me before you leave."
"It will no longer be a surprise then, bye!" He waves steering his car away.
"Have a safe drive!" She waves back while wondering what the surprise could be.
She walks back to her newly acquired studio apartment feeling happy and grateful.
Faruk didn't only secure her a job as an associate attorney in his Law firm but he also lavishly furnished her apartment with just everything a house requires.
She was shocked to meet a furnished house as she wasn't expecting it, she was rather expecting an empty apartment but here she was in her own well-furnished space thanks to him.
"He has surprised me enough so what more surprise does he have now?" She mutters as she locks her door, she walks to her suitcase picks out a nightwear, has a cold shower, says her night prayers, and heads to the grocery bag Faruk has gotten for her.
She had zero interest in switching on a lighter or cooking, so she decided to have yogurt along with her leftover toasted bread for dinner.
She placed them before her ready to dig in when her phone rang.
"Abdul? " She mutters as she picks up her phone.
"Not now Abdul, I need more time." She sighed hanging the call as she heard a loud knock on the door.
"Pitch, it's me, open up!" A voice could be heard.
"Who's that?" She mutters hesitating to open up not until she confirms the owner of the voice through the pigeonhole.
"Amira!?" Hanan's mouth went wide open as she opened the door to see her friend at the door.
"Baby!" Amira laughed throwing her arms around Hanan, they shared a tight hug.
"Amira? you're back? When?" Hanan asks in surprise.
"Long story cut short, firstly let me in."
"Of course, you're welcome into my humble abode." Hanan laughed.
"Thank you." Amira smiled dragging her bag in.
"When did you return? You told me you were returning tomorrow and how did you find my house?"
"It's a surprise." She replied as she strolled around the room till she got to the bed.
"Geez! Your bed is so soft, I love it!" She laughed pouncing on it.
"Oh! Now I get, so this was Faruk's surprise?" Hanan sighed while joining her on the bed.
"Yep!"
"I swear! I'm so glad to have you around, but how did you get here?"
"Faruk shared your address so I begged Amir to drop me off for a sleepover."
"Amir? Is he still around?"
"No, he's headed to his fiancee's place, it's two days to his wedding."
"Oh, so how is Uma and Daddy, and how did your shopping go?"
"All fine, and where is everyone? Abdul and Nanny Ann, I'm so eager to meet them."
"Well, I don't live with them, we live separately." Hanan sighed.
"Why? I thought you lived together as a family?"
"Not till today, I just got a job so I decided to move out of home to be closer to my office."
"Oh, well if you're fine with it then who am I to complain? I love the house it's beautiful and comfy."
"Thanks, Let me get you something to eat."
"Nooo! I had dinner before I came so don't bother, let's just catch up on everything I've missed, I've missed you a lot you know."
"Same here." Hanan pouts. "Well, let me gist you, so, I got a job not based on my merit just a friendly connection."
"Really?" Amira gasps.
"Yeah, Faruk employed me at his Law firm and I'm starting Monday!" Hanan squealed happily.
"Woah! That's huge, congrats babe, you deserve it." Amira cheered.
"Thanks, so that's all you've missed, how about yours, how is Amir's wedding preparation moving?"
"It's this Saturday and it's so stressful, two events on the same day, the wedding and the reception party, thanks to you for running my errand, Our outfit will be glamorous."
"What are friends for? I will do it a thousand times." Hanan smiled.
"You're such a sweetheart, well, I planned a date."
"A date? You've got a guy and I'm not aware till now!? Hanan scowls. "Who is he And How did you meet?" She asks drawing closer to her friend.
"What!?"Amira chuckled trying to hold in her outburst but she later gave in laughing hard till tears dropped out of her eyes.
"What's so funny?" Hanan laughed back.
"You dumbo! Your expression was priceless, and don't you know me by now? I will never keep a thing from you, If I find a date you will be the first to know."
"So what date were you referring to?"
"Our date, I planned a date for us, we just graduated we need to completely relieve school stress and get pampered, we will get a spa done, fix our nails and hair too, especially for Amir's wedding, we need to look our best."
"Okay! But you know I'm just gonna be a guest at the wedding, I can't...
"Bla bla bla! You've started with your lame excuses again, how do you make excuses for everything?" Amira sighed shooting her a quick glare.
"I don't...
"Well I don't care, coz I won't listen to you anymore, you have to look exclusive, who knows, you might meet your prince charming at the wedding."
"And you've also started, forget about my prince charming and search for yours."
"Yeah, I might be lucky to meet mine too!" She blushed pretending to daydream.
"I can't wait for Amir's big day, and I can't wait for them to make me an Aunt as well, his bride is a beauty and Amir is also good-looking, so I'm sure they will make cute nieces and nephews for me."
"Insha'Allah, and speaking of Amir, I just realized I have never seen him." Hanan sighed.
"Really? Are you sure? Not even a picture?"
"Yes, not even a glimpse."
"Wow! That's surprising, I have loads of his pictures, let's check."
"While you do that, let me grab my dinner, I'm so hungry."
"You call a bread and yogurt dinner?" She scoffed staring at the bread on the kitchen cabinet.
"Yeah, I have a little appetite."
"Okay, here is it, this is a recent picture of Amir, it's his pre-wedding picture." She said handing her phone to Hanan.
"Ok, let's see the groom of the month!" Hanan smiled happily collecting the phone but in an instant, her smile turned to shock once she had her eyes on the screen.
"Amir?" She mumbled zooming on his face to get a clearer view but she was left more shocked.
"Yeah, you seemed stunned, he's hot right?" Amira grinned.
"Yeah... Hanan's voice trails off as she tries to process the guy she just saw. "Excuse me, I think I need to use the bathroom." She said further.
"You may, it's your house after all," Amira replied observing her friend's mood swing.
Hanan got to the bathroom looking at her reflection in the mirror as she went back in time recalling the Amir she knew years ago, it was him.
"Amir is her brother?" She utters in disbelief.
"I might be imagining or maybe I didn't see his face properly." She sighed knowing she was wrong, he was the Amir she had known three years back.
How didn't she realize all this time till now, can it be that his bride-to-be is also Amina?
If she recalls, they were secretly dating before she left, so can it be that it was Amina's wedding she was planning to attend this Saturday?
Only Amira can answer her questions, so she rushes back to the room.
"Amira!"
"Yes, babe?"
"What is the bride's name and have you met her?"
"Not yet, we did a video call two days ago and that was my first time seeing her, and I swear she is pretty...
"And her name?"
"Amina."
"Amina Aminu Garba?" Hanan mutters.
"Woah! How do you know her full name?" Amira was surprised to hear her future sister-in-law's name spelled out like ABC.
"Hmm, I guessed?" She replied.
"You just guessed? so easy!?"Amira looks at her doubtfully.
"Yep!"
"I doubt, it seems you know her like...
"Amira, there you go thinking far." Hanan sighed cutting her friend shut.
"Yeah, because it sounds suspicious for you to easily guess her full name correctly."
"C'mon! There's nothing suspicious about that."
"Okay, if you say so, well, I checked your kitchen for coffee but it seemed you haven't shopped for groceries yet?"
"I just got the house few hours back , So I haven't shopped or done anything yet."
"Well, what I see is a lot, you have furnished the house well."
"I didn't, it's a staff accommodation given to me at the company, I was lucky to be given this apartment aside from a job."
"Wow! How rich is Faruk, I was certain he was a silver spoon kid as he has never done a part-time job throughout school, and he sometimes stays off campus when he has never even made a single penny, all he does is spend and live."
"Woah!" Hanan laughed. "How funny of you to observe him so much, well, I can't estimate, but I can say his rich enough to own this residence."
"That's rich!" Amira smirked. "Well, I should shower and get out of this dress to something lightweight."
"Yeah, you should, I have coffee left in my bag, I will make some."
"Thanks." Amira replies walking into the bathroom.
>>>
Hanan felt her appetite disappear as she realized a lot while stirring her coffee.
"The entire family are surely going to be at the wedding." She sighed feeling overwhelmed by something she couldn't pinpoint.
She felt angered just by having the thought of seeing them again.
"Not only Najib had wronged me but the entire family also did, including Grandma." She mutters bitterly.
She least expected Grandma and Amina would forget her so easily but they did, she trusted that Grandma and Amina would try to find her when they returned to find her missing but they never, rather, they shut her out of their lives believing what the world had filled their ears with.
They erased her existence which is now the same for her, especially after her cold encounter with Amina at the mall.
Just a day left for her to snatch their peace, she wasn't gonna spare anyone. She affirms making her way to the bed with their Coffee.
>>> A/N
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