KANO STATE, NIGERIA
Ayman was stupefied for a moment, he couldn't believe what his ears were telling him. How could they ask him to get married? It was like they were asking him to cheat on Aisha. That was something impossible! He would never do that.
"Ayman, it's either her or Asma'u." Ayman swallowed thickly, he looked as if he was ready to destroy the world, even before Aisha's death he was never one who liked to smile but after her death he became even worse. He became cold and icy. When his father had arranged his marriage with Asma'u he had clearly told him he didn't want to marry her, his father wouldn't take no for an answer, he said there was no way the crown prince would remain unmarried and that he had to move on from Aisha's death but he knew those words were not his father's words, they were his sister's words, Rahma. In the eyes of the public Aminu was the king but his sister was the real ruler who ruled behind the curtains. Aminu only did what she asked, even Aminu was not allowed to go against her. Ayman had somehow managed to escape marriage to Asma'u, he had promised his father he would get married to anyone but Asma'u even though Rahma was hellbent on getting him married to Asma'u but at the end of the day they only wanted him married, so Rahma had agreed when he said he would get married to anyone as long as it was not Asma'u. Ayman disliked Asma'u, she was nothing like Aisha, Aisha carried her self with grace and self confidence were as Asma'u was an impetuous and harum-scarum girl. She behaved in an unladylike manner, she also didn't respect his mother, Samira; she didn't respect anyone in fact. Plus she was only interested about his money and the position she would gain as queen of the northerners once she was married to him.
"Umma, na Riga na fada Miki, bana son aure; i have already told you I don't want to get married." Ayman said in Hausa.
"Well it is no longer in your hands to decide. This is not just any proposal you can reject, the lady your father has chosen for is his friend's daughter."
"Where is baba?" Ayman asked, he wanted to shout and scream but he could not because the woman sitting in front of him was his mother whom he love and respect. Ayman always had control over his emotion, his face was always blank and aloof, even if you told him that the world was coming to an end his face would still remain blank, the only person whose was able to stir his emotion was Aisha and she was long gone. Some people even envied how well he was able to control his emotions and keep his face blank no matter how devastating the news was. He wanted to shout and throw tantrums because this was something that concerned Aisha but at the same time he couldn't bare to see his mother upset with him.
"In his chamber." Ayman gave his mother a curt nod before he stood up and and left her chamber. His mother's chamber was the closest to his father's chamber and then Rahma's chamber. The guards surrounding his father's chamber did not waste time in announcing the crown prince arrival and bowing their heads to greet him.
"Your highness." Ayman greeted and bowed his head as he walked inside his father's chamber. Aminu Shugaba was sitting in the living room with Rahma, she had a deep frown on her face, her forehead had formed straight lines on her wrinkled and old skin, with the look on her face Ayman guessed she must be upset about something but then again when was this woman not upset about something? She was always upset! Aminu's living room intricate architecture, elegant chandeliers and ornate furnishings exuded an air of sophistication that left visitors in awe. The entire chamber had a sense of majesty and splendor that was fit for royalty. Aminu's chamber was the best in the entire palace, though his chamber had the same kind of decoration with Samira's chamber; the queen mother. Much to Rahma's dismay.
"Since you are here in my chamber and not in the throne room, you might as well address me as father." Aminu said as he stared at his son. One glance at Aminu and you would know he is proud of the man his little boy has become. The royal family were only allowed to address their parents as father or mother in private but once they were in the eyes of the public it was always 'your highness, your majesty or your grace.'
"Father, hajiya babba." Ayman said with a slight smile which both his father and aunt knew was forced. Ayman and the rest of his siblings grew up hearing everyone call his aunt hajiya babba and so that was what everyone called her, even his father. Aminu is a Fulani from Kano state and his wife a Shuwa Arab from Maiduguri. The palace of the king of the northerners had always been in Kano because Kano was their home town, for centuries the entire northerners were ruled by a family in Kano; the Shugaba's. Despite being Fulani both he and his only sister were dark in complexion, so if you looked at Ayman you would know he was only fair because of his mother, Samira. Indeed Ayman had taken her fair complexion but he had his father's eyes nose, lips and even the same brows. If Ayman had been dark in complexion and he was the same age as Aminu, his father then the two would have been mistaken as identical twins because of the striking resemblance. His sister, ummita had also taken her mother's complexion but had her father's features, even their last born Fattu; Fatima also had fair skin and her father's features. Among them Taslim was the only one who had a dark skin just like their father and had the features of her mother. Even with them taking everything from both their parents, Ayman turned out to be more good looking than them all. Ayman was fair, almost pale white. His unfathomable, black eyes contrasted exceptionally with his light toned face. His eyes were as deep and expressive, where you could get lost if you stared long enough. His face had that faraway look in it, which cannot be described in words. Ayman was appropriate for a royal; highly majestic with a charming look. Besides being handsome, Ayman is muscular, well built, robust and powerful. He had a toned muscle structure, well built curves and six pack often visible through clothing. He had muscles that strained against fabric at the forearm, biceps and chest. He was the dream man of every girl.
"I hope your mother has already told you about the wedding proposal? You can't say no!" Hajiya babba chirped in, over the past few years her voice had become thin and she was weak due to old age, but she was one feisty old woman.
"Baba please I don't want to get married." Ayman said completely ignoring his annoying aunt.
"Well I have given you more than enough time to chose a bride for yourself but you refused."
"Kana namiji amma saikace wani tsoko, shekara uku kenan amma ka kasa mantawa da mace daya tak!; you are a man but you don't act like one, it's been three years but you still can't move on from just one woman." Hajiya babba deadpanned. Ayman bowed his head and said nothing even though he was angry, no anger was an understatement, he was furious! It was in this kind of situation that he had learnt to keep his face blank, no body would ever know what he was thinking, because right now even though he was furious his face was still blank just staring into space. She had not just insulted him but also his dead wife, Aisha. No one dared to insult him, no one dared to speak ill about him because since from day one he was always a strict person, only Aisha and his siblings got to see his soft side. Even Aminu never smiled, but it was due to the childhood that he had encountered that he became that way, but Ayman just happened to inherit that part of him that never laugh. When Aisha was still alive, you would know if he was angry, sad or happy. His smiles were always genuine, even though he rarely smiled, it was after Aisha's death that he became cold, stoic and blank. It was better if a person threw tantrums when he was angry but Ayman never threw tantrums, his face wouldn't even let you know what he was feeling. Ayman's face right now was the perfect description of 'if looks could kill' because if looks could really kill, hajiya babba would have been long dead, because of the way he glared at her.
"Ko zaka duke nine?; are you going to beat me?" Hajiya babba asked her voice full of mockery, she knew no one would be able to touch her in this palace or even in the whole of Nigeria because she had Aminu wrapped around her fingers.
"I have already given my consent for the wedding and only the wedding date remains!" Aminu said, if it had been anyone who had glared at hajiya babba the way Ayman had, he would have taught him or her a valuable lessons and his children were no exception, but this was Ayman they were talking about. The young man is still grieving and they are forcing him to get married, he would never have forced this marriage if not for hajiya babba, he could never disrespect her not even in his dreams.
"The wedding will happen in a months time!" Hajiya babba suddenly announced. Ayman's eyes widened slightly but it quickly returned to its normal form as if it had never widened before and his face returned to being cold and blank.
"The bride's family are not ready yet, the wedding can take place in a year when the girl is done with her studies." Aminu said.
"No, convince them! Her father is your friend, isn't he?" Hajiya babba said.
"Okay." Aminu said after all he had no say when it came to what his sister wants. Ayman was furious he stormed out of the king's chamber without given permission to leave by the king, but Aminu ignored it he understood how he felt but his hands were also tied.
~*~
ABUJA, NIGERIA
Maha stared blankly at the drugs in her hands. She was now completely damned! She was sure she was now a drug addict, she could never forget that bad memory if she didn't take this drugs. Her father had reminded her so much about what happened six years ago and she knew she was never at peace if she didn't take the pills, the memories would keep hunting her and no matter how much she chided her self to stop taking the drugs she would still find herself taking the pills. Now she no longer tried to stop herself from taking it, even though she knew it was harmful. Well she knew that more than anymore since she is a doctor! He might not have gotten what he wanted but he had ruined her entire life since she was now a drug addict! No one knew about the secret she had been hiding for the past six years and she planned on keeping it that way. People only saw her as the perfect and beautiful girl who was being doted on by everyone around her but they didn't know the rough life she had experience and is still experiencing. She is the heir to Nader general hospital, once her mother stepped down she would become the next chairwoman, but she knew that was something she didn't want because she could drop death at anymore moment because of the drugs she took. She would become popular just like her mother and people would want to figure out the cause of her mysterious death, an autopsy would be carried out and people would know she is an addict and the last thing she wants is to be criticized after her death, she was even surprised that she was not already dead because she had started taking the drugs when the incident had happened. She destroyed her body with the drugs because it gave her peace and then she would try to control it with other normal drugs that prevented addiction, that was the only thing that had been keeping her sane for the past six years! But she knew sooner or later those hard drugs would overpower her body and she would either die or become crazy. The worse things that could happen is if the police came to find about what she was doing, though she didn't take drugs like cocaine and heroine she still took drugs that were harmful to the body and that was illegal. Once the police find out the reputation her parents and ancestors have struggled to build for years would be destroyed, it would sure be a juicy news if the granddaughter of Abdullah bin Al- harith the king of the people of Saudi Arabia is discovered to be a drug addict, her father the leader of the scholars in saudi arabia who firmly stood against those practice and then he finds out his daughter is into drugs, he would be shattered. The future chairwoman of Nader general is a drug addict? Even she had preached many times on tv on the dangers of drugs abuse and then people find out that even she is an addict! Her mother would be devastated and disappointed in her because even she had preached many times about drug addict, in fact she hated addicts with every fiber of her being. All these still weren't enough reason to convince Maha to stop, well that was the one thing about drugs, once you get addicted all rationality flies out of the window.
"Hah! My life is a mess!" Maha said as she chuckled derisively, but the pain was clear in her eyes, if she had a chance and she had her way then she would stop taking this drugs. Her green eyes looked dull, it looked like a green plant that had been drenched by water and even though it was vibrant, it still looked dull. Maha heard someone opening her bedroom door so she quickly hid the pills in her drawer.
"You are not asleep yet?" Sufyan asked as he stepped inside the room in his nightwear.
"Well even if I was asleep you have woken me up since you barged in!" Maha said jokingly and Sufyan let out a throaty chuckle. No one in her family ever knocked on her door they said they wanted to catch her if she was doing anything wrong and so they never knocked. The only bad thing she did is the pills she takes and she had always managed to hide them.
"Little one." Sufyan said as he looked a her with a loving smile on his face, little one was the nickname everyone called her in the house. Even her strict and arrogant mother sometimes called her little one, but it was on rare occasions she had called her little one, in fact maha could count the number of times she had called her little one. She liked the nickname but she didn't like it when they called her little one I front of people especially Farouk, for god sake she was a god damn grown woman who is 22! It sounded cheeky when they called her little one in front of other people.
"About your marriage, I know I said I would give you time, but the groom's family want the marriage to happen in a months time. I just want you to give me your consent to the marriage and then I will know how to convince your mother." Maha wanted to say no but then she realized this was the only thing she could do for her father who had loved and cherished her since she was a child and she felt guilty about the fact that she was an addict. To hell with Farouk! He wouldn't hesitate to divorce her if he found out she was an addict, so she would rather please her parents! Even if the man she is supposed to marry finds out and divorces her she would still be happy because at least she has made her father happy.
"Ana muafiq abw; I agree Abu!" Three words and she knew they would change her life forever.
"Liubarikak aalrabi; May God bless you." Sufyan said as he patted her head lovingly.
"Ameen."