Assalamu Alaikum lovely people.
Wow, it's been a while and believe me I missed writing so much and I missed you guys too, your comments and everything.
So here's the epilogue, this is the last time you guys will hear from Safaa and her family... Lemme not be emotional.
Asma'u helped me write this chapter, or should I say I would not have written the Epilogue at all without her help. May Allah bless her.
Thank you dear, you're an angel AsmauIsaAli
This chapter is dedicated to her and all the lovers of Safaa.
The cold wind of early August hit her face as she stared out of the balcony, taking in nature. It had just finished raining when her phone rang. This time would always be her favorite season of the year, she had stopped wishing she could play in the rain since she had Yusrah, but watching the rain and devouring the scent of earth was something she could never abandon. Life was good and she was inexplicably and genuinely happy. She picked her phone up from the coffee table near her, beside her fashion magazine. The corners of her mouth turned up when she saw who the caller was. It was Hajiya Turai.
"Assalamu alaikum, Mama" She greeted when she answered the phone.
Wa alaikum Salaam, Safarau. How are you today?" Hajiya Turai answered from the other end of the phone.
"Alhamdulillah, Mamaa. I'm fine. How's Kawu Sunusi and Mommy?" Safaa asked as she went into the room and sat down by the edge of the bed.
"They are all fine. Mommy went to Fadwa's house"
"Oh, yes. I'm waiting for Ya Ahmad and Yusra to come back so that we will go there too. And they're still not back" Safaa said as she tried to thwart her annoyance.
Ya Ahmad took Yusra for ice cream two hours ago saying they would go to Hajiya Turai's house after getting it but they were still not back. It had been four years since Fadwa and Shukrah got married and Fadwa gave birth only a week before, she went through Safaa's ordeal but luckily for her, her mother in-law was nothing like her mother, no one among her husband's family ever mocked her for not giving birth. Shukrah's baby was already three years old, they were happy too, Life was just a replica of what Safaa had always imagined for her family. Peace, Contentment and Serenity visited the family four years ago, and they all came to stay.
Hajiya Turai laughed
"They left here. They said they're heading home so I think you should be expecting them any moment from now. And also, I gave Ahmadu your asoebi for Aishas wedding. Her mother sent all the aseobis yesterday"
"Okay, Mama. Thank you"Safaa said before she heard the door bell ring.
"Mama I think they're here"
"No problem. If Fadwa refuses the hot bath again, tell me okay? I know Mommy will be easy on her but I wont" Hajiya Turai said, making both herself and Safaa burst into fits of laughter.
"Toh, Mama" Safaa said still laughing.
They bade each other good bye before hanging up. Safaa was still smiling while looking at the her phone.
It had been three years but anytime she talked with Hajiya Turai it felt like the first time they were talking as in-laws. Hajiya Turai's diagnose of schizophrenia lasted for not more than five months before she became an exhibiting courtesy person. She became nice and kind. She smiled a lot now and did not shout for the smallest of things like before. She was now a turned leaf. Her hatred towards Safaa began disappearing the day Safaa took Ahmad to see her at the hospital. Now Hajiya Turai only portrayed kindness and geniality towards them.
They were a family now.
Safaa was busy engrossed in her thoughts that she did not know when Ahmad came into the room. She felt hands around her waist and she needed not to be told who it was. She knew from the distinctive pleasant odor and the alluring aura that surrounded the whole place.
"Did you miss me that much?" He asked, his face in the crook of her neck as he inhaled her scent. Jasmine, played in his head.
"You wish" Safaa scoffed before turning to face him.
He was still the same Ya Ahmad the timid and naive Safaa fell in love with. Just that the love had now blossomed even more. It had blossomed like a flower. Their love was the flower, they were the roots and their caring towards one another was the watering. Safaa never failed to thank her Rabb whenever her eyes fall on him and their little girl, they had been through a lot, who would have thought they could ever pass through it all. She recalled the day her Uncle took her away from Rigar Dala, how Mommy accepted her wholeheartedly and her first encounter with Ahmad when he walked into Mommy's kitchen and took away her food, she had no idea he took her heart along with him, how they went through a lot and got married albeit Hajiya Turai's disapproval, and that envelope, the dreadful brown envelope which threatened her entire existence. She smiled remembering how Ahmad made her forget about it, how he made her learn how to live again, to be happy, to trust and to love and then she thought of Hajiya Turai's visit and how it thwarted their happiness, Zarah's marriage to Ahmad and how Zarah's attempt to make her lose her baby made their marriage take a long break, a break that threatened to make the rest of her life distraught.
"A penny for your thought babe" Ahmad brought an end to her reverie.
"You're late" She sighed, taking in his looks.
"Sorry. We went to Inna's house too, that's why, you know Yusrah and Inna" He said staring straight into her milk chocolate eyes.
"Rival, How's she? We'll go later and check up on her. You shouldn't have gone without me" She said, smiling with her voice screaming as a matter of fact speech.
"Okay, okay. Now, I need food" He mumbled, gently dragging Safaa out of the room.
"You have to freshen up first, I wont have you making us late anymore. We're already late as it is, You will eat after getting ready" Safaa said dragging him towards the walk-in closet so he could change.
"Okay Ma'am" He pecked her lips softly before letting her go away.
Safaa went to check up on Yusrah and make sure she was ready. Her nanny, Arya had already bathed her when Safaa entered her room.
"Ammi she's not letting me comb my hair, tell her I know how to do it" A four year old Yusrah whined running to her mother.
Yusrah wore a floral layered jacquard sleeveless white dress. They had never ended on good terms whenever Yusrah wore white dresses and it was usually because of her sweet tooth. She was a sucker for lot of sweets and chocolate. Safaa shook her head and dismissed the thought of how they are going to end it today and decided to admire her bubbly daughter. They had been trying for another baby since Yusrah turned three and they were still hoping, praying for it to happen.
"Yusrah we are already late, let me do it" Safaa smiled collecting the comb from Arya, she gently styled her daughter's hair and tied it into a bun.
Smoothening her eyelashes, she inwardly recited some dua's on her before letting her run to see herself in the mirror.
"Ammi, how do I look? Yusrah asked her mother.
"Great, baby. You look pretty like always" Safaa said sincerely. Yusrah had dimples so deep and hollow on her cheeks, her milky colored skin glows even in the dark and her curly hair as black as that of her mother. She took after both of her parent's look.
"Arya, please feed her the potato pie I made earlier quickly. We should leave in 20" Safaa finished her sentence looking at her wrist watch.
The naming ceremony felt like a family reunion to Safaa, she met with lots of people including Zarah, whom she saw last during her wedding, Safaa and Zarah now had a very cordial relationship, she was the one who designed Zarah's dresses for her wedding to Munir, Zarah had been married for almost a year now. After spending a very pleasing evening at Fadwa's house, Safaa and Ya Ahmad decided to head straight to Inna's house to greet her.
"Habibi I saw Zarah today and I felt bad, we didn't even visit her since her wedding" Safaa informed Ahmad while he was driving.
"Oh you did? How's she? Remind me to take you guys next weekend In shaa Allah"
"Alright In shaa Allah, guess what? " Safaa grinned.
"You tell me" Ahmad said taking the turn to Inna's house.
Baa died two years ago due to ulcer and Inna refused to live with Kawu Sanusi or Safaas father, she said she only wanted to live in her house and die there too, with only two maids and a gate man.
"Boring husband, I saw her with a bump, I am so happy for her" Safaa grinned remembering the glow on Zarah's face and how happy she was.
"I am happy for her, now let's go see Inna, and babe you look tired so no, I will not let you go see Maa" He said parking his car outside Inna's house.
"But Maa's is just some steps away, please let me see her, Just for some minutes" Safaa whined sounding like their daughter.
"No babe, you will come see Maa tomorrow or next perhaps" He said with finality and hopped out of the car.
Safaa pouted dragging her legs to Inna's house, he was right she looked worn out and she had been feeling somewhat. When they returned home, she sat on the couch in the living room, holding her temple with her eyes closed. The day had been really stressful for her, from the running up and down during the naming ceremony to helping with serving people and smiling to the camera. Her cheeks were hurting badly.
"Habibi, my head is spinning" Safaa mumbled when Ahmad entered the door to the living room.
"I told you not to stress out yourself. Let me bring you some Paracetamol pills" Ahmad said before going through the hallway that led to his office.
"Take these. You should be up in no time" He handed her the pills along with a glass of water.
"Okay, Dr. Ya Ahmad" She said with a small smile.
After taking the pills, the headache subsided for a while, giving her a chance to go freshen up. They had already eaten dinner at Fadwa’s and Yusrah was going to sleepover at Abidah’s house with Samha, Abidah's three year old daughter.
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Safaa decided to go to the hospital after some days when her headache kept getting worse. She had always spend her afternoons with laziness surging through her whole body. It was weird.
"You're getting old, baby" Ahmad has said through his laughter when she told him she wanted to go see her doctor.
He dropped her at the hospital because he had an important meeting that he must attend and after her doctor had examined her, she made her go through a lot of tests.
She collected the results and made up her mind to take them to the doctor the next day.
Now, she sat on the sofa, her veil and head tie on the headrest while she tried opening the test envelope. She could not help but fear what she would see. What if she had some virus trying to harm her immune or maybe malaria or typhoid.
"Calm down Safaa, It isn't something serious" A voice said in her head.
"It's definitely you not eating enough food or taking too much junk" Another voice said.
There were three papers in the envelope, two were just the some test she did not know about and the third was...
Pregnancy test.
The doctor insisted she took one for them to be sure, but Safaa felt it would not be positive, because when she had Yusrah, there was so much morning sickness and cramps and she did not have any of those earlier. Her hands were trembling as she began tearing the envelope, she did not want to get her hopes high or break her heart that was why she had avoided taking a pregnancy test for months now, even when she felt like she should check, she always tame the urge.
Positive.
She was pregnant.
She sat numbly, not knowing what to do. Jump or cry out of joy. She decided to do what was right, she performed Wuduu and prolonged her Sujood, thanking Allah for yet another blessing.
She was happy. Tears started running down her cheeks with the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile. It was unbelievable.
That day Safaa could not wait for Ahmad to come home and share the joy with her. They were going to have another child.
She dialled Abidah's number in a hurry.
"Hello Sissy" Abidah answered the call cheerfully.
Safaa had no words to say, she just kept crying unable to voice out the good news to Abidah.
"Ke, what is wrong? Do you want me to have a heart attack?" Abidah hissed after some minutes.
"I'm sorry" Safaa said hoarsely.
"Don't tell me Mama is at it again? No don't tell me she isn't cured of that schizo... whatever..." Abidah began ranting but Safaa cut her off.
"I am pregnant Abidah"
"You're what?" Abidah squealed.
"Yeah you heard me right" Safaa squealed too.
"Alhamdulillah, when did you find out? Shey I told you, I said you look pregnant when I last saw you, Alhamdulillah" Abidah could not stop thanking Allah too.
"I'll tell Yaya Ahmad later" Safaa grinned from ear to ear thinking of how happy the news will make Ahmad.
Yusrah had brought immense joy to her when she was born, she lightened up her world and in less than seven months from now, she was going to bring out another bundle of joy into the world. Her happiness was indomitable for all she knew.
She called up her doctor and told her she was on her way immediately after her phone call with Abidah. She wanted to have a scan already, she wanted to be sure it was true. She came back later, so giddy and happy that she decided to give Arya a day off. Her joy knew no bounds as she made Ahmad's favorite meal and later dressed herself in a fully stoned slurred off-shoulders caftan with palazzo. She lit candles in their room, with bakhour scent everywhere, darkness filled the room and love illuminated with brightness.
A while after making Yusrah go to bed she retired to her room to wait for her darling and exactly ten minutes after, the door creaked open showing the love of her life, standing as handsome as ever with a small smile playing on his lips. He walked into the room, keeping his messenger bag on the lounge that was just by the wall and unknotting his tie.
Ahmad did not stop till he was in front of Safaa, his smile not even faltering for a second since he came into the room. He stood in front of her still smiling, he leaned in to kiss her lips.
The candles gave far less illumination than the meanest of electrical light bulbs, yet all his eyes could see was her. The room was so dark but with flickering of the candles, the shapes of the furniture became discernible. Ahmad could stay the rest of his life in that room with the love of his life and never get bored.
"Hey babe" He whispered against her face.
"Hi darling"Safaa answered with a smile, the smile that did not waver for a second since afternoon.
"How have you been today?"
"Great" Safaa grinned.
"What's the special occasion? He asked referring to the candle light room.
"What do you mean?" She cornered her eyes at him.
"I can't be romantic again?"
"No... its incredible. I love it but I love you more" He said nuzzling her.
"I know and I love you too" She said grabbing his collar, she pulled him down and kissed him.
"I have a surprise for you" Safaa muttered with her lips on his cheek.
"Okay. What is it, baby?" His habit of being curious will always remain.
Safaa took his right hand and put it on her stomach before she looked up at him, he was not getting any clue.
"We are gonna have another baby in shaa Allah" It came out almost as a whisper.
The air was still and the flames barely flickered. It was steady and bright enough to relieve the darkness of the room, but it was not enough to read by. The items around the candle cast shadows that radiated out as hands on an old analogue clock would. The wick blackened and the wax slowly turned to liquid, running down the side and onto the glass plate.
The world seemed to stop moving for Ahmad, he was trying to register what she had just said and when he did, he pulled her to his chest and tightened his hands around her.
After what seemed like forever, he pulled away and now, he was grinning like a maniac. This was surely one of his happiest days, his favorites, his lucky days and one of the days he would never, for anything, trade.
It was unbelievable. He was going to be a father again, he was going to have another child, another bundle of joy.
Safaa had brought light and happiness into his life when she came in, she added to his happiness and light when she gave him a child and now, she was going to give him another one.
Ahmad ran his hand in his hair, not knowing to do or say.
"I love you. I love you so much, Safaa. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for being with me when I needed you, even when I hurt you you've always gotten my back. I don't know what I did to deserve you but I... I don't even know what to say." He said in one breath.
"You're the best thing that has happened to me too" Tears were now running down her cheeks, brightly glistening because of the candle light in the room.
"I cooked your favourite" Safaa said after a while, they were engulfed in each other's warmth, not wanting the moment to come to an end.
"You think I can eat food, No babe, I'm so full, How many months along?" Ahmad asked his grin still intact.
"9 weeks. Two months, one week and guess what?" Safaa caressed his stubble.
"You know I hate guessing, tell me already" Ahmad almost whined.
"We are having twins Habibi, twins, I don't know how to begin thanking Allah" Safaa sniffed hugging him like her life depended on it.
Ahmad became more speechless, he twirled Safaa around the room, making her giggle like a little girl.
"Habibi, Let me down, I feel dizzy" Safaa said excitedly.
"Alhamdulillah, Safaa I don't know what to say, Alhamdulillah, I could shower you with prayers and kisses all night babe" Ahmad stopped by the balcony and let her down remembering her condition.
A knock on their door brought an end to their lovely moment and a sleepy Yusrah came in, rubbing her eyes.
"Ammi, why are you giggling at night?" Yusrah asked when Safaa scooped her up.
"You won't do that now babe, Yusrah is heavy" Ahmad took Yusrah away from her gently and headed to their bed.
Yusrah pouted looking at them, she could not understand why her father said that.
"Papi, why won't Ammi pick me up?" She asked.
Safaa sat on her side of the bed and attempted answering her question.
"Because..." Safaa started but was not sure of what to tell her little girl.
"Get some rest Ammi" Ahmad asked Safaa to lie down trying to ignore Yusrah's question.
"Papiiii" Yusrah whined.
"Okay baby, Because Ammi has two babies apart from you now and if she keeps picking you up then you will hurt them, you want siblings don't you?" Ahmad lied on the bed too positioning Yusrah between him and Safaa.
"Yes Papi, I want a boy and a girl, we'll name the boy Abdulfatah and the baby girl Husnah" Yusrah grinned showing off her sparkling teeth.
"Okay baby, go back to sleep, Ammi will give you just that In shaa Allah, right babe?" Ahmad smiled at Safaa entwining their hands under the quilt.
"In shaa Allah" Safaa smiled closing her eyes.
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And now it's over...
Thank you all, for reading, for encouraging me, for sticking to this book even though it was slow, for everything.
Words cannot describe how grateful I am.
May Allah bless us all.
Till we meet another time, I will definitely write again some other time In Shaa Allah.
Allah Hafeez.
Bye
Yours, Kalthumm ❤️