Kano State, Nigeria.
2018.
Falak's heart started beating many miles per second after that phone call from the huge mosque in the palace where she could swear there are more than five hundred people in there. Many people want to attend the wedding of the first son to the King and also the next King in Kano not to talk about wanting to see the beautiful idol of a princess that everyone talks about in the whole state.
Distant relatives from other states and countries are there in the palace to attend this grand event. If Falak wasn't the one getting married and is living in Kano, she would've paid to come to that wedding. Not only do Kano people talk about it, Ummi yelled around the room after seeing some renowned people posting the pictures of them on their stories and tagging Falak who doesn't even know where she kept her phone, she didn't have time for it.
She went into her mother's room for the phone call and she was given a small old button phone that was put on speaker where she agreed to marry Shaddad three times and didn't regret it, she only felt the tickle of years burning her eyes. She willed them to go back and put her bright smile.
She can't wait to find herself in her home along with him. The evil thought floating around her head is itching to be out and she will let them. For once, she didn't find the love for Shaddad ruining her plans but building more of it. She even thought she doesn't love him again but she knew that deep down, she just wants to avenge being rejected more times than she could count. If he hadn't rejected her that one last time, she would have forgiven him but he just stuck something she won't be able to forget.
"Falak, can you see how popular photographers are tilting around the palace? There are from a lot of states around Nigeria and I'm going to take some pictures, bah bye." Basma whispered in her ears before graciously leaving the room they are placed in.
There is this room that is placed right in front of the palace where traditional things are delicately decorated and Falak was amazed. There is another small room inside where mother told her she will change her outfit when her groom is coming and Falak almost did a happy dance because she doesn't have to go back to the main palace, the walk back to the main palace is long.
A large cushioned stool was placed in the middle of the room where she sat down and her face was closed with the alkyabba hood. She watched her Indian ordered slippers that was embroidered in seaweed and silver and has a curve at the front. She fell in love with it after Nevedita sent it to her as wedding gift and was elated that is fortunately matched together with her outfit and she doesn't need to wear heels.
Falak is sitting silently with her girlfriends sprawled on the skin royal carpet taking photos with their phones. Whenever anyone is trying to take photos of the bride, they will walk into the room but the Queen said they should not be too crowded. Falak was overwhelmed with all the attention but kept quite and begged Jaiyana to look for her phone so she won't be bored.
Three hours later, Falak was pushed to the room to change her outfit and the sun is slowly going down as five is making it's way.
She changed into a granola coloured lace, stitched in fitted gown and the sleeves are net, trailing down behind her and the cape was designed from her back like wings and also went down and some inches trail down her heels. Falak whined about wearing the biscotti ankle strap heels with matching veil and her mother said she won't be wearing the alkyabba because her husband will see her like that and with alkyabba, she is closed.
Her head was tied in a unique twisted biscotti raw silk and Tahira added some small silver beads to make it look more elegant and she did. She took the nettish silver veil from the bed and drape it around her shoulder, she sighed and left the room before getting blinded by phone cameras and real cameras.
...
Shaddad paste a forced ghost smile across his lips because of the people congratulating him after the tie has been knotted. He didn't know what to feel at the moment. He never would've thought he is to get married and will be forced to stay with the men around to congratulate him.
Many Royal families from around the whole Nigeria are present making the place crowded and the security very tight. Shaddad didn't like crowd but with his father, he is helping with the men. So many childhood friends and some from university are present and he can't even remember some of their names and will embarrassingly say brother to conceal the mistake he was about to make. It is quite stressing if he could say so himself.
The only four friends he knew are there with him and won't stop teasing him. All of them are married and some even have children making him the last bachelor and since he is getting married now, no words will pull them out of their teasing contest and he stopped asking them to stop.
"Don't keep that ugly scowl on your face son, smile a little and enjoy your wedding." The King said from beside his son as they settle themselves in the Throne Room where the other Royal families and Emirs are sitting enjoying the small walima.
"I will try." His father beamed because he said finally tried saying something, naturally, he would've just kept quite and try smiling.
"Let's go, I'm eager to see your wife up close." Mahmud nudged him with his arm before using the other hand to bring Shaddad to his feet.
"Yes, I can't believe how he luckily got the idol when he doesn't even try." Dāha whined from his sit, always been the childish one amongst the four in university days.
All the four of them, Mahmud, Dāha whose real name is Muhammad but because there are two Muhammads in the group, they changed their names and the other one is Moha. The last but not the least is Sulaiman who is always silent but not close to Shaddad's closed self so he might not be called silent if he will be with Shaddad. Having all studied something attached to Medicine, they bunked a house in Turkey and lived together till they were done which was five long years.
Sulaiman shook his head from beside them but they could tell that he's agreed with them. Shaddad never talks to a girl and if she did, he will make her look like a fool so they stopped trying. But the rest of them are always dating, from Maraqisiyya to Muktariyya and back to Badariyya and still, their no wives are no way close to Shaddad's. The guy is one lucky son of a King.
They didn't become friends like normal people. They manage to force themselves into his life and that happens because of Moha whose father has a title in the state and they clashed. The rest are Moha's friends and when they started living together, they find themselves tangled in the web of friendship that no one can speak about. It's different because Shaddad hates talking but it's only their noise that he could tolerate.
Before he knew what was happening, he was pushed into a black SUV and they did the short journey to the main palace. The alghaita started blowing louder and louder with their presence.
Shaddad reluctantly got down from the car and they started their journey down to the parlour his stepmother asked him to go to. The parlour is just like any other but it is more modern and has beautiful chocolate coloured furniture. He sat down with his friends around as they keep jumping around waiting for Falak. They were nervous, waiting for Falak to show up as if she is their wife.
"I can't wait to see her up close wallah, she looks like a goddess yesterday. My wife hit my head when I drooled!" Dāha laughed at the thought and the others did too. They knew he would do that and she will hit him, she is feisty.
Shortly after their bicker, the alghaita started coming closer to where they are and the praises and worships kept raining as they justify Falak's beauty along with her friends and for some odd reasons, Shaddad started feeling nervous about seeing her for the first time as his wife. He can't believe he is married to the village lass, he never would've imagine him in that place.
His breath hitched when she walked in with two older ladies by both sides and her friends are standing behind her with photographers. She stood in the middle of the parlour, clutching onto her purse like her life depended on it. She could feel his scorching gaze and it is making her squirm not to talk about the dead silence around the room. They should say something but she only heard a few peoples' intake of breath, probably from his friends. She doesn't know how many they are.
"Assalamu alaikum, you guys aren't supposed to keep quite. Now, can you please move a little for my friend here to sit next to her husband?" Fadimatu asked in a sugarcoated voice because she has her eyes on one of them.
"Uh, sure." Moha whispered before moving a little from the side and then stood up after thinking that he can't sit so close to someone else's wife.
The girls ushered Falak to where Shaddad is and sat her down next to him. She was too quite for his liking. He doesn't know this Falak and he is not liking being in her presence but he kept quite and waited for the photographers to take as much photos. They were asked to stand up and changed positions which was very awkward because Falak wasn't flexible, she was nervous as heck.
Jabrayah made a quick plan in her head and say it to the other girls who nodded and smirked mischievously. Shaddad was asked to leave with his friends and she will change into something quick before she joins him outside and that happened.
She changed into white lace flay gown with her head tied in equally white raw silk. Her makeup was changed a little and she only has nude lipstick across her lips. A white veil was draped across her shoulders and she held tightly onto the white purse she was given. Lastly, she slipped into white peep toe heels. She left the room with her bridesmaids behind her, taking the picture of everything as it happens.
The song changed to 'A Thousand Years by Christiana Perris' which Falak weirdly felt connected to. Each and every word kind if connect her more to Shaddad because the way they met, how he rejected her, she wished she could do the same but seeing him standing with his friends in the middle of the palace, every bad thought about him vanished and all she could see is the Shaddad she loves, the statue that confiscated her heart.
"...the day we met,
Frozen I held my breath
Right from the start
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart
Beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone?
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more..."
Shaddad's breath hitched, his breathing almost yawed uneven. His lazy façade is intact but inside, a hurricane is about to hit his breath. Her in white is the most beautiful sight he has ever seen and wish to hold it in his long term memory. He didn't even bother tuning to song to his ears but it defines everything within.
"...time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this
One step closer..."
After getting everyone's attention, and Falak is finally standing I'm front of Shaddad, the girls formed a circle around them and started chanting; "Kiss, kiss, kiss..." And Falak almost fainted.
In all her plans, there is not much PDA. Her own part of public display of affection is different form this. How can they do that to her? Falak didn't like the idea of kissing Shaddad in the middle of throngs. She didn't like that they are augmenting like ants to sugar, people kept increasing to watch the scene unfold with their phones flashing on them.
The girls didn't stop chanting and the children around started chanting with them with the groomsmen and geriatrics. Falak would want nothing than to run from there and disappear for a long time especially after seeing her mother's smile from in between some important looking women. How are they supposed to kiss but then again, she should do anything to make Shaddad uncomfortable, isn't that what she wants?
Shaddad wants to glare at everyone around the place and stomp out but he let his lazy façade take place. How do they even kiss? He only knew that they adjoin lips and that is that. How is he supposed to kiss her if he doesn't know how to kiss?
Slowly, they inched closer to each other seeing that they are not willing to give up. What? They are married and nothing will change that so they'd rather start with it in front of other people. Besides, everyone thinks that this is a fairy tale wedding with the perfect couple.
Shaddad's hands moved to her, slowly itching to her waist and he flushed her into him with some sort of force that only made her knees weak. He acted so dominant and if they were alone, she would tease him for being like his powerful self. He flushed her chest to his white babban riga and slowly leaned down, taking in every inch of her face. Form her baby hairs down to her jaw, counting each visible pore but there is no flaw.
He placed his lips on her soft plump ones, feeling the little tingles trailing from his lips to his whole body and he moved back because he didn't like it. He was afraid that that isn't a good thing but after looking at her closed eyes and gaping lips, he delved his head back and took her lips with his, leading the way he didn't know the end of but liking every moment of it. She also moved her hands to his chest, clutching to his babban riga like her life depended on it.
His chest is hard, that is the first thought that came to her mind and his Jaguar perfume is getting into her senses. She desperately wants to block the people around them and she did. She inclined her head to give him better access with their noses getting in the way. They both don't know how to kiss but with the pace they are moving, the way their bodies flutter, the way their brains relaxed, the way the figures lean into each other's for support, the way their toes curl in their shoes, the way their breaths ragged, the way their heart soared and beat at the same rhythm, they knew that that is the perfect way or it could be their own way of kissing.
They are breathless but they didn't move, they started transferring their breaths to each other just because they don't want to move back. Sensing that they have audience with the claps, hoots, wolves noises and awws flooding around them, they quickly moved away not even getting time to savour their first kisses. They both moved back and did the same action, touching down their outfits to cease the crinkles that are not there but they look cute because they didn't know they are doing it at the same time.
She could still feel his like he was standing in front of her, his pulse roaring in her ears. She imagined him there, drawing her close to him, inhaling his scented breath. She could feel Shaddad Muhammad Lamido through and around her. He is firing her senses and posing a thrumming challenge not just to her sanity, but to her beating heart. She needs to take a grip of herself before he slowly pour down all her days of plans.
*****
Yoyoyoyo!
Who expected that?!!!! Hahahahaha, they just kissed people. Can you believe it? This is the longest chapter, who noticed? I can't believe they kissed so soon, why are they not following my footsteps😑 hehehe, the drama is about to begin💃okay, bye.
RQ; Would you rather take medicine or injection? Noo, I hate both wlh😅 You?
Aishatu.