They were seated together with Mama in the living room, waiting for the driver to bring Yazeed home. She looked at Mama and heaved a sigh when she flashed her a wide smile, "Why are you so nervous, Jalilah am? What's the surprise you're talking about?" The moment Jalilah heard that she wanted to vanish, but she knew she had to do this.

"They'll be here in no time, Mama. But first, no questions, you promised, right?" Mama nodded her head and Jalilah went again, "And you also promised you'll understand me to the best of your ability."

"Yes, I promise to do all that. And I can't wait for this surprise of yours to come, what is it like?" Jalilah chuckled a humourless chuckle and shook her head.

"Mama you're just trying to force the words out of my mouth. You'll see." They all heard the sound of the car engine as the driver parked the car, they had driven close to the main entrance, it was quite a long way from the gate. "I'll go get them, Mama. Just patiently wait here, okay?" She nodded her head with a smile and watched as Jalilah rushed outside, in the clothes she had changed.

She was happy to see him, yes she knew it was barely an hour since they departed, but she had missed him already. She sprinted to where he stood, flashing her his beautiful smile, it was evident for the way he looked, freshly out of the bath with an attire she wished she would keep staring at him until she got tired. She was giddy when she stood in front of him, "You're welcome to our house. Mama has been waiting!" She said excitedly and Yazeed had no other choice but to chuckle at how excited she seemed.

"Are you so happy to see me?" He asked, and she nodded her head without shame.

"I couldn't believe I've missed you already. Can we get in?" She asked and motioned the way for him. He nodded his head while Jalilah exchanged pleasantries with the driver and he drove the car into the parking lot.

Before they got in, she noticed he had slackened and stopped moving, she turned to look at him with an encouraging smile. "What is it? Are you nervous already?" She asked.

He reluctantly nodded his head at her, "Yes, I am. What are you going to tell her? I don't want her to have a bad impression of me. Like, I want to push her little girl into something she didn't want you doing."

Jalilah chuckled and moved to where she was, "Come on, Mama isn't like that. And I made her promised she will understand me, and I assure you she will. Let's get in? Or should I calm you down a bit?" She asked with a little reluctant smile on her lips.

"Yes, I'd need that." And she was reluctant at first, but she held a stoic expression and took his hand in hers, squeezing it a bit. He flashed her a surprised look and she shrugged off her shoulder, "You'll be fine this way, I promise." He felt tongue-tied and watched as she guided them into the living room, only to find Mama wasn't there.

He took a look around the living room and to say he was impressed was an understatement. He knew she didn't look poor, but this was something he had never imagined. They were filthy rich, and she made mention that her father had died long ago. She didn't act as all those rich girls did. He loved the way she was humble. He turned to her and smiled, "It's beautiful."

"Not like your huge house though," she casually smiled and shrugged off her shoulder, letting go of his hand as he sat down. "I'll bring your food here, I didn't eat too. I've missed eating with you."

He could only watch her with a smile as she disappeared into one of the doors and she emerged with a teenage girl holding some of the things for her. After they kept everything on the centre table, she pointed at the girl, or rather, he would love to refer to her as a lady. "Yazeed, this is Fareeda, the twins I've told you about. Fareed isn't home, but if he comes back before you leave, I'll get him for you."

He smiled while he smiled at Fareeda, "Good evening, Hamma," she greeted and with a confused expression, Yazeed turned to look at Jalilah.

"What does that mean?" He asked with a chuckle.

"It means brother in Fulani, you know most the people in Adamawa are Fulani. She calls me Addah, which means sister." Oh, that was it? He smiled and turned his pleasantries to Fareeda. They spoke for some moment before she left and Jalilah smiled at him.

She served them in a plate and sat beside him, making sure she left a reasonable space between them. "I'm sure you'd enjoy it, and there's a fresh cow's milk, I'll bring it for you after we're done." She smiled at him, and silently, they began taking their food. She was trying all she could to act normal, to sound like her old self, as if she wasn't afraid of what would happen if she spoke to Mama in front of him.

After they were done, she went to the fridge as promised and brought out a bowl of fresh milk, handing it to him with a smile. "If I want, I can confuse you with Fulani, but I'm not that mean. So, Hamma Yazeed, have this milk, it's the best here so far." He collected the bowl and glared at her.

"What's with the Hamma?" He asked, stirring the milk and imagining how it will taste on his lips. It looked so fresh and delicious.

"Oh, sorry, it should have been Gorko am, right?" She asked and chuckled when he seemed more confused. She loved confusing him, and right now there was no way she was telling him that Gorko is meant, my husband.

"Jalilah, you can't be confusing me with this Fulani. What's the meaning of that?" He asked and fixed his eyes on her while taking his milk.

"Maybe you can ask Mama that, I'm sure she will tell you." She chuckled and palmed her face to block away from the fierce look he threw her way. Ya Allah, the more they spent time together the more she found it so hard not to like this guy. She knew liking him wasn't safe for her, but there was no way she could stop her heart from doing that. It just occurred to her, to those flight attendants, there were newly married, and if they were, he was her gorko.

He didn't say anything to her until he was done and he placed the bowl down, it was only halfway through, he couldn't take the whole of it. "I'm done. Can you call her now?" He asked, and she could see he was getting back to that serious Yazeed that she hated with everything she had in her.

"Will you stop sulking your face? Be your smiling face, please?" He shook his head and stubbornly looked away from her sight, she wasn't the only one that was stubborn.

"Please? What if I promise to dance for you? I mean, you've never seen me practiced ballet, right?" He wanted to say he had, and that was the most amazing sight he had of her until date, but he stopped himself from saying that because she would know that he sometimes deliberately waited in the office until he was sure she had started her classes just so he could see her dancing. He had done that times he didn't care to count, even when he had her changed from his office, the times they had spent without speaking, and he was sure she did all she could to avoid seeing him in the company, he always waited until she started dancing before he closed for the day.

Ever since he saw her the first day she had danced, having a flashback of the way she danced with that smile on her lips had always been the only thing that helped him fell asleep in no time. "Yes, I've never seen you. I don't think you're a good dancer. And no, you can't bribe me with that, call her."

She stomped her feet on the floor with a pout on her lips, "Come on, Yazeed. She would say I'm lying if you keep on sulking your face. Please?" She gave him her best puppy smile that Yazeed had no choice but to nod his head at her without even knowing he did.

"But wait, what do you plan on telling her?" He asked, and she was silent before she masked up a smile.

"I can't tell you, but you promised to play along, right?" He nodded his head, and she smiled before she walked away. She ran immediately to her room and took her phone, dialling Farha's number.

"Girl, do you think I should do this? I'm nervous, I don't think I could do this." Her voice wavered as she spoke, she felt the urge to just wrap herself in her blanket and feel nothing. She was beginning to regret bringing Yazeed to Adamawa. She was afraid of what would happen. If Mama agreed on that, what of him? She knew it wouldn't be easy convincing Yazeed.

"I told you, Jalilah. Just act so natural, but be so remorseful that Mama has no choice but to forgive you, okay? Don't give anything away that she could figure out you're lying, act so perfectly, okay? And for him, I'm sure he wouldn't act otherwise in front of her, the storm will follow afterwards, and he won't be so hard to convince, I believe."

Jalilah heaved a sigh as she shook her head as if Farha was in front of her, "You won't understand, I'm afraid of what will Mama say. I'm afraid she wouldn't believe me and start interrogating us all. I'm afraid if he heard what I'd say, he'd just tell Mama the truth and take the night flight back to Abuja and for me? You know that will be the end of my life. It's Uncle Yusuf tomorrow and you'll just come for my condolences."

"It's Mama, that woman loves you beyond everything in this life. You know the best way to make her soft towards you. Use those tricks, those weaknesses, okay? I'm sure you'd be fine. I'll keep on praying for you. Now, paint that gorgeous smile on your lips and go to them, it's Jalilah Fufure out of all people, I assure you that you can do this. Feeling nervous is only natural." It took a lot of encouragement from Farha before she found the will in her to do what she had planned on doing, or in other words, they planned on doing.

She went to Mama's room and found her seated on the prayer mat, she sat down and closed to her and leaned onto her body. "The surprise is finally here, ready to meet him?" She made sure she sounded like the most loving daughter and innocent as well.

"Yes, Khadija. And you said to him? Does that mean...?" Mama let her words trialled off with the most excited smile Jalilah had ever seen on her face. Jalilah knew she thought it was just a boyfriend that she wanted to marry, she wished this would be the same reaction she would get after she had told her everything.

"Yes, Mama. Maybe even more than that, can we leave?" She smiled and helped her got to her feed. She kept acting like a baby, resting her head on Mama's shoulder as they conversed lovingly.

They reached the living room, and the moment Yazeed saw them coming in, he crouched down from the sofa. He waited until Mama came and sat down before he slightly looked up at her. She was the replica of Jalilah, or maybe it should be Jalilah was her replica. Even the way she smiled was exactly that of Jalilah, their fair skin, those eyes, everything. "Good Afternoon, Mama." He greeted and ducked his head down. Jalilah moved to his sofa and sat down.

"Good afternoon, please sit up. I'm your mother as well." Mama flashed him a motherly smile and he did as she said. He became so nervous, not knowing what to do until she asked him again, "What's your name?"

"My name is Yazeed Adam Bunza." He answered and stared at the way Jalilah was nervously smiling. He didn't know what she was cooking up in her head, but he was sure it was something crazy that he'd never imagine in his life.

"That's good Yazeed. She had never told me about you, do you work in the company she serves?" Mama was being casual, he saw it from the way she acted, that she had the same habit as Jalilah. And that was rather disturbing to him.

"Yes, Mama. He's the manager in our department. And his father is the CEO, so it's their company." She smiled and Mama flashed him an impressed smile. She was about to ask him another question when Jalilah cut in, "Actually, Mama, I have something to tell you. No, that's not the right word, I have a confession to make. I'm so sorry, Mama you promised to understand and forgive me, right?" She asked with a slow voice and tears had already accumulated in her eyes. Yazeed turned to look at her, he was waiting for what she had to say too.

Mama had a cooling and comforting motherly smile on her lips when she nodded her head at her, "I promised that Jalilah is. What is it? Just say it out, okay? And I promise not to judge you either, you know you can always count on me, right? Come on, I'm your mother."

Jalilah let her tears fell because she truly didn't want to make this lie, but this was the only way Mama could let her leave. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands in a pleading gesture. "I'm sorry, Mama. I know I have no excuse to do this, but I believe this will justify my acts. Mama, I got married to him in Abuja."

Yazeed didn't know when he abruptly turned to look at her until his neck made a cracking sound. For real? Before he got to take a breathe, she spoke again. With her body shaking with cries, she said, "I know I have no reason to do this without you knowing, Mama. But will you please forgive me? I know you don't deserve this from me, I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything, I had to do that." She opened her eyes that were wet with her tears and fixed them on Mama, she was afraid to look at Yazeed and see what would crush her world until the end.

Mama had never been this shocked all her life, she couldn't believe what she just heard. "Are you joking? Because if you are, don't try doing this again, okay? Stop joking, Khadija." Mama called her Khadija at times, and it was only fondly, but Jalilah knew better to think that it was fondly this time.

She shook her head, her whole body silently shaking. "I'm sorry, Mama. But it happened, I'm his wife now."

"Why? Why will you do this to me, Jalilah? Where have I gone wrong?" Mama asked as her voice broke softly.

"Please don't cry, Mama, I'll tell you the truth. It happened suddenly, and we loved each other, we worked together, Mama. It was to keep us safe, away from a haram relationship. When he asked to meet my parents, I knew both you and Uncle Yusuf couldn't agree, I told him the truth. That you'll understand me, but Uncle Yusuf wouldn't do that, we both know he wouldn't. He understood me when I told him that, and we got married. I was so afraid to tell you that over the phone, that's why we came to tell you in person. Please forgive me, Mama." She crouched down from the sofa and knelt, lifting her hands in a pleading gesture.

"I don't know what I'd feel if my only daughter gets married without me knowing, only for her to come home with her husband. You don't deserve this, I'm sorry, Mama." She was crying, so hard that she felt it would only be a matter of seconds before her chest failed her.

Mama wiped her tears and lifted her hand, "Get back to your seat." She ordered, and Jalilah knew not to do what she said.

"Do you love him?" The question came to her like a bolt of striking lightning to her heart, with fear choking every opening of her heart, she turned to look at him. His eyes had turned red, and she knew it was nothing but anger. He was just trying to control himself because he was in front of her mother.

She looked away from him, afraid that if she stared so long, something bad would happen. "Yes, Mama. I love him." That revelation was more to herself than it was, for Mama. Even though she was sure that what she was feeling for Yazeed wasn't love yet, but she knew loving him wouldn't be hard for her.

"Are you happy staying with him? Do you cry often?" Another question again, Jalilah knew why Mama was asking these questions, and it broke her heart even more that she lied to her mother.

"Yes, Mama. I'm the happiest when I'm with him. He has never made me cry." Came her crying voice as she answered, wiping more tears from her eyes.

"Are you willing to spend the rest of your life with him? Remember, no backing out, Khadija." Mama fixed her fierce eyes on her that Jalilah felt she would melt this instant. But she held a stoic expression and nodded her head.

"Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with him." She had to close her eyes, everything was painful. She knew apart from normal lies that were easily forgiven, this was the first time she was lying this blatantly and hugely to her mother, by Allah it didn't feel good. It was so depressing.

Mama sighed and palmed her face before she looked up at them, "Tell me everything I need to know. Because this will be the last time I'll listen to you about this issue."

Jalilah couldn't voice a word out, with each word she had spoken, it felt so harm, so said and soul itching. But before she found the courage in her to say another word, Yazeed chirped in. "I'm sorry, I'm partially wrong in this too. Even if she told me that we should get married without her parents knowing, I shouldn't have agreed to that. We're travelling to Lagos in two days, I've been posted there for work. We need your blessings, but most importantly, Jalilah needs your forgiveness to have light in her life." He had his head ducked down as he spoke, and if Jalilah said she had been taken to the outer world when she heard him speak and brought back, nothing could do justice to what she felt.

Mama sighed again and looked away from them for some time before she spoke again. Jalilah had noticed that talking was becoming a problem for her, it was too strong for a blow to hit her this hard. "You two, stand up." They did, in just a matter of barely a second.

She looked up at them and ordered, "Jalilah, hug him. I have to testify with my eyes, I know my daughter will never hug someone that isn't her Muharram. Hugging him will only prove to me that you've indeed got married to him, and I have no choice but to forgive you because I'd want you to have the best life out there." Mama's voice broke at her last word that it made Jalilah shed more tears.

She turned to look at Mama, and even though she was pained, the kind of harsh look she had flashed her was enough to make her look away from her sight. Shivering with fear, she turned to Yazeed, he was staring at her with his eyes that turned bloodshot. How could he hug her? In front of her mother while she was certain that her daughter was pious enough not to hug someone that isn't her Muharram? This was the most depressing lie he had ever heard in his life.

"Set my doubts free, Khadija!" Mama thundered, and Jalilah didn't know when she hugged him, wrapping her hands around his waist. She burst into tears when her face landed on his chest and she felt the way he held her to him. To him, Jalilah was sure he only did that to back up her lie, but to her, this was the shield she needed from herself.

"I'm sorry, Yazeed." She whispered and broke into more tears. She hated herself, hearing the gasp Mama had surged into her lungs when Jalilah hugged him was enough evidence that this was the most painful heartbreak Mama had ever encountered in her life, she felt bad. Why would she lie about this? Why didn't she think of a better lie? Why would she hurt her mother to this extent? She wanted to take her words back, but an eternity to come, Jalilah knew there was no way she could do that.

Her eyes were closed, she heard the way his heart was erratically beating and the way he was angrily holding onto her back, "This has just proven it for me, Khadija. May Allah bless your marriage, may it be blissful and you both be happy till eternity. You're forgiven." Mama spoke through her cries and walked out of the living room in a flash. Jalilah didn't know when she clutched onto his shirt and broke into tears, no! She didn't want to do ballet again. She wanted to take her mother's pain away. Her mother didn't deserve this!

She was painfully crying when she felt yanked off from his body, she knew this was bound to happen. She looked at him, shaking her head with her tears gushing down uncontrollably on her cheeks. Yazeed didn't spare her a glance when he walked out of the door. They kept their keys in the living room, she rushed to the drawer and randomly picked one before she rushed after him. He wasn't close to the gate, not even close.

"Yazeed!" She screamed at the pitch of her lungs, she knew Mama wouldn't hear her even if she was to scream tenfold of how she was now screaming. He turned to look at her, and she ran to where he stood. Luckily for her, the car she had taken out the keys for where close by, and she lifted her hands in a begging gesture, her tears rushing out in a flood. "I beg you in the name of Allah, please let me take you to the hotel, please."

She could see as something changed in his eyes, and she knew that was the acceptance she needed from him. She rushed to the car and pulled it out of the parking lot, it took a lot of pleading before he got into the car and she drove out of the house. Driving while heavily crying was something Jalilah had never done in her life, she kept clearing her tears but more gushed down to the point that she felt dizzy, but she had to act up. She was afraid of speaking to him, and she could see the way he was curling his hands up in a fist. Did he want to hit something? If she could, she would have asked him to beat her, because she deserved that.

The moment she parked, Yazeed didn't say anything when he hopped out of the car and banged the door so hard that it shook her. She rushed out and raced before him, she knew they had to talk about him, she had to apologize, everything had been choked up for her. He opened his room and was about to close it when she held the handle, her tears intensifying with each rush of emotion in her chest.

"Allow me in, I know I can't explain myself. But at least you need to get the words out of your chest. Please?" She was crying profusely, so hard that she knew any minute from now, she would need something to set her breathing straight.

He tried to close the door on her face but she pushed so hard that he had to let it go unless he wanted to knock her down. She got into the room and closed the door behind her. She stared at the way he kept racing around the room with his hands curled up into a fist, he turned and banged his fist on the fridge before he turned to look at her with rage brewing from his eyes. "What the hell were you thinking? How could you think of that? What was wrong with you? Have you gone mad? Are you this pathetic to have no one to lie about being married but your mother? How could you say I'm your husband? Proceed to even hug me knowing so well this woman was certain you couldn't hug someone that isn't your Muharram?!!!" He thundered, and she wailed softly before her knees voluntarily went south, everything had been choked up for her.

"Wait, that's between you and your mother. I'll speak about myself, who do you think you are to call your pathetic and desperate self as my wife? Do you what it takes to be my wife? The prices you have to pay to call yourself my Mrs? Don't you know that you have to be on a certain level of standard for me to consider you as someone worthy of a Mrs title in my life? How could you degrade me like that? At the same time painting yourself as the cheapest woman on earth. Lying about being married when the man doesn't even see you worthy of anything valuable in his life? I thought you've said that love isn't cheap and easy for you?" He had to scoff, huffed out some angry breaths before he thundered the words. "But that was how your miserable self said that you loved me in front of your mother. You love me, for real?! Were you this cheap? This pitiful that you have no other choice but to push yourself on a man?!"

He moved to where she had slumped on the floor, her hands covering her face as she cried harder with each word he had uttered. He stood barely a foot from where she was, "I'll make this clear to your desperate self, Jalilah. One, I can't love you, and even if I could, I'd choose not to. Second, even in your wildest dreams, don't ever dream of getting me as a husband. Because getting that title in my life isn't cheap, it doesn't come to any type of a girl, not a cheap girl like you! If you'll at least stop pushing yourself on me, I was only trying to help you achieve your dream! I don't want a relationship with you! I don't love you and never would! You can't be the one I love, you lack all things I want in a spouse, set yourself right and stop dreaming fantasies!"

He went to the bed, banged his feet on it before he slumped down and covered his face with his palms. The only sound you could hear in the room was that of the humming air conditioner and her cries that never seemed to seize. They were irritating his ears to the point that he groaned outwardly and looked at her, she was still slumped the way she was, didn't even move a limb.

"Take your filthy body away from me! Get the hell out of my room!" The way he screamed to the pitch of his lungs was what shook Jalilah to the point that she jerked away from him, even though they were inches away from each other. She opened her eyes and cleared her tears, but that only gave way for more to cascade down her cheeks.

"You've said a lot of hurtful words to me, Yazeed. Even though there is a limit you should have stopped, but you exceed it. I won't be mad at you, because you have every right to be this angry at me. But I think I need to make a few clarifications, I don't love you, I've never said I did. Me telling my mother I'm married to you doesn't mean I want to be your wife, I've never thought of being your wife. You don't have to tell me that being your wife comes with a price, it's evident it does.  I'm so sorry you thought this way. I will take my leave." She blew air out of her nose and cleared her tears away, and with a single glance at him, she walked out of the room.

It wondered to her how she got to the parking lot, and as she drove back home, her whole body shook with her cries. She couldn't believe the last time she had cried this much, it had been years already. She roughly parked the car and handed the key to the driver so he could adjust it, she ran to the house and had it in mind that whatever was going to happen, she had to tell Mama the truth. All that Yazeed had uttered was something she had never imagined to be thrown at her, she was hurt beyond words could tell, and she believed she was paying the price of what she had done to Mama.

She went directly to Mama's room but found it locked, knocking hysterically, Jalilah cried and begged. "Mama, please forgive me, please open the door for me. Mama, I need to talk to you!" She kept begging, crying and knocking on Mama's door but there was no response.

It got to the point that Mama got tired of her knocking when she came to the door and warned her, "Unless you want me to say something that will be a curse to your life, which we will both regret later, get the hell away from my room, Khadija!" Mama had never said anything close to this in her life, she knew she had to leave, but one thing was certain, she had ruined her life.

Yazeed fa be iya magana ba😭💔

I can clearly remember when I was writing this book. Whenever I wrote a fight scene between them I'd call my friend; Jalilah, and rant about how much I wish I could kill Yazeed! I mean, the words were sooo hurtful and still are😭💔

If you can't wait for the next update, complete book available on both OkadaBooks and Selar. Thanks💕