Asad

I had a meeting with the Salihijo group that I couldn't set back anymore. We've canceled three meetings already but because the new project which outcome we were anticipating is launching soon, we needed to conclude the new building. I picked up the folder Mr. Felix left me for the meeting and took off.

I will set everything right.

"Hey, Asad. Welcome." Malik said standing up from his seat and putting the buttons on his suit before we shook hands when he reached the middle.

Malik and I were friends, we met at the football field we played football, played in the same team, and the very next day at the gym, we worked out together. It had been a good three years since we had acquainted each other and finally, for the first time, we decided to work together. Turned out, that my company worked with his company a few years back when I looked at the record and later, we got to realize our fathers worked together and were friends before his father was late.

"Yes, shall we pray first if you haven't, before starting? It's already time." It's a little past Asr time, so we missed the congregation as it was.

It's amusing.

This girl just walked in and had been blabbing out to my dear friend. I raised my head to see her for the first time and from all indications, she's oblivion of my presence. Maybe sitting in the corner was a bad idea too, she probably didn't see there was someone because of the way she was speaking to her brother. My friend. My friend's sister. I shouldn't be listening to this conversation.

My eyes met Malik's and he tried stopping her.

"I know. Tell you what, I'll cook your favorite food for you today. What do you say? You know you can't pass on that." She said while putting her palms under her face. "I'll even sing for you."

Although she asked questions, and she didn't, for once, wait for a response. Didn't look like she wanted one. Instead after every question, she went on and on.

Now should be my queue.

When I spoke, I'd have sworn she stiffened. I debated going forward to shake Malik's hand or not. He huffed in what looked like frustration or embarrassment. I shouldn't do that.

I moved my eyes to her face and gave her a tight-lipped smile. My eyes probably remained on her face for a good five seconds. But I'd tell how flustered she was, her face turned a good shade of pink.

We were already done anyway, were just supposed to go over the details one more time and that's it.

I found myself smiling when I entered the car. She was contrived to charm.

What's wrong with you, Asad?

I was buried in the details of insurance documents for the acquisition Nyako Corp. was pursuing. As we ventured into the motors sector, every detail had to be meticulously reviewed. To help me concentrate, I was absentmindedly scribbling on a white sheet of paper with my right hand, a habit I'd picked up over the years to keep my mind focused.

"Ya Asad," A voice came from the doorway, I glanced up, momentarily distracted. My eyes flicked from the document to the paper, then the figure in the doorway, and back again because something caught my attention. When I looked back at the paper, I saw that I had absentmindedly written "Layla" in Arabic in my handwriting.

For a brief moment, I was stunned at the name standing out against the white paper. I found myself drifting off into thoughts about how Malik's sister babbled on and on during my meeting with Malik, oblivious to my presence. Something was captivating about her non-stop chatter, her enthusiasm filling the room and making it hard for me to focus on anything else. I have caught myself smiling or shaking my head, trying to clear those thoughts. I didn't quite understand why she'd left such an impression on me. Maybe it was true as everyone said, there wasn't any amusement in my life.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and looked up to see Huda, my cousin, there, her expression curious.

"Huda, what are you doing here?" I asked as I relaxed into my chair.

"I am doing good, thank you for asking." She spoke.

"Oh, sorry. How are you doing? Is everything okay?" I asked.

Huda had always been like a sister to me. Though she lived in the dorms at her university, she frequently stayed at my parents' house whenever she wanted as her mom lived in Yola full time. We didn't converse often, much like I was with the rest of the family, but I knew her bubbly, vibrant nature. Her excessive chatter could be a bit overwhelming at times, but I never let it show.

"Yes, yes, of course." She sat down on the chair, her perfume subtly filling the room. It was a scent I recognized but never paid much attention to. "How have you been, Ya Asad?"

"Good, good. Just a lot of work."

"As always. Don't you ever get tired?" She asked with a smile. I valued her effort to strike up a conversation, but I was pressed for time. I needed to get back to work.

"No, and I have to get back to work soon," I said while leaning on the table. "What are you doing here?"

"Ya Asad, you are supposed to pretend to be happy I am here." She said and I chuckled.

Huda rarely visited my office alone. When she did, it was usually either to check in on me or to accompany Usman, my best friend, with whom she was friends. Usman was a goner when it came to Huda, but she didn't know that. During those visits, she would often ask for things that, deep down, I knew were not necessities but were probably trying to keep how familial bond alive. I tried to notice efforts put in by my family members to keep relationships with me because it was very hard not to when most of them were overbearing. Nonetheless, I couldn't say no to her no matter how trivial her demands seemed.

"I just wanted to check up on you. You know, you haven't replied to my messages or called me back in a while. And you did not come home last weekend." She said with a nervous smile.

Huda lived at my parents' house whenever she wasn't in her university dorm. I knew she dropped by my parents' house any day she wanted and often spent weekends there, especially since her mom lived in Adamawa State.

"Work has been more hectic recently; I haven't been able to spend the weekend at home," I said referring to my parents' house.

I lived a few minutes away from my parents' house, having decided that due to the demands of my work, I decided to live alone. My house was a reflection of my need for a quiet place, a place where I could unwind and focus without distraction.

"You are always busy, Ya Asad. You should rest every once in a while. We are all very worried about you."

"Don't worry about me and focus on your studies. I am okay and well." I said trying to assure her.

"I know, but still..." She started to argue. "... maybe take a few days off? Or lessen your workload. You are the boss, no one will deny you that." She finished with a smile.

"And who will feed the family?" I asked with a knowing smile. "I need to earn for us all. And besides, I love what I do. You have nothing to worry about."

I took over Nyako Corp. after my father retired, stepping into the role that he had meticulously built over the years. Not that we were in any danger of going broke, my father's hard work ensured that, but it's my turn to keep that legacy alive. I thrived on the long hours, the challenges, and the decisions that came with running the company. My world revolved around it, and honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Usman says that you are overworking yourself too, and he is your best friend so he wouldn't lie."

I laughed and shook my head.

"I was thinking maybe you would want to go out for a meal or watch a movie... or something like that. Anything." She let out a nervous laugh, her hand resting on the edge of my desk. "Just spending more time together."

"We do spend time together at home, remember?" I said while she sighed softly with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"Yeah, but that's different. I mean, just you and me, Ya Asad. We could go somewhere nice, like that new café that opened downtown. I hear they make the best coffee, and you adore coffee." I smiled at the suggestion, appreciating her thoughtfulness. I appreciated my family coming up with ways to spend time with me but it mostly interfered with my work.

"Sounds nice, but maybe next time. Maybe you can go with Usman, he's always up for trying new places." I suggested, knowing my best friend would appreciate that.

Her smile faltered for a split second, but she quickly recovered, her tone light but with a slight edge.

"I don't want to go with Usman, I want to go with you, Ya Asad." She whined. "Just us."

I paused, realizing there was something more to her request than I initially thought. But before I could ponder it further, she reached out and gently touched my hand, her fingers brushing against mine.

"I've always wanted to spend more time with you. You know that, right?"

I looked at our hands, puzzled by the sudden intensity of her words. One thing I have always tried to avoid with Huda was her wanting for closeness. I wasn't the biggest fan of human contact even with my siblings.

"Huda, let's talk and arrange this at a later date. I need to get back to work." I said as her hand withdrew as if stung, and her eyes darkened with a mix of emotions I couldn't quite understand.

"I should let you get back to work, I guess." There was a heaviness in her voice that made me feel like I'd missed something important. She stood up abruptly, forcing a smile back onto her face. "Don't forget to eat something today." She added with an unreadable expression. I nodded, slightly confused by the shift in her mood. That wasn't the first time I was turning down an outing with my family or her.

She lingered for a moment at the door, her gaze lingering on me before she finally walked out. The office felt oddly empty once she was gone, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd missed something in our conversation.

I shook my head, pushing the thought aside as I returned to my work. There was no time for distractions. But as I scribbled notes on the margin of the contract, my mind slowly drifted back to the thought of what I subconsciously scribbled earlier.

I shook my head again but with a smile.

*****

The hot slight wind of middle January was breezing, I had just stepped out of my car and entered the house.

The sweet aroma of Pan-Fried Salmon steak with vegetables hit my nose. It's Sunday and that's the usual. Ammi believed that Sunday should be for something light or of something light. Guess the same applied with today, of something light.

I proceeded into the kitchen past the living room and dining room, and there she stood in a material gown that was flared. The green colour illumined her features which reflected the rich cultural tapestry of her Saudi heritage. Her skin was olive tone, her face was heart-shaped and delicate, framed by dark, glossy hair that she kept covered with a silk cap. Ammi's eyes were large, almond-shaped, and a deep shade of green that seemed almost black, holding within them a depth of warmth. Despite the years and the challenges of adapting to life in a new country, her beauty seemed timeless, with grace that only seemed to deepen with age.

I went forth to where Ammi stood, wrapped a hand around her arm, and watched as she pierced the potato a few times with a fork, then rubbed paprika, coconut oil, and seasoning.

"Assalamu alaiki Ammi." I greeted them before placing a kiss on her left cheek.

"Wa alaika Salaam. Took you long enough." Ammi said with a smile.

Smile.

The smile.

The smile every member of the family loved coming back to. The way the corners of her mouth turned up just buoyed their mood. Whenever she spread her lips, it just seemed to alleviate the stress and pressure they came in with. When she spoke, her voice was soft yet steady, carrying the lilting accent of her native Arabic when she spoke even after years of living in Nigeria.

"Now, you're going to go and freshen up and then come down for lunch." Ammi slightly pushed me towards the kitchen exit.

"But I want to eat first."

"But you're not going to. I'm sure you're reeking." Ammi said with a scrunched nose.

"Ya Ammi, I just played football for two hours. Smell, no. But reek, no as well." I said with a chuckle.

"You do if you ask me. Now, go. Your dad and I have something we want to tell you later." Ammi's smile started to fade. Still present, but losing its warmth.

This can't be good. Not exactly bad, but something unsettling.

That same uneasy expression an expression counterpart to this-- if I'd remember correctly- was when I was about to be informed that I was leaving to study abroad.

It's supposed to be comforting, but there's an underlying tension.

I usually lived alone but came by on weekends whenever I was not swamped with work. My life is mostly consumed by my job, so on the weekends I take off for my family, I spend a couple of nights at my parents' house, usually once a month. During those visits, I either play football on the field, work out with my best friend, or, when I can, catch up on work—my true comfort zone.

I did as she asked of me and came to the dining for lunch.

There, Abu, my father, sat at the head of the table with Ammi and Nadir, my younger brother, by his right and Nahla, my younger sister, by the left.

"Malam, your Aunty Fa'i presented us with a proffer that I think is worth considering," Abu said to me before taking a sip of his orange juice. We'd just finished eating lunch and reclined to his home office.

"Aunty Fa'i is into business now?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

Aunty Fa'i is Abu's younger sister. She's a divorcee with two kids. Abu has always taken care of her, being her only brother.

"No, not business exactly. A marriage proposal. You and her daughter, Huda. Why don't you get married?"

Huda.

"Huda?" I asked, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Yes."

"I don't see anything wrong with it. Besides you and Huda get along well." Ammi reasoned out.

"Go and think about it, Malam. You won't be forced to marry someone you don't want. Just let me know what you decide so I can give her our response," Abu said as he stood up. "I'm going to rest now."

"Huda? Are you really going to marry Ya Huda" I bumped into Nahla after I came out of the office, and she asked.

"Eavesdropping is haram," I said as I playfully knocked her head and started walking away.

"I wasn't eavesdropping, I knew about it since." Nahla is a lively and endearing presence, known for her talkative and carefree nature. She effortlessly blends Arabic and Fulfulde in her speech, often switching between the two languages in a single sentence more than anyone else in the family. We constantly switched between the two languages, having grown up speaking at home.

"How did you know?" I asked, knowing she probably heard from Ammi.

"Oh, everyone knows. Everyone has always known because it is no secret."

"Everyone has always known about the marriage proposal?" I turned while Nahla bumped into me without noticing.

"Ouch." I held her forehead. "No, not that. The..." She started but paused as if she knew better than to continue. "I mean, we all suspected that it was coming. Outrageous but I am not too surprised." She started.

"Why would you suspect Aunty Fa'I would do that though?" I asked and continued to my room.

"Aunty Fa'I?" She asked with confusion laced in her voice, still trailing behind me. "No, not her. Why would she? Wait, Aunty Fa'I was the one that proposed?"

I could tell my sister was just rambling, not making any sense, as she often did.

"Nahla, you are not making any sense." I stopped in front of my room and unlocked the door. "Now, I need to work so please go." I finished as I attempted to close the door.

"No, no, wait." She put her hand to stop the door from closing. "Okay, just answer this, okay? Will you marry Huda?" She asked with an unreadable expression.

"You tell me, should I?" I asked her with a smile.

"Not that my opinion should matter but no. I mean she's not bad but something's kind of off. You guys just..." She flicked her fingers. "... not a match, to be honest. No. I can't even imagine the combination." She said while rolling her eyes widely and shuddered after saying that. I closed my face on her face and tried to bury myself in work.

Despite my familial bond with Huda, I couldn't imagine marrying her. My best friend's secret harboured profound love for Huda.

"Reservation under Usman Gujbawu, please," I said to the receptionist at the desk.

"Patricia here will escort you to the room, sir." She replied with a smile. I gave a nod of acknowledgment.

I was meeting the President of the company who also happened to be my best friend, Usman, and the Director of operations, Mr. Felix. I was escorted to a private room where I found them already seated.

"When does it launch?" Usman, or Manu, as I called my best friend, asked Mr. Felix who recapitulated me on the functionality improvements on the new projects the company planned to establish.

"If we're able to settle the copyright documents and the merchandise shipping as we planned, I'd say beginning March is our best match." I nodded.

"When does Shaba land open?" Shaba land, owned by our rival, the Shaba group was a key competitor competitor.

"They're set to open this April, which is why we're pushing hard to ensure our launch happens in March,

"Felix, loosen up a bit, will you? This is not the military, why do you have to be at attention while answering a question? It's outside the company for a reason. You're sitting on your chair but your back hasn't touched it even once since he stepped in here." Usman said.

Usman and I had been inseparable since our school days, and now, while he was the President, I was the CEO of Nyako Corp. which had, through the years turned from been an electrical engineering company to a conglomerate company. We have got a group of diverse companies under our own, so we'd run as a single organization.

"Yes, sir." Mr. Felix said and then relaxed a bit.

"Seems like he's not keen on being friends with you either," I said, sipping from the glass of juice I'd ordered. We had finished eating, and Felix had to leave early for a 2 pm meeting.

"No, who would not want to be friends with me in their right mind? The guy is just uptight because I'm friends with you. He fears you. Not this much." Usman used his two hands to indicate little. "This much." He expanded the hands. "A whole lot of nervousness builds up inside him when you're around. He was more relaxed before you came. Have you seen how you're nodding and being bossy throughout? You didn't even smile once." That made my lips turn up.

Usman believed that building friendships is required in business. It made business easier, and he thrived on ease and minimal hassle. But he was convinced I drove them away.

"Why do your friends have to be employees?"

"When you are friends with your partner, then all you must follow is 7 out of 10 steps in business. Every undertake just breezes away." His eyes glint now because of how much he believed that theory and shone with conviction.

"I've heard that a million times, I'm trying too," I said because I understood what his words were insinuating.

"Trying what? How many have you made since you became friends with me? Five?" He asked with contempt laced in his words.

"No, six." I indeed had at least partners whom I'm friends with.

"I was being sarcastic." He said.

"I was being serious," I confessed.

Usman and I were best friends for a reason. While Usman is outgoing and had a good six times ten more friends, I was the opposite and had only the first digit as a few friends.

"What have you decided on your aunt's proposal? Are you going through?" He looked at his glass that was sitting on the table and then at my face. His face was void of a smile.

"Should I go through with it?" I've asked this question to avoid answering it a good number of times. "You tell me."

"No." He was serious. He wasn't usually this earnest about serious matters, often opting for humor in tough situations. He released a breath and picked up his glass; "You shouldn't." He said before taking the glass to his lips.

"The only reason I've not to is you. But you're not doing anything about it, get her but I don't think you're even trying. If you love her as much as you say, we wouldn't have been here at all. Abu will call for a concrete ground if I say no, even though I want to. Aunt Fa'i has put in her exceeding earnestness for my family because of me, it wouldn't be pleasant to just reject her daughter for no rational reason. You tell me, what should I do now?" Usman had been friends with Huda for years and had feelings for her, which he had never acted on.

Usman was absent for an indefinitely short time before he looked up. "Do you know what's holding me back? Do you want to know? I'll tell you." He paused and looked me dead in the eye. "You. You're the reason. You are what's holding me back."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion because I was confused. I was the reason?

"Why? What are you talking about?"

"Huda doesn't know my feelings for her because she's in love with you. She's in love with her cousin who doesn't see her as a woman. Everybody knows that except you. She's been in love with you since she's a kid but you never noticed or paid attention to her. You're nice to her which gives her missed signals, why do you think you got a proposal? You think your parents just decided you two are compatible with each other and decided to get you married?" He released a throaty laugh.

"Manu, you're being amiss and interpreting this whole..."

"Do you know how hard it is to listen to the woman you love talk fondly about the guy she is in love with? Did you ever have to pretend you're interested in hearing about a man that has a place in the heart you want for yourself, from the woman you want for yourself, just to hear her voice?" Sadness bubbled upon his face. "Why am I talking about it now? Because I need you to start taking hints. Why do think I always blabbing about how much I like her to you all this while? I wanted you to see a slight indication. I like her but she only wants me as a friend."

"Manu. You'd have just told..."

"Told you what? That the woman I love is in love with you? Do you think I didn't want to tell you? What would you do now that I've told you? Accept the proposal and marry her?" His were digging holes in mine for a few seconds before he looked at his phone and he said; "I've to go and console Huda because you're taking too long to consider her proposal." He picked up his folder and car key and he was gone.

Everything made sense. Perfect sense.

'She likes someone.'

'I'm going to see Huda today because she's heartbroken.'

'Huda and I have a meeting to discuss our non-existent love.'

'I'm consoling Huda because she's in a bad mood.'

The lines flooded in my head because he'd said a million kinds. I never gave anything he said an instance of deliberate thinking because he was never serious when telling those lines to me. I could have pushed hard every time I asked how I'd help him get my cousin, maybe he'd have told me.

I made a sigh in frustration and was suspended.

What have I done?

"Okay, Ammi," I said. "I'll make sure to do that in Shaa Allah. Don't worry."

"And make sure to stir-fry the vegetables to eat with, okay?" My mom said from the other end.

Ammi was concerned l, had always been, and didn't eat regularly because of work. So every week when I was over, she made side dishes and made me come home with them to store in the fridge.

"I'll do that In shaa Allah. Go and rest now. My regards to Abu. I'll speak to him tomorrow." I said while opening the lock on the front door of my house.

I walked into the dark house and quiet house. The décor was minimalistic yet functional, with clean lines and neutral tones that exuded a sense of calm. I went straight to my room to freshen up, today's been a long. Every day is a long day for someone like me but today was an exception.

After freshening up, I came downstairs to warm the food Ammi packaged for me.

I walked down the hall upstairs and entered my office. I needed to finish off some work.

"Manu," I said when Usman picked up the phone.

"How's the meeting with Salihijo group?"

"Good. Look man, I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"Asad, just do one thing for me, please. I know how selfish I'm being right now, but I can't help it. If you know you don't have a chip of feelings for Huda as you said, please don't marry her." Usman said through the phone. "My head is not putting through right now. Let's talk tomorrow." And then, he hung up.

I didn't plan to marry Huda since the first minute and I planned to turn down the proposal; I wanted to tell Usman. Huda was a shut-off person with everyone. She never smiled at anyone new apart from family or talked to anyone, everybody said we had the same personality.

Usman didn't tell me any of that for Huda's pride. She didn't tell me all this while but conveyed hints for her self-respect and I never noticed. I had in mind the whole time that Usman loved Huda and never even thought of her as a woman because of that.

Just how hard had it been for the two of them, Huda watching me being oblivion to her feelings and Usman stuck between the woman he loved and his best friend?

My mind slipped into my brain while I thought of how I'd make things right.

Maybe if I had noticed Huda and rejected her, she might have moved on and Usman would have had a chance for his love to get reciprocated.

With my eyes closed, what do I do?; I thought.

The girl.

This is the third time I'm thinking about the girl I met today. Malik's sister.

I was still working on my computer when my phone buzzed indicating a message. I saw the name and I immediately thought of what happened earlier today.

It's Malik.

Salaam, I'm sorry you had to leave early today. Let me know what time you're free before the meeting, I'll stop over, and we'll conclude on the items.