HADEWA CALIPHATE,

NIGERIA.

ARIA SAFWAN'S POV.

Nigeria.

I would say I hate the country, but hate is such a strong word.

So, I'll go for a less strong and rude word. Dislike. Dislike won't cut it either but I'll make do with that. For now, that is.

I know I can't go around stating my distaste for this foreign country. Then again, I am the foreigner here so if I do that, it that would end badly for me—not that I care but still. I'm trying to realistic here. On normal occasions, I would've cared; but not at the moment.

I have more pressing issues to handle.

Tightening my hold around my suitcase, I dragged it along with me pass the security guards that checked me. Although my attention isn't on them, I could vaguely remember them staring at me. Why? I don't know either. It can't possibly be because I'm a foreigner. It's not like I have the name of my country tattooed to my body.

Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against Nigerians, or the country itself—I just have bad memories that had to do with it. Certain memories can ruin things for you. For me in this case, it ruined the love I once had for the place.

All that's left now is extreme distaste.

If not for my current predicament, nothing would make me step foot in the country. Ever.

Sighing in exasperation, I pushed my legs to walk faster wanting to get out of this airport as soon as possible. Maa said the driver is here, I really hope he is and not somewhere in the streets of Hadewa state doing God knows what. I can't afford to waste time like this. It just happens to be that the issues I have at hand makes me want to hurry up and get to my location as soon as possible.

My phone pinged.

I stopped in my tracks. Slipping my hand into the back pocket of my Raey flood-crop trouser, I pulled out my Iphone and swiped across the screen to answer the call. I brought the phone to my ear, "Assalamu alaikum" I said, waiting to hear the voice at the other end.

"Aria?" Came my mother's frantic voice on the other end laced with concern. She tried to hide it but I can hear the exhaustion in her tone. This situation has taken a toll on her more than anyone else in the family—that I can testify to. "I see you've arrived, right?"

I nodded, though she couldn't see me. "Yes" I replied, my voice low as my brows drew in. Tilting my head to the side slightly, I patted my leg on the floor, my thumb ran over my knuckles. "How...how is she?" I asked, chewing my bottom lip lightly dreading the answer that she would give me.

I didn't want to hear anything that would make me want to give up at this moment. I'm barely holding up and keeping myself composed. With every second that passes by, I'm tempted to do nothing more than let this façade down and bawl my eyes out.

But crying won't help. I've done enough of that already on my flight here—that explains my red and puffy eyes that I hid with the sun glasses I have on. I wasn't one to cry or break down. I've stopped that long ago.

Yet somehow, at that brief moment, I couldn't hold it in.

Guess even the strongest people break at a point, right?

I heard my mother's loud, long sigh on the other end before she replied a couple of seconds later. "She's...holding on" Her voice dropped shakily. "You better get here fast" She whispered, her voice cracking even while using that tone.

I gulped as my eyes glaze over. I don't want to cry anymore but it's impossible especially with the way Maa spoke. I know I don't have much time. Can I make it in time?

The thought brought my thoughts back to why I'm here in the first place.

13 HOURS EARLIER.

LA DIGUE, SEYCHELLES.

"Ah...this feels nice" I mumbled, sighing in content as I relish in the feeling of being out in the beach by the seashore. The sun's warmth kissing my body is calming and everything else a vacation should be about. There's just something about the sound of the soft lapping of the sea glistening under the sun's illumine.

Ladies and gentlemen, places are these are where you should go to for vacations. I don't usually get vacation time, but it's time for my annual leave so I took it as a chance to relax.

The firm where I work gives their workers hefty bonuses when it's time for annual leaves so we could afford places like this.

Unfortunately, my family members don't have the same definition of vacation as I do—especially this year. I can barely remember the last time we all went on a family vacation together. Any time it's time for the annual leave, we always end up picking different locations to go to with none willing to compromise for the other.

Same thing happened this time around. While I opted for Seychelles, my parents opted for going to Madagascar and my elder sister, Maya, opted for none other than Nigeria.

Yeah, of all places. I know. I feel the same way.

That doesn't mean Nigeria isn't a good place. It's just that her going there seems kind of sudden, you know...out of the blue. She never showed any interest in the country and then all of the sudden, she packed up and went there for a 'vacation'.

I don't know what got into her, or what she saw there but somehow, our parents ended up joining her there two weeks back. Reason why is something I'm yet to find out. All they told me is that they're there and that was it.

If I could stop them, I would. But it's family we're speaking of here. They have that stubborn gene in them just as much as I do.

I still can't wrap my head around any possible reason for going there. A vacation? That's the worst excuse they can think of.

Sure enough, we don't share the same distaste for the country but still, it holds bad memories for all of us. While I took the hatred towards another level, they were more open minded. I guess, that's the best way to put it.

As a lawyer myself, I got curious and wondered what their reason could be. But, I also know this is a case I would lose because I won't find out anything if my parents don't want me to. That's the downside of having parents as lawyers too.

Basically, my family is a house full of lawyers—excluding Maya that is—who is a real estate agent. We are a family of four—my father, mother, sister and I, the youngest in the family. If there's one thing I learnt being my parent's child is that I can never win a case against them—not that I'll ever make a mistake of having one against them.

Same applies in this situation. Unless they tell me why they go there, I won't bother to find out. It would be a pointless effort.

Reaching my hand out, I picked up the glacial Pina colada I ordered earlier. Lucky for me, the resort I stay in offers Pina coladas whose rum is substituted with Omore Vanilla ice cream, making it halal for Muslims to take.

My phone which rests on the small makeshift table the drink was just on vibrated, indicating a call coming in. Gulping the drink, I extended my hand and picked up the phone; eyes falling on the caller's ID that read my father's name.

My lips stretched into a small smile. He and I spoke last night, yet he's calling me again. It's nothing out of the ordinary because he and I have a good father-daughter relationship. In a way, I'll say I'm closer to him than my mom.

Maa and Maya, my sister, have so many things alike while my father and I have similar likes and dislikes too. That to say doesn't mean I do not have a good relationship with my mother either, I do—just like Maya has a good relationship with Abu.

Although, in the past years, things haven't exactly been good in the family considering so many things have happened already, I'll like to say we're getting back to normal.

Normal.

No, things will never be normal but we're okay, we're good. We have to be.

That's one of the reasons why we all went on a vacation for the first time in three years that we've broken apart. It's a good start for us all, or so everyone believes.

Funny how people believe we're the perfect happy family when we're far from it. We might've been once upon a time, or maybe, those were all lies too but still, all I know is that we're not. We're just...managing and trying to keep things together.

Yes, that's it.

The happy part is just, there. If I'm being particularly honest, I don't know if I am really happy or I'm just faking it—just as I've been doing for the past three years. I don't know anything anymore.

Shaking those thoughts aside, the smile on my lips stretched. Frankly speaking, I don't know if the smile is fake or not either, but...I'll go with whatever I can muster at the moment.

"Abu" I said, the minute I brought the phone up to my ear.

"Aria" His voice came; except, instead of the happy tone I expected from him, his voice held a certain edge and gloom that I'm familiar with.

And I hated it.

If I think I hated that, then what came nearly shatter the broken pieces I took years to build up. The tiny crack in the wall I built gave up and had my world shattering again. The pain I felt at the moment was almost as the one I felt back then.

Truth be told though; I don't think there's anything that could compare to that pain. Absolutely nothing would.

"Abu..." I hated how my voice came out shaky, "What's wrong?" I hate how weak I sounded.

I heard a sharp intake of breath from his end, and the moments it took for him to reply seemed the longest in my life. It's always that moment, that moment of waiting I hate with every fiber of my being. It was the same three years back, and I still regret not ending the call while I still had the chance.

Would that have changed anything though? It's not like I can avoid the inevitable.

"Abu..." I called out again. I'm sure he heard the impatience in my tone. That was how desperate I am to hear whatever news he has to deliver. A part of me knows that the news isn't a good one, but I didn't want to avoid hearing it. "Tell me"

Abu blew out a breath that figuratively reached my ears, "It's Maya" He paused before he continued, "She's sick"

There it is. The news I have been dreading.

You might think that her being sick might not be a big deal but it is. Abu called to tell me about it. That only means that it's not some small sickness.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and pushed back the treacherous tears that stung my eyes. "What...what's wrong with her?" I somehow managed to voice out.

For the next couple of seconds, he didn't answer. Judging from how well I know Abu, I know he's thinking of ways to tell me without making it as bad as it actually is. "She might not make it Aria"

The drink in my hand fell. If that is his way of making it not sound as bad as it actually is, then I dread finding out the intensity of whatever is wrong with her.

Is that why they all went to Nigeria? Could it be that she went there because she didn't want me to find out?

I felt my world crashing down. Allah knows I love my sister too much that even the thought of losing her scared me to the core. It scares me more than you can ever think of.

"Aria..." Abu knew what the silence at my end meant. It means I'm trying to not break down on him and for him to call my name again means he's worried about me. That must be why he called to tell me the news instead of Maa. Knowing her, I'm sure she's there bawling her eyes out at the thought of losing her daughter.

And breaking such news to me will break me more than I already am. That's what they're also worried about.

But they're wrong there. Sure enough the thought of losing Maya scares me but I am more worried about my parents.

I worry about them more than I worry about myself.

Quickly wiping away, the tears that unknowingly fell on my face, I cleared my throat to push back the tears forming. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll catch the earliest flight to Nigeria which I can find" I dropped the phone, unable to stay with him on the line again.

If I do, I might really break down. I can't have them worry about me too.

So, I stood up and did as I told my father. I found myself the earliest flight I can find to Nigeria and left.

"Okay Maa" I nodded, though I know she can't see me. Bringing the phone down, I slipped it into my pocket and blew out a breath.

My eyes fell on the bracelet strapped around my wrist. It made a small smile take over my features as I thought about the one person that could make me feel better in any situation I'm in—the one person who gave me the bracelet.

Using my other hand, I removed the bracelet to look at it up close. In that moment, someone bumped my hand, sending the bracelet to fall on the floor. My eyes widened. Before I could speak to the person stepped on the bracelet.

"Hey!" I yelled on impulse; eyes narrowed in slits at the person that stepped on the one thing I cherish the most in the world.

The person who bumped into me stopped, then turned around—in the process stepping off the bracelet.

I was quick to reach down and pick it up. Looking up, my eyes fell on the man who stayed looking at me.

I couldn't tell the look in his eyes because just like me, he had on shades. But the rest of his face was out in the open; and that includes the svelte nose that stood perched above his full lips surrounded by stubble. His hair is covered by a P-cap that I paid zero attention to.

"Were you talking to me?" He asked, and a part of me feels like the guy is raising a brow when he said that.

"Yes!" I know him bumping into me might be an accident but I dislike the way he just spoke, "Are you crazy? How can you just bump into a lady like that?"

For the next couple of seconds, he said nothing at all. And just when I thought he won't speak, he let out a small chuckle as his head tilted down slightly, "Between the two of us, it's clear who the crazy one is"

"What?"

He used his finger to point at something. I followed his line of slight and realized what he meant.

"Darn it" I mumbled, gritting my teeth as I looked away.

He's right. Between us I look like the crazy one. Why? Because I have a slipper on one foot and a sneaker on the other.

That must be why people have been staring at me since.

I was in a hurry to pack up and leave that I didn't realize how I dressed. Unfortunately for me, I travelled all the way from Seychelles to Nigeria like this.

Ya ilahi.

And what did he do? He chuckled, again. And what did I do? I kept my lips shut because I didn't want to embarrass myself further. My impatient self-caused me to realize how I dressed up in the worst way possible to me. Honestly, it would've been better if I stayed in the dark till I reach home. At least then, I won't feel as self-conscious as I do at the moment.

I turned around to slightly glare at him, since I have my shades on just like him, I'm sure he won't see the glare. Besides, he deserves it for chuckling at my embarrassment.

However, instead of seeing him standing and laughing at me expense, he was pulling out a box from a paper bag that has 'Chanel' written on it which I didn't realize was in his hand. He leaned down, then opened the box, revealing a pair of suave lily-white ankle boots. He pulled them out, and placed them in front of me before he stood up. "You can wear these instead"

Too dumbfounded to speak, I shook my head. "I can't take that from you" I found my voice eventually.

He folded his lips, finger lightly tapping the handle of his suitcase indicating he's thinking of something. When was done, his lips stretched into another smile. "Then take it as my apology for bumping into you. It was really an accident"

I parted my lips to say something when I heard a voice behind him. "Your Highness!"

He glanced at the man, before he swiveled his head to look at me, his lips stretched into a grin, "I have to go now. You can put your shoes in here. I hope we meet again" He moved the empty paper bag close to me, then turned around and walked away before I can say a word more.

I watched his retreating figure as he reached the man that called him. The man took the suitcase from him, and together they walked away.

Moving my gaze to the newly gifted boots, I sighed.

~*~

I hurriedly stepped into the house my parents and sister stay in, leaving my suitcase by the door. I made my way over to the living room, or so I hope it is. It's not like I've ever been to this house or the country itself; I'm just following my instincts here.

And I was right, I did head to the living room, but there was no one there. The whole house seemed oddly quiet, it matched the gloom I'm feeling internally though that lessened after my small encounter earlier.

Speaking of which, I kept the paper bag that had my slipper and sneaker in the living room and made my way upstairs hoping to see someone there. The first room I stepped into was empty, and so was the second room.

Luckily, I met the person I was looking for in the third room. My mouth hung open as my eyes widened. "Maya!" I called out my sister who was lying on her bed with her air pods plugged in.

She didn't hear me.

Knowing that calling her will a waste of time, I walked over to her and unplugged one of the air pods. That was what finally gained her attention.

When her gaze fell on me, she grinned. "Aria!" She stood up, then threw her hands around me. My sick sister, who is supposed to be on her death bed, just hugged me. Energetically.

I pushed her away from me, brows drawn in deeply. "Maya" I called out, my gaze moving around her room that is filled with all sort of clothes, "What's going on? You...you're sick!"

She grinned sheepishly, "Yeah...about that"

My face fell, "What about that?"

"I'm getting married!"