Nigeria, Abuja.

Rolling the window down, the soft breeze caressed her skin gently. The sky is a mixture of deep orange as the sun is setting. Aamirah inhaled deeply. She can feel the tears stinging her eyes, tears of joy. She can feel Khaleel's hot stare on her as she turned to face him.

"Thank you"

"No more thank you's okay?" He asked gently while she leaned back on the seat watching from the window.

"Is.. your wife, I mean-" she stammer nervously.

"Batool will be fine. What about you?"

She let out a deep breath "I don't want to be an inconvenient to her"

"We will work it out" he sighed closing his eyes clearing exhausted. Aamirah didn't push him more on the topic. Rather, she kept looking out the window fascinated at everything. It feels as if she is in another planet, a new environment.

When the driver parked at a huge house, more like a mansion. She watched closely. The two huge white pillars supporting the house stood out, she can spot the wild beautiful flowers decorating the front of the house. Roses, orchids and aloe vera plant

The car halt and Khaleel got down. She forcefully willed her legs to move out, her heart is beating so fast. This feels so wrong. Ya Allah! Just the fact that Batool is right across the door makes her nervous and scared. She is just about to meet her husband's wife.. the woman who knows Khaleel better than her, the one who rightfully belongs to Khaleel. She doesn't know why but that scares her more than anything in the world.

When the door flew open, a woman dressed in a green and pink patterned fitted gown threw her hands around Khaleel forcefully, energetically. Aamirah stepped back while Khaleel stopped himself from falling backwards. He held her in his arms.

"Batool!"

"Habibiey!! I missed you" she squealed backing away before setting her eyes on Aamirah.

"Oh! Assalamualaikum" she take in and appearance making Aamirah to feel dirty. She stand no chance at Batool, Khaleel's Batool. She is fair with natural high cheek bones and long eyelashes cascading her eyes, her thin pink lips did more justice to her beauty not to forget her curvaceous body, this is definitely the type of woman Khaleel will marry.

"Wa'alaikum salaam" she replied as Batool walk inside the house inviting them in.

The huge golden royal chairs in the living room make her more uneasy. Everything screams class! Money! And 'Mimi you don't belong here!' she couldn't agree more.

"Food? I made your favorite.." Batool asked her husband who glanced at Aamirah worriedly.

"Uh, why don't you show Aamirah her room, I think she is knackered out"

Batool nod her head calling out to the maid who came running.

"Show her the guest room"

"Guest room?" Khaleel asked puzzled

"The vacant room on the second floor is messed up" she inform "I hope that okay with her. I mean the guest room is clean and available"

"It's fine, thank you" Aamirah inject politely when Khaleel opened his mouth to talk, when Batool beamed taking his hand. He let the matter go unwilling while Mimi was shown her room.

She let out a deep hot breath slumping on the king's size bed. The room is big enough for six people to live in with gigantic bathroom and two set of loveseats. Either Khaleel is wealthy beyond her imaginations or Batool is from a rich family.. the thought makes her cringe inwardly. When she remembers how Batool screened her up and down, as if assessing her or trying to figure out what her husband saw in her, she broke down into tears.

There is no way she can handle this.

It feels like she is losing a game she didn't even know she is part of.

Just when she thought things will work out when she gets to Nigeria, it feels like she took five steps backwards.

With Batool, it's definitely game over for her.

***

Khaleel step out from the shower dressed in a white T-shirt and black joggers. When he caught sight of Raina, his sweet one year old daughter lazily rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with her small fist, he smiled widely. "Hi my princess" he picked her up throwing her in air depriving a loud squeal of excitement from her mouth.

"Dada dada!" She nuzzled into him laughing as he tickled her stomach.

"Say my name bebe" he called and she laughing before letting out a loud squeal "DADA!"

Batool walked inside the room with a bowl of cereal in her hand. "don't start with the-"

"Say my name bebe" he caught her Midway while Raina, on cue yelled Dada while laughing hysterically.

"Oh My God! Habibiey!" She frowned "Everytime she sees your picture she goes, my name bebe and she will squeal dada"

"Dada!"

"No Raina say Maama"

"Dada!"

"Maa-Ma. Maama!" Batool pronounced slowly

"Dada!"

Laughing out, he kissed her forehead before running his hand through her curly afro hair. He still can't get over the way Raina looks like her mother in every way. Down to her fair soft skin, curly long thick hair and long eyelashes cascading her eyes, he will never get over this, it's like living with two Batool's in one house.

"I don't understand why it's always Dada. It's not like you see him every day.."

"Habibty don't be jealous" Khaleel tease winking at her before helping her feed Raina. When Batool fed her, she asked her nanny to give her a bath while she laid on the bed beside Khaleel who is already drifting to sleep slowly.

She peeked at him with a smile on her face, "Hey"

Khaleel chuckled. Sometimes he doesn't know who is more clingy Batool or Raina. "Hi Habibty"

Definitely Batool. It has to be Batool.

"I missed you" she breathe running her hand through his hair.

"I missed you too Batoolie" he kissed her forehead tenderly sending shivers down her spine.

"Sure?"

"Course girl and I missed you cooking"

She rolled her eyes "obviously. How is JamJam and aunty Kul! And Myra?"

"All good, they send their regards" he simply replied leaving out the part were JamJam stopped talking to him because he married Aamirah.

"Khaleel.." she croaked and before he could ask why the sudden change of tone and name he felt the tears soaking his white T-shirt. Sitting up her wrapped his arms around her hugging her close to him while she cried. Suffocating breath seizing cries that made his heart squeeze painfully.

"You don't love me anymore right?" She choked out clinging onto him tightly.

"Of course I do habibty! Don't say that, please. It breaks my heart. You know I love you more than anything"

She inhaled deeply "It doesn't feel like you love me"

"Batool I told you, it's just a contract"

"I'm not stupid Khaleel. Just don't okay? Don't say that"

He exhaled deeply not knowing what else to say or do. "this is part of living. It's hurts I won't lie but I'll get passed this stage. You can't expect me not to break down or cry for the first few months if I don't then trust me, it's not normal"

"I know baby and I am so sorry"

"Just shut up and love me!" She demand deriving a laughter from his mouth. Leave it to Batool to turn the serious raw conversation to something light.

"I'll show you love habibty.." he murmured kissing her head before flipping them both until he is on top of her. "Wait and see.."

***

It felt like a dream. When he opened his eyes to face Batool beside him running her hand through his hair he almost gasped out in shock. He simply can't believe he is back home, waking up next to her, his beautiful wife and not an empty bed. This, he obviously missed.

"Hey! I'm leaving for work" she breathe kissing his cheek while he stirred in bed sleepily.

"Work? Come on Habibty.." he groan

"I know, I'm sorry. I have a very important patient coming all the way from Lagos to see me. It's just today, I promise" she rush out sitting up

"I'm important too"

She chuckled standing up, "I'll make it up to you" she add before quickly taking her bath. Khaleel ended up zoning back to sleep until he felt Raina jumping on his back that's when he completely zoned back to reality.

"Siddiqa will take care of Raina" Batool inform grabbing her handbag and car keys.

"Drive safe, love you"

"I love you too. Also the cook will serve breakfast.." when Khaleel frowned she gave him a pouty face "I'll make dinner for you. Just.. let me rock this habieby, please."

"Go save the world"

She smiled "thank you, bye"

When she left. Khaleel went downstairs and hand Raina to her nanny, Siddiqa, who is to feed and bathe her. He walked towards the guest room were he knocked on the door to check on Aamirah

When he got no response, he gently pushed the door open as Aamirah exit the bathroom with swollen red eyes and eye bags.

"Assalamualaikum, hey"

"Wa'alaikum salaam. Good morning" she greet nervously biting her lip while he stare at her. She knows Khaleel will not rest until he finds out what happened or why she looks like a zombie so she let him sigh and close the door behind him.

"Did you sleep?"

She paused weighing the pro's and con's of lying to him.

"Don't lie to me Mimi"

She sighed heavily, "No. I couldn't sleep"

"Why? Is the bed not comfortable?" He questioned worriedly glancing at the neat bed.

"It is. I mean.." she chewed on her lip. "Nightmares"

He walked closer until he is standing right in front of her. She can feel the tears triggering to spill any minute from now, she doesn't know if it's the fact that she has bottled so many emotions for too long that's making her weak or the fact that Khaleel is staring at her with pure concern and worry that makes her so weak in front of him. Either ways, anytime he is with her it feels like her brain shuts down and her heart aches more deeply.

"Your safe, I promise. No one will ever hurt you okay?"

She can feel the hot tears rolling down with full force. When he hugged her she jumped in his embrace, scared but he held her tightly. "It's just me" he whispered rubbing her back comfortingly. "It's me, Khaleel"

"They.. they-" she inhaled sharply as the memories flood her brain. "They touched me, I told.. -i told them no" she stammered hugging him back as her body relaxed into his.

"Your fine. I've got you, I promise"

"They touched me Khaleel. E-everywhere"

It feels like someone is twisting a blade in his heart. This is the first time she is opening up to him even though it's bits and pieces here and there but at least she is talking about it.

"I told them no.." she cried out "No! I begged them"

He doesn't know how much he can take. How much he can hear. Just the vision of her pleading them not to touch her, begging them, crying out makes him sick.

How heartless are this people?

"You need to sleep Aamirah"

"I can't. They will come back"

He breathe out leading her to the bed. "I'll stay with you. They won't come okay?"

He dragged the comforter over them before nuzzling her to close to him. She can feel his hand on her body, rubbing her comfortingly, calming her nerves slowly but surely. When he kissed her forehead, she inhaled sharply.

"It's just me"

She shivered. "It's just me. Look at me Mimi.. I won't hurt you, I promise" he wiped away the wetness on her cheek earning another shiver from her body.

"look at me. It's Khaleel,"

She slowly met his eyes wrapping her hands around his neck. "it's just you, Khaleel" she murmured to herself while his fingers rest on her hips.

"It's just me.." he softly whispered

"Khaleel"

***
Assalamualaikum!!

Writers block is a disease and scientifically, I don't think it has a cure.. yet!😭😭 Also this is literally the month of weddings, I apologise though for this very, very late update.

What do you think about Batool??

And sweet baby Raina??

And OH! Our latest couple, Mimi and Khaleel!!

I can feel it.. I can feel it.. are you feeling it??😂😻😻💃💃

Vote, comment and share pleaseeeeeeeeeee♥️♥️

Love you all.