Hi everyone,

Eid Mubarak people. God bless us this year and the next, may we see many more years.

So this update is for so many people. Most of all @AsmauIsaAli. Who sent me a long message telling me how much she loves soiled.

I just want to say thank you to all of you who beat my dm everyday, I know I don't make it a big deal, but it's a lot for me. I'm very thankful.

Happy Reading🎉🎉😅😅

"Third trolley check?"

I looked in the booth of the Range Rover, and shouted. "Check!!"

"Please shut the booth, let's pray." I did as he asked and walked towards the door to the bathroom near the living room to perform ablutions for Zuhr, as I wash up, I carefully remove my rings and place them on the counter.

I scrub my knuckles and the inside of my hands before wearing my rings back. A few minutes later, I'm done, I walk upstairs to the prayer room where Adeel has set two mats waiting.

"Alhamdulilahi, you sure took your time." I smile at him and take of my in-house slippers.

At the end of the prayers, he asks that we offer prayers for our trip, that it may draw us closer than ever, that we may see the point of the marriage.

I slowly mutter a few words of dua and think of my unconsumated marriage, and of the man infront of me whom Allah has blessed with the gift of patience and understanding. In a burst of gratitude, I pray for him.

I watch him get up from his space and roll his mat into a cylindrical shape, carefully placing it in its place. He's imperfectly perfect.

"I'm done." He nods and we walk to our various rooms, once I get into mine, I get into the shower to scrub off the grime of packing for a one month trip.

"You done there Nabeela? We have to leave in thirty minutes if you us want to meet Maama at the airport fa." I groan softly and rub my lotion onto my skin faster.

"I'll be out in a jiffy." He laughs, that deep throaty laugh I love.

"You don't know what a jiffy is Beela." I huff softly, yen yen yen, British English.

"I'll be out soon Malam." He laughs harder and walks away from my door.

Once I'm done tying my scarf, I pull on my black and blue patterned abaya over a pair of skinny jeans. I apply lip gloss just as I hear the horn being raised outside. Adeel Baba Hassan!!

I run down the stairs once I'm out of my room, out the door. I hear aunty Amina shut the door behind me and I walk to the car.

"You forgot your phone. So much for rushing." He smiles at me and moves to make space for me.

"Bismillahi." He ends the dua and the driver starts the car. As the car climbs onto the main expressway, his phone rings.

"They are waiting already." I nod and look out the window hoping to savour my country one last time till I return in a month or so time.

In the past few weeks, I've put my work in Rahma's hands, trained her to take my place, to handle things except for physical consultations. I turn on my phone to look at the makeup mixing factory in South London I'll be going to for two weeks. To start my own makeup line towards the end of the year In Sha Allah.

I watch as the driver pays the toll fee at the airport and annexes to the private lounge area. I sigh. London, here the Hassans come.

********

"Ya Allah. I just want to sleep."

Safiyya yawns loudly and lays her head on Zarah's shoulder. I don't bother to even turn because I'm probably more tired than she is.

"And when I think of all we have to do tomorrow morning, I just get even tireder." We all laugh at Zeenah's words and afterwards a lull comes over us.

"I miss Baba." Adeel sighs beside me. I pull his right hand over my lap and hold it captive in comfort.

"I miss him more." Mohammed's voice breaks my heart. We all sigh.

"We all miss him, deeply even. But we must learn to move on with his memories in our hearts and his words in a part of our minds. Let him live on through us. Only us probably know the extent of our loss, only us know how deeply attached to him we were to him." Maama's voice breaks and I smile. She's trying to be strong for her children.

"But, Hassan would have wanted more than anything that we live life as beautifully and we can without him, the most we can do is pray for his soul to get the very best in the hereafter." She begins a dua and we all recite along with her. When we're done, tears are streaming down our faces.

"We love you Maama." Zeenah says and  She nods with tears in her eyes and let's go off her black veil.

We drive into a graveled driveway a few minutes later and nothing prepares me for the beauty of the place.

The beauty is jaw dropping. The van stops and we all begin to step out slowly, the beauty of the house holding us captive.

"Wow, Adeel. This is one hell of a house. If you may excuse my french." We all laugh as I've never heard Maama swear.

It's entirety is completely beautiful. Adeel holds my hand and pulls my to a side of the van away from the view of others.

"Mrs Hassan, we have a date tonight." I raise an eyebrow at him. We both just dropped from an eight hour flight, and he's talking dates already.

"It's twelve thirty am, not five pm. We will go on our date after you've rested well. Innit?" I nod slowly, his twinkling eyes have held me captive. I blink to break the link.

"No need, I would kiss you but I know you're too shy for an outdoor kiss. See ya." He lets go of my hand and walks off to help the driver pull out a trolley stuck in the gravel.

Ya Allah.

*****

"Wow."

Safiyya straightens out the Kimono she'd sewn for me some months back but gave me this afternoon.

"Hamma Adeel is in trouble." I laughed. Trouble indeed.

"Let me gloss my lips again." I walked to the mirror and she walked around in the room in the process of turning off a mini ringlight I packed for impromptu makeups like this one.

"Ya Affy." I turn to her.

"Naam." She stops turning the electric coil in her hands and looks at me in fear.

"I told someone to go and meet Father to get the guy off my back." I smiled sardonically.

"Safiyya. It's absolutely fine. No one said you wouldn't date or get married, I just want it done after your University education when you have your own brand and no one can take it away from you. Isn't that a fair point?" She nods and drops the coil onto the bed before throwing her arms around me.

"I love you. So much. Too much, extra. You're Allah's blessings and more." I smile to hold the tears that stung my eyes at bay.

"I love you too Saffy. Let me go wow Mr Hassan."

**********

Also, I started a new book today. I know, it feels like I'm leaving soiled behind, but I only just began. It's going to be fast. I'll try really hard.

The title is LETTING GO.

YASSS, THAT'S THE TITLE. ITS ON MY PROFILE, GO AND READ IT, LEAVE A COMMENT SO I CAN KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

Goodnight.

TheOmoope.