Enjoy..🌷

Time really flies! We've already completed our Umrah, and now we're in Jeddah, alhamdulillah. Tomorrow, inshallah, we're heading to Sudan. At the moment, we're in the dining room of our family house, preparing for iftar.

Today's fast was no joke—so exhausting! Earlier, we went out shopping and just got back, and let me tell you, the sun was something else, wallahi. It's blazing out there.

Now, we're seated around the massive dining table, waiting for Baba and my brothers to join us so we can start eating. Mairam and Yassine are completely glued to their phones, not saying a word. Suddenly, Ya Hammad walked in and teased us, saying they looked like beggars. To top it off, he snapped a picture of us as "evidence"!

"Smile." He says and we did, shamelessly.

After a while, Baba, Ya Ibrahim and Ya Ahmad showed up to the dining room. "Nda dubdo baba." We chorused greetings and he answered. We all sat down and started eating our ravishing meal over a conversation.

After finishing our meal, we all headed back to our rooms. As I entered mine, I slipped off my Abaya and tossed it onto the couch, along with my veil and ribbon. Feeling a bit more relaxed, I grabbed my laptop and dialed Nadia on FaceTime. She had called earlier while I was at the mall, and I'd promised her I'd call her back.

Nadia picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, sis," I greeted as her face appeared on the screen.

"Ya Aidah, how are you?" she asked with a warm smile.

"Fine, Alhamdulillah. How's school?" I inquired.

"School is just there, wallahi," she said, making a tired face. "I'm so exhausted; I just want to come home."

"Don't worry, soon. You're coming for Eid, right?"

"Yes, I am," she replied, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Good. How are Ayman and Abdallah?" I asked, referring to my little brothers.

"They're fine. They just left my room a few minutes ago," she said.

"Alright then. Ki gaishe su (greet them for me) and tell them I'm mad at them," I said with a playful tone.

Nadia chuckled, and we continued chatting for a little while longer before I excused myself to pray Isha and get some rest.

Three weeks later.

We've been back in Nigeria for a week now, and Eid is just around the corner—only a week away. Apparently, three weeks after Eid, there's going to be THE wedding, inshallah. So, when I head to Maiduguri for Eid, I might just stay there until after the wedding. I'm still deciding, though.

Right now, I'm at Maryam's house for iftar, and the kitchen is a hive of activity. We're cooking all sorts of dishes, preparing a feast. Maryam has invited quite a group over for iftar—Sayyid, Farouk (Maryam's brother-in-law), Samad, Dami, Kamilla, her two sisters Ayush and Salma, and of course, Nadia. It's shaping up to be a lively evening!

Maryam, Kami, Salma, Ayush, and I were almost done preparing the food, and with only fifteen minutes left until iftar, we wrapped things up quickly. The maid stepped in to help set the table while we took a breather.

The Maghrib prayer had already been called, so everyone went off to pray. Since I wasn't praying, I stayed behind. The guys had headed to the mosque, so it was just us at the table.

I found myself seated next to Sayyid, with Nadia on his other side. Ayush was sitting beside Nadia, and directly across from her was my sister, Kamilla. The table felt warm and alive, buzzing with quiet anticipation for iftar.

"Babe, please pass me the tissue," I said to Sayyid, flashing him a quick smile. He returned the smile as he handed me the tissue box.

The table was lively, with everyone eating and talking simultaneously—not exactly the best habit, but it was what it was. I reached for the crossed buns, only to realize they were all gone.

"Wait, where did all the buns go? There were literally two here a minute ago!" I exclaimed in mock disbelief, which sent everyone into laughter.

"You were busy being all lovey-dovey with your man; how will you notice the buns disappearing?" Damilola teased, causing another round of laughter around the table.

I sighed in mock defeat, shaking my head as I sipped on my lemonade. "You people are impossible," I muttered, though I couldn't help but smile.

"You can have these, baby," Sayyid said with a grin, holding out a bun towards me.

I leaned in and took a bite from his hand, savoring the soft, sweet flavor. "Hmm, these are so delicious, wallahi," I said, moaning softly in appreciation.

Sayyid smirked and bit the same spot I'd bitten, which made me giggle. For a moment, I forgot about the crowd at the table until someone chimed in.

"Aww, you guys are so cute, wallahi," came Maryam's unmistakable voice, her tone dripping with playful admiration.

"Honestly, I can't wait for their wedding," Nadia said with a big smile, her excitement evident. I shot her a playful glare.

"I know, right," Salma chimed in, grinning. "It's going to be lit!"

Sayyid and I exchanged amused glances before finishing our meal. Once we were done, we excuse ourselves and headed to the living room. We settled on a cozy two-seater couch, and he gently took my hands in his.

"Baby, am...miyidi ma," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth.

I smiled—well, more like blushed—and looked at him, my heart feeling light. "I love you more, Sayyid," I replied softly.

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "You were supposed to say it back in Fulani," he teased.

I laughed. "I should have. My bad!"

We talked for a few more minutes, enjoying the quiet moment together, before the others started trickling into the living room. Sayyid and I were snapping selfies when Nadia perched herself on the arm of the couch.

"No way, I must be in this selfie," she declared, leaning into the frame.

Before I knew it, everyone else joined in, popping their faces into my phone screen, laughing and jostling for space. It was too chaotic for a single picture, so I decided to switch to video mode instead. The result was a hilarious, heartwarming clip of all of us crammed together, smiling and laughing.

They went to pray Taraweeh while I stayed upstairs with Damilola, chatting about random things to pass the time. Once they finished praying, it was getting late, so we decided it was time to head home. Sayyid had left earlier with Samad.

After about fifteen minutes, Kamilla, Nadia, and I finally arrived home. We greeted Ammi before heading to our rooms to unwind. Yaya, Mairam, and Yassine are still in Maiduguri with Baba and Mama.

As soon as I reached my room, I quickly slipped out of my outfit, wrapped myself in a towel, and headed to the bathroom for a refreshing shower. Afterward, I put on my nighties, switched off the lights, and snuggled into my comfy bed. I recited my duas quietly before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Eid Day
Borno, Maiduguri.

I'm really excited for this Eid, especially since I spent most of my Eids in the States while I was in university. It's been so long, I can't even remember the last time I celebrated Eid here in Nigeria. This year feels extra special, especially since most of my family is in Maiduguri for the occasion. Even Adda Niimah made it back last week with Baby Nahar. She's absolutely adorable and looks so much like her dad—such a sweet little addition to the celebrations!

Me, Amma, and Nadia were outside snapping pictures together. I was wearing a green lace outfit sewn into a skirt and blouse by Amma, while both Amma and Nadia were in beautiful Ankara gowns. We asked Ayman to take our picture, and just as he snapped it, my niece Amna piped up, "Aunty Aidah is the biggest!"

"Keh, Ina wasa dake?" I said, laughing at her, and that was when Ayman clicked the shot.

None of us were looking at the camera—Amma and Nadia were too busy laughing at Amna's comment. Honestly, I couldn't even figure out how I was supposed to be the biggest, especially when Nadia is bigger than me! Oh, Amna, what a character!

Our day went by in a blur as we visited nearly all of our relatives' houses. We stopped by our grandparents' house, some aunts and uncles, and even visited my cousin Amna's place. We also went to Baba Ibrahim's house, but sadly, Falmata wasn't there—she was at school.

Now, it's past Maghrib and nearing Isha. I'm currently on a call with Sayyid, who's in Katsina.

"How was your Eid, babe?" he asked.

"It was fine but stressful," I whined. "Baba made us go to almost all our relatives' houses."

"How was yours?" I asked him in return.

"Mine was fine too," he replied. "We did Durban and now I'm knackered."

"Ayya, get some rest, Muhammadu," I said, feeling a bit of sympathy for him

We talked for a little while longer before saying our goodbyes and ending the call. Feeling a bit bored, I decided to head over to Mama's side, where a lot of people had gathered. They were chatting, so I joined in, and we talked for what felt like hours, right up until almost Fajr. That's when I finally decided to head back to my room.

I went through my usual routine before lying down in bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering how my life would change after marriage. My marriage. In just two freaking weeks!!

Last week, before coming to Maiduguri, I made sure to get everything I needed, deciding not to return to Abuja until after the wedding. In fact, we're all staying here in Maiduguri until then. Earlier this week, I collected all my outfits for the wedding and took care of all the necessities.

The mai gyaran jiki (beautician) will be coming right after Sallah to start the preparations. I still can't believe it's happening so soon. I'm about to marry the love of my life!

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Thank you 😘