Hey guys ❤️
Sorry for the late update.
Truth is I got a new niece, then I shipped myself off for omugwo😂
Then i fell ill 😞
I am fine now, Alhamdulillahi.
Enjoy❤️

Beads of sweat started forming on Iman's forehead. He swallowed hard, this is the same Maryam he had seen laying on a hospital bed. The same girl who visits his thoughts every once in a while, and ofcourse his mind always wanders to her every morning when he wakes up and at night before he sleeps. He isn't much of a sleeper, his studies had made sure of it. And before he sleeps off, he replays every single activity from the day, but seeing Maryam weeks ago seemed to be the only activity which aligns itself with his daily routine.
  He's wondered how she is faring alot, if she did make it out of the hospital in one piece. If her dramatic mother was sorry she had put her in that situation. If she had gone back to school because she's supposed to. And here she is, standing in front of him. He had thought, she would remain in his mind, because he did not make any attempt at all to check on her or even get her details which is a forbidden policy at the hospital. Truth is, he isn't a romantic freak, and he believed things happen when God wills it. He had told himself, if she was meant to be seen again, he would see her. And here she is, standing tall right in front of him. It seemed after all that they're probably meant to be.

Wait! Did he just said "meant to be?" 

He cleared his throat awkwardly, as if she would have heard his thoughts. When she furrowed her brows and peered at him questioningly, he realized he had stood in front of her for more than forty-five seconds which felt like minutes without saying a word. Now she would be skeptic about his whole being.

This is definitely embarrassing

So, he conjured up a very polite smile.
     "Do you mind moving your car?" He had said, his voice sounding deeper than it was supposed to. He wondered why he sounded that way. Why did he even say that, he was supposed to be nicer and smooth. Asking a girl to move a car is no smooth way of getting into her life. This statement came out too rigid.

Maryam turned and glanced at the car in front for a nano second. She groaned inwardly, firing blames at her grandmother for leaving the car behind another person's vehicle. This certain person turned out to be quite eye catching. Infact he's a handsome distraction, and looking at him came with a dose of pleasure. She snapped herself out of her daze with a little difficulty.

     "It's not mine" she mumbled embarrassingly looking down. She felt it would be rude to stare, and if she does stare, she might get lost in all this beauty. How can a man come out so fine? He has those weird skin colors that emits outcast from a distance. He's definitely a mixed race.

Wait! Why was she dissecting his nationality?

Iman smiled at her timidness, even when she had been on the hospital bed, she never looked like those who would talk excessively. Her demeanor says a lot about her, she's not brazen that's for sure. Her hands were shaking and she had shrunken the moment he started talking. These are the perks of an extremely introverted person.

     "The keys say something else" he countered, pointing at her hands. He watched her with so much amusement as her eyes widened at the realization. She jiggled the keys, blinked multiple of times. Now he would think she's a liar!

     "There is a perfect explanation. These aren't mine" she explained, blinking rapidly. It's obvious she speed blinks when she is bothered, another factor Iman marked out about her.

     "But you're holding them" he said hiding a laugh that was about to erupt from the pit of his stomach.

     "That doesn't mean....."

     "Did you hijack somebody's car?" He asked exasperatedly making Maryam pale. She opened her mouth a couple of times but nothing came out of it. When she summoned the courage to answer, Iman squints his eyes trying to frustrate her efforts, and then he decided to push her to talk since she was being speechless at the moment. "Whose car did you hijack?" He asks again making Maryam gasp.

     "I absolutely, will never ever hijack anybody's car! Incase you haven't noticed, I don't look the part. For your information, this is my........ Wait a minute! You're trying to unnerve me and I fell for it" she squeaked a little loudly with a big grin, she watched Iman grinning and both felt that spark there and there. "You're a horrible person" she said laughing now.

     "No, I am not" Iman replied laughing too. Never had he ever had thought a very short conversation would uplift his spirit. He had forgotten about his little fight with his mother. Infact he wasn't even angry at anymore.

     "It's actually my grandma's car. She'll be out any second now......"

Just then Maryam's name was called, Iman could see the resemblance, he knew immediately that this is her grandmother. Maryam moved to the other side of the and collected what her grandmother was holding. Iman greeted her, and she answered skeptically. Iman did not mind at all, he understood Nigerians do not do well with the male gender becoming too close to their female children.

She got into the car and waited for Maryam to get into the car too. She watched Maryam through the rear view mirror and when Maryam stood by the car talking to Iman, her grandmother turned back window. She hit the car horn, startling Maryam and Iman.

     "I guess this is goodbye" Iman had said with a smile.

     "Yeah. Goodbye" Maryam replied before swiftly getting into the car. She waved at him and their car zoomed off with her grandmother asking her a thousand questions.

Only then did Iman realize this is the second time she had escaped him with absolutely no way to talk to her again. He sighed softly and walked back to his car, a little disappointed but happy.

He drove to his grandparents where he was initially going to before he had stopped for Awara. While Maryam was stuck with her grandmother playing a thousand questions.

     "Mama I don't know him. You had blocked him and he thought the car was mine........"

      "Why were you smiling at each other like you've known each other for ages?" Her grandmother had asked again, interrupting her. Maryam sighed softly before repeating the story she had dosed out all over again. The truth was when he had teased her, it did feel like they've known each other for ages.

Meanwhile, at the hospital the share holders had sat for a meeting concerning Iman's inheritance of the hospital. Apparently, most of them believe they shouldn't have to take orders from him if his father is indisposed.

     "What about your daughter Siyama? Isn't she old enough to get married?" One of the shareholders had stated earning a glare from the supposed father of Siyama. He arranged his Agbada and sat up with the intention of giving him a piece of his mind but Alhaji Matazu had interrupted even before he spoke.

     "You should not suggest anyone's daughters. If you're not going to give yours, please refrain from making offensive comments. We are all obviously skeptical about giving our daughters' to him as such, do not make suggestions if it is not from your family"

The shareholder who was being addressed huffed and shifted uncomfortably on his chair, and the share holders who is the father of Siyama bowed a little to show appreciation to Ali Matazu. He knew of he had opened his mouth to make any comment whatsoever, this meeting would have been adjourned.

The men whispered amongst themselves and after a whole thirty minutes, there was no one willing to give their daughter to Iman. The frustrating part is, Iman has no idea a big meeting was held on his behalf. He was with his grandparents, telling them everything about how his parents had simply sold him out. After listening calmly to the conversation, they had called his mother and demanded she comes to Asokoro at once.

Janan drove into her father's compound with an evident frown. She ignored the greetings from the gate man and the staffs' working around the house. She marched straight towards her father's living room where she knows most of their family meetings take place.

The moment she made her presence known to the occupants of the living room, Iman braced himself because he knew this meeting would definitely not end well. His grandfather isn't very keen with his father's return. Infact he had made it clear that he would not be accepting either him nor his sucking money family back into their lives.

     "Good evening Daddy" she greeted with a small smile. He did not return the smile though, but her mother beamed at her child, before hugging her. They all settled down awaiting her father's complaints.

     "What is it I hear about blindly searching for a wife for Iman?" He asked after muting the television.

Janan inhaled deeply, prepping a convincing speech because it's obvious her little speech from.the phone call had done nothing to soothe her father. "Baba, no one is asking Iman to get married now. It is just a protocol to make the share holders understand that he will be taking over in the future. They wanted to throw us off our game, that was why they brought forth the marriage term. If we don't show them any attempt, they would join hands together and make it hard for us........."

     "So you're saying, he does have to get a wife?" He interrupted with a frown and Janan nodded slowly making her father sigh loudly.

     "Janan, your child is still a kid. He knows nothing about marriage and you know that it is actually a life long decision. Why would you want to subject your child to a bond at this age? Have you forgotten how yours ended up? I strongly believe you should allow the boy live......"

Iman's mother shifted uncomfortably on her seat. Her father had struck a nerve. Her marriage with Junaid had been a catastrophe. It had hurt her and had distabilized her life.

     "Baba, marriage has nothing to do with maturity or love. I and Junaid fell in love yet, our story ended in chaos. We became strangers Andi still harbour anger towards him. Baba, if a love marriage ends up in shambles, then an arranged marriage can survive it. Besides, you told me your parents did not even know each other until the wedding day. You told me, even you knew close to nothing about each other. Yet, here you are. Standing proud and tall while I who fell in love had to be a single mother. The truth is, Allah designs a person's destiny and I believe factors have nothing to do with how a story ends up" she concluded softly.

Iman's shoulder sagged immediately, he knew his mother was being truthful and he knew things could go either way at this point. The fact that his grandfather was hesitating to give a reply meant he was considering her statement.

     "If you believe factors have nothing to do with how a story ends up, why are you concluding an arranged marriage is the best for your son. You're not God Janan, you do not know what the future holds for him. Just because our arranged marriages ended up with rainbows doesn't necessarily mean this generation would have the same outcome" he had countered after a few seconds of being thoughtful.

Janan nodded in agreement.
     "Baba, the truth is if we should wait for Iman to bring forth a wife then the chances of seeing your great grand children is quite slim. The truth is, the only thing Iman had ever cared about other than his family is his course. All through our stay in London, Iman has never ever brought forth any girl of interest. Infact, Iman has never ever fallen in love. Forgive me for consenting with his father about this one Baba. I feel like it's for the best"

Iman sighed softly. The truth is he's never had the time for social activities. Through out his life, he's always imagined the kind of girl he wants to spend the rest of his life with. He's never met that type in London. Those girls were all willing to sleep with him, it's like they dropped their home training in Nigeria before coming there. He never approached the white girls because he knew his mother is going to be handful accepting a girl that is white or any other country other than Nigeria. To avoid getting his heart broken, he hadn't involved himself with anyone. It's better to be safe than sorry.

     "Iman, is it true you've never had any girlfriend?" His grandfather asked, furrowing his brows.

     "Baba I don't have the time" he grumbled softly making his grandfather cock a brow.

     "Are you not interested in women?" His grandfather asked, his eyes traveling towards Iman's crotch. Iman groaned loudly and placed his hands there. How had this conversation taken this turn for crying out loud? He wondered, embarrassment flooding through his vein. "Answer me young boy" his grandfather added making him go crimson.

     "I like women Baba" he mumbled enough to his grandfather's hearing. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him so he doesn't have to face them ever again. Why was the conversation leaning towards his sexuality for crying out loud.

     "Liking them is not enough! Does your......."

     "Absolutely not! I am absolutely not having their conversation with you. This is so embarrassing. Baba I am leaving, just beg mom to allow me find a wife for myself and drop the inheritance until I have come of age" he stated through gritted teeth before scrambling out of the living room, back to his car and straight back home leaving his mother behind.

Janan had a small smile perched on her face as her father escorted her to where she had parked her car. He held her hands and squeezed tightly before hugging her. They stayed there for a minute before he unwrapped his hands from her body.

     "I know you've been through a lot. But I tell you Janan, your story is way different from your son's story. What might have not worked perfectly well for you, might work perfectly well for him. Nobody knows tomorrow, only God knows that and we should learn to trust in him. Do me a favor, whoever ends up being the lucky girl to marry my grand son, make sure you have his approval first. He deserves happiness too and learn to talk to him better. It's obvious he's going through alot, probably from your rocky relationship with his father. That boy might be scared he would not have a happy ending, hence the constant separation from the female gender"

Janan nodded quickly with a smile. She knew it would be hard to get Iman to understand her perspective.

     "Good bye Baba. My regards to the robots" she stated
into her car. The robots are her siblings. He nodded and waved her off as she exited his home to her own home.

     Meanwhile, the meeting stretched farther and ofcourse alot of people had been offended and there had been a lot of name calling. Thankfully it hadn't turned into a fist fighting ground, even though the chances of that happening had almost hit the big hundred. Yet, there was absolutely no tangible solution. Everyone had outrightly refused giving their daughters to Iman, and their reason ofcourse was nothing other than actually giving Iman more power to their hospital.

     "If I give him my Benazir, and something were to happen to me, my shares would go to Benazir which isn't a bad thing. She knows nothing about how the hospital works and don't forget females and their raging flying hormones, a little kissing and gift showering they would hand those shares to him on a golden platter!" Another share holder explained exasperatedly. He had offered different kinds of explanation but and example with his daughter had certainly strengthen their understanding. He needed to convince the opposing members that their decision to refuse him their daughters is the perfect.

They continued murmuring amongst themselves much to Alhaji Matazu's dilemma. He had seen the boy, and other than the boy's dress code, he looks like a calm person. It hurts him that everyone was running away from Junaid's son like a plague. They've all painted a scary picture and attached it to Iman, where as none of them have actually taken time to study the boy.

His thoughts travelled to his home, and he silently wondered which of his daughters would compliment Iman. He knows his first wife would flick the idea to the ground  and stomp on it, if he brings up Zarah. And anyone younger than Zarah would not count as a wife material he could vouch for. His nieces on the other hand are diverse in nature. He could not vouch for any of them, because he had never been around enough to actually know them.

His thought moved to his second wife who is Maryam's mother. His daughter Noorie isn't a very calm child, she could ruin his relationship with Alhaji Junaid within the snap of a finger, she had no filter in her mouth and there's always the spirit of mischief roaming around her head. He did not want to take chances. He could not have his reputation destroyed because of a single mistake.

But then, there is Maryam!