Kano State, Nigeria.
2012.

When the class ended, Falak swerved her whole attention to the so called Jabrayah Ibrahim Waziri so they could have a decent conversation before the next class. Even though she always have topics to talk about, she actually became mute whilst looking at the girl, she doesn't know what to say. No, the girl didn't look at all intimidated or nocent, she looks very calm and sackless, she also doesn't know why she can't bring up the topic today.

"So, do you live around here?" She questioned, picking up her pencil and trace it around a name that was carved with a compass, students and vandalism.

"More like around the Royal part." She mumbled, her attention going to what Falak is carving across the table, to Falak, it looks like she doesn't like feeling all mighty about the Royal part of her life. Maybe that is a good start of friendship since Falak also is not even Royal, she just lives in the Royal Castle because of her mom.

"Wow! Which side is it? I think we can be very close friends, what do you think?" She beamed, her old self coming back with full force so she didn't bother thinking about anything because she's afraid her words will come out and that will be very embarrassing. She has no filter!

"Very close to the estate, just a few feet away from the gates of the palace." She explained, not grokking or comprehending why Falak is talking about royal family she's never seen her in any of the events that the Royal families attend.

"Oh, I live in the palace. It's a very long story but I'll tell you about it during break, what say?" She beamed, seeing the confusion decorating the girl's face like a corrosive substance and she concluded, the girl is an easy book to read.

"That's okay!" She smiled, genuinely without any confusion or question, she likes Falak already.

Break time diced and tumbled around before they could say anything. Falak being the new student around, she got so many curious glances around the whole student figure but not with antipathy, repugnant, envy or anything of that sort -like it normally happens back in her village- it's either with curiosity, appreciation or even a smile. Her beauty takes everyone's mental focus and not to mention her fair skin that shine like a glass when the sun hits her.

"Can I ask you please?" A guy stopped both her and Jabrayah before they could enter the cafeteria.

"Sure, why not." She smiled, showing both her dimples which got his interest back to her yellow creamy cheeks.

"By any chance, does blood flow through your vein or is it milk?" Falak wanted to burst out laughing if she wasn't confused at first.

The guy looks around a year or two older than her, he's not tall and maybe just a little inches taller than her. He has this beautiful eyes that could draw you into him, not that he's not cute, but to her eyes, he's just type of those guys you would want as you friend. He looks so friendly and cheeky. The ones you could turn to whenever you feel down or whenever you're too excited to leave it inside you.

"No, blood flows through my veins like everyone else." She could see Jabrayah trying to stifle and throttle her laughter from beside her so she also burst out and guffawed and all the three laughed about it.

"Is that all you can come up with, Bulama?" Jabrayah asked from beside Falak after her laughter abated.

"Stop, don't make her start calling me Bulama. The name is, Hudhafa Muhammad Bulama." He glared at Jabrayah who only rolled her eyes at him.

"You know him?" Falak directed the question to Jabrayah who started dragging her back to their lane, to the cafeteria.

"Yeah, he's my cousin." She answered nonchalantly and could see Hudhafa following them not far behind. "That is my table." She threw her finger to the direction where a window is overlooking the huge field that is in the school. That is a great view!

"I'll just go buy some food, want some?" Jabrayah asked Falak, after taking her to the chair to sit down.

"No, my mom packed something for me." She politely declined, showing her the small lunch box that's inside her bag.

"Oh, okay then." Jabrayah meandered and continued to ferry to the long queue of food with Hudhafa by her side.

Falak didn't know that her mom packed something for her till she reached the car. Her mom called her driver and asked him to tell her to check her bag, that she should be taking food from home, it's healthier. She don't see why her mother is showing so much concern to her when she didn't give a damn about her when she was in the village. She is just trying to buy her with this flashy things and she won't let her do that, she needs explanations, and will get it soon.

"So, how is it that you live in the palace but I didn't know about it?" She asked Falak, moving closer to Falak so that no one could eavesdrop. News fly around the school like fire!

"I think, we should leave that for later. We both have free period since we're not offering technical drawing." Falak whispered back, seeing two people filing in around the other chairs in their table. She stopped offering technical drawing because she's no more interested in architecture.

The two intruders didn't talk and she didn't also. Her talking mode is not there and the people sitting around look like those aristocratic girls that like taking their heads deep into shit because they think they are greater and mightier than others. Whoever they are, they are still human like them so she offered them a smile and continue to eat her homemade chicken tikka.

"That is my stepsister and her friend." Jabrayah whispered into Falak's ear, shrouding it with a smile after pulling away so they won't understand that she is talking about them.

Falak only nodded and continue to look at the one by one with her scrutinizing gaze. They are all dark, the same dark coloured complexion like Jabrayah which is beautiful to Falak. Their eyes are different and their noses are slightly long, not long like hers but longer than Jabrayah's. They almost look alike but not much so she just shrugged that the complexion is from their dad while their noses is from their mother.

"Hey, I'm Falak. It's rude to sit around people's table without talking to them, don't you think?" She couldn't keep her mouth shut because they are also looking at her from underneath their noses.

"Oh?" One of the raised her brow while the other just looked indifferent, the one that looks like Jabrayah's sister.

"Yes, think about it." She said that like she just won a lottery.

"She's our sister that why she didn't say anything, who are you?" The other one said, looking thoroughly bored.

"I'm Falak Muhammad Ingawah, and you are?" She beamed, leaning down on the table just to annoy her, she knew she's the sister.

"Juhainah Ibrahim Waziri and she's Nahla Sulaiman Garkuwa." The one with the unbiased expression who in Falak's thought is Jabrayha's sister is indeed her sister and she's the one who called all those names looking at Falak like she should know what she means but she doesn't.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you all. Nice names by the way and can I ask you? I will ask anyway, why is it that your dad likes this J letter? Your names started with J." She asked, wanting to quench her curiosity, always curious!

"I don't know." Jabrayah laughed nervously, she would laugh if she learns that her father named them all with J like an obsessed man. Both her other sister and brother.

"Okay then." Falak lean back to her chair, already finished eating and is back to observing the two intruders. They look like they don't like conversation.

"Hey, you're name means love and respect and Nahla means water but I don't know Junainah." She ricocheted after some minutes of silence, it just shoot into her head.

"You're right." Nahla girl beamed at her, like she just fell in love with her because she knows the meaning of her name.

They started talking around the table except for Juhainah who kept quite but looks like she wants to talk, especially when Jabrayah and Nahla started talking about some place called Disneyland. Falak didn't know the place, in fact, she knows little to nothing about other countries. She only knows about village and city.

The school closed and Falak happily skipped to the waiting Mercedes that's waiting to take her back home. There were a lot of Mercedes around the place so she knows that this school is for rich people and she only recognised the one she was brought to school in is because of the plate number and one of the guards that is standing beside the door.

"Thank you, Ashir." She beamed at the guard, she already know both their names and it even made her laugh.

The first one, the one driving is named Khamis, which is five in Arabic and the Ahsir means ten in Arabic also, so she laughed at them, pointing it out on their way to the school earlier. The duo seem to like her also because the three didn't keep quite the whole ride to and fro, maybe they'll be her friends in the house since they are her personal guards.

Falak went back to an empty home, it made her heart ache a little. She's used to going out in the village and looking for trouble or causing trouble for Marawiyyah but here, she'll have to sit all alone and manage the lonely life with Khamis and Ashir. It made her sad that none of her brothers are willing to bond up with her.

She walked into her room, she can never get used to calling the place her room because as soon as she walked in, she felt like she just died and fell into heaven. She smiled when she saw a note and a box on her bed before rushing to it. Maybe someone just gifted her something amongst her brothers, she hopes.

"Mom asked me to get a beautiful girlie phone for you because of boredom, so I thought, why not bring my sister out in the open and show her how life is in the city? I bought this phone for you, it's every girl's dream and you can come to my chamber and I'll show you how to operate it. This maybe an apology for not giving you a chance and talking to you yesterday, ask one of your guards to show you. They know where to go.

Xx

-S

****
Yoyoyo!
How are you all doing today? I hope it's a good day or our Falak up there made it light! Anywayyys, who the hell is that S?😑 I don't think Shaddad is capable of those sweet words! What do you think?
RQ; Would you rather have unlimited international first class tickets or or never have to pay food in any restaurant? Ah, this is a trick but I want to explore the world, so definitely I want to have unlimited international first class tickers.

Happy New Year #2020🎉❤

Aishatu.