Kano State, Nigeria.
2018.

Falak wasn't over the fact that Shaddad complimented her for the first time since never. He called her beautiful! Maybe the marriage isn't such a bad idea after all, but she won't back out from that one plan she has in her head and she will make him pay for it even if it is the last thing she does. He's hurt her enough to last a lifetime and it is time for payback, just a little one that will stop him from ever messing with her.

When the Kamu was over, they were forced to get into the same car and get back to the palace and no words were exchanged between them. She didn't even thank him after the compliment and just did her little fan girl deep within her and didn't bother showing even a smile. She is that mad at him and is giving him silent treatment, well, till the knot got tied that is.

That same night, the eve to her wedding day, she was asked to stay in her room by her mother's sister and her mother's cousin that there is a tradition the Fulani's have for the bride the night before her wedding. Falak remembered that but was hoping the geriatrics will forget about it and just let her sleep like a baby, she is tired to the bones and veins. She wants to relax her muscles for more things to come.

They mixed the henna paste in a huge bowl and walked into her room with it and Falak stifled a groan while her friends only giddily watch as the tradition takes place. It almost look like Indian because everyone around the room was asked to put it on her face or body which Falak didn't like. If you don't have a good skin, the place might yaw red while the other placed will be the colour it was and it is very annoying to have different skin on your wedding, she hopes she doesn't have that.

She was forced to wear a sleeveless black knee length dress and because of that, her friends find it funny to put some on her knees and calf but she didn't talk. The geriatrics put it on her face and some added it to her arms. She even glared at some of them that won't stop teasing her as if she asked them to.

She didn't even know that Shaddad is also Fulani from his father's side till the wedding started coming more and more closer. She was told that his father, the King is a Fulani man and they will like to do all the Fulani traditions especially because she is also Fulani. Falak laughed because she can't picture Shaddad speaking Fulani, he'd look so funny but that kind of explains the curly hair the brothers have.

She also wasn't allowed to leave her room so after the girls left, Imad walked in with a tray full of cookies and a bowl of ice cream. He whined that they don't spend much time ever since she went to India for the first time and she agreed. She apologized and they had the best time of their lives together teasing each other and laughing at their secret jokes, just like any other brother and sister.

Imad is now eighteen years old and when he brought out his phone and took her picture with all the henna around her using emoji to close her arms and hair, Falak stopped him but he's already sent it to his Snapchat and his 'girlfriends' he said liked her. Falak shook her head at the teenager that thinks he will get married in four years because he already has a wife.

Today is the wedding day and Falak didn't leave her bed after her mother's only sister came and woke her up. She prayed fajr and didn't leave the praying mat before moving to the bed again and she's been sitting there for three long hours, staring at nothing and only thinking about how her life is about to change, either for the better or worse.

Ever since she stepped out of her village, her life became more interesting than ever. Things began to happen one after the other and she is not complaining at all. This life is better than the one she lived in her village, far much better. It is more adventurous, she now knew the purpose of life and many other things she never would have known if she was in the village.

From accepting a challenge by Shaddad, to falling in love with him then she became a stalker and became obsessed about him. After trying to move on and failed, she tried using Bilal and then Shaddad rejected her again and now, they are about to get married in four hours. She can't believe how everything is just folding itself just like Allah has planned it. She thought she would get married as soon as she came into the city but then found out that early marriage isn't really their thing and now, she is twenty two and still not married. People in her village would've flipped if their daughters reach that age without getting married and having kids.

She sighed and move her head to her knees which she adjoined to her chest. She doesn't want to cry because she has nothing to cry about. She is not leaving her mother nor her brothers, they are still there with her but she just didn't feel like leaving her room anytime soon. Even Shaddad's Chamber was arranged and furnished according to her own terms just for it to be part of his punishment.

She went to the King and gave him that idea which he agreed on without hesitation. He gave her a full go ahead and even had an evil glint in his eyes after seeing her own no so concealed eyes brimming with revenge and mischief. She wants to make him uncomfortable in every sense of way and that is step one of what she has in her head. There are three wicked steps more.

At first, she didn't want the grand events because of Shaddad. She thought how uncomfortable he will be and decided to pity him then after giving herself a pep talk and remembering all he did to hurt her, she decided that she should torture him a little and boy did he looks tortured yesterday. He looks like he is about to run for the hills but his face was still lazy, she read his eyes yet again.

He kept shifting uncomfortable when people kept tripping to where they are sitting to take pictures with the couple and seeing too many cameras also messed with his brain. When the DJ asked them to come to the dance floor, Shaddad was too reluctant but she glared at him and didn't know he would even stand up because of the glare but he did and so she locked her eyes and kept another trick to herself. She is overjoyed that her glares will make him move.

"Subhan'Allah! You are not ready yet, Falak!" Aunty Ummi's mouth dropped to the floor after finding out that Falak was still sitting on her bed and didn't even look like she bathed.

Aunty Ummi is her mother's younger and only sister who left the village after her husband died and came to stay with her mother. After staying for a year, a man came to her and proposed which she accepted and got married in Bauchi with her three children and now she is here to celebrate the grand wedding. Falak had seen her a few times and she likes the woman.

"I'm about to stand up but feel so tired." She said half lie and got down from the bed.

"I don't want your mother to come and see you like this, she'd freak out. Better take a quick bath and come out now. I will send your friends here!" And she dematerialized from the room like she was never there.

Falak grumbled under her breath before taking a towel with her to the bathroom. She did take a shower but not a quick one, she took her time in the bathroom using all the weird things Amrah gave her to use. She stayed in the tube for some more minute before leaving, hearing too much noise from her room. Aunty Ummi did send her friends there.

There are five girls in the room excluding all her in-laws. Habiba, Fadimatu, Fauziya, Ummi and Basma are all dressed in the day's asoebi and they look ravishing. She met all of them in India and they are all from different state, not really all of them. The girls were cool and they clashed through Habiba in her third year there. They even featured one of her YouTube videos.

Habiba is from Plateau, Fadimatu and Fauziya are from Katsina, Ummi is from Zaria and Basma is from Yola and they manage to get there at the same time. Falak did talk to all their parents before they allowed them and some even demanded that they will talk to her mother before they agreed and she is glad they did because the girls are fun to be with and they made each event lively.

"Hey girls, looking ravishing!" She hollered, trailing her eyes to the door where Amrah and Tahira the makeup artist walked through.

"Thanks boo. I never got to admire your henna, it looks bomb!" Habiba moved forward to take Falak's red and black henna filled hand.

She got her hands designed the day before yesterday. She has red in her palms and black around the back of it same goes with her legs. Because of how fair her skin is, you could spot the design from miles away and not to talk about the white glitters that will be added a little later before the groomsmen arrive in the main palace after the knot is tied.

"Thank you." Falak grinned and made her way to the vanity table so the makeup can be done with.

Forty minutes later and the arrival of her sister in-laws, the make up was done. She looks exceptionally perfect with the catlike eyeliner, emerald eye-shadow with matching glitters, her red lipstick and pretty shaped brows, no one could beat the bride. Her nose looks longer and her face is squeezed but she is not complaining, she felt beautiful.

A gown was given to her by her mother and she was asked to step into it. The seaweed coloured gown was sewn into a long flay. From the bust to her mid stomach is tight before it opened freely down to her feet and three inch trail followed behind her. There are studs of sparkling silver that shined like diamonds around the clothe which Falak admired with her finger, teasing them slowly and unconsciously.

"Are you done?" She heard Amrah's voice from behind and it startled her.

"Yes, I'm coming!" She left the closet with her moss coloured head tie and matching veil.

She was set to go and take some rounds around the palace but her mother walked in and stopped her from leaving. She doesn't even know from which angle she she'd start taking the turns since she could hear the noise from every crevice of the main palace, her mother could help. She missed Ashir and Khamis because they were assigned for another job in the palace till the wedding is over, some other replaced them

Her mother gave her the white alkyabba but this one is not with gold, it is with silver and it kept sweeping the floor. She removed the veil because she can't think of the hit that she will meet after leaving her well air conditioned room. Some of the girls are holding it from behind because they don't want the bride to fall and hit her mouth 'cause she decided to wear something taller than her whole height for another century to come.

The knot got tied at the moment she stepped out of the palace.

*****
Yoyoyoyo!
Who has updated? Yup, it's me. I've been updating frequently and I know that. Keep your comments coming and more updates will fill in your phones!!! Next chapter is bomb, I promise😅 Ghost readers, please vote o. I can see many views but no votes and comments, drop an emoji lemme know you exist😂
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Aishatu.