Kano State, Nigeria.
2012.

"Shaddad is a business man and also a doctor, specialized in Cardiology. He's a very well-known cardiologist and knows also quiet a lot about orthopedics and paediatrics. He's twenty seven years old and the oldest brother amongst us. He speak less and also hate noise, let's don't forget about how monotonous he is. And, his silence always gave me chills, so don't provoke him." Asad cheered at the end even though Falak didn't raise her head up.

That's a lot of things for one person, she thought. How can he be a business and also a doctor? Isn't that too much for a soul? She could see and hear the pride in Asad's voice as he talk about his elder brother. She knew he is very proud of his brother and really lookup to him, that very nice to know.

Wanting to just get this over with, she's going to live with them so she might as well know their looks. She raised her head up from her plate and look straight into Shaddad's dark orbs. She could get lost in it because it looks like he is scouring deep into her being, like he's seeing her future with just that look.

He was looking at her through narrowed gaze like he's studying her whole life with just one look. Maybe, raising her head up was a mistake. How can someone be as handsome as sin itself. His brothers are Adonises but he is the Greek God himself, the God himself and he should be worshipped!

His brows are too bushy for her liking but that only makes him look more dangerous and audacious. And his overbearing, presumptuous, narcissistic aura could be felt from where she was which was a very long and wide distance. He's sitting at the other side of the head's table and the chairs between them are many, she could just imagine what it would feel like to have him close to her.

His almond shaped eyes are daring her, commanding her to say anything stupid which she knew she would in her thoughts and will also be heard. His eyes are that authoritative and it gave her chills, both the one with dread and the one with frisson.

Those peach plump lips that stood in the perfect lips shape made her want to pee in her pants. Perfection is just the word to describe his beard and strong looking jaw that could cut her heart unknowingly. Maybe, it just did!

Broad shoulders, looking very wide but will feel very comforting as a teddy bear. It's like she will fit right in his arms if she were to hug him.

"I already love him at first sight." She thought to herself but she should have known better. Asad and the others heard her, maybe even Shaddad also.

Asad boomed with laughter but the others kept their straight face with a ghost smile that she can't see since she's there, drowning herself in his eyes. Taking every drop of his attention before it vanishes but could tell his demeanor changed when she said her thought out loud. He looks slightly uncomfortable and amused, and she is only seeing that because of how hard she's looking at him. It's queering!

"Shit, I'm already in trouble in less than twenty four hours." She regretfully whispered to herself and yet again, they heard her.

Wanting to remove her out of the pit of embarrassment, Asad started talking again. She clearly didn't know that she said it form the looks of it.

"That one next to Shaddad is Harith. Twenty six years old. Shaddad's immediate brother and the hardest to please. Always stoic faced and unemotional with I don't care attitude. He likes minding his business too much and shows how he cares in his own way. He is also a doctor and is specialized in Oncology." Asad beamed at Harith who only gave a bored expression but was happy with the description.

"That ugly one there is Suwaid. Harith's immediate brother. Twenty five years old, a pilot who hardly stays at home even if he's not working. He is also stoic and doesn't care about anyone apart from us and father and mom then now you. I know he loves me too much." Asad laughed when Suwaid narrowed his eyes.

She hadn't met him and his expression didn't change even after she looked at him, it irritated her. Why they are always angry and stoic is beyond her. She can't do that even if her life depends on it.

"That one that took his handsomeness from me is Yazid: my twin brother who is very opposite of me. He always has this annoyed expression that gets to everyone in the palace except me. He is an architect like me and has already started his first job. The project is hard I tell you. He is twenty four, very hardworking and pretty." He mumbled the last part to Falak.

She only shook her head at him. He's the only one who is talking to her. Not even the smallest twelve year old that's still quite and only mindlessly eating his food.

"That one is Masrooq: twenty three years old and a radiologist. He is very quite and calm. He always solve the problems we have and come up with solutions within minutes or seconds or nanoseconds. He is not stoic but also not friendly and likes to scare people with his deep voice." Asad snickered when he was glared at by Masrooq.

"Huzaif: is our cousin and also a big lawyer. He is the type that carries himself with grace and hide himself all the time. When you do see him, you better hide yourself from him as he likes lashing out on people that cross his way, with just a glare. He is thirty one years old. Very old." Asad laughed, hitting Huzaid who's sitting next to him.

"That other one is Humaid: Huzaif's younger brother and has same habit of hiding himself with work. He is not very quite among us but you'll think that he is deaf in front of some other people. So I'm surprised why he isn't talking today. He's twenty nine. Very old too huh, don't talk about it."

"That little munchkin is your blood brother, Imad: he is twelve and in jss3. Troublemaker who looks like he's taking over his older brother Shaddad. He talks less but loves you ever since he heard about you from your mom. I don't know why they're all silent today, it's getting creepy." Asad shrugged.

Falak remove her attention from her fruits and look at her brother, Imad. Why is he so quiet? For a twelve year old, he sure is too quite for her liking but then she heard someone talking from behind.

"Imad, you shouldn't have threw blows at your classmates. Now the kid is suffering hemorrhaging from the nose and suspecting periorbital hematoma to occur." It was Harith.

Falak blinked, what language is that. She could only catch the fault that her brother blew someone from his school and all the rest are just like another language to her.

"What language is that?" She gently asked Asad so that she'll quench her curiosity. She should learn that language too.

"That's their doctor's language. You'll be hearing a lot of it." Asad laughed from beside her.

"Then I want to become a doctor." She said, almost like she's taking a vow.

"As if you can." She heard Shaddad's voice from the other side of the table. The same as the one which gave her chills earlier, so he was the rudrude fellow.

"I can and I will." Something snapped in her, accepting his challenge openly.

"We shall see." He pushed his chair back and left the dining table with three guards behind him.

Even his walk emanates power.

"No one is willing to talk to me? I should leave." She moved her chair, about to stand up when Harith mumbled a hi, followed by all of them.

She beamed, before sitting back down, giving them the test of their own medicine. She kept talking for a long time and still their faces are indifferent not that she cared. She continue to talk till after the whole servants finished clearing the table and wanted to sweep.

"Goodnight, brothers!" She hollered as she jump on her heels and continue to drag her brother, Imad to her room. She told him that he'll be sleeping in her room today.

Unknowingly, four guards started following them but she didn't even noticed because she kept gushing about how the palace is beautiful to Imad who just kept beaming. Like he's not the person she was with earlier.

"You made ya Shaddad talk more than greetings today." Imad chuckled maturely, even her stepbrother in the village can't mimic it.

That's what she's been trying to avoid since when Shaddad left the table. She doesn't want to think about him again and if love at first sight is true, then she's definitely in love with the arrogant prick. This was not her plan, this is uncouth. She accepted the challenge, she doesn't know whether she can keep it or not but she will.

"He doesn't talk?" She raised a perfect dark black brow at her little brother, who's sitting on the hammock he made. She didn't even know about it and was afraid she would fall.

"Only greetings and when he'll scold me. I'm surprised that today it's Ya Harith who scolded me, when ya Shaddad scolds me, I would almost pee because you hardly hear his voice and when you do, oh boy." He grinned mischievously but exaggerated the words. Maybe his brother is tired after all.

"Their language is weird." She can't get her mind off that language. It's even the source of her wanting to become a doctor and accepting a challenge from him.

"Mom is also a doctor, you know. A paediatrician." He added with so much pride and that only swell her mother's love in her heart, but she is so not going to show it. She totally forgot about confronting her.

Her mother is also a doctor and why can't she? She will do just that and will keep architecture by the side. Tomorrow is Monday and she'll be starting school tomorrow even though she has nothing for school and she's so excited. Anything to remove her mind off Shaddad and her father.

"Tell me about them. What Asad said was not really going in my ear. I was busy ogling at Shaddad." She didn't say the last part out loud but Imad heard her, she always does that.

He laughed before saying; "People ogle at him so much and so do they do the other. There's an event coming up next week, all the people with title will be there and father will introduce you as the long lost princess..." And he kept going but she stopped him when she laughed, is he really a guy?

********
Yoyoyoyo!

WHO IS WITH ANOTHER update? Come on, yell it out like your throats are about to be cut off. AISHATU!!! yes, kept shouting. So our Falak just accepted a challenge? Damn, medicine is not a child's play o. She confessed, darn it. Is our Falak okay?😹
RQ; Will you ever accept a challenge like Falak did up there because you are busy ogling? Sorry, but no.

Aishatu.©