Kano State, Nigeria.

"What do you think though? I've taken two kit pregnancy tests, one is positive while the other is negative so I don't know what to think." She explained to Dr. Amina yet again about what she is thinking to be her supposed pregnancy again.

All she wants to do is run for the hills at the thought of being pregnant again but what is the crime in bringing more babies to the world? She loves babies and hate the idea that her children are growing up quite quickly which she hates. She wish they are going to stay so little only do what she does in her arms but now the kids can even walk around on their own, it's both exciting and heart wrenching. She likes seeing them grinning whilst showing her gums not their full blown out teeth.

After yesterday's illness, she thought about going to see Dr. Amina, her Obstetrician/Gynecologist since her first pregnancy, it feels like just yesterday when she was sitting there anxiously waiting for her to confirm her thoughts. Now she is back with another different case. She's took the tests in the morning before they left for the hospital together with Shaddad. One of the tests showed two positive pink signs while the other one has blank lines where there should be pink which really baffled her. Does things like that happen all the time or is she carrying quadruplets again, oops, not again please.

She's seen all the signs of pregnancy though. Everything is crystal clear in front of her but the tests said otherwise, she can't help but think otherwise too. After she gets the confirmation, she don't know where to start from. How is she going to tell Shaddad about the pregnancy knowing how he was so hard on himself the other time? He had nightmares a few times after her delivery about her dying, she don't wish to see that sight ever again. She hates seeing him so broken all because of her, or she should agree to the c-section this time around. Ya Allah, everything is so jammed up!

The thought alone scared her shitless. Carrying four babies at the same time and taking care of them?! Heck no! She ain't going to let that happen to her again, not with how worried Shaddad is going to be again. She still won't let them do any c-section delivery for her, even if she is carrying million babies. But is it a crime to not want quadruplets again? She can't deal with the stress that comes with it like a whole package of trouble. First, it is how huge she will look, then she eats like a lion, then she will look like a whale and then those daily massages, backaches and swollen body.

Keeping all of that aside, those sleepless nights after delivery is also a disaster. Taking care of three children took a huge toll on her talk less about four more?! Heck no! Ya Allah don't let that happen please, she's tried her best and enough. Her thoughts were cut short when a knock came from the door, came in a short dark nurse whose smile falter when she saw Falak. She hopes she didn't intimidate her with her anxious wide eyes, she chuckled a little.

"Good morning, Dr. Falak." The lady greeted and nodded to Dr. Amina who asked her to drop her pager and leave.

"It happens since the kits are not hundred percent assurance. Now you might be pregnant and you might not be. We are going to take your urine and blood just like the last time to confirm it. Now if you will go in there and ease yourself." She gave her a glass cup and pointed to the bathroom where she peed the last time she was seeking her assistance and confirmation.

She did as she was told and that same nurse came back to take the said item along with her blood. Falak was anxious, would Shaddad want another baby now? Isn't it too soon for her to have another baby just when her children hit two? She don't even know which part of the having baby is making her more nervous and apprehensive. Is it Shaddad's thought about the baby or is it her nervousness about having another set of quadruplets again?

"You don't have to worry, the result will be here in a few minutes." Dr. Amina assured seeing the crease lines on Falak's forehead and the frown linking her brows together.

She could only smile then continue to rock her balls underneath the table. She don't even have it in her to look around the changes in the office.

Some minutes later, the result came in just like the other time. Falak can't help wishing she is pregnant though. She wants to see a mini Shaddad or mini her again. Sabeer and Safeer are now the exact replica of Shaddad in some ways. Sabeeha is also following their footsteps, she don't like it. So this time, they should or she should look like her or she disown her. She can't have the children she suffered carrying for months in her womb look like the semen donor, nah, zilch, she don't agree with any.

"I'm going to say this for the second time, I'm honoured." Dr. Amina beamed at Falak, she moved closer to the edge of the leather seat as if that is the only way she could hear, "Congratulations, you are six weeks pregnant." She disclosed, her grin widening while Falak could only stare.

Now she is really afraid of carrying quadruplets! Darn, she is so afraid of it all over. Now all the pain from the last time, the struggles from the past, the pain, the sleepless nights, the sleeping on one side trouble. Can she wish for something less?! Won't she sound ungrateful if she ask Allah for something lesser than that? Honestly, she can't take care of quadruplets again though they are triplets now.

"Thank you, Dr. Amina." She smiled and force her way out of the office taking the manilla envelope she's taken with her two years and some months ago.

She is happy though, she can't wait to share this with Shaddad and see his reaction. She will just have to try her best to make him not to panic about it all. She has planned how she is going to tell him about the whole ordeal the next day. She will force another video then drop the bomb to capture his reaction on the camera. When the babies grow up, they should know whether they were welcomed or not. Well, she hopes he won't panic a lot about it.

The next day like she promised, she got her children dressed in jeans and white shirts. She asked Shaddad to do the same when he came back, he didn't have to since he was wearing those outfit that day. She has on black pencil skirts and white button up shirt tucked into the skirt. Just like always, she arranged the tangerine living room so after dinner, she ushered them in. Shaddad whined but she pay no heed to his words.

"Bring in the cake when I snap my fingers, hmm?" She signalled to one of the maids who was quick to nod with a smile of admiration at her mistress.

"Another video is here and I have a little surprise for you guys." Falak grinned at the camera, facing a perplexed Shaddad sitting by the other end with their kids occupying the space between them.

After the video was done, Falak took a deep breath and turn to look at Shaddad who was patiently waiting for her to say or do what this surprise is for them. He knew she never folds their hands when she says anything about surprise, he is going to be surprised alright but the suspense kills him all the time. She makes sure to take her sweet time luring him into her den before throwing the egg right in the middle of his eyes, just squared enough to splatter off everywhere with it's content.

She snapped her fingers and the maid came in with the cake in both hands. It's just a small chocolate cake, she wrote 'We are having a baby' in her beautiful playlist script handwriting. She took the cake from her hand and showed it to the camera with a beam then placed it on her lap, Shaddad moved to see what is written. His expression was priceless, she can't place finger on it so she waited silently for what he has to say.

Shaddad's heart dropped to his stomach in panic. He can't lose Falak when their life is going just perfectly. The image of her dying on that hospital bed flashed behind his eyelids making him flinch. He moved away from the camera not to show the fear in his eyes so no one can mistaken it for something else. Falak turn off the camera and move to her husband's clenched figure. She's triggered something she was afraid of triggering.

"What is wrong?" She inclined her head, moving her soft hand up and down his full sleeves frost shirt, his muscles tensing underneath her fingertips.

"You can't be pregnant." He whispered, voice very thin that she hardly heard what he's said.

"You don't have to worry about me, I will be okay In Shaa Allah, everything will be okay. If they are more than two, I will agree to the c-section but please don't panic." She hugged his head to her bosom, letting her hand mingle through his hair in an emollient way.

"But you were dead, I can't let that happen. I can't lose you again, we have to terminate this pregnancy." He rose his head, looking more panicked than he was seconds ago. His head kept shaking in a negative way emanating a frown on Falak's face.

"Hey, hey, nothing will happen without Allah's will. If I'm going to die, I will die and if I'm not, then I won't. Please calm down and stop talking about terminating any pregnancy." She sternly whispered, hugging him whole this time around to calm his raging heartbeat.

"Bu-" she cut him off with a kiss, a hard one to be exact. Hearing his moan, she knew she's diverted his attention away from the thought of termination so she let him take her away to their bedroom, not caring if some maids are lurking behind the curtains. She knew they will take care of her children while she is away.

Her pencil skirt rose to her waist where her waist beads sat. Her shirt was nowhere to be found seconds later she is lying naked on their bed. He noticed the small bulge but this time around, he smiled and kissed it. She is going to give birth again to their baby, woah. Falak smiled seeing his calmed self then brought his lips back to hers in a wanton way, he was quick to comply to all her requests and took her. She left the world yet again to another world where only she and her husband exist, just them and their love.

•~•~•

Yazid laughed, tears rolling down his cheeks aggressively as he watch his wife pushing food into her mouth. She has been eating for three hours straight without stopping. Now that she is filled, she has her face scrunched and want to add more food. He won't eat what she's eaten for two days, he is sure of that. Well, that comes along with being pregnant or not. She already loves eating, now few days before her due date, she eats more than three men would.

"Stop laughing at me and get me some food. I want to eat vanilla cake right this instant." She grumbled from her position on the clay rug where her back is pushed to the cider royal couch behind her.

"It's so late now but let me call Falak is she have some." He removed his phone from his pocket and dialled Falak's number quickly not wanting to anger his pregnant wife.

"This should be very important or I have your head in a dirty rusty platter!" Falak grumbled into the phone as soon as she picked it. It was eleven in the night, she managed to put her kids to sleep just few minutes ago, she wants nothing more than to hit her head on the pillow and sleep.

"It is very important. Mar here wants to eat some vanilla cake so I wanted to ask if you have some." He is walking on a thin thread, he didn't even knew that she is also pregnant and can be grumpier than Marawiyyah.

"If you get some, bring it for me." She hung up the phone making him panic. Now he has to leave the palace to go get two vanilla cakes in the dead of the night?! He should just send a guard and that is what he did.

"It will be here soon." He assured his crying wife, cocooning her to his strong chest so she don't cry more harder and wake up their neighbours. She tends to cry when she doesn't get what she wants and he is always more than glad to console her. He even likes it when she is whiny, he just loves being there to reassure her with his kisses.

Some minutes later, his phone beeped, he was quick to move to the door. Taking the paper bag, he passed one to the other guard so he can pass it to Falak. He placed everything in a plate and gave it to his wife. She devoured it quicker than a lion devouring it's prey, she didn't even have time to savour what she is eating. He is not used to her eating too much till then.

They got married two months after they get back from Matan Fada, his father supported him hundred percent. Falak was the joyous one amongst everyone in the palace. When Mari told her about it in the morning after they talked with Yazid, she couldn't keep her joy. She screamed and laughed in joy, no one could dampen her mood. She shared money to everyone in the village, cooked the most delicious food she could think of. She also forced her girlfriends to cook more food so they can't give the other people in the village.

She went ahead and told everyone in the village about the proposal and marriage that is coming up. She invited anyone that wants to go there, Mari's stepmother was very mad about it though. Just the day before, she called her a prostitute now she is going to become a princess in some great city. She don't like that idea at all, she wished she could rot alone in that room.

They took of the next day as promised. They went straight to the Throne Room to inform the King who welcomed the idea with opened arms. He thought Yazid was never going to marry seeing that even his younger brother Imad got married. The wedding is nothing short of extravagance which scared Mari at first but Falak was there in every step of the way to help her take away that anxiety. There is nothing to worry about being married to a prince.

She was just overwhelmed with the too much wealth and attention given to her. She started wearing expensive clothes, has maids at her disposal when months ago she was a maid herself. Her skin started glowing because of the skincare routine she had to undergo courtesy of the Queen. She brought a woman from Maiduguri to take care of her skin. She gave her tight hug when she saw her, she hadn't seen the girl in so many years, since when she was two.

When they got married, she complained about not being pregnant after their first night.

"Why are you crying like this?" Yazid had asked when he walked out of the bathroom in just a towel and saw her crying hysterically on the bed. She didn't even listen to him, she hif her face with her palms to not look at him.

"I saw my period earlier." She wailed again after uttering those words. She can't believe what is happening to her, she hates this thing, she hates it a lot.

"And so?" He hesitated, knowing that some women during their period could surpass any hormonal pregnant woman, he needs to watch his steps in a good way.

"That means I'm not pregnant!" She glared at him, he backed off raising his hands up in surrender. He guffawed when he replayed what she's said, he can't believe she just said that to him.

"You don't have to be pregnant now. We can spend sometime with each other without a baby on the way." He moved closer to where she is but the scorching glare she sent his way was enough to make him back behind, his hands back up in surrender.

"I want to have a baby now. All my mates are carrying their children around but look at me, still seeing my stupid stupid stupid period." She kicked her legs trying to throw tantrums, he sneakily move closer to her and hugged her from behind.

"Don't worry about that, you will have a baby, we only did it once."  His voice was low almost seductive, he whispered in her ears, the way that turns her on all the time and shut her up when she starts ranting out.

"What if because I was... raped and something happened to me then?" She bit her upper lip timidly, not liking that the thought always makes it's way to her head whenever she thinks about babies.

"Nothing happened and nothing will happen. You don't have to get pregnant just now, it takes time." He kissed her cheek, trying to badly divert her thought away from those horrible scenes of the past.

"I can't shake away the feeling that it is linked to it." She frowned, not at all liking how desperate her voice sounded, unlike her usual dynamic one.

"We can go to the hospital for assurance later, how does that sound?" He didn't like that they have to go through hospital and tell another doctor about their personal life but he will do anything and everything for her.

"Yes, we should." The relief is audible in her voice and her stance. She beamed and kissed his gruff cheek then skipped to the bathroom to take her own shower.

And now here they are, pregnant and soon to be parents. The doctor said that there was some problem which can be tackled as soon as possible. Eight months into their marriage, she finally gets pregnant with a baby girl. She already planned the name with her husband, she can't wait to surprise everyone with their daughter's beautiful name.

She sighed, a beautiful smile can be sighted on her lips as she gaze up at her baby girl few days later in the hospital. She's given birth to a bouncing baby girl just now, she brought her to the world. That motherly feeling surrounded her like a cloak. All she wants to do is protect the girl from all troubles, she won't have to cry for anything.

"Falak." Yazid whispered in the baby's ear and she nodded uncontrollably in answer to the beautiful name.

Later when Falak heard the good news, she bowed in sujud al shukur, in happiness. She rushed into the hospital room and gave her best friend a tight hug. She took the baby named after her and cried into her chest, she was so happy. Mari had promised to name her daughter after her when they were younger but she didn't know she was serious about it at all. She really named her after her?! What has she done to deserve this from her friend.

"Give her a nickname, we can't go around calling her Falak." Yazid chuckled when she beamed and whispered the name.

"Umnia, it means Gift." The name her father wanted to name her.

*****
Yoyoyoyo!
How are you doing? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭I'm in tears guys! This is the last chapter till epilogue and I don't know when I'm going to post it. Ya Allah, my chest hurts. I don't want to let them go, like not ever. Well, everything has it's end and this is the end of Falak and Shaddad's love story.
RQ; Would you rather flick your hand and get food or bat your eyelashes to get chocolate? Chai, can I have all?! You?

Aishatu.