This chapter is dedicated to LaylveBadr
Thank you so much for your genuine support.❤🥰
I truly cannot express how much your comments mean to me. It gladdens my heart that you found this book.

THE UNFORESEEN

★★★★★

Before my uncles came into our sitting room I had ambled into my sister's room to see her leaning heavily on a cushion, playing with her kids. They were solving a jigsaw, almost halfway through the puzzle. Fahad was sleeping on the sofa while the other two kids were sitting on the floor in front of their mother with their legs intertwined. I noticed Teslim was looking somewhat tired and when I asked her why she had been learning like that, she replied with a weak smile, "I'm having waist pain, I can't sit straight."She coughed, snapping a sad nerve in my heart. I didn't know what to say.

The reality of her deteriorating health broke my spirit. Looking at her at that moment, one could hardly believe her treatment was yielding any effect. I closed my eyes, knowing that her eyes were still on me. I was leaning on the door frame, a cup of hulba tea in hand, one that my mother had passed me earlier.

Talking about my mother, it wasn't long before she came to fetch me, telling me that my uncles were ready to see me. I took one last glance at my sister before I turned around. I didn't know what it was that I saw in her eyes. It looked like she wanted to say something.

Mother asked me to go alone before she turned in the direction of her room. I didn't know I had to face them on my own. A part of me was kind of glad because my mother's presence would have influenced my judgment, but a bigger part of me wanted her to be there because I was nervous. I had never been summoned for this kind of meeting before. I wondered what kind of questions they were going to throw at me.

"Assalaam Alaikum," Came my quiet greeting as I appeared before them. I wasn't sure if they heard me.

"Wa alaikum salaam." I heard my uncles and Ahmad chorus their response. I removed my fluffy slippers and walked barefoot on the rug at the center of the room.

 I was about to sit on the floor when Uncle Sulaiman, the one who was supposed to act as my walīy(guardian) stopped me with a hand gesture toward the couch beside me."Ki zauna akan kujera (sit on the chair)" he said and I insisted on sitting on the floor without meeting his eyes. I had my gaze cast down politely.

"Abba, I will be fine in this position," I said, settling on the floor with my tepid cup of tea still in my hands. I grabbed a nearby cushion and rested my elbow on it in the process of lifting my head.

"It's alright, let her sit however she wants."Uncle Kasim spoke beside Ahmad from an adjacent couch. He smiled fondly at me as he watched me fold my legs up.

"How are your studies going?" He inquired.

"It's going well, alhamdulillah!" I answered hushly, almost sad for no meaningful reason. He still had that smile on his face and a part of me wondered what kind of tone this conversation would take. I stole a glance at Uncle Sulaiman who was sitting alone on the sofa across from me. He was smiling as well.

"I guess, you know why we called you here." He began and I remained quiet because it wasn't a question. In the absence of my reply, he continued his speech with an opening prayer as it was in our tradition to open any formal discussion or gathering with a dua or supplication to our Lord.

We ended the prayer session with a collective"Aameen!" Before Uncle Sulaiman resumed his speech, his tone sounded quite serious. "A young man was here three days ago with his people," he continued in Arabic language which was typically spoken by our tribe, Shuwa which was a minority group in the arewa community. Although Ahmad was from my mother's tribe, Kanuri, he could understand our language because it was what was spoken to us by our father. So everyone had to learn, including my mother. Staying in the north, some people highly mistook us for Hausa or Fulani.

"He was here with his father, Prof. Hassan Ali who was a very good friend of your late father, may Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him an honorable mention in the hereafter."He paused and again we all said "Aameen!" to that. 

"They came to express their interest in seeking your hand in marriage to him, Sheikh Zayn." I noticed, instead of 'doctor' my uncle used the word 'sheikh' to address him. I wondered what was so scholarly about him. My anxiety had been replaced with an empty feeling I couldn't understand. I was getting an odd vibe from this sitting.

"The young man in question is also a very good friend to your brother here."He motioned at Ahmad who nodded in agreement. "And he can testify that he is a very exemplary man. So you have nothing to worry about. We are certain that even if we decide to investigate him, we'll not find any blemish on him." He was doing it too, trying to persuade me. I tightened my grip around my cup.

"We know you are young and still very much in the university. Nobody will force you to marry any suitor that comes your way and we'll not ask you to bring any prospective suitor home. There is still ample time to do that. Everything has its place in time and God has designed our destiny in such a way that when the right time comes you will know and everything will fall in place according to your choice."My uncle spoke sagely, in a deliberately slow manner, dragging every word as a way to captivate my full attention. For a second, I felt like I was alone with him there. I almost forgot Ahmad and Uncle Kasim were there too.

"But since the young man has made his interest known to us, then as your waliy, I have summoned you here today, to pass this news to you and also to ask you this very important question." A knot twisted in my stomach as I reckoned it was time for me to speak. I was going to make a decision that would change my life. I had always been tense about what the future had in store for me. But at that very moment, that feeling had multiplied by a figure I couldn't easily guess. Then I realized how not so in control I was over my life. I was very sure of my answer a while ago and when it was suddenly time for me to speak, I'd rather jump in a well than say what was on my mind.

"But before I ask you," Uncle kept going in his usual calm tone."You must know that agreement between men and women in terms of marriage should be consensual and mutual. There is no perfect match in marriage. Do not be deceived. No one can be perfect for you but there is just that one person who is right for you. You may not be attracted to someone but maybe that person is just the right person for you. That's why love should transcend beyond physical attraction."

I considered my uncle's words carefully, still unable to bring myself to believe that we were discussing the very man who called me a local commoner. I thought about Imran too, I could almost believe he was perfect for me. I hadn't thought of anyone that way besides him. If I had gone on and accepted his brother, our friendship would have been shattered. Then as if reading my thoughts, my other uncle said something that made me reconsider the idea and the possibility of changing my mind.

"Do not misplace your priorities to please anyone." Uncle Kasim contributed, making me look at him."We know how much you love to pursue your academy and as your Uncles and Father figures we don't want anything that will get in the way of your success and ambitions in that regard."

"About that, Ahmad has told us about your complaint." Uncle Sulaiman was the one speaking now. "We've heard it all, and we will not pressure you. It is not our right. So that is why I want to ask you this myself. Do you find this young man appealing?"There, he passed the mic for me to speak and instead of doing so, I made them sit there, staring at me in testing silence. My thoughts were consumed by my greatest fears.

I have thought about Teslim's situation and she was not getting any better. What if something happened to her just as she feared? I was concerned about her children, especially when I  looked at Fahad, he was the youngest of them all. God forbid that anything happened to their mother, I would have to carry that responsibility on my weak shoulders. And I know that I could not do it alone.

Maybe Teslim never wanted to tell me this directly, she wanted a safe future for her kids with someone who would nurture them like a mother would, and she knew I was the only one fit for that position. My sister had never requested anything from me before and I could not deny her this. But as for my mother, I didn't know how much this meant to her.

I heard Uncle Kasim clear his throat loudly, bringing me out of my subconscious mind."A woman's silence can mean many things and we'd not be able to decipher any of it if you don't speak up." 

"I was just about to say the same thing," Uncle Sulaiman leaned forward. "Maybe she is just too shy to open up to us. Don't you think we should give her some time to sleep over it?"

"I will suggest we let her speak to Umma privately." Ahmad said, "Considering she seems a little unsettled." My uncle instantly agreed to his suggestion while I remained silent. I could feel their eyes on me.

I wanted to say something, I knew what I was about to say, could either break or mend me. But if I did not say it, my life would be on the fence, torn between fulfilling my desires and meeting my family's demands. This was where I had to choose who I love the most, between my family and myself. I was almost, yes! Almost going to choose the former. But something stopped me. My selfish side wouldn't let me do it. "I have only known him for a few months now and I can't start anything with a stranger. I want a chance to speak with him in person. I have some questions I want to ask him before I can consider answering his call."

Relief surged through me once I spilled the words out of my mouth. My heart beat fast as I recovered from the shock. It still felt weird that I was going to make such a terrifying mistake.

My uncles seemed surprised at my request. "Well, of course, you will be allowed to meet and have an audience with him. Like I said earlier, it has to be consensual." Uncle Sulaiman reminded me, saying that Ahmad would be my chaperone whenever we were set for the meeting. "But are you sure this is all you want?" I nodded and hugged my legs, blinking at the floor. I was torn and I couldn't hide it. They might have seen how disturbed I was so they pushed no further.

"Then you have my words. And if there is anything else you want to communicate to us and you don't feel free to open up, let your mother know." He finished saying in English and from that moment on, I could no longer listen in silence to whatever they discussed afterward. My mind was a sonorous metal, screaming louder than anything around me, amidst the hollow in the pit of my stomach.

***** 

Zayn

Later that afternoon, Zayn was driving to his family home. Using one hand to control the steering, he plunged the other hand into his right pocket to retrieve his phone. Seeing that he had a call from his father, he connected his phone to his Bluetooth earbud and then pushed it back into his pocket.

After their usual greetings, he thought he heard his father say something that made his mood sour. She was giving him conditions? He'd like to pretend like he didn't just hear that. And the condition was that he'd have to present himself before her for questioning. That wasn't exactly how his father had presented the matter to him but that was how he interpreted it. It was a pity he couldn't see her and question her wit and manners himself.

He was convinced that she was not mindful of her approach because he couldn't wrap his head around what gave her the courage to want to question him. Zayn told his father that they'd continue the discussion at home. They said their goodbyes and he disconnected the call to focus on the road while he drove.

When Zayn got home, he saw a bunch of guys outside their house that he had never seen before. They were around Imran's age. He guessed they were either his friends or Khalid's. But there was something about them that he didn't like. They looked somewhat troublesome and some of them were smoking what looked like weed.

Just as he was about to drive into the gate, he saw Imran and Khalid strolling out of the house. He gazed at them for a while, Imran in particular who had seen him first but intentionally looked away. Khalid greeted him heartily with a bright smile plastered on his face and he responded with a slight nod and a wave of hand. He was determined to inquire about the bunch of hoodlums they were hanging out with but decided to ignore it because he had other pressing matters at hand.

After parking his car, he walked into the house with long strides, heading straight to his father's room.

"Assalaam salaam." Zayn greeted, stepping into the room. When he arrived, the Professor had been with Aliya, going through her statement of result when he heard the door open and his elder son walked in peacefully. "Wa alaikum salaam," he answered and examined his quiet way of walking. 

Aliya knew that Zayn had come to discuss something privately with their father. "Abba, do you want something?" She questioned her father in a way that suggested that she wanted to excuse herself from the room."Should I get you coffee?" They had just had lunch together and if he wanted anything he would have said it then.

"No, Gimbiya," the father replied, closing the papers in his hands and passing them to Zayn. "But you can get me a cup of coffee." Aliya stood up and made for the door. Zayn narrowed his eyes, coming to sit opposite his father. He was a bit irked to hear that his father still called his sister that name. It reminded him of a pesky little Aliya.

When she closed the door behind her, Zayn tore his eyes away from her, giving his full attention to his father.

"What is this?" He inquired.

"It's your sister's result." The old man answered his question with a proud smile."She came out with a 4.98/5.0 GPA." Zayn kept his eyes on the papers as he flipped through. He was impressed but he didn't show it. He didn't even expect that his sister could graduate with first-class honors in human psychology. He hardly saw her study, and she never talked about school, except for the few times when she complained to him about her project supervisor, and when they discussed at breakfast about her quitting Madarasa to focus on Western school.

"This is good." Zayn simply expressed with a nod, then returned the statement of result to his father. "You wanted to discuss something with me?" He put forward as he watched his father put them away in a nearby drawer.

"Yes," the father exhaled, pressing his hands on his knees as he sat back on his chair."I finished talking on the phone with Sulaiman and he suggested we fix a date for you to meet her and discuss."

Zayn shot his head up as if to ask 'Discuss what?' Instead, he said, "Father, I have decided to limit my interaction with her until after the nikkah. I don't think what her uncle is suggesting would be possible, besides it's unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?" His father threw a disbelieving look at him. His son sounded more deviant than he was on the phone. "Zayn, this is your marriage we are talking about here. You are supposed to make things easier for the girl, not make it harder."

"Father, trust me if she's finding it difficult accepting this thing," Zayn saw his father recovering from another shock, for referring to his proposal as 'this thing', then he slowed down a bit, regretting his tone. "What makes you think she'd come around if she speaks with me?"

"It's not easy for a woman to make decisions like this on their own." His father sounded a bit agitated. He sighed and then continued, "Your talking to her is to make her feel comfortable." When Zayn reasoned his father's words, they sounded to him as if he was going there to get down on his knees and propose to her. He didn't want to see her, not because he couldn't. He was thinking after going through all these processes she might still say no. Zayn didn't want such to happen. His pride wouldn't let him stoop so low.

"If she's not ready to get married," he leaned forward and rested his elbow on his knees, bowing his head in the process and considering his upcoming words." Why don't we just call off the proposal and move on with our lives."

When his father refused to say something afterward, he knew that he was looking at him. Zayn lifted his head to see the disappointment in his eyes. 

Hassan stared back into his son's eyes, not knowing what to say to him. He knew he was quite stubborn and once he had made up his mind on something, nothing could change it. Then his last words must be a joke because he couldn't be considering going back on his words. Arguing with him was pointless now, he'd have to take decisions into his own hands. He knew just what to do.

"Father, I..." Zayn tried to speak now, in a calmer tone."I didn't mean to put it that way." He ran a hand through his hair, avoiding the firm look on his father's face. "I thought if I'd see her, things might get a little awkward between us." Of course, they had a history of many embarrassing encounters together, he had the feeling that he knew the kind of questions she was going to ask him. Those questions were what he was trying to avoid.

An intolerable silence lingered around for a short while. "Are you sure you don't want to meet the girl before she gives her answer?" His father asked in a deep voice. His unexpected question took Zayn off guard. He looked up at his father once more, he didn't understand why the man was looking at him like that. So he quietly cast his gaze elsewhere.

"No father," He said politely, then glanced at his watch. Time seemed to be slow that day. He needed to get out of there before he changed his mind.

"You should get to know each other better." The father persisted, making Zayn grimace and wishing he could be anywhere but there.

"There is no need for that. I have already seen her." He sighed, and a klutzy feeling spread through him."Besides, it will help lessen the embarrassment for her." He added, sitting straight and at the time, trying not to look at his father who still had his gaze glued on him. He certainly wasn't comfortable with that stare.

"Do you have somewhere you want to go?" His father asked. Zayn shook his head in response, wondering why he had asked. His old man seemed not satisfied with how he had reacted earlier. Well, the feeling was mutual.

They were still talking when they heard a faint knock on the door. Zayn invited the person in and Aliya came with a tray carrying two mugs. One filled with coffee for her father and the other containing tea for her brother.

"Abba, you have a visitor, Mother said I should inform you." Aliya came forward, presenting the mug to her father who gave her an appreciative smile. 

"That should be Abduljabbar," He sipped from his cup, regarding Aliya as she served her brother his tea. "Where is he?" 

"I think he's waiting for you in the guestroom." She informed him.

"Okay," His father stood up. "We are not finished yet," the old man addressed his son. "You drink up your tea. I will see Abduljabbar." He held out the cup to his daughter and once it left his hand, he headed for the door and left the room.

Aliya came to sit beside her elder brother, waiting for some appraisal for her excellent performance and when she didn't get one she decided to push a conversation.

"Can we talk ?" She noticed Zayn was not in the mood. He hadn't even drunk his tea. 

"Talk about?"He wouldn't look at her, still staring at the spot where his father left. 

"Talk about you and Imran." She knew better not to probe him with her pressing questions but she wanted to try anyway.

Zayn turned to her, setting his cup aside, "I'll be in my room if you want to talk about something else."He stood up, aiming to leave as well, but Aliya, determined to finish what she had started, followed him as he threw long strides away.

"What did you and Abba discuss?" The inquisitive one inquired, catching up with his pace.

"Nothing you didn't hear." He replied over his shoulder, knowing very well she was behind the door for a pretty long time when he was with their father. She must have heard part of the conversation.

"I didn't eavesdrop on you two."Aliya raised an eyebrow at him.

"I haven't said anything, it is you who is acting defensive." Zayn retorted. He was starting to regret many things earlier but Aliya's mention of Imran reminded him why he had to do it.

"But I didn't even hear..." She tried to clear her name once more but Zayn cut her short, mid-sentence.

"It's okay, Aliya." Zayn was searching for his keys in his pocket as he spoke."I don't mind you being nosy." They were almost approaching his door and he desperately wanted to dismiss her. "But please let me be for once. I want to be left alone."They both stopped, facing each other."I really mean it this time." She would have pushed further, but his pleading tone made her waver. She quietly turned in the opposite direction and walked away.

Inserting his key on the door lock and unlatching the knob, he watched her go. He didn't know which felt worse; sending his sister off like that without having to hear her out or the guilt of avoiding any topic that involved Imran. He was starting to not like his own attitude. He was pushing the people he loved the most away. 

Setting foot into his room, Zayn turned on the lights. Having a sister like Aliya, who could be quite persistent, it was unlikely she would give up easily unless something was wrong. This thing, as he once referred to it, was driving him and his siblings apart. He sat in a lounge chair, motionless and deep in thought.

As minutes passed in a blur, Zayn's grievance increased whenever his thoughts strayed back to everything that had happened so far. He hated his inability to control it. His efforts for his family's happiness and his contentment were like the false attempt of staying under the water and pretending not to drown whereas it was getting frustrating to breathe.

Zayn could decide to be stubborn and not do as his father said but for the reason best known to him, he picked up his phone and called Hannan's number which he had once copied from her mother's phone. It was the pet name she used to save her contact that led him to think it was Teslim. Who knew it may be useful later on, at a time like this?

*****

As for his father, seeing his old friend again, after such a long time, brought back good memories. There was this sudden nostalgia he felt. He walked into the room where he normally received his visitors, in a high spirit and hoped to lessen his burden. His friend looked up to see him approaching and sent him a warm smile. 

"You are late, Dan Ali." Abduljabbar announced casually, standing up to shake him.

 Hassan walked up to welcome him."Please forgive my manners, I hope an excuse will do." He asserted and took an opposite seat. Abduljabbar chuckled lightly and turned to look at the male servant who was approaching them.

"Great men do not give excuses, they give results." He praised, making a slow smile spread across the professor's lip. His words reminded him of the good old days when he and Saleh had been his closest companions. 

"You might as well know that I'm no great man then." He proclaimed as the servant placed their drinks on the table in front of them, followed by another with the food.

"No son of Ali is little. They are all great men." Abduljabbar continued to praise him and watched as he gave orders to the servants without looking at them. 

Hassan dismissed them and turned to face him, smiling in the process. "Please, make yourself at home," he was a bit relieved that his tension had lessened upon seeing his old companion. Abduljabbar had the habit of raining praises on him anytime they met.

"So how was the meeting?" Hassan asked, settling into his chair. "I got your message, what's going on?"

Abduljabbar sighed, "The presence of all of them there, was a little much." He reached for a glass. "Why didn't you come?" He asked, pouring himself a drink. Hassan made an excuse, using his son's upcoming marriage as a good idea to ignore the questions that lined up for him.

"Perhaps you should be with your kind," Abduljabbar told him and sipped from his drink. Hassan understood very well what he meant which kept him quiet. Likewise his companion, he too was fluent in his silence, after all, they were partners in crime.

"You want allies, right?" Abduljabbar knew they weren't supposed to discuss this here, given someone might be listening. But he wanted to prove his point before anything else. "Look around. The oasis is enough to start all over again. You may think you're better than them, but they are all you have."

"And why would I play benefactor to a collection of lost soldiers?" 

"That's right, you never were any good with the army. But whether you like it or not, the Oasis exists because of the army."The professor raised a perfect brow at that.

"It was my hard work that paid off." He corrected confidently. "They don't know the value of science, that is why they are making this thing hard for us." He raised his voice, meeting Abduljabbar's eyes, who was a little taken aback by the sudden shift in his mood."

"But the COAS is willing to negotiate." Abduljabbar put forward, recalling the things they'd discussed at the defense headquarters. He was the one assigned to represent the owls. Someone had filed a case against them and now the army was on their neck, investigating their activities at the oasis.

"The COAS is no leader. He's a puppet." Hassan sounded bitter. "There are some people who don't want good people to rule this country. That is why they put him there, to control the military through him. By the time we take him as our ally, It wouldn't be long until they turn him against us. Wasn't it what they did to the former chief?"

"I fail to see a point here?" Abduljabbar argued, clearly astonished. "Are you trying to tell me that the civilians now control the army?"

"I didn't put water in my mouth when I said so." Hassan brushed off his astonishment. "You heard me right. And these people aren't just any civilians. They are dangerous and powerful." The professor had a feeling that his friend didn't seem to understand his angle because he hadn't been around very much to witness things for himself. When Saleh was poisoned, Abduljabbar had been to Russia for research and study leaf by the time he came back, Saleh was already on his deathbed.

"Besides, we can't be too trusting nowadays, remember there is a satan on the loose," Hassan added, reminding his friend of their biggest threat," who is looking to see our downfall."

"We can't keep living in fear of the unknown." Abduljabbar glanced around discreetly, to see if they were having an audience. "I've discovered the secret of his weapon."He adjusted his position forward, now sitting on the edge of the couch. "It's not an ordinary poison. It's a virulent pathogen, replicating within its host cell, then immediately causing it to undergo lysis."

Upon hearing that, a slow and deliberate smirk crept up the professor's lip. "It took you long enough to figure that out."

"And I also know how we can reproduce this thing. Maybe we can find its cure afterward."

"I already did." 

"What?" Abduljabbar exclaimed. "And you didn't bother to tell me."Disappointment colored his demeanor.

"Well, you were always busy, trying to fix your son." The professor's voice was heavy with guilt."I didn't want to disturb you so I had to make do with what I have." He made an effort to avoid his eyes.

The other man drew his eyebrows together, not satisfied with his answer. "Since when is telling me about your progress a disturbance?" Abduljabbar had known his friend long enough to understand that he wanted to do this alone.

The professor leaned forward and inhaled heavily."look, this is my fight. The man who murdered Saleh must be punished and the punishment must befit his crime." 

"You are not planning to do this alone without me, are you?"

"I don't want you to stain your hands with blood, my dear friend." They both remained silent, staring each other in the eyes. 

"That man is a threat to all of us?" Abduljabbar said in a low voice, such that even his friend struggled to hear him. "And we can take him down working together."

"I know. Relax, I'm working on something and I prefer to work alone this time." 

"So, what about the CPH4?" Abduljabbar asked,  after a while. "When are we going to continue with our experiments?"

"About that? I think we should stop. These people are tailing us. Once they discover our secret, the whole world will turn against us." He watched as Abduljabbar nodded in agreement. "And one more thing, Just make sure you keep a goodly alliance with my son. I don't want him to continue in my path."

"Speaking of which, how is your son?" Abduljabbar inquired."It's been a while since I last saw him." Then he and Hassan spoke at length about Zayn, with his forthcoming marriage dominating the rest of their conversation. Amidst their interaction, they both laughed at something that happened in the past. When the laughter died, there was a grim expression on the professor's face which led his friend to inquire about it.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about Asad." Hassan replied, making his friend's face turn grim as well."How is he coming up? Is he responding to treatment?" They were not supposed to talk about it, so Abduljabbar remained silent and let it pass. He could see remorse written over the professor's face. How long would he continue to feel that way? They could not undo what had been done.

*****

4:00 pm

Zayn had returned from the mosque after observing his Asr prayer. One of the guards came to inform him that his stepmother had been looking for him while he went to pray. Right then, he saw her coming toward him, dressed in formal attire.

"Are you going somewhere, Mother?" He called out to her. 

"Yes, I was looking for you." She replied from a far distance. That was when he noticed his grandmother and birth mother who were following her, cladded in similar clothing. The women informed him that they were invited to the wedding dinner of a family friend. Imran's mother was looking for him to ask him to drive them to the hotel where they'd have the function. 

She complained of not being able to drive because of her health and Zayn wondered why she was going then, since she wasn't so strong. He couldn't refuse her so he agreed to her request.

Outside their house, they set out to leave. He reached the car and stood in front of it, waiting for them to join him.

Inadvertently, his eyes turned to the two ladies walking out of their house. And God knew, he wasn't looking at them with bad intentions but then, his mind told him to look away. He wanted to do just that when something stopped him. It was the way they were stealing glances at him. It seemed a little shady. And why did the name of the taller one ring a familiar bell in his head? He watched Yasmeen turn to face the other side and Nadia held on to her hand, pretending to balance on her high heels. Their body language suggested that something was off.

He was still standing there when he saw his father and Abduljabbar coming from the backyard of their house. As they got closer to him, Hassan asked about his mother. Zayn pointed in their direction and they turned to see the women coming their way with Aliya and her friends following behind them.

When Zayn was about to open the car door, he heard his father call him.

"Come my son, let me introduce you to someone." He beckoned him with a gentle hand gesture, making Zayn frown. Just when he was about to escape.

He walked to the men and greeted Abduljabbar respectfully. The smile on the man's face grew wider as he took in his view. Zayn thought it disrespectful to offer a handshake to an elderly person. But it was the man who first made the gesture, so he went on and collected his hand in both his palms with a slight bow. Abduljabbar smiled at him admiringly as he asked about his well-being.

Zayn heard his father giving a formal introduction of Abduljabbar to him and there was nothing he said about the man that he didn't already know, except for the part where he mentioned they had studied together in Stockholm, Sweden. Zayn gave a fake smile at everything the men said, pretending to enjoy their company. 

Now that the women were there, he thought he could finally leave with the excuse of driving his mothers to the wedding receptions. Unknown to him his father had other plans for him. Zayn was about to turn around when his father called him again.

"Tell your mother that we are going somewhere now." Zayn knew that he meant both of them so he frowned at his sentence. Why was his father pressing his red button?

"Where are we going?" He asked. 

"To Hafsah's house. I told Sulaiman that we'd be coming over this evening."

"Why?" He was baffled.

"I had already arranged for you to meet Hannan. That was what I was trying to tell you on the phone but you didn't let me finish." His father was smiling as he spoke but Zayn wasn't. "Abduljabbar and I haven't visited her mother for a long time since the tragic incident. We decided to do that today."

"I was supposed to drive Umma to the wedding." Zayn reminded his father and the man walked past him and called one of the guards to do that, leaving him flustered. He thought he was winning the game not knowing that his old man was one step ahead of him. This was one of his tricks. He would plot on his own and wait for him to be defenseless before executing the plan.

"You are coming with us, Zayn." His father declared, making his way toward his car. "Don't just stand there, get in the car." He ordered without turning around.

Abduljabbar remained silent and followed his friend. They took the back seat while Zayn drove the car. When he placed his hands on the steering wheel, it finally dawned on him that they were in his father's car going to Hannan's place and he hadn't scripted his speech. When they drove out of the gate, his father broke the thick silence in the air.

"Her uncle informed me that he'd go back to Maiduguri in three days. I don't know how long it will take until he returns. That is why I want us to go there today."Hassan spoke from behind him. Zayn wasn't aware of this. Hannan didn't tell him her uncles would leave before Friday when they spoke on the phone earlier, so he listened carefully to the old man."They are busy people with busy lives, we can't keep them waiting. I'd like her uncles to be here when she finally agrees so we can fix a date for the wedding before they travel."

Zayn made up his mind that his father had won this round. He said nothing, staring at the road ahead and letting his mind wander around his father's conversation with Abduljabbar. He had ended his call with Hannan and was heading out to the mosque when he heard his father say something that caught his attention.

I was just thinking about Asad. How is he coming up? Is he responding to treatment?

That was the only thing his ears picked from their discussion and now he couldn't help, wondering who Asad was. Although the name sounded kind of familiar.

*****

The second they arrived at their place, Zayn parked the car in front of the house. He waited for his father and his friend to get down while he sat there preparing his mind for whatever happened next. He intended to act accordingly as the spirit lead because who knew he'd be coming to this house any time soon? He had given his words to her when they spoke on the phone. He said they would meet on Friday. He thought by then he would have prepared believable answers to her questions.

Zayn didn't know why his eyes were drawn to her window, not like he was expecting to see her there. Of all the three times he had visited their place, he chose to notice that window now. Seconds later he heard his father mention his name, telling him to get out of the car and follow them. And so he did. He walked behind his father. 

When they got to the door, her mother came out of the house to welcome them. Despite his bad mood, a slow smirk crept up Zayn's lip. It was not the sight of the woman that had that effect on him, it was the person behind her. It was nothing amusing and he didn't know why it made him smile. It was just that that it was his first time seeing Captain Ahmad in his army uniform. He had to admit it, he looked good in them.

After exchanging greetings with the guests, the mother and Ahmad led their visitors in to join the others who were already present. Zayn entered the sitting room, arrested by a familiar feeling. It was only three days ago when he had come there to seek a particular someone's hand in marriage. But that very day, he couldn't even define what he had come there to do, thanks to his father. 

They met with a couple of other men in the room and he was surprised to see that Ahmad's father was there too. He saw his father and Abduljabbar immediately familiarized themselves with the man while he walked over to greet the other uncles. Almost immediately, the atmosphere in the room turned lively with the elders filling the air with their laughter and kind mentions.

Seconds passed, minutes followed and the men seemed to have forgotten why they were there. In high spirits, they were so carried away with their incessant chatter. This proposed wedding looked to be a matter of joy to both families and of course, his father seemed to be happiest among the men. 

He studied his father from where he sat. He noted that the man looked stronger compared to the other days they had met. He was overjoyed and that alone seemed to have energized him. He'd like to know what made him think she'd agree to marry him. What if she didn't accept this thing? He thought, standing up and excusing himself from the group. He knew that Hannan liked Imran. Without intending, his thoughts drifted to the moment he had seen them embrace each other at the hospital. A pang of inexplicable pain struck his chest. He had not known peace since he learned of his father's secret. He hadn't even begun the journey and this whole thing seemed to have become an unbearable burden on his soul.

Zayn knew that if he sat there any longer, it wouldn't be long before his father would ask them to invite the girl there. The old man had revealed his plan to him, that was a wrong move. Now he'd make the next move by making himself unavailable for this unrehearsed play that was about to unfold. He had learned a valuable lesson from that: never give your opponent a hint of your next move, or else he'd use it against you, just as he was about to do to his old man. 

Ahmad saw him rise to his feet and ambled toward the front door. He thought he wanted to make a phone call so he decided to let him be. Unlike his friend, he was enjoying the company of the old men so he sat back. 

A scowl etched on Zayn's face the moment he stepped outside. God knew he was tired of acting and he wanted to take a break and catch some air. But unlike the environment he was used to back at home, this place had no trees. There were houses everywhere. The neighborhood was suffocating. He ambled to where the cars were parked, he looked around for a brief moment before turning to face the building. Focusing his gaze a little to the right, something piqued his interest and he found himself moving in that direction.

At last, he found a tree, and it was Pride of Barbados. The striking orange-red flowers were an attention grabber, pulling him like a force. As he walked toward the backyard of the house, he discovered there were more of them. It was the only place in that area that had more than one tree. He walked under the shades thrown by the trees until he reached the edge of the building. Upon turning to the left, there he found someone, sitting on a bench under the shadow of one of the trees, the most flamboyant of them all.

Zayn really should have turned around when he wanted to. But it wasn't the girl that made him wait, it was what she was doing. She was painting and it looked like she was almost done. As if sensing that someone was there, the girl looked back over her shoulder and Zayn didn't know how to describe the feeling that overtook him when he saw Hannan.

His eyes were fixed on her as she stood up slowly. Before she turned around completely, her body went rigid and her eyes froze on him. They both stared at each other. There were no sparks between them, and the world didn't stand still either. Everything else continued to progress naturally except for Hannan. Her nervousness didn't go unnoticed by him and as for Zayn, seeing her again was just like another day, filled with oddity.

As he came forth, he allowed his keen eyes to scan her and took note of visible details. He felt like she was easy on the eyes in her midnight blue chiffon gown with multiple layers. Hannan was still frozen upon seeing him and when reality kicked in, she spun around to face her drawing board, wanting to escape. But unfortunately, her body wouldn't do what she told it to do. Mostly because he had seen her already and it was no use trying to dodge him.

★★★★★

I'm sorry, I didn't intend to end this chapter here. I didn't even notice when I crossed my word limit. I had to split the chapter. Hopefully, I'll try my best to finish the next chapter soon. Thanks for anticipating. Lots of love from Halishar🥰🥰

♥ THANKS FOR READING ♥

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