"Larai." He smiled, coming out of his hiding place, behind a palm tree.

The way her name flowed effortlessly from his mouth, made her heart flutter. "What are you doing here? How did you know I live here?" She fidgeted with the hem of her hijab and looked away.

"Wasn't hard." He shrugged. "I followed you yesterday. I have been waiting for you to come out, not knowing you've left the house already." His brows furrowed. "Do you usually go to the stream this early?"

His words sent warmth to her heart and a smile curled up her lips. "No. Just today."

"Woah! You're so hardworking." He complimented, sending a flush to her cheeks.

"Why are you here?" she inquired, trying so hard to suppress her excitement—which was threatening to burst out.

"Because I wanted to see you, Larai," he admitted.

She blushed—it was exactly what Larai wanted in a man: Someone who knows what he wants and goes for it without hesitating. She was overwhelmed by his words. He didn't beat about the bush.

How adorable!

"From the day I met you, I knew you are someone special. I just came to this village not long ago, so I have no friends. I want to get to know you better. Perhaps we could become good friends?" He smiled. "Will you give me the chance to do that?"

With a smile on her face, she looked everywhere, but in his direction and nodded. "I want to also get to know you better."

"Great," He smirked. "I'm glad you do."

Larai excused herself and went in with the jerrican.

She returned shortly after and directed him to the backyard of the house, where they spent approximately an hour chatting—talking about their dislikes, likes, families, education, and pets.

Time flew by in what seems like seconds. It was just for over an hour, but it felt like they already knew each other for ages.

Their hearts had already been intertwined.

"So, you're done with secondary school?" Yusuf inquired.

"Yes," she responded. "A few months ago."

"Wow!" he exclaimed, seeming utterly entranced. "It's really surprising that despite how education, especially girl's education, is frowned upon in villages you still managed to complete your secondary school. That's remarkable! Is one of your parents perhaps educated?"

"My mother was able to complete her junior secondary school, before being married off to my father. But, unfortunately, none of my siblings were able to go to school, except for me. Ever since childhood, I had always wanted to go to school. Baaba was firmly against it, but somehow, Nna was able to convince him. He agreed to allow me school, but not without conditions."

"Conditions? What were they?" Yusuf pried further.

"I wasn't allowed to leave the house, without completing all of the house chores first. Singlehandedly." She added the last part in a low-pitched voice.

"That must have been really tough on you." He shook his head, slowly.

"Not really." Larai chuckled. "I'm used to these chores, right from childhood."

"So... he imposed the chores on you as punishment or…?" He frowned.

She shrugged. "Something like that."

He hummed in response. "The school is near, right?"

"Fifteen villages."

His pupils dilated. "Fifteen villages? How do you manage to get there on time? Don't you used get late?"

"I used to get late. Almost every day. I got used to the punishments of unpunctuality, eventually. I have no complaints though." She smiled. "I got to finish secondary school."

Yusuf smiled. "How about furthering your education? Have you thought of that yet?"

Larai's face fell. Despite wanting that so badly, she indubitably knew it was never going to happen, as she was soon going to be married off to the old pervert, Zakari.

The thought alone was enough to ruin her mood.

"Why the sudden long face?"

"Nothing." She forced a smile. "I just remembered I haven't completed the task Nna gave me. I'm sorry, but I really have to go." She stood to leave.

"When will I be able to see you again?" He looked into her eyes when he asked.

"I really can't say." She bit her lower lip.

"Do you have a phone? Can I have your number?"

"A phone?" She couldn't suppress herself from laughing. "Who would buy me a phone? Baaba? Definitely not!"

"Alright then, this is what we will do: In the evening, after prayers, I'm going to come here and when you hear the sound of someone whistling, like this," He whistled, demonstrating it to her, "You'll automatically know it's me. Okay?"

"Okay. Go now, before that garrulous younger sister of mine sees you here and then tells on me." She huffed, folding up the mat.

"Wait... you're not allowed to have male visitors?" he asked, surprised.

"Never," she responded and hurried back into the house.

"Not even suitors?" He called after her.

•

In the evening, in their mudded outdoor kitchen, Larai was helping out her mother to cook when she heard whistles from outside the compound. At first, she ignored it, until the whistles got even louder.

Her eyes widened as realization struck her and she sprung up.

"What's wrong?"  Nna questioned.

"I just remembered I haven't fetched water for the evening and we're already running out of water," she said, coming up with an excuse and standing to leave.

"But we still have enough to la—"
Before she could finish her statement, Larai had already dashed out of the kitchen.

"What's wrong with her?" Nna mumbled.

Immediately Larai got out with her jerrican, the first person she expected to see, was Yusuf, but to her disappointment, she only saw Azumi, returning from Nna's errand. Her demeanor instantly contorted in displeasure. "Why are you just returning? You went to play with your friends, koh?"

"I didn't"

"Go inside and meet Nna," Larai told her.

"Is she going to beat me?" her hand shook by her side.

Larai sneered. "What do you think? Just go, before she gets even angrier."

Not needing to be told again, she ran into the house, fear written all over her face.

"I didn't know the calm Larai can be belligerent as well." Yusuf suddenly remarked, walking out of his hiding place.
 
"Oh!" She jumped and placed a hand on her racing chest. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry," he apologized, raising his hands in the air. "I didn't mean to."

"It's fine. Quickly, let's go." She walked away in fast paces.

Yusuf shrugged and hurried after her.
"Was that your sister? The garrulous one?" he asked and chuckled.

"Yes," Larai answered.

"Why were you being so hostile towards her?"
 

"Don't mind the looks, they can be deceiving. She is not as innocent as she looks."

"Oh! Really? Does this mean you're also not as innocent as you look too?" Yusuf asked.

"Probably." She shrugged. "I'm sorry for not coming out earlier. I didn't know it was you... It skipped my mind for a while."

"You don't have to apologize for that. What matters is that you're here and we're talking." He smiled, then turned to the jerrican in her left hand.
"Seems fetching of water from the stream is a hobby of yours."

"Not really, you can say it's a newfound hobby." She blushed.

"Newfound? Interesting." He stretched out a hand and took the jerrican from her. "It seems I'm also getting a new hobby soon."

"Please let me have it. You don't have to"

"It's fine. I want to." He smiled, reassuringly at her. "Besides, what type of a man would I be if I allowed you do the work, while I walk beside you, freehanded?"

Larai's eyes scintillated in unadulterated admiration. "Thank you." She smiled.

"Mention not." He returned the smile.
When they got to the stream and had filled up the jerrican with water, Larai insisted on carrying it, but being the gentleman Yusuf was, he declined.

They kept on talking about random stuff until they finally arrived at the house. "Thanks a lot for helping me out," Larai said. "Just to let you know—You're the first person to ever help me out in this way."

His lips curved into a smile, showing off his dimples and his eyes glowed in the moonlight. "I'm glad. I wish you'd allow me to take this inside for you. This is too heavy for a petite lady like you to carry." He frowned.

"I have been carrying that for years now. I'm actually used to it already. Give it to me," she said, stretching out her hands to retrieve it.

Reluctantly, he helped steady the water on her head. His gaze trailed behind her, as she began walking towards the entrance of the compound.

With one last smile at him, she pushed open the wooden door and got in.

•

In two weeks, the bond between Yusuf and Larai had grown tremendously. They had become practically inseparable. While her family was asleep, Larai had taken it upon herself to prepare varieties of dishes and sneak them out to him, in a flask, in the late hours of the night.

Early each morning, she would pick up the jerrican and inform her parents she was going to the stream. Instead of doing that, she would head straight to their meeting place—the spot between the bushes where they first met.

Yusuf would always wait for her there. Then, they would continue being chatty from where they had left off the previous day and he would help carry her jerrican to her house.

The routine repeated itself.
Larai felt she had finally reached her destination, in her quest for love, but whenever the thought of Zakari crossed her mind, she would sit all alone on a stone, in the backyard and cry her eyes out. She knew she had no future with Yusuf. None at all, as her future had already been preordained, but in spite of that, she could not bring herself to desert her love. Her heart would rip to pieces.

•

On a blustery day, the duo was seated on a mat, enjoying each other's company—like usual, when Yusuf brought up a disturbing topic.

"What if I want to meet your parents? Will that be possible?" he asked, taking a sip of the freshly made kunu.

"My parents?" Larai's breathing hitched in her throat. "Why would you want to meet them?"

"Larai," he called in a low-pitched voice. "You and I are no longer kids. By now, even without saying it, you should know I have feelings for you. Genuine ones."

A blush crept up her cheeks. "How should I know?" She covered her face with her veil. "Do I look like a soothsayer to you?"

"No." He scrunched up his face.
"Soothsayers aren't real. You are."

Larai was shy. She hid her face in the veil, even more.

"And besides, you do not have to be a soothsayer to predict my feelings for you. I mean... it's obviously written all over my face. Larai," he called and took a moment of silence, "from the very first day I met you, I knew there was something special about you. From that day, I have changed into a different person—someone I also don't recognize. You are not the first girl I have met in my entire life, but you're definitely the first girl to make me feel so self-conscious about myself. You're the first I have ever thought of before myself. You make me feel true love actually exists. I had always had my doubts, but then you walked into my life and changed my entire mindset. In my eyes, there is no one as beautiful as you are, Larai. I just love everything about you. From the way you smile to the way your eyes twinkle when you speak. You're just effortlessly beautiful. Not just on the outside, but inside as well."

His words had tears brimming up in Larai's eyes. In all of her years of living, she had thought she would only be able to read such words in literary works, but it being said to her was what she dreamt of, but never did she think it would happen. It felt surreal. Was this really happening? The question repeated in her mind, like a mantra.

"How can you say all these things about me? You don't even know me well yet."

"A person's character is like pregnancy. No matter how one tries to hide it, it would surely show one day. You're a good person. Anyone with eyes can see that. You're selfless and intelligent too. I love you, Larai. Nothing would make me happier in this world, than marrying you someday in the future."

At this point, tears were streaming down Larai's face and she could not control it. She could not describe what she was feeling at the moment—mixed feelings. On one hand, she was happy about getting the love she had always dreamt of, right from childhood.

Ecstatic.

On the other hand, her heart ripped into a million pieces, for she knew they could never be together no matter what. She suddenly felt horrible. Horrible that was only leading him on.

"Please say something, Larai," Yusuf spoke, snapping her out of her trance.
Larai.

The way her name emerged from his lips had her insides twirling overwhelmingly.

He wanted her to speak, but what could she say? She was tongue-tied. The situation at hand was beyond her. She wanted to speak, but at the same time, she was afraid of speaking and end up breaking his heart. She would never be able to forgive herself for that.

"Larai?" he called again, his brows arched.
 
"I'm sorry, Yusuf." She stood and ran all the way home. She did not even stop for a break until she was inside their hut. She laid on the mat and sobbed. She continued sobbing until sleep eventually overclouded her.

•

Assalamualaikum/hello!

Love is sweet o 😩

Do you think Larai is leading Yusuf on?

What do you think is in stock for these two?

Keep the comments and votes coming 🤗

Follow me for updates 😘

deey_jah
❤️❤️❤️