An unfamiliar chuckle filled the backyard as Adnan Ibrahim Attahir laughed at something his wife said in his ear. It is a sight no one gets tired of nor could they get used to it. A sight where only his wife and children get to see on daily basis, no one else.

Jannah continued talking animatedly in his ears while Adnan listened like there is no other thing he'd rather do for the rest of his life than keep listening to his wife ramble about God knows what. When she finished, Adnan gave her a wolffish, crooked grin that made his eyes shimmer.

She gave him a wink then yawed her attention back to the little crowd around them only to blush when she realized that they were all staring at her. She tucked her hijab to the side of her neck then gave them a sheepish smile. Jannah is shyest person Bilal has ever met in his life.

Adnan took her bifocals from her face and cleaned the lens with a handkerchief he produced from his pocket then tentatively replace it back like he cared not about the people around them. He doesn't. Not when it comes to his wife. It never stopped him. No other person actually matters.

Bilal watched as Jannah gave her husband a heart glowing smile filled with cordial and igniting torridness that made something swell in his chest. He looked away immediately and his eyes fell on Nawal, Adnan's only sister, she passed him a teasing smile of her own.

Nawal is a nice lady with loud mouth who's now happily married with her one year old baby. The first time he's met her, he really wanted to padlock her lips with the most complicated gadgets known to mankind but as he got used to her, he understands her noise.

All he wanted to do was to dematerialize from this once in a while meeting Jannah decided to be hosting in her backyard all the time. He is always the single one hanging around couples only that today Nawal came alone with no baby and husband for a break.

Meandering to his left, Aisha and Ammar were holding one another as she lie down her head supine against his chest while his hands snaked to hold hers in front of them. Another ache penetrated his chest making him feel like an outsider in his own circle.

Stuffing more Nutella embellished puff-puff in his mouth, her gurgled down chilled Coca-Cola while reflecting on his life.

In all honesty, he is tired of his single life but there is nothing he can do about it when fate hasn't decided or ruled out everything. He simply had no other choice but to wait for things to pan out and lead him along the waves. It is tiring, patience. Very very difficult.

While scrolling through his phone, Instagram to be exact -something he was forced to download because of a Senegalese client- a picture popped into his phone making him halt. Wasn't he galloping through his feeds? Why is Madina's face there when he is sure he's never followed her. He doesn't even know her username.

Raising his head, he realize that it was just those popular public figures that Instagram is now fond of adding to your feed in case you want to follow them. He scoffed, he doesn't.

But why did his finger tap on her profile? He tried stopping himself from viewing but he couldn't, not when he's already deep. Seems like he cannot escape the rainbow multicolored gaudy wench. Not yesterday or today and tomorrow when he shall see her at the airport.

Wait, was that excitement in his chest at the thought of meeting her? Is he seriously looking forward to meeting her again tomorrow at the tarmac?

Fuck! Seems like he is damned to his own personal hell without ticket.

Skimming and analyzing through her profile, Bilal realized that she was really regarded with great favor and affection of the public. Don't they know what she does and how she really is in reality? They wouldn't bother spitting where she is had they known a thing about her. Bilal is sure of that.

She's not only a rainbow in pictures.

Yes, here they are... There are people that actually deeply despise her too, of course. The ones that commented surfeits pestiferous and heinous stuff made him ball his hands in fists. Wrath sprout out from every single pore of his body, his veins flaring with holocaust for arson.

How dare they insult her like that?

Bilal thought darkly, grinding his molars to let out some the vehemence bubbling within him. Moseying his tongue through his teeth, he copied the weird names of the people shading her pictures and added them to his notes. He is going to go through those accounts and make them eat their shit.

Then he frowned. Why the hell is he mad when he was the one that wondered why they adored her just seconds ago?

"Because only I have the right to be this spiteful when it comes to her. No one else!"

The possessive words fusillade in his cranium making his brain cells explode to debris. He clenched his phone and thought about deleting the names he's just copied but he couldn't bring himself to do that. They are going to regret it.

Continuing through her profile, her pictures were surprisingly fascinating and body covering than the way she usually dresses. Though everything there is kaleidoscopic and rainbow-ish, it still kind of made sense. No wonder she's got so many followers hanging.

Checking the followers, his jaw literally mopped the grasses in Jannah's backyard, beneath the carpet he was sitting on. How could one woman -one like Madina Sambo- have 800k plus followers. From where? How and why? When and what?

The last picture she posted was from few days ago in Singapore the day they left. She probably took that in the hotel before she checked out. She was wearing her uniform, the one that never seize to make Bilal's slacks very uncomfortable. She always looks quaint and anomalous in each.

From her pictures, no one would believe that she could do a bad thing in her life. Even though she snaps pictures with half her hair -no doubt, her wigs- open, she still manages to appear like an innocent angel with twee smile and Lucullan dressing pattern.

He tapped on one of her many highlights that is titled 'Maadii' and went through her many cute photos, mostly selfies. He even found himself smiling at some of the goofy faces she's made. He chided himself last minute.

This is sickly and unhealthy.

Right when he decided to leave her profile, a new picture was posted. He read the caption before the picture loads. Bilal is sure he's the first person to see that picture which is really not cool.

"Best weekend with my favorite people." The caption reads. Along with several hearts and harsh tags. Bilal waited patiently for her favorite people's pictures and it came just a second later.

The first picture was with another lady that looks eerily familiar with her white skin and baby hairs that is otherworldly. She's probably a half-cast. The next one was a small baby in Madina's arms gripping her multicolored necklace but her face wasn't showing and the last one with another woman that looks a little like her.

Her sister? Probably. They have the same eyes leaving only one difference, their weight. While Madina is younger and svelte, the other lady looks older and chubby. Madina's smile was wide in the picture, her eyes with a rare joy th-

"...right, Bilal?" He snapped away at the mention of his name and his eyes darted around for his sister, it was her voice.

He swallowed and tucked his phone back inside his pocket, something is not right with him. "I didn't catch the first words?"

Aisha narrowed her eyes suspiciously before she repeated her question. "You're soon going to go on your date with Benazir, right?"

Bilal blinked at her as though he doesn't still understand what she's talking about but gave her an answer nevertheless. "Yeah. Sure."

"I just finished telling them how amazing she is. A good addition to our little group." Aisha wormed up around her husband like a little cat.

Bilal wants something like that. He wants his woman to feel the need to be around him all the time. Someone he can trust, talk to, cuddle with like his sister is doing right now. Why is his most coveted wish not coming true? Is he destined for love at all?

"We could do with a new face." Nawal clapped her hands. She likes new people to terrorize with her noise since everyone around already knows everything about her.

Jannah chirped in while massaging her husband's thighs teasingly. "I'm seriously tired of seeing Bilal single and wheeling around. It's been yearssss."

*^*

Bilal shrugged on a swanky porpoise Brunello Cucinelli suit and pants, he opened the first two buttons of his shirt and combed his growing hair.

Taking the luggage he's already packed the night before, Bilal ordered Alexa -his smart home controller- the home to be vacuumed and locked while he was away. Plucking a Carrera sunglasses, he blocked his eyes away from the fiery sun.

Mounting his new 2022 Bentley Bentayga's plush interior overflowing with cachet. He roared the car to life and zoomed off to the airport beating his hand to some random song playing on the radio station. He is bizarrely looking forward to the day.

He reached the tarmac in no time but the person he's been expecting to see wasn't there. A frown settled heavily between his brows as he sauntered to the private jet where Mahfuz and Fox were standing.

"We are good to go, Sir." Mahfuz declared, shuffling from one leg to the other. He's always never been able to look at Bilal straight in the eyes.

"Good? With one pilot present?" Bilal raised a brow while asking what he's been meaning to since he arrived and exchanged pleasantries with them.

"Madina is inside already. She couldn't stay on her feet because she had a long day yesterday." Mahfuz explained, jerking his hand to the private jet door that is wide open.

Bilal didn't like the familiarity between them and the first name basis but he said nothing. It is actually not his business.

"Is it safe for her to fly if she cannot stand on her feet?" Though he was curious as to why the day before was long.

Not only the day before. He is impertinent on the whole thing she wanted to have fixed before their flight to Peru. He's always wondering how Madina could have something serious in her life when she hasn't been one with staidness right from her birth.

Walking to the jet, he gave the air hostesses his usual airy smile that made them giggle and then entered the plane with steady strides. Instead of making his way to the cabin, he followed left that will lead him to the flight deck where he is sure Madina is occupying at the moment.

When he opened the door, Madina didn't raise her head to check who it was probably thinking it was her crew. He watched her go through the buttons in front of her with expert lean fingers embellished with artificial black and white nails.

Knowing the said crew will be there anytime soon and find it weird that the boss is in the cockpit with the employee he never seemed to get along with, Bilal forced his lips to move with the first question that slipped from his mouth.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking the lights." Came her prompt answer as she continued what she was doing like he didn't interrupt her. Maybe she didn't know he was the one. She didn't recognize his voice.

A polite answer from Madina? That would mean the world is ending and Bilal is not ready to leave it yet without meeting the love of his life. His soulmate.

Madina rambled to herself. "Anti-collision light, check. Landing light, check. Runaway turnoff and taxi lights, check. Logo lights, check!"

"Why are you doing that?" He pressed, wanting her to turn or give him a sarcastic retort that will settle his rattling nerves.

"Because we are going to reach Peru around midnight, we need light." There was sarcasm, plethora of it but that was not the usual way she talks to him.

Bilal waited for a few more seconds, watching her while questioning himself. Why was he still standing there?

As though she could still feel his presence, she turned around. Bilal's breath caught in his throat at the sight. She looks absolutely stunning today even though there was no excess makeup or anything different about her. She's dressed like she usually does.

Is it the way the uniform snugged up her bosom? Did she tighten it?

He refuse to believe that he is feeling what he is feeling by himself. She's done something. She's altered something somewhere for him to react to her violently. Bilal blinked profusely making her frown deepen like she's trying her best not to talk to him in the way she's used to.

He saw the moment it broke, she couldn't handle her meekness.

"Why are you blinking like someone with anterior segment?" She raised a brow then crossed her arms beneath the bosom he is trying hard not to stare at.

Bilal stopped himself from smiling last minute. He's broken her own little act of mildness so he rolled his eyes and took a step back. "Just wanted to make sure if you can fly with us without crashing the plane. Heard you were dying."

That Cheshire psychotic smile graced her lips again. "Sorry to disappoint but I'm not going to die or leave you anytime soon. You can be rest assured."

"Rest assured? I'd like nothing more than for you to disappear from my life. Take your assurance with you."

"What are you doing here?" She asked instead of carrying on with the insults. Maybe she is not in the mood for that today.

"I told you." He stared at her like she's lost a few nuts when he should really go check his own.

That is the first thing he is going to do as soon as they land in Peru. He needs to see a neurosurgeon and maybe even a psychiatrist while he is at it.

"Well, as you can see, I can perfectly fly so shoo and take your horrid personality with you." She turned around and dismissed him like he was a grotesque smelly fly disturbing her.

He did as he was told though his ego just brushed the wrong tip and shattered.

Had to chip in Adnan and Jannah. But don't you think Bilal is just so cute? I'm trying something new here if you've noticed.

Have you read all my books? You'll know that the women usually fall in love fits but thissss? It is going to be
fireeeeee

I have two more chapters. Flood comments and I'll update😁 you know the deal