BORNO EMIRATE COUNCIL.

Hajiya Fareeda let her eyes stay fixated on the door while she awaits her grandson to grace her with his presence. Today is the dibdu and she's already sent the girls away to have the ceremony performed. She wanted to add with the older women but she don't want to, she knew it was only going to cause drama so she let the youngsters handle it for her for the time being. She will introduce Suhayr to the whole family when the time comes, now, they will start with baby steps.

She's noticed that Suhayr is not the one to be handled hot headedly as she herself is the definition of fire. Trouble is going to take place that very day and she knows it, she just don't have it in her to stop the ones that need to be thought lesson. She's already counted four of them that will pack their shits in their hands, she really would love the sight of it. But she will settle on hearing it only, she has already done that by the ears of the Castle.

One reasons why she supported this marriage is because she's always hated his first wife, not really hate but she never liked her even for a second. The girl is always arrogant about her father's wealth and all that stuff which only further infuriates the Queen. She is royalty, no matter how rich the girl is or will be, she has no right to talk to her like that. She gives no one respect in the Castle except the Shehu who once almost threw her into the dungeons for talking to his wife rudely, she stopped from then. But that didn't make her have any spot for her in her life, is more than glad she is divorced.

"Good afternoon, grand mama." Sa'eed greeted as soon as he walked into her tea room, his face grim and angry red hues blinding away the ivory fair skin across his nose and neck.

"Now what happened? Is it Sumara again?" She rose a mocking brow with a sinister smile saying she enjoys whatever it is that is keeping him on his toes, she enjoy that, really.

"No one but her! That woman eats like a pig and when I reprimanded her, she had the audacity to threaten me with not signing the papers." He bellowed, fury lacing each word he let out, the maids could only cower away and let their eyes stray on the floor.

"I knew you did more than reprimanding her to get her to threaten you, Sa'd. Tell me, you threatened her first, didn't you?" Her brows raise knowingly when he stared bashfully at her.

"I only did that to get her to the etiquette school, I should have known." He frowned, the woman is going to be the cause of his destruction and that too soon. He is already facing hardships, all because of her!

"You don't threaten women or teach them what to do like that. And not to forget, Sumara is no ordinary girl since she manage to blackmail you into marrying her." Her smile yawed to that of excitement like a little kid's when staring at Santa holding his gift.

She loves when her grandson gets placed where he should be while his ego kept crushing on the ground like pile of mud. Whenever he gets tensed and mad these days, it is always because of Suhayr who had the nerve to hit him all cause he slept on the wrong side of the bed. He did what he did on their first night for revenge but later on he thought that it was really childish on his note. How could he stoop to her lowlife level like that? But the deed is done and he was happy seeing her all furious and wrathful. He got to piss her off, his aim!

The woman deserves every trouble that comes her way, it is a wonder that she didn't land in hell fire while still on earth. The way she carries herself with that air of power and fire, you'd think she is above royalty only that she doesn't act like a royal. Her ethereal aura, the fiery, inflammable, tempestuous woman is the definition of trouble and the type of women he never would want in his life but look at him blackmailed into marrying one like some fucking pussy.

Who would agree he got blackmailed by that wee woman? He is a man of few words and like keeping his cool whenever or wherever he is but with her, he don't know what the definition of cool is anymore. He is Sa'eed El-Kanemi, the phlegmatic cold blooded male that bends all the useless rules and makes sure everyone follows his own principles. Now he has a wife back at home who would do anything in her power to make him beg on his knees to survive.

He is no normal man though, she will get to know that soon.

"Hmm, she is a toerag! I really feel like killing her all the damn time and now normal one. It should be slow like I should choke her, no, strangle her or just suffocate her to death." The passion in his voice is enough to have the maids whimpering. He sounds like he really wants to do that to his wife then who are they to stand a chance when doing something wrong?

"Really? You want to kill your wife slowly? A painful death you say?" Her Majesty laughed out so loud making Sa'eed's face shrink into that of perplexity.

He is not cracking a joke here when he doesn't even know how to crack one, he is dead serious if she could see his eyes and read his face. His clenched fists on his thigh yawing white is a dead giveaway that if Suhayr was beside he, she would've been begging for her life while choking on her last breath. The thought alone brought this satisfying smirk upon his lips, it is filled with pure evilness which he can't help feeling.

But will she even cower? The woman has no soft spot terror.

Oh, you arrogant Suhayr Imraan Khalid, run for your life before I get to you. His inner beast roared like the powerful alpha king he is, she should really do that though. He has another plan sorted in his head to get back to her, he will go through with it too! He don't care about stooping to her level anymore, this is the only way to get her to her senses.

"Yes, I want to do all that." He rolled his eyes when his grandmother finished laughing her ass off.

"Sa'd, your wife is the bone of your bone, don't break her. She is your best friend, be friendly with her. Your wife is a female gender, honour her like we should be honoured. Your wife is also your wife, don't compare her to anyone. You will account to Allah S.W.T about your wife, handle her with care. Your wife needs your honour, never disrespect her in public or anywhere. Beware, Allah has created you and in pairs.

"Even if she blackmailed you, it has already been fated that you will marry her so try to make this work. Divorce should not even be in your budget, Sa'd. If you dare divorce Sumara, your grandfather will never forgive you, neither would I and you know that. The first one was unknown to us but it is enough to teach you the lessons we didn't." She warned, her words sharp trickling his chest at the thought.

She didn't sound like the woman laughing just few seconds ago.

That was the sad truth he never wanted to face after getting married to Suhayr. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that there won't be divorce between them, not after the stunt he has pulled a month ago with his first wife. His grandfather didn't talk to him for that month straight till after this wedding took place so in a way, Suhayr was the one who brought back his fine relationship with his grandfather. The reason behind the divorce is not relevant at all which is why he don't even have it in him to say it. Everyone will give him fault, he will readily accept that.

She also won't be able to leave the marriage, maybe she didn't know that but he does after he made the mistake of marrying her in that mosque. Divorcing two women? His grandfather will definitely disown him and he can't have that. He is the closest father figure he had when his father left the country to get more 'wealth' just imagine. He doesn't blame his father though, the man loves him and his siblings unlike his mother so there is difference. He just wanted to prove himself as the best candidate for the crown like any other crowned prince.

"I understand." He nodded his head, all the hotheadedness terminating into the thin air.

"Good. Now stand up and go check out what we gave you as gift." She played around with her head like a kid again.

He don't understand why she is so excited because of what she gifted him. The last wedding, she gave him a rug so he could place in the middle of his home office so now he don't know what to expect. Maybe a new mug for his night coffee? Or a magic charcoal to light up incense every night? Yes, his grandmother can be that weird, not with this smile on her face saying she has something colossal planned though.

He can't wait to find out too, or not!

~

"So, what is your story and this Ju woman?" Suhayr asked Sulaiman who stopped the Pringles from hitting his mouth at the last minute his emotions changing real quick.

They have been talking the whole day and she is not tired of finding out more about him and his work. He seems like a nice guy and she definitely wouldn't have thought a guy like him could be straight out from the same root as her tartar husband. The way he talks screams respect for women, his charisma is enough to lure everyone in without noticing, the air of gentleness and politeness that surround him is hard to ignore so how is she supposed to even think about her husband in this man? They are no match and not to forget, he is dark skinned!

Totally the type of men she would go for!

He's been feeding her in on the family matters and also told her how close he is with Sa'eed which she downright denied. Sa'eed can't be close to anyone but the trashcan where he really belongs since generations. Whenever he would say something funny he did with Sa'eed years ago, she will just give him the 'don't trash with my intelligence' then move on. She can't imagine Sa'eed being one of those people that play soccer with beggars outside the Royal gates, nope, she refuse to take that shit.

He also told her he has only one sibling and that is Bisma, all the rest are his cousins and having grown up together, they are all close. Bisma was really animative and join in the conversation with her brother unlike before when she didn't even want to stare at them. It looks like she share some kind of bond with her brother and only get comfortable when he does. Now they talk like best friends though Bisma is five good years older than her, most her friends are.

She wanted to ask if she was married or not but glued her mouth shut. At twenty four, she might be married or divorced or widowed and Suhayr don't want to touch sour subjects on their first meeting hence she didn't bring it up. Not that she won't someday because she definitely would, she is top curious to let it slip. She likes the idea of knowing everything and everyone like the back of her hands so this is her next mission.

The girls all left after some hours though, all claiming to have something to do but will come back sometime soon. Not all of them chirp into the conversation though, some of them look to be really intimidated by her while the others will keep staring every now and then. She don't mind as long as no one says trash to her face, her bitchy side is always ready to pounce on the next prey. She won't care if they are her husband's relatives too or even if they are royalties.

"Humm, Juwairiyah is a long story from the past." He tried changing the topic, shoving the Pringles straight into his mouth and gulped some yoghurt Tasneem saved.

"We have all day." It was Tasneem who answered, her elbows propped on her knees while the fists she's made with her hands sat underneath her chin.

She looks totally focused on his words.

"Well, I think she has crushed on me some years ago but I didn't know about it even though we were very close..." He got cut off by Suhayr who just had to comment.

"That cliché act that the protagonist always get too ignorant to notice huh?" It earned her a playful glare from Sulaiman and deadpan look from Tasneem who was mad at the interruption.

She loves stories like that!

"Whatever. So it all came crashing down when I get myself a girlfriend who happens to be her friend, Fiddah. She was so jealous that she had to use connections to break us apart and the path she choose wasn't exactly something I am proud of. She tricked Fiddah into kissing a guy and took the picture then send it to me. I wasn't ready to break up with Fiddah even after that knowing she has always been shy and all, ya know? I mean, I know she will never do that and shit.

"But Juwairiyah kept insisting that she doesn't deserve me then one day, she burst out angrily to my chamber. She told me she made Fiddah do all that so I broke up with Fiddah and never talked to Juwairiyah again. It shattered her, I know but I can't deal with so much drama when I'm in the middle of an internship. And here we are now, always tensed when in the same room." He shrugged, licking off the yoghurt from his upper lips with his bubblegum pink tongue.

"Woah, you really know how to cut it all off. Why did you break up with Fiddah though?" Tasneem inclined her head to the side, totally into the drama she would want to watch all over.

"We don't have any special connection, we just wanted to date and keep each other company." He shrugged his broad shoulders again.

"Where is Fiddah and why are you not talking to Juwairiyah? Maybe she won't be so bitter if she has you in her life." Suhayr asked thoughtfully while wringing and combing through what he said.

"Fiddah is married now to one of my friends and I don't want to ever be connected with her in anyway. Juwairiyah has always been a bitter child right from the beginning, nothing I do can help her. Though grand mama said I am the only one that puts her in her place." He explained, closing the lid of the Pringles container.

"There must be a reason for everyone's bitterness." Suhayr narrowed her eyes when he rolled his eyes at her. She sounds like a journalist not just a high school graduate.

"Their mother wasn't exactly the best mother out there, so I think that is the root of all their problems." He didn't want to go further, Suhayr get that loud and clear.

"That is why that cousin of yours feels like the world is beneath him. Fucking tartar!" She glared at the white center table in front of them wishing it was her groom there staring at her.

"C'mon, he is not as bad as you portray him out to be. He can be a sweetheart but not to someone who blackmailed and threaten him." He smiled innocently when the harsh glare is brought back to his figure.

"Don't go around defending him. He wasn't exactly nice the day I first met him too. He called me a fucking gold digger right the first hours we've met! What does that enunciate?" Her perfectly arched brow rise up a notch in mock questioning.

"Well, you also called him so many names in your mother tongue so I can't judge here. And don't forget, I'm a neurosurgeon and not a lawyer." He gave her his best child-like smile that has her heart palpitating, he is really gorgeous.

'That is not why your heart is literally having salsa dance. It is because he is polite and charming, your husband is way more handsome.' Her inner bitch mocked adding a fake gagging sound at the end which Suhayr appreciated, he shouldn't have been handsome.

"You are not but you are already judging me." She crossed her hand over her chest in a bratty way, extremely glad she is still wearing the lapaya or her mounds would've popped.

"I am not." He argued immediately, not skipping a beat.

"You are."

"Not!"

"Are!"

Then a loud bang of a door hitting the wall and almost bringing it to it's knees resonated throughout the entire house rendering them motionless and puzzled. Who would hit the door like this with so much force?

....

Juma'at Karim✨!