"How long has that man been your boss?" Suhad asked once he revved the car to life and drove out of ANNA'S parking lot. He turned his head for a brief second to look at his sister whom is typing Allah knows what on her phone.

"One week"

"Is he the man you told me about?"

She nodded; "Yup" she said dragging the 'p'. "He is a good boss honestly keep aside his arrogance and whatnot but it doesn't take a blind man to see that he has a thing for Jannah. I mean I noticed it"

Suhad used his left hand to drive while he brought the right one under his chin as he think about her words, "What makes you say that?"

Fatimah sighed keeping her phone on her thigh, "Well...He's always helping her with her designs and is constantly looking for ways to talk to her and all"

"He likes her" Suhad stated. He noticed at already with the way the man is all talky and touchy with her but Fatimah's words only proved it to be right.

"Just like you do"

This made him look at her with his eyes slightly narrowed.

She rolled her eyes, "C'mon Bhai. You know you can't hide anything from me. I saw the way you looked at her"

"How I look at her? I look at her just like any other person"

"No you don't" she shook her head.

"Ok then how do I look at her?"

"Like she's all you ever want to see. Like you'll do anything to get her", she said making him sigh knowing she's right. They never hide anything from each other and so were really close, "Is she the one?"

"The one?"

"The girl you actually loved. The one that left you five years ago? And then officially dumped you two years ago?" she asked making him glare at her when she mentioned him being 'dumped'.

He moved his gaze back on the road, "I thought you would've figured out already seeing how close you two are"

"First of all..." she raised her index finger to justify her next words, "You never told me the girl's name" she stated "And second of all, I've only met Jannah for a week and she is nothing like the girl you told me about"

"That's because she is not"

"Huh? But you just said she is the one" She tried to raise a brow but failed miserably since she can't.

"She changed"

She looked at him as if he's an alien, "So, people change. And if it so happens that that person is the one we love then we need to trying to make things work out like that. You can't expect a person to be the same forever. You should've sat with her and talked things out, settle on something you both agree with"

"Ok I'll not be getting dating advices from my younger sister" he shook his head waving her off, "And especially not a sister that has never been in a relationship before"

She leaned back on her seat, "And that is why I'm still enjoying my life. No dating; no tension"

"Yeah well same applies to me"

She huffed, "Oh please, you will not date? Kasan anayiwa maza auren dole ko? (You know some men are actually forced into marriage right?) And if you know what's good for you you'll get married before Mamita force you. And you know she would" She laughed at the end at the thought of her Bhai being forced into marriage. That will be so hilarious, she thought.

"You better shut up before I marry you off" he threatened though they both know it's an empty threat. He isn't one of those overly protective brothers that don't want their sisters to get married. If anything, he does want them to settle too and be happy.

"You can't. You love me too much" she said with a wide grin on her face.

He laughed, "That I do"

"But you need to work things out with her before someone gets her" she said seriously making him shrug.

"I'm okay with that"

"No you're not" she shook her head knowing he's just in denial, "Have you seen the look on your face when Mr. S is talking to her? I'm telling you this Bhai you better go get your girl as soon as possible"

He sighed drumming the steering wheel with his fingers, "Like you said, five years. I'm tired of waiting for someone who clearly doesn't love me. I'm just wasting my time here so what's the point. And so for your information, I'm done with her. So please do me a favor and stop talking about her"

Fatimah nodded understanding that he doesn't want to talk about the topic anymore. The two changed the topic and talked about something else for the rest of the drive.

Once they reached their home they both head in together laughing at something Suhad said. They met Deen in the living room sprawled on the couch watching a movie with a popcorn bowl in his hand.

"Hello popcorn" Fatimah said scooping a handful of it before Deen could protest.

Deen glared at her moving the bowl away from her, "Go get yours" he said keeping it away from her reach.

"I win" she replied walking away from her two brothers and headed upstairs leaving the two alone. Deen's gaze net that of Suhad making him sigh and look away knowing that his elder brother is going to give him one of his famous long lectures that he had been avoiding since he came to Abuja.

"You do know we have to talk right?" Suhad said sitting beside his brother.

"Talk about what? I don't think there's anything to talk about" Deen said not taking his eyes off the TV.

"How long have you been here?"

"A few days"

"And why am I just seeing you now?"

Deen sighed closing his eyes before he turned to look at Suhad and then opened them, "Because I know you will force me into this talk"

"That's because we need to have the talk. What have you been doing in Bauchi for this long? Don't you know Mamita is worried about you?"

Deen scoffed looking away from his brother and back to his movie, "You don't need to make up excuses for her"

"I'm not. She really is worried"

"Ever since when did she start worrying about us?" Deen raised a brow trying to make his voice not so hostile but it's no use.

Suhad sighed massaging his temple, "Haneef she's our mother"

"And I love her" Deen said looking at Suhad, "But that doesn't mean I'll let her predict my life from the beginning to the end. And to answer your unspoken question, no I'm not coming back home. You can tell her I'm fine and healthy, I'll call her myself if I have to but I'm not going back home"

"Exactly!" Suhad raised his voice slightly out f frustration, "Home. That is our home Haneef"

"I never said it was"

"You can't—"

"Look Yaya just drop this please. I only came here because I miss you and Fatimah. Don't make this hard for me else I'll just go back there where my wife is because she is my home now. You can sit and let Mamita keep predicting your life but I'm done" he maintained eye contact with Suhad for a few minutes before he stood up placing the popcorn on the center table before walking away to his room.

Suhad sighed placing his face between his palms when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. Raising his head up he saw Malika whom offered him a small smile of assurance, "Don't worry he'll come around" she said amking him take her hands in his.

"I hope so Didi"

~*~

"KAMAL ABDULLAH WAFIQ!!"

Kamal flinched at how loud she called him. He laughed and lean back on the couch waiting to see his beloved cousin after receiving his gift to her; you know because he loves her so much and so he returned the favor.

Jannah walked down out of the kitchen with her eyes narrowed at him slightly heaving, "Did you drink all my FREAKING PEPSI?!!" She yelled making him grin cheekily.

He shook head, "It's good to share" he said only to anger her more. Though this wasn't what he wanted her to find out first. T's just his first gift to her. The first one made him want to laugh at just the thought.

One of her eyes kept twitching making her look like a cartoon character. If this was a cartoon she'll have smoke coming out of her ears. "You drank my Pepsi" she kept mumbling to herself while Kamal just laughed. One thing about Jannah is that the girl is obsessed with Pepsi and can lose her calm when ANYONE touches her priceless jewel; according to her that is.

"Come on. You know sharing is caring right? And I'm sure you care about me" he grinned winking at her when she raised her clenched fists at him.

She looked around the room looking for something to kill him with while he just laughed at her as if she's crazy. Her gaze fell on a bat by the window making her smirk. She walked towards it with Kamal's eyes following her move.

"Wait what are you doing?" he asked when he saw her pick up the bat.

She smiled sweetly, "With this?" she asked raising the bat slightly, "What else?" her smile fell slowly and her eyes narrowed again, "I'm going to kill you" she yelled walking to where he is making him jump off couch falling from the unexpected move.

Normally, Jannah will laugh her ass of but she still has to kill him for touching her Pepsi. So she stalked towards him slowly making him back away from her.

"Now come on Jannah. You don't want to hurt me. Remember how much you love me" he said trying to calm the raging girl.

She stopped stalking towards him and pretended to think, "I'm pretty sure Aunt will forgive me for killing her only child" she said pretending to be talking to herself.

"You're crazy woman!" He exclaimed after hearing her voice out her thought.

"Am I?" She smiled raising the bat again, "I'm giving you five second head start. Five...four..." he didn't waste a second before running away from the girl that wants to kill him.

After several minutes of playing the role of mine subway surfers, or more like in this case house surfers like the little kids they are with Kamal screaming like a lady, Jannah's words; they finally stopped when Jannah's aunt came and separated them. Jannah left him after her aunt promised to buy her more Pepsi. After hearing that, she left with a genuine happy smile on her face.

However her happiness was short lived when she took off her cap wanting to take a shower. Her eyes widened at the sight of her once beautiful black hair now dyed bright red. "KAMALLLLLLLL!!!!"

Kamal whom was leaning on her room door waiting for her reaction took off and left the house knowing this time no one will save him from her wrath.

.
~*~

Jannah walked into the living room of her parents' house. After what happened yesterday, thank Allah the dye is one of those cheap ones that washed away after washing her hair for the third time. All the anger she felt disappeared when her aunt showed up in her room and informed her that her parents are in town and they want to see her the next day.

And now here she it.

Though she has to meet both Suhad and Mr. S, she decided to ditch them both because family always comes first. She'll deal with the consequence later because now she has things that need her attention most.

The house is quiet meaning that everyone must be upstairs. She walked up and went towards her father's study knowing that he'll be there but stopped after she opened the door slightly and heard his, her mother's and her grandmother's voice. They being all in the same room meant this is not good news. Now she knows eavesdropping isn't good but let's not pretend a person doesn't have curiosities.

"She's just eighteen Iyah. The girl isn't even done with her university yet" Baba, Jannah's father said to his mother whom scoffed.

"And so? When I got married to your father I was fifteen" She said crossing her legs as she stared at her son daring him to go against her.

"But Iyah time has changed. Nowadays that's too early for a person to get married" Mama, Jannah's mom said trying it get her mother in law to change her mind but Iyah was having none of it.

She raised her hand up and stopped her, "When you married my son how old were you? You were sixteen! And now you're telling me nonsense because I asked you to marry your youngest daughter at eighteen"

Baba sighed, "Iyah had it been it is Firdausi you're talking about I would've understood but Nuwaiyara is just a young girl"

Iyah mouth hung open as she stared at her son. She then moved her gaze to her daughter in law, "Kika ce min no one will marry the girl? (You told ne no one will marry the girl) And so miye ne aciki saboda nace I want to see her younger sister married tunda ita no one will marry her (And so what is there because I said I want to see her younger sister get married since no one will marry her)"

Baba looked at his wife with a disapproving look on his face, "Why would you say that about our daughter? What has gotten into you?" he asked as if he couldn't believe his wife actually did that.

Mama hissed slightly fixing her big Kashka veil, "Was I lying? I only told Iyah the truth. Or will you tell me that you had a man come to ask for her hand? The girl will remain a spinster by the looks of it" she said with no remorse in her tone whatsoever.

Jannah huffed slightly as her eyes sting with tears. She should be used to how her Mama is or rather how she had become now. The words shouldn't hurt as much since she's now used to it but the pain will still be there hearing her mother utter those words about her.

"Be careful with how you talk about our daughter" Baba warned, his eyes narrowed at his wife whom hissed looking away from him.

"Duk kumin shiru(Both of you keep quiet). All I want is a wedding, I don't care which daughter it is. Make you get one of them married. Ban isa acigaba da gulma na a gari ba saboda wai jikannu na sunbi duniya (I cannot live my life with people gossiping about me that my granddaughters have become whores)" Iyah said standing up and fixing her wrapper as she does that. "Unless you want me to be the talk of town I suggest you do as I said ko wallahi zakuga bacin raina (Or you will see my anger)"

Once Jannah see that Iyah will leave the room she quickly hid behind the book shelf in the corridor. She watched at Iyah walked out and head to her room.

Jannah went back to th place where she stood just in time to hear her Mama's response.

"Kaga abunda wannan yar tamun tajawo min ko (You've seen what that daughter of ours has caused me right?) Now because of her not being able to be decent—"

"Shut up" Baba cut her off but she wasn't done, not yet.

"—Compos mentis, and amiable, her younger sister's life is going to be ruined. I've told you times without number you're spoiling that girl but you never listen did you?"

"Don't blame anyone for this. It's no one's fault"

"Keep telling yourself that until you believe it. This isn't the first tribulation that girl has brought into this family and I'm sure it won't be the last. You know what, I wish she never came to the world then none of these would've happened!"

That was all Jannah needed to hear before she ran from the place to her room locking the door shut behind her. She couldn't believe her mother said that. How is she responsible for something she has no control over?

She leaned on the door and let the tears fall knowing she needs to cry it out alone, just like any other time. She will deal with the pain alone. She will go through this alone just like always.

Because that's how she has always been. Alone.

~*~

So...those saying they knew what's going to happen in this chapter you've now realized how wrong you are right.

So...family drama coming in.

And Jannah ditched both men. I can't wait to see how that'll turn out.

So how are you guys? I feel like boredom's going to kill me oo. Anyways I'm thinking of starting a Youtube channel seff since I have nothing better to do. I have zero experience when it comes to vlogging but hey! There's a first time for everything right?

Goodnight.

Love, Jannah.