"Allah nuna mana ranan"

A chorus of ameen went around, the sound resonating in the medium sized living room. Genuine smiles adorn the faces of those truly happy about the reunion, and forced ones adorning that of those that would much rather swallow stone than to see it happen. But, it's not like they can do a thing about it other than say bad things behind the family's back.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Seated opposite the Khalid family are the groom's family whom had just brought over more bridal gifts. This is the third time they are coming to the house to bring over something for the wedding. The first time they came over, they brought the kayan nagana inaso. The second time, they brought the kayan lefe. And now, they brought the third and last thing before the wedding takes place in just two weeks-the kayan sakun lalle.

Unlike the Khalid family, they belong in the high class of the society with the former belonging to the middle class. Nonetheless, they respected each other well since they came asking for the girl's hand in marriage for their son. So far, everything has been going accordingly with both families happy regarding the union.

The bride's family had no problem right from the beginning; except for their occasional worry on whether or not the groom's family will look down on their daughter since they aren't as well off. However, the groom's family has proved to be nothing of such. If anything, they seem more down to earth and from the research conducted by the bride's family, they have turned out to be a pretty good family.

A good choice for their daughter to join, and they have no more qualms.

"Well, if it's not much to ask. Can we please see the bride?" Inquired one of the women from the groom's family; a warm smile adorning her features. From the introductions given earlier, she turned out to be the groom's step mother. "I know it's not part of the tradition, but she had come such a long just to see the bride. She won't be around for the wedding unfortunately" She added, gesturing to old woman seated beside her.

The woman grinned, her face wrinkling even more. Nodding slowly, she spoke. "I have an appointment that week you see. I just want to see my new granddaughter if you don't mind" Since she won't be around, she thought of coming over to see the girl and shower her blessings.

She can wait till after the wedding, but she just wants to see the girl before then-if the family don't have a problem with it that is. If they do, she won't push it and simply respect their decision.

The women from the Khalid family exchanged looks, and exchanged nods here and there; making up their mind.

One of the bride's aunts-the one that has been interacting the most offered the groom's family a grin. "Oh...of course you can. Let me just go and get her for you" With that said, she excused herself and got up in search for the bride.

The house, although with the wedding in two more weeks still had a few people already moving in. Others just come and go, offering help whenever needed and some, are simply there for gossip sakes.

To think someone in the Khalid family is about to get married a family in the high social class...oh they are bound to be there and gossip. What more, the girl that will get married. With how reserved she is and how she's always away from people, some doubt she will ever get married in her life.

But here she is, with one of the rich families in Kano coming to ask for her hand in marriage.

Maneuvering past the crowd, the woman made her way over to the bride's room, and knocked on the door. When she got no answer, she knocked on the door again, and once more. Tired of not getting a response, she simply pushed the door open and stepped into the bakhoor scented room with a salam. "Yasmeen" She called, walking further into the room.

Her brows drew in, lips instantly curling downwards into a deep frown when she spotted the outfit the girl had one earlier now on the bed. With the wedding approaching, the bride had been forced to wear laces after laces, so as to look representable because they never know when someone would come and want to see her.

But there is her outfit of the day, sprawled in the bed as if it was thrown hastily. And beside it laid the jewelry she had paired the outfit with earlier.

Swallowing thickly, her aunt clenched her fist by her side and all but stormed to the bathroom. There, she knocked on the door again, hoping with every last strength in her that the girl is in there and not what she expected.

She got no response then too, and when she pushed the door open, she wasn't surprised the girl was not in sight. She hissed under her breath, a hand resting on her hip as she hastily pulled her phone out and dialed the girl's number. But, it wasn't going through.

If anything, the phone has apparently been turned off.

"Kulu, lafiya?" Came a voice belonging to the bride's mother whom just walked into the room, only to see her younger sister fuming.

Kulu blew out a harsh breath, throwing her phone on the bed as she rested her gaze on her elder sister. "Anty, Yasmeen ce. Ta gudu" Technically, the girl didn't elope but she has no doubt the girl isn't in the house anymore.

As always, she must've found an escape route and made a beeline as soon as she got the chance.

Yasmeen's mother sighed deeply, shaking her head in the process. "What will I do with this girl?" She muttered, raising her hand to massage her temple. She knew trying to call the girl would be a waste of time. Because she has either turned it off or put it on flight mode.

Of all the days to exhibit her character, why today? Why now?!

"What should I do, Anty? The groom's grandmother wants to see her, and I told them I'll go and fetch her" Kulu complained, taking deep breaths to calm herself. She loves her niece, but the girl is a bundle of palava.

The bride's mother let out a breath, as her expression fell. She knows her daughter well, there's no telling where she currently is at the moment and there's no way she would be back knowing there are that much people in the house.

Typical Yasmeen. Always running away from any place that includes a crowd.

It'll be a miracle if she doesn't do that on her wedding too.

She simply shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Kulu. Just make up something" She waved her hand in the air, not willing to dwell on the matter that won't get her anywhere. "Kema kinsan Yasmeen, we can't get her to come back on time and I'm certain she isn't in this house"

Kulu simply sighed and nodded before she walked out, all the while muttering how she will have to tie the girl to the bed when the wedding day comes so she won't bail on them on an important day as such.

Now what will she tell the groom's family?

"Yasmeen you're so in trouble when you return" She murmured under her breath, as she made her way back to the living room-all the while thinking of an excuse.

~*~

Somewhere in a random restaurant in Kano, Yasmeen sat by the window with Collen Hoover's book, 'Reminders of Him' in her hand. Having finished the chapter she's reading, she flicks it over to the next page, not wanting to waste another second. Her wire frame glasses sat perched on her nose, and her lips drawn in and she hastily tapped her foot on the floor, wanting to get answers as soon as possible. It's not her fault the woman's books are that gripping.

She released a sigh, having gotten to a part that at least doesn't have her brain working more than usual, in an attempt to understand the plot twists. She could never understand how writers are able to sit and craft such stuff. How does their brains work?

Do they have an extra wicked brain or something?

Her eyes never left the book as she reached her hand out to pick up her Boba, and sip it. Her hand brushed her phone in the process, but she ignored it because it's the last thing on her mind. She had already turned on airplane mode, because she knows she will undoubtedly have hundreds of missed calls without it.

Only God knows what's going on in her house and how they've turned it upside down in an attempt to look for her.

In the back of her mind, she knows she will get an earful of scolding but it's nothing new. She's used to it at this point. And besides, there's only two weeks left before she will become someone else's worry.

Her mother hasn't said it, but she has no doubt the woman would shed happy tears the minute she leaves the house. She has given her enough headaches over the years that of course she will celebrate having her out of her hair.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Yasmeen focused on her book and her boba. In the background, soft murmurs filled the air. But, it wasn't loud enough to disturb her. That's one of the reasons she likes visiting the place-there aren't a lot of people that visit it which makes it the perfect place for her to read without having to worry about anyone disturbing her.

Besides, none of her family members know the place so she's safe from them randomly dropping by. Well, no one knows except-

The sound of the front door being banged open reached her ears, startling her and the others there. She paused reading the book, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her now racing heart. She hadn't looked up, though her mind is no longer on the book but in the back of her head, she has an inkling who the person is.

Besides, if she wasn't sure, then the sound of footsteps stomping over to her table and the chair opposite her being pulled back; leaving a scraping sound that irritated her ears was the last confirmation she needs.

"Yasmeen Khalid!"

Yasmeen sighed, dropping her book on the table as she rested her blank look on the woman seated opposite her. "Aminatu Shehu, lafiya?" She questioned her best friend, despite knowing what could be the reason behind her reaction.

Amina gave her a look that screams fury. Discarding her bag on the table, her eyes narrowed at Yasmeen. "Can you please explain to me why Mama called me fifty times asking me to bring you back home? Hmm?" She quirked a brow. Leave it to Amina to exaggerate things more than they actually are. "And what the hell are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to dance" She offered Amina a wide grin, one that is obviously fake. Rolling her eyes, she picked up her book again. "As for Mama, I'm certain she called you because she's misses me"

"This is not the time to be smart with me, young woman"

"Ah" Yasmeen's mouth hung open, as she rose her head up ad gave Amina the are-you-for-real-look. "See this girl, am I not older than you?"

"By one day" Amina deadpanned.

Yasmeen's lips stretched into a wide grin. "Still older" She said, earning a slight hiss from Amina. She doesn't take she does to heart and vice versa. Having grown up together as cousins, they know each other more than anyone else.

"Whatever" Amina mumbled, and went on to mutter incoherent stuff to herself.

Yasmeen, who is now unable to focus on her book placed a bookmark where she stopped and placed it aside, giving her cousin and best friend her full attention. Intertwining her fingers, she rested her chin on it. "What got up your derrière?" She could tell there's more to the story than Amina is letting out.

Amina blew out a harsh breath, her lips curled upwards into a snarl. "I can't believe this guy. How did I stay quiet ma, oho min!" She hissed again, crossing her legs as she leaned back.

Amused, Yasmeen's lips stretched into a small smile. "Who is it this time around?"

"My ex-boyfriend mana"

"Ex-boyfriend number what exactly?" Yasmeen arched a brow, "You have quite a lot" Contrary to her who has a nonexistent love life, Amina has quite a long list people she has dated and is dating.

Yes, she's that type of person.

Amina gave her a look that showed she isn't impressed by Yasmeen's humor. "That guy that cheated on me a few months ago"

Yasmeen's brows furrowed as she tried to put a face on the guy, but she can't remember. She remembers the guy that cheated on the girl though. How could she not? He's the first guy that has cheated on her-at least, the one she knows. "If I can remember clearly though, you were cheating on him too" Her head tilted to the side, as she gave Amina a look that dared her to claim otherwise.

"Yeah, but he didn't know so it doesn't count as cheating" Amina waved it off.

Folding her lips in, Yasmeen nodded. "Okay" She tried to hide the smile on her face, knowing Amina will defend herself to the very end so there's no point in pushing it further. "What about him though?"

"I just saw him outside" Amina gestured to the door with her hand. "And can you believe that guy dared to insult me because he saw me talking to someone"

Yasmeen's smile disappeared instantly, a scowl overtaking her features. "What? Why?"

"Rainin hankali mana!" Amina exclaimed, hissing yet again. Leaning back on her chair, her hand made gestures as she continued. "And the worst fact is, I was too stunned to do anything. Like, I just stood there like a statue as he insulted me and called me names. Wai I still follow boys around and that this is how I will spend the rest of my life. Can you imagine?"

"Jimin maganan banza" It was Yasmeen's turn to hiss. If there's one thing she hates, then it's men that disrespect women-especially if that person happens to be Amina. "Who does he think he is?"

"Ubana mana" Amina commented, lips set into a tight line. "Shine Shehu ma ai"

"And you just stood there" Yasmeen's lips hung open, disbelief masking her features.

"I told you I was too stunned to say anything. I didn't even wait for him to finish and instead stormed in here"

"Bafa yida kunya" Yasmeen stated, her anger flaring. "Is he still outside?"

"I don't know..." Amina turned around, looking over her shoulder to see if she can spot. "...yup, he is. Gashi can da kanshi kaman giginya"

Yasmeen followed her line of sight, and once she got the person she nodded and pushed herself off the chair. "I'm coming"

"Wait, Yasmeen...what are you going to do--" Before she could finish, the woman was already storming out.

"I'm going to give him a piece of my mind of course" Yasmeen muttered, as she pushed the door open and stepped out-her sole gaze on the man Amina was staring at. He was simply standing there, his head downcast as he stared at his phone.

She pushed herself further in his direction, and didn't stop till she was standing in front of him.

Noticing the presence of someone standing there, he tilted his head up to see the creature standing there like an angry bird. Lips set into a tight line, he gave her a blank look. "What are you doing?" He questioned, his voice low.

Yasmeen tilted her head to the side, as she crossed her arms and glared at him. "I'm here to sing of course" She offered him a fake, wide grin.

He didn't find her humor entertaining; she could tell from the glare he flashed her. "Leave my sight"

"Ah!" Her mouth hung open. If she had any doubt whether he's the one Amina is talking about, she's certain now. His whole vibe gave off that of jerks. 'It's always the good looking ones' She thought in her head, choosing to ignore his looks and simply focus on that attitude of his. "Who do you think you are?" She questioned, her chin raised.

She hated how she had to raise her head up to look at him. She's not that short, but she isn't the tallest person in the world either.

If possible, his eyes narrowed even more. Dropping his hands by his side, he spoke-his voice lower than earlier. "I'm asking you nicely to leave my sight"

"Or what?" She dared, taking a step closer to him. Internally, she's actually scared of picking up a fight with a guy that might beat her to pulp. But, the stubborn side of her made her stand her ground and refused to show that she's actually intimidated. "You know the problem with all you good looking guys is that you think the world revolves around you. Well, guess what? Newsflash, it doesn't!"

He didn't say a word, and even though his expression was blank, his eyes showed his anger. He was already upset as it is, and this seemingly crazy woman just had to show up out of nowhere, spewing gibberish.

"Ehen, you better zip your lips shut" She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Now you better listen to me well, because I won't repeat this again. Wallahi if you ever think of even crossing paths with Amina again, I will make sure you regret it. She had never told you about me, ko? Well, if she kept quiet and allowed you to speak to her anyhow, I won't."

The man didn't say a thing, and his expression didn't give much away except for the annoyance that was hard to miss in his eyes.

"--Which kind of nonsense is there that you would just spew nonsense to someone because of your wounded ego? An ego that's bigger than this gargantuan head of yours. Kai awajen kaman bokiti"

He arched a brow, lips set into a tight line. Did she just say that to him?

Clicking her tongue, she glared at him, mirroring his expression. "And you even had the audacity to tell me to leave your sight. Da gaske bafa kada kunya ko kadan" She hissed, genuinely annoyed. "If you know what's good for you, you will stay away from my sight and hers of course, because the next time I see you, I'll make sure you know what a woman's wrath is really like. Nonsense!" Throwing him one last nasty glare, she side stepped him and ostentatiously walked back into the restaurant.

Her eyes instantly met Amina's, and she offered her a smirk as she reached the table. Pulling her chair back, she settled on it; crossing her legs.

Amina, who now had a wide smile masking her features asked. "So, did you insult him?"

"His entire generation ma" Yasmeen commented.

Amina nodded slowly, her smile falling. "Yasmeen" She called out, looking like someone who's constipated.

"Hmm?"

"That's the wrong guy"

The color drained from Yasmeen's face. "You say what?"

~*~

I'M BACK!

Urgh, I miss this space so muchh!

Anyways, anyways, I know no one expected another book this soon, right? I know you didn't. Not to mention, you miss me too. I mean, how can you not? I have to be one of your favorites here.

This book has been on my mind since I was halfway through Once Upon A Sultan, but I needed to finish that one first before starting this one. And yes, THIS ONE IS FOR WATTPAD. I'll write it here first, so, no worries.

While Okadabooks are fixing their webiste, OUAS is completely available on Selar. Link is in my bio.

Hope you came prepared for Asad and Yasmeen's story, because these two are gingering me like this.. You brought your Pepsi or Coke, right? Yes, coke is now acceptable here...don't tell Pepsi. But seriously, prepare to laugh, or cry? I'm not sure but we'll see.

Vote. Comment. Share.

Let the new journey beginnn!!!

*Realizes what I just said isn't cool*

*Clears throat awkwardly*

*Carries my slippers and walk out quietly*

Byeeee.

Love, Jannah.