Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Hayfah felt a slight tap on her shoulder, she squinted her eyes and her gaze fell on Adyan's smiling face. He was clad in a navy blue gezna, staring at her with eyes emoting sheer adulation. She stretched her body and sat on the bed, wondering how she ended up sleeping and him that was supposed to be sleeping cladded handsomely.

"When did you woke up? And how did I slept off?" She asked, as she placed her legs on the cemented floor-taking off her hijab.

"An hour ago. And you slept off while staring and brain capturing. Get up and get ready, we're heading back to Abuja today." He said and began hooking his cufflinks.

Hayfah walked towards him and put her hands on his, they stared at eachother before she smiled at him. "It's now my job. Let me help." And he silently took off his hand and she hooked the cufflinks before she pecked his palms.

"Good morning, Adyan. You looked like a real Ango-not a sentimental Mummy's boy!" She let out a laugh when he tried catching her, running to the other end of the room.

"You'll pay for that later. Now, go and take your bathe. There is hot water in the bathroom and everything. I want them to enter and see an Abuja bride, instead of a Fulani bride," his cold voice that was laced with jest seeped through her eardrums that she had to close her eyelids for a while. The voice itself graced her whole body, making her slightly shuddered.

"Okay, runaway CEO. Don't let me come back and meet you here. You should go somewhere before I'm fully dressed." She warned and took out her toiletries before she walked out of the room in a rush, seeing that he was a second away from replying her back. She hoped he heard her warning.

Hayfah walked out of the bathroom with her hijab on her drenched body. She looked around and still couldn't get a glimpse of him. She heaved a sigh before she entered the room and placed her fulani clothes on the bed and was pulling off her hijab when she heard his soft intentional cough.

"Innalillahi! Adyan what are you doing here for godsake?!" She clamoured and fixed back her hijab, looking at him with fiesty eyes-but somehow, today, he found those fiesty eyes alluring, and he felt himself not getting intimidated by them.

"Instead of you to speak softly and say; Adyan you're still there? Hayfah I'm your husband!" He chuckled at how terrified she seemed, walking towards her.

"Get out, I'm warning you. Or do you want me to scream at the pitch of my lungs, so our neighbours would come and beat the hell out of you before realizing it was you? Don't underestimate me, Adyan!" She sounded determined, eventhough her voice was breaking and her heart was pounding with each step he takes towards her-she was gulping down her fear but it kept racing up.

Their faces were now inch close, his nose grazing hers-she closed her eyes but was still shivering and what she heard next was his soft chuckle as he placed clothes on the bed behind her. She looked at him with puzzled and relieved eyes before he spoke.

"Have we seen who's the sentimental Mummy's person among us? Get ready my fulani bride. And I'm giving you 30mins! At exact 30mins I will come back, so don't take long." He pinched her nose and flashed her a smile that made her swooned and she almost drooled before she heard the door being closed.

"Arrgh! I hate you, Adyan. Don't even try acting all normal with me!" She yelled and heard his laughter from the door. She groaned, annoyed at herself before she started applying lotion on her body.

She was clad beautifully into a maroon lace with touches of ash. She looked sensationally beautiful, with her long fulani hair that was dangling on her shoulders-struggling so hard to get it in place. She heard a knock on the door, this was the third time, and she isn't going to talk until he talk first.

"I'm tired of standing like a soldier here, Hayfah. I'm going to come in in the next 10 seconds!" She heard him yelled from the door. She smiled, that's what he deserved.

"Aren't you my knight in shining armour? Then you have to stand a little longer, I'm not ready yet." She yelled back in a sarcastic tone and kept fiddling with her hair, but it proved stubborn. She haven't combed it since Abba died, and she called for a war when she washed it today, eventhough it halfy dried itself-she couldn't control it now. Her hands were getting soar.

She has her back facing the door, the strands were so stubborn to be held at once. When she brought the left side together, she'll get the right fistful loosed. She groaned and almost let out her tears when she felt his hands on hers, he slightly shrugged off her hands and railed his hand through the strands of the hair that didn't get loosed.

"Help me tie it into this ribbon please, I've been trying but couldn't," she begged in a soft and tired voice before she thrusted the large ribbon towards him.

"You didn't told me your hair is this long. It's long, shiny and black, Hayfah. It's beautiful, I love it." He has her turned around, she was now facing him, but his eyes were glued on her hair that was now dangling on her shoulders-he has his fist full of her hair.

"C'mon, Adyan. Pack it up into this ribbon, they'll start trooping in now, I'm all yours remember? You can stare at it all you want. Oya!" She turned back so he could pack it up before Adyan guided her to the bed, he brought the plastic chair that was the only chair in the room before he sat on the bed and she sat on the chair.

"Let me have your hair oil, and comb also. I always do this to Sorella, so don't subject." She didn't argued, rather; she went to her bag and brought out the oil and comb before she handed them to him and sat back.

There was an eerily silence as he oiled her hair and combed it-making it look too shiny and beautiful for his eyes. She has her eyes closed, relishing the feeling of his palms massaging, and oiling her scalf. The last time she had a hair treatment was before their graduation from ABU-when Fareeha washed and oiled her hair.

"Adyan?" She called out, no matter how she was enjoying the silent, for they have their hearts emoting out their feelings and emotions through their unspoken words-but she has some questions she would like him to answer.

"Yes, My fulani bride!" He smiled warmly, eventhough she couldn't see his face. But he was just soo happy not to smile. Even the texture of her was heart softening. Everything in her is different.

"Can I ask you some things? I'm just so eager and curious." He wasn't surprised, because she talks morethan he could ever imagine her talking. His smile grew wider and he nodded his head.

"Yes, sure. I'll answer them all, unless there has to be someone's secret in them." He finished his sentence and laughed softly-combing down the hair.

"No please, I've told you everything yesterday-and there wasn't something like someone's secret. Please, Adyan," she whined, pouting her lips-he knew she pouted her lips_so he stopped what he was doing and turned her back, and she was now facing him.

"Stop looking at me, I need you to answer my questions-there's nothing like someone's secret." She eyed him and looked away, the look was so intense on her body.

"Pout again." That's all what he said, staring deeply at her pursed lips.

"What? I wasn't pouting before." She protested and tried turning back when he turned her again.

"Pout again, Hayfah. Or no questions."

"Adyan, please! How can I pout as if I'm a little girl?" And she pouted without even knowing she did.

"And you just did it, Boddo." He leaned forward and pecked her lips before turning a stiffened Hayfah so he could continue oiling her hair. He took her unaware.

"You can ask your questions then." He spoke with a smile playing on his lips.

"This isn't fair. I'll take my revenge soon. I won't let this slide you know?"

"You're eating up your time, and I won't answer any question when the time is over."

"No! Don't please. Here it is, how did all this happen? I mean, you marrying me after what Amna sent to you. You coming to this village, this house, all the unusual things dai!" She jabbered in one breath, rubbing her hands in anxiety.

"Don't interrupt. Just listen." And she nodded before he started. "The day you texted me and left for Zaria was one of the worst days of my life, and I've been trying your number so I could come to Zaria myself but couldn't reach you. And Mum said she couldn't let me come to Zaria without knowing your place.

I couldn't sleep that night, because I had a bitter feeling that something terrible happened to you, that you were in so much pain. I cried and prayed all night for whatever it is that's paining you should vanish. The next day, I got a text from you-and it shattered my heart completely that I got admitted. Well, I didn't know you weren't the one.

Mom cried all day in the hospital, because I couldn't even move a finger. Her and Dad did all they can to know what happened to me but couldn't. I woke up later at night and told her the text I recieved from you while crying profusely. I couldn't believe I lost you after hearing the pains you've went through in your life-eventhough I knew you were still in it, because you didn't love Malik.

She asked to see the text, and I showed her the phone in my phone. That day I knew having Sorella in my life was the blessing I'd live till my last breathe being grateful of. She looked at me with teary eyes and said. 'I don't believe it was Hayfah that sent this text, she has a soft and golden heart. She couldn't just break this news to you like she haven't just broke your heart, Adyan. Let's go to Zaria and look for her. We have to confirm first.' And I got my energy back from her words, I looked at the text again and knew it's either you told somebody to breakdown the message to me or you didn't even know about it.

We told Dad everything about you, from the day we met, the dreams-everything, Hayfah. And he hugged me so tight I thought he was crying, telling me we were together in my love war. Dad has his relatives in this village, albeit half of them were in either Kaduna or Abuja, but he made an investigation until we found your house in Gwargwaje.

The day we went to your house we found it full of men and women, and that's when we knew about Abba's demise. I broke down completely, Hayfah. Knowing that you lost your only source of happiness, I knew how he meant the world to you. Mom and Dad palcified me before Dad made one of his relative; Jibril, went to your Uncle and asked for your hands in marriage, so we could know if the text was true or not.

What he told us made me completely broken, but what kept me going was knowing that you were only betrothed, not married to him. And that was when the text made sense, I came to understand that it was either you were forced to cut ties with me by Umma, or Abba's death caused all that. And I've did all I can to reach you but couldn't, you blocked my number. Yeah, I know it wasn't you.

I have to lie to Mom that Umma wasn't your mother, and tried convincing her into going to your house and ask for your hand in marriage from your father's relative before they went back to their homes but failed. She said she couldn't interfere into what has already being ordained, that if she went to your house and you saw her, she would get your wounds afresh, because she was sure you were hurting too.

The day we went back to Abuja, she cried while telling me that if you were destined to be my wife, you'll surely be. And I believed her words now. Because five days after we're back, Jibril called Dad and told him your Uncle called him and said if he was still interested he could marry you in just three days. To say I was happy would be an understatement, Hayfah. We came back to Zaria that very day. This house was Jibril's, his wife died just a month after their marriage, so he said we could reside here for a day, because from the way we see things, your Uncle planned for your marriage together with Umma and you didn't know.

The day we went to him, Dad and Jibril, saying that I was the one that'll marry you, he didn't agree at first, until I gave him five million naira. I know there wasn't any amount of money that could buy you, Hayfah-but I realized it was the only thing I could do. Because he started saying that Shafa'atu won't give him the farm she promised if he got you married to a rich guy. But after that money, he relented.

I fell on Dad's shoulder, crying, when this village's imam announced that you were finally my wife. That you were Mrs. Adyan Ardo, with Sagiru being your waliy. He told us not to show any sign of me being your husband, because he want to collect that farm from Umma and if she knew-you wouldn't get out of that house alive. And that's what we did, until you were safely secured into my arms.

I kept pacing to and pro in the mosque until it was announced that you were brought to this house. I wanted to run and see you, but Jibril held me-reminding me your Uncle's warning, saying that Umma might have her people watching over you. And the most agonizing minutes of my life, were the minutes I waited till the women that brought you dispersed, and I had you cocooned into my arms."

She didn't know what to do, should she cry? Laugh? Or hug him and she wouldn't let him go forever? Her hair was packed now and they were facing eachother on the floor. She opened her mouth to talk, when the door was creaked ajar and a young girl entered the room with a run.

She fell on Hayfah's body, crying and laughing at the same time. "Addah Hayfah! I missed you! I love you so much, Addah!"

The only person that calls her Addah, Rayhan?! It was more like a question. She lifted Rayhan up and saw her face before she pulled her back into her body and broke into tears. The kind of tears she've never shed until she was married to Adyan. Tears of happiness.

"Ya Allah! Rayhan!" She hugged her more. Looking at Adyan-for Rayhan was still clutching more onto her.

"She came together with you?" She asked with tears rolling down her cheeks, looking down at Rayhan's body.

"Not just her; Hayfah. We have to come and welcome the Queen Of Hearts ourselves." And she heard Maami and Ammi-Mom-'s voices at the same time, as they entered the room with smiles and tears on their faces.

She broke into tears and kept muttering an Alhamdulillah, until she felt herself embraced by the women.