Chapter 10: Chapter 10
ABUJA, NIGERIA.
"Okay, I will just get ready and meet you there." Zara said into the phone and sprang to her feet to look good for her husband to be.
He just called telling her that he is in their garden where they mostly meet. He was tired of hiding away from her and the thought of bringing her to their home doesn't appeal him anymore but who is he to back out when there are little days left till they get married and she will be his wife. This will be the greatest mistake he's ever made in his entire life. He won't ruin her life though, he made a mistake and he is the one to suffer the consequences of having two wives at twenty nine.
He was spending sometime with his wife and daughter then got a call from her saying she missed him and would want to see him. Just five more days before their wedding. He wanted to use that as an excuse and shy away from going to see her but deep down, he knew what he is doing to her is wrong. She loves him and never fails to show that so standing her up for the third time should really not happen so with a heavy heart, he stood up and left his home. He even told Amani where he is going and she forced a smile and wished him luck.
In all honesty, he is not looking forward to the wedding. The events are starting the next day and he hopes he won't be there for each one of them, he can't stand too much crowd and those stress. He's agreed that his first wife should go only because he don't want her to feel bad and in some weird way, he wants her to look strong to them. He knows who his wife is and what she is capable of so he should let the one coming in know what she will meet, she is not just a sack.
Bushra Amani is a determined woman, kind and caring but the other side of her is never something appealing. She tried fighting with him when she was pregnant and damn, she is strong. The time when she slapped him for taking away her food, he could still feel it when he thought about the moment. He didn't do anything and only stare dumbfound at her, she apologized and they laughed. He couldn't stop himself from laughing back and tickling her.
"Take some refreshment to the garden and make sure to entertain him well." She said to her maid, Zulaikah who nodded hastily and left the room to carry on the task she was asked to.
Zara removed a denim skinny jeans and quickly wrestled her long legs into it, she took the arctic off shoulder shirt and wore it. Knowing he won't appreciate her going to him like that when they are not married, she added a black abaya on top and wrapped it's veil on her head only to close her shoulder length full hair. She didn't do any makeup not wanting her dear fiancee to be stood by her. She don't like anything that will anger him so with her bare face, she walked down the spiral golden staircase to the other floor then out to the garden seeing her soon to be husband's figure folded in a chair.
He is wearing white polo shirt and black slacks looking every inch handsome. She can't wait to get married to that man and have him all to herself. If not for her love for him, she wouldn't have accepted half of him but no worries, she could just take the other half too when the time is right. That is her intention after all, to take both end of the strings and let the other one hang. Hmm, she can't wait for that day to arrive. She would love to see the other end's expression.
"Good afternoon, baby." She greeted, folding her figure on the opposite chair while she openly checks him out something he hates.
"Afternoon, love. How have you been?" He questioned, keeping his phone back on the coffee table in the middle of the chairs they are sitting on.
Normally, she would sit on the chair next to him but he stopped her seeing she likes brushing their arms of thighs and make it look unintentional. He don't want her getting ideas and make him commit a crime that is grave. She reluctantly started sitting opposite of him, she gets to check him out just like she wants to. Seeing that sharp jaw move around, those high cheekbones softening when he smiles. It is enough to send her heart down the hill of love.
"I've been good but missed you terribly." She pouted her dark lips at him and then blinked her eyes in a way to look cute.
"I know, I'm sorry about that. Work has been hectic and other stuff." He didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying Amani and all but then on second thought, she knew he is married so he won't even try hiding that he is with his wife most of the times. She agreed to marry him knowing he has a wife and he loves her.
"Oh, it's no problem. The wedding preparations has been hectic too. We are starting tomorrow you know? Aunty Farhana won't stop bugging me about it. She is so annoying." She huffed at the last part and crossed her arms over her chest.
"She is your step mother, stop talking about her like that. Even if she is not really like a mother to you, she is still your father's wife." He scolded watching as she sulk like a child before rolling her eyes and brought back his attention to something else.
"So, which one is your favorite colour of lingerie? I want to purchase some." She made her voice yaw seductive which didn't do anything to Mika'il except for the thought of regrets. Why did he bring himself to such shameless person? Was she like that even before or is she just too excited about the wedding? He don't get what is wrong but he surely is going to regret his decision.
"I don't like any." Came his brusque reply resulting to her furrowing her brows deep close to her eyes. She looks funny like that.
"You can't not like lingerie. You are a man and doesn't your wife wear them for you before you started drifting away? She can't be a woman of she doesn't wear such things to please her husband." She was interrupted by his murderous glare sent to her. She was quick to close her mouth like a student being scolded by their teacher.
No one says anything against Bushra Amani in front of Mika'il Malik Masari. Even though he's made the mistake of telling her that they were not on good terms, he never allow her to say a thing about her. Their conversations are always stirred clear away from anything that will touch his wife. Maybe he should make it more clear to her about that fact, he don't like where she is going. Just because they are about to get married doesn't give her that right.
"I strongly suggest that you don't bring my wife into any if our conversations ever again. And we are back together too." He smiled, a daring smile telling her to talk wrongly and see what goes wrong.
The thought of his wife in a lingerie didn't leave his head. She wears them almost everyday when they got married and even the last few days. She is the most romantic person he's ever met and to plus it up with his Casanova-ish self, their life was never boring. He can't just tell her that his favorite colour is his wife's favorite colour. The question she asked is also shameless to him. Amani never asked such things even though he bluntly asked what colour of bra she is wearing once.
She likes wearing ruby, it was her favorite colour which became his.
He's sent lots of boxes to Zara's house, nothing in it will be useless in twenty one years. Even though his mother didn't want to go overboard, they knew they have to. He is going to get married to a president's daughter. He did the exact thing he did to Bushra Amani when they got married. Expensive sets of boxes were sent to Amani and so is Zara. She is no better than that, so does his mother thought.
"Oh, that's nice." She cleared her throat and started racking her brain for another conversation. She needs to bring him back to her side before the wedding, she can't fight with him in less than twenty one days to their wedding.
"Do you need anything before the wedding?" He asked, seeing that he's rendered the talkative speechless. She needed that push so she won't have the audacity to disrespect his wife anyhow she wants.
"Uh, nothing. I just hope you will attend the events you are supposed to." She said in a tiny voice and he felt a little bad, not the the extent of feeling guilty though.
"Why not?" He smiled, eliciting one of her own and he calmed down.
No matter what, he is the one who proposed to her and just because he is back with his wife doesn't mean he will just keep tossing her around like a rag. In a way, she's helped him bring back the love of his life into his arms, nothing is better and greater than that. He will respect her as a woman and give her the rights she deserves. That is all he can do, he's made it clear to her right from the beginning. He can't fall in love again, she's agreed.
They chatted for a bit before he got a call from the hospital that his daughter is ill that she got admitted. Bushra couldn't take her phone when he kept calling so he drove roughly to the hospital where he saw her sitting silently on the waiting chairs tears running down her face. He didn't acknowledge the people staring at her wanting to see if she is Bushra Amani or her lookalike. Some people are just jobless like that.
His heart lurched to his throat seeing her confused, concerned tear stricken face. What could've happened to their daughter when an hour ago they were all together happily sitting around and enjoying each other's company? He hopes it is nothing serious or his wedding will be postponed. But what could've happened in that short amount of time he left them?
"What happened?" He took her in his arms and rock her shaking form to stop her, calm down her nerves.
"She fainted when I was cooking. I kept calling her name when I stopped hearing her babblings in the living room. I saw her lying on the cold tiles with her eyes closed and thought she might be sleeping and when I tried waking her up, she wouldn't wake up." She explained in between sobs and hiccups. She can't take the thought of losing her baby, not in that lifetime or any other one to come. Her daughter is like her lifeline, without her, she will be an empty shell.
"She will be okay, InshaAllah. Just have faith in Allah and keep praying for her." He continue to rock her waiting for the doctors to come out and explain why their daughter fainted so suddenly.
"What is wrong with her, doctor?" Mika'il stood up along with Amani and regarded to the young beautiful doctor that just walked out of the room their daughter was taken into some minutes earlier.
"I'm Dr. Abida. It's nothing to be worried about. Her bottom lateral incisors are really disturbing her and she also ate something she is strongly allergic to. Please go and check out what she's eaten which has never ate before. Something like this should not happen again. You've reached here just in time but next time, you might not be lucky. Be careful. Nice meeting you both." She smiled at the couple and made her way to out of the corridor.
"What is it that she ate today?" Mika'il scrunched his brows, leading his thoughtful wife into their baby's room.
"She ate grapes!" Amani suddenly blurted out, seeing as it is the first time she ate grapes and she is allergic to it already.
"Then I will make sure it is never served in our home again." He determined, placing a gentle kiss atop Amani's forehead and together they ferried to their pale daughter lying on the bed that is thrice her size with some drip attached to her wrist.