Chapter 66: Chapter 66
ABUJA, NIGERIA.
Amir has been excited the whole day as he made his way to the dining room whistling so he can announce everything to them. He couldn't wait and if it was up to him, he'd get married to Bushra that same day and live happily ever after with his niece. His heart keep on fluttering like he is a damn teenager when he is not. The mere thought of her is enough to make him jump in glee and want to squeal like a girl seeing her celebrity crush for the first time. Her name, her face, her voice, those are enough to make him go crazy.
"Why are you acting like a monkey all of a sudden? You were clearly breathing fire earlier if I can remember clearly?" Kauthar raise a brow watching him enthusiastically draw out a chair for himself to sit. She was sitting there already when he came in, she saw his whole crazy acts from the beginning till the end and the guy didn't notice that.
"Ha, I won't tell you till dad arrives. I have such exciting and shocking news for everyone." A grin overtook his face again, constricting the muscles on his face for it has been so long since he is that happy.
The mishaps that befell on the family took toll over everyone that none of them derive joy from one another or from that home. Everyone is depending on someone to be Gally just like he was deriving it from Bushra who also needed him just at that time. This is now a surprise for all of them seeing the happy vibe Amir is giving off rubbing off of them too. Kauthar have a hunch of what Amir is up to, she pushed him into doing it after all. She told him about Bushra's suitors so he can react and like expected, he did react and it seems like it all turned into place.
She can't wait to find out what is going to happen now, she is like an excited little kid anticipating the next play. If her life isn't interesting, she could as much try her best to be happy for those with merry times.
"And I'm here, share this exciting news with me." Alhaji Malik walked into the dining room featuring his normal day to day thobe he loves wearing around the house after coming back from the hospital. His glasses perched on his nose which means he's been studying some more like always.
After their mother's death, the man has become a workaholic and hardly turns down emergency surgeries. If he couldn't save his wife from being humiliated, he might as well go and save more lives out there to make sure he is doing great things. The news of the new wife meant for him didn't change that at all, it instead, pushed him into shelving himself in the hospital. He's been drawing out the matter and anytime from then, his mother is going to snap and ask him to get married immediately. He is taking his time, he needs that lone time to keep grieving his wife's death though that is not what she would want for him.
There is nothing that stops him from dining with his children though, nothing. It's either breakfast or dinner and that day, they were lucky to see him having both breakfast and dinner with them. This is better for Amir too, he wouldn't have been able to wait for the next day, he'd go crazy not having his father's consent before tomorrow. He definitely would've gone to the hospital and tell him everything that same night. Yes, that is how anxious and excited he's been the whole day.
"I hope you won't be too shocked to eat after hearing this." Amir mumbled loud enough for them to hear him and raise their brows in question just when Afrah bounded in looking extra happy to share her own news. Seems like he isn't the only one with good news, perfect.
Ah, the distraction!
He instantly feel the nerves flying around after looking at his father, like the man won't agree with that decision of theirs but then again, he will never know if he doesn't ask. Besides, their father will chose the happiness of his children's and definitely respect Bushra's agreement to marry him. And they all want her to be with them, to continue being family after Mika'il's stunt. They might as well feel guilty of what has happened many months ago and just agree with the proposal. Yes, this has to do! He can also blackmail them emotionally, he is really good at doing that.
"Dad, I don't have to go back to school now. I told you I will be able to stay for Ya Thar's wedding and even spend sometime with you after that." Afrah beamed at her father, her voice drilling with thrill and elation. She sounded so pleased with herself, like she announced the cure to a tumor.
"Why won't you go back? You've been here for far too long already and you're messing with your studies." He frowned, gesturing to Afrah to serve him the food while doing so and she jovially complied. Seems like nothing is going to drop that buoyancy, well, except for Amir's news.
"Because there is another round of lockdown back there and we are asked to continue studying online like before. Isn't that amazing? I don't want to go back now, I want to dance on her wedding." She placed the mountain of food in a plate in front of him then sat back on her chair while smiling widely and almost devilish.
"Well, you are lucky in that case." He gave her a teasing smile and then move his eyes to Amir whose attention was entirely somewhere different, "I'm still waiting for this shocking news, son." And Amir blinked then cleared his throat, only bringing suspicion to his father's eyes.
"Erhm, I, uhm, proposed to Bu..." He trailed off, looking at everyone's reaction and it spelled one thing 'shock' when he didn't add up the entire story. Ha, he would want to see their face after knowing who that person was.
"Proposed? As in, getting married?" Afrah blinked, she was the only one that could open her mouth while the others are just patiently waiting, not letting their expression wear off. He licked his suddenly chapped lips to saturate it then said.
"Yes, I'm getting married, Afi. And I proposed to Bushra earlier and she also agreed." He said those words quickly as if he would back out if he doesn't say them as quick as he did. His eyes instantly lock themselves, quietly waiting for someone's reaction in the now pin drop silent dining room. It is as if no one is sitting there with him and he was just imagining himself saying that in sort of rehearsal.
"Er, what are you talking about, Amir?" Alhaji Malik spoke after few minutes passed in silence, all of them sinking what he just said. It's permissible to say they went in shock and came back.
"I'm getting married to Bushra in two months time like it was given to her by her family. She agreed to this too after hearing my reasons." There was no use adding the last part but if he hadn't, they won't understand where he is coming from at all. Even Bushra didn't when he first talked to her about it.
"And what are these reasons of yours, Amir? Taking such decision all by yourself without consulting anyone?" Alhaji Malik's voice now yawed serious as if he meant business, Amir gulped at this. His father has always been supportive of his decision and he never makes one without asking him of what he thinks. Just this time, he don't want anyone to rule over what he feels and took the step himself.
"I love her, Dad. I didn't know what came over me but when I found out that she was entertaining suitors and her parents want her to get married in two months, I couldn't hold back. I had to tell her how I feel and proposed on the spot." He rambled, his eyes resting entirely in the marble table in front of him cause he can't look straight at his father's eyes. He was anxious, nervous, scared even.
"Yo-you love her?" Afrah cut in, her eyes and jaw all hanging low on the table by then. She's been staring at her father and Amir as each one of them spurt out their minds. She normally wouldn't have joined the conversation but this, she can't keep quite.
"He does love her even before she got married to Mika'il. She is the girl he crushed on his whole highschool time if you haven't noticed." Kauthar finally spoke in that calculative voice of hers. She knew everything from the scratch, just not the proposal and Bushra's acceptance.
Kauthar had a hunch about it all along, she only studies from the sidewalk and decide to interrupt only when it was needed. Whenever Mika'il is together with Bushra, Amir acts somehow but not jealous, just uncomfortable. She sees the way his eyes will twinkle when given attention by Bushra, it is a sight to see. He also makes her believe in love for his is hopeless and irrevocable. The thing is, who falls in love with his brother's wife or has been in love with his brother's wife all along and keeping quite? But she don't want those kind of love stories, nope.
"How do you know?" Amir questioned then shun her away knowing it was no use asking the business woman who is keen on keeping attention on minor things. He just didn't like that she is too observant for his liking.
"I don't know what to think about this. You said Amani agreed to this, huh?" Alhaji Malik spoke again, inclining his head to the side to study his son who nodded confidently but he still looks nervous.
"Hehe, two weddings in a row? I will definitely not miss this even if I'm forced to go back to school. Ya B and Ya Amir? Okurr, I never would've expected that." Afrah muttered the last sentence in disbelieve while the others came out in full blown merriment. The girl could change colour like chameleon, seriously.
She gave a sheepish smile when her father glared at her for ruining such important conversation with her so called excitement and exuberance.
"You have my blessings as long as she is into this with you. And I hope you are not making decisions like this with an immature mind, think properly before ruining three lives. Anaan's life will be involved too." Were his father's acceptance, he forced himself to stay seated and not hug the light out of his father. He was that happy!
-
"What? You are saying that Amir proposed to you and you agreed? The hell!" Murad was the first to react on the dining table seeing as everyone is shocked keeping their spoons down with a small click back in their plates after Bushra dropped the nuclear bomb on their heads.
She has been anxious about what to say to them or how to break the news to her parents first, but it wasn't as easy as she thought. If it was any of her suitors, it would've been different and more comfortable but this is Amir they are talking about, her ex-husband's younger brother who happens to be a year younger than her not that that mattered anyway. He still looks older than her through and through, just not as old as her ex husband and her brothers. That shouldn't be the matter of discussion, it is the unexpected and unforeseen turn of event that surely knock 'em out. Well, things had to be done all ways.
She can't tell her brothers because they'd overreact and create the scene she didn't want to invent. Especially Murad, the guy will make a mountain out of a molehill without meaning to do that just like he is doing right then. He didn't react like that when she told him about entertaining her so called suitors but did it after knowing whom she's chosen. The guy is unbelievable! She just hopes they are not against Amir, she don't want to break the poor guy's heart and render him heartless. Or he would stop believing in love at all.
I mean, the guy has loved her for so many years already, this is the least she could do for him.
"Yes." She glared at him, asking him to shut up and let their parents react but the guy clearly don't get simple message sent to him through the eyes and it's annoying.
"Amir? He is Mika'il's younger brother and the guy is so young to think about marrying you! This is not right, something is amiss. I think the guy hit his head somewhere, that has to be." Murad spat, his hold on his fork tighten totally forgetting about giving others permission to say their minds not that they were out of their astounded state. They are in that flummoxed state.
"Shut up, Murad." Finally, her mother decided to chirp in before turning to look at her right in the eye as if trying to read her out, she hates when her mother does that. She feels limpid and diaphanous, seriously so.
"Do you like his proposal?" After the long seconds of scrutiny, her mother inquired in a soft voice. The voice that makes you pour out your guts without exactly noticing you are doing so, that is how she felt then. As if she was waiting for that voice, that same voice to inquire.
"I really like Amir. Amongst all the suitors coming to see me, I don't feel comfortable having neither of them as my life partner. While Amir on the other hand has been with me since I can't remember, even before I met Mika'il. I might not fall for him but liking him and having him as a friend is enough for us to live through marriage life right? And then there is Anaan who is utterly attached to him like a father figure, she adores him and looks up to him at such small age and same goes to him. He loves her a lot, like his flesh and blood. I don't think I will find any man more perfect than Amir out there to take care of me and my daughter. And his age doesn't matter as long as he can take good care of us." She murmured those last words staring pointedly at Murad who only grunted and rolled his eyes.
The guy is definitely not okay.
"I understand where you are coming from and I totally support you in this. You both have my blessings, dear." Her father smiled, that smile that is filled with pride and adoration for his daughter. She felt her heart warming up, filling her to the brim with sense of accomplishment, she's done something great.
"You have my blessings too, dear. May Allah bless you both." Her mother gave her hand a squeeze as they are sitting close to one another which Bushra returned. The woman has a glint in her eyes that Bushra's head don't reach out to but it's mischievous.
"You had this cunning smile earlier, Doctor, what is it?" Bushra asked her mother later that evening when she couldn't keep it to herself after changing to her pajamas and saw her mother sitting alone in the living room, she had to ask.
"Oh, it's nothing." The smile and glint is back on her face confirming Bushra's suspicion that something is definitely off with her mother. The woman have this aura of I know it all which didn't sit well with her.
"I know you are hiding something, mom." She crossed her arms over her chest like a bratty daughter reminding her of her time with her mother in-law. She does the exact same thing to her too all the time, she misses her.
"I knew Amir was going to propose to you sooner or later. I don't know how dense you are but it's obvious that the guy loves you a lot, you just don't see it. And I'm really glad you accepted him, there is no better candidate in this world than him." Her mother finally burst out and that is the truth. She's seen Bushra and Amir, there is the chemistry between them that Bushra's oblivious to.
"Oh." Was all Bushra could say feeling her insides turning mushy, she don't understand why she is feeling that when she is not in love with the guy. Or is she?