Second update for the dayyyy.

Chapter 60💃💃💃💃
This feels like a dream really
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Happy reading.

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Fahad pinched the bridge between his eyes, ignoring his mother whose eyes were boring holes on his forehead, he was tired of everything and most especially getting schooled by his parents, well his mother, his father had been quiet the whole time after Huda had called him he presumed.

"You won't allow this," that was directed at her husband, he was very grateful for that.

"Calm down," his father said ever calmly, he looked worst than his son did. They both looked tortured.

"Don't tell me to calm down," Fahad drowned out the rest of her yells wondering how she wouldn't meet the man's eyes most of the time but was fearlessly yelling about everything.

"I won't allow you two to ruin a girl's life, I thought you wouldn't stand for this but apparently I was wrong," the last part was directed at her husband who only shook his head.

"No one is ruing anybody's life," Fahad tried to make her see reason but she'd suddenly gone blind.

"You are not marrying her and that is final," that had to be the millionth time she's said that that morning, the first he'd answered but he couldn't keep up with the pace she was going.

"You want me to get married and now that I want to, you're suddenly against it?" he voiced out what had been on his mind the whole time.

"When I said to get married I meant for you to move on, you are not marrying her and that is that."

"And why is that?"

"Because...because-" he would've relished the fact that he rendered her speechless but that was the last thing on his mind.

A one hour plus argument wasn't what he was expecting when his mother had barged into his room after he'd returned from zuhr salat, he was trying to get a few papers signed when she entered looking like a storm. His day had been going pretty well considering he hadn't slept the night before.

"I know you feel you know what you are doing but Fahad you can't do this," she said exasperatedly, annoyed at the fact that her husband wasn't backing her up.

"Fahad," she called softly this time with a resigned sigh, "I don't want a repeat Fahad, my heart can't handle you going through something like that again," the tears in her eyes made his heart tighten.

"There won't be a repeat," he promised.

"You don't know that," she argued weakly.

"I'll be fine, we'll be fine insha Allah," he pecked her forehead and left his parents together. Seeing how his father held her hand before he left, offering words of comfort through a simple touch was a blow to him, he'd wanted something like that, he'd dreamt of that, he'd almost gotten that but- no he shook his head to get rid of the thoughts.

"Hamma?" he saw Huda standing her back against the door that led to the main living room, he took her hands and pulled her in for a hug.

"Noor what's wrong?" she shook her head and sniffed, "Don't cry love, tell me what's wrong?" she hugged him tighter.

"I'm sorry I called abu, I don't like you and ammie fighting," her voice was muffled against him but he heard her clearly, he'd known she was the one that called their father.

"It's nothing to worry about Noor, we just disagreed on something but it's fine,"

"You were yelling, hamma you never raise your voice at ammie," she pulled away from him and looked up, trying to meet his gaze but he turned.

Fahad hated himself at the moment, he hated when he lost his cool and the last thing he wanted in the world was for one of his siblings to witness their falling out and especially not Huda, even Adnan found it a little difficult to handle both of them.

"Listen Noor, everything is fine," when she nodded, he wiped her tears and hugged her again, needing her warmth, "I'm going out for work but I'll be back later, I'll get you the marshmallows you want,"

"Okay," she answered lowly, "Can you take me to adda Rahma please?" her question made him turn, he pondered over it for a bit before nodding.

"I'll be in the car."

~~~~

Nabila pushed Ja'afar who was poking his head trying to see what she was reading more to annoy her than interest in the book.

"Ja'afar!" she bellowed unable to keep it in.

"Ummhmm," he smiled sweetly his eyes still on the page.

"Get. Off!" she commanded through gritted teeth.

"But I like the book,"

"Leave your sister alone," Adnan's voice made him move involuntarily, he sat on the other end of the sofa, Nabila sent her immediate older brother a grateful smile.

"What do you think ammie wants to tell us and where is Huda?" Aneesah asked sitting beside Nabila who released an annoyed huff but didn't say a word.

"I don't know," that was Ja'afar with a mouthful of cookies that he seemingly got from nowhere.

"I wasn't asking you, hamma A, do you know?" she asked with a sweet smile that fell when he shook his head. She groaned impatiently, Huda probably knew what was going on since she wasn't there, they were probably trying to stop her from blurting it out. She almost screamed in joy when she heard footsteps and barr. Salima walked in with Huda hot on her heels, their grandmother close behind.

After greeting dada they sat back, Huda beside dada and the rest in their former positions, barr. Salima with Adnan who was still in his work clothes.

"Dada, please tell me what happened," Aneesah pleaded, her eyes drifting to Huda who was too quiet for her liking.

"What happened?" dada asked in her cool voice.

"Dada," she whined.

"Ask your mother, I certainly can't talk without her permission,"

"But-"

"-No buts Aneesah, be patient." She folded her hands and huffed at her mother's words but sat quietly, she discreetly texted Huda but gave up when she saw her sister's empty hands.

Half an hour later, after each and possible scheme Aneesah could come up with to try and get Huda alone so she could spill all failed, Abubakar Barkindo and Fahad graced them with their presence much to her relief.

She noted the way Fahad had talked to Huda lowly who nodded but didn't smile, which was unlike her, what exactly happened?

Conversation drifted around her but she didn't impute, their mother was saying something and then dada interjected but she couldn't tell what for the life of her, everything came to a halt and she heard everything at once, Huda and Ja'afar's excited screams. She blinked a few times then tried to recall what was being said but came up empty.

Whatever it was she thought Huda knew wasn't what was said because she was excitedly trying to get her brother to say something.

"What happened?" she tapped Nabila whose eyes were widened a bit and not on her book like they always were.

"When is the wedding?" Huda asked making her ears perk.

"Wedding? Whose wedding?" she knew the answer even before she asked but she needed to be sure.

"Hamma Fahad's, yayyyyy, I'll be a bridesmaid and junior bride, I'm too old for flower girl, we're going to have a bridal shower and everything," her squeal made Aneesah turn to their mother as if to confirm what she heard but her face was straight.

"Hamma Fahad is getting married?" she asked as if testing the words on her lips, strange, that was it they sounded strange, but it was a good thing, a good kind of strange.

It took all of Fahad's willpower to fight the eye roll, he had the most dramatic family definitely, after Aneesah recovered from her daze-like state and joined Huda in trying to render them deaf, even Ja'afar whom he would've thought had a little sense of maturity joined at some point and it took their mother's speed talking in fulde threatening to take all their phones and Ja'afar's favorite panamera for them to shut up.

"I'll be in charge of the planning," Aneesah announced already running up the stairs to get one of her infamous check lists, he was convinced she had a stack of them somewhere in her room. She returned not up to five minutes later with a clip board, paper and one of her customized glittery pencils from the stash Adnan had gifted her on her eighteenth birthday, the red bedazzled pencil was in between her index and middle finger and she was using it to scratch her head in the cliché thinking hard way just for dramatics, he knew all his siblings all too well.

"Okay so first things first, photographer, no list of events first, then that and then photographer and...." He muted her mentally from there knowing he had no interest in what she was about to ramble, besides he had more pressing matters on his head.

"I think that is the bride's choice Aneesah," he heard Nabila speak for probably the second time.

"Yes, okay," she waved a hand dismissing the argument like it was the last thing that should be on their minds, "I'm sure she won't mind, if hamma wants to marry her then I'm a hundred and one percent sure she won't mind me planning the wedding right hamma?" he nodded absently, "Yay," she clapped giddily but stopped short when Nabila spoke yet again, she turned to her sister with annoyance clear on her face.

"Do you know who she is?"

"Didn't you hear the point I made just now?" the look Fahad gave her made her rephrase, "I'm sure she won't mind, I'll just ask nicely," she turned to her older brother, "Who is-?"

Huda running into the room cut her off mid sentence, said person ran to her brother and blurted breathlessly, "Who is Khadijah hamma?" she saw the confused look he gave her, "Ammi said her name is Khadijah, well adda Khadijah I guess, who is she please please please?"

He turned to where their parents and grandmother had been sitting, he didn't notice when they left the room- "-Hamma?" Huda tugging at his arm made him turn back to her only then remembering she asked him a question, he was starting to get worried about the way he drifts in and out of conversations.

"Layla's Khadijah," he replied softly.

He heard a chorus of questions and with a sigh gave them the name they knew all too well but left the room immediately after, squeals following in his wake.

"So dee huh?" Adnan asked resting his back against the counter, he watched his brother open the fridge and get a soda, he poured a generous amount into a glass cup, "The same one Layla used to talk about?"

Fahad nodded and sat on one of the high stools in the kitchen, he took a sip of the drink in the cup then kept it on the marble counter top when he felt like it would resurface.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Adnan asked carefully, taking the seat closest to his brother.

Amongst all his siblings they were the closest in age and Adnan was the only one who knew Noor very much, Nabila had been seven at most eight then so her memories were a bit foggy, the rest only knew what they've been told and mostly it was when they saw her picture, they only knew her as Jawad's late sister, but Adnan he knew how much she meant to his brother, he saw how much he changed when she'd died and no matter how much he tried to get him to talk, even if just to let someone it, he would find a way to turn the whole situation in his favor and make him give up.

"You have things to worry about Adnan, I can handle myself,"

"I know that but I have time now, even if it's about the break in," he released an exasperated breath, "Fahad you need to let someone in, you try to take the weight off everyone's shoulder, let us do something for you,"

Fahad ran his hands through his hair, "Don't worry about me," he patted Adnan then stood up and made way for the door.

"I know it took a lot for you to do this," Fahad stopped when he heard his brother talking, "you don't have to tell me what that is, just know that she would've been proud of you for this because I am," his shoulders stiffened but he didn't leave like he'd planned, wanting to hear what his brother wanted to say, "In a way, you are just her, always trying to save everybody, Fahad I don't even know how to say this but, we're really glad we have you as a brother, we are lucky to even be related to you and I wish you a happy married life, turns out ammie didn't need to look for a lantana, thank God," he joked to lighten the mood.

"Be happy," he side stepped his brother and walked out of the kitchen.

Fahad sat back in the chair he vacated, he didn't know for how long he sat there but the adhaan for asr was what made him leave and get ready for the mosque. He had a skype meeting with Zayn and he needed to go and see Layla, they had a lot to talk about.

********

Khadijah stared at herself in the mirror, she looked the same she decided, her eyes drifted to her shoulders that seemed fine though a little bit sagged, the weight of being her she decided was what was making her shoulders droop, No, she shook her head pushing the thoughts away, she was- no they were doing the right thing.

She'd spent the whole day in bed, not even having the energy to sketch like she normally would. Her thoughts were running in overdrive and she had three almost panic attacks and it wasn't even mid afternoon.

She turned away from the mirror that she hadn't really looked at for the better part of the month and towards her bed, her sanctuary and prison, the source of her peace and nightmares, her hijab that lay there was what she picked and headed out before she could change her mind.

She heard her mother and another woman's voice from the living room but she didn't bother heading there, not needing the negativity she was sure they would make her feel and instead made her way to her father's living room where she was sure he would be. She said the taslim in a not too loud voice, just enough for him to hear and when she heard his reply she turned the knob and entered.

Malam Sadeeq closed the lid of the box he was holding and kept it where it had always been, even though he knew the exact drawer his hands were reaching he still mentally counted, one-two-three, he closed the drawer and turned the key then returned it to its position on the table, he heard Khadijah's voice and a smile made its way to his face.

"Baba?" she opened the door just an inch or so and peeked before fully opening the door, he welcomed her with a wide smile as she greeted him. He asked how her night was and if she was taking a break from work, she replied in the affirmative and they both stayed silent after that for a few minutes.

"Baba," she started but stopped and took a deep breath.

"Is there anything you want mamana?" He asked noticing her hesitation, he missed his daughter, the one that didn't hesitate especially when it came to something she wanted, he stared at his daughter that was pretty much a stranger to him and he saw the internal battle she must be having in her expression that was a mix of uncertainty and determination.

"You can tell me anything, be sure to remember that." He reminded her to show his support, she knew she could tell him but he felt the need to reassure her somehow.

Khadijah found her voice and tested the words on her lips before she could change her mind, "It's about...erm, about," she breathed out, "About," she stopped again, how did she even go about it, her heart was racing in her ribcage and she could feel the slight shake of her hands, she fisted it to stop her father from noticing and took a deep breath, she was done letting Suleiman rule her life, she was taking this step forward yes, for her own good, for her mental health and for everything he'd taken from her, she wouldn't let him win, No, he'd taken everything else, but it was all in the past and her future was hers and she was going to fight for it with everything she has, whatever she has left.

"Fahad?" she nodded gratefully wondering how he knew what she wanted to talk about, he knew her she reminded herself, he was her father and he understood her even when she finds it hard to understand herself, "What about him?" he asked his eyes studying her and she was aware of it, every nerve in her body was awake.

"It's about what you said," he nodded but didn't interrupt, waiting patiently for her to continue, "I'm fine with it."

Her mother's sisters would've disapproved of, well everything because a woman talking about her own marriage apparently was a taboo, but she didn't care, not anymore, she was tired of living by their rules and ideologies.

•••••

Dee has spoken, e be like say we dey go wedding. Who go find asoebi for us💃💃💃💃

I said I had an important announcement, so we have about twenty more chapters to go, it might be more than that but I'm not sure because, I don't want to draw this book out that y'all will get bored.

We'll see though, so tell me what you like most about this book, it'll only take a few seconds to comment your favourite part, it can be anything.

Then what do you hate about this book, be nice o🙂

So I recently received a proposal from different writing platforms( calm your horses I'm not taking it down from Wattpad.....yet) and well, it's pretty good, so when I finish this book on here, I'll only leave it for about the rest of the month, depending on when I finish, then it'll only be the preview that'll be on wattpad, I'll post the link to the site that it'll be on my bio, so please check it out.

You can head on there and check it out, I'll post the slightly more edited version there okay.

It'll mean a lot to me if you do check it out. I'll post all updated on my Instagram so you can head there and check.

I love you all for your support

Amyrah