Twenty

"Is that a yes?" 

Junayd asked smiling. 

   Juwairiyyah was still silent, she sat still, tears rolling down her cheeks, her heart beats increased in pace, as if she ran for kilometers without stopping. She grew up with Junayd, shared a lot of things with him. Infact, she was already in love with him when he left, but now, she is nonplussed of her feelings towards him, more so; she's now a divorcée, will he still marry her that way?. 

My earliest memory has always been with yaa junayd, him bathing me, feeding, clothing and so on.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts, when she felt yaa junayd's hand on mine,... I looked up at him, her eyes still moist from the tears she shed.

    "What is it?" He asked calmly, looking deep into my eyes...."don't you love me?". He asked slowly, in a husky voice.

Oh! I'm so sorry, it..tss just that i..i...."

    "You what? You don't love me right?"

"No, Yaa Junayd, don't jump into conclusion please. I need time to think about this."

      Junayd was silent, he knew what he did was outta line, though he's not sure if his feelings will be reciprocated. But its a promise he made to himself, he is surely never letting her go. He looked up and saw Arfaat, still standing behind them in shock, a perplexed expression on his face. He let out a mischievous smile and squeezed juwairiyyah's hand again. She looked at him, and got his look in her back, she then turned slightly to see what he was looking at. Her eyes straight into Arfaat's eyes, who was boiling with rage.

She didn't know how, and she can't say for sure how it all happened. But she found herself freeing her hands from Junayd's grip. How long has he been standing there?, she thought. O Allah, I hope he didn't hear Yaa Junayd's propsal.

     "Yaa Arfaat" she called, letting out a fake smile.

How sweet!, at least she considered his presence, he was pleased, at thesame time happy.

   "Lily" he replied back smiling so sweetly.

"Arrmm...Ya Junayd, am coming please". She said making her way right to where Arfaat was standing, his arms folded to his chest....."let's go, we need to talk". She said to Arfaat. He followed her suit.

"For how long have you been standing there? Were you eavesdropping?".  How much did you hear? She asked smiling

    "For as long as you sat there shocked". He replied sounding serious.

"Lily, we need to settle things. You know I love you more than anything, and I know you also love me. Don't just let him ruin it all. Let's spend the rest of our life together please". He said, stressing the word *please*. 

     "But I don't want to". She said crying seriously, remembering their stay together.

"Why?". He asked surprised.

     "Because I don't want to. I know the game has ended, but i..I just can't forget it. I can't forget what we all did to hurt each other. I'm sorry for everything, but I can't go back to you again. Its too late."

"Lily, listen to me. This is not fair, how can you end things like this? This is just the beginning of our love story."

"I still don't want to. Please, don't you ever come back here. I'm marrying yaa junayd, as you can see it for yourself, he had proposed to me already."

     "Juwairiyyah!". Arfaat called her in anger, building up with rage......"don't you dare call his name in my presence again. I love you, and you love me, I see no reason why you'll try to end a beautiful relationship like ours" He said bitterly.

"That's because I've never loved you! I don't 

love you, and I never will!". She ended the sentence breaking down into tears, and before Arfaat could add a word, Juwai had already left were they stood. Junayd is a disaster to us all, Arfaat thought. How could he come back at a time like this? O Allah, help me out of this predicament.

Its been 3days since Junayd's proposal to Juwai, thus, Juwai still haven't said a word, it seems to him like she's avoiding him. She's always in her room, Hajiya Azumi noticed the little drama going on in the house, deep inside she has always wished that Junayd married Juwai, but as days goes by, she found herself praying and hoping she and Arfaat forgets everything and build up a new chapter of their life. She made up her mind to talk to Juwai about it.

   One Wednesday afternoon, she stepped into Juwairiyyah’s room, to her surprise, she was on phone....

"Please don't even dream about it Yaa Arfaat,  I can't."

    "Lily, why do you like arguing with me this days? Is that how a real wife material act?"

"Ohhh". Juwairiyyah said, her right hand in her lips....."Wife material, I almost forgot I'm your wife material". She said happily. 

Hajiya Azumi could see the happiness in her granddaughters eyes. She caught up Juwairiyyah saying

   "No! no! no!Ya Arfaat, you look sweet in blue. Especially if its "shaddah" (native hausa wears), with a cap on your head, protecting those curly hair for me from the eyes of other ladies".  Juwairiyyah said, a little bit shy.

"That's my Tinkerbell, you are just too sweet for words lilynah, I love you so very much".

"I love you more yaa Arfaat, gotta go, I have a lot to do. Hey! Wait up, when are you coming over? Its been three days since I saw you".

     "Expect me tonight baby."

She ended the call, a smile on her face. Yes, she can't deny it anymore. She can still remember how they settled everything two days back. She fell back on her bed, happy. Just as she turned to the right side of her bed, she caught Hajiya Azumi's eyes on her. She quickly sat up, O Allah, for how long has she been standing there? Juwai thought.

    "Why that look on your face?". Hajiya Azumi said, as she went into the room, closing the door behind her.

"For how long were you standing there hajiya?"

    "Juwai kenan, so you choose Arfaat over junayd?"

"Hajiya...i..i".

"You love Arfaat not Junayd right?" Hajiya Azumi chirped in.

    "Yes, Hajiya its not like I choose him over junayd I just..."

"You just love Arfaat, don't worry dear. I'm right behind your back."

But what shocked Hajiya Azumi was how Junayd turned to be these days, he's always alone. And if you wanna see him talking, then stay close when he's begging for Juwai’s love. Hajiya azumi became sad, so sad about the outcome. Junayd is her first grandchild, his happiness matters a lot to her.

"Junayd" she called him tapping his shoulder and sitting beside him on the couch...."are you alright?"

"Am not". He answered blankly.

"Want to talk about it?". She asked.

     Junayd turned and looked at her slightly, he'll try his luck with his grandma, maybe he'll win Juwai over with her efforts.

"Its Juwai, I'm trying my possible best to show her how much she means to me, but she never seemed to understand nor care about my feelings towards her. I'm hurt deep in here hajiya, it hurts a lot". He said his hand on his heart.

    "Yaa salaam!". Hajiya azumi said shocked....."has it reach to that limit?" She added, her eyes wide open.

"I love her so much Hajiya, look into my eyes and you can see it". He said as he takes her hands in his...."Hajiya, help me please". He added as tears fill up his eyes.

"Yaa Junayd". Juwai called from behind them........ "Your heart hurts?"

     He only nodded in response.

"But why?, it shouldn't hurt Yaa Junayd, I've made up my mind, am gonna marry you. Happy?". Is Juwai trying to cooking another sauce with no salt?