Basma likes Fendi

36 | See You Again

•Bilal

5 years later...

It's a long time—a really long time but I could never forget what she did to me but I've learnt to love with it.

Today Afaf and I will be travelling without the kids for our honeymoon. Four years ago we met while I was on the Basma El-Nafaty kidnap case but here I was married to her sister.

Since the day we met, she's always been good to me. I tried to push her away, it was a tough time—for her mostly—but we were both in a place where we needed someone to love and to love us.

I never thought I would see the day I allowed another woman to step foot into I and Bilan's room but the day came. I witnessed it and I couldn't say that it was a mistake because she has been better as a mother to my children than Ruqayyah could ever be.

I stared at her sleeping figure as the plane began to rise. She got a window seat but looking outside scared her so we switched seats now her heads on my shoulder and I'm playing with her fingers as I watch Red Notice.

A moment later a Afaf wakes up and rushes to the bathroom and it was a while before she returned.

"Excuse me." A frail looking woman said, shaking . She stared at the floor and refused to look at me. Her veil covered most of her face so I couldn't see her.

"Is something wrong?" Afaf says once she returns and sees a woman speaking to me infront of her chair, "excuse me." She says to the woman—a bit too gruffly—a bit out of character but who would want another woman speaking to her husband on a plane? Anywhere even.

"No," She murmurs, "I thought he was someone I knew." then she scuttled off to her seat but not before looking up and I'm almost out of breath when I recognize who it is.

Bilan, of course. It was as if she had lost all the brightness in her face—her youthful glow was replaced with the face an old hag.  Her eyes held no remorse nor was it holding any signs of vivacity but I saw one thing, and that was regret.

"What was that about?" Afaf seats, adjusting her veil on her head and neck.

"She mistook me for someone." I shrugged nervously.

Oh Allah, why did I lie? I would sound like a liar if I said I really wanted to tell her but how would she take it if she knew it was my ex wife who came to see me? We're in such a perfect place. I don't want an aberration from my past to destroy what we have.

Don't be shocked to hear that, she was a mistake that I wished I didn't make. It's not harsh when I say that because she boldly renounced her affection for her kids the same night she switched men as if were underwear.

That was it, we—no I, was as useless as boxer briefs for her to dump for a man she also dumped without his knowledge because his true colours had shown.

It wasn't long before the pilot announces our arrival into Sychelles and we hold hands as we witness the descent of the plane from my window seat.

People were tacking our their hand luggage, some argued in the back, a group slept; they were unaware that we'd landed while I and Afaf gently brought down our bags and we exited the plane without difficulty.

On my way out with Afaf, an air hostess hands me an envelope with a smile and I take it into my hoodie pocket knowing it was from Bilan but it was only fair I read what she had to say since Afaf had scared her off—unknowingly, of course.

I take Afaf's bag from her and hold her hand as we descend the steps of the plane. I look back one last time—not because I missed Bilan—I just needed to see her watch us exit the plane in our glorified felicity.