THE CONTRACT MARRIAGE

3-ALLIANCE

OMNISCIENT

In the living room, two men were all smiles as they shook hands with each other. One's smile was genuine while the other's was rather bogus, underneath that smile was an ulterior motive.The former quickly welcomed him into their humble mansion, he looked overjoyed at the surprise visit.

"Engr Babangida, it's a pleasure to meet you again," Waheeda gave him the widest smile she could muster, she has already crafted her plan, after all.

"Ah! Mrs Grema, I appreciate that. How's the family? Has my friend been troubling you again?" Babangida cracked a fake laugh and they joined him.

"I love my wife too much to do that," Abdullahi Grema protested with a loving gaze directed to his wife who flushed.

"Uncle Babangida, good afternoon. Father has been praising you in terms of greatness, especially when he toured the recently renovated school. It's safe to say that you are the best," Adeena commended.

"Thank you dear, I'll look forward to working with your father on other projects too, it was truly an honour for me," He smiled at her and turned to take the twins who were quick to greet him and leave with their mother.

"Let me go and bring some refreshments for our honoured guest," Waheeda winked at her husband who nodded with a small smile, that was the signal for him to act up.

Now, the two men were sitting opposite each other, both of them with the same thought running through their minds. Engr Muhammad Babangida lightly coughed in an attempt to start the conversation, it's been seventeen years since he pictured that in his mind, he's too greedy to wait for the eighteen. His daughter is already mature enough to get married, he'll decide her life, just like her brother's. Their mother has no say in that.

"When are you going to visit my humble home? My wife has been bugging me, she wants to meet the reputed Grema family as a whole," He spoke with a wide grin. At the thought of his wife, she'll have to go through a series of warnings before she messes up his plan.

"I've been wanting to bring the whole family over but you know my eldest son, Maheer, came over but when he heard that I and his mother were hatching something, we didn't find him again the next morning. That naughty boy only called after he was sure all of us weren't angry with him again to tell us he had reached London," Arch Abdullahi Grema facepalmed. Maheer is giving him a hard time even in front of his good friend, he had to explain.

"My only daughter, Sumaira, is also like that. She doesn't talk much but the girl is very troublesome. Children nowadays are becoming something else. You know, since their attitudes are similar, why not let them get to know each other? Maybe they can suit each other," The engineer spoke, of course, Abdullahi Grema understood what his friend was implying.

Even before his wife and daughter spoke about it, he has been observing Sumaira as a student of the prestigious school that was rumoured to be under the Grema's conglomerate. Every file of hers was with him, he knows everything about her and has been preserving her for his eldest son. Unknown to him, his youngest son has already fallen hard for her. That beauty and brains must not escape the Gremas, with a daughter-in-law like her, their life would be fulfilled.

"You won't ever fail to impress me with your thoughts, Engineer. I'll get Maheer to come over here, but are you sure Sumaira won't have a problem with it?" He asked. No matter what, it's her consent that counts and not her father's. For him, she is on the same level as his daughter already, he couldn't wait to meet the rare beauty again, this time around, in a different atmosphere.