Atonement

14.

NOT EDITED

There's this feeling you get when you are in love. Safe and dumb, sometimes you crave to have your partner by your side and if you haven't met for a day, it feels like a year or more.
The day Mama and Baba came back, they called Sultana to their room and asked her if she truly loves Qalb and as the shy daughter she claims to be, she blushed and ran out of the room. They both burst out in fists of laughter and Baba called Qalb's father to give him a go ahead.
They came with the Goro to do Tambaya and Baba gave her hands in marriage to Qalb in an environment filled with laughter and happiness.
It's been three weeks since the tambaya, and two weeks since her parents left for umrah.

"Sultana, we don't have all day." Adda Khadijah, their cousin who now lives with them said walking into Sultana's room.
Adda Khadi, as they call her is staying for the meantime in their house for service. She graduated from BUK and now she is serving at FIRs, Abuja branch. She is three years older than Sultana, making her 26 years old. She is happily married with a child hence her coming and going back to Gombe almost every two weeks.

"Coming.." Sultana rushed out of the bathroom hugging a towel to her chest. They have been having a session with Amaryadotcom for two weeks now. They paid for a month, a bridal package for both Sultana and Adda khadi.

"You have flowers. The date should come quickly please, this ,man might swallow you without us noticing." Adda jokingly said.

"Adda khadiiiiiiii. Atleast he doesn't call me every minute of the day." she teased back wiggling her eyebrow. Just then Adda Khadi's phone rang causing Sultana to laugh out loud.

"Ke kika sani, i will be waiting in the car."

With that,She walks away.

Wedding preparations is nothing easy. The going and coming, buying of things, the endless list of guests from family to friends. Mama's list is almost taking up seventy percent. She always call, asking for colors, from furnitures to clothes Sultana will wear during the wedding.
They are travelling to Dubai to finish up the shopping before coming back to Nigeria.

Sultana quickly responds to a text from Mama before heading out.

Almost a surprise to Sultana, Adda Khadi and Aneesa Waziri happen to be best of friends. She was not surprised when she found but she realized they have the same personality, warm, welcoming and jovial. How lucky could their husbands be? She thought to herself.

After Their session at Amaryadotcom, Adda Khadi requested they check up on Aneesa Waziri,they both know she has been discharged from the hospital after safely birthing her twins, a girl and a boy.

The drive to the house wasn't a long one, The mansion is a definition of beauty and beyond, if to say Sultana doesn't know the villa, she would have easily concluded this is it.
The grand mansion covered in white paint, the house is divided into three parts, The main part which is directly facing the second gate, then two other parts which are not as big as the main part but also exquisite stood well by the side.

After a maid welcomed them, she directed them to the other part instead of the main saying that's where Aneesa is.

The side they entered is a true definition of serene, white from the outside but the inside is painted with black and some touches of white. They first entered a small arena with a long seat and an AC placed right above it. She averted her gaze to the other side of the building and a frame stood with a quote written on it. it read 'The Qur'an is a cure and also a novel, read when sad and when bored.'
She smiled at it before they procede into a well decorated black sitting room with touches of white and gray. The comfy chairs were not what she  expected, she finds them too simple for such a house albeit perfect. There, they sat for a few minutes before a maid withe a different color of uniform but same pattern as the other came and ushered them upstairs where they met with a beautiful sitting room, all chairs white and there was no tv, just an aquarium and a shelf of books. The AC is on too making the place extremely cold. To Sultana, it was not necessary as the weather is very cold.
Finally, they got to the room where Aneesa was.

"Please get Mummy's guest to reduce, i can't bring the babies like this." Aneesa said through the phone while she adjust the pillows on the bed.

She disconnected the call sat upright.

"Oh my babyyyyy!!!" Adda Khadi said hugging her tightly.

They hugged for what seems like forever before Sultana hugged her too. After exchanging pleasantries, a maid served the food and they ate all together.

"So why are you here? i am sure mummy is looking for you." Adda khadi asked patting one of the babies while Aneesa was breastfeeding the other.

"Wallahi i am tired, God! Thank God no one will dare think of coming to this side."
Aneesa responds

"Sultana please help me with a pink bag from the next room, just next door, the bag is placed on the bed i think."

"Sure sure."

She walked out but decided to text Qalb.

Sultana: Hey baby, sorry i missed your call, currently at Aneesa's house. We came to check up on the new babies.

Qalb-Saleem: But that was not part of our plan.

Sultana: Yeah i know, i am sorry baby.

Qalb-Saleem: okay, take care of yourself. i love you :)

Sultana: I love you too :)

She hit the send button for the last message to deliver. Unknowingly, she bumped into someone, she closed her eyes waiting for her body to fall on the ground but it didn't so she slowly opened it to check if she is still alive or floating omly to meet a pair of hazel eyes staring back at her, ith strong arms wrapped around her.
Quickly she pushed the person away and maintained her composure.

"Next time, think before you touch a woman that is getting married soon." She fired at him.

He raised his eyebrow and folded his arms to his Wide masculine chest.

"Waalaikissalam, next time watch where you are going because the Shaitan is close to break your legs."
He said and walked away adjusting his links.

At that moment, she felt like a Kufr. With her eyebrows frowned she entered the room and picked the bag which is carefully put on the bed and stormed out.

They spent five more minutes with Aneesa before they left.

They reached home and met some work to do, before realizing it, time passed and it is already 10:00pm.

Sultana took a long hot shower and decided to check on her socials before sleeping.

She recieved a message from Qalb reading 'This is going to be the longest two weeks in my life. i can't wait to have you in my arms.'

A smile made its way to her as she replied with three red heart emojis. With that, he dozed off.