Heart Shades

Chapter 11

Noor was awaken when she felt a tap on her cheek, she opened her eyes to see Fatima's familiar face trying to wake her up.

"Welcome." Fatima said with a broad welcoming smile on her beautiful face .

Noor answered her with a smile too and got out of the car but what she saw shocked her even more, a tall duplex building welcomed her. Noor tried to hide her shock and followed Fatima inside the huge house that seems to make one raise their heads before they see it's full height.

They both walked inside the building including Zayyad who vanished as soon as they entered in side the house.

Noor kept on walking in the hallway behind Fatima who then turned to face Noor.

"Let me introduce you to Abba." Fatima said and held Noor's arm making her to stop moving with her luggages.

"Don't worry about that , they'll will take it to your room." Fatima said referring to the housemaids and continued to lead Noor towards the place her father is in.

Noor was taken to a lavish sitting room and there she saw a direct lookalike of Zayyad but a bit older.

"Abba, here she is."Fatima said and the man turned to look at the nervous Noor.

"Good evening." Noor nervously greeted and the brown skinned man smiled at her in return.

"Evening, let me call Aminu and tell him that you've arrived." He said and dialed some digits into his phone.

He then passed the phone to Noor and said "speak to him". Noor collected the phone and spoke to her father with a wide smile on her face already feeling like she miss them all.

She returned the phone back to Abba with a smile, Noor finally felt relieved after talking to her family.

"Fatima ." Abba called while Fatima answered to her father's call.

"Show Noor her room please." Abba said in a calm voice.

"Sure Abba." Fatima said and led Noor up the extremely longs stairs, they walked past some corridors before Fatima entered a room ushering Noor to follow.

Noor entered the spaciously wide room with a black large king sized bed at the far end and other necessary items in the room.

Everything in the room is black except for the large translucent glass window which are up the whole wall, through which you could see the outer part of downstairs and a beautiful landscape view of the environment of Lagos.

Nooriya saw her luggages beside the bed.
"I'm sorry,the room looks dull with all black right ? It actually used to be Zayyad's room but now he has moved to another room." Fatima said motioning to the extravagant items in the room colored black.

"No I actually find it nice." Noor replied with a small smile to ease her nerves.

"You find black nice ? Don't tell me your heart shade is black too ?" Fatima said and Noor shook her head signifying a "No".  Nooriya's heart shade's is literally the purest as it has a lot of light that brightens it and that's why she's named Noor meaning light.

"I'm happy for you, I'm telling you it doesn't  feel nice at all, you won't love, like, you literally won't feel anything apart from hatred and anger." Fatima said and sat down at the edge of the bed, Nooriya did the same.

"Was your heart shade black ? "Noor asked and Fatima nodded with a tight smile.

"How did it change then ?"
Noor asked again out of curiosity.

"You just have to find the right person , it changed when I met Munir in Kano .It's something we all got from our late mother but mine changed." Fatima replied.

"And Zayyad ...?" Noor asked.

"...Still has it." Fatima replied and sighed, she later got up after they've talked for some minutes and left the room and Noor presumed that she's crying. it's okay to cry when your loved ones are in a tough situation, especially when your loved one's heart shade is black .

Noor quickly arranged her clothes in the large black sliding wardrobe. She bath and changed into a maroon Abaya before offering her missed prayers.

Noor was reading the holy book when she heard a knock on the door so she closed the book and opened the door.

"Come down for dinner ." Zayyad said this four words and left not intending to hear a reply as he fear that just hearing her voice can stir up the strange feelings in his heart.

Noor sighed at his attitude and got downstairs after a lot of missing ways.

Noor found the dining table after a lot  of missing ways . She reached the large table that looks too big for a small family like this one and everyone was seated already when she reached there.

Fatima sat down opposite Zayyad while Abba sat at the far end which was probably meant for him but the chair opposite him was empty, probably his late wife's own.

Noor greeted him and sat down beside Fatima . Fatima served Noor the fried rice, plantain, coleslaw and a peppered soup each in a different bowl.

"Glad you joined us Noor, we were actually talking about how well Zayyad managed my business for me in Kano." Abba said with a smile.

Noor almost choked on the  fruit juice she was taking and slightly coughed. Business in Kano ? Zayyad's father was really thinking that Zayyad was mainly focusing on managing his business but didn't actually know that he joined some thugs to harass people for fun ?

"Sorry ." Fatima said and passed a cup of water to Noor who then collected it and took some.

Noor turned to look at Zayyad who is giving her a warning glare that looks more of a mesmerizing glare than a warning one to her.

"Yes, he really managed your business well."Noor said trying to swallow back her laugh.

"You know about Munir and Fatima's incoming wedding right ?" Abba asked.

Noor eyes widen as to why no one at home informed her.

"Wedding !!??  I didn't know ! Congratulations Fatima." Noor said genuinely happy for them at the same time trying to hide her shock. She pity Fatima that she has to bare staying with
  a childish brother like hers yet Noor knows that love is to blame here.

Why did Munir not tell her ? Noor thought about smacking his head when she set her eyes on him again for hiding such a thing from her.

"Thank you Noor." Fatima replied and slightly blushed a shade of pink on her cheeks.

"Now remaining Zayyad's wedding ." Abba said making Zayyad to cough out his fruit juice upon hearing that.

"Easy.."Fatima said and also passed him a cup of water but Zayyad didn't collect it as he pleadingly stare at Abba to stop taking about his wedding as if he does not know that his heart shade is black, as if he does not know that it's hard for him to love someone, let alone marry.

Everyone kept eating quietly after the earlier tension, Abba was the first to leave the dining table, followed by Zayyad leaving only Noor and Fatima.

"Is Zayyad not older than you ? " Noor asked still eating her food slowly.

"He is 25 and I'm 23 so he is." Fatima replied .

"I thought he'll be married before you." Noor said while looking at the direction Zayyad left .

"He would've been, but his heart shade wouldn't allow him.." Fatima said and Noor mumbled an '"oh."

"I don't want this shade to kill him just like it did to Mama." Fatima said.

Noor kept quiet not knowing what to say. She went back to her room thinking about what Fatima said.

Noor laid on her bed as she waits the adventure of  the next day.

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