Over and Over

atomic⁸

KANO,
NIGERIA.
EL-BAAZ MANSOR.

LAYLA'S POV

"So you mean to say you love me?" I asked, tears welling in my eyes.

Hakeem unpocketed his hands and replied, his voice steady yet filled with emotion.

"I don't only love you, Layla.

I'm nothing without you. I might have fought for power and prestige, but it took losing you to realize that my world revolves around you."

He knelt before me, fully aware of my resistance to this relationship.

Our eyes locked, and i saw the unwavering determination in his gaze. No matter what, he wasn’t going to give up.

"I won't marry you," i yelled, my voice cracking with anguish.

"Then that would be in the next life, I think," he said, standing up. "We have been a couple for the past two days."

My tears flowed uncontrollably. "Why?" was all i could manage to say.

"You are breaking my heart, Layla. I’m immune to everyone's tears but not yours," Hakeem said.

"Do you want me to fall on my knees and beg you to tell me what I can do to make it better?" He dropped to his knees again.

"Please, Layla, forgive me. Otherwise, I will die."

"Then fucking die," i spat, shoving him away before storming off, leaving him on his knees, consumed by guilt if he had any emotions.

NARRATOR'S POV

"I think we should have at least told her about the marriage," said Dada, feeling both sorry and happy for Layla.

"We should have, but just know that this decision is best for the two of them," His Highness replied.

As they spoke, Layla walked in, looking distraught.

"I can't stay here," she said, approaching her mother, her head shaking in disbelief. Dada teared up, seeing her pain.

"I want to go home. I don't like Hakeem. Why did you get me married to him?" Layla cried, resting her head on Dada's shoulder.

"This is your home too," Hakeem said, entering the living room.

"No, Hakeem, let her be for now.

She needs to compose herself," His Highness intervened, patting Hakeem's shoulder before leaving.

Dada could see the pain in Hakeem’s eyes as he walked away.

During breakfast, Layla made sure to sit where she couldn’t see Hakeem.

She took her first spoonful, her mind replaying the events of the previous day.

"So I'm a married woman, a wife to this man," she thought, her tears threatening to spill.

"This marriage is not supposed to happen," Seema said, entering the dining room like a storm.

"Aunt, how could you forcibly get Hakeem married to this thing you call Layla?" Seema spat, glaring at Layla.

"I’m yours, Hakeem. This girl wasn’t yours. She was someone else’s treasure, not yours."

"Layla was mine and mine alone. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t mine before; I was taking her anyway," Hakeem declared, his eyes fixed on Layla.

"Sometimes we try to hide our feelings, but we forget that the eyes can also speak," he said, giving her a more stern stare.

Layla looked away, her heart a battleground of conflicting emotions.