Over and Over

Anode

Buckle your sit belt and get ready to be mesmerised.
I'm going to give you back to back enjoyment in this chapter.
As always, expect the unexpected, kuna dai ji ko.😄😄

KANO,
EL-BAAZ MANSOR,
NIGERIA.

NARRATOR'S POV

In the quiet corridor of the Palace, the air was thick with anticipation.

Hakeem and Zubair sat in a corner, deep in conversation, their voices a mere murmur against the grand silence of the hall.

As Rayhana walked past them, her eyes met Zubair's in a brief, stolen glance that set her heart racing.

"Babe, wait," Zubair called out, rushing towards her with a sense of urgency.

"You're back," he said, enveloping her in a warm hug that spoke of longing and relief.

"You have no idea how much I missed you," he murmured, pulling away just enough to look into her eyes.

Rayhana smiled, her cheeks flushing with shyness.

This was the first time he had ever hugged her, and the newness of the intimacy made her heart flutter.

"I missed you too, babe," she replied softly, adjusting his tie with a tender touch.

"Gotta run, babe, or else your brother is going to unalive me," he added sarcastically, lightening the moment.

Their relationship was a secret, a hidden love that they guarded fiercely, afraid of His Highness’s disapproval.

With Ramadan fast approaching, Hakeem had forgotten about his usual trip to Saudi.

"Zubair, please cancel all my plans for the last ten days of Ramadan because I'm traveling," Hakeem instructed, setting down his coffee cup with finality.

---

ABUJA,
NIGERIA.

Layla sat at home, feeling the oppressive weight of boredom and loneliness.

Yasmin was married, and Fatima had moved to Bauchi, leaving Layla feeling trapped and isolated.

"Layla, come and help me cook," Dada called, pulling her from her thoughts.

Her hands, wrapped in bandages from frequent kitchen mishaps, bore the evidence of her clumsy attempts to learn cooking.

Dada was determined to teach her before she returned to Kano, and Layla had reluctantly become an expert in Nigerian cuisine.

---

KANO,
EL-BAAZ MANSOR,
NIGERIA.

"But Your Highness, how can they come all of a sudden?" Ammi asked, bewildered, as His Highness announced that the family reunion would be held at their place, with relatives coming all the way from Morocco.

"But Layla is not home," she added, her voice tinged with concern.

"That's perfect," His Highness replied, leaving her confused.

-- --- --

"Ummu, please bring some soya milk along," Hakeem said, smiling at his grandmother after learning she would also be coming.

Ummu, his paternal grandmother and the ex-Queen, was his only surviving grandparent, and he cherished her deeply.

"No, I said 35 luggage boxes and 15 gift boxes," Ammi instructed the box arranger over the phone, moving around frantically.