CONNECTED HEARTS

41 : A Proposal of fate

@Mamarh88 Thank you for your endless votes! Jazakallah khairan

Her phone beeped again, and she rolled her eyes in exhaustion. She knew she wasn't going to pick up, and Afdal should've known that better than anyone. He'd known her all her life her stubbornness, her silence when hurt, her tendency to shut down instead of fight back.

Coming to stay with the Kabirs or her family, as some called them had been an excuse at first. An excuse to get away from Afdal and the bomb he'd dropped at the hospital. She didn't want to talk to him anymore; she didn't even want to face the pain his words had caused.

She'd run away from the truth, from the ache, from him.

And now, she wondered why Afdal would even think of such a thing. The fact that he was her brother, or so she'd always believed, made it even more complicated. The thought alone sent a wave of confusion through her chest.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined marrying Afdal. Yes, she was literate enough to know he wasn't her mahram, but in her heart, Afdal had always been family a brother, precisely that's how she knew him. The thought of him proposing something so unthinkable felt like betrayal.

She knew he meant well, that he was doing it for their mother's sake... but did he have to go that far? Didn't he know her better than that? She could never leave her family not after everything.

She had only just begun to form a bond with her biological parents, and even though it still felt strange, she was slowly learning to love them. But abandoning the people who had raised her? The ones who'd loved her all her life? Never.

A soft knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She quickly wiped away the lone tear on her cheek and straightened up, forcing a small smile.

"Come in," she said softly.

It was her sister, Kaltoom radiant, as usual, and full of excitement.

"Hey, baby sis," Kaltoom teased.

Afeeyah rolled her eyes. "For the record, I was only ten minutes late into this world than you, so technically, you're the baby."

Kaltoom ignored her and beamed. "Whatever! I'm going to Laila's wanna tag along?"

Afeeyah raised a brow. "I thought I was shameless, but you're worse. You're going to your in-laws' house two months before your wedding? Have some shame, girl."

Kaltoom gasped dramatically. "Ugh, you sound just like Ammi. Fine! We'll go to Amani's instead. Laila can meet us there. And besides..." she smiled  "they haven't officially met my twin sister yet."

Before Afeeyah could respond, Kaltoom tossed a veil at her. "No need to dress up too much. This is Nigeria, not North Korea."

"Shut up, I get it," Afeeyah laughed, pinning her veil and spraying perfume.

Kaltoom's eyes widened. "Wait have you been to Korea?"

Afeeyah chuckled. "A few times. But can we go now before Ammi changes her mind?"

Kaltoom grinned mischievously but mentally noted to interrogate her later about her travels.

Downstairs, Ammi was waiting with her usual warnings. "Make sure you're home before Asr. Hajiya Rahima is coming to see you."

Afeeyah's face lit up instantly. "Really?! Oh my God!" She grabbed Kaltoom's hand. "Don't worry, we'll be back right after Zuhr."

Ammi smiled as they dashed out, her eyes glistening with both pride and worry.

⸻

The twins arrived at Amani's house to a loud welcome. Amani squealed, "Who knew there were two of you?!" and her mother quickly apologized for her overexcited daughter.

Moments later, Laila arrived with the sketch for Kaltoom's dinner dress. Amani's mom a fashionista through and through took one look at it, made a few tweaks, and soon, with Afeeyah's input, it transformed into a masterpiece. Everyone was thrilled.

Before long, Ammi's call came, scolding them for staying too long. They packed their takeaways and hurried home.

As soon as they stepped inside, Kaltoom sniffed the air. "Is that chicken curry sauce? Mmmmh!"

"Wa alaikumus salam," Ammi said dryly, and everyone burst into laughter even Maa, who sat beside her.

Afeeyah gasped when she saw Maa. "Oh my Allah! Mah! Hal hadha anti?" (Is that you?)

She hugged her tightly, tears of joy slipping from her eyes. Kaltoom blinked in surprise at her sister's fluent Arabic.

"Oh, so now you speak Arabic?" Kaltoom teased.

Maa chuckled proudly. "She speaks seven other languages too."

Afeeyah blushed, and Kaltoom greeted her warmly. They all settled in to eat, chatting and laughing until it was nearly Maghrib.

When it was time for Rahima to leave, Afeeyah's heart ached. She hugged her tight, tears streaming down her cheeks as Rahima promised to return soon. Watching the car drive off, Afeeyah felt like a part of her was leaving too.

Kaltoom wrapped her arms around her. "I know you'll miss her," she said softly. "But she'll be back soon."

Ammi joined them, taking both her daughters' hands and leading them inside.

"I just feel so sad," Afeeyah admitted, her voice small.

Kaltoom smiled gently. "You know what I do when I feel like that? I make wudu, pray two rakats, and cry my heart out to Allah. The peace after that... unmatched."

Afeeyah sighed. "I would... but I can't right now."

Kaltoom's eyes softened knowingly. "Aunt Flo?"

Afeeyah laughed weakly through her tears. "Yeah."

"Then I'll pray for you," Kaltoom said with a grin. "You big baby."

Afeeyah giggled, feeling lighter.

⸻

Later that night, during dinner, Alhaji Kabir cleared his throat. "Afeeyah, how are you coping?"

"Good, Alhamdulillah," she replied with a smile.

He nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Did Ammi tell you what she discussed with your Mah?"

Ammi shot him a warning look, but he ignored it. The room grew tense.

"You know," he began gently, "everything we do is for your happiness. We love you, Afeeyah. We'd never force you into anything you didn't want."

Her heart started to race.

Then came the words that silenced the entire room.

"Your Mah came here to ask for your hand in marriage... to Afdal."

The fork in Afeeyah's hand slipped and clattered against the plate. The world seemed to stop spinning.

Ammi quickly reached for her hand. "Only if you agree, my dear. No one will ever force you."

But Afeeyah was already crying, shaking her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Abee stood and pulled her into a hug. "Come here, my child. No one will ever force Abee's princess."

Kaltoom's eyes welled up too, her hand resting on her sister's shoulder. "She doesn't have to say yes," she whispered.

Faruk tried to lighten the mood. "No one's forcing Abee's princess."

Kaltoom sniffled, pretending to pout. "What about me?"

Abee smiled sadly. "I have two princesses."

The tension in the room broke, replaced with small smiles fragile, but sincere.

And even though Afeeyah's heart was heavy, surrounded by her family's warmth, she knew this moment would change everything.

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