The next few weeks post Jamie's party went by smoothly, and quickly too. They were also the first few weeks of the new school year which had been off to a great start for me. I'd turned in all of my assignments on time and had attended most of my classes, as was always the case.
Of course, I wasn't just doing well academically, I was also keeping in great mental shape. I'd gone on multiple dates with Fatima-Zarah since the date of Jamie's party, and I'd binge-watched Game of Thrones for the eighth time, making it enough times to have one watch for every season of the show that there is. Game of Thrones is my favourite way to de-stress from the world and its unfortunately many stresses.
"You're fucking obsessed with that show, it's unhealthy," Fatima-Zarah stated as soon as she heard the Game of Thrones main title theme song playing loudly from my Macbook speakers. I ignored her disrespectful comment.
She'd just stepped out of the bathroom and was still wrapped up in her bathrobe.
"You don't have any more classes to attend today?" she asked, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. I shook my head to indicate a "No.".
"They were all online today, and I'm finished with them," I replied, my eyes staying glued to the screen of my laptop. The room fell silent after that, and my show continued to play.
"Zee finally texted me the address for the shoot tomorrow, by the way." Fatima-Zarah broke the silence as she began to get dressed. I furrowed my brows in confusion for a split second.
"Oh, wai gobe ne?" I responded as the memory of her upcoming photo shoot jolted back into my mind. She laughed and shook her head at me.
"Maybe I should cut down on my binge-watching." I thought to myself, shutting my laptop closed.
***
Zainab Shehu, who Fatima-Zarah had referred to as Zee, was the founder and CEO of Zainab Attire -a home and abroad fashion house that had been one of the hottest trending fashion brands in the heart of Northern Nigeria ever since its inception.
Being solicited for photo shoots by Arewa brands wasn't a new thing for Fatima-Zarah, after all, she was a professional fashion model who got paid to do shoots all the time. However, the thing was, usually these fashion brands waited until Fatima-Zarah was back home in Abuja, before reaching out to book her. This is why it came as a surprise to both Fatima-Zarah and me when Zainab Shehu herself reached out to Faati, soliciting her for a shoot featuring the latest pieces from Zainab Attire.
As we arrived at the apartment building at the address, Fatima-Zarah made a call to Zainab, whom she referred to only as 'Zee', of course. Zainab confirmed the address and asked that we come upstairs after giving us the exact number to her apartment.
After a gentle knock on the door, we waited for a minute or two before being let in by a large man, dressed like he worked in a security detail.
The room was spacious, and it was divided into sections, a workstation with a desk and computer, an open closet full of ready-to-wear attires and lastly, on the opposite end of the long room was the section which I'd presumed to be the photo studio with multiple stage lights and a backdrop, all set up for use.
Apart from the big security guard, Fatima-Zarah and I, there were two other people in the room, a man and a woman. The man was standing by the photo-studio and the woman was sitting a few feet before the closet, focused on her sketchbook.
"She said she'll be with us shortly," Fatima-Zarah said to me, and I nodded my head.
"We're probably just here a bit early." I thought to myself. Glancing at my watch to see that the clock had just struck at 10:00 am.
YOU ARE READING
SARAUNIYYA: Heartstrings
Romance"Sarauniyya: Heartstrings" is the captivating first installment in the "Sarauniyya" series, an evocative narrative that delves deep into the rich tapestry of Arewa culture, friendship, and personal growth. The story follows Ameera Danasabe and her b...
