Bewitched

28

MUMTAZ

Driving with half my attention on the road and half on Badiyya's animated story, I was trying to stay calm. I'd been back in Nigeria for a week, and so far, everything had been quiet. Too quiet. I hadn't seen Muntassir once. Not a single glance of him at Ridwan and Badiyya's wedding preparations. The weirdest part? No one in my family had brought him up.

It was almost like they were conspiring not to mention him. But I had a plan. Tomorrow, at dinner, I'd surprise everyone with the news. I wasn't going back to Milan—not permanently, anyway. Sure, I'd have to return for Fashion Week, but after that, I was coming back home. Sasha and Piper had been right, pushing me to take the remote styling gig. It was perfect: I could chase my dreams without sacrificing the people I loved.

Ridwan had even started speaking to me again. It was awkward—a simple "hey" and a short, stiff hug—but it was a start. A far cry from the bear hugs he used to give me, but I could feel the walls crumbling down, slowly but surely. Everything was falling into place.

"And then, you won't believe what happened next," Badiyya continued, snapping me back into the present. "Muntassir brought her to our weekly football hangout."

My heart clenched. Her. I didn't need to ask who. I already knew. Anisa.

"Wait," I interrupted, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "He brought Anisa to a football hangout? With you and Ridwan?"

"Yes!" Badiyya exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I nearly died on the spot when they walked in together. I mean, I know he's been seeing her, but to bring her to something so... personal? In front of all of us?"

My foot pressed down a little harder on the accelerator. "I can't believe it," I muttered. The thought of them together at a casual hangout made me sick.

"Are you okay? You're getting kind of close to that car—"

Before I could react, a loud thud shook the car as I rear-ended the vehicle in front of us. The sound of metal crunching against metal echoed through the street, and both Badiyya and I screamed at the impact.

"Oh my God!" I yelped, panic flooding my veins as I threw the car into park. My hands shook as I fumbled with my seatbelt. "Did we... we hit them?"

Badiyya, wide-eyed and pale, nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we did."

We both scrambled out of the car to assess the damage. The front of my car was crumpled, and the back of the car I'd hit didn't look much better.

"Great, just great," I muttered under my breath, nerves buzzing. "This is the last thing I need right now."

Bystanders were already rushing over, one random man yelling at me from across the street. "How could you drive so carelessly? What were you thinking?"

I wanted to snap back, but I was too busy scanning the other car, waiting for the owner to step out. When the door finally opened, I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

Muntassir.

Of course, it had to be him. Because fate had some twisted sense of humor.

He stepped out of the car, his eyes landing on me like I was some sort of ghost. For a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other in shock, the rest of the world fading into the background. I could feel Badiyya tense beside me, her whispered "oh shit" barely registering in my dazed mind.

Before I could say anything, the passenger door of his car opened, and she stepped out. Anisa. Of course.

"Is it bad, Munty?" she asked him, peeking at the damage with a concerned frown.