Entwined by Destiny

Chapter Five

A fulani by tribe, Mahmud Dikko hailed from Karau-karau village in Giwa local government area of Kaduna state. He was an only son to Hassan Dikko but had numerous cousins. After his first degree, he married Nafeesah, a nurse working at A.B.U.T.H Shika.Their union was blessed with three children--Naseer, Nasrin and Nasiba.

After marriage, he had gone further to obtain his masters and doctorate degrees. As a civil servant, he held numerous positions before he was appointed Nigerian ambassador to India.

At that time, Naseer had just completed his secondary school, Nasrin was in S.S Two while Nasiba was in J.S Three. So upon moving to India, Naseer got into a university while his sisters were enrolled into a high school to complete their secondary education.

Amb Mahmud Dikko's tenure came to an end at the time when Naseer had already bagged his masters degree, Nasrin was in her third year at the university while Nasiba had completed her secondary education. As such, they all moved back to Nigeria with the exception of Nasrin who has to complete her degree before returning home.

When the time came for her return, she came back not only with a certificate but with an Indian fiance in tow. Arjun Malhotra had been in love with Nasrin M.Dikko ever since their first year together at school. He had tried every means to get a reciprocation of his love but to no avail. Nasrin had told him loud and clear that she would never be in a relationship with a non-believer.

It wasn't until their final year that he told her he has converted to Islam and he wishes to make his love halal (by marriage). However, Nasrin didn't answer him straightaway until she spied on him and discovered that he goes to masjid to pray and even started dressing as a Muslim. As such, Nasrin gave in to the all-encompassing interracial love that blossomed between them.

At first Nafeesah (mama) was reluctant against the union. How could she let her beloved daughter marry a complete stranger, a foreigner at that and then go to live with him in a faraway land? But the love she saw in the eyes of her daughter and that of the Indian boy's melted her heart. That, along with the assurance she got from her husband made her to give in to their wish and give them her blessings.

By that time, Naseer had also met the love of his life. Hauwa Risikat Isah is a yoruba girl studying Microbiology whom he met when he himself was a lecturer in the department of Architecture. Therefore, when Arjun came with his marriage proposal and was accepted after much drilling, it was decided that both weddings would commence simultaneously.

However when asked to bring his family for the normal introductions before marriage, Arjun said that he was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage and it was even the government of his state that sponsored his education. As such, one of Nasrin's uncles had to stand in as Arjun's waliyy for the nikah.

However, the whole truth was revealed three months after their wedding. At first when Nasrin noticed that her husband neither takes ritual baths nor perform prayers, she took it as an act of ignorance or forgetfulness since he's a new convert so she kept reminding and teaching him.

However as time went on, bit by bit the whole truth came out. Arjun wasn't an orphan, infact, he had a very large extended family! But that wasn't the major shocker. Nasreen soon discovered that he had also lied about his conversion to Islam! She caught him redhanded worshipping idols when they visited his parents' house.

Upon confronting him, he burst into tears and kept begging her not to leave him now that she knows the truth. He claimed that he loved her too much to just let her slip through his fingers that was why he concocted the white lies. He pleaded with her to stay with him and he would let her keep her religion while he kept his. Nasrin reassured him, saying bygones are bygones, she'll stick with him despite everything. Afterall, two can play that game called deception, right?

Unknown to Arjun, Nasrin secretly made all necessary arrangements with her brother Naseer over the phone and as soon as everything was set, she flew back home to Nigeria with a shattered heart.

Arjun didn't hesitate to come after his beloved wife as soon as he discovered what she did. But all his efforts to get her back proved futile cos Naseer didn't even let him see her. In the end , it was in the court that the short-lived marriage was dissolved, leaving two damaged and broken hearts.

Nasrin was indeed so broken-hearted that she didn't even realise the changes going on in her body. At the back of her mind she knew she was observing iddah but it didn't even register on her mind that she hasn't seen her period even once talkless of calculating the iddah.

It wasn't until she started feeling movements in her belly that she complained to her mother. Mama, who's a registered nurse just looked at her before saying, "Don't you know you are pregnant? That was the first thing I noticed since your return."

To say Nasrin was shocked is an understatement. Child of a non-believer? Not just her, everyone in the family wasn't pleased when the news spread.
However, everyone's opinion changed when a scan showed she was carrying twins. Not just one but two babies?! Qadr-Allah! Who were they to oppose this? It was then they realised that Arjun & Nasrin's short-lived marriage was the work of fate. It was destined by God. It has been predestined that the twins will be begotten through that marriage and so no one, no mortal soul could have prevented it.

The twins were born--a girl and a boy who looked every inch like the biracial babies they are. Amb Mahmud named the girl (who is the first twin) 'Fateema' and the boy 'Mahmud'.