Destiny

Chapter thirty two

In the middle of the night, when she was sure no one was awake, Ameena snuck out of her room, walked stealthily as she felt her way in the darkness, careful not to wake anyone.

She went out the back door into the back yard. She climbed the tree and found a sturdy branch where she sat.

She was not out to gaze or marvel at the beauty of the stars, for like the typical Nigerian, she had no business with star gazing or any fascination with its constellations.

She sat and listened to the wind make soothing whispers in her ears. She was in the company of her loneliness, making some disconsolate wishes and then undoing some. She played various scenarios in her head of what could have been and what couldn't be.

Her wedding is tomorrow morning. Although she had accepted her fate, a small part of her wished by some magical twist, that the wedding will be scraped. She had been advised to pray that night, but unfortunately, she was at that time of the month when she couldn't.

So instead, she sat there and enjoyed the last hours of her freedom in blissful solitude.

The warm midnight breeze was becoming cooler against her skin.
She has lost track of time and soon, the call for As-salatu filled the neighborhood. She took a deep breath as she made her way down.
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The incessant banging on her door was slowly beginning to get on her nerves. What part of "I want to be alone" did they not understand?

"Meenu! Open the door this instant or by Allah, I will find someone to break it down!" Screamed her aunt.

"Meenu don't do this, why now? Please open the door." Deejah pleaded.

"Why are you pleading? Let her be, shutting the door won't stop the wedding from taking place." Another aunt said.

"Ameena, please listen to them and open up." Demi begged.

Finally, the voices quiet down. It appeared they gave up and left.

What is it they don't understand about her wanting to be alone? She had done her part by obeying them, but she needed this alone time. They won't understand even if she tried explaining, but she knows how important it is to her.

The piercing sound of yodelling from within the house reached her ears. A sound of pure torture...a celebration of her end. She knew the wedding fatiha is over, it's was a done deal.

A lone tear escaped her eye as she hugged her knees together. This is it then, her fate has been sealed. A new phase in her life had begun, what it holds, only time will tell. She prayed for strength as she wiped away the tear.

A little while later, she went to the kitchen, ignoring the disapproving stares of her relatives. She caught some comments regarding her appearance but she didn't care.

She wished she had tied her bushy hair into a bun because it seemed to be the cause of the unwanted attention or is it her polka dot pyjamas? She took a bottle of water and sat on the kitchen counter.

"Meenu, please come and get dressed like a proper bride. Soon, the groom and his friends are coming in for the photo session." Deejah pleaded.

She was dressed in a beautiful blush pink Swiss lace, even her make up was on point.

"I could flat iron that...thing (her hair), while your make-up is done, that way, we will save time." Said her childhood friend Aseeya.

"Please just let me be...if it's a picture he wants, find an old one of mine and send it to him. Then he will be able to photo shop me into the pictures." She said flatly.