Entwined by Destiny

Chapter Thirty-three

11:45am on the dot,Fateema parked her car in front of Mahmud's house.Seeing C.J's car already parked there,she opted to go through the backdoor (via Iman's kitchen).

It was as if Iman was waiting for her cos even before she knocked at the door, it was flunged open revealing a grinning Iman who flunged herself at her,teasing.

"Aww..I can see some peeps are so eager!The poor dude is desperate... he was here since before 11:00am!.Now run along before he starts pestering me with questions again."

To bid time as she calm her nervous self,Fateema asked,"Erm..where's Walida?.And how did you get his contact?"

Rolling her eyes,Iman replied,"Adda Walida is at her shop and as for getting my future bro-inlaw's contact,you have Abdallah and Iky to thank.Those two can be very useful y'know.They connived together... Abdallah snuck out your phone while Iky browsed through it to get the info I asked for before sending it to me.Simple and short!Now stop beating about the bush and go get your man."

To calm down her nerves,Fateema had to keep repeating some few names of Allah before finally summoning up the courage to knock once before opening the door and walking in.

Seated on a single seater,oozing his usual charisma and manly appeal was the man who stole her heart;the man who haunted both her dreams and wakeful state.

As soon as he saw her,he abruptly got up to a standing position, his face breaking into his characteristic breathtaking smile that makes her heart do a somersault.

For the next few seconds, they just stood there not talking, not moving just staring at each other like the fools in love they are.The first thing Fateema noticed about him was he looked lighter--his light skin was glowing more than ever before, then the short beard he grew.

His mode of dressing though very simple appealed to her a great deal.She had previously thought nobody could rock in a jallabiyah like her dear twin Mahmud but seeing her hunky Igbo man in one......damn!!.

Finding her voice at last,she whispered,"You came back."

Flashing his perfect set of teeth,he replied,"Yeah,I did.You set me free to test the possibility of our relationship and now I'm back.What does that mean according to your so-called wise man's saying?."

Still standing, Fateema averted her eyes as she accused,"But you don't even appear to have missed me.You look.....different. Looking-good-difference.I don't know how to say it but you seem to be glowing....you look radiant, dazzling, more charismatic, more whatever that awe-inspiring quality in you is that makes you stand out,domineering and....appealing."

That prompted a large grin on his face as he exclaimed,"Woah!wow,wow, wow!! All those compliments for me alone?.What can I say?.I'm extremely honoured! But you must know it's all your doing. All the compliments should be directed at you.It's your illuminous,dazzling glow,radiance and bright light that extended to me.I told you before that wherever I am,your light will always reach me cos you're my Zahra.So thank you very much my dearest,for lighting up my life."

Covering her eyes with her gloved hands,she protested,"Stop flattering me C.J..."

"Habeeb"

"Wh...at?"she stuttered, eyes almost popping out of their sockets in shock.

"I said 'Habeeb'.You called me C.J and so I had to correct you since I don't answer to that name anymore.It is not acceptable in my religion"he concluded,returning the words she once uttered to him back to her.

Her legs suddenly failing her,Fateema blindly groped for the nearest sofa and sank her sudden limp body on it.She was too shocked to be able to voice out any coherent word so she just sat there,staring at him with enlarged eyes.