MINE (EDITED)

chapter 9

⭐️

The day had finally arrived. My last day before heading back to school. I was counting down the hours, itching to get on that plane and leave behind all the wedding drama and everything that came with it. Part of me was relieved—school meant I could escape the constant questions about marriage, the constant whispers, and the expectations from my family. I could just breathe again.

But at the same time, there was this nagging feeling in my chest, something I couldn't quite place. Was it guilt? Was it fear? I didn't know. It was just there, lurking, like a shadow that followed me wherever I went. Maybe it was because I knew that no matter how far I went, the wedding plans would follow me, hovering like a cloud.

I sat on my bed, my laptop open, but I wasn't really watching Game of Thrones—my favorite series. My mind kept wandering back to Muhammad. The whole thing with him still felt like a puzzle I couldn't figure out. We'd been talking more lately, and it was nice, but it also felt a little... off. Like there was some unspoken tension between us, and I didn't know how to fix it.

I was just trying to push all the thoughts aside when I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called out, expecting it to be one of my siblings.

The door creaked open, and there she was—Ni'imah. Of course, Ni'imah. The last person I expected to see right now.

"Hey, sister-in-law!" she greeted me, a wide grin stretching across her face.

I froze, unsure of how to respond. It had been a while since we'd really talked, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for whatever she had to say. But I quickly masked my surprise with a smile.

"Hi Ni'imah, how are you doing?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I closed my laptop and set it aside.

"Fine, Alhamdulillah, how are you?" she replied, sitting down at the edge of my bed like she owned the place.

"I'm fine too," I said, looking at her but not really seeing her. I was too focused on the million thoughts swirling in my mind. I couldn't get comfortable, not with the way things were between Muhammad and me.

"So," I said, trying to steer the conversation away from anything personal, "Ya kike? How's your mom and everyone?"

"They're all fine, Alhamdulillah," she answered, a smile tugging at her lips. "But you know, you're avoiding me, right?" She pouted teasingly.

"Kin share ni kwana biyu fah," she added, a playful jab at the fact that we hadn't spent much time together lately.

I raised an eyebrow. "Ni na isa? And besides, you're the one who share-d me!" I replied, pretending to be annoyed, but secretly I was glad to see her. She had a way of making things feel a little lighter, even though I knew she was probably here to bring up Muhammad.

She laughed. "If you say so," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Well, I came to say goodbye. Ibty told me you're heading back to school tomorrow, Inshallah."

"Yeah," I said, my voice catching slightly. "Summer break ended pretty fast, though."

"It really has," she agreed, sounding almost wistful. "I'm also going back soon, Inshallah, in a week or two."

I nodded, wondering if I'd be able to avoid everyone's expectations while I was at school. "You're at De Montfort Uni, right?" I asked, trying to focus on the conversation.

Ni'imah nodded. "Yeah. What about you?"

"Manchester Metropolitan Uni," I replied, the thought of returning to school giving me a little bit of relief. At least there, I could focus on my studies and have a semblance of normalcy again.