Bound ✅

Chief Planners and Fairytales

Hi guys, here is the update. This chapter is for oyiza27 who sent me the sweetest words in the world in my DM. Thank you sis, God bless you.

Also please vote and comment🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

"When is the appointment?"

Halima signed on the papers for some orders and sighed before replying her mother. "Twelve pm." She watched her mother check her time before informing her. "It's ten twenty now." Halima knew so she nodded, she didn't understand her mother's excitement, it was just a meeting with the planner Summayah recommended.

"Jamal's mother is coming too." Halima lifted her head sharply in shock.

"I thought it was Jamal, Summayah and I? What does this meeting have to do with you two?" Halima's mother sneered at her. "Shi Shi you're talking nonsense. We're going there as elders. You youngsters cannot be trusted. You'll go there and tell them you only want 20 guests." Halima put her head on her table in irritated annoyance. It was exhausting to have parents vested interest that was overly far-reaching like this.

"I have a wash and go appointment now, please amuse yourself while I'm away." She didn't even wait for her mother's reply before running out of the room.

When she got back into the room nearly an hour later, she met her mother on the phone laughing so hard at what someone was telling her. "Ah Jannah, you're so Unserious. Yes, we will invite all your cousins, they'll be her bridesmaids. Will we tell the world that she doesn't have friends?" Her mother sighed thoughtfully and hummed at whatever Jannah was saying.

"We're getting ready to go see the planner now. I hear its one of those upscale people. I hope it's not too expensive." She laughed again and cut the call.

Halima packed her bag, left it and walked to the mirror to adjust her black hijab over the wine flowing gown she had worn. She unfurled the sleeves and adjusted the length over her hips. She moved to check if her hijab was in place ans caught her mother looking at her from the mirror.

"Is everything okay?" Her mother sighed and then smiled. "I'm just thankful, my heart is full." Halima's annoyance disarmed, she walked to her mother and hugged her to herself. She never realized how much her mother meant to her until that moment.

"Mum. Thank you for being my anchor." She borrowed Jamal's mother's words. She in that moment regretted  the annoyance and irritation she felt earlier. Her mother had sacrificed a lot for her well-being and so, emotions suddenly clogged her throat and instead of speaking, tears dropped from her eyes in rapid succession.

"No thank yous where family is concerned. You don't deserve any of the things that has happened to you. Apart from of course this beautiful turn around." Halima nodded and kissed her mother's forehead.

"Wash your face and line your beautiful eyes, swipe some shiny gloss on those lips and let's go dazzle." Halima chuckled at her mother but walked to the bathroom to do just as she had said.

Thirty minutes later, they were in the car-park, waiting for the Abubakars to arrive. They stuck to time and arrived at exactly eleven-thirty.

First, the children had to endure Halima and Jamal's mothers greeting. The greeting spanned about two minutes, they asked each other about everything askable. It was until Summayah hurried them up that they allowed Halima enter the mini-van that had upholstered seats. When she raised her head, her eyes met with Jamal's. Then he patted the seat beside him. She smiled and moved into the individual seat beside him. He had papers spread over his laps.

"Assalamualaikum." Halima smiled, stopping Jamal's heart beats. Those eyes that she had no idea their power had held Jamal captive. It took the ringing of his phone to jerk him out of his reverie. He then noticed that he didn't hear her answer to his Salam.

"What are you working on? I noticed you carried it when we went to the kids school." He shuffled the papers in non-chalance.

"Its nothing, its just a joint busniess venture with Adeel Baba Hassan and Muad'h Dikko. We'll be refining aviation fuel in Nigeria as opposed to airlines importing." Halima nodded, she had always clients complain about how long it took to get available aviation fuel.

"Any problems. You sounded frustrated on the phone." He threw out his left hand in frustration. "It's just the permit for the one million litre refinery we're building that is giving a headache." Halima sighed and prayed for things to turn out well and easier than expected. He muttered an Ameen and went back ti work.

"Where is the planner's office located?" She asked Summayah in hush tones. "Gwarimpa." She nodded, sat back and listened to her mother and Jamal's mother discuss in low tones.

*******

"Hello good afternoon everyone."

Halima watched a beautiful woman and two others come into the conference room they were supposed to use for consultation.

"Who is the bride?" She smiled at Summayah but Summayah thumbed her finger at Halima. Halima waved shyly at her. The woman smiled widely at Halima and went to seat at the head of the table, the others sat on other chairs in the conference room.

"So, when are we looking at?" Halima sighed and motioned for Summayah to answer.

"Between early and mid June." She noted it down and asked one of the others she came in with to pass portfolios around.

"What type of theme at you looking for?" Halima sighed and out down the portfolio. Her vision for her wedding was a walking talking fairytale style. She had mentioned it to Summayah once and she knew she would remember.

"How many guests?" Summayah read from her notebook as she answered.

"One fifty minus the main wedding party, you know, groomsmen and bridesmaids. Both parents." Halima watched from the corner of her eye as both mother's argued with Summayah.

"Okay. Okay. Two hundred guests is our maximum. 200 guests." Halima watched them sigh. She shook her head at them. Nigerian mothers and stretching the guest list were like five and six.
"You know, a simple and elegant fairytale." She answered the chief planner. The woman noted it down again. She thought that would reduce stress for everyone.

"Budget?" Halima laughed at this because she had no idea what the budget was. She just knew she had been dragged to the wedding planner's office.

"Thirty million. Twenty for the main dinner including photographers, food and venue. The remaining ten for all other events." Halima watched how the planner's eyes lit up with a wide smile at Jamal's words. She had been looking at the planner because she was too shocked to speak. When her words can out, it came out croaked.

"Thirty what?"

*****

Thirty million for a show 😌dazz how a star do, never oo, never to be caught unfresh. 😂😂😂😂Guys, what do you think about our budget. 💁🏽‍♀️

Also, asoebi colors oo. Pick pick pick. Ehn.

See y'all soon.

TheOmoope.