Life Without You✔️.

11: Acceptance

Bibi's POV.
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.

Too tired and hungry to bother about why I was giving everyone at home the silent treatment I stroll into the kitchen to fix myself breakfast. Because I slept off without eating I woke up extremely early after managing to go back to sleep after fajr so thankfully Mama and Aunty Shafa were still fast asleep.

I go back up to my room and take a shower after that I get dressed and go back to sleep again. I wake up to a call from Leena. "Hey girl, how are you?" She screams into the phone "I'm not fine, but how are you doing?" I croak "what's wrong, meya faru what happened?" She enquires.

"It's mama and everyone else here." I say "what did they do?" She asks "long story short they want to get me married to that cousin of mine Ayman I've been telling you guys about because apparently my dad is trying to take me away from mama and apparently his has done things that he should be in prison for and me being in my husbands house would prevent that." I explain.

"Inalillahi waina ilayhi rajiun, sannu mama na, I'm so sorry." She gasps and I sigh in response with no energy to say anything else. "So what now, you don't have a say, why just him?" She questions "mama said he's the best option and will take care of me as expected of him oh and I failed to mention he came over yesterday to inform me that he'll be getting married to the said love of his life three months after our own marriage. And the wedding should be just as I'm rounding up university. So much for thinking finishing university early was a perk." I scoff

"This is not fair at all." She exclaims "toh, there's isn't much left to do or say except pray Leena, I asked mama if I could get a divorce after the case with my so called father is cleared and she almost diced me in two." I tell her.

"Insha'Allah I'll pray for you and pray istiharah for Allah to to provide you with what's best for you." She advises "I will today insha'Allah thank you so much." I say genuinely grateful for someone like her in my life. "When will you be coming to Nigeria then?" She questions. "I'm not sure yet, but you'll be the first person I inform when I know of the fixed date." I inform her.

"Take care of yourself and try to be easy on yourself indeed Allah doesn't test a servant with that which he cannot bare kinji you hear?" She advises "Insha'Allah." I sniffle feeling the tears beginning to build up. "I'll take to you later." I manage to say before ending the call.

||•~•||

Days rolled into weeks and I'd finally come to terms that this was my new reality and the fact that I'd be married to Ayman in the next two weeks plus school was pretty hectic with last minute projects and other stuff I had to deal with alongside exams I was pretty occupied which I was grateful for because I didn't have time to dwell on the fact that I would be married even before graduation and at that to Ayman.

I came back home from school as exhausted from school as ever only to meet Mama and Uncle Faiq in the sitting room. "Ina wuni good evening." I greet as I walk in "lafiya lau Alhamdulilah, fine all thanks to Allah." They both chorus by the other side I notice mama's box down the hallway.

"Mama are you going some where?" I ask "yes we'll be leaving in the next one hour for the airport we need to clear a few things back home with the lawyer and file the case in court before you all can come home." She explains

Suddenly not interested in the conversation anymore i nod before saying "Toh Allah ya kaiku lafiya, May you reach home safely." I pray and the both chorus an "Amin." I take that as my cue and go up to my room to rest. An hour later as I'm chilling in my room fayha barges in.

"It can only be you." I say coming out of the closet to meet her sprawled on my bed. "What? can't I come say hello to my favorite cousin?" She smiles showing off her one sided dimple. "What brings you here this evening is it because Uncle is not around? Bari ya dawo, let him come back." I threaten.

"When did you become a snitch?" She gasps dramatically placing her hand on her chest I try putting on a stern face and after a one minute stare off we both burst into fits of laughter. Honestly these days she's the only person I enjoy being with who makes me happy and doesn't make my current predicament look like it's the end of the world hence my love for her.

I do hope they all move back to Nigeria alongside us so she can come see me whenever she's chanced since her brother will be off romancing the love of his life to even care about what I do or who I hang out with.

We spend the evening talking about outfits we like and the ones we hate. We video call my friends and end the call only to pray Magrib. After Magrib her brother came back to pick her up you can guess who. Understanding why I didn't want to go down even without saying anything is yet again why I love her. We say our goodbyes up in my room and she leaves me to my silence and a very chaotic mess of a brain.

السلام عليكم
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