ALIYA

Chapter 16 - Bilal

Just as Rahina and I arrived at Aisha's ward, we found the girl's parents seated by her side together with Rahina's mother. We were humbly welcomed by them, I actually thought we would meet Aisha terribly ill but luckily she was already getting better. "It's her asthma" The mother said and continued. "We had to rush her here as soon as possible" She added.

"Eyyah (Alas)" Rahina said and then asked how the girl was presently feeling.

"Never been better!" The girl chimed with a smile.

"Good" Rahina sighed and smiled back at her.

"Isn't that Kamal?" The girl asked looking towards me, I was holding the boy actually. "So you prefer to stay with your dad, right?"

"Hmm, don't mind him" I beamed as I walked over to her about dropping him close to her bed when he screamed, it seemed he was scared of the drip he saw her placed on.

"Kamal it's me, your Aunt!" The girl said but Kamal held me firmly while screaming.

Just then, Jibril walked into the ward with a nylon in his hand. He was so surprised to see us, he coldly greeted us and dropped the nylon close to his sister, Aisha. "Here are the fruits, make sure you take them okay?" He said about leaving when their mother stopped him.

"Can't you just stay for a moment please?" She asked.

"No mama, I have a lot of things to take care of at home" He said and unhesitatingly left.

That moment Rahina glanced at me, we both knew what exactly was wrong with him but what could we do? "Why is Jibril this loose?" Her mother asked glancing at his parents.

"We also don't know what is wrong with him, his life changed long ago. He's no more the boy we knew anymore" The father said shaking his head.

"Yes, and he doesn't like talking about his problems" The mother chimed frankly.

"That's sad, maybe marriage would help" Rahina's mother suggested.

"That boy? He said he's not interested in it again, you know he wanted marrying your daughter" The father said.

"Well since my daughter has married the person she love," Rahina's mother said as she glared at me before taking her face away and continuing. "Just marry him off to someone very decent, I believe he will understand as time goes on"

"Alright, we will try our best" The father huffed, hence a nurse walked into the ward to check on Aisha and it wasn't just any nurse but the one we saw on our way coming. Fawad was his name, right? He and his colleague had really amazed me with their skills earlier by the ambulance, I never knew nurses could as well be superheros like doctors.

"Good evening" He greeted us all and we humbly responded.

"Welcome back" Aisha beamed at him, making me to think perhaps he had been around before.

"Thank you" He said checking her drip. "I can see you are getting better already"

"Yes I am" She nodded her head.

"Good" He huffed and turned to her parents. "Your daughter is really strong" He said and continued. "I believe she will fully recover by tomorrow"

"Thank you, nurse" The father said.

"You are welcome, sir" He said and warmly bade us goodbye before leaving.

"The nurse is very kind unlike the lady that first attended to us" Aisha said.

"Male nurses are usually kind, you know?" Rahina's mother said.

"Not all of them, this one is just unique" Aisha said.

"Yes not all of them are kind" Her father backed her up.

And that was how they kept talking until it was almost time for Magrib, thus Rahina asked us to go home and guess what? Her mother insisted on following us. Not like I didn't like the idea of her following us but that woman, she could be a very strict mother inlaw at times.

The last time she stayed with us she made sure I didn't enjoy my days, she would question almost everything I do and would compare me with other men. Actually, she believed I wasn't the right match for her daughter.

"Kamal is going without even biding me goodbye" Aisha said the moment we were about leaving. "Is like I won't buy him biscuit when coming over to your house"

"Please leave my child alone" Rahina said making everyone to laugh. "He's scared of you today"

"Oh, really?" Aisha rolled her eyes.

"Yes" Rahina said as she took him over from me. "Isn't it, my baby?" She pecked him.

"He's no more a baby please, stop pampering him like one" Aisha scoffed.

"That's where you get it so wrong, Kamal will forever be my baby" Rahina pouted.

"Until you give birth again, right?" Aisha laughed out louder, she didn't really seem like someone on sickbed.

"Even after giving birth again, he will still be my baby" Rahina said as we headed to the door, thence we bade them goodbye and left.

It was a noisy drive home, Rahina's mother kept bringing one topic after another until we were finally home. We ate dinner, after that I left upstairs and performed my prayers before going downstairs to the living room. Both Rahina and her mother were already in the guest room, that's where her mother would be sleeping for tonight. Kamal however, what do you expect? Of course he was already in his room sleeping.

I sat comfortably on the couch watching TV until an hour later Rahina joined me. "Not sleeping already?" She asked sitting on my lap.

"No" I gulped and continued. "I just feel like watching something today" I said not taking my eyes off the TV.

"Hmm, okay" She pecked me on my cheek and withdrew from my lap. "Should I get you something, perhaps a beverage?" She asked.

"No, I am okay" I shook my head.

"Alright then" She yawned. "I should probably go to bed now, I am feeling sleepy"

"Okay, goodnight dear" I uttered.

"Goodnight, my King" She drew closer to me and pecked me again before leaving. How I wish it was Aliya, I definitely would have followed her to bed that instant! I huffed.

The following day, just as I arrived at work with my driver and was driving slowly towards the parking lot, I saw Aliya alighting from a car. It seemed her fiance or whatever was the one that brought her today. She shut the door of the car and began heading towards the storey only for the driver of the car to storm out and call her name. "Aliya, you forgot your bag!" He said making me to drop my jaw, I didn't even know when I quickly alighted from my car and focused my gaze on him from afar. Isn't that Fawad, the nurse? I asked myself.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

No, it's KingMoha the writer 😂

Lol, happy update💖

Sorry for the errs🙏

Announcement: From chapter 17 the story will change, we would start skipping days to save our time In Shaa Allah. I am eager to finish this book too, and from now on I would opt to be finishing books first before publishing them one after the other. That would save our time.