AREEZAH✔️

° Inna °

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"Ree this is my brother, Jameel. Jameel this is my new friend Areezah." Hannan started as Jameel was driving in a slow pace. I could only see the back of his head and it is not even ideal to see his face so I didn't bother. Hannan is clueless as to what has happened between me and Jameel, her brother.

"Nice to meet you," Jameel said sarcastically but only I could pinpoint it. This isn't the first time we are meeting and his reply just prove to me that he doesn't want Hannan to know. To be honest, even I, I don't want to narrate how I had slapped Hannan's brother to her. She had always talked about him and I could decipher the love she has for him.

"Nice meeting you too." I say, playing along with him. If he wants it his way then why not give it to him?

It then dawned on me at that moment that Hannan was not just a friend, she was also my cousin.

The question here his, how comes I never knew of it?

I decided to keep it at the back of my mind to ask Aminah later when I go home.

The car ride for the rest of the journey to my destination was silent, only me and Jameel could feel the awkward tension. Hannan was chatting away on her phone oblivious to the things happening around her.

Not until we reached my house that she came back to her senses.

"Yaya how do you know Ree's address?" she asks with a confused face. There's no point in denying anything now, the secret is going to be out and Hannan will get pissed off at me.

"I'm surprised you don't know your cousin but how could you even?" Jameel muttered, asking himself a rhetorical question. Hannan not getting an idea said, "What's going on?"

"Areezah is your cousin, do you remember Aunty Fatima? Mum was saying you're the only one who haven't met her." Jameel explained to his sister as she nodded in understanding.

I just sat there quietly pondering on how a beautiful girl could be related to a monster.

"You see Ree, I'm surprised we haven't met before. What?! All these years of growing up," Hannan said wailing in the process.

"It's our parents fault I think. I mean we never met each other,"

"I met Aminah at aunty Jaleelah's wedding and, Imaan baby and Ikhsaan too." He said, I now understand why my family members favorite person was Jameel. He acts so sweet and bubbly but that's far from it. What got me into a shock was why he had called Imaan baby. I was the only one who has the right to do so.

I sighed.

"Okay I'm going to take my leave. See you in school Hannan." I say, opening the car door hastily wanting to get out of Jameel's prying eyes from the rear view mirror of the car. I had purposely avoided them because it's a sin. Yet still he didn't get the message and he kept on starring at me.

Hannan said her bye and I was not even expecting it from Jameel.

I performed my zuhr prayer before laying down to take a nap.

I woke up with a start and checked the time on my phone which reads 5:30pm. "Subhanallah," I had said when I realised I slept off without praying my Asr. I quickly got up and performed ablution, praying fervently and asking ya Allah for all of my needs.

I strolled downstairs when I was done. Ikhsaan and Imaan were watching a Spongebob Squarepants movie which captured all of their attentions. I moved to kitchen, wanting to get a glass of water for myself when I saw Aminah fighting with the frying pan. She was desperately trying to turn the bambara but failed at it miserably.