EP__________6️⃣

"What did I do?" 

"You are stuck on someone who doesn't care about you like you do about him, don't you think you are worth more than that ? you're beautiful, educated, and from a good family. There's nothing you lack, why settle for someone who doesn't appreciate you, Look at us da me muka fiki but see how we've got guys lining up for us, picking and choosing who we want. 

Faryal slightly smiled and said, "Walida, Hamdan loves me, he's just struggling with maturity issues, that's why you guys don't understand him."

"Faryal, I'll tell you the truth the person you say is struggling with maturity issues and you think he can marry you and take care of you... haba Faryal, think carefully I'm just offering my advice." 

Faryal hummed without uttering a word, and Walida continued.

"I know you have many lovers, but it's just because you're stuck on Hamdan that's why you don't give them a chance. Now, you said Hamdan loves you, right?" She stopped and smiled, then continued, "I want you to give someone else a chance. If you didn't experience love from him more than Hamdan, then I agree with you that he loves you, I have known you since you started dating but I haven't seen any improvement in your relationship kullum jiya iyau kamar cin gorubar kuturu."

Faryal's heart raced as she acknowledged the truth in Walida's words, but she was getting attached to Hamdan. "I'm a woman and I'll change him and make him how I want him to be if we get married." Faryal's inner thoughts slipped out loud without her realizing it.

"Faryal, the person you can't change before marriage, you can't change after marriage. You've spent five years together, if you could change him by now, I think he would've changed ."

Faryal paused for a moment, processing Walida's words.

Walida interrupted her saying, "Since you're here, take me to the market, I want to buy some things." Faryal who was touched by walida's words, stood up, saying, "Even my mom asked me to buy some spices for her, but first I'd like to greet Umma before we head out, is she around ?"

"Yes, she's in her room," Walida said as she took her veil.

They exited the room and met Walida's mother in her room. Faryal greeted her and Walida told her  she was going to the market with Faryal. 

On their way, Walida told Faryal about her adventures in Abuja. They spent over an hour at the market before finishing. Faryal dropped Walida at their house and went back home.

As it was almost 4 pm, she prayed Asr and spent the rest of the time with her family till it's time to cook dinner. As they often did when available, she and Hadiyyah cooked the dinner. After finishing, Faryal made funnel cakes for hamdan.

When she finished making everything ready, she met Nasar in his room playing games on the mini TV.

"Nasar!"

"Na'am," Nasar answered while his attention was on the TV.

"Please go get the guest living room ready." 

He looked up and said, "Our brother-in-law is coming today, isn't he?" 

She smiled and said, "yes,"

He kept the remote and stood with a smile on his face, saying, "Ahh, I must get the living room ready now now."

"You won't stay and bother us today don't say I don't told you." Faryal said, knowing the bond between nasar and Hamdan as Hamdan treated nasar like a peer because they both shared similar talkative habits.

They came out of the room together, Nasar in front and Faryal behind. Beta approached them, asking, "Where are you two going?" 

"I'll go get the guest room ready, Hamdan is coming." Nasar answered.

"Yeyyyyy," Beta screamed as she ran back inside, screaming that Hamdan was on his way.

Faryal held her forehead, saying, "This girl and her mouth." She followed beta as nasar went to the compound where the guest living room was. 

She headed straight to their room took a quick shower, prayed Magrib, dressed in a simple Ankara gown and did simple makeup. She looked at Hadiyyah, who was chatting and laughing and said, "Wanna wayar sai ta saki hauka in kakayi wasa."

Hadiyyah put her hand over her mouth laughing and said, "I'm sorry, it's not my fault it's Abubakar."

Faryal nodded her head and smiled, then said, "My regards to him." As she stood and headed out to the room.

Faryal exited the room, met her grandmother and Beta in the dining area, she joined them and asked about Maama, Beta told her that Maama was in her room she said she wasn't starving now. 

They finished their dinner and headed to the living room and started discussing until the Isha prayer was called.

They went to their grandmother's room and prayed along with her. After they finished, they sat in the room kept chatting, with some playful jabs exchanged between them and their grandmother. As the clock clicked 9 pm, Nasar entered, saying, "Faryal, is Hamdan on the way ? it's already 9." 

Faryal looked at her phone to see the time again while Daadee said, "You have to call him." without argument she entered his contact and dialed his number, but he didn't answer. She kept the phone, feeling down, and looked up, saying, "He doesn't pick, maybe he's on the way."

" okay?" Nasar said, exiting the room.

Faryal fell silent, lost in thought, while Daadee and Beta played with Beta's teddy bears on the bed, as Beta usually slept in the same room with Daadee. As time reached 9:36pm Faryal was very worried, she called Hamdan again, but he still didn't pick up. She stood up, told Daadee she's coming, feeling somewhat fearful and hoped Hamdan wouldn't disappoint her again, as he often did. She saw Maama, Nasar, and Hadiyyah watching TV before they asked her something she excused herself, telling them she would go and ease herself.

As she entered the room, she just started walking from one side to the other, looking at her phone from time to time. As the clock clicked 10pm, she completely accepted that Hamdan just did as he used to. She changed her clothes to nightwear and went to bed, with a heavy hear heart, she couldn't even go out and say goodnight to her family, this was so embarrassing even among her own family. "When will Hamdan be serious about her matter? When will he be matured like any other man?" she posed questions to herself without answers, and before she knew it she fell asleep.

The next day, as they finished everything, she took her phone, memories of Hamdan's actions yesterday flooded her with sadness. She opened her data and started scrolling, she saw Hamdan's story on Instagram, which he posted 16 hours ago. As she watched the story again, she realized he must have posted it yesterday by 9pm, meaning he saw her calls. She threw the phone on the bed angrily.

Hadiyyah, who came out from the toilet after taking a shower, looked at Faryal before saying something. The room door opened and Manira entered and exchanged hugs with Hadiyyah then turned to Faryal, who was sitting looking at them her face etched with worry and said, "Don't tell me you didn't even take a shower and you know we promised Shenal we would spend a day with her?" 

"I'm not in the mood manira, please let me be." 

Manira looked at Hadiyyah, who was in front of the mirror rubbing cream on her skin and said, "What's got her so upset?" 

"Hmm, who will make her upset except Hamdan?" 

"What happened between them?" 

"As he used to, he told her he would come, she got ready, prepared a snack for him and he didn't come." 

"Kai, this man, this man, I don't know what she sees in him that she's stuck to him this much, haba ko shi ne autan Maza ai sai haka, ba fa kwantai ki kayi ba." Manira and Hadiyyah kept discussing about Hamdan while Faryal listened to them, but she didn't have any words to defend him. As he was trying to test her patience she just stood up and headed to the bathroom hearing Manira say, "Wallahi ki yiwa kanki fada dai Faryal time doesn't wait."

As she entered the toilet, she leaned on the door, wishing everyone would understand how her heart loves Hamdan. "Is that the reason Hamdan is hurting her heart?" She wiped her tears and silently uttered, "Wallahi, this time I will make sure you know my worth, I have endured enough, I can't kept rolling with this, everyone's blaming me and you that I'm fighting for you, you don't even consider me a priority, where will I put myself and get relieved?"

She took a quick shower and came out to find the room empty. She got dressed in a yellow Turkish abaya. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she started recalling Walida's words, "You are beautiful, educated, and from a good family." "What did I lack?" she questioned herself. She sighed and uttered, "I deserve the best life has to offer, Why settle for someone who doesn't appreciate me?" She smiled wryly as she applied maroon lip gloss and put on her medicated glass, maintaining her composure, took her grey handbag and headed out of the room.

She met them in the living room, tried to act okay, and asked, "Manira are you guys ready?" 

Hadiyyah answered, "Yes, Dama we were just waiting for you. Since you're here we should get going." 

"Okay," she said as they bid farewell to Maama and left.

They spent their day with Shenal, which made Faryal forget her worries. By the time they returned, it was already Magrib, so they insisted that Manira should sleep over, and she finally agreed. So, they spent the night chatting playfully until midnight, then went to sleep.

The next day was Monday. Faryal and her sisters shared the household chores since there were three of them, Manira and Hadiyyah would sweep and mop while Faryal would cook breakfast. She quickly finished cooking because it was getting late.

After setting the dining table, she headed to the living room calling out to Manira her talk was cut off as she saw how messy the living room was. Instead of tidying up, they had scattered things around, Seeing the throw pillows on the ground, she looked at her left side and saw the mop bucket and broom with parker. She nodded plotfully and went to pick up the two parkers, walking sneakily towards them.

As she reached them, they were seated on the ground, reading manira's conversation with Amin. She hit the parkers on their heads, and they stood up fearfully.

"Stupid humans, Is this what you're supposed to do? I knew you two wouldn't do anything better since you said I should leave it to you." She ended her talk and shifted her gaze to Beta, who came out of the room ready in her school uniform.

"Beta, you should hurry up and take your breakfast. Your lunchbox is in the kitchen and where is this naughty boy?" she asked as she threw the two parkers to Hadiyyah and Manira, who started tidying the living room. She headed to Nasar's room as they clashed while he was coming out.

"Nasar, you're getting late. What were you doing in your room?" 

"Then whose fault is it? You're the ones who didn't cook breakfast earlier," he said, heading to the dining area.

Faryal went to their room, counted some money, and came out again. She went to the dining area and distributed  pocket money to Beta and Nasar, who complained that she was reducing their pocket money and threatened to report her to their father.

She left the dining area ignoring his exaggeration. She went back to her room, took a shower, and got dressed. As she was packing what she needed for the office, she saw the wallet. She sat down, opened it and found two ATM cards with two IDs. One of the IDs was for a company named A.M SARAKEE MOTORS. She repeated the name trying to place where she'd heard it before but her expression turned dismissive, she read the address then put the ID back in the wallet and placing it in her handbag. she put on her shoes and went out. She greeted Maama and Daadee, then went to the dining area to eat her breakfast.

After breakfast, she went to Daadee's room, knowing Manira and Hadiyyah would likely be there. Indeed, she found them already finished tidying the room. Hadiyyah was standing at the toilet door and Manira was standing near the bed. Hadiyyah was gossiping to Manira and they were deeply engrossed in conversation, unaware of Faryal's presence.

Faryal said, "Ehen the two parrots, I'm heading out."

Manira who was visibly disturbed by Faryal's presence that silenced Hadiyyah from talking, said "Dan Allah jeki a sauka lpy."

Faryal, who was about to close the door, stopped and entered the room, playfully hitting Manira on her back saying, "Marar kunya banza kawai." 

Manira touched the spot where faryal hit her and said, "No problem, we'll connect later I don't have time for that right now."

Faryal laughed and asked Hadiyyah, "Don't you have lectures today?" 

Hadiyyah replied, "It's evening lectures." Faryal nodded and closed the door.

As she bid farewell to Maama and Daadee she jokingly told Daadee, "If you don't bring those girls out of your room, they'll spoil it." She ended laughing and headed outside, hearing Daadee already starting to exaggeratedly call out to Hadiyyah and Manira.

As she arrived at the company, she met a lot of work, but she tried to complete everything before 3 pm. When the clock clicked 3 she had already finished, so she left the company and followed the address she saw on the ID.

Without much trouble, she found A.M SARAKEE MOTORS, a well-known company. She pressed the horn, and one of the security guards came out to check who was in the car. She rolled down the car window and greeted the security guard with a "good afternoon." 

The guard, who appeared to be Christian, replied, "Afternoon madam, How may I help you?"

"Umm..., she paused, recalling the name on the ID. "I'm looking for Mr Aryan."

"I'm sorry, madam, this company is for men only."

"Men's only?" Faryal repeated with a dismissive look on her face. "I don't understand, Is it not a business company or is there a different business for men and women?"

"Sorry ma'am, that's what I swore to when I was accepted to work under this company, no woman is permitted to enter."

Faryal held her mouth in surprise she had never come across something like this in her entire life. She laughed because the sentence sounded funny to her. As she was about to speak again she saw the gate getting opened and the security guard urged her, "Madam, please don't make me get fired from my job, Please leave It's the CEO."

Faryal, determined to see this through, decided not to back down. She reversed and blocked the way completely, took the wallet, and stepped out of her car. She approached them with the security guard accompanying her, begging her to get back into her car.

Mansur quickly opened the car door and stepped out before Faryal could completely approach the car. He stopped her with a smile on his face, anticipating what could happen if Faryal got close to Aryan, and said, "Barkan ki..."