EP__________2️⃣5️⃣

They went up and down arguing and that's how mansur put him in front and they headed to the event center because it was evening reception.

Since they got there he was just eyeing mansur meanwhile mansur act like he doesn't acknowledge his existence, as magrib prayer was called Aryan stood up as he was just looking for a way out of the hall.

"Where are you going?" Mansur that's coming toward him asked.

He gave him a dismissive look before he said, "tunda naga ka koma Michel to ni da kabbara ta a ka I'm going."

"You are not going anywhere." Mansur said in a serious tone.

"Tho ka hanani tafiya Dan ubanka." He said that and started walking.

He quickly ran towards his front and stopped him saying, "Dan allah tsaya kaji haba friend, there is a mosque next to here, let's go and pray then we'll come back, since you've already seen how we arranged everything, from here we will go to the hotel and you will get ready and then we'll accompany you to your matrimony house."

"Tho I don't want any, I forgive you, everyone should go home and rest or it's by for..... The arrival of some of their friends made him quiet down."

"Ango ango kasha kamshi kayi wanka da kamshi Kuma zaka sake Shan kamshi, Allah yasa an qulla alheri ya bada zaman lpy," they said in unison.

The way mansur was nudging make him force a smile and said "thank you."

" are you leaving?" one of their friends asked.

Mansur answered, "no we are going to pray and come back."

"Okay we are also going to pray, we will see you when you get back."

As they left Aryan hissed and said, " ka gama dani whl mansur but...." He nodded knowingly and headed out.

"Wait for me mana or do you know the mosque," he said, suppressing his laughter as he include running to catch up with him.

He was trying to escape after the prayer was over when his friends chased him and make him came back to the hall by force. They spent 30 minutes later before they leave and headed to the Lagos Continental hotel, where they booked rooms because of their friends that were not based in lagos.

As he entered the room, he locked the door, took off his shirt and lay down on the bed, sighing. 

He was completely exhausted both physically and mentally. As he slowly closed his eyes, the door to his room started being knocked loudly. 

He knew that no one could do that except mansur, he pulled the pillow and covered his ears with it. But a banza man Kare, he held the bedsheet as if he was going to tear it off before he got up and sat down, looking at the door, wondering why mansur was doing this to him, completely disturbed his life.

He stood up and went to open the door but he didn't step aside to let him in, instead he leaned against the door, fixing him with a sleepy gaze from his sexy eyes.

Mansur peeked into the room the returned his gaze to Aryan, he looked at aryan up and down before Aryan spoke first.

In a lazy voice he said, "mansur, what have I done to you in life that makes you hate me like this."

He pushed him aside and entered saying, "What will you do to make me hate you? just move and give me way." 

He stood there watching him until he went in and climbed onto the bed, ganin ba sarki sai Allah made him close the door and went back inside.

He climbed onto the bed, lay down and turned his back to him. They remained quiet until mansur started answering Incoming calls, he didn't mind him until isha prayer was called then he stood up and went to the toilet to perform ablution.

As he come out he found mansur still talking on the phone but unlike other calls this one seemed like he was talking to a lady. He just hissed spreading out the pray mat and said, "whl if you don't turn off this phone, you won't finish it in here." 

Mansur eyed him before bidding her farewell and hanging up. He got up, went to the toilet, performed ablution and come out.

After he finished he climbed back into his bed and lay down while mansur went out for about 40 minutes. 

He came back, took another shower and dressed in a milk men lace spritzing perfume Wherever he went like he was the groom.

Aryan was in the middle of a sleeping when he felt someone waking him up, without opening his eyes he murmured, " ummm?"

"Wake up," mansur said shifting his stance.

"What would I do to you?" he said in a sleepy voice.

"I don't understand what would you do to me? You should get up and get ready, let's accompany you home and then head back to our own houses."

Aryan didn't even budge he just continued sleeping.

"Aryannnn," he said, tapping his toe impatiently.

He tried to sit up furiously saying "Get out of here mansur before I lose my temper."

"Ahab, sai kayi Kuma ."

"Okay, you're not going right?"

"Yes," he said, twisting his lips like a woman.

Aryan looked around before his eyes landed on his shoes he quickly picked them up, threw them at mansur who dodge and ran outside, laughing, "Kuma whl get up and get ready, we're waiting for you." As aryan trying to get up, mansur quickly close the door behind him.

" Da ka tsaya mana stupid boy kawai," he said, returning to his bed, despite knowing he'd already roused him from sleep, he began thinking about this destined marriage of his, which seemed unbelievable. He smiled to himself which only him knew what it meant, so this girl had ignored my warning right..... his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts, seeing 'mom' on the screen, he adjusted his position and answered.

"Barka da dare mum."

"Yww babban mutum, ya fama da jamaa"

"Alhamdulillah Mom"

"Har kun isa ne?"

He paused wondering What mum meant and then suddenly remembered Mansur's recent visit. So he said, "Ah ah, mum we haven't left yet."

"Stop by here before you go."

"Tho in sha allah mum,"

With that she hung up the call, he got up and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. He didn't spend much time inside, he came out and started getting ready.

He was in the middle of getting ready when mansur and 3 of his friends came in. 

It was Ashir who said, "so all this time, you weren't ready?"

TJ chimed in, 'kai kuwa ango yake fa, he needs to get ready well.

Mansur didn't say anything, thought he was trying to stifle his laughter knowing Aryan was angry with him.

He kept delaying intentionally making them waste time before heading outside without talking to them.

TJ said, "haa how will you go and leave us, zaman wa muke tho."

Muazzam who had said nothing since they'd entered, said, " he's excited to see his bride, you guys should understand mana." They all laughed provokingly and followed him, leaving mansur behind them until they reached their cars. 

Aryan opened the car door, mansur who was with him got in and took the driver's seat, without saying a word, mansur started the car and drove out."

"Let's head to Victoria Island first."

" okay," he said picking up his phone and dialing Ashir's number and then telling him where they were going first.

Even when they arrived mum cautioned him first, then gave him some advices and covered him with prayers. He felt so drained by her words that he couldn't even get up.

Mom smiled and said, "you can go son, your friends are outside waiting for you."

He couldn't even moves his head was lowered down, Only he knew how he felt, mom grabbed his hand and stood up.

She excorted him to the car, praying for him, then went back inside, leaving mansur and the rest teasing him as she left.

They stopped and bought some refreshments and snacks to follow the traditional customs before heading to his house.

*** *** ***

At the aryan's house, only the bride, hadiyyah, Manira, kainat, Shenal, walida and three of faryal's other friends who were waiting for the groom, when hadiyyah told them they were on their way, which made them pack their things and come downstairs to faryal's other room.

They entered with a salam, hearing their noise coming from the room downstairs, they made their way there. Meanwhile aryan pulled out his phone and started a fake phone call to excuse himself. As they disappeared from his view he returned to the living room and sat down, just then his phone buzzed with a message from mansur.

"I know you are not on a phone call you should come in and paid the bridesmaids the unveiling bride price."

He smirked knowing that if he could pretend for anyone he couldn't pretend for Mansur, he replied him with, "just handled everything."

Mansur sent him message again," whl you should come in or I will reveal the secret."

"If you stop revealing my secret, you'are not mansur, stupid boy." He replied, hissing at him.

Inside the room mansur and the rest paid for the unveiling bride price after the jokes, shenal then asked, "among you, who's the groom?"

Mansur patted his head and said, "he's outside on a phone call."

"Olryt I think we should get going." She said looking at manira.

"Okay let's drive you home." mansur said.

"No our car is outside." Shenal responded 

"Okay let me drive hadiyyah." Mansur said again.

"We are in the same house." Shenal answered sending him prank look because she noticed that since he'd come in his attention had been on hadiyyah."

"Thank god you revealed yourself, I know you are among my opponents." Mansur said laughing.

She laughed too and stood up, just then, a new cry arose between Manira and Faryal as they hugged each other, with hadiyyah's beside them, shedding her own tears. It was shenal and the rest of their friends who eventually persuaded them and stormed out of the room while shenal teased them.

When he noticed they were coming out he quickly stood up, put his phone to his ear and started talking as if the call was real, mansur eyed him when their eyes met, meanwhile TJ said, "Malaam whoever you are talking to should bid farewell now, it's time for the bride.

As if it were real he said, "okay John we talk in the morning," and then hung up the phone answering the bridesmaids greetings absentmindedly.

Walida teased him smiling and said, " it seems like this groom is not excited for this day."

Mansur quickly chimed in saying, " who told you? He was the one who made us come now, he was so eager since morning."

Walida laughed and said, "ahh I can see but you should take care of my friend, she's a princess not just any other girl."

Aryan forced a smile and nodded.

So they all bid him goodnight and left seeing that mansur about to follow suit, he grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.

"What again?" He asked frowning.

He smiled and said, "Thank you friend."

Even though he felt happy but he hid it and instead he pouted dismissively, "Kai Ka sani kuma, ga dai yarinyar mutane nan if you hurt her Allah will catch you, so take care, Allah ya tashemu Ipy," he said as he left.

Aryan locked up everywhere and turned off all the electronics before heading upstairs without even glancing at faryal's room door. As he entered his room, he put key in the lock, locked it and started to take off his clothes.

As for Faryal, when she felt the house go quiet, she stood up, took off her toub and sat down quietly, for over an hour she gazed around, checking the time 11:19pm, she wondered to herself, "did he follow them or what? because there was no sign of movement in the house. Her heart racing with fear, she quickly got up and locked the room. Returning to the bed she felt something under her pillow and In surprise, lifted it, watching a piece of paper fall. 

As if afraid of touching fire she bent down and carefully picked it up, her eyes followed the writing and she smiled painfully, gritting her teeth, so this person hasn't thrown away his weapons," she thought to herself, "what have I done to him? Or is there such a thing as a person hating someone without reason? She questioned herself but she didn't have an answer at that moment.

"WELCOME TO LIFE'S PRISON," that's what was written on it, she swallowed hard and wrapped the paper, keeping it aside.

She sat there lost in thought, her expression a mix of sorrow and fear until sleep overtook her at 2 am.

The call to prayer from her phone woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes which felt heavy from the sleepless night and looked around the room with a sharp gaze, having totally forgotten that she was not at home.

She made a supplications, yawning and then sat down for minutes before she took her phone and went out.

It was dark everywhere, so she turned on her phone's light until she found the stairs leading directly to the room she was first taken to. She went in and placed her phone on the bed then she went to the toilet, brushed her teeth and performed ablution. 

She came out, spread out her prayer mat and opened her beautiful spacious wardrobe, which took up almost half the wall.

Among the clothes hadiyyah had arranged for her, she pulled out her hijab, wore it and started praying. she first performed the raka'atanil Fajr and then prayed the obligatory fajr prayer. She sat there and recited the morning azkar then took out her Quran, starting to recite as they used to at home. 

Her heart was filled with longing as tears fell, she missed home, where she'd typically be reciting with her siblings at this time. They'd often engage in playful arguments, quoting verses back and forth now she felt a sense of loneliness she'd never known before, despite her efforts, her voice trembled as she recited and tears continued streaming down her face. 

On the groom's side, he also finished his prayer, recited his azkar, got up, picked up his system and started working.

He stopped what he was doing as a thought struck him, he moved the system aside and stood up .

He was about to pass out when he heard a voice, and he stopped, surprised. He was sure it was a woman's voice coming from the other room. He headed to the door, opened it and stood there like statue looking at her cox he didn't expect her to be here, he thought she was downstairs.

Even though she heard the door open, she didn't look up until she completed the verse.

She looked up, caught a glimpse of him and quickly looked away, noticing he was shirtless, wearing only shorts and his toned physique visible. 

"You should come out when you are finished I want to talk to you ." He said leaving the room door and back to the living room upstairs.

He hadn't sat long when she came in, wearing the hijab she'd prayed in. She sat on the farthest chair and murmured, "ina kwana."

GUYS WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT ARYAN MIGHT TALK ABOUT WITH FARYAL? 

SHARE YOUR IDEAS!