BFFs: finding love again

22. Promises

"I'm Muhammad Mahmoud, though my clan people like to call me Azanraba, a name I despise." Azanraba, where has she heard this name? Is it from that Jinn that wanted to end her miserable excuse of a life? Yes, she remembers but it's not that.

If you ever come close to Fatima Abba Sulayman, I won't hesitate to kill you. I'm Azanraba and I don't go back on my words.

Fatima shakes her head trying to pry the voice out of her head but all in vain. Where could she have heard the voice from?

All of a sudden, the door bursts open showing a disheveled Amir.

"Fatima please give me a chance to make everything right, please." Amir says as the security try to drag him out.

"I thought I told you I'd kill you if I see you close to Fatima Abba Sulayman." Azanraba says raising Amir by the neck, making his legs dangle.

So that was where Fatima heard it from. But when? Where? How? All this is messing with her brain and it wouldn't be long before she passes out. Amir gasps and coughs looking over at Fatima silently pleading for help.

"Azanraba.."

"Muhammad." Azanraba cuts her off.

"Please let him go." Fatima says. Azanraba drops Amir on the floor and turns to Fatima.

"Amir please leave, I don't have time for all this. I'm very knackered and if you don't leave he might just have to kill you." Fatima shrugs, she hates Amir and wouldn't mind if he actually gets killed. He deserves it. After all, he's the cause of her dilemmas.

Amir nods frantically and runs out, falling down at intervals. He loves her but if he dies then he's at lost. No thank you! He'd rather loose her than give up his life for someone who doesn't care for him, even though deep down he knows he deserves it, alot.

Azanraba turns to face her.

"Fatima Abba Sulayman, I've always wanted you to be mine, I've loved you since the day you were going to Gombe when you stopped by our forest to ease yourself. That day when you stretched, I felt that you were mine. Then, I wasn't a Muslim, I was an atheist.

"I stalked you and tried to possess you but you were overly protected from evil Jinns, which I was then. On the day of your school prom, I attacked you and possessed your body. But I left when I realized you didn't want me to stay with you and keep making your life miserable, 'cause that was my definition of making you mine.

"But when I realized that it was useless, I'd just ruin your life, I just gave up and went to learn more about Islam. And here i am now, with the intention of marrying you." Azanraba concludes. Fatima just wants to tell him to fuck off, but being a witness of what he's capable of, she breathes in.

"Give me time to think about it. Promise you'd control all the other Jinns and protect me." That's all Fatima needs, protection. Even though it's from a Jinn. Maybe she might just have to agree to marry this Muhammad. After all, no human loves her, the only one that does is a pathetic loser who used her, and she can never forgive him for that.

"I promise." And that's all it takes to earn Fatima Abba Sulayman's trust and faith, a promise.

Fatima exhales deeply, what should she do, she's really conflicted. She looks up and tears prickle at her eyes, why does every human in the male specie hate her? She has always been an insecure person and now she doesn't know what to do.

Maybe she should just get this therapy over and done with. Then she can go back to Nigeria so that her father can get her married to any man of his choice. But how can she get married to just any man her father picks for her? She isn't emotionless. Just like every lady or woman she dreams of getting married to someone who'd love her and care for her, someone who would overlook her flaws.

But what if it just isn't her portion? What if it was never destined for her? What if she was never destined to be genuinely happy? Then she has to derive happiness from the little things surrounding her. Remembering that her sister's marriage's future lies on her shoulders, she makes a decision.

She's going to ignore Aqsam's bitter behavior and get this therapy done with. But her Jinn just visited her, that means if she begs him she might just be able to get rid of him forever. If she does, she can go back to Nigeria and her sister, Amal can get married.

Yes, that's exactly what she's going to do. Looking at the ceiling, slowly, her eyes fall and steadily she falls asleep.

Aqsam sits on the floor in his room holding her book, their diary. He rubs it and opens it. His hand hovers over her last sentence; you need to find someone who loves you more than I do and keep you happy Omri.

His eyes prickle with tears, she knew she was going to die, but she didn't tell him. She just died like that, without telling him. She knew she had cancer, yet she kept it to herself. If he had known, then he would've kept her close, he would've stayed here, in Dubai to see her take her last breath, he would've helped her recite the Kalimah. But no, his mother had to call him for a stupid family meeting, where he found out he was born out of wedlock, because they don't want him to find out the wrong way, they told him and since then, he promised to never set foot in Nigeria.

Closing back the book, he places it in his secret drawer, where he keeps all her stuff. He picks his phone and scrolls through the special folder he created for her. Her pictures, videos of her laughing, which he had taken without her knowledge.

He misses that lady, that woman is the definition of imperfect perfection, she's perfect with her flaws. How does she expect him to just forget her and move on? He can't do that! Even the thought of it alone makes him want to puke with self loath. He'd be cheating on her if he were to even look at another girl. But what Aqsam doesn't want to believe is that you can't cheat on the dead. If she's dead then she's dead and nothing can change it.

And all of a sudden, this useless Fatima Abba Sulayman starts making advances. What a sorry excuse of a woman she is! Locking back his phone, he makes a promise to himself, no matter what, he would never allow that Fatima into his heart, never! No matter how hard she tries. But the question here is, is she even trying?