BFFs: Married To My Sister's Best friend

25. Saving Grace

Lash turns around and gives a smile which is returned. They exchange pleasantries and he leads her inside. The place is a little dark as the sun has already set.

"So why did you request that we meet?" Lash goes straight to the point. She doesn't want him to think she likes him - which she obviously does.

"I just want to know you more. I know a lot of things about you but i need to confirm some from you. Kinsan ance dadin kida a jita a bakin mai shi." Lash smiles.

"What and what have you been able to find out?"

"Well, I've found out that your name is Aisha Humaira, I'm surprised to know that you have never been seen using a surname. Mind if I ask why?" Lash trembles. This is one of the reasons she doesn't entertain men, they like to bite more than they can chew.

"I'm an orphan. I've never known my dad because my mum never felt it was necessary to tell me who he was. I spent my early life - from my birth till I graduated primary school - in Ghana. There, a student is allowed to use their mother's name as surname, so a situation never occured that I needed to ask her." Lash answers honestly. She doesn't know why but she feels the need to tell him the truth. Maybe it's because he seems like he can help her out of the darkside she's in.

"Ayya. If he's dead may his soul rest in peace and if he's alive may Allah reunite you both." He prays and she says Ameen. He just earned himself a place in her heart without him knowing. No one had bothered about her not having a father talkless of asking about it or even going to the extent of praying for him. It's a plus for him and he's not even trying.

"I also found out that you're twenty four years old. Also that you are a self developed blogger and chef. You develop recipes on your own and share them with the outside world." Lash nods, happy that someone notices the good she does in the world and not the bad.

"I also heard, I don't really know if it's a rumor or not but i heard that your mother is dead." Lash's heart breaks at the memory of her mother. She wasn't the best mother but she was a mother. Some people are out there praying to have a mother, no matter how.

"Yes. She died when i was in senior secondary school. Ss2 to be precise." Zulqan-nayn throws her a sympathetic look.

"May Allah enlighten her grave, forgive her sins and grant her the highest rank in Jannah." another plus for him. Lash says Ameen and they continue like that.

When the call to Isha is made, Zulqan-nayn leads them to a nearby mosque. All the way, Lash's heart is palpitating in fear. It is performing a solo circus show in her chest, trying to break out of her ribcage. Why in the world did she agree to stay there for a while? Now he's going to find out that she barely knows how to pray.

Luckily, they are able to meet with the congregation. She doesn't even know what she's saying in her Salah. All she knows is that she's muttering some nonsense. She's just doing what everyone else is doing.

After the prayer when the Du'as are being said, the lady by her left turns to her.

"Are you a convert?" Lash almost slaps her. What's her business?

"Yes." Lash forces smiles. The lady gives her a disdainful look then stands up to leave. What's her problem? If she knew she was just going to be judgemental why ask? Lash just hisses and walks to her car. Clearly too annoyed to wait and say goodbye to Zulqan-nayn.

Just as she drives out of Maitama, her phone pings with a message.

Since you couldn't wait to say goodbye, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be coming over to your house.

Lash smiles, may be, just maybe he'll be her saving grace.

Halima wakes up immediately the first Adhaan is made. She quickly goes down, locks her kitchen and store then goes to the drawer where they keep all their spare keys. She takes the ones for the kitchen and store then tie them all together with the other keys then puts them in of the new bags from her lefe.

She starts praying, begging Allah for his Rahma on her and her family. She suddenly remembers that she's supposed to get back to the doctor today about her infertility.

She concludes her prayer and opens her bag. She whips up a quick breakfast for herself and package it in a small warmer then hides it inside one of the drawers attached to the TV stand in the main parlor.

While she was cooking in the kitchen, Aleesha changed all her creams, lotions, gels, hair creams, shampoos and whatnot. Halima knows that if she's to go back to bed she won't wake up in time for prayer so she starts sweeping and cleaning the house. By the time she's done, it's time for Subh prayer.

She prays and sets an alarm for the next two minutes and increases the volume to maximum level then places it directly under Sa'eed's pillow. He's a heavy sleeper so he won't feel the impact.

She washes the bathroom, takes her bath and gets dressed. She goes to the small parlor and starts reading CLASSICAL MUSLIMAH on wattpad by Meemxy while waiting for Sa'eed to come out and throw a tantrum because if there's one thing Sa'eed hates is not waking up to breakfast. He can go the whole day without eating once he has had his breakfast.

Sa'eed walks past Halima to the kitchen all dressed for work hoping to catch her attention but she doesn't even spare him a glance. He tries to open the kitchen but it won't budge.

"Habeebtee the kitchen is locked, why? And where's my breakfast?" Sa'eed stands in front of Halima l but she doesn't even spare him a glance. Instead, she laughs at something Meemxy wrote about the character in CLASSICAL MUSLIMAH. This angers Sa'eed.

"Halima if this is about yesterday I'm sorry okay. Now please tell me where my breakfast is. I have to be at work in the next two hours and you know quite well I don't eat take-outs." Halima looks up at him, gives him a scrutinizing look as if trying to find something then goes back to reading her book making Sa'eed snatch the phone.

"I'm smelling Habeebee, have you forgotten so soon? Don't touch me or you'll get some of the smell on you."

"Halima please I'm sorry. I agree it was stupid of me to tell Aleesha you're smelling. Now can you please give me my breakfast?!" The veins on Sa'eed's head are popping up which is a sign that he's getting impatient.

"I didn't cook." Halima shrugs and Sa'eed looks at her like he's been told his mother is dead.

"You didn't cook?" A disbelieving look covers Sa'eed's face and Halima nods as if it's a norm.

"Why wouldn't you cook? You're supposed to cook for me, that's why I married you, to cook for me." The last statement hurts Halima but she refuses to show it.

"So you married me to turn me to a chef huh? Wow! But that means my bride price won't be enough. I'll need a salary, a uniform, a chef's hat, assistants and all those stuff. Moreover, you keep forgetting Habeebee, I'm smelling. Why would you want a smelly woman to cook for you in her smelly kitchen with her smelly utensils?" Halima quirks a brow still lying down, not fazed one bit.

"Habeebtee I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry okay. Please forgive me." Sa'eed tries to hug Halima but she pushes him away, here comes the rage she's been trying to keep in.

"Don't. You. Dare. Touch me!" Halima shouts, her breath stinks, Sa'eed muses but he isn't going to tell her. He has already said enough offensive things from yesterday till today to last her a life time.

"You said it by yourself that i stink Sa'eed! You said it and you couldn't even tell me! You had to go around blabbing it to some useless whore." Halima makes a sign of a moving mouth with her hands when she says blabbing.

"Aleesha is not a whore." Sa'eed says,   his voice dangerously low.

"Oh sorry papa duck, i forget so easily. I'm not supposed to say anything about your..." she air quotes "...'friend' because she's way better than me. I'm your wife, just a cook, nothing more, very less. But that idiot you call Aleesha can come into this house, trying to get between us and you expect me to sit back and watch her." Sa'eed palms his face. His wife is impossible.