Entwined by Destiny

Chapter Forty-three

Iman's school is one of the universities with the fastest moving academic calendar and so within two months of her return, the remaining part of the semester was already over and so she came back to Zaria.

By then,Fateema had one more month remaining for her iddah to be over.She was so lucky cos Mahbub didn't hesitate in granting her her wish of freedom even though it pained him a great deal.Now she does nothing but stay at home and eagerly counting the days till she's allowed to see her habeebee again as she had completed her youth service.

As Daddy narrated to them, despite his grudges against the young man, he really pitied him when he saw how agitated and heartbroken he got upon hearing Fateema's request. There and then he had knelt down before Daddy,begging for forgiveness over his wrongdoings and permission to be able to play his fatherhood role in Abdallah's life.

He pleaded with Daddy to grant him visitation rights,to let him cater for all his son's needs--schooling,feeding, health matters and suchlike, just like every other father does to his child and lastly,for Abdallah to bear his surname. Daddy readily agreed as he knew it was all for the best Abdallah bears his own father's name and associate with him so the whole world would know he really has a father.

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Habeeb on the other hand had gotten on the next available flight to Nigeria as soon as Fateema's message got to him.To say he was shocked at the turn of events is an understatement of the year 2017 but he was so glad and grateful to his Zahra for not telling him earlier.

He would forever be indebted to her for sparing him the heartbreak,tension and agitation that would have surely overcome him had he known what was happening at the time.He can't even imagine what he would have done had he known at the time but one thing he was sure of is that it would have been ugly....very,very ugly.

Even now that he knew Fateema was really free of Mahbub,he couldn't help but feel murderous and extremely jealous towards the man who left his mark on Fateema,whom she once loved and who still has feelings towards her!.

That was what pained him a lot...to think that there's someone somewhere daring to think of his Zahra even in the slightest of ways......The same man she once felt the same thing for......Urrrgh!!!

The day Habeeb had his one-on- one meeting with Daddy was the day he truly understood the real meaning of being nervous.Really,all through his life he had never felt so uneasy,restless and nervous as he had felt that eventful day.

Being the kindred spirit of his Zahra,he's overly confident in himself just as she but on that day hmm....ya raina kanshi (he belittled himself). Anybody who knows him as Dr Iza-a-wuta would be shocked to see his demeanor while in Daddy's presence.On that day,he was the one on the hot seat just as he had placed so many people in the past.

When Daddy was satisfied he had gotten enough information to use in order to investigate on him,he excused himself and just as the extremely nervous young man was finally heaving a sigh of relief,he came face to face with his longtime adversary.

Smiling in apprehension, Habeeb meekly uttered,"Salam alaika Engr."

Mahmud answered the Salam under his breath so Habeeb wouldn't hear before putting on a no-nonsense expression on his face,crossed his arms intimidatingly on his chest before speaking.

"What do you want with my sister,islamophobic Christopher."

Smiling in a humourless way,Habeeb replied

"I don't blame you, Engr.Call me whatever you want,I deserve it.....or should I say Christopher deserved it.Have your revenge on all the wrongdoings Christopher did towards you but just bear in mind that you're taking revenge on the sins that have been wiped out already. Allah (SWT) Himself has forgiven me,Engr.I'm a pure man now.I am no longer that islamophobic man you know, I have truly,wholeheartedly converted.But that will not stop me from asking for your forgiveness. I'm sorry for all the hatred,jibes and wrongdoings. I did that because I had a terrible history with some Muslims.But it's all in the past now,I can't hate Muslims anymore when I am one of them,right?"he concluded in a light tone.