Labiba

Prologue 2

Sorry I had to cut the prologue short and post it. That's the thing about me when I'm not going through a writer's block, I just keep pouring out words. Anyway I hope you enjoy this. After this, we get our chapter1, which will be set in 2019, 2 years after this.

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"Looks like I came early." Labiba says as she drops her bag on the couch in the living room. "Aunty Salma, ina yini." She shouted towards the kitchen and Salma answers back faintly. "Gaskiya na gaji, I can't come into the kitchen now." She sits down on the couch as Farouq excuses himself and Salim stands there awkwardly. "Ka zauna mana, unless you're scared of me."

"Why would I be?" He challenges her and she tilts her head sideways.

"I don't know, maybe because I work for Tahir Magaji?" She says and for someone who was sure she intimidates Salim, -okay to be honest she does intimidate him a little- but the name Tahir Magaji doesn't ring a bell. He shrugs in her direction and she sits up as if she couldn't believe him. "CEO of TMX Tech?"

Oh, that Tahir! His supposed rival. Salim chuckles out loud and she cocks a brow "someone is cocky." She folds her arms against her chest.

"More like I don't care about him." Salim admits. "Mutane like to talk ne kawai, but we are not rivals in any way."

"Huh, could have fooled me." Labiba says. "Heard you dated his wife and she ended up marrying him."

"So you listen to gossip too." Salim says, getting a little bit annoyed at her bluntness.

"No, just stating facts." She says, holding up her hands in mock surrender. They sit in silence for more than 30 minutes with Labiba pressing her phone and Salim watching the TV. Labiba wonders what Falila is doing in there that is taking so long, she gets tired of waiting and stands up just as Falila walks in wearing an abaya and a veil around her head, she looks so radiant with light makeup on her face as she comes to stand near her sister. Labiba watches as Falila smiles shyly at him and takes a seat very far away from where he's sitting.

"Ina yini." She says not looking at him and he answers smiling. "Labiba, ga Salim." She says to Labiba who's looking at her strangely, obviously not understanding why Falila is being so shy.

"Na gan shi ai." Labiba answers her irritably. "Ni dai zanje inyi sallah." She walks away without waiting for anyone's reply.

He sat there with Falila for a few more minutes before the call to Maghrib prayer and they discussed Labiba a little with her but nothing much about her. What Salim doesn't understand is how he feels intrigued about Labiba, like he already knows her.

After Maghrib prayer, they come back together with Farouq and they could hear Salma and Labiba faintly from the dining room.

"Ba fa wai na hakura bane Labee, you couldn't attend one event at my wedding. Wallahi yanzu ma Falila ce ta dage min shiyasa nake kula ki."

"Haba Aunty Salma, understand me mana. Wallahi weddings make me depressed, it's not personal. I just hate weddings."

"Naki zai zo ai, zamu ga ya zakiyi."

"Who said I'm getting married." Labiba replies in a joking manner.

"A toh, Abba dai yace Falila ba zatayi aure ta bar ki ba, hada ku zaiyi and Salim is obviously ready." Salma tells her. "Gwara ki fitar."

"Lallai, Salim zai gaji ya bar ta kuwa." Labiba says with no hint of a joke in her voice. Why is she like this? Salim couldn't imagine how they could be polar opposites with Falila when they look just the same. Labiba is noticeably prettier than Falila while Falila is a little bit fairer, but even that is only noticeable when they sit side by side.