Upon arriving at the University of Lagos, their car was let through immediately and Ilham could see the attention the car is getting and she got all more giddy. Thanking God that she isn't the only one ogling at the monster taking everyone's attention with just a roar. The car could be heard from miles away.

Aisha Ilham didn't want to get down from the car because not only will she be bombarded by her fans, the attention the car alone has had her tripping back to her sit. There is no way she could leave this place without getting noticed like she wished. She knew people will see her but not as much as she is seeing now because of that monster she is in.

Taking a deep breath and started adjusting her abaya. Nadirah gave her hand and gentle squeeze and also left the caf, leaving her all alone in the car because even Aashif left not wanting to look creepy to his sister and hers. He was silently waiting for her outside with his sister and her sister, waiting to see the scene unfold.

She pasted a small smile and skipped out of the car gently, taking the offered hand her sister gave her. It looks like the car they just jumped out of is where the graduation is taking place and not the opposite side of the school. She wished they will just leave after ogling at the car and also Qismah's brother who is getting almost equal attention as the car around the female population standing there.

She is no coward and she shouldn't be afraid of her own fans so with that determination, she raised her face and the place literally moved or her ears did. The place was in uproar as soon as they saw who it was. Some didn't quite pinpoint the face but will ask their neighbour and before she knew it, the whole place knew that Aisha Ilham Shagari is there and they can't keep calm.

In a minute, people started flashing cameras at her and they started moving closer to where she is but got stopped by four bulky looking guards wearing black and masked their faces with black aviators. She didn't know where they came from but is very grateful that they stopped them from coming closer to her or she'd hyperventilate because it is overwhelming.

Aashif saw the panic in her eyes and moved back to give his guards a quick call. He is an important man though no one knows that, he still doesn't walk around without guards especially in crowds. His identity can be closed but they can still get the taste that he is the one and will bombard him so he doesn't take risks.

Some even left the graduates and came back to see her. She didn't like spotlight taken from the persons who are supposed to have it to her. Right now, all the lights are facing her and she doesn't like it. Even the graduates surrounded her with their phones and huge smile.

That smile makes her feel much more at ease because at least, they have a smile across their lips and not anything else shined their eyes brightly than happiness and elation. Well, since she brought happiness to them, she should get to give them an autograph for taking their spotlight.

"Hello, Miss Aisha Ilham, I'm Lina. We heard that you got here and please can you come with me. You have a special seat as our management agreed upon right now, please come with me." A short dark skinned short woman named Lina passed a megawatt smile at Aisha Ilham who was still in shock to move.

The woman is dressed in white shirt and blue Jean skirt, her eyes are closed with wired cat's eye glasses. She has subtle makeup from her eyes shadow to the carved brows and little pink lipstick she has. Not bad, Aisha Ilham thought as her fashion senses went straight to giving her a score. She gave her a seven in ten.

"Uhm, sure." She smiled back at the woman and together they left, not before she waved at her fans and sister.

"Please, have a seat." Lina smiled lastly before excusing herself then left the stage to continue arranging the event accordingly.

She is sitting on one of the high chairs in front of the place, at the makeshift stage. There are a few more important geriatrics close to her. Three of them are women and two are men, she couldn't pinpoint where she knows their faces but knew they are some top people in Nigeria. She's seen them quite a few times on the television, maybe they are politicians or just some tycoons.

"Aisha Ilham, right?" One of the women asked, she looks younger than the rest of them at the age of thirty five or a little more.

"Yes, and you are?" She gave her hand to shake which the woman accepted in her equally soft and well manicured hands.

"Fatima bint Abdulgafar." When she saw the questioning gaze in Aisha Ilham's face, she added; "The minister of woman affairs." She grinned proudly at her title because she knows how women appraise her around Nigeria because of the hard work she puts in her work and the women she saved.

"Oh, that is nice. Wow, I finally get to meet thee rock." Aisha Ilham released a chuckle between awe and amazement, she likes the woman.

There was one time when she passed an invitation to her so they could seat with her people in their next meeting but she didn't get to attend it, she was out of the country then. Aisha Ilham was disappointed then because everyone was looking forward to it and then she didn't invite her again due to the circumstances.

The woman has this beautiful dark skin and her eyes are slit. She has pointy small nose and cute pouty peach lower lip and dark upper one. Her lips are bright and she is wearing a juniper coloured bubu lace with golden veil to match with it. She has fashion sense and Aisha Ilham is super impressed with the woman. She gave her an eight in ten.

"And I'm finally meeting thee idol." Fatima returned back the laugh and let go of Aisha Ilham's hand.

They conversed between themselves and exchanged phone numbers till it was time for the graduates to walk into the grand hall. She saw her sisters walking into the room one in front of the other in a straight line. She gave them a thumbs up and didn't let their unsurprised face bother her, she knew Nadirah has already told then what happened so seeing her there isn't really surprising.

After the commencement is over and all her sisters got their certificates and Lulu got the first class. Aisha Ilham was so proud and they took so many photos all the while she signs a lot of autographs. Lina told her she was about to be called to give some few words but she didn't like hearing that. She wasn't ready for all that and now that it unexpectedly came up, she has to come up with something quick.

"Assalamu Alaikum. Hello, everyone! This is unexpected and I honestly don't know what to say to the graduates but might as well say it to everyone." She smiled gently at the mass of people looking at her and the multitudes of cameras flashing on her face.

"In the world, there is nothing like perfect and flawless, that is in the Heaven, try to attain that. Live simply according to how you wish and not how people want to see you. It is your life and everything you do will always be about you and not them. What they they think, want or like is not what you should be concerned about. Focus on your goal and become what you have always dreamt to be. Be it a housewife, a businesswoman, a maid or a waitress. In the end, you only have yourself and your Lord, no one else. Try everything that makes you smile not what people scale as perfect.

"Like I said, there is no perfection in this world and the worst is, no matter what you do and how you try to make your life flawless, you will never impress them. There is nothing as them! It is always you and yourself, no one else. Don't try pleasing 'them' as they don't deserve to see the side meant only for you. If you try pleasing 'them' you won't ever reach where you want to be. You are alone in this battle of life so don't try downgrading yourself for someone who won't think twice before leaving you in the battleground to fend to yourself. It will always be you! People will hurt you and leave you and las las, the you is always at the end.

" Be happy and derive joy from what makes you happy. Congratulations once again!" She concluded with a gentle smile and step down from the stage.

Hoots and claps were heard while some chant her name like she is some idol. Her heart fluttered seeing people showing her so much love. She hates that she looks like a hypocrite to herself. She tells everyone to move on and be happy when she is still dwelling on her past trying to take away the pain from the past. She hopes she overcomes that too one day like her people do.

She left the hall and followed the back door to get some fresh air. Her sisters look so happy as they take pictures with their classmates and fans, she is not ready to take away that happiness from them but she needs to go back to Eshalhome. She has an appointment at five in the evening for one woman's wedding beauty session. She wanted to appoint one of her staffs to do it but this is her last day and she is going to get her pay.

"Going somewhere?" She jumped from her position and look up at the person staring at her with a simple gentleman-like smile.

"Yeah." She breathed out, seeing that it is Aashif, them Qismah's older brother.

"Should I drop you off or you are going yourself?" She started walking to the backdoor and he followed falling in steps beside her.

"I was going to take a cab." Her eyes are still staring at the floor as she walks, taking in his charcoal coloured Italian dress shoes as they drop elegantly on the floor.

"Let me drop you off then. I suppose where we picked you up earlier in the morning?" He asked when they reached the parking lot and he started leading her to his car. The car is still getting so much attention from the passerby.

"Yes, thank you." She smiled more widely when he helped her open the door and she settled in, more comfortably this time that she is alone without two other people's company.

"I've heard so much about you from my sisters and em... coworkers. Everyone praise you whenever they open their mouths to say something about you." His voice is so deep and she saw him playing with his hands randomly bringing her attention to his long lean fingers.

"Oh, that is very nice I guess." She stuttered out, her cheeks blushing.

"Extremely nice if I would say so myself. But are you really that mighty? I feel like you don't work with the words you say all the time. You have this strong shell surrounding you when you should be happy like your words." He raised a brow and look at her since there was traffic ahead.

"What do you mean?" She hauntingly asked, pivoting her whole body to look at him dead in the eyes but he looked away when he heard honks of the cars behind him and he started driving.

She didn't know she was ever going to meet someone who will talk to her about the shell surrounding her. She thought no one noticed that as she's always been all smiles and happy go round. However, this handsome filthy rich man beside her looks to be doing the otherwise. He notices everything and now he has the audacity to talk to her about it to her face.

If only he wasn't handsome and her client's brother, she would've lash out her frustrations in him. She normally lash out on her employees when she is tired and stressed which she is. Any bad move from him will result to a very bad Aisha Ilham which he is not ready to face. There hardly is time when she lose control on strangers, but she could see that she won't go anywhere with that man.

"I was just saying what I observed. You don't have to go all defensive, it's just an observation." He shrugged his broad shoulders and continue to swerve the car down the roads of Lagos while she fume beside him.

"I suggest you keep your suggestions to yourself next time since you weren't asked. I don't like people poking nose in my business." She warned with wrathful eyes which he find amusing and at the same time, a major turn on.

"Like I said, you don't have to go all commando and defensive. You should not take what I say to heart and about me not saying my mind. I'm sorry, vixen, but I can not stop my mouth from talking whenever I observe something." He grinned cheekily when she settle her still daring and wrathful eyes on him.

"Thank God I'm not going to meet you again." She grumbled underneath her breath and start to peep through the window and see whether they are close to Eshalhome but he took the long way which won't take them sooner.

"You don't know about that, vixen." She heard him whisper like he was talking to himself, however she knew he wanted her to hear but she didn't comment and changed the topic.

"I will like to hope that you didn't take this way to irritate me further. You didn't use this way when we were coming, so why now?" She gave him an apoplectic look that will make Eshal go straight to bed but Aashif, he only gave her one look and then back at the road.

"I wanted to spend sometime with you. Is that a crime in your lists, vixen?" He released a toothy smile this time around and she wished he was ugly so she can insult his life.

"I didn't know you were a fan." She rolled her eyes heavenward then brought her phone out and started typing furiously to the head of her staff that she should stay with the client before she arrives.

"I never said I wasn't one." And they arrived at Eshalhome and Aisha Ilham was quick to reach for the doorknob but he stopped her and locked the car automatically.

Aisha Ilham whipped her head to look at him with psyched up eyes and thinned nude lips that took his attention for a moment. What does he think he is doing? Just because she didn't demand that he stop calling her vixen he thinks she wants to stay with him in the beautiful car that deserves to be in an orphanage.

"Now what?" You could clearly point out the exasperation in her voice and seeing his smile is only working her up and making her more annoyed than she has ever been in her entire life.

"I hope to see you tonight." Then he opened the door leaving her bewildered but she didn't question the brainless man and hurried to the building. Her ego was too big to stop and ask what he meant by seeing her tonight so she brushed it off as one of his observance. She don't want to spend another moment in that car with him.

She got inside and met the woman sitting quietly with another man which Aisha Ilham assume is her husband. She greeted them and invited them to her office where she collect the payment and did the last session for her. The next day is her wedding and so Aisha Ilham gave her a hearty congratulations and a small frame that has Allah and Muhammad written then Eshalhome's logo at the bottom.

She gives that to any bride she finished her sessions with, the Muslim ones while she give the Christians a picture of Eiffel Tower and it also has her logo at the bottom. She has a lot of them in her office stacked for such moments.

"I will really appreciate it if you come to the dinner tomorrow." The woman named Azima gave Aisha Ilham a puppy dog eyes and removed a small handkerchief from her bag and gave her. Aisha Ilham noticed that it is the gate pass, how unique.

"If I'm not busy, I will be there InshaAllah." She smiled at the woman who was about to leap and gave her a hug if not for the turmeric around her body and that she is almost half naked underneath the blanket.

"Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me and my mother, she will be over the moon." Azima gushed making Ilham's heart to swell at the thought of her making a mother's heart jump in joy.

She gives so much respect to any mother out there and she will do anything for her mother no matter how great and risky it is.

"It's no problem." She is used to getting last minute invitation and some she goes, some she don't. It depends on what she is doing that day and how tired she has been.

"Can I have another gate pass for my sister? I don't really like going to places alone." Ilham gave a sheepish smile at Azima who beamed and gave her five more handkerchiefs which surprised her.

"You can bring all your sisters with." And Aisha Ilham only smiled widely at the woman in front of her. They will love to go to wedding after so many years of staying locked in school and hardly have time to interact.

Who doesn't like Nigerian wedding? Absolutely no one.