Chapter 3

Bilal

"Just busy with work"

"Oh workaholic friend of mine why does your voice sounds as if you are sick"

"It's just some headache and due to some certain argument" I don't know why my mouth blurted it out. Now he would have something to talk about.

His voice was quite for a while before he spoke again. "Don't tell me you had an argument with your working partners"

This one is far worse than getting into an argument with my working partners.

"Can you imagine, some strange girl bumped into me. She even has the guts to call me an arrogant man. I thought of teaching her a good lesson but couldn't when I remembered what mom told me that's why I controlled myself and didn't do what I intended to"

I was expecting him to lash out his anger as me but instead, his laughter resonates through my eardrums "OMG!" A whole bilal Abbas? A girl called you arrogant I know you must have done something to her

Tell me the truth" I knew he would utter out rubbish.

"Just because she apologized doesn't mean I should forgive her. She needs to be careful, you know some people are too careless that's why I talked some sense into her so that she won't make this kind of mistakes again with me or any other person, but she has the right to say it wasn't intentional. Imagine, that I have no respect for women. If I ever set my eyes on her again, I won't let it slide. I will teach her how to respect elders" I balled my hand into a fist.

"My friend if you look at the situation very well you will find out that you are at fault too. Since she apologized, instead of you to forgive and forget, you took things in a wrong way. You need to take things easy and be patient you can't judge a book by it cover, if one day you coincidentally meet the girl please apologize to her. I'm not supporting her, but I'm saying what I think is right. Once you apologize things will be okay you will feel better at least". Come to think of it, he's right. I'm also at fault. She apologized first but I was so angry that I didn't listen to her apologises. But I can't discard the bitter character she accused me of.

"Are you there?" His voice sounded again which snapped me out of my trance.

I find myself letting out a deep sigh "Alright I will try to heed to your advice"

Najwa's  p. o. v

It was morning, I can see the sun shining brightly through the window.  I quickly got up from my bed and got ready for school, have my breakfast, check on my parents then left.

I was I class with nothing specific to do. My friend ha yet to arrive. After a bit, I fished out my iPhone X from my pocket to play a little game before the lecturer arrives when suddenly Reema tapped me on the shoulder.

Turning around, I saw her smiling and I returned the gesture by smiling back. The lecturer was 5 minutes late already, i was about to make a quick phone call when the door to the lecture room suddenly opened.

**

"Well today was hectic" Reema said putting her hand on her head as we were leaving the graphics and illustration Class

"Yes wallahi" I answered back with much exhaustion in me. "I can't wait to go home. I'm super hungry"

"Yeah me too. I feel like my intestine are going to explode anytime soon due to hunger"

I was beyond exhausted when I got home due to the stress I went through at school and also the hunger trying to kill me. Immediately I entered the main door, I went straight to the dinning table to see what's available, luckily for me, Mama never disappoints, I devoured the food as if I've never eaten in this life. I went upstairs to take a shower and take a short nap to calm my exhausting self before dinner since I've already prayed in school.

Few hours later I woke up around 8:30pm, i got up and prayed Maghrib and Isha before I went down to eat dinner.

"My daughter, are you that tired. I can see you didn't even come down the whole afternoon. How is school?" My mum asked.

"School Alhamdulillah" I replied letting out a weary breath. "It was stressful though" I added. Just then my dad came in. i jumped up taking off to get his bag.

"Daddyyyy, i missed you" I chirped with much enthusiasm.

"My sweet daughter" My brows itched in curiosity. Why is dad calling me his sweet daughter all of a sudden? He usually calls me that whenever he wants me to do something or he wants something from me.

They exchange look with mama. One look at her face you would know she's happy to see her husband. He took his seat besides me and his face was held in all seriousness. I hope nothing bad happens at the office.

"I wanted to talk to you about something it's really important to me." He started. Mama readjust her sitting position. "Tell me, I hope it's not something bad" she said. I rose up from my seat to give them the privacy when Dad stopped me.

"Najwa, sit. It's important to you too." My brows were still knitted as I crouched back down.

  "You know my best friend that visited us last eid right?" He began again

"Yes, I remembered him" Mom said.

"He wants our daughter's hand in marriage and I told him it's okay because we want our relationship and friendship to be stronger,"

It took me a good minutes to take in what I heard from my father. Marriage? Me getting married?

"Dad what! I don't want to get married now I have a future ahead of me I want to be successful. Finish my university, apply my masters and PhD. I can't get married now" I blabbered getting skeptical about the whole issue. I don't have any plan of getting married now.

"I'm not telling you to agree or not it's an order"

"Dad but... "

"I don't want to hear anything from you. I gave you the chance to study art and design the course of your choice. You are happy can't you make your father happy and listen to the good news I came with . You should know that I want the best for you, all your elder sisters I married them off to the ones they brought. But after they finished their secondary school, they continued their studies in their husbands house. Look at them now they are working. Nafisa is a graduate of A.B.U Zaria she studied bio chemistry and her marriage didn't affect her studies. I even allowed you to continue with your studies at the University level just because I brought this up you are saying you don't want to get married now. Then when will you get married? After you have become old? I'm disappointed in you. I don't know if this is the daughter we brought up. We don't want you to spoil our reputation children nowadays at the University are been threatened by the lecturers to give them what they want I want you to have someone by your side" I can not deny the fact that what he said is true. My elder sisters are married and are still studying and that didn't affect their studies. Who knows, what will happen tomorrow.

"Dad you know the kind of daughter you have I won't dare to do such a thing"

He took out something from his suitcase. A picture "He's coming to see you tomorrow since it's Saturday get prepared. Here is the picture" I collected the picture from his outstretched hand. Without waiting for any answers from me, he stood up and left, leaving me completely sad and shocked by the news.

And that didn't stop there when my eyes came in contact with the picture, Shock was what I will describe what I felt at that particular moment. I pray  that it a dream. It was the picture of the stranger I met at the supermarket how can I marry the man that doesn't have respect for women may be it a mistake it can't be him.