49~Fixing a date & Preparations #4
She rested her forehead against his. "Just two more days."
"But two more days feels like two weeks.
"Every hour."
"Every minute."
"And after Friday..."
He smiled.
"I'm never letting you go again."
She giggled softly. "If Amina catches us right now, we're both dead."
He sighed dramatically. "Mimi seriously needs to relax."
"She's been supervising everyone's life lately."
As if summoned by her name...
The bedroom door swung open.
Three pairs of eyes stared back at them.
Amina.
Amira.
Nanny Ann.
Hanan immediately stepped away from Najib, trying and failing to hide her embarrassment.
Amina folded her arms.
"Ya Najib..."
She sighed deeply.
"I understand that both of you are obsessed with each other."
"But can you please spare us?"
She raised her phone.
"Grandma has called three times."
"The photographers are waiting."
"The videographers are waiting."
"The makeup artists are waiting."
"The stylists are waiting."
"And here you two are..."
She glanced between them dramatically.
"Having your own private romance."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Sorry!" Hanan laughed, grabbing her handbag.
"We're coming."
As they hurried outside, Amina pointed at Najib.
"And you... Leave the bride alone."
"She'll be yours in two days."
Najib rolled his eyes. "Mimi... You're slowly becoming Grandma."
Amina gasped dramatically. "What did you just call me?"
"Grandma?!"
She yelled after him while everyone else laughed uncontrollably.
An hour later, they arrived at the mansion.
Photography lights illuminated every corner.
Videographers adjusted their cameras.
Stylists hurried from one room to another carrying garment bags.
Hairdressers.
Makeup artists.
Decorators.
Everyone moved with purpose.
Amina clapped her hands together.
"Alright everyone!"
"Our bride and groom are here."
"Let's make today unforgettable."
Moments later... Najib and Hanan stepped out from their separate dressing rooms.
The mansion went silent.
Even the maids peeking from the hallway gasped.
Najib looked regal.
A richly embroidered white baban riga flowed elegantly over his kaftan, while a perfectly wrapped rawani rested proudly upon his head.
Across the room...
Hanan forgot to breathe.
He looked every bit like royalty.
Najib, however, wasn't looking at himself.
His eyes remained fixed on Hanan.
She looked breathtaking.
Dressed in an elegant lavender lace ensemble adorned with delicate gold embroidery, matching jewelry decorated her wrists, ears and neck.
Her flawless makeup made her glow.
For a brief moment... Neither of them spoke.
"Masha Allah." Grandma whispered.
"My children look beautiful."
"A perfect match."
"A match made in Heaven."
"I agree." Amira said proudly.
"I've never seen two people look this good together."
The photographer smiled.
"Perfect."
"Let's begin."
Every corner of the mansion became their studio.
The grand parlor.
The visitors lounge.
The other sitting rooms.
The lengthy staircase.
The garden.
The courtyard.
The poolside.
Even the long hallways became their stunning backdrops worthy of a magazine cover.
Each location brought a different outfit.
A different pose.
A different memory.
"Closer." The photographer instructed.
Najib stepped closer.
"Closer."
He obeyed.
"A little closer."
Najib laughed.
"Oga... If I move any closer, we'll become one person."
The entire crew burst into laughter.
Even Hanan couldn't stop smiling.
Despite that... She remained shy.
Holding Najib's hand before dozens of people.
Looking into his eyes while cameras flashed.
Resting her head on his shoulder.
Posing in his arms.
Every pose made her cheeks burn.
But hearing everyone's constant compliments slowly eased her nervousness.
"You two look perfect."
"Beautiful."
"Natural."
"This picture belongs on a billboard."
By the thirteenth outfit... Hanan's feet ached.
By the fourteenth... Najib jokingly declared he deserved a modelling award.
By the fifteenth... Everyone looked ready to collapse.
When the photographer finally lowered his camera, loud applause filled the mansion.
"We're done!"
By eight o'clock that evening, exhaustion had drained everyone.
After dinner, the entire family retired to their rooms to rest before catching the earliest flight to Kano the following morning.
Only Hanan remained awake.
Despite her aching feet and exhaustion, she laid on her bed, staring quietly at the ceiling unable to sleep.
Tomorrow...
She was finally going home.
Home.
The word alone made her chest tighten.
Would the village still look the same?
Would she recognize the dusty paths she once walked barefoot as a child?
Would her mother's grave still be there?
Would Jamila... Still be waiting?
Or had time erased everything they once shared?
She closed her eyes slowly.
Tomorrow wasn't simply another journey.
It was a journey back to the life she left behind.
"Kano." She whispered softly.
"I'm coming home."
With that thought... Sleep finally claimed her.
.
.
.
***
A/N