50~Gimbiya Jamila
"Please everyone, make du'as for a safe flight." Grandma announced after they all settled into their private jet, which was scheduled to take off at exactly 9 am.
One after another, everyone murmured their supplications before fastening their seat belts. Within minutes, the aircraft began running down the runway before gently lifting into the sky, flying the entire family to Kano.
The town Hanan had longed to see again.
She couldn't stop smiling.
Her eyes remained glued to the window as clouds drifted past, her heart felt lighter.
Nanny Ann noticed first.
"I'm glad to see you this happy." She whispered with a warm smile.
Hanan blinked before touching her cheeks.
"Am I smiling that much?"
"Very much." Amina chuckled from across her seat. "You've been smiling since we boarded."
Hanan laughed softly.
"I guess... I'm just happy that I'll finally see home again."
"And because of you." Amina added, "I'll be visiting Kano again after so many years."
She leaned back in her seat, smiling at the memory.
"You know, the last time I went there was to bring home a wife for my brother."
Everyone laughed.
"I'm ashamed to admit this now, but back then..." She scratched her ear sheepishly. "...I absolutely hated the idea of a village girl becoming part of our family."
Amira gasped dramatically. "Amina!"
"What?" Amina laughed. "I'm being honest."
She turned back to Hanan.
"But the funny thing was... the moment I saw you, every prejudice I had disappeared."
"I liked you instantly."
"I don't know what kind of spell you cast on us, but it worked."
Hanan laughed, shaking her head.
"There was no spell."
"There definitely was." Amira insisted.
"Even Ya Najib couldn't escape it."
That earned another round of laughter.
"I remember those days too." Hanan admitted.
"I was angry."
"I honestly believed all of you had stolen me away from my mother."
Her smile softened.
"I thought I would spend the rest of my life resenting every one of you..."
She paused.
"But I never did."
Her gaze instinctively drifted toward the opposite side of the plane.
Najib sat beside Uncle, Grandma, and Abdul, completely engrossed in whatever discussion they were having. Every now and then, one of them burst into laughter.
Watching him laugh so freely made her own smile widen.
"And now?" Amira asked curiously.
Hanan looked back at them.
"And now... I thank Allah every single day that you all became part of my life."
"It wasn't an easy journey."
"There were moments filled with pain... misunderstandings... heartbreak... loss..."
"But looking back now..."
"I wouldn't erase any of it."
"Because every difficult moment led me here."
She slowly looked at each of them.
First Amira beside her.
Then Nanny Ann.
Then Amina.
Finally Abdul, Uncle, Grandma... and Najib.
"You are all part of the family Allah chose for me."
"My story didn't begin beautifully."
"But He gave it a beautiful ending."
Her voice grew softer.
"Sometimes I feel embarrassed because I don't think I have enough to give back."
"You've all loved me far more than I deserve."
"You protected me..."
"Believed in me..."
"And gave me a home when I thought I had none."
She smiled through slightly watery eyes.
"You are Allah's greatest gifts to me."
"And every memory we've shared, the painful ones, the happy ones, even the ridiculous ones..." She laughed lightly,
"They all shaped me into the woman I am today."
"Awww..." Amina pouted pretending to wipe away imaginary tears.
"That was beautiful."
"But..." She leaned forward mischievously. "I think you're forgetting the most important person."
Hanan frowned innocently. "Who?"
"My brother."
Everyone laughed.
"I want to hear you talk about Ya Najib."
Amira clapped excitedly. "Yes!"
"Confess your love for him to us."
Even Nanny Ann couldn't hide her laughter.
Hanan immediately covered her burning face.
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"I'm not doing that."
"Oh, you're definitely doing that." Amina declared with an evil grin.
"Tell us."
"When exactly did you realize you had fallen in love with my brother?"
Hanan lowered her head, a shy laugh escaping her lips before she glanced toward Najib.
"Alright..." She smiled softly. "If I have to say it..."
She took a deep breath.
"First of all... I'm grateful."
Everyone waited quietly.
"I'm grateful that my love became part of the reason he chose to become a better man."
Her eyes found Najib's, and he smiled back.
"The Najib sitting over there is completely different from the man I first met."
"He's patient... gentle... thoughtful... And somehow, I fell hopelessly in love with this version of him."
A smile spread across her face.
"Every moment I spend with him feels like a fairy tale... like a dream I never thought Allah would write for someone like me."
"He completes me."
"But more importantly..."
"He sees me."
"He hears me."
"He understands me."
"He loves every broken piece of me without asking me to become someone else."
Her voice softened.
"I honestly don't know what my life would look like without him."
She chuckled quietly.
"But I know it would feel incomplete."
She looked at him one last time before smiling.
"He's one of the greatest blessings Allah has ever given me."
"So... no amount of words can truly explain how deeply I love him."
She laughed out.
"I simply feel honored... and incredibly blessed... to be his wife again."
Silence followed.
Then...
Series of "Aww..."
Amina dramatically grabbed a handful of tissues from the table between them and dabbed at her perfectly dry eyes.
"That was beautiful."
She sniffed.
"You'll make me cry."
Everyone laughed.
"You know." Amina continued, smiling warmly at Hanan, "You're also one of the best things that ever happened to me."
"If it wasn't for you..."
She glanced down thoughtfully.
"I probably wouldn't be happily married to Amir today."
"You taught me how to forgive."
"You taught me that giving someone a genuine second chance isn't always a mistake."
"You remember... don't you?"
Hanan nodded with a smile. "I do."
Amira blinked in confusion.
"Wait..."
She looked between them.
"What exactly happened?"
"You mean my brother actually hurt you before?"
Amina laughed awkwardly. "It wasn't anything serious. Just... a misunderstanding that happened years ago."
She clearly wasn't interested in reopening old wounds.
"Oh..."
Amira nodded slowly.
"So you two have known each other for that long?"
"Yes." Hanan answered. "Since I was eighteen."
She smiled at the memory before looking at Amina.
"The last time you came to Kano, you barely saw anything."
"I didn't." Amina admitted.."I came only to take you home."
"Well..." Hanan grinned. "This time I'll personally take everyone around my village."
"A village tour?" Amira raised an eyebrow. "Will that actually be fun?"
"It will." Hanan laughed. "I promise."
"Then I'm looking forward to it." Amina said excitedly.
"We'll be in Kano in about an hour."
"I can't wait."
"Me too." Nanny Ann added with a smile.
Just then, a flight attendant pushed a meal trolley to their seat.
The aroma of freshly prepared food instantly filled the cabin.
Amina's eyes widened.
She unconsciously licked her lips while staring at the trays.
Amira burst into laughter.
"You always look hungry."
She shook her head.
"When exactly did you become such a foodie?"
"You literally eat every few minutes."
"You can't blame me." Amina sighed dramatically.
"We all left the house without breakfast."
She rubbed her stomach lovingly.
"And besides..."
She smiled.
"It's not me."
"It's this little foodie."
She gently caressed her stomach.
"My baby is always demanding food."
She laughed. "I stepped on the scale yesterday and nearly fainted."
"I already weigh seventy kilograms!"
Hanan giggled.
"Amina... That's completely normal."
"When you're pregnant, your appetite changes."
"And so does your weight."
"I gained weight too when I was pregnant..."
She paused.
"Although eating wasn't exactly enjoyable."
"I spent most of my time throwing up."
The words slipped out before she realized what she has said.
Silence settled around her.
Everyone had stopped talking.
Even the flight attendant paused briefly while serving their meals.
Hanan lowered her eyes.
Grandma smiled gently. "Why did you stop, my child?"
"You can tell us."
Hanan smiled faintly. "I just remembered."
Grandma reached over and squeezed her hand.
"Those are memories you shouldn't hide from us."
"I wish..."
Her voice became emotional.
"I wish I had been there to watch your baby grow."
"I wanted to witness your pregnancy."
"To see your cravings."
"To complain about your mood swings."
She laughed softly.
"To spoil you."
"But Allah had different plans."
The plane grew quiet again.
Amina broke the silence. "Don't worry, Grandma."
She looked mischievously at Hanan.
"Give her a few months."
She pointed toward Najib.
"I'm certain these two won't keep us waiting for long."
Heat immediately rushed to Hanan's cheeks.
She lowered her face in embarrassment.
Grandma chuckled.
"In sha Allah."
She looked at Hanan lovingly before turning to Najib.
"I want to live long enough to carry my great grandchildren."
She smiled sadly.
"Do you think I will live that long?"
Najib immediately shook his head.
"Grandma... Don't speak as though you're leaving us anytime soon."
"You'll meet them."
He smiled confidently.
"I promise."
Grandma smiled with satisfaction.
"Then I'll hold you to that promise."
She clapped her hands lightly.
"Now enough talking."
"Let's eat before Amina starts eating the table itself."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Their late breakfast lasted almost the entire flight.
Soon, the pilot voice echoed through the cabin, announcing their arrival.
As the plane slowly broke through the clouds, Kano came into view beneath them.
Hanan pressed her forehead gently against the window.
Her heartbeat quickened.