A few minutes later however, she felt the boy's hand grabbing her veil gently. He released it quickly however when she looked at him again. Afrah smiled at him briefly once again. 
                          
"I'm sorry," the mother said quicky. "Is he bothering you?" 
                          
"Not at all," Afrah replied. 
                          
"It's his first time on a plane," the woman continued as though Afrah needed an explanation for why he was behaving so. 
                          
"I hope it's a memorable experience for him then," she said with a smile. The woman smiled back, immediately grabbing his hand as he reached for Afrah's veil once again. 
                          
"How old is he?" the latter asked, folding the corner of the page she was reading and setting it down on her lap. 
                          
"He's three years old," the woman replied. "He'll be four in six months time." 
                          
"He's a handsome little boy," she said, pinching the boy's nose playfully. He giggled loudly this time, curling up in his mother's arms. "What's his name?" 
                          
"Thank you," she said, smiling warmly at Afrah. "His name is Noah. And I'm Hauwa." 
                          
"I'm Afrah," she replied. "It's nice to meet you." 
                          
"It's nice to meet you too." 
                          
The sat in silence for the rest of the trip, while little Noah continued to stare openmouthedly at the beautiful woman beside him. Afrah smiled back at him whenever their eyes met, and a tiny part of her wondered what it must be like to have a child of your own. Everyone she had ever heard from said having a child changed their lives. Her mother used to say it was probably one of the most stressful jobs in the world, but the reward was definitely worth it. 
                          
Afrah allowed her mind to wander far away into the lands which no one spoke of. There, she allowed herself to dream of being a mother, with a little boy and girl who always followed her around and tugged at the hem of her clothes wherever she went. 
                          
The flight landed in Kano at exactly 1:45 pm. Not wanting to get mixed with the crowd all hurrying to alight from the plane, Afrah waited for a few minutes before she stood up and reached for her bag overhead. 
                          
"Do you live in the city?" Hauwa asked as she grabbed Noah's hand to stop him from going towards Afrah. 
                          
"Not really," the latter replied. "I'm studying here actually." 
                          
"I should have known," she said. "You don't look like you're from around here." 
                          
"I'm not sure if that is a compliment?" Afrah said with a slightly puzzled look on her face. 
                          
"It's a compliment," Hauwa laughed. "Forgive me for saying this, but a girl who was born and raised here is easily identifiable wherever she goes." 
                          
"How so?" she asked. 
                          
"Oh, there's just something about them," Hauwa said. They were silent for a few seconds before they both began to laugh. In the midst of their laughter, Noah rushed over to Afrah's side and wrapped his hands around her knee. 
                          
"Leave him," she said as his mother reached out to grab him. Dropping her bag on the seat, Afrah picked up the little boy in her hands, causing him to giggle once again. 
                          
"Let me help you with the bags then," his mother said, reaching for Afrah's bag. 
                          
"Don't worry about it," she said as she picked it up with her other hand. "Let's go." 
                          
They both walked out into the sunlight, and the scorching heat rising from the runway. Afrah stopped to inhale the intoxicating scent of the city she loved so dearly. All she got instead was a noseful of dust. 
                          
"Do you live here then?" she asked Hauwa, wanting to fill the silence - which was so unlike her -.
                          
"At the moment, yeah," she said. "My husband is in the army, so for now we are staying here." 
                          
"And do you like it here?" 
                          
"It has its ups and downs," she shrugged, "but there's just something about this place that keeps bringing people back." 
                          
"Indeed," Afrah smiled at her. "I couldn't agree more." 
                          
* 
                          
Adnan felt awkward standing there with a piece of paper in his hands. It felt so cliché to stand there waiting for a stranger while he held up her name on the paper. He had seen enough movies to know how it always went. 
                          
For some reason, he kept bouncing on his feet as he scanned the faces of everyone passing, wondering which of them was the cousin he knew nothing about. 
                          
The universe seemed to work in strange ways, as just a few days ago he was sitting in the car with his father and reminiscing about her, and now here he was waiting for her to find him. A part of him was hoping he would recognize her. It would be so much better if he did. But then would she recognize him? 
                          
As the flow of people walking past trickled down, Adnan began to get frustrated. Though he wouldn't admit it to himself, he had spent the last hour praying and hoping that the lady he was here for was the same woman who had clouded his thoughts for the last few weeks. He had even said a silent dua before stepping into the airport, praying for a miracle. He just wanted to see her, and remember what it was like to stare into those vulnerable eyes which pulled him in each time he visualized them. 
                          
And then he saw her. 
                          
Adnan's legs turned to jelly the moment he saw her walking towards him, although she wasn't even looking in his direction. She was laughing at something the woman beside her was saying, and in her hands she was carrying a young boy of about two or three. 
                          
Adnan's heart began to beat faster than he even knew was possible. Surely he must be imagining it. Perhaps he had just wished for her to be the one he was waiting for, and his mind had conjured up her image before him. 
                          
But it couldn't be a mirage. 
                          
She was there, walking towards him with a calm elegance which sent shivers down his spine. The last time he saw her, Adnan hadn't really looked at her properly. But now, he could truly appreciate how breathtakingly beautiful she was. 
                          
With her head turned however, she risked passing him without even seeing the paper in his hands. He had to do something to make her look in his direction. But what exactly was that? 
                          
In the heat of the moment, Adnan lost control of his feet and plummeted towards the ground, cursing himself as the earth hurtled towards his face. 
                          
* 
                          
(Insert evil laugh here)