The sight of two figures entering the room eased Umamah’s anxiety somewhat. She promised, gritting her teeth. We will treat you better, Anisa. We will definitely treat you better, In Shaa Allah.
Anisa entered the room and took a seat beside her father. The older man began to speak, “Well, these men say they’ve come for your hand in marriage, Anisa. Do you know any of them?”
Anisa didn’t look up but nodded in response.
Mr. Abubakar continued, “That’s good. In that case, do you agree?”
Without looking up again, Anisa nodded her agreement. She was getting bored of this, already.
One could hear from their voices that Mr. Abubakar's questions were somewhat nonchalant. Clearly, even if Anisa had expressed disinterest in this marriage, it might not deter him. He added, “Well, this is your decision, Anisa. Marriage is not something you go into and plan to come out of. The moment you leave this house, this becomes your family. I hope you understand that.”
Anissa nodded, acknowledging the gravity of her decision. Leaving her family’s house meant saying goodbye to them forever. Truthfully, she was t afraid of the outside world. She was tough enough to take care of herself. It gas always been leaving this house that has been difficult. Now, her father was reminding her that she shouldn’t even think of coming back to a house which was owner by her own mother.
Seeing that his meaning had sank, Mr. Abubakar then turned to his wife, prompting her to share her thoughts. The woman cleared her throat excitedly. “Well, Anisa, you have chosen this family, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” She repeated her husband’s concern albeit distractedly as her hand fiddled with the necklace around her neck and the gold bangles on her wrist. “Not that any of us are shocked at your choice. From the beginning, you have always wanted a rich and elegant lifestyle. So, I wish you well dear daughter.”
No one missed what she hinted at. She simply meant to say that Anisa was materialistic and that has gotten her hitched in a loveless marriage. Umamah scoffed. Look at that irony.
The two girls, looking up at Anisa, offered smiles and curious remarks. The younger daughter wondered aloud again why Anisa’s husband hadn’t come himself mockingly asking if he might be deformed or ugly. Throughout this, Anisa remained silent, responding only with a simple “yes” or “okay.”
Mr. Abubakr received the envelope from Faisal and then handed it to Anissa, calling it her dowry. Without hesitation, Anisa accepted the gift, and it appeared to be the first thing she had ever received directly from her father. She smiled inwardly, pondering the irony.
Anisa confidently declared, “Yes, I accept.”
With that, the family exchanged handshakes with Faisal once more, and Mr. Abubakar commented, “Well, I guess we’re now in-laws. I hope to meet, or read, his name, right? My son-in-law very soon.” His tone lacked enthusiasm, but the words conveyed their intent. To Abubakar, that was sufficient.
“There is one more thing I need us to discuss,” Mr. Abubakar said just as Faisal made to stand.
Anisa sighed. She thought to herself, “Wow, it wasn’t even going to take time for him to mention this. I had thought he was going to let this go, but of course, her father was not going to. He was rather going to embarrass himself than let her mother’s company be.”
Faisal’s eyes narrowed. He was getting irritated as he asked, “Yes?”
Mr. Abubakar looked at his wife, whose hands were clutched around his arms, and then said, “Well, there is something I would want Anisa to hand over to us. She hasn’t been able to do that all this while, and we hope that you will be able to convince her to do it. In the end, we are family. She is our daughter. Since she is moving to another country, she should be able to just give this little thing to us. Her younger sisters will soon be medical and law students, and they need a lot of money. There is nothing we’ve done for Anisa unless out of love...” He fiddled with words, searching out the best way to bring them out without sounding greedy or covetous.
“What I am trying to say is that we are asking is that Anisa releases Anisa’s Holdings. It’s a small Tech company get mother and I built and worked for. Before her death, we had a little fallout and she willed it to Anisa.” He lied between his teeth as he handed Faisal a paper. “Let her sign this document,” he said, “And then she can move to with you guys.” He concluded.
Faisal, took the document and glanced at Anisa, waiting for her cue. Anisa, however, was resolute. She had made up her mind about this. She uttered just one sentence as she stared her father in the eye. "No, I will not let it go."
Mr. Abubakar's face clenched in frustration, and he came to his feet abruptly, fuming. "What do you mean, Anisa? Why are you so stubborn about this company, this tech company that holds absolutely nothing to you? It isn't even worth that much. I only want it because I want a part of your mother. Have you ever thought about it? You will not even be living in Egypt anymore. How will you take care of it? Is it not only normal that you leave it for us to take care of."
Hamdala came to her feet as well to support her father. “Yes Anisa. It’s just a small company. Are you really that heartless that you wouldn’t leave our parents with anything?”
For the first time, Rayhana, Hamdala’s older sister spoke. Her words were filled with venom. She hated Anisa the most in the house. She didn’t understand why the girl was so proud and arrogant and always stood tall no matter what they did to her.
“Why do you all beg her? Anisa’s geaet us cold. Colder than ice. Only her in-laws can help us beg her.”
That had been the plan. Since Anisa had refused to sign their document for over a year now, they thought she might be too embarrassed to decline in presence of her new family.
They had been wrong!
Amidst the pleading and accusations from Anisa’s family, she remained resolute. She knew the true worth of Anisa’s Holdings, the tech company she had inherited from her late mother, and she wasn’t about to let it go. The family’s sudden concern for her welfare and their desire to claim her assets were transparent. Anisa understood that her family had been living off the company’s earnings.
And now, their daughters were trying to guilt-trip her, claiming that their parents had provided for her throughout her life and asked her to consider her father’s role in bringing her into this world.
Umamah couldn’t believe the audacity of Anisa’s family. Stepfather eyes stung with tears for her new sister-in-law. They were not family but opportunists seeking financial gain. How long had she suffered this? She took Anisa’s hands which were already balling into a fist.
Anisa, without looking at anyone, remained unwavering in her decision repeated. “I will not give up Anisa’s Holdings!” She turned to Faisal and Umamah, ready to leave.
Umamah quickly followed, holding Anissa’s hand and reassuring her, “Yes, sweetheart. Let’s go.” They left the house, leaving behind the turmoil and demands of Anisa’s family.
Abubakar's voice echoed from inside the doors, furious as he yelled, "This is not over, Anisa. Don't you dare think that just because you're moving to Nigeria, we cannot come there to make you sign the documents. You ungrateful little brat!" Anisa remained unfazed, having experienced such outbursts in the past. Her resilience had grown strong over the years.
Amid the heated exchange, Umamah's grip around Anisa's hand began to feel heavy, as if burdened by the intensity of the situation. She glanced at their connected hands and decided to release herself from the disquieting clasp.
Calmly, Anisa stated, "I will take my own car." She didn't wait for their response but swiftly turned and left the house. As she stepped outside, there was no car in sight, and it was highly unlikely that the Abubakar’s family would provide her with one, given their clear mistreatment of her.
Umamah and Faisal exchanged a meaningful look, both understanding the gravity of the situation. They observed as Anisa exited the Abubakar's residence. Just then, a blue SUV pulled up in front of the gate, and Anisa's face lit up with a smile as the driver handed her the car keys. They exchanged brief words, and Anisa slid into the driver's seat.
She rolled down the window and looked back at her in-laws who still stood there looking at her, her demeanor changing. "What? Aren't you going to lead the way? I don’t know the hotel” Anisa questioned with a hint of playful sarcasm.
It was a stark contrast to the tension that had prevailed in the Abubakar household moments earlier. Without further ado, Umamah and Faisal got into their own hired RV and drove off with Anisa driving just behind them.
As they made their way to the hotel, Umamah's intense gaze remained fixed on Faisal. It was clear that she had a multitude of questions and she was waiting for explanations. Faisal sensed her anger and beads of perspiration appears on her forehead. He decided to steer the conversation toward a less heated topic, hoping to ease the tension.
Faisal broke the silence, saying casually, "Anisa is quite an interesting character, don't you think?" He hoped to shift Umamah's focus, but her folded arms and silent demeanor conveyed her expectation of answers.
Undeterred, Faisal continued, "I think she and Farid would make a perfect couple. One too wordy and wore his hearts on his sleeves. The other, mysterious with a hint of hidden details." This remark also garnered no immediate response from Umamah, but her piercing stare was impossible to ignore.
Faisal knew he couldn't evade the conversation any longer. He had hoped that he could stall until they arrived at the hotel and then, get would leave the siblings alone to have a face off. He chuckled inwardly. Faisal Abdurrahman was most scared if a confrontation with his wife.
He sighed and admitted, "Well, Farid is at the hotel right now. You see, this was all part of the plan. And don't worry, when you get to the hotel, you can ask your brother."
Umamah's frustration became evident as she questioned why Faisal hadn't informed her of the plan. She felt like she had been left in the dark and had played a foolish role in the events that had transpired at the Abubakar family's house. Faisal, trying to divert further conflict, suggested they talk it over when they arrived at the hotel. “Sweetie, it’s not good to be mad at someone behind the wheels. What if he loses control of it huh? How about this, why don’t we talk about where you would like to visit again in Egypt? We could…”
Her anger still simmering, Umamah responded straightforwardly, "Nowhere." She plugged her earbuds into her phone, signaling her disinterest in further conversations and her determination not to be left in the dark again. She hated looking or feeling like a fool.
***
Assalaam'alaykum guys. Sorry for the delay. Please enjoy and let me know know your thoughts. Remember, you are only allowed to share my post using the share button here not copy and paste.