Abuja, Nigeria.
A week passed when Aslam told Amna that they were leaving for their honeymoon.
"Where are we going?" Amna asked.
"You'll see," he smirked.
"Tell me at least to know what I should pack." she pouted.
"That thing you are doing with your lips won't work," He laughed. "Just take the essentials and a coat or two, if you want to." he shrugged.
"Waitttt, how did you get a hold of my passport? And what about the visa?" Amna asked again.
"You know that saying 'curiosity killed the cat'? " He raised a brow.
"You didn't just call me a cat, Mr Architect." She frowned.
"Did I?" He laughed.
"How did you get my passport? I know I gave it to Maaaa to keep it for me, did you ask her for it? We're not changing the topic?"
"Sa'adah makes everything in life easy, you know." he grinned.
"I had a feelingggg, I cannot believe Ya Sa'adah conspired with you to rob me!!!"
They both laughed.
***
She called Sa'adah asking why she stole her passport and they ended up talking for like an hour.
It was already evening so they got ready and headed out to bid farewell to their families, Amna's family house first, Aslam's then Yasmine's because they didn't see her at the family house and she wanted to see Amna.
They returned to their home around 8pm and helped each other pack and then took their showers and had dinner- the tuwon alkama from Amna's house and danderu they came back with from Mami's.
Later, Amna made some microwave popcorn and they started rewatching Prison Break.
Amidst watching, Aslam headed to the kitchen to make some camomile tea for them. The bell rang and Amna quickly slipped on her Skims robe over its joggers and tank top and headed to the door. She intended to call Aslam to get the door if it was someone she needed to wear a hijab.
She quickly switched to the CCTV footages on the tv and the camera right in front of the door showed her cousin TJ standing there. She gasped rushed to the door and quickly fixed her robe belt then opened the door.
"Ya Tj!" she squealed and hugged him.
"My baby Amna!" he beamed.
Aslam walked out of the kitchen to see for himself what was going on.
"What a pleasant surprise, when did you come back?" She asked as she ushered him in.
"Yesterday, I was at home and Maama said you just left and will be traveling tomorrow, I had to stop by." He smiled.
"So sweet of you, make yourself comfortable please."She stood up then saw Aslam by the glass door.
"Aslam this is Ya TJ, Lily's brother." She introduced them then he walked further into the room and they shook hands.
"I had a flight to Sydney on your wedding, unfortunately." He smiled. "Allah ya sa alkhairi."
"Ayyah ba komai. Amin, mun gode." Aslam smile.
Amna returned holding a tray which she served him water, juice, cupcakes and macarons.
"Koh in kawo maka tea, Ya TJ?" Amna asked.
"Nooo, don't bother. You have gotten so much better at baking... did you make these cupcakes?" He asked after biting into one of the vanilla cupcakes she served him.
"No, I didn't. Got them from Chloe's." Amna laughed. "But I have always been good, Ya TJ!" She whined and he laughed.
"We used to try every experiment you made before ai and pretend they were nice kada kiyi kuka."
TJ is her sister Mimi's age mate, he and Mimi used to be inseparable, they lived not too far from each other back then and he was always at Amna's either playing football outside at the small grass pitch at their backyard with her brother, Ibrahim and the neighbors, playing video games or having extra lessons with Mimi at the hut.
He and Mimi went separate ways later. Him, aircraft engineering and Mimi, pharmacy.
He got a job with Qatar Airways and moved to Qatar.
She didn't see him in the longest time, they caught up on a lot, Aslam chipped a bit into their conversation before he excused himself to feed the fishes in the pond then headed upstairs.
He had an unsettling feeling about TJ and didn't like him one bit but just shrugged it off and worked on his laptop.
Amna went up about an hour later, he was replying some work emails. She slipped quietly into the covers beside him and said her prayers before rolling to his side, putting her legs over his. Aslam let out a sigh and let her snuggle into him.
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The next day, they woke up and ran a few errands before heading to the airport. They took an hour flight to Lagos first then checked in and sat at the lounge waiting to board their flight. Amna observed without asking a single question.
"Ga wata kamar Amna..." A man walked to where she sat from nowhere, he had seen their entrance into the lounge but wasn't sure if it was her at first.
Amna gave him a smile " It's me, Ina wuni." she greeted, Aslam had stepped aside answering a work related call.
"Yakike? Longest time, ina kika shiga?" He asked Amna checking her out. She looked prettier than years ago when he'd seen her last, the thought made him smile.
"Wallahi," She answered and shifted uncomfortably in her seat, she didn't like the way his gaze lingered on her.
"Are you heading back to school?" He asked and before she could answer, Aslam returned and gave him a brief look before he sat beside her.
"This is my husband- Muhammad, this is Dikko, friend din Uncle Nasir ne." She said to Aslam and he nodded.
Aslam scrutinized him and stretched his hand to Dikko's which was hanging in for a shake, Dikko could not mask his shock and disappointment.
"Gaskiya banji dadi bah, I mean... just because we didn't work out doesn't mean you shouldn't invite me to your wedding." Dikko chuckled.
Amna laughed "I'm sorry, it all happened in the blink of an eye and it should be Uncle Nasir's fault not mine."
"Hakane, I'm happy for you, you're one lucky man." He managed to smile at Aslam who took Amna's hand playing with her cartier bracelet.
"Where are you headed to? Is it the honeymoon?" Dikko asked, his voice filled with amazement and an unnoticed venom.
"He wouldn't tell me, it's a surprise." Amna smiled and he turned to Aslam raising a brow in question.
"A couple of destinations." Aslam answered.
"Wowww. Have a safe flight then," He managed another fake smile and walked away.
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Aslam pinched the space in between his eyes taking deep breaths, he was seeing red.
"What was that about you two not working out?" Aslam asked with a flaring nose.
"He liked me back then but I didn't like him and I was too young." she chuckled and casually said.
"I don't like him and I don't want to ever see him near you again." he said, speaking in a low tone, he didn't want attention on them.
"Excuse me, what do you mean?" Amna turned to faced him. "He just happened to be in this lounge too and he saw me, yazo mu gaisa."
"Not just him, I don't like that TJ too, I don't like the way they look at you and I don't ever want to see him with you." He added.
"You must be kidding me." She laughed in amusement.
"Do I look like I am?" He asked in a stoic voice.
"You know what? I swear to you, being your wife doesn't mean you can dictate my life, I hope you know that?" She asked.
"You are now a married woman, MY WIFE."
"Ya TJ is like a brother to me and you being my husband cannot change that- this is someone I have known since my memory developed and have shared a childhood with."
He shut his eyes briefly "He is your Non-mahram, kin sani? then why did you two hug? what the f*ck?!"
"Don't you ever swear at me!!'' She scoffed. "And a quick one please. Is Munah yourrr Mahram? You've never hugged? Scratch that, you even did at our wedding, everyone saw you two." She said blinking back her tears. "Or do you get to pull the Mahram card only when it suits you?"
He remained silent.
"Answer me." She glared at him.
"You have never mentioned you didn't like Munah, you should have mentioned. I-"
"Oh so it isn't about Mahram anymore? My question was simple, yes or no? And so bold of you to assume I liked her and what exactly would you have done? This same Munah harassed me at my own wedding, calling me basic for a bride but I let it slide and then you're looking me in the eyes right now and telling me you don't want to ever see me with my cousin?"
"Babe, calm down..." He reached for her hand.
"Don't! Don't tell me to calm down and don't touch me!" She pulled her hand and quickly stood up.
She rushed to the washroom and looked herself in the mirror, "Don't cryyy, don't cry, don't cryyy!" she kept repeating to herself before splashing water to her face, patting it dry and quickly wiping her hands, she moisturized her face, reapplied her spf and lip gloss then walked out and held her head up high.
She returned and they both sat in an awful silence, there was so much tension in the room and both of them on their phones before the priorities were announced to start boarding.
An air hostess checked their boarding passes
"Good Afternoon Mr, Good Afternoon Ma'am" she greeted. "Follow me to your seats." She smiled and walked ahead of them to their seats and then grabbed their hand luggage and stored them above their seats.
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"Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome onboard Air France flight B77 with service from Lagos, Nigeria to Paris, France...
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Please turn off all personal electronic devices including laptops and cellphones....thank you for flying Air France" the Captain's long announcement came on and later the safety instructions and an air hostess came around inspecting if seatbelts were in place.
The hostesses shortly came around with menus and they dined, watched and she changed into the complimentary pajamas and slept a bit through the almost 7 hours long flight while Aslam worked on his laptop, she was still ignoring him. They landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport around 2am in the morning.
They smoothly went through the immigration process, it was both not their first times in Paris and the Schengen visa made everything easier also Aslam had an American passport.
The 40 minutes drive to Four Seasons George V was a blur, with the city lights illuminated through the tinted windows.
***
Their suite offered a beautiful view of the city and the Eiffel Tower itself from the patio, with Welcome to Four Seasons George V Mr and Mrs Shettima, Enjoy your Honeymoon displayed on the television screen and rose petals on the bed.
Amna proceeded straight to the bathroom, took a relaxing shower and performed ablution. She walked out almost 20 minutes later in a robe. Aslam was sat on couch, massaging his neck and temples.
She adjusted the heater temperature in the room making it warmer then opened her luggage and brought out her essentials.
Aslam quietly watched her.
She wore an underwear as he watched and then her cozy pajama shirt before completely taking off the bathrobe she was wearing, revealing her bare legs, in just a lacy thong. He swallowed and looked away.
She took a bottle of perfume and spritzed it over the pajama pants she was holding then proceeded to the bathroom and hung the bathrobe before walking out, now wearing the pants.
"Babe, I want to call the room service for food, do you want to take a look at the menu?" He spoke.
"No, I am not hungry." She replied.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
She nodded "Had a lot of food on the flight," she wore her full length prayer hijab and checked the qibla on her phone.
He proceeded to take a shower. When he came out, he saw her flinging the rose petals on the bed to the floor and before he finished praying, she was already fast asleep. He quietly slipped out of the room.
He ate at a restaurant close by and walked back to then hotel. He decided to eat out to clear his head, the silent treatment was killing him.
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