Flawed Hearts

Chapter XXVI: Bonds

A gentle breeze blew around, making the trees dance in happiness. The chirping of birds could be heard from a distance. Najmah closed her eyes, enjoying the smooth caresses of the wind against her skin. She stared at the morning sky, watching dawn give way to daylight, her hair dancing according to the swish of the breeze.

"A penny for your thoughts," Aslan spoke, jolting her out of her thoughts.

She pouted a little, opening her eyes lazily."You interrupted a beautiful moment," she stated, her lips curving up into a smile.

"Did I?" he teased, coming to stand beside her.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded glancing at him.

"The view is beautiful," he stated lacing their hands together.

"It is," she replied, laying her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Breakfast's rea...," Lale stopped in her tracks, watching the duo. They snapped their heads towards her direction, Najmah pushing Aslan's hands away from her.

"The door was opened," Lale gestured at the door smiling guiltily at them. "I'll take my leave now."

"You came to tell us something?" Aslan questioned, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Yes," she nodded. "Breakfast will be served outside on the lawn." Not waiting to hear his response, she walked out of the room.

"You can look up now," Aslan teased, nudging Najmah's shoulder. "She's gone."

Najmah glared at him, walking back into the room.

"It's not like we were caught doing something wrong right?" he smirked, falling into step with her.

"Yeah right," she rolled her eyes, grabbing her scarf. She pinned it to her head then left the room together with him.

{••}

"Here take your meds," Najmah stated after breakfast. Hilal pouted, looking at Najmah's outstretched hand. 'One, two, three...eight.' she counted in her head, her eyes widening. "These are too much," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Doctor's orders," Najmah chuckled, passing a glass of water to her. "Open up, we have someplace to be." Hilal took the pills reluctantly, swallowing them up one after the other, grimacing as each tablet made contact with her tongue.

"There," Najmah grinned, ruffling her hair. "That wasn't so bad now or was it?"

"They taste horrible," Hilal replied popping a berry into her mouth.

"Amca, when will you guys give birth to a child?" she questioned innocently.

Afet choked on her drink, setting her glass down. She used a napkin to wipe at her mouth, all the while glaring at Hilal.

Aslan watched Najmah still, dropping the cup she was holding on the table. She blinked, blinked again, opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, closed it again then blinked again. He smirked, getting over the fact that Hilal was talking before glancing at Najmah again who had her gaze now fixed on Hilal.

"Why the question Hilal?" Najmah questioned after recovering from the abrupt question.

"I want someone to play with," Hilal shrugged.

"She is right Najmah, we should give birth to a child."

"You know if you were the one to deliver it," she replied, recovering from her shock. "I would gladly, gladly help you." She huffed, pushing back her seat before grabbing Hilal's hand. "Come on love, let's head back in." The two left a grinning Aslan and a seething Afet behind, bounding up the steps back into the house.

He picked up his phone and head back into the house. Afet stared at his retreating back, curling and uncurling her fists.

"It is very rude to stare," Alev stated, gaining Afet's attention. Afet glared at her, rising from her seat.

"Afet please," Alev pleaded, placing her hand on Afet's own. "I am leaving today," she sighed, glancing at her feet.

"I know that we have had a rocky relationship but I want you to know that I am here for you if you need me. I know what Baba asked you to do and I just...," she hesitated, looking at her sister's expressionless face. "You have a choice Afet, you do not have to do what he asks. Aslan loves Najmah and so does she. They just don't realise it yet and when that time comes, only then will you understand that no matter what you do he will never love you.

"You don't have to push through with Baba's plans, he never cared about either of us. The only thing he cares about is his precious company. He will never be what you want him to be Afet, the sooner you realise that the better. At the end, you will be the only person who gets hurt."

Afet listened to Alev rant, her mind unfocused. Every word Alev spoke hit a nerve in her body but she wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing just how much her words affected her. She scoffed, walking away from her making a vow to herself; come what may, she was going to prove to her sister that she was wrong. Aslan would love her and her Baba would love her too.

{••}

"Good evening Ummita," Najmah chirped, twirling a lock of her hair with her finger.

"Najmah I see you still don't like braiding your hair," Haj. Salmah shook her head in disappointment.Najmah's face fell but she quickly recovered, sending her mother a megawatt smile. "Ummita who will I have to braid my hair around here?"

"Daman abunda kike so ne," (That is what you love)

"Ummita I've missed you guys a lot," Najmah clasped her hands together stirring the conversation away from her unbraided hair.

"That is marriage life my dear," Haj. Salmah sighed. "You will get used to it."

"Don't you miss me?" Najmah frowned, assessing her mother's face through the screen of her laptop.

"We miss you too a lot Najmah, the house is lonely without you."

"How is Yaa Umar and Abba? Abba's phone isn't going through. I tried calling him earlier."

"You know how your Abba is, mayhap he misplaced it."

"Possibly," she grinned.

"So how are you doing?"

"I'm good Ummita, this is more than I've expected."

"Your Abba is here," Haj. Salmah stated turning the screen towards Najmah's dad.

The familiar sight of her Father made her heart ache, oh how much she had missed seeing him. The last time she set her eyes on him was when she departed from Kano towards an unknown future.

"Abba," she greeted merrily. "I've missed you."

"I have missed you too my dear Star," he replied. "How have you been?"

"Alhamdulillah Abba, everything is just fine."

"Masha Allah," he nodded.

"He treats me well," she stated after a beat, answering his unasked question. "He is better than I've imagined him to be."

"Are you sure about it?" he queried. "If he mistreats you, know that the doors are always open for you."

"Abba you've got nothing to worry about. Aslan and I are getting along pretty well, we're closer than we were two months ago. He was a douche at first," she whispered lowly just enough for her father to hear. "But he turned out to be nice."

"A douche you say?" his eyes widened in amusement. "Najmah what did you do?"

"Abba," she grinned. "Your daughter is totally innocent."

"Is that so?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I may or may have not used his art studio and painted out my feelings the day I arrived."

"Najmah," he sighed, shaking his head.

"In my defence, the canvas was calling out to me. It was pleading with me to splash it with colors."

"Still not a grown up," he smiled at her. "I thought marriage would help you learn how to be mature but clearly not."

"Abba have you forgotten?" she smiled widely.

"Forgotten about what?"

"I am your most beloved, youngest and pampered daughter. Even with graying hairs, the fact remains unchanged; I'm still a baby."Alh. Haroun shook his head, knowing full well that a time would come when his youngest would stop acting immature. The conversation carried on for another hour before he decided to call it a night.

Najmah was a bit disappointed and unhappy that her time with her Abba was cut short but conceded, shutting off her laptop.

She glanced around the room which she had inhabited for three months of her life. Who would have thought that she would grow so attached to the man who wanted nothing to do with her the day she arrived in just a span of two months. Life she thought was indeed unpredictable.

For the thought of it, it was safe to say that Aslan's presence had indeed grown on her and mayhap she was starting to fall for him but it was a thought for another day. For now, she would enjoy what she had at her disposal and that was the toe-curling moments she spends with him.

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