My Priceless Jewel - Episode 25

 

"Easy lily, go easy on yourself". Arfaat said, his heart beating fast. Junayd only gave her a sharp look, more like a warning.

     They both looked at her quickly, on of them with a surprised and shocked look, the other with a very happy and smiling face.

"Repeat what you just said lily". Arfaat said, his voice chocky.

"I said i choose Yaa Junayd to be my husband" . She said, almost like whispering.

   Arfaat shook his head, shaking it hard, he didn't even have the courage to say a word as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I can't loose you Juwai, Juwai you can't do this to me; don't do it please, you know how much i love you" he quickly took hold of hajiya azumi's hand, holding it tight "tell her hajiya, tell her she means the world to me, i love so very much. Feel my heart beat". He said, as he puts her hand at the center tip of his heart. Alhaji Abbas was also speechless, she should be happy about her choice, junayd is his only nephew; but why does it seem like he's not happy with it?

    "Is that your final choice juwairiyyah" mai kunu asked slowly, with a lot of pity for her son in her eyes. Juwairiyyah was silent for a while, before nodding her head in affirmation

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/my-priceless-jewel

. She couldn't even look up at anybody in the room, for all she know is that, she has made her choice.

Within a blink of an eye, Arfaat left the sitting room, tears rolling and rolling down his cheeks. He has loosed Juwai forever, she's gone; what more does he have left in this world? Nothing morethan his siblings and his mom.

     I wonder what junayd was thinking, but his face was without expression, without a bit of emotion. He looked at Juwairiyyah, but couldn't see her face, niether could he see her expression. He smiled mischievously at the issue before leaving the sitting room, after taking one last look at Alhaji Abbas.

It was 9:00pm, the night cold and dark, the only sound one could hear was that of the night frog. But that didn't stop Arfaat from sitting outside, in the cold night, crying like a baby. He had lost juwairiyyah, and yes! What his mom said about their relationship moments ago was true.

    "You've all wasted the one chance you had of being together, playing a game of revenge and deceit. You all still think you can get back together and be happy dan mama?. I wonder what you were thinking when you joined her in playing the game, you guys got married, but because of your so called game, you got divorced. I don't blame her for choosing her cousin over you, if i were in her shoes, I'll do thesame. Believe me."

Those were his mom words, he had played with the chance he got, he ruined it, he had lost her forever now. But deep inside, he still has the feeling; that one day, they'll all be back together and have their own kids. The vibration of his phone got him back into reality. He wanted ignoring it, but a voice told him not to, he picked up the phone and saw a new number calling; he wasted sometime before picking it up.

"Salamu alaikoom." 

   "Wa alaikumus salaam, is that Arfaat please?" A deep male voice answered.

"Yes."

      "Junayd on line."

Arfaat closed his eyes for a while, as the name stroked his heart with a sharp pain "can i help you?" He asked, in an unfriendly manner.

    "Hey! Chill. Why the rude tone, we just need to talk, i never forced her to choose me over you". Junayd said, a little bit pissed off and irritated.

"Talk about what? You think i have the time to waste in talking to you?"

    "You know what?, lets meet up tomorrow around 7 in the evening, can you make it. I can come over if you want me to" Said junayd.

"I don't want to see your face, it irritates me" replied Arfaat.

  "Too bad, i thought we two could have a man to man talk."

"No, we can't. Say what you have to say right now; or i hang up the call."

   "Arfaat" Junayd called slowly "i never had the intention of coming between you two, but I've loved Juwairiyyah for ages, I've always dream of her being my wife, mother to my kids, my soulmate, my life partner. But i feel bad about all this, even thou she choosed me as her husband, i felt like I've come in between two lovers. Do forgive me please, but i can't give up on her." 

"Its okay, goodbye" Arfaat said, as he ended the call. Juanyd froze on the chair he was sitting. He was silent for a while, and then shrugged later on, vowing to mind his business and see to it that juwairiyyah is his!

Juwairiyyah woke up the next day feeling sober, with a lot on her mind, her eyes swollen into big balls like oranges, she looked like a new mad woman, who just came out of the psychiatric hospital. She was wearing a skirt and blouse, made of a fabric called "shadda" baby pink in color. She walked down straight to the kitchen, where uwani was busy preparing the morning breakfast.

"Good morning" she greated, as she took a plate from the plate rack, going straight to the food warmer Uwani kept the yam and egg she was frying.

     "Good morning Hajiya" Uwani said, bending down a little as a sign of respect to her boss lady.

"Uwani, i know i have always been rude to you, you are older than me, so you deserve respect from me, even if you are working under me. Please, forgive me."

    "O Hajiya!" Uwani said hugging her "I've always loved you, and no matter what happen, I'll always, i mean I'll always be with you."

"Ma shaa Allah, this was what I've been waiting for, for ages.

Read " From The Eyes Of A Spinster " by the same author ( Murjanatu Alkali )

. Thank you for realizing that soon angel". Hajiya Raliya said, standing at the doorway.

"Good morning mom" Juwairiyyah said, giving her a warm embrace.

    "Morning our bride-to be, had a great night i guess."

"Yes mom" she answered slowly.

    "You look pale, look at your eyes,are you okay?" Asked her mom, concerned.

"Yes mom, don't worry. Am perfectly alright."

   Hajiya Raliya already knew that she was lying, but she won't force her to do what she don't want to. They chat for some minutes before they all went to thier different directions. 

For Arfaat, everything has turned upside down, mai kunu has tried her possible best to show him that loosing Juwairiyyah was not the end of time, Arfaat wouldn't listen. He still hope that She'll call him any moment and tell him that, he is the one she choose not junayd. Unknown to him, Juwairiyyah has already made up her mind, she don't have the slightest feeling for junayd, but she still choosed him over arfaat. She loved arfaat, but she value self respect the more. To her, she has already lost her self respect in the eyes of arfaat. Its better to end things in an early stage. 

The only thing Juwai focused on was her wedding arrangements, what bothered her the most is that, Junayd didn't ask for her, call her or even talked to her about their wedding plans, she's only doing what she thinks is the right thing for them both. But she made up her mind to talk to him today, its already two days to their wedding, she'll have to know what he's thinking.

   At around 5 in the evening, juwai stepped at junayd's doorway, she knocked for three times without any response, she then made up her mind to go into the room, without waiting for permission.

But what she saw after closing the door behind her shocked the hell out of her. Deep inside, she was still grateful for choosing him as her husband to be! At least, no one will blame her for what will happen next.

Four chapters to go...!