~°°~"Give it a try" whispered the heart~°°~

Gwarinpa, Abuja, Nigeria.

22nd March, 2022 2:00pm ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~

"What?" Tauhida asked involuntarily, Imran didn't even get to finish his sentence when she stopped him mid sentence. Well she had to, the news was not something she ever expected to hear, at least not that early.

"Yes Tauhida, but I'll be back in a week's time, for camp" Imran said trying to convince her. Tauhida though didn't like the idea of Imran going that far from her, as far as Gombe at that. "Must you go? you could just stay you know"

"They are coupling me up with one of our cousins, not sure which one though so I have to go and see if I can change things" Imran said. "You know can't possibly give up on Husnerh right? you mustn't, I won't let it happen" Tauhida said, as if she had a way to do anything about the matter. She knew for herself how authorative her uncles could be, exactly why they never had the best relationship even when her parents were alive.

"I don't intend to give up on her, exactly why I need to go and stop them" Imran said.

"If that's the case then you're free to go, I'll miss you though" Tauhida said. It was true that she would miss him because ever since she got married to Sayf, he wouldn't spend more than two days without making sure they meet. And now that he was leaving for a week or even more, it was only natural that she would miss him.

"Don't worry Tauhida, I'll be fine and you'll also be fine in my absence, I trust major to take care of you" Imran said as they finally walked out of the guest living room to where he parked his car. "Come back soon" Tauhida whispered as she hugged him before he entered his car and drove away.

Tauhida went back into the house afterwards.

She had no idea where Amani and Layla had went to and didn't bother to ask anyone because she thought maybe they went out to celebrate Amani's day, it was her birthday. As of Sayf, he left that morning in search of Aaliyah and munawwarah.

He had been going back and forth the police station ever since he logged a missing complaint and that day as they found a lead, he left early that morning to see if they would be able to find them.

Tauhida laid down on her bed, with no idea of what to do. She would have called her squad if she hadn't just before Imran visited her. The house suddenly felt boring to her with no one around to keep her company.

Reaching to a final decision of sleeping, Tauhida closed her eyes but opened it back when she heard a knock on the door followed by the sound of it being opened.

"Adda get up" Amani said dragging her by the hand. The three of them had become just like friends even though Tauhida was older than both of them.

"What's your deal?" Tauhida asked. "We went out to plait our hair earlier and now that we're back then we have to go for girls day out together, at least to celebrate my day" Amani said, turned out they didn't leave her out of their plans for the day.

"Let's suggest where we should go then" Tauhida said because there was no way she would deny the offer, she after all needed a way to escape from boredom.

"I'll suggest, why not Caesar's?" Layla said making Tauhida to hang her mouth open to Layla, and she quickly closed it back before Amani could notice.

"Great, let's do it. I'll go get ready" Amani said before moving out of the room.

"Don't tell me" Tauhida said to layla almost immediately after Amani left the room. "Already did, and ya Sayf lied about finding a lead, they're planning a surprise for her and guess what? The cousins are also coming" Layla said before also making her way out of the room, she wouldn't want Amani to suspect something.

Tauhida stood up and also got ready, something that she knew would compliment the event.

She wore black trousers and white inner dress before draping over it a navy blue kimono robe, she paired it with an off-white moderate heel and Vinci bag. One thing Tauhida didn't like was that she didn't get to buy Amani a gift so she rummaged through her trousseau boxes for the right gift.

Tauhida settled for a zirconia jewelry set and a beauty set. The choices of the gifts made Tauhida to change her bag because it was small for them, she took a black back pack and transferred everything into it before finally moving out of her room.

That time around, she was the one who had to wait for them to get ready.

Few minutes later, they were driven out of Elnafaty's residence. Sayf made sure they never drive themselves out again, at least not alone so he had bodyguards follow them around in a different car.

"Surprise" Almost everyone shouted immediately they stepped into Caesar's, the place was void of any other person who wasn't family except the person was an employee in the restaurant.

"Really?" Amani shouted in excitement, just like a primary school kid.

"Happy birthday to you ......." Everyone sang as they wheeled out her cake and lit up the candles. Amani was already in tears by then as she kept hugging each person she came across with, except those that weren't her Muharram of course. "thank you" she muttered to each person in the room.

"Make a wish and blow out the candles" Najma said after the birthday song and Amani did just that while everyone clapped.

Tauhida then saw the one person she had wanted to spot ever since she came into the restaurant, Sayf. And it was just like he had been looking right at her all the while because she found his eyes on her when she looked.

"I love you" Sayf lipped from where he stood making Tauhida to blush and turn away.

Just then, refreshments were brought out and everyone sat down on a chair. On Tauhida's table, Najma, Mus'ab, Nabil, and Hafeez sat with her. Najma was by her left while Hafeez sat by her right, all the while Tauhida noticed his mind wasn't on anyone except Amani, as usual. Tauhida wondered how no one had noticed even though it was obvious.

"What does your heart tell you?" Tauhida asked Hafeez who turned to look at her.

If not the rest were distracted, they would also hear the question Tauhida asked Hafeez. "About what?" Hafeez asked back. "About Amani, I've noticed since the first time we met how you look at her, it isn't normal" Tauhida replied.

"I'm surprised you noticed it in a short period of time when others didn't notice even after all these years, not even her" Hafeez said. "How many years has it been?" Tauhida asked. "Twelve years, five months, three days, five hours and 16 minutes ever since I realised my feelings for her" Hafeez replied looking at his wrist watch making Tauhida to swiftly look at him in shock.

"What are you still doing here then? tell her" Tauhida said. "You wouldn't want to make the mistake of letting her go" Tauhida said again, "listen to your heart and do what it says" she added.

"Give it a try" Hafeez's heart whispered.

Was that all he needed to confess to her, if it is then why did he wait twelve years with buried hopes? Still a mystery.

Hafeez knew it was the day, he wouldn't skip telling her again and definitely would not avoid the outcomes of his confession. Rejection was at the least of his concerns when he decided to confess to her. He stood up from his seat and headed towards her, he excused them from the crowd and walked with her to the rooftop.

"Need anything ya Hafeez?" Amani asked, she knew she had nothing to help him with but asked anyways. "Is something wro..."

"I love you" Hafeez finally said it. "I have loved you for a long time now with no way to confess it, probably because I feared rejection or maybe because I thought I wasn't good enough...."

"Everyone is good enough" Amani interrupted. "I just realised that. Anyways today with no fear I tell you that I love you, I do so much that it hurts when I ignore it" Hafeez said. How someone can be in such a situation and still talk in so much calmness is a rare thing.

Amani just stood there rooted with no words to say. She didn't expect it so replying to it was hard for her even though she knew clearly what she also felt about him.

"My heart just had to be in your favour" Amani replied after some minutes of staring making their dating official. Her words made both of them happier than ever, how fairytales came to reality just like their own story.

Amani got the biggest birthday gift of her life. Even though that year particularly was a different year, it still gave every one of them a gift they'll forever cherish in their lives.

~°°~"Give it a try" whispered the heart~°°~

~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ Oya naa, another case settled. I am gradually settling everyone's life so that I can peacefully bring an end to this book.

Imran and Husnerh remaining I guess, oh!! Shafiq included, I plan on getting him someone too. Gwara kowa ma yayi aure kawai na huta.

Ya Imran is getting an arranged marriage oo, if you're supporting it then let me see your hands up... If you're not high five!! God forbid bad thing for ya Imran oo.

So, how'd like the chapter? I hope I tried.

Tauhida relationship advisor and also a matchmaker, I like it. Sayf and the lippings too, su love you manya, sha let me just come and go so I won't look like I'm jealous.

Please vote, comment and share my book to friends and family. Lots of love,

Deedi--❤️