Chapter 66 — Indoor Chilling

Hayfah squinted her eyes, stifling a yawn, stretching her hands slightly. She darted her eyes open slowly and her gaze fell on a sleeping Adyan beside her. Affectionately, a smile graced her lips, and she found her hands grazing his well-trimmed beard.

He was still asleep, unaware of her intense scrutinizing gaze, nor her lingering hand on his face.

'He's beautiful; even while sleeping.' She hushed to herself, not knowing it was loud enough for him to hear, until she heard his coarse sleepy voice that tingled her spine.

"Rania, you're handsome while ogling too. Dangerously romantic." He was still laying on his pillow, but his eyes were darted open on her radiant face.

'Get a hold of yourself, Hayfah!' She scolded herself and yawed her gaze from his face, trying to get her shivering body out of the bed. Just the sight of a shirtless Adyan was making her shiver.

"No morning hug or kiss?" He asked, and before she could even blink an eye, he wrapped her around his chest and planted a lingering kiss on her cheek from behind.

Hayfah shuddered under his touch and looked up to the wall clock that was placed on the wall above them. A gasp escaping her lips. "Adyan! It's 11 pm, ya Allah! How are we going to face Ammi and Abba? We haven't greeted them and I'm sure Abba left for the company!" She shrugged off her body from his hold and kept pacing the room, tapping her fingers on her palms; anxiously.

She was abruptly engulfed into a hug, yet again. "Rania, you don't have to be anxious. They know we're newlyweds and need time for ourselves, so they won't mind," he whispered in her right ear, and Hayfah could swear she heard a trigger being pulled in her body, as his words passed through her down to her heart before she was shot.

"Adyan!" She shrieked and turned around, and that was when their eyes met; his orbs setting her body ablaze. "This isn't fair, how would you look into my eyes?!" She shrieked in a whining tone and turned her back on him, feeling how her heart was beating maliciously.

"Everything is fair in marriage, especially when the couple had an amazing night, Rania." She knew he smirked, when she heard his mischievous chuckle.

"Adyan!" She screamed and blocked her ears with both hands. "Just kill me and rest please, that's what you want huh? I hate you!" She screamed, feeling as he snaked his hand around her waist. She shrugged off his hand and swiftly ran to the bathroom, banging the door so hard.

She leaned on the closed door and kept catching her breath. It was dangerous to her heart, having an eye contact with Adyan. She shouldn't have been this dumb!

"They're all visible!" He shouted from the room, followed with a hearty laugh.

"I don't want to talk to you again!" She shouted back, but there were tingles all over her burning body.

"The shy smiles, blushes, and goosebumps, Rania. There was even a body shudder, and what again?" There was a silence for some seconds before he continued. "A fire set ablaze by the most beautiful husband on earth!"

"You know I hate you right? So argue with the jinn beside you about all these things you mentioned!"

"My shy Fulani bride, I love you more!"

Arguing with Adyan is pointless, so she just smiled and went on with her business, hoping to come out to an empty room, albeit she knew that would be more than difficult.

She slowly turned the doorknob and walked out of the room. She glued her eyes to the marble floor and kept walking until she reached the mirror, which was now turned into a lady's.

"I didn't stare, just passing by," Adyan muttered with a smirk.

"Adyan!" She spoke through gritted teeth and turned to look at him, but he was already at the bathroom door.

"Just wanted to say you might need to re-do your towel; it's a bit loose, Rania!" He half yelled and banged the door closed.

Hayfah palmed her face and let out a breath with an arduous smile on her lips. What would she have done without Adyan in her life? Truly, Love is magnificent.

Adyan came out of the bathroom. He dressed himself in casual attire, and they had an argument before Hayfah finally let her hair loose in her veil, and hand in hand, they left for breakfast.

Adyan opened their room's door and a paper caught his attention, he stooped down and took it before they walked to the dining table. Everything was set, and there wasn't a sign of Mom or even Dad on the table.

"Where is Ammi? The house is eerily silent, Adyan," Hayfah asked, looking around the room, so she could see at least someone around.

"I think something happened. Let's read this letter first, and I'll call Sorella afterwards, I know this is one of her pranks." Adyan said and unfolded the paper, revealing Mom's cursive handwriting. He knew she was the one.

"Read it for us, Sorella can be something else!" He chuckled and passed her the paper, which she collected reluctantly.

"Good Morning Amore! Yeah, as you predicted, it's one of Sorella's pranks!

As we promised yesterday, we're leaving for our unending honeymoons; so you guys would have the time of yourselves. And it isn't in any country, before you even read this; we're in Lagos I know. Take care of our Queen, I love you all. And also your house will be ready in three days. I don't want us to come back and be embarrassing Hayfah anyhow. Go to your house before we're back. I've sent Binta on a break also. Only My Amore and his queen! How cheesy does that sound?

Okayyyy...my sweetheart has been eyeing me. He's eager to leave, huh? Who wouldn't be eager to have this gorgeous face of mine to himself? Yeah! The authors of Shakespeare, let's show her we have love running through veins! Bye, my regards to Hayfah. Tell her I want little Adyan and Hayfah in her before we come back, gosh! How beautiful would that be?! I'm already dancing for joy!

Adyan! This is Dad, the farewell is enough. You have your wife now, right? So share the love with her and leave my wife alone. Don't call us, I repeat myself, don't call, Adyan!!!"

She finished with a hearty laugh and Adyan joined her. They laughed and she kept throwing her head back in laughter. She wondered how a person could have these amazing parents, she'd love to know how he's feeling, growing up being loved, seeing your parents in love with each other! It's overwhelming.

"You know what this means?" He sobered up, but there was still a glint of felicity in his eyes.

Hayfah shook her head sideways and he continued. "Remembered our indoor chilling? We can have it here for three days!!" He jabbered and pecked her forehead. This made Hayfah laugh more than she wanted to. Between him and his parents, she didn't know which one was more bubbly.

"Yes, Hayatee. That's it!" She squealed, not knowing how the word 'Hayatee' rolled out of her lips. It means 'My life' and he's surely the means of her life.

He got stilled, his eyes swelling up with an unvoiced love. He couldn't believe she just called him Hayatee, this was more than an endearment. "I'm your life, Rania?" He asked haltingly.

"You're not only my life, Hayatee. You didn't just save my life, you gave me my life. You taught me to be the best of myself. I love you, from the deep passionate burning part of my heart, Hayatee." She had sentimental tears in her eyes, and she landed a savouring kiss on his lips.

Adyan swiftly engulfed her into a hug, resting her head on the surface enclosing his burning and erratically beating heart.

"Rania, whenever I hear your voice, the true natural meaning of life becomes beautiful all over again. You're my strength. You're my favourite part of the world. I pray we'll be together in Jannah, Rania. I love the fact that my goodness is a reflection of you. You gave me the most amazing gift. You gave me Hayfah Talhah Muhammad."

Hayfah couldn't help but let her tears out, this was one of the best moments of her life. She doesn't know how to express her love to Adyan; everything is just soo out of the ordinary. She knew that he had been chosen for her even before she was born. Their souls were joined even before she knew what life was. He was destined to be in her life, even before she had been graced with life itself.

"And Hayatee would start crying now," she chuckled and slowly broke their hug, clearing her tears with her thumb, wanting to make the atmosphere less sentimental.

"Hayatee, would you mind if I ask you a question?" She asked, diverting the direction of their conversation, as she began serving them their food.

He couldn't take his eyes off her, she was everything he could ever ask for. He might call her Rania, but she's more than a queen in his heart, everything revolves around her in his life. She was his noorul ayn, the light in his eyes.

"I'm all yours, Rania; ask everything," He said and pushed the plate she served him away, putting hers between them and he started eating the breakfast, his eyes on her.

"I know what Sorella means in Italy. It's sister, right? Then why do you call Ammi that?" She asked, trying to feed him with a spoon.

He took the spoon out of her hand and dipped her hand in the plate, motioning for her to feed him with it. "There was a day my brother Kassim and I were playing, and he said that if he wasn't around, I wouldn't have a brother or sister to play with, that he was just helping him since he had me as a brother, but I don't have a younger sibling.

I cried and went to Sorella, telling her what Kassim said, and she said, 'I'm not only your mom, Adyan, I'm also your sister. I take care of you like sisters do, right? Feed you and help you with assignments, and we play together right?' I was eager to just hear her say I have a sister or brother 'Yes Mom!' She smiled and hugged me. 'Then from today on, no more calling me Mom. I'm Sorella. That's sister in Italy, right? And I'll call you Amore, My love'

And from then, she's everything more than a sister and nothing less than a mother to me. She's my Sorella, and also our Ammi." She opened her mouth to talk when he scooped a handful in her mouth, and she began munching abruptly.

Light went off, Hayfah shrieked and gripped Adyan's hand in hers. She'd never seen the house without light until now, and she'd always wondered how it would look without light, not knowing it would frighten the living daylights out of her.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the gate man will on the generator now, or they might even bring it back before then." He squeezed her hand reassuringly, scavenging for his phone in his pocket.

Before they heard the roaring sound of the generator, the light was back, and Hayfah didn't know when a shriek escaped her lips, "NEPA!" She shouted, as the typical Nigerian she is.

"Rania!!" Adyan screamed and burst hysterically into a series of laughter.

That's when she realized what she did, and without having a second thought, she began punching a laughing Adyan until he got out of his chair and they began running around the living room.

"NEPA!" He imitated using her shrilled voice, and she threw a pillow at him.

"Stop it Rania, they might take the light again, and you'll embarrass yourself more!" He was laughing and running around the room so she couldn't catch him.

"I'm soo going to kill you, Adyan! Ugh!!!" She screamed and ran to him knocking them down on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Rania. Don't hate your Hayatee please!" He pleaded, out of breath, and helped them sit upright.

She was silent, recollecting her breath when he called her name so silent and serious "Rania?" She turned with feisty eyes, emanating he should say what he wants to.

"NEPA!" Before he could finish the last 'A' word, she strangled his throat and had them laying on the ground.