ABOUT THIS BOOK
Description
She was only crying that hard because she feared they would start talking about her fight with Amina.
The moment she entered the sitting room, she threw herself onto Ummi, who was seated quietly reciting Azkar before Maghrib prayer.
Ummi immediately pushed her away angrily.
“Stand up properly and explain why you broke someone’s daughter’s nose! Or have you completely lost your mind, In’am? Is your goal in life to keep dragging me into trouble and embarrassment everywhere?”
In’am’s crying intensified as she crouched beside Ummi.
“You better answer the question properly before I slap you myself!”
Suddenly, In’am froze in panic.
Her stomach twisted immediately the moment she heard the deep commanding voice of Dr. Aliyu Ibrahim — Mr. Glasses himself.
Slowly, she stole a glance toward the direction he sat.
He was seated calmly on a two-seater couch, pressing his phone casually.
His dark glasses covered his eyes completely, making it impossible to tell where exactly he was looking, though everyone knew he could see everything clearly behind them.
His handsome face remained serious as always — the type of face that looked unfamiliar with smiling or joking.
He wore a fitted white polo T-shirt and black three-quarter trousers.
From the smooth edges of his beard to the neat haircut on his head, everything about him looked perfectly groomed.
The scent of his expensive perfume filled the entire sitting room.
Within barely five seconds, In’am had already finished observing him completely.
Only then did she notice her two elder brothers seated there too.
Immediately she understood they had purposely remained silent because they knew Aliyu would question her himself.
Slowly, she lowered her head again and pouted.
In a tiny childish voice, she muttered:
“Ummi, she started it first… That wicked Ustaz entered our class and kept asking me questions. I answered everything correctly, but he never asked Nafee or Amina anything. Then when he asked me one final question, I said I didn’t know the answer. Amina started laughing at me, saying I was always pretending to be smart yet couldn’t answer a simple question. So after class ended and she tried standing up beside me, I grabbed her and warned her never to sit next to me again.”
Then she went quiet.
Yusuf clicked his tongue angrily.
“That still doesn’t justify making someone bleed!”
Sulaiman added sharply:
“Leave her alone. Her own body will teach her sense someday. You really have no manners. Calling your teacher wicked too?”
In’am puffed out her lips stubbornly and refused to respond.
Meanwhile, Aliyu sat there looking completely uninterested — as though he wasn’t even listening to the entire conversation.
But in reality, he heard every single word and watched her quietly from behind his dark glasses.
It had been two years since he left the country.
He noticed immediately how much In’am had grown.
Yet her stubbornness clearly hadn’t changed.
Though one thing had changed — she talked less now.
Still, even this reduced talking already irritated him enough.
Quietly, In’am added again:
“Please Yaya Sulaiman, it was really her fault first. And now Auwal even called me dirty too…”
Ummi interrupted sharply:
“So that’s why you entered the house screaming like a mad person?”
Immediately, In’am kept quiet again because Mr. Glasses was still seated there.
Ummi sighed deeply.
“Allah should guide you, In’am. Your brother just returned after all this time, and because of your stubbornness you haven’t even greeted him properly or welcomed him home.”
Aliyu casually lifted his phone back to his ear again, speaking calmly in his deep cool voice.
From the sound of it, he was speaking to his friend Dr. Safwaan.
Meanwhile, In’am sat there pouting silently.
Truthfully, she disliked Aliyu intensely.
He was too strict, too controlling, and always making life difficult for everyone.
Finally, Yusuf and Sulaiman stood up.
“Ummi, let’s go. Maghrib prayer is almost starting.”
In’am immediately jumped at the opportunity.
“Me too, let me go inside and perform ablution.”
As she hurried to stand up, Aliyu slowly lowered his phone and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
Ummi smiled warmly at him.
“My son, will you eat after prayer?”
“Yes Ummi. I really missed your cooking.”
She smiled proudly.
“Today’s meal was specially prepared because of you.”
Then she walked away.
Meanwhile, In’am remained seated there looking like she wanted to scream.
Carefully, she tried stealing another glance at Aliyu just to confirm whether he was watching her or not — because she desperately wanted to escape from the sitting room without being forced to greet him properly.
But when she glanced toward him, she found him busy pressing his phone again.
Inside her mind, she muttered:
“Honestly… this tormentor has become even more handsome. Seems London really changed him.”
Comments
Sign in to comment.