*

" Is the baby bump visible " that was the first thing Simran said after I picked her call.

" what the jahannam do you mean by baby bump and what brought about it's visibility ?" I asked the laughing Simran incredulously.

" You're so naive and clueless for a girl your age or should I say a soon to be mama?" She's still laughing and I've never hated a sound like I do hate the sound of her evil laughter right now .

" Call me when you're done ,I can't take this anymore " I threw the phone across the room huffing in annoyance . Simran really is crazy ,she was crying yesterday telling me she can't do without Ameer and his mom didn't budge yet ,I was so sad to listen to her say all those things and the worst thing is that Ameer will be forced to live with a wayward girl who had no self respect and esteem ,we've been told that she's even into drugs ,so what kind of a mother will force her son into marrying such type of a girl is beyond me and today the psycho is telling me about baby bump laughing as if she's the happiest being on earth.

Just then Taseer came in and I couldn't help but stare at him imagining a mini me & him ,running around the compound, always smiling like him, I was so lost in the hypothetical world that I didn't realise when Taseer came and sat in front of me looking at me with those dreamy eyes I always get lost whenever I stare into them .

" Take a picture Madame it last longer " he winked at Me and I blushed knowing that if he knew what I was thinking of he will never let me see the light of another day without driving me crazy with his incessant teasing and weird suggestions .

"Why would I ? You're right here in front of me"

"Why would I ? You're right here in front of me " He mimicked me and I couldn't help but laugh .

" Is that how you're going to behave when you become a dad ?" I asked the stupidiest question considering the circumstance and I'm so gonna kill Simran for making me think about having babies in the first place .

" Are you pregnant Manal ?" Taseer asked looking me with so much happiness I don't wanna disappoint him .

" uhhh ummm hmmm armmmm" I kept stammering like I've been caught stealing meat From the pot .

" Please say yes Hayatee you have no idea how much I've prayed for this day ,is that what you were thinking of when I came in?"

" Yahsalam am sorry noory but I don't think am pregnant " then I burst into tears not knowing the reason why .Taseer held me close whispering sweet nothings into my ear until I calmed down .

" Don't cry Manalie ,you know your tears breaks my heart ,I will love you to have our child but I am not in a hurry ,besides the baby will only come when Allah wills it right ? It's not in our power and I am not disappointed just hoping to see a mini us soon " he soothes playing with my hair.

" Are you sure ?" I asked resting my head on his chest feeling his warmth and inhaling the sweetest scent of his perfume mixed with his scent .

" Hundred percent sure babe , let's go put some food in you " with that we went to the dinning to have lunch ,I got up to get more juice from the freezer when my phone beeped and before I could reach out to take it Taseer had already done that he read the message and burst out laughing spilling his food ,Aminah ,Hajia ,Muhammad and I all looked at him as if he has gone mad ,he started coughing and I hurriedly went to him patting his back and giving him a cup of water .Then I saw what made him laugh and embarrassed the living hell outta me .

Like seriously Manalie you should get a pregnancy test ,I had a dream that you're pregnant and mama kept asking me whether you're preggy and I wanna be an aunt real soon.

"I am so gonna kill Simran" I shouted like a mad woman dialling her number while the rest of the breathing beings in the room stare at me like I'm mad and they are right ,I was mad but not at them or psychologically mad,my head Is intact ,just super mad at a certain lady who happens to be my best friend and maybe, just maybe RIP will soon be added to her name .

" What the heck Simran ? Do you know who saw your message and even before it what you made me do ?" I bellowed through the phone, God save Simmy's eardrums that's if they aren't damaged yet .

" Hahaha ,what have I done wrong ? The innocent , cool and sweet angel like me " She cooed and I imagined her with a goofy grin as if she has won a lottery.

" Stop kidding girl ! Am being serious here ,Wallahi Simran you've scatter balanced me today ,do you even have any idea what I told Taseer after your stupid suggestion about baby bump ? "

" Yeah I have an idea ,you imagined having his kids and blurt it out without realising what you've said until the damage was done already "

" Yahsalaaam why are you always like this Simmy "

" am like this with the people I love so be glad that I love you hunny "

" if this is what you call love please hate me Simmy, I don't wanna be loved by you, you should have seen the look on Taseer's face when he taught I am pregnant Simran, it breaks my heart and made me wish with all my heart that I am indeed pregnant"

"Then ,get pregnant " she suggested as if it's the most natural thing to say .

" I have a doubt Simmy, like you've hit your head somewhere and lost your common sense "

" Forget about common sense ,sanity and whatnot ,just bring back a baby to Nigeria by hook or by crook ,gotta go Mama is calling me,Allah hafeez ,take care and bring back the baby" and before I could think of a comeback to give her she's off already and I sat down on a chair in the garden ,hands on chin imagining myself with a child, our child ,my child ,Taseer's child ,there's no doubt he will be a great father but what about me? Am I ready for that kind of commitment, can I raise a child with so much love like the kind of love Abby and Ammy raised me with ? Can I discipline a child according to the dictates of Islam?

" A penny for your thoughts Hayatee" I heard his voice out of the blue not knowing when he came and sat beside me ,this is the second time he found me deep in thought and I know that he knows what I was thinking of .

" No a dollar will do " I retorted with a hint of sadness in my voice .

" I am going to break Simmy's legs the moment I see her "

"Why will you do that " I raised a brow ,he has started to amuse me the way he said it like he meant it and he's harbouring hard feelings for Simran .

"Because she brought up the issue of babies and now my wife is all distant thinking about motherhood"

" Haha! You're funny noory ,who told you that's what I was thinking of ?"

" My heart, my mind ,my body and my soul and because that's the exact thing I've been thinking of right from the moment you asked that question " I looked at him mouth agape and held his hands in mine .

" We will have a baby soon in shaa Allah ,besides it's not even our first anniversary so there is hope" I said making imaginary circles on his palm

"That's what I wanted to hear from you ,so keep the baby thoughts aside and get ready ,I'm taking my wife out on a date ,to help her forget about babies for a while" he helped me up and we walked back into the house beside each other ,and I couldn't help the giddy feeling zinging through me ,I love going on a date with Taseer, a date with him is always the best and I can't get tired of going out with him for the rest of my life .

" Did I tell you I love you today? " Taseer asked as he lay on bed while I was undressing to take a bath .

" I think so ,but I wanna hear you say it again " I said as I turned around to look at him .

" okay ,come here ,then I will tell you " He said motioning for me to come lay beside him .

" Can't you see what am about to do ? And if I lay there,we might as well just forget about the date "

" You have a naughty way of thinking these days Manalie ,am not gonna do anything to you , maybe just a kiss? "

" Ahh there you go again ,at least I only think of naughty things while you actually do them practically so who is the naughtiest among us ?"

" so you mean you thought of kissing me ?? Alright then I won't be stingy ,besides I know am hot sexy and I've got kissable lips so come and kiss me before I change my mind " he jutted out his lips puckering them up with eyes closed and I couldn't help but give him a peck hurrying to the bathroom but before I can touch the door knob Taseer held my hands and gave me another kiss that made me breathless ,he then pushed me into the bathroom .

I took my time before coming out thinking that Taseer must've left to get ready but I saw him on bed sleeping soundly ,all curled up like a cat with a pillow to his chest ,that sight of him always makes my heart beat accelerate and I had the urge to join him but held myself, he had laid down the outfit for me ,my poor sweet husband ,he always do that whenever he gets the chance ,telling me that he love seeing me in clothes he has chosen for me ,that I look super adorable and it makes him proud that he knows my choice of fashion ,I always coo at him either giving him a hug or a Peck on his forehead and he will always smile at me telling me that I look beautiful .

So I went to the vanity and dolled my face up ,I looked cute and I smiled ,anticipating what Taseer will say when he see me . I gently tapped him but he didn't budge he just changed position and hugged the pillow tighter I smiled evilly and sprinkled him with a chilled water he abruptly woke up like he has been pricked with a needle while I laughed out loud .

"Yahsalam Manal, is that how to wake your husband?" he asked gruffly with his husky sleepy voice that I love listening to .

" Sorry hun ,just wanna have some fun " with that being said ,him giving me a deathly glare he went into the bathroom while I continue with the final touches of makeup .I didn't hear the sound of the door when Taseer came out ,I just saw him through the mirror with a dazed look .

" Mashaa Allah ,I thank Allah for giving such a beauty as a wife ,you look so take away Hayatee " that made me blush ,this isn't the first time Taseer call me beautiful or compliment my dressing but there's something special ,something more intimate and romantic about the way he looked at me ,like I am the only thing that matters on this earth,like am precious and priceless .I went up to him with a hand towel ,towel dried him and gave him my choice of outfit for him to wear, the colors complimented and I spritzed him with his perfume before taking the towels to the bathroom . I came out to meet him all dressed up .

" You look handsome noory but something is missing to complete the look " I said opening the vanity drawer to bring out one of our many couple watches. He usually strap mine while I strap his own too and today wasn't an exception,he looked so handsome I had to stare at him without blinking ,we were busy looking at each other ,sending messages from our hearts to each other that we didn't know when Hajia came in .It was so awkward we couldn't say a thing ,Hajia just looked at us with a happy and mischievous smile on her face ,even though she's not treating me like an in law I Still felt embarrassed coz this is not the first time she caught us in such an intense moment .

" My children ,Irin wannan kyau haka? Where to? You look so cute mashaa Allah " she asked and complimented us at the same time .Taseer scratched his head the way he usually do when he's either nervous or shy ." We are going out for a drive Hajia " he answered still not looking at her direction, I wanted to laugh but I hold it in .

" that's Nice , but I'm jealous that I'm not invited ,you should go and enjoy yourselves, am going back to Nigeria next week in shaa Allah ,I've just finished making the arrangements with your Abby Manal ,am tired of this place and eating weird foods that disturb my stomach " she laughed at the last part .

" Hajia please stay so that we can go back together, it's just a month please " I pleaded .

" Aminah will miss you ,you should spend more time with her ma ,teach her the deen who knows whether you might never see her again ?" Taseer added .

" Am more clever than you guys are ,I've given all your reasons a thought , but I am going. Aminah says she will come to Nigeria ,besides she's a fast learner and she has you guys to continue from where I stopped ,now go have fun ,we will discuss further when you get back " with that she left the room and we lost the excitement of going out .

" Let's just stay in and watch a movie or something" I suggested grumpily coz truth be told I will miss having Hajia around , she's more like a friend to me than a mother in law .

" No ,Hajia said we should go have fun ,and fun we shall have " he tugged at my hands and we left the room to the parking area.

" where are we going to ? "

" It's a surprise "

" Seriously ? Must every date be a surprise hubby ?" I pouted hoping he will fall for it and tell me.

" Whenever you pout , you look like an adorable puppy and all I wanna do is cuddle up with you and never let go " he said looking ahead of the road .

" that's not sweet" I squeezed my face .

" come on babe , have sabr mana" he says squeezing my hands .I can remember what he told me the day I yanked my hands from his hands because Hajia was in the car, he was so pissed that he didnt talk to me until we reached home saying that I should not dare yank my hands from his ever again because he love holding them and it makes him feel safe whenever he does that , I apologized telling him that I was shy that Hajia can see our entwined hands and he scoffed saying that Hajia will never mind and that he knows that she's happy whenever she see us together and happy .

" Tell me something about you that I don't know " Taseer asked out of the blue .

" I don't think there's anything about me that you don't know "

" I love nature ,like sitting outside ,watching the sun rise or set makes me happy ,looking at the trees in a fast moving car ,snapping the clouds and sniffing the scent of flowers makes me happy " I breath out waiting for him to tell me I'm being ridiculous but what he did took me by surprise ,he parked beside the road and look Me in the eye " we are going to have a garden at home ,with lots of flowers ,foreign and local ones , I will bring you flowers whenever I come across one till our home is filled with lots of bouquets ,till our home becomes like a florist shop " I smiled up at him ,trying hard to believe him, to believe that this moment is real and not one of my imaginations, but it's real and I don't have the words to thank my husband " thank you love " I managed to squeak out as he started the car .

" why are you so sweet ?what can I do to make you as happy as you make me feel ?" I asked him as we approached the central park. We've been there before and I enjoyed our picnic .

" You don't have to do anything Manal ,just be yourself and love me ,that's all I could ever ask for "

" I am already in love with you ,what else habiby please tell me darling " I insisted and he shook his head .

" I will tell you later "

" No just tell me now please " He didn't say anything until we started walking in the park , hands entwined and saying nothing .

"I have this dream , that my wife will wake me everyday with a du'a. She will comb my hair and lull me to sleep with a lullaby , that I will get to sleep and she will blow me with du'az and whenever am not at home she will call me and tell me she miss me and can't wait to see me, and I will always come home to the beautiful sight of her waiting for me " he breathed out and I smiled .

" That's pretty simple you know , even though you have a very weird dream but why didn't you tell me until now ?" I feigned to be angry and he spotted a seat and asked me to join him on it .

" Sorry habibty , we have a lot of things yet to know about each other , so we never come to this part until today. Forgive your poor hubby please " He pleaded and he looked so cute I can't help but pinch him playfully " ow that hurts you know "

" Don't complain ,it's your punishment for not telling me "

" Fine !suit yourself lemme get us something to eat. Wait right here " with that he left to the shops around the park and I started taking selfies with my phone ,making weird faces and laughing at the crazy snap chat filters .

" sometimes you make me forget that you're above twenty " comes the voice of Taseer from behind me .

" Duhh whatevs to that , but then you love me so ,lemme enjoy my life before it's too late " I stuck my tongue out at him .

" I heard you, close your eyes ,I've got a surprise for you " he said while I abruptly closed my eyes without waiting for him to ask twice .

" for my lady who loves flowers, not knowing that she is more beautiful than a flower , because she don't need water to blossom and bloom. Her beauty blooms without her trying, her scent is heavenly and the sight of her makes hearts skips ,now open your eyes sweets " what I saw made me jump in glee crushing Taseer in a hug.

It was a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers that I will cherish Forever. " Thank you so much love ,I don't even know what to tell you that will convey how happy this makes me ,I love you so much " I whispered into his ears while he smiled at me " Shhh don't mention ,the look on your face means a lot to me more than you can ever know ,it's my duty to make you happy and I am glad am not failing in that aspect " He offered me a burger and I munched on it, with my head on Taseer's shoulders .We spent almost 2hours in the park , just walking around the park , talking about everything and nothing , the sun was about to set when we left the park and instead of going home ,Taseer headed to the outskirts of town , there was a hill where you can see the whole town in front of you .

Taseer brought out a mat and spread it for us to sit on it .He sat me on his lap ,I tried to wriggle out of his hold but he held me tight.

" Let's watch the sunset babe " and then I realised the reason why he brought us to that place and I couldn't love him more .Taseer is the best , a gift wrapped specially for me by Allah (SWT) I held him closer to me and as we watched one of the beauty of Allah's creation .I sighed in contentment and whispered " Ana uhibbuka khateer ya zawjeee" kissing his forehead .We stayed their until it started getting dark .

Before I left the car I kissed him slowly at first ,then it became intense till we ran out of breath ." Thank you for today hun" I left the car before he could even open his mouth .