ABUJA, NIGERIA.
The next day Bushra woke up early around nine in the morning to start up the arrangements needed. She called Fayha, Kauthar, Afrah and Amir to come give her a hand along with her brothers. She has so much to plan for that day and can't wait to see the outcome of it all. Some might think she is happy to welcome her co-wife but that is the last thing she would want to do but has to, like a must.
Everything has happened and all she needs to do now is know how to hold onto her husband tightly and not let any woman come take him away from her. She will deal with Zara the way she should, in a mature way that will leave her asking if she was rude or nice. And what she is going to do today is one of it, just to look like a slap to her face and the people supporting her being a homewrecker.
They are not much but she wants everyone that supports her to feel guilty about supporting her. She is done being too jealous when the knot has been tied, she only wants her husband's attention, nothing more and that is why she won't bother Zara after this but that is if Zara doesn't bother her. This is the last straw she would do, she is done being the eldest co-wife.
She has invited a few people including Falak and her husband as they didn't leave the state the day before because it was late. She begged the woman to stay just for the day and spend some hours with her before leaving. Being doctors both her and her husband, it requires so much time and spending little time feels like eternity to them but she managed. Bushra invited some few more celebrities that will make Zara surprised.
She is going to arrange a small party later to welcome Zara into the house which is not even wholehearted, she is almost forced to do this. But she wants to look superior and the mighty one amongst them, she don't want to be looked down upon either by media or the people around her family. She likes the fact that she has the upper hand from every angle, she loves that. She will continue to hold her mightiness till the end of time, she has it all because of Mika'il's love.
"B, can we just spend the day together before they arrive. I honestly feel like they don't deserve your kindness or anything that comes with it." Mika'il whined holding her hand from standing up.
"I need to do this for your new wife. Don't hold me back, I'm already tired." She whispered back indicating that he didn't let her rest thinking he won't spend the seven days about to approach them with her.
"Can I spend a week without having you by my side? I don't think I can do this." He furrowed his brows with a deep scowl etched across his face since he was really confused about what goes on around then.
"You can do it, Maan. Just think about your religion and the responsibilities that are now sitting on your shoulders. We can spend the days while you spend the night with her and don't forget. We are going to New Zealand!" She cheered the last part earning a lazy grin from her husband.
"Well, if you put it like that then I won't mind much. We should just stay together and dump her in some ocean and fake her death." He grumbled behind her making her halt just before the door to the bathroom.
"You...are wicked." She laughed so loud earning a chuckle from him before he stood up featuring only his Calvin Klein boxers.
She couldn't stop her eyes from wandering across his figure. His big arms moving beside him, a lazy grin that always manage to turn her on even in the worst situations like his parents house. His long strong looking legs making her drool a little, she has this fetish for his legs and he knows that. Her eyes roamed back to his eyes to see him smirking, she blinked and rolled her eyes to remove the desire shining in them.
"Wallah I won't mind if she will disappear right now except for the little guilt of being amongst her most least liked people." He let out a lopsided smile drawing her into his chest with his right hand.
"Let's plan that later after the welcoming party." She grinned playfully then made her way into the bathroom to take a bath and start the day early.
Few minutes later, she left the bathroom with Mika'il inside who kept calling out that she should come back but if she does, she won't be able to start the day. She wrestled into cherry coloured maxi dress she found first then wrap her head with some other veil so she can work efficiently. This day is the last day of any event and she is also ever ready to show them just where their place is, she is Bushra Amani for a reason.
"We are just few seconds away from your house, don't bombard us with phone calls please and let me tell you. Fayha was the one who delayed us." Kauthar mumbles into the phone as soon as Bushra called her.
"I know that little stupid idiot won't ever be punctual, why was I ever depending on her?" Bushra rolled her eyes at her own rhetorical question which got answered by the head of the topic.
"Who said you can't be dependent on me? C'mon, you know I didn't get to sleep yesterday with so many numbers calling me. I have so much gist for you babes." And then they hung up the call eliciting an eye roll again from Amani.
"When is the order arriving? I thought you said it would be here before I awoke?" Bushra said into the phone to the baker she placed order to.
"That should be around your doorstep any moment from now. They've left like, thirty minutes ago." Wisaal answered from the other line trying to calm down her customer and friend.
Bushra has been friends with her ever since she started college and the girl has this passion for only baking and nothing more. Her parents forced her into schooling because they feel like no matter what she becomes, she will still need her degree to take her somewhere so with so much stress and emotional blackmails, Wisaal finished schooling the same year as them since she took a three years course. Not that it was easy at all, it wasn't.
"They better be here or I have your head wallahi. I don't want anything to go wrong, not today at least." She ranted while taking calming breaths, she likes when everything go as she planned.
Maybe it runs in the blood.
"Don't worry, my role model. They will be there in no time and wait, did you invite me or not?" Bushra could hear the whine in her friend's words.
"I did invite you before ranting off my order, don't be stupid. I asked for seventy pieces of different cupcakes, fifty pieces of shawarma, samosa, sausage, spring rolls and caramel. Are there more?" Bushra ranted while looking at the paper where she has list of everything.
She hasn't invited too much people except Mika'il's relatives who are going to be there for the budan kai then the few of her friends she still remain in contact with then the little of Zara's that are going to accompany her. A small walima is what she made in their incredulously huge backyard which hardly gets used but now is it's time. She will have this house welcome the new wife that is arriving, she should really feel welcomed or not.
"Ten pineapple rice, twenty burgers and meat pie along with puff-puff. This woman you are getting way too old, is it another woman?" Wisaal laughed literally seeing the scowl on Amani's face.
"I can't remember ordering so much things, I hope they finish it all 'cause I hate throwing food. And don't tell me I'm old when my co-wife is older than me." She scowled at the thought, she really is three years older than her. That is totally absurd to her ears and mind but brought peace.
"Woah, you are right. Hehehe, I can't wait to see you guys interact later. I'm sure going to come early to see that, let me take bath." And she hung up the phone immediately to do as she said.
"I have such lunatic and unsupportive friends, honestly." She whined at the sight of Mika'il clad in denim washed jeans and white v-neckline shirt.
"You are just frustrated, Beyoncé. But don't you worry, I am here with you so tell me what I should do." He wrapped his arms from behind around her shoulder his hands resting on the swells of her chest.
"You are just going to distract me now. But if you are really serious, then check out what those decorators are doing out there." She pointed at the backdoor that's in the kitchen which leads to the backyard.
"Done, ma'am." And he disappeared from her view making her miss him.
"He will be gone for a whole week, how about that?" Her subconscious mocked, she threw her hand to her chest in irritation.
She pushed that to the back of her mind and went to the door when the doorbell rang probably her friends or the order from Wisaal bakery. Her mind is giving her that her friends are not outside but the bakery, how supportive. She made her way there to the door watching as they start unloading so many white boxes which no doubt have all she has ordered from their car. Did she really ordered too much? Was she overdoing it all to rub it on her co-wife's face?
No matter what, she can't make herself look like she is showing so much concern about having a new woman in her husband's life. She took the best decision in her mind and made her way to the men while adjusting her veil in a muffler. Their attention yawed to her as soon as she stepped down from the stairs by the front door. There are five of them, woah, Wisaal is really doing her work passionately like herself.
"Can you extract twenty pieces of cake from there and give it to the beggars outside or maybe drop it at some orphanage. Wait here let me remove some other stuff." And she showed them the way to the kitchen so they can take everything there.
She took out some more samosas, meat pies and burgers so they can leave with it. If she makes those small children happy, maybe everything will come easier for her than making herself look like she is not concerned about a co-wife when she is. Her mother already told her to share things out for those in need to ensure her happiness in her marital home. She felt light after giving them out, she trust those men to do it or she can just call Wisaal to confirm it.
"Thank you, I just want their prayers." She said to the men when they get back into the delivery car that has the huge logo of Wisaal's bakery.
"You are welcome. We will tell them that." The kindest one of them replied back before they drove out of the compound leaving her standing in the middle of it.
Before the gateman could close the door, a car rolled inside, a grease coloured range rover that is no doubt Kauthar's but she is mad at them so she slowly walked back into the house hearing them call out to her but she didn't stop. She's finished everything and that is when they decided to come all dressed up with their make ups on point leaving her stranded for an hour. It is only an hour before the bride comes with her people and Mika'il's family.
"I think it's time for us to go dress up. Let's go, my makeup artist will be here any minute." And she drew him to her room, no longer having to go upstairs since all the movings finished the day before.
"You are wearing lace again? Doesn't it make you feel hot? You've complained quite a lot about it." Mika'il's stared at the egg nog and cinnamon coloured lace she has in her hands.
"It's just for two to three hours, I can manage. Besides, the day is a bit chilly." She explained, removing the gown she had on.
"Okay, if you say so. Need help?" He asked when he saw her struggling to zip the blouse up.
"Please." She turned her back to him, he did that cliché thing of the male character brushing his hand across her back before letting her go.
"So cliché of you." She shook her head moving away from him to look for the skirt.
After wearing everything, she made her way to the mirror watching as Mika'il walk out of the bathroom already dressed in the egg nog kaftan she forced him to wear. They are going to match, she wish Zara won't wear something even slightly similar, she doesn't want to look like her. She gave him a big grin which he returned then move to where she is to stand right in front of the mirror. They look like couple crushes, if only she's tied her head tie, she would've taken photo.
"Take a picture." As if he read her mind, he gave her his phone which was iPhone eleven pro max.
"Sureee." She drawled and started taking countless of those photos whilst hearing Afrah playing with an already dressed Anaan.
"Send them to me, I need to go see if the makeup artist is here." She left for the door but he drew her back in his arms.
"I'm going to miss us being alone. I can't promise not to make you mad sometimes but please, you need to understand. I have to do justice now even though it's going to take everything in me to keep away from you. Please just understand me even at my worst, hmm?" He kissed her eyelids that have started to water already.
"I will try my best too." She whispered, placing a small peck on his jaw and left the room.
She willed her mind not to get emotional at the moment, she doesn't need anymore weakness. The makeup artist is sitting there in the dining room so she sat down to get her makeup done ignoring all her friends as they try getting her attention. She is hellbent on ignoring them for the rest of the day, she is doing well with it. Not to forget, they will be leaving for New Zealand the next day, joy.
As much as she don't like Gigi's idea, she wants to go with them and be around them. She won't ruin their honeymoon, nope, the first two days will be just about the two of them but on the third day, she is going to go with them everywhere. Haha, she might sound evil but she is just trying to keep what is hers to herself.
Zara and her relatives came shortly after she has finished her makeup and uploading their photos on social media from Mika'il's phone, she has her accounts there too. Bushra took a deep breath, take Anaan in her arms and move to open the door for them with the brightest smile marring her face.
Zara, her siblings, some older women and some of Zara's friends stood outside her threshold and all she wants to do is slam the door on their face but she refrained and whispered a welcome then move away.
The day will be so tiring, she could say.