Chapter 5: Fortuitous Union

The next day, AY got to his office early as usual and was working on the files on his table when his office telephone rang, it was his secretary informing him of a visitor. It was Ni'imah. He asked the secretary to allow her in.

Ni'imah was dressed corporately, she just left her office to iron things out. Immediately she entered, AY's mood changed. They looked into each other’s eyes without saying a word for seconds before AY broke the silence asking her what she wanted. She looked into his eyes without mixing words and replied him.

"It is you I want," she said looking at him.

"I am no longer interested in the relationship, you are here at the wrong time."

She unzip her bag and brought out a brown envelope . Curious about what the content of the envelope was, he asked her what was that, looking keenly at it. She kept mute to his question and brought out a picture, it was picture himself and Ayat at joe chicken republic.

He was speechless for few seconds before asking in a surprising tone how she got these pictures. She refused answering and asked him, "she is the one right."

He repeated his question and she told him never to mind that he should just answer hers. He was short of words, He started stared at her not because he felt sorry for his act but because he wonders how she got those pictures.

"We had really been through thick and thin to allow someone come between us," she said and moved close to him, then put her hands over shoulders.

"Take your hands of me and for the record, no one is coming between us," he said in a harsh tone moving a step backward.

"If you don't mind, I have documents to attend to this morning, excuse me," he added and sat down on his executive chair.

She replied him telling him she has always known him to be stubborn but not to worry; she was going to show Ayat the consequence of snatching a boyfriend. AY told her immediately that she should keep the poor girl out of it and face him but Ni'imah told him never to underestimate the actions of a broken hearted woman telling him she will be telling him for the last time that if she can't have him, no one can, not even the masquerade she saw him with.

Immediately she called Ayat a masquerade, AY stood up angrily and said;

"Funny enough, the girl she calls a masquerade have succeeded in winning him over that looking beyond her masked face, is a woman every man dreams to have, an epitome of character, a beauty to behold, a master in her own league, a winner in...," he was demonstrating with his hands and was interrupted by Ni'imah.

"enough, now I see you don't even have respect for me but you know what, you will hear from me," she said and left banging the door really hard.

He shook his head and sat down putting his pen in his mouth without moving for a while, he took a deep breath and told himself he have to be careful with Ni'mah knowing the kinds of friends she keeps.

His phone vibrated, it was a text message from Ayat, seeing her name, He hurriedly picked the phone to check the content. It reads;

"Assalamu Alaykum. If you don't mind, I would like to discuss a very important issue that just came up today to be precise; can we meet at joe chicken republic by 5:00pm? Seriously waiting for your reply."

His heart skipped wondering if Ni'imah had tried something silly before even coming to his place? Is her father aware of their date yesterday? Is she in trouble? What have he done wrong. He picked his phone dialled her number but she wouldn't pick, she sent him a message that he should just reply her via text message. He did so by telling her he will make it.

AY could no longer concentrate on his work, his placed his chin on his hands and his hand resting on the table, he was lost in thought. Salim entered without him noticing his entering, he called him Okoh Ayat in a flattering tone still and he didn't hear him. He tapped him on the shoulder and asked him what he was thinking of? He told him about the coming of Ni'imah and the text message from Ayat.

Salim took a deep breath and told him to cheer up and hear what Ayat have to say first. They later had other discussion and Salim left leaving him behind to continue his work.

The duo AY and Ayat met at joe chicken republic at the planned time but this time, inside AY's car at the parking lot. She sat at the front seat close to AY and greeted him. The tone of the greeting without smiles sent a signal to AY, something was definitely wrong.

He asked her and she told him how an unknown lady stopped her dad at the gate of his place of work to give him a picture of herself and him in the eatery, the lady later warned her dad to tell her to stop seeing AY before she takes the next action and hissed before leaving his front.

Ayat added that her dad came back home straight telling her how embraced he was and warned her to desist from seeing AY else, his house will not be able to contain both.

Ayat told AY that if he knows his life is not in order and he have people stalking him, why dragging her in, that she have not accepted him yet and she is already in a mess talk more if she had done that.

She pleaded with him to please just leave her and pretend he never met her before as she is not ready to be harassed by any lady, don't want people disobeying her father and she is not ready to go at logger head with her dad.

AY try explaining to her that he wasn't dating the lady in question that she was his ex and she asked him why not get over her before coming to me, why come to bring sadness over my life. She started sounding like someone that is about to cry and told him bye before leaving his car to hers, she drove away at a high speed.

AY felt really bad, he was using his hand to hit the steering of his car when a security guard came to him and said;

"sir, we reserve this parking lots only for our customers, please walk into the eatery or drive out." He frowned at the guard and drove off.

AY dialled Ni'imah number and she picked immediately with a smile telling him she knew he would call that what do he want, have he gotten the message? He shouted at the top of his voice and warns her to leave his life alone and face hers.


She laughed at him and called him a good boy, he later pressed the red button on his phone ending the call.