LOGINShare
XXIII: New Beginnings
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56"Look over here," Alev pointed to the front page of the magazine she was holding. "They made it to the front page."
"Wonderful," Lale squealed, reaching out for the magazine.
"They look perfect together," Alev complimented. "He's got himself a keeper, let's see how he gets out of this."
"See who gets out of what?" Afet questioned, walking into the living room.
"Aslan," Alev replied nonchalantly, flipping through the pages.
"Look over here Lale," she pointed to another page. "They were tagged as the most outstanding couple of the night."
"Of course," Lale batted her lashes. "My brother and sister in law are the definition of a match made in heaven."
"You wish," Afet sneered, balling her fists tightly.
Lale bit her lip in an attempt to conceal her laughter while Alev shook her head trying to hide hers too, thereby infuriating Afet further. A
Related chapters
Flawed Hearts XXIV: In The Spotlight
Beams of light streamed through the unveiled curtain, hitting Najmah's face. She stirred in her sleep, drawing the duvet over her head. Her mind was fuzzy, the last remnant of sleep being chased away at the sudden realization of what occurred the night before.A smile etched its way to her lips as she opened her eyes, squinting at the bright lights. She debated on whether to get up or go back to sleep."Good morning," Aslan greeted, jolting her from her thoughts.'Get up it is,' she thought sitting upright."Morning," she yawned, running her hand through her hair. She sighed when her hand made contact with some tangled knots.She rose from the bed, making way towards the bathroom. After a quick shower, she sauntered towards the closet and picked the first dress her eyes laid upon.She ran a brush through her messy hair then tied it up into a bun, wrapping a turban styled v
Flawed Hearts XXV: Crisis
Aslan paced the length of the hallway of the hospital, repeatedly glancing at the ICU door where Hilal was whisked away the moment they arrived at the hospital.Najmah felt claustrophobic as she stared at the gloomy faces of the people around the hallway. She felt alienated like she was intruding into a family matter. She shouldn't be there, she wanted to leave but the thought of something terrible happening to the little girl had her glued to her seat, fixing her gaze on the door of the ICU behind which her little girl was taken away. The doctors had been in there for almost three hours and there was still no news of what was happening behind the door.She rose from her sitting position and went towards Aslan, entwining their fingers together. He held her hand firmly without looking at her. The little gesture made her heart flutter. She knew that he understood what she was trying to pass across without speaking a word.
Flawed Hearts XXVI: Bonds
A gentle breeze blew around, making the trees dance in happiness. The chirping of birds could be heard from a distance. Najmah closed her eyes, enjoying the smooth caresses of the wind against her skin. She stared at the morning sky, watching dawn give way to daylight, her hair dancing according to the swish of the breeze."A penny for your thoughts," Aslan spoke, jolting her out of her thoughts.She pouted a little, opening her eyes lazily."You interrupted a beautiful moment," she stated, her lips curving up into a smile."Did I?" he teased, coming to stand beside her."Mm-hmm," she nodded glancing at him."The view is beautiful," he stated lacing their hands together."It is," she replied, laying her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her."Breakfast's rea...," Lale stopped in her tracks, watching the duo. They snapped their heads t
Flawed Hearts XXVII: Wondrous Hearts
Lale huffed for the umpteenth time, throwing the bouquet into the bin. Rereading the card, she tore it into two then mete out the same treatment she gave the flowers. Adjusting the lapels of her hijab, Lale gripped the edge of the oak desk as a wave of nausea hit her. Her eyes became hazy as she tried to regain consciousness of her environment. Focusing on her breathing pattern, she counted from ten to one inwardly.She stood up straighter when she felt okay again, making a mental note to grab a bugger on her way back home. She stepped out of the confines of her office and made a beeline to the studio where dozens of mannequins were wrapped in different colors and sizes overflowing gowns. She gave her team a nod of acknowledgement for a job well done before giving them a week off to make up for the long hours of work she had them run through.She grabbed a cup of coffee from a vending machine in the hallway then went into the relaxation ro
Flawed Hearts XXVIII: Fear Factor
Lounging on the chairs at the balcony reading a copy of “Jenny Han's Fire For Fire”, Najmah enjoyed the last bits of winter in Istanbul. It was freezing but either way, she found the chilling air oddly comforting. She reached out for the jar of Nutella on her side to find it empty. Her brow creased in confusion, staring back and forth between the books sprawled out on the table and the jar.'I couldn't have finished the jar after reading two books only right?' She asked herself, placing a bookmark on the page she was reading then shut it, setting it down atop the others before walking back into the room in search of another Nutella jar.'Aslan would scold me if he were here,' she thought as she picked the jar on the nightstand, reminiscing about the times he scolded her for her chocolate intake. It had been five long days since she last saw him, he was away on a business trip and hell, she would be lying if she said she d
Flawed Hearts XXIV: A Piece Of My Heart
Droplets of water rolled down Najmah’s face, soaking the duvet covering her body. She frowned slightly, turning her face towards the other side of the bed.She felt the water drop on her face again, and with a pout, her eyes lazily fluttered open, her gaze settling on Aslan who was hovering over her frame fresh from a shower. Pushing him away from her, she glared at his hair which was dripping wet."I'm sleeping," she mumbled rolling over to the other side, drawing the duvet over her head."Wake up Hun," he pried the duvet away from her grip. "It's past noon.""So?" she questioned, her eyes still closed. "You know us unemployed people can sleep way past noon right? We got no responsibilities.""You will soon enough," he muttered under his breath with a smirk.He left the bed and went back into the bathroom to run a bath for her. Satisfied with the temperature of the
Flawed Hearts XXX: Better With You
Najmah ran a hand through her disheveled hair, her bare feet hitting the cold marble floors. She pushed the windows open, settling down on the windowsill as she gazed out into the lawn.It was one of the beautiful moments she enjoyed, watching the sun rise and cast its warm glow against the surface. It was the beginning of summer in Istanbul, and she hoped it wouldn't be as hot as it was back home in Nigeria.Home, where was home for her? Was it here in Istanbul together with Aslan or back in Nigeria with her family?Birds tweeted from atop the tree, singing through the beautiful morning. Najmah stuck her head out of the window, inhaling the sweet morning air as a sigh escaped her pursed lips. With each intake of breath, she felt her nerves loosening up, giving her a moment of peace she sought out for since she woke up at three in the morning.Last night was too much of a revelation to her, Aslan had revea
Flawed Hearts XXXI: Squabble
Aslan rested his hand on the baluster, sipping slowly from the cup of tea he was holding, his shoulders tense as he gazed out into the dark starless night.Running a hand through his hair, he let out an exasperated sigh before placing the cup back unto the saucer.A lot was going through his mind and as the days passed by, he found it hard to concentrate. He was restless as he tapped his foot repeatedly on the floor, his mind masked with images he tried hard to forget.Life was becoming beautiful for him; he smiled more and engaged in more conversations with his family. Things were beginning to fall in place for him and all that was thanks to a beautiful someone Azza wajjal blessed him with, in the name of Najmah Haroun.She was an unexpected addition to his life who turned out to be one of the most significant decisions his Baba took for him and for that, he would be eternally grateful.T
Latest chapter
Flawed Hearts Epilogue
•Te Quero Pa' Mi ?An hour later, Najmah found herself alone in an office again. What she had to wait for, she had no idea. The room was dimmed, illuminated only by an overhead lamp.She closed her eyes and vowed to never forget what that moment felt like. The heart flutters, the joy, the happiness, she was definitely going to remember every second of it.Najmah was right on the edge, standing on a thrilling and amazing precipice of happiness, where thoughts of a flawless and perfect evening that would lead to a happy union flickered through her mind.She felt like Dorothy, gazing down at Emerald city for the first time, like Wendy rising up in the air after tasting her first pinch of pixie dust, like Cinderella, stepping out of her carriage to meet her prince charming.That feeling, she would cherish and savor every moment of it, and when she found herself alone, she would remember
Flawed Hearts LVII: The Runaway Bride
There are moments in life that define us, there are also moments that divide us into two different beings; who we were before an incident and who we are after.Whether happy moments or sad moments, they change our lives forever either for good or for bad or for worse.The same could be said for Najmah Haroun as she stared at herself in the full-length mirror, reminiscing over the past couple of weeks.Her life had changed for good the morning after her reconciliation with her husband. It was a whirlwind of family gatherings, dress fittings, cake tasting, event preparations and much more.If it came down to her, she would rather skip the festivities, sign the marriage certificate and just take off to Puerto Rico.Lale would probably kill her; she thought smiling. The fashion diva would not miss a chance to party and if Najmah were to deny her that, only Lord knew what would happen to
Flawed Hearts LVI: A Story To Tell
"Do you plan on staying in bed for the whole day?" Aslan questioned, twirling a strand of her hair with his finger."Mm-hmm," she nodded, inhaling his musky oudh scent. "I like it better here where I am.""As much as I'd like to stay here with you," he chuckled, untangling their legs. "At some point, we're going to have to get out of bed so why not do it now?""I'm not going anywhere," she pouted, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Neither are you.""Sevgilim," he kissed the corner of her lips, taking her hand into his. "I'd like very much to stay in bed with you, but we need to eat, I'll just order for room service and then I'll come back to you okay?""Fine but-"The shrill ringing of her phone interrupted her and she groaned, silencing it without checking who the caller was."Aren't you picking up?" Aslan's brows furrowed as he got down from the bed.
Flawed Hearts LV: Sailing Ships
He lifted his head which he had burrowed into her hair and gazed at Lale who had barged into the room unannounced."Are you going to explain to me what's going on here? I was outside waiting for you, and here you are cuddled with the enemy," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "We've missed our flight.""Lale," he called out in a hushed tone, pressing a finger to his lips. "I will meet you in the living room okay? I don't want her to wake up."She made a sign of not complying but seeing the look on his face, she turned around and left the room, banging the door loudly for effects.Najmah shifted in her sleep, burying her face in his neck. He sighed, not wanting to leave the bed even for a second but knowing Lale, she would burst right through the door again and wake Najmah up.Slowly but reluctantly, he slid his arms from under her then set her head on the pillow before liv
Flawed Hearts LIV: Only You
Najmah stood at the entrance of Bristol Palace Hotel taking deep breaths before ambling in, heading straight towards the receptionist, scrolling through her phone for a picture of Aslan."Hi," she smiled at the lady, showing the phone screen to her. "I was hoping you would help me with something, my husband's been staying here for a month now, and I don't know his room number.""Why don't you call him? There are lots of guests who...""Listen, lady," Najmah smiled sardonically, locking her phone screen. "This is really urgent, and I don't have any more time to waste, okay? So you're gonna check your computer right now and look up his room number or so help me God, I will cause a scene here.""I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't give out guest's information, it's against the hotel's policy.""Hotel policy? You either give me the information I asked, or I swear to God, I'm gonna scream so loud that
Flawed Hearts LIII: Resolutions
Najmah blinked, staring at the door of her room expectantly. She had no idea what she was expecting but deep down, Najmah knew it wasn't a what but a who but after how she treated him, he wouldn't be bursting through that door not then not ever.Was she foolish to take such a decision after coming to terms with her feelings for him? It was getting hard for her to make a decision.I hate you.I love you.I want you.I need you.I can't stand you.You complete me.She was still indecisive and direction-less without him. The night she had pushed him away, she had slept peacefully. The second night, she had a nervous breakdown and couldn't sleep. The third night was worse. Her indecisiveness had taken a toll on her, and she couldn't stop thinking about all the memories they had shared
Flawed Hearts LII: She's Come Undone
Najmah tiptoed across the living room, hiding a package behind her back as she surveyed the area. Just as she placed her foot on the staircase, cheering victoriously for slipping in and out of the house undetected, she heard her mother call her."Waye ne ya zo ganinki?" (Who came to see you?) Hajiya Salma questioned crossly, folding her arms over her chest. Najmah swore in her head before turning around to face her mother.Hajiya Salma looked rather displeased as she stared at her youngest who looked more annoyed than guilty at being caught."Fahad ne," (It was Fahad.) she replied, sucking in a breath."Fahad?" Hajiya Salma gasped. "Najmah are you in your right senses? How dare he come to see you? You refuse to give your husband a listening ear yet you have the time to talk to your ex? Has he no shame? He dares to come to my house to speak to you knowing that you're still married?""
Flawed Hearts LI: Dark Reality
Walking around the hospital hallways, Najmah felt a bit nostalgic as memories of the last six years of her life in there came rushing back. She had just came out of her therapist's office, where she had terminated her therapy sessions for good.She knew it was a bit reckless on her part and a risk concerning her emotional instability, but it was a necessary risk she had to take. While her sessions had helped improve her condition, she knew that the fate of her recovery laid in her hands. She was able to fall in love with Aslan, that was a definite progress.While she thought she might no longer need her therapist, she had asked the woman to write a new prescription for her just in case of emergencies.Terminating her therapy sessions was a long time coming, and she could now address other issues with a clear mind now that it was off the plate.She had made up her mind to give him a second chance, after all
Flawed Hearts L: Liar Liar
Aslan scrubbed a hand over his face after his Zuhr prayer, wiping away the tears on his face. He had cried his woes to Allah during his sujood and after his salah, he felt better.Since childhood, Anne had always thought them to put trust in Allah whenever they made du'a and to have faith that things would work out well and so he did, every day and every night for the last three months she had been away from him.He could still feel the pain, the agony and turmoil raging within him like wildfire; nothing he had done was able to calm the fire, and he knew that only she had the ability to do so and yet, she kept on denying both of them the solace they needed. And now, she was willing to give it to someone other than him; she was willing to find it somewhere else.He knew that she could be a handful sometimes when he annoyed her or when he said something that triggered her emotions but the look she gave him when he kissed her
