#2

He scratched his left eyebrow and lazily slumped beside his sister on the lush sofa adorning their humongous living room. She didn't flinch, nor did she make a move that showed she was oblivion to his presence in the living room, not to talk of him seated beside her that their hips brushing. 

She's his favourite, and he slowly smirked-knowing he was annoying her nerves. "Hey, nerdy!" He greeted and yanked away from the novel she had her eyes fixed on. 

She abruptly turned and looked at him, "What is this, Ya Maheer? For god sake can't you see I'm reading? This is a book you lend me just yesterday and made it crystal clear that you would take it with you. Won't you let me finish it in peace?" She was talking with a soft tone but he could point out the annoyance in her voice. 

He looked at the book and saw the page she was before closing it completely and turned his attention on her. "Badra it isn't a big deal, there are still some hours before I left right? I trust your skills, you can finish it before I leave." His voice was husky and teasing at the same time; intently staring back at her with his pale blue orbs that sometimes scares the hell out of her. 

"Ya Maheer, I'm begging you for Allah's sake let me read in peace. I left our room because Badya couldn't stop singing at the pitch of her voice. I sat here knowing the maids would never disturb me, and now you? Ya Allah!" She palmed her face out of frustration. Knowing the hell she went through with her twin sister. She begged and insulted her but the lady seemed unscathed because she kept on with her singing. 

"Okay, don't be sad. I can even dash you the book for eternity, but only on one condition." He smiled, scratching his left eyebrow. 

She knew him and his weird 'one condition', nonetheless, she took the risk and nodded her head; for she could pay the world for this book to be hers. "What is it? Please don't make it something hard, Ya Maheer."

"You need not worry. I broke up with my girlfriend yesterday night because I told her that I was leaving and she wanted me to take her with me. Okay, that's a story for another time. Now what I want you to do to me is that; we will dress like couples, go out on a date within these hours left for me, and we will take pictures_with your face not showing of course. I'll post it on Instagram, and the stupid girl will be more heartbroken." He was grinning widely at the thought of how Rabab would cry endlessly when she sees his picture with Badra as his supposed girlfriend. 

Badra looked at him with mouth agape, she doesn't know when her brother will fall in love and stop breaking innocent girl's hearts with his looks and money. She looked at him and nodded her head nonetheless, she can do this for this book. Besides, she can have the opportunity to spend some time with him before he leaves. 

He stood up and grinned at her, briskly scratching his left eyebrow. He scrutinized her whole body and shook his head with disapproval. "You look so decent and too casual for a girl that will go out on a date with Maheer Aliyu Shagari. Baby girl, let's get you dressed!" He didn't wait for her when he dragged her hand and walked them to their room, where they met Badya sprawled on their bed making a phone call with whom they understand to be her boyfriend from the way she's smiling from ear to ear. 

"We're going out, Badya, wanna join?" Badra asked her, as she sat down at the edge of her bed waiting as Maheer walked into her closet and began scavenging for the perfect outfit for 'Maheer Aliyu Shagari's girlfriend. 

He came out holding blue faded jeans with a navy crop top and navy blue kimono. He placed the clothes on the bed and walked back into the closet, walking out with a sky blue chiffon veil and handed it to Badra. 

"Be fast, Badra. Daddy won't hear a word of it if I lose my flight." He walked out of the room, after asking Badya whether she's tagging along and she shook her head as a no. 

Badra knew him and makeups, so she dabbed some powder and applied a coloured lipstick on her already pink lips and spritzed perfumes all over her body. She bid Badya goodbye before she walked towards the parking lot, where she met him having a heated argument over the phone that seemed to be deliberate, considering the way he was trying so hard to stifle back his laughter. 

"Wafiyya, it's over!!!" He yelled and ended the call, bursting into a series of laughter. He drove out of the driveway of Adetokumbo Ademola crescent and looked at Badra that was looking at him with a displeased expression on her face. 

"Ya Maheer, how many girlfriends do you have for Allah's sake? You just told me of Rabab in there, and now it's Wafiyya?" She asked and fixed her grey orbs on his face, making no room for dismissal of the topic. 

"Look Badra, I'm not that bad you're thinking. They're only two; Rabab and Wafiyya, and we broke up with them all." He doesn't make eye contact, and she knew he was lying. She's the only one in his life that knows he doesn't make eye contact when he's lying. 

"You know you're not saying the truth. Save us the stress and just tell me the truth." She folded her hand over her chest and glanced over the road. Seeing that he just parked beside Coldstone made her almost squealed but she held her expression tight and didn't budge from her seat. 

He turned and looked at her as well, "Okay. They're thirteen. We broke up with them all, Wafiyya was the last one and we broke up as well. Let's get in." He tried opening the door when her loud gasp made him turned and looked at her, scratching his left eyebrow. 

"What?" He couldn't help but laugh at how her eyes bulged out and the bewildered expression that was painted on her face. 

"Ya Maheer? Thirteen! You just came back a month ago! Innalillahi, I have a heartbreaker as a brother!" She gushed exaggeratingly and kept looking at him as if he had turned into an alien to her. 

"Stop exaggerating and hop out. I have just one hour thirty minutes left." He pinched her cheeks and walked out of the car. 

Badra took in a deep breath and hopped out of the car. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she looked at him, knowing he was doing this just to rub it on one of his thirteen girlfriends face. Though there wasn't a camera before them, Badra felt a little guilty as she placed her hand around his waist and placed her head on his shoulder. He's her favourite and also her best friend. 

They sat down and made their orders. Before their ice-creams were brought to them, Badra looked at him and cleared her throat, which made him turned his attention on her. 

"Ya Maheer, I want to talk to you about something," she said, innocently looking at him, smiling softly. 

"About that your crush who loves your friend?" He teased, knowing so well she told him that she doesn't want to be talking about him. 

"Noo!" She whined and sobered up Her expression as the waiter placed down their orders and left. She started licking her ice cream before she looked up at him and smiled. 

"First, thanks for the date. Second, thanks for the book. And third..." he cut her off before she could even finish her sentence because he knew exactly what she was going to say. 

"Stop breaking girl's hearts. Do you want some guys to do the same to us, Ya Maheer? You see Badya is in love, do you want her boyfriend to break her heart as you do to other girls? Who knows it's what you're doing that turned back at me and my crush loves my friend." He mimicked her voice and the expression she usually makes whenever she remembers about her crush, and he looked down on his ice cream-not being able to lick it again. That's what heartbroken girls do, he has seen enough of them. His sister included. 

"This man knows me so well!" She whined again and smacked his left arm. "But that's not all, today I have a fourthly, and you can never guess it!" She silently squealed and clapped her hands enthusiastically. 

"Ummm... let me see what could make Badra Aliyu Shagari this happy while her favourite person on earth is leaving?" He lifted his bearded chin and made a thinking expression. 

"Stop it! You look so ugly while thinking!" She laughed so hard and smacked his arm again. 

"Okay, this famous heartbreaker wouldn't stand to be ugly. You tell me then."

She sobered up her expression and plastered a lugubrious one on. "Ya Maheer, I want you to take your studies serious this time, please. Don't befriend the guys you know would never be of use to you; academically. Don't go around partying and skipping classes, tests or even exams that would later make you withdrawn from there also. You know Daddy wouldn't change school for you for the fourth time right? It has worsened this time that he isn't even taking you abroad, please Ya Maheer." She was at the verge of breaking into tears, seeing how her brother is so unserious with his studies is getting to her. 

Maheer stood up and walked towards her chair. He lifted her and hugged her to his chest. Seeing her like this changed all his plans he laid out and planned out on doing over there, where he believes money wouldn't let the school authority withdraw him. Her expression changed his mind, and the tears he saw forming in her eyes made him avowed on never letting her down. 

They stood there for a minute before Maheer stopped a waiter and handed him his phone. "Take us some pictures please." He ordered and tried as much as possible to hide Badra's face with his arms, as he kissed her forehead. 

"I was just talking to you about breaking hearts, Ya Maheer!" Badra spoke hushedly through his chest, and he softly smacked her back. 

"Shut up and let me finish what I was doing!" The waiter finished taking the pictures and handed Maheer back his phone. 

They looked through the pictures and were laughing so hard as they walked out of the ice cream bar. They entered the car and Badra had to wait as Maheer uploaded the pictures on his Instagram page with the caption 'What a perfect goodbye with her. I love you, Najma.'

"Ya Maheer, what's Najma again? Or it's the name of one of your ex-es again?" Badra asked, amusement filling her eyes. 

He chuckled and shook his head, scratching his left eyebrow. He ignited on the car and drove into the road before he answered her "Najma isn't the name of any girl I've ever met. But it'd be the name I'd be calling the girl I'd truly love in my life. So yes, for now, you're my Najma." She saw the sincerity in his eyes, and she could see hope dancing in his eyes that he would surely find true love. 

"What does it mean then?" She asked out of curiosity because she's never heard the name before. 

"A precious star amidst lots of stars. So she'd be my Najma amidst the other ladies." He smiled genuinely, and the blue in his orbs flicked more that Badra thought his eyes looked like a morning sky.