Chapter 54: Finally meeting her
The ride to Basit's family house was unusually quiet for Rihannat.
Faridat kept trying to lighten the atmosphere from the back seat while Basit occasionally joined in, but every laugh felt distant to her ears. She stared outside the car window, fingers twisting nervously around the edge of her hijab.
Something about today felt… strange.
Not bad.
Just heavy.
As if she was unknowingly walking toward something life-changing.
Earlier that week, she and Basit had nearly argued for the first time since they started speaking seriously.
"I won't follow you unless you tell me why you want to take me to your house!" Rihannat had said firmly, folding her arms across her chest while glaring at him. "We haven't finalized our exams, we haven't even started the final year examination yet, so why now?"
Basit sighed, already expecting her resistance.
"We already agreed to wait until I'm ready," she continued. "And I'm not ready right now. Then suddenly you want me to meet your parents and you're telling me to trust you?" She shook her head. "I do trust you, Basit. But not until you give me a good reason. Sorry, I'm not going."
She turned around to leave, but his next words stopped her immediately.
"The woman your friend talked about is coming this Saturday."
Her steps halted.
Slowly, she looked back at him.
"Please," Basit said softly. "Let's go together. By Allah, it's very important to both of us. You need to see her."
Rihannat frowned in confusion.
"I'll explain everything to you," he continued carefully. "And please… I've already explained things about you to my parents. They won't pressure you, okay? For Allah's sake, please follow me. I will never disappoint you. You know that."
There was something unusually sincere in his voice.
Not his normal teasing confidence.
Not his playful stubbornness.
This was different.
Almost desperate.
And that alone made her hesitate.
Basit watched her quietly, praying she would agree.
He knew more than she did.
Mr. and Mrs. Collins wanted to meet her already—though cautiously. They still feared approaching her directly only to discover they were mistaken. Yet every investigation, every resemblance, every detail kept pointing back to her.
If she truly was their missing daughter…
Then perhaps Allah was finally reuniting a family after years of pain.
The Collins and Abdullah families had long become inseparable companions over the years. Their children were all grown now, leaving the massive houses feeling emptier than before.
Seifullah barely stayed home anymore.
The moment his parents started another marriage lecture, he disappeared into work and buried himself in his office for days.
The older couples simply found comfort in each other's company—visiting, dining together, travelling occasionally, laughing about old memories.
But ever since Rihannat entered the picture, everything changed.
Hope returned.
Excitement returned.
Life returned.
And Basit was very certain they would love her immediately.
Still…
He would never force her.
Rihannat stared at him for a long moment before finally sighing in defeat.
"Fine," she muttered. "I'll tell Abu and Umm."
Relief instantly washed across his face.
"Today is Thursday," she added quietly. "Till then, may Allah keep our souls."
A small smile appeared on Basit's lips.
"Amin. Thank you."
—
The days passed quicker than expected until finally, the awaited Friday arrived.
When Rihannat informed her parents that Thursday night, they approved almost immediately.
After all, they already knew Basit's intentions.
In fact, Basit had once shocked them by visiting unexpectedly without even informing Rihannat first.
It happened the same week he confessed his feelings to her.
Afraid she might reject him out of fear or uncertainty, he decided to approach her parents directly first to make his intentions honorable and clear.
If not for Rihannat insisting she wanted to graduate, work, and achieve certain goals before marriage, Basit would have brought his parents that very day—or at most the next.
That sincerity alone had earned her parents' respect.
Now, seated inside Basit's car with Faridat beside her, Rihannat tried calming her racing heart.
Ridwan had wanted to come too, but work kept him occupied.
Faridat kept talking cheerfully.
Basit occasionally laughed.
But Rihannat only responded slowly, distracted by the uneasiness building inside her chest.
As the large gates of the Abdullah estate opened, her heartbeat strangely increased.
The mansion stood elegantly beneath the evening sky, warm lights glowing from the windows. It looked welcoming.
Yet the moment the car stopped, her nervousness deepened for reasons she could not explain.
Basit noticed immediately.
"You okay?" he asked gently.
Rihannat forced a nod.
"I think so."
Faridat grinned mischievously. "Too late to run away now."
Rihannat glared weakly at her, making Basit chuckle softly.
The front door opened before they could knock.
Ummu Basit stood there with a warm smile already prepared on her lips.
"Assalamu ala—"
The greeting died instantly.
Her eyes widened.
Completely frozen.
Rihannat blinked in confusion.
"Assalamu alaikum, aunty," she greeted politely again.
But the older woman still could not respond.
Faridat immediately frowned.
"Ummi?"
The unusual silence quickly alerted the others inside the living room.
"What happened?" Basit's father called out while approaching.
But the moment he reached the entrance—
He stopped too.
Completely.
The people behind him gradually appeared one after another.
And each person froze exactly the same way.
Rihannat stood there awkwardly beneath their stunned gazes, clutching her handbag nervously.
The entire atmosphere shifted.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Their eyes remained fixed on her face.
Especially on the striking resemblance staring back at them.
Mrs. Collins slowly rose from her seat in the living room, joining the people at the door but after some steps she stopped.
The cup in her trembling hand nearly slipped as she stared at Rihannat like she had seen something unbelievable. Her husband too wasn't doing any better. They were shaken.
A miracle.
The pictures they had seen before…
They had done her no justice.
None at all.
Seeing Rihannat physically was entirely different.
Her beauty was breathtaking.
Soft yet commanding.
Elegant yet gentle.
But more than that—
She looked painfully identical to the woman standing at the center of the room
Mrs. Collins.
The resemblance was so terrifyingly obvious that the room fell into complete silence.
Faridat slowly looked between the two women.
Then her eyes widened.
"Oh my God…"
Basit swallowed hard.
Even he had not expected the resemblance to hit this strongly in person.
Mrs. Collins took one shaky step forward.
Then another.
Her lips trembled violently as tears instantly gathered in her eyes.
Rihannat, confused by everyone's reaction, unconsciously stepped closer to Basit.
"Aunty…?" she called softly. Her eyes shook at the woman resemblance to her.
Mrs. Collins stared at her face as if trying to memorize every feature.
The eyes.
The nose.
The smile.
Even the way she tilted her head slightly while confused.
It was all painfully familiar.
Her voice broke into a whisper.
"…Rihan babe."
The room went still.
*******
Tell me, what do you think? 😉
This is kind of thrilling and heartwarming.
But another thing is...."will Rihannat and basit enter the phase of we need grandkids too?😉😊
Its like seifullah and faridat are free for now !😂
Comment and like.
Your shy author is waiting!!!!😆👍
@OlukoyaZainab