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At around half past five, Khaleel parked in Meenah’s family compound. He stepped out of the car, checked his wristwatch, and headed toward the house. Ashnaah hissed, opened her car door, got out, locked it, and followed behind him. Finding the living room empty, he headed upstairs. She, on the other hand, found a couch and sat down, scanning the living room; everywhere was spotless and smelled wonderful. Before long, Anty Fiddausi—his small mum—came downstairs with a warm smile on her face. She walked into the living room and welcomed Ashnaah. Ashnaah bowed her head slightly and politely kneeled to greet her. This action profoundly surprised Anty. She responded cheerfully and asked Ashnaah about how things were at home.
Meenah then came downstairs, and her mother told her to serve Ashnaah some drinks. Meenah headed to the kitchen and returned shortly with a tray, dropped it in front of Ashnaah, and promptly walked away. Ashnaah glared at her retreating back. Khaleel came downstairs and sat next to his small mum, saying, "Welcome, my Momy."
She glared at him playfully and asked, "What were you doing upstairs?"
He smiled, revealing his dimples and white teeth. "Nothing, Mum. I just stopped to look around your bedroom." Ashnaah kept casting stealthy glances at him; when he lifted his head and looked at her, she quickly averted her gaze, pretending to look elsewhere. He stood up, went to the fridge, grabbed some water, and sat back down in the living room. As he chatted with his mum, Ashnaah focused her attention entirely on the program playing on the TV.
Momy said, "You’ll have to wait for me, Khaleel. I need to step out for a bit, but I’ll be right back."
He replied, "It’s almost Maghrib, Mum. Where are you going?"
She said, "Yes, I know, but I won't be long. I’m going to Hafsa's house."
"Okay, we will wait for you. Please extend my greetings to her when you get there."
She glared at him. "So she’s the one you look down on enough not to visit? Or do you think the two of you are equals?"
Khaleel laughed. "Not at all, wallahi, Mum. I will visit her, God willing." She went upstairs, grabbed her car keys and a veil, told Ashnaah she wouldn't be long, and left to visit her younger sister.
Khaleel pulled out his phone and dialed Zeenat's number, saying, "Meet me in the garden, Zeenat. We need to talk." He hung up, stood up, and walked out of the living room. Ashnaah watched him leave, then let out a long hiss and puckered her lips.
Zeenat came downstairs wearing a beautiful red and milk-colored material outfit, paired with a milk-colored veil. She hadn't come downstairs since their arrival until just then. She smiled slightly at Ashnaah and said, "Welcome."
Ashnaah glared at her. "I should be the one welcoming you. I came here because of you, and now you’re welcoming me?" Zeenat said nothing; she meekly headed for the door and went outside.
About ten minutes after she left, Meenah came downstairs and quickly headed to the kitchen. Ashnaah watched her, hissed, and realized she detested all of them. The words she had heard Khaleel say on the phone flashed back to her mind: "Come down, let's talk." What on earth were they going to talk about?
She stood up abruptly, thinking to herself, “Wallahi, wallahi, I must hear this.” She hurried to the door, opened it, and peeked into the courtyard. Seeing no one, she stepped out quietly and quickly crouched on the balcony to avoid being seen, wondering where she could find them. Crouching low, she crept off the balcony and headed toward where she assumed they might be, even though she didn't know the layout of the house. Moving like a spy, she kept ducking down, stepping onto any path she found. She was amazed by how massive the house was—it felt just like Khaleel’s family home.
Eventually, she spotted them sitting in the middle of the garden, clustered so close among the flowers it looked like he was about to merge into her body. Ashnaah let out a sigh of relief. “Alhamdulillah, so I’ve finally made it into the garden,” she thought. She ducked low to avoid being seen and began tracing the edge of the flowers surrounding the garden until she reached a plant where she was certain she could hear everything clearly. As she quickly ducked, she suddenly bumped heavily into something that felt like a person. Terrified, her mouth flew open to scream, but she realized it was Meenah.
Meenah quickly covered Ashnaah’s mouth, equally startled, signaling her to be quiet. Ashnaah fell silent and stared at her, then turned her gaze back to Khaleel and Zeenat. He was sitting very close to her on a chair, facing her, while Zeenat kept her head bowed bashfully.
Ashnaah heard Khaleel say, "You've gone quiet, Zeenat."
Tears slowly rolled down her face as she replied softly, "Ya Khaleel, I don't want to go back home right now. I know that the moment I return, my father won't show me any mercy; he will force me to marry Umar, I just know it."
Khaleel remained silent, looking at her, before saying, "He won't do that, Zeenat. He will be too afraid of losing you again. Being missing for a whole month is no joke; I assure you they have all repented. Right now, I am only worried about your mum, since you mentioned she has high blood pressure."
Zeenat quickly said, "I can call her right now and explain everything to her. I know she will be very happy to hear from me after such a long time."
Khaleel smiled slightly, rubbing his beard. "Don't call her just yet. For now, give me your dad's number. I know what to do." She went quiet, looking at him with a hint of fear. As fresh tears traced down her cheeks, he quickly lifted her chin and asked, "Why are you crying, Zeenat?"
She quickly lowered her gaze and murmured, "I don't want to separate from you, Ya Khaleel." He stayed silent, looking at her. Then, lifting her face with a smile, he pulled her into his embrace and said, "Don't worry, Zeenat. We are still together; nothing will separate us." She remained quiet, and he began wiping the tears from her face using her veil before adding, "Now, give me your dad's number."
Ashnaah, who was sweating profusely as if she were burning up, turned to look at Meenah, who was puckering her lips while watching the couple. Ashnaah whispered, "Please, did you come out with your phone?"
In a barely audible whisper, Meenah asked, "What do you want to do with it?"
"Please, just give it to me." Meenah unlocked her phone's pattern and handed it over. Just as Zeenat began dictating her father's phone number and Khaleel was saving it, Ashnaah rapidly copied it onto the phone as well.
Once Zeenat finished, she looked at Khaleel and said softly, "Watch your words, dear. Don't let him know that you were the one who took me in, because that wouldn't look good for us."
Ashnaah quickly stood up, looked at Meenah, and said, "Let's go."
Meenah whispered in a low tone, "Wait for them to leave first, then we can take the kitchen route." Without arguing, Ashnaah sat back down on the carpet grass.
Khaleel stood up, looked at Zeenat, and said, "Let's head inside before Mum gets back. It's almost Maghrib." Zeenat stood up, and he took her hand as they walked toward the house through the front yard. Meenah quickly stood up and asked, "Can you run fast?"
Ashnaah stood up and replied, "Yes." They bolted toward the house through the kitchen door to ensure they made it inside before the other two. Racing upstairs, Meenah flung her bedroom door open, and they burst inside, both panting heavily.
Chapter 35
When Khaleel stepped into the living room, he was surprised to find Ashnaah missing. He turned to Zeenat, who was behind him, and asked, "Where is that girl?"
Zeenat scanned the room and replied, "I saw her sitting here earlier before I went out, but I don't know where she went after that."
He spun around, rushed out of the living room, and approached the security guard. "For Allah's sake, Baba, did you see anyone leave recently?"
The guard paused, shook his head, and said, "To be honest, no one has left since Madam drove out." Khaleel let out an involuntary sigh of relief. He turned back and re-entered the house. Zeenat was still standing exactly where he had left her.
He headed upstairs and opened Meenah’s bedroom door. Meenah was sitting on the floor, deeply engrossed in a chat with Ashnaah, who was sitting on the bed laughing hysterically. He stood there staring at them in astonishment.
Ashnaah gave a slight hiss and said, "Oh come on, Meenah, continue!" Meenah stood up from the floor, hissed as well, and snapped, "Honestly, you startled me, wallahi! When someone wants to enter a person's room, shouldn't they say an Islamic greeting first?"
Khaleel walked further into the room. Meenah quickly bolted into her bathroom and locked the door. Glaring fiercely at Ashnaah, Khaleel demanded, "What are you doing in here?"
She widened her eyes and countered, "I don't understand what you mean. Why did you bring me here if not to maintain family ties? Is it a crime that I'm chatting with your sister?" She puckered her lips and looked away. He simply stood there staring at her before finally saying, "Get up and get out."
Before he could even finish his sentence, she glared at him and said, "I need to pray." Furious, he strode over, grabbed her arm, and yanked her up.
Terrified, she gripped his hand and pleaded, "For Allah's sake, I'm sorry! Wallahi, I will leave. I only came in here to pray anyway." Without waiting for his response, she bolted out of the room.
She was forced to perform her ablution in the downstairs bathroom. He instructed Zeenat to fetch her a prayer mat so she could pray in the living room. Zeenat came downstairs holding the prayer mat, handed it to Khaleel, and returned upstairs. Ashnaah puckered her lips and muttered, "Well, I didn't ask her to do that. And if she’s the one who lays out your prayer mats, then I’m not praying on it."
Khaleel countered, "Are you saying you're cleaner than she is?"
Ashnaah stood up furiously. "Is she cleaner than me? Wallahi, that really offends me! Even you have no right to preach cleanliness to me, let alone that worthless girl!"
He stood up, pointed a finger at her face, and barked, "Watch your tongue!" She turned her head away and hissed. He then headed upstairs to perform his ablution before leaving for the mosque.
Just as Ashnaah finished praying, Momy walked in. Ashnaah welcomed her back. Momy responded warmly and asked, "Why are you all alone in the living room, Fatima? Why didn't you go upstairs? Where are Amina and the rest?" Ashnaah smiled and said nothing. Momy headed to the kitchen and returned shortly carrying a tray with food and drinks. She set it down in front of Ashnaah and said, "Here is some food, Fatima."
Ashnaah replied, "Thank you, Momy."
At nearly eight o'clock, Khaleel returned. Ashnaah was sitting with Momy and Zeenat in the living room. Momy instructed Zeenat to serve his food on the dining table, but he declined. "Wallahi, Mum, I'm completely full."
Momy asked, "What did you eat that makes you say you're full?"
Ashnaah chimed in, "That's exactly what he would say, Momy. The moment we get back home, he’ll demand that I cook for him." Khaleel spun around and glared at her, but she just fired a sharp glare right back.
Momy suggested, "Well, take the food with you then. But at this time of night, what kind of cooking is expected once you get home?"
Khaleel smiled and said, "Alright, Momy, I'll take it with us." He stood up and added, "Momy, it's getting late, let us hit the road."
Momy stood up. "Alright, let me pack the food flask in a bag for you." She walked over to the dining table and returned with the food, handing it to Khaleel. He thanked her, and Ashnaah stood up, saying, "Let me quickly say goodbye to Meenah."
She headed upstairs while Khaleel watched her closely, unable to follow her. She found Meenah just stepping out of the shower and said, "Hey, we are leaving. Quickly copy that number onto a piece of paper for me."
Meenah questioned, "But you still haven't told me what you plan to do with it."
Ashnaah insisted, "Just write it down for me. When are you coming over to visit?"
Meenah replied, "Oh no, I'm absolutely terrified of that husband of yours."
"Oh, stop it and just come! What could he possibly do to you while I'm there? I won't let him touch you."
Meenah relented. "Alright, tomorrow, God willing, I'll come over."
Ashnaah smiled. "That's more like it!" Meenah copied the numbers onto a slip of paper and handed it over. Ashnaah took it, saying, "Awesome, bestie, see you tomorrow!" Then she hurried downstairs.
Until they left the house, Khaleel could not stop stealing glances at Ashnaah. Only after they had driven out of the neighborhood did he pull over. Looking at her with a stern expression, he demanded, "What did you go back upstairs to do?"
Ashnaah replied, "I told you, I just went to say goodbye."
Staring at her intensely, he said, "Listen to me carefully." She stayed silent, watching him. He continued, "You are strictly forbidden from associating with that girl. If I ever catch the two of you together again, I will..."
Interrupting him with a glare, she snapped, "Why? Isn't she your sister?"
He grabbed her forcefully and growled, "Are you seriously questioning me as to why?"
She quickly squealed, "No, no! I'm sorry, I understand, wallahi!" He scoffed and pushed her back, asking, "What are you hiding inside your hijab?" She quickly pulled out a bottle of perfume that Momy had gifted her and showed it to him. He looked away and resumed driving.
At nearly nine o'clock, Khaleel parked his car at his house. He stepped out and waited for Ashnaah to exit. Once she did, he locked his car and headed inside. She let out a soft hiss and followed closely behind him. Finding him seated in the living room with the TV turned on, opening the food flask his small mum had given him, Ashnaah stood directly behind his couch. He spun around quickly, glaring at her, and snapped, "Why are you standing over me like that?"
She stepped back and stammered, "No, I was just going to ask you to hand me a plate so you can share some with me. I felt too shy to eat much over there, and now I'm starving." Khaleel simply stared at her in silence.
Finally, he shook his head and barked, "If you make me stand up, wallahi, you will deeply regret it! Get out of my sight!" He delivered the final words in a loud shout. Terrified by his yelling, she quickly backed away, hissed, and fled upstairs as if she were flying.
Chapter 36
At around half past eleven, Ashnaah was lying in her room after finishing a cup of tea. Suddenly remembering something, she sat up abruptly, walked over to her vanity mirror, and retrieved the paper where Meenah had written Zeenat’s father's number. She stared at it, wondering how on earth she was going to find a phone to call this number. She walked back to the edge of her bed, sat down, and rested her chin on her hand, completely absorbed in thought, trying to figure out a way to get her hands on a phone.
Suddenly, her bedroom door swung open. She quickly hid the paper behind her back and stared at the doorway. Khaleel walked into the room holding the food flask. Looking at her, he muttered, "Glutton! You made me lose my appetite, so your mind should be at peace now. Go ahead and finish the food." He hissed and walked out of the room.
Ashnaah puckered her lips and muttered, "I am not a glutton; if anything, you are the glutton." She stood up, picked up the food flask, and opened it, noticing he had barely eaten any of it. He hadn't even touched the meat. Smiling, she picked up a spoon and began eating heartily. Once finished, she took a bath, wiped herself dry, threw on a hijab, and left her room carrying the empty food flask to take it down to the kitchen.
Chapter 37
Ashnaah puckered her lips when she noticed that he had turned off all the main house lights, leaving only a dim blue nightlight glowing in the living room. She headed to the kitchen, flipped on the light, placed the flask in the sink, turned off the light, locked the kitchen door, and headed back upstairs. She had just opened her bedroom door to go inside when she turned her gaze toward Khaleel’s door. She wondered if she should sneak in and steal his phone right now to do what she needed to do, as she didn't want him to beat her to calling Zeenat's dad.
Slowly, she walked toward his living room door. She stood there for nearly five minutes, debating whether to enter or not. Finally, she turned the doorknob gently and peeked inside; the living room lights were completely off. This gave her the confidence to sneak further in, tiptoeing toward his bedroom. She found the bedroom door closed, and her heart began to race. What if he was wide awake? What would she do then? The terrifying thought panicked her, causing her to spin around and bolt back toward the main living room door, her heart pounding furiously against her ribs.
Suddenly, a strong scent of soap enveloped the entire room, leading her to realize he might be taking a shower. She returned to his bedroom door and pressed her ear against it. She heard the distinct sound of running water from the bathroom. Emboldened, she turned the handle carefully; fortunately, the door didn't make a single sound. She peeked inside and saw that only a dim bedside lamp was lit. She slipped into the room and rushed over to the vanity mirror, but after a frantic search, she couldn't find the phone. She then turned to check the bed, running her hands everywhere, but there was no sign of it. Deeply frustrated and on the verge of giving up, she was about to leave when she spotted the phone resting on the bedside drawer on the opposite side of the room.
She rushed over as fast as she could, leaned over, and grabbed the phone. Just as she turned to flee, she heard the bathroom door swing open. Her heart dropped like a heavy hammer striking her chest from pure terror. She froze completely in her tracks, the phone trembling violently in her hand.
Khaleel stared at her in utter astonishment. Hardening her resolve, she refused to look in his direction, dropped the phone back down, and spun around to run. He was too quick; he yanked her forcefully by the arm, pulling her straight against his broad chest. Since that was exactly his height, she was pressed right against him. She lifted her head in absolute terror, looking at him. Terrified by his expression, she quickly shut her eyes tightly, pressed her face against his broad chest, and burst into tears, crying out, "Oh no, please! I only came in to check the time because the clock in my room stopped working!"
Chapter 38
Khaleel lifted her chin, a strange smile playing on his lips as he gazed at her face. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to open them, and wept in sheer terror. "For the sake of Allah and His Prophet, please forgive me! I really only came in to check the time!"
Suddenly, she felt him sweep her off her feet. Opening her eyes in a panic, she realized they were on the bed. Bursting into a fresh wave of tears, she frantically tried to scramble up, but he pinned her tightly against his body. In utter distress, she began pleading, "Oh no, for Allah's sake, please forgive me! I swear, wallahi, I will never do it again!" He stared down at her with eyes that had completely shifted color. Terrified and confused, she kept pushing against him, weeping and begging for mercy.
Before she could even register what was happening, he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her fiercely while simultaneously trying to pull off her hijab. In her entire life, she had never been as terrified as she was in that moment, especially seeing him look like a completely different person. She struggled frantically to break free, but she couldn't overpower him. What truly intensified her panic was the sudden realization that she was wearing nothing underneath but a single wrapper. He completely stripped the hijab off her body. Seeing him attempt to untie her wrapper as well, she gripped the fabric with all her might. Trembling violently amidst her tears, she screamed, "Oh no, I am doomed! For Allah's sake, please have mercy, wallahi I am only wearing a wrapper! Please, have mercy!"
He pulled her into a tight, crushing embrace, breathing heavily. She could hear nothing but the loud, frantic thudding of his heart and the feel of his hot breath falling against her neck. She kept a death grip on her wrapper, her body still shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, he pushed her away, stood up abruptly, and rushed straight back into the bathroom.
Without stopping to think, she scrambled off the bed and bolted out of the room, completely abandoning her hijab. She rushed into her own bedroom, locked the door with the key, collapsed onto the floor, and began sobbing hysterically, her body still trembling violently. After crying her heart out, she sat up, her heart still pounding wildly. Now that things had escalated between them, what was she going to do? He had completely ruined her life. The terrifying thought sparked a deep, intense hatred for him in her heart. She stood up slowly, walked over to her bed, and sat down. “I would rather Allah take my life than give myself up to this oppressor,” she thought bitterly. She let out a frustrated hiss, stood up, opened her wardrobe, changed into a long nightgown, pulled the blanket over herself, and immediately drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, while she was taking a shower, she heard his car drive out of the compound. She hissed, finished her bath, scrubbed her bathroom clean, and stepped out. After tidying herself up, she put on a long dress that trailed to the floor and headed downstairs in search of breakfast. She found the kitchen locked. She stared at the door in disbelief, feeling a sudden urge to break it down. Let out a long hiss, she muttered, "Useless oppressor."
Furious, she went back upstairs and sat on her bed, suddenly bursting into tears as she called out for her mother. She wept for nearly ten minutes until she suddenly remembered the money Al-Ameen had given her. She stood up quickly, opened her bag, and pulled out the cash. Smiling, she took out a one-thousand-naira note, hid the rest, and headed downstairs to the security guard's post.
The guard greeted her politely. "I'm doing well," she replied. "I actually want to send you on an errand."
He answered, "Certainly, Madam. What can I get for you?"
"Go to an eatery and buy me some food, any kind will do."
He hesitated. "Very well, Madam, but we have to wait for David to return and watch the gate, since the laundryman isn't around today."
Ashnaah hissed, "Are there thieves in this neighborhood that would prevent you from making a quick trip right now?"
He explained, "No, it's not that, Madam. Boss strictly forbade us from leaving the gate unattended like this because of you." She hissed, turned around, and walked away, muttering under her breath, "He means because of his house, definitely not because of me."
Later, while she was lying in the living room watching TV, the doorbell rang. She stood up quickly, knowing her food had arrived. After collecting it, she locked the front door, sat down, and opened the package to find jollof rice and meat. She went upstairs to wash her hands, came back down, and ate her food. Once finished, she returned upstairs to her bathroom, drank some tap water, lay down on her bed, and fell fast asleep.
In the middle of her nap, she heard the doorbell ringing repeatedly. She rushed downstairs, her heart pounding. Peeking through the door view, she saw Ummi's face. She let out a joyful shriek, quickly unlocked the door, and hugged her tightly, completely failing to notice the other friends standing behind her.
Aisha joked, "Oh, so it's only Ummi you recognize, huh?"
Ashnaah spun around quickly to look at them, her eyes widening with absolute delight. "Wow! I am so thrilled, wallahi! For Allah's sake, please come in! Oh, I am so incredibly happy to see you all, wallahi!" Realizing she had nothing to serve them, Ashnaah rushed upstairs, pulled a one-thousand-naira note from her hidden cash, hurried back down, and ran out to the security guard. She handed him the money and told him to buy soft drinks and bottled water with all of it. He took the money, and she returned inside.
"But who gave you guys directions to find this place?"
Ummi replied, "Anty Shafa did. Anyway, Ashnaah, what is the plan regarding your education? Aren't you going to sweet-talk your husband into letting you go back to school? You do know our exams start next month, right?"
Ashnaah's face fell. Sitting down to face them, she asked, "Are you guys serious, for Allah's sake? Exams are next month?"
Bilkisu laughed. "Do we need to swear by Allah for you to believe us?"
On the verge of tears, Ashnaah whined, "But who is going to let me go back now...?" She burst into a dramatic sob that was simultaneously amusing and pitiful.
Suppressing her laughter, Ummi said, "Why are you crying? Can't you just sweet-talk your husband into letting you return?"
Ashnaah instantly stopped crying, her face turning stern. "And who exactly is my husband?"
Ummi and the rest of the girls burst into roaring laughter. "The owner of this house, of course!"
Ashnaah snapped angrily, "Look, if you all came here just to insult me, you can get up and leave right now, thank you very much!" This only made them laugh harder. Thoroughly exasperated, Ashnaah found herself completely at a loss for words.
Khadija said, "Look, let's face reality here. Wallahi, you need to sweet-talk him so he lets you continue your education, don't ruin your own future."
Ashnaah scoffed, "Sweet-talk who? No way!" She hissed just as the living room door swung open. Ashnaah stood up instantly, completely terrified to see who was walking in. It was Khaleel. He entered the living room dressed in white three-quarter shorts and a black polo shirt, holding a shopping bag. Ashnaah’s stomach did a violent flip from pure terror, but she quickly forced a stern, indifferent expression onto her face despite her racing heart, and sat back down. Walking in his usual composed manner...
