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He began scolding me, cornering me until I confessed my reason for hurling those harsh words at Mansoor. At first, I wanted to evade the question. But seeing how deeply agitated he was—in a state I had never seen him in before—I completely lost my composure and laid everything bare. I witnessed intense distress wash over him. He blasted me with anger again, completely overwhelmed by confusion.
"But Samraah, you are out of your mind. This has been happening to you for two weeks, yet you kept your mouth shut and stayed silent until now? Even now, if you hadn't clashed with Mansoor, we wouldn't have uncovered the thread of this mystery. Innalillahi wa-inna ilaihiraji'un (Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return). Samraah, you have no sense, I swear by Allah you have absolutely no sense. Because I have zero doubt that this man is the one tracking you. He must have figured out that you took that video. This is exactly what I was fearing from the start, which is why I was constantly thinking of a way out, yet I too became negligent..."
"Brother, I don't understand. Are you saying that man who ties his hair—Maash—is behind all of this?"
"If not him, then who else, Samraah? Surely, he is the one who would orchestrate this kind of tracking against you. Samraah, did you make a move against him without my knowledge? Because I know you and your foolish, reckless stubbornness."
"I swear by Allah, Brother, I didn't do anything, and you know I wouldn't do anything without your knowledge. Ask Mansoor, Allah is my witness and he is my witness too. From the office, I don't go anywhere else besides this house. On weekends, it's only Islamic school, and Malam Umaru can confirm that to you as well. So what move could I possibly make when you told me to leave everything in your hands? I swear, ever since I saved that video, I haven't even looked back at it, let alone watched it or let anyone else hear or see it. Even Mansoor told me that day that, thank God, despite his habit of deleting things, he hadn't mistakenly erased it, because if I didn't have it on my phone, we would have been in trouble. But for God's sake, I saved it again to avoid any carelessness, since I know how notoriously prone he is to accidentally wiping his phone."
"I know there won't be an issue from your end, Samraah. But that man must have CCTV cameras; and if he is someone who constantly monitors things, then he definitely discovered it from there, which is why you are being followed. Or maybe someone saw you. Just wait, let me call Mansoor to come meet us."
I couldn't say anything to him. I just drifted completely into my own thoughts. I wasn't even aware when he finished the phone call. He kept pacing back and forth, as if piecing a puzzle together. Within less than thirty minutes, Mansoor arrived. Since it was time for the Ishaa prayer, they left for the mosque. It was only after they performed the prayer and returned that I realized I was still in my brother's room. Mansoor greeted me, and from there, they began their discussion, because my mind was completely detached from my body.
It wasn't until Mansoor asked me who I had gone to the restroom with on that fateful day—a question they should have asked me since that day, but hadn't—that I let out a deep sigh, regained my composure, and informed them that it was one of the female security guards on duty that day. I repeated exactly how it happened. They asked me again if I had met anyone else after her. And also, when she went to make the phone call, did she ever come back looking for me?
"To be honest, I didn't see her return. Since my mind was completely consumed by what had happened, I didn't pay attention to her. So I don't know what stopped her from coming back. And honestly, I don't think I saw her again until we closed for the day."
Brother and Mansoor locked eyes. Bracing himself through visible distress, Brother Musaddiq said, "Is it possible that security guard did return at that moment? If my calculations are correct, she returned so they could leave together as promised. Maybe she didn't find her, started looking for her, or perhaps she caught her while she was opening the door or even recording the video. Because if that wasn't the case, there's no way she would have vanished into thin air. The second theory is that she overheard when she was telling you. Between these two options, one must be true. And wherever the leak came from, Maash was surely alerted to everything, which is why he is having her tracked."
Nodding his head, Mansoor said, "Your theory could definitely be true, Brother. But at this juncture, my mind is torn for a few reasons. Maash is no small character. Do you think he committed that murder, knew he committed it, discovered that a woman caught him on video, and just sat back carelessly? Despite what we think, the one thing these wealthy, influential people hate most in life is having their crimes buried but held in someone else's hands, or having someone else know about it. You'll see them rushing to suppress everything. If my calculations are correct, it has been almost a month since everything happened. Do you think he would waste time just tracking Samraah when he has countless ways to seize that video from her hands without any struggle?
Don't forget that an interview was even conducted with him, and she was the one who interviewed him. The day the interview was released, it caused a massive uproar with endless public gossip—some even claiming there was a relationship between her and him. I know you already know everything, so I don't need to explain further. I brought up these points because I don't want us to get too distracted by him while the real perpetrator planning mischief might be right beside us. I'm sorry, but even the MD (Managing Director) is among my suspects. Because I realized a long time ago that he loves Samraah like crazy; the day she brought them the outfits for our wedding clothing, he made that clear to everyone.
Then there's your sister, Baby. She loves me deeply, but certain circumstances are hindering her. I heard from a reliable source that she vowed to use any means necessary to ensure this marriage of ours doesn't happen. She has a major plan for this, and someone is encouraging her from behind the scenes. She swore to herself that if she can't have me, then neither of them will. At first, I took it as mere nonsense from her drug-addict behavior, but this current situation is making me realize she is truly capable of anything. Therefore, we must keep our eyes wide open to confirm exactly who it is."
"Drug abuse? Wait, is Baby the one abusing drugs, or who?" I asked, fixing my eyes on Mansoor. He simply smiled at me and said, "Oh Samraah, may Allah reform our lineage, that's all."
I looked at Brother in shock, but I saw no sign of surprise on his face. Unable to contain myself, I said, "Brother, so you knew she does drugs too?"
He took a heavy breath before uttering, "I know, Samraah. And I did everything within my power to make her stop, but it was impossible. I brought it to Abba's attention, but he claimed I was slandering her. Since then, I washed my hands of them."
To be honest, that revelation deeply shook me. Just as Mansoor's words had made a huge impact on us regarding how the MD and Baby could be the ones orchestrating the stalking. Because everything he said was the truth. For me, everything just became more confusing. Nevertheless, Brother said we would not be careless with all three sides. We would keep watch and take appropriate action for each. Therefore, we would report to the police that I was being followed, but we wouldn't mention the video. We would let the police do their job, and if it turns out to be Maash later on and it becomes necessary to bring out the video, then we would do so.
We agreed on this, and they supported the plan, even though I personally wished we had handed the video over to the police right then. But I didn't understand their reason for wanting to hide the video, as if they were afraid of him.
Two days after this, my bridal gifts (lefe) arrived from Mansoor's family. I saw up to twelve suitcases packed with luxurious, eye-catching items. No one could say they weren't impressed by the gifts. However, absolute jealousy was evident from Mom, as she couldn't swallow her bitterness. She went as far as hurling insults, claiming that it was Baby's boyfriend I had snatched using black magic. And she claimed no one else was providing me with the charms except Gwaggo Gudidi. What started like a joke escalated into a massive fight. This was because Gwaggo Gudidi's children had all come and were at the house. A massive, genuine conflict broke out.
At that time, Brother Musaddiq wasn't home. He was at work. Just like last time, he had entrusted everything to his boss's wife to handle the guests' reception food and delicacies. Even at work, he didn't stay put; he and Mansoor went out to the police station regarding the police matter. They filed the report and handed over up to three car license plate numbers that I had given them. They were there until the chaos at home settled and everyone went their separate ways, because Gwaggo and the others had even picked up my bridal suitcases from the house and moved them to her own place. According to them, leaving them at Abba's house was impossible, as Mom and her cohorts could ruin them because they lacked basic decency.
As it turned out, Gwaggo's prediction was entirely accurate. Mom and her crew had indeed hatched a wicked plot against the bridal gifts, but their plans were foiled. Because of this, they took out their frustration on me when I returned. I hadn't even been home; I was at the house of a female friend from Islamic school. No matter how hard I tried to endure it, I couldn't. That night, I cried bitterly, feeling a profound longing for our late parents. Finally, I performed ablution, observed my voluntary prayers, and laid my grievances before the LORD.
Because of the heartbreak I slept with, I didn't do any household chores in the morning. Instead, I got ready in the early hours of the morning to head over to Joy's house to ease my sorrow, but I decided to stop by the office first because of a message the MD sent me last night around 12:00 AM, saying that for God's sake, he wanted to see me at the office today if it wasn't a problem. Hearing him say it was something vital made me agree to go, and I absolutely did not want to spend the day at our house today anyway.
I came out and checked Brother's room, only to find he had already left. I was surprised by his early departure today. But I went on my way, deciding I would call him on the phone. By afternoon, I would meet him at the garage because I wanted us to discuss something briefly.
I found a tricycle (napep) and boarded it. We began moving, and as I was trying to dial Brother's number, I heard someone call my name. Surprised, I looked up at the person sitting next to me in the tricycle. Seeing no sign that he was the one who called my name, I looked at the tricycle driver as well. There was no sign it was him either. Annoyed and frustrated, I tried to brush it off, feeling bewildered. Then, the voice called out again, "Samraah!"
This time, I looked up angrily. Before I could say anything, I felt something pressed against my face. Yuuuu, my head began to spin. In a panic, I attempted to jump out of the tricycle, but I couldn't. Within a split second, my body became incredibly heavy, I slumped onto the seat, and my eyes closed. From that point on, I lost consciousness completely and didn't know what happened next......✍️
(Author's Note: Even though I know Maash contracted people to track Samraah, Mansoor's words have also started throwing me into confusion. But I don't want you all to panic; let's keep going, because the game hasn't even begun yet. Is Big Brother Maash behind this atrocity, or is it the MD? It could even be Baby. Heck, we can't leave Mom out of it either. So, who kidnapped Sam-G? 🤥🤔)
(Subscription details for the novel series "ZAFAFA BIYAR 2024" omitted for narrative translation flow)
MEAT WORM....!! 🐛
(It is also meat)
By Bilyn Abdul 🤙🏻
Page Thirty-One
As soon as they woke up and Mom noticed that Samraah hadn't done any chores in the house, her rage flared up. Today, she was absolutely going to give that girl a thorough beating until she saw whoever it was that dared to protect her in this house. Furious, she headed toward their bedroom, knowing that since it was the weekend, she wouldn't be going to work. However, she found it completely empty—no Samraah. Only the youngest sibling and Bibaa were asleep. At first, she thought she was taking a bath. So, she went back to the living room, sitting in a foul mood and waiting to unleash hell.
After about ten minutes, Bibaa walked out, stretching, signaling she had just woken up.
"Go back or call that girl Samraah for me."
With a bit of surprise, Bibaa said, "She's not in the room, Mom."
"Don't play dumb with me, check the toilet. Where else would she go?"
"I swear, Mom, she's not in the toilet. I just used the restroom and came out. Or maybe she's in the kitchen working?"
Slightly irritated, Mom said, "Oh, so I'm blind now? Cut the nonsense, I know she's in the room of that wretched boy—the second hypocrite. Go call both of them for me."
Without arguing, Bibaa complied. But it wasn't long before she returned, saying the room was locked. Just then, Abba walked out of his room. He asked what was happening because he had been hearing Mom's loud rants from inside his room for a while. In sheer fury, she informed him. He went quiet for a moment as if he wouldn't say anything. Then, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Brother Musaddiq. It rang twice before he picked up. From the other end, he greeted Abba respectfully. Abba responded coldly, as was his usual manner, before adding, "Where on earth are you guys?"
Surprised, Musaddiq said, "Abba, I'm at the garage. Someone is coming to pick up their car, which is why I left early."
"Uhm... so that means Samraah is with you?"
"Samraah, Abba? Why would I bring Samraah here? She's at home; I left her there since she doesn't have work today."
Furious, Abba blurted out, "Well, she is not here."
Musaddiq's heart skipped a violent beat. With a trembling voice, he said, "Abba, what do you mean she's not there? Where would Samraah go this early in the morning when she doesn't have office hours today?"
"You'll have to ask her, it's not like I carry her around on my back." With that, Abba hung up the phone. Musaddiq became incredibly panicked without knowing the exact reason, since she always called to inform him whenever she was going anywhere, even if he wasn't home. Therefore, he left the garage abruptly, hoping to return and find that Samraah had come back. Ever since Abba cut the call, he kept trying to call Samraah's line, but though it rang, no one picked up. Later on, it was switched off entirely. This was completely uncharacteristic of his Kandala (pet name for Samraah), especially considering it was him calling her himself...
Within a short time, he arrived at the house, where he found Mom still throwing her tantrums. The situation quickly escalated from bad to worse. By 12:00 PM, there was still no sign of Samraah. What started as something everyone took lightly turned into absolute dread by late afternoon (Asr), with still no news. By then, phone calls were being made to relatives, but everyone reported she hadn't visited. Her friends were contacted too, even though Musaddiq knew she wasn't one to frequent friends' houses, nor did she visit relatives often. Even Mansoor's house was informed by then.
Around 5:00 PM, one of her phones was recovered. The person who answered confirmed he had found it. He honestly agreed to return it because he saw Samraah's picture on the phone screen. Terrified, Mansoor and Musaddiq rushed to where he located it, as they were the ones running around frantically. Mom and her crowd claimed they didn't believe anything bad had happened to her, asserting she had probably gone on one of her usual loose wanderings. Thus, they acted completely indifferent, as if they didn't care. Abba, at least, sat quietly, showing signs of worry, but whenever Mom provoked him with chatter, he would distract himself.
Mansoor and Musaddiq retrieved the phone along with Samraah's face mask and eyeglasses, which were found at the scene. The finder took them to the exact spot where he picked them up, and several people nearby verified that he truly found them there. The incident had occurred in front of about three vendors who worked right at that spot, since they also set up very early in the morning. However, they mentioned they saw a tricycle (napep) and a blue car stop at the location but didn't know what they did; it was only after they left that the person who found the phone noticed the dropped items. He spoke openly about it and didn't hide anything.
By now, their panic had reached its peak, so they immediately filed a report at the nearest station. Thanks to Mansoor's connections, they immediately began tracking Samraah's other line. She had two phones, both high-end. One was used strictly for work, while the other was for family and personal matters. She had left the work phone behind and taken the personal one. By nightfall, there was still no satisfying information, and by this time, Abba's distress became evident.
Gwaggo Gudidi arrived crying bitterly, insisting that Mom and her crew must be investigated because they knew where they had hidden Samraah—especially since everyone had heard what Mom was threatening the previous day in front of everyone. Mom was about to unleash her fury on the neighbors who had gathered and agreed that Gwaggo Gudidi's suspicion held weight. Like a match to tinder, a massive fight broke out.
Around dusk, Musaddiq and the others arrived at the neighborhood accompanied by police officers. At this point, Mom's composure began to shatter, though she desperately tried to suppress it so as not to show any vulnerability. The police questioned them all, not even sparing the youngest child (Auta). Mom answered everything frantically, raising red flags for the police officer in charge of the case. However, he said nothing more, and they left, stating they might return in the morning or summon them to the station.
Slowly, I fluttered my eyelids, which felt incredibly heavy and stiff. I began opening them gradually, finding myself in a dimly lit room, indicating that evening had arrived. I could even hear the calls for the Maghrib prayer faintly in the distance. My heart pounded violently. I quickly invoked the name of Allah, closing and reopening my eyes. It was real; I had been kidnapped. I could barely sit up because my entire body felt utterly drained of strength. On top of that, I felt a desperate urge to urinate. Dizziness threatened to sweep me off my feet, and it was only by leaning heavily against the wall that I managed to stand up.
I began fumbling around in the dark to see if I could find a light switch. By God's grace, I found the switch. My eyes, which were blinking heavily, strained to take in the surroundings. It was a very large room. There was a small student-sized mattress on the floor, complete with a blanket, a pillow, and a bedsheet neatly spread over it. To the side lay my handbag, next to two polythene bags bearing a restaurant logo, along with a bottle of water. With great effort, I dragged my feet toward the door. I tried turning the handle, but found it firmly locked. I then forced myself toward where the curtains hung, knowing a window must be behind them, and pushed them aside with difficulty. It was indeed a window, but it was locked. I tried to force it open with what little strength I had. However, the security iron bars were tightly spaced—so narrow that even a hand couldn't fit through.
My heart was completely racing now. Refusing to give up, I checked the other window, but it was exactly the same. I headed toward what looked like a small corridor, only to discover it led to a bathroom. I saw this upon opening the door. Unable to take it anymore, I collapsed right there on the spot, bursting into a soul-crushing, heartbreaking sob. I sat there crying for a long time, feeling as though my breath would leave my body. Eventually, I pulled myself up with difficulty and stepped into the bathroom. It was spotless, without a speck of dirt. It was fully stocked with bath soap, detergent, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a sponge—even toilet cleaning supplies were provided. There was absolutely nothing you would look for regarding hygiene that wasn't there.
Ignoring the supplies, I performed my ablution. Splashing the water over my skin helped clear my head a bit. I checked the bathroom window too, but it was positioned too high up and was incredibly small. I came back out into the room. On a mat laid out in front of the mattress, I observed my missed Dhuhr and Asr prayers, followed by Maghrib. I buried my face in my hands right there on the mat and opened a fresh chapter of weeping. My thoughts were scattered.
Suddenly, as if jolted by electricity, I sprang toward where my bag was. I frantically opened it and began rummaging for my phone, my body shaking violently from pure panic. Realizing that blindly searching wasn't working, I dumped everything out on the floor, desperate to see my phone drop. But it wasn't there—there was no sign of either of my two phones. There were only my small cosmetics—a lip gloss, face powder, a small bottle of musk oil—and two face masks, which I never leave behind in my bag. I didn't even realize when I collapsed to the floor alongside the empty bag, breaking into another exhausting, miserable sob........✍️
For nearly two minutes, I sobbed uncontrollably before pulling the bag and the scattered items I had dumped on the floor closer to me. I began frantically sorting through them again like someone who had lost her mind. But there was absolutely nothing related to a phone from either of my two devices. Yet, I refused to accept it, frantically checking over and over ag—
Executive Summary
- The Stalking and the Hidden Video: The narrative opens with Samraah confessing to her brother (Musaddiq) that she is being tracked. This stems from a video she secretly recorded of a wealthy, powerful man named Maash, who committed a murder. Musaddiq chides her for keeping this a secret for two weeks.
- The Suspicion Matrix: While Maash remains the primary suspect behind the tracking, Samraah's fiancé, Mansoor, introduces alternative theories. He suggests that the MD (Managing Director), who is obsessively in love with Samraah, or Baby (Musaddiq's drug-addict sister who wants Mansoor for herself), could be trying to sabotage their upcoming wedding.
- The Escalation and Legal Action: Despite the confusion, Musaddiq and Mansoor file a police report regarding the stalking, providing vehicle plate numbers but deliberately withholding the murder video out of fear/caution. Meanwhile, Mansoor’s family delivers luxurious bridal gifts (lefe) to Samraah's house, sparking a massive, jealous domestic dispute involving Samraah's stepmother (Mom) and her maternal aunt (Gwaggo Gudidi).
- The Kidnapping: To escape the toxic environment at home and honor a late-night office request from the MD, Samraah leaves early the next morning. While riding in a tricycle (napep), she is drugged/chloroformed by an unknown person and loses consciousness.
- The Aftermath at Home: When Samraah is discovered missing, Mom initially assumes she is avoiding chores, but the family soon realizes she has vanished. Musaddiq and Mansoor recover her dropped personal phone, face mask, and glasses from a street vendor. The police begin investigating the household, suspecting Mom due to her overt hostility.
- Captivity: Samraah wakes up in a locked, dimly lit, but surprisingly well-provisioned room (stocked with food, water, and toiletries). She realizes both of her phones have been stolen, leaving her completely cut off from the outside world as she falls into despair.
