Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hello?." Binta said.

"As salamu Alaykum. Please, am I speaking with Ms. Binta Danjuma?"

"Ameen, wa Alaykum Salam. Yes speaking, how may I help you?"

"Ma, I attended your sister's wedding yesterday. How I got your number, Is not the issue now... I saw your sister now in our hotel which I was expecting to see her with her husband but to my surprise, she was with a man. Anyways, it looks like she was kidnapped or something coz she looks terrified."

"What?!!" She exclaimed.

"Well, am at the hotel now and I'm the manager. I'll make sure she stays here till you come to get her. You have to come and rescue your sister ASAP please. I'll text you the address"

"Yes yes..thank you, we will be there in the next twenty minutes..thank you," she said as she hangs up the call.

"Subhanallah" Mr. Dauda uttered in shock as Binta narrate her phone call talk with them.

"What then are we waiting for? Let go there please, let go and rescue my daughter. Ya Allah, please forgive me, forgive me for saying bad things about my daughter, I doubted her! I said bad things in her absence, considering what Zulaiha had said, I thought she had betrayed us but it turns out that my daughter was kidnapped " she said through tears.

"We can't conclude yet Hadiza, we need to see your daughter and talk to her first before we can decide on what to do and how to judge"

"Dad, I called my friend who's an ACP already, he'll be here in the next ten minutes. Then we can go to the hotel together " he told his father-in-law while he only nods with a little smile. He turned to Binta and asked "Aunty, has the lady text you the address?"

"Yes Rasheed, here it's" she answered passing the phone to him. He copied everything to his phone as he returns the phone to her.

I don't know what's happening, I'm still confused right now but I hope Zuwairah will know that I truly love her. No matter what could have happened, I still love her with all my heart. It hurts, it hurt seeing your wife running away from you the next day of the wedding but I'll hold everything in, I'll do I find you. I'll ask you so many things, I have so many questions for you and walahi you have to answer them honestly Zuwairah Abdularasheed Muhammad.

Still in h, is deep thought, he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He jolts joltshock. He turned to the owner of the hand and that person happens to be his friend; Abubakar "he's here Abdul" he said to him.

•

"Hi, I was the one who called you," the lady said to them but her eyes were locked with Binta's.

"Thank you so much. But please, where is my sister?"

"Yes please, where is she? Where is my daughter?" Hadiza chimed in.

"Please calm down Ma'am, she's in there. Let's go" she said to them as they all tried to fol follow including the officers. But the officers advised them to wait at the reception while they carry out their job which they all nod in understanding. Fortunately for them, they met the two in the room, they didn't even bother to knock as they barge in. It was so unfortunate for Zuwairah and Jacob because they did not lock the door and that was the biggest mistake they've ever made.

They lead both Zuwairah and Jacob out of the room to the reception, he was not givenallowedxplain himself as they handcuffed him. Zuwairah tried all her possible best to stop them but they never listened to her. Just as they are escorted to where her parent was, was mom ran to her whilst she engulfs her into a tight hug "Zuwairah my dear, how are you doing? I hope he didn't hurt you? Let me see" she bombarded her with so many questions which she didn't get any reply in return, Hadiza broke their hug and take a careful look at her child's body. She only hopes the monster hasn't hurt her precious daughter.

"How dare you? How dare you try to kidnap my daughter? Just because she refuses to marry you? How dare you?" Mrs. Dauda yells as she angrily moves toward him, and without thinking twice she made her hand land on his face. She slapped him hard on his right cheek and then did the same to the left.

"How dare you?!" She asked with tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Stop it, Mom!" Zuwairah yelled.

"Please stop it, Mom, he's....he's innocent Mom," she said crying.

"What are you saying Zuwairah? " her husband asked her. His face held disappointment, however, that doesn't concern Zuwairah.

"How could she stand up for him? Does she also love him? What about him? Was he nothing to her?" He thought.

He tried to wave it off his mind. All this can't be answered by him but only Zuwairah, she will give him his answer once they reached home, he's going to sit her down and they will have to do a heart to heart talk, coz he doesn't understand her anymore, this isn't the Zuwairah he fell in love with. That, he's sure of.

"I just asked you a question Zuwairah, why are you trying to cover up for him?"

"I don't owe an explanation Mr. AbdulRasheed," she said flatly and that got everyone surprised. The way she responded to him doesn't seem like she got married to him yesterday.

"I hope this guy hasn't charm my daughter? " Hadiza thought.

"Mom, Dad please let him go. He didn't do anything wrong walahi. I called him to help me escape, he never kidnapped me"

"Shut up! Shut your dirty mouth up!..... Shege Yarinya..... I knew it! I knew it Dauda! This guy has charm my daughter walahi" she dramatically said.

"Officer, please take him away," her Dad said to them and they do as they were told.

•

It has been five days already that Zuwairah was now back to her parent's home, she told them she will never return to her husband's house for some reason. She kept crying herself to sleep and also wakes up with cries every day. She refuses to talk to anyone nor does she intends to go back to her husband's house. The only statement that keeps coming out of her mouth was 'she doesn't want to marry him.

Abdul's Parents do come over to their in-law's house begging, even though they are one of the richest people in the world, they never cease begging, they prostrate and did so many things just for their son's happiness but Zuwairah seems adamant, she still stands on her decision.

She always locks herself up in the room crying all day till night, she will refuse to talk to anyone including her mother. After so much persuasion, she finally agrees to talk. She told her parent to invite Rasheed's parents over, this time around, with their son Rasheed and they, did as they were told.

Now everyone is present according to Zuwairah's request. Rasheed, his parents, and his friends. Zuwairah's Friend, Zulaiha is also there but Tracy who happens to because of all this is not present and it surprised everyone including Zuwairah. She concluded that she might be scared of the monster, her husband. Maybe that's why she didn't show up.

"Zuwairah my dear, please talk to us. Why did you keep insisting that you can't marry Rasheed anymore? What has my son done to you?" Her mother-in-law asked with a concerned tone. This behavior of her surprised everyone, they all know her as a good and obedient girl. She respects people a lot and she always makes people around her happy at all times. And that's why no matter what, they can't get angry at her coz she isn't that type of a girl. There must be something bothering her and they were all so happy that she will finally tell the truth today.

"Mom, Dad" she called her in-laws as she faces them with a small smile on her face "you two have been the most wonderful people to me, you both cherish me and took me as your real daughter. You both loved me but I've let you two down..please forgive me" she begged as she kneels in front of them.

Her mother-in-law quickly pulled her up to sit "My dear, I can't blame you, no one is blaming you. We all believe that there's a genuine reason for your actions...please just tell us what's troubling you, please my dear"

"I'll Mom and that's why I invited you all here today"

"OK... We are all listening to"

"II Mom" she stuttered as she burst into another again.

"Zuwairah please you're scaring us, please talk to us" Hadiza begged.

"Mom I....I...I need to....I-"

"Very good!" This sarcastic voice made her stop. They all turned their head to see who it was which turns out to be Aunty Hauwa. Mr. Dauda. rolled his eyes in anger while, his wife's face got pale immediately she set her eyes on her. Binta hissed and so was Zulaiha too.

"I'm so happy that I met everyone here today, most especially you Zuwairah. I heard you said you don't want to go back to your husband's house again...is that true?" She asked waiting patiently for her answer but Zuwairah kept mum.

"Answer me!!!" She yells at her. Zuwairah couldn't utter a word but just nod her head.

"Walahi Baki iBakia! Shege yarinya Kawai!..."

"Ke! Ke Hawa'u! Enough of your nonsense!" Mr. Dauda. shout as he points index finger at her angrily.

"Yaya, please lemme talk...and you Zuwairah, how dare you?! After spending all of my money! Then you decide that you won't marry this gentle, good, handsome-looking man sitting here? What has this handsome boy did to you?"

"Aunty walahi-"

"Keep quiet Dan Allah! I don't want to hear any of your stupid excuses. Never! Just go in there, pack y our bags, and leave with him now! This is an order, I'm not begging you"

"Aunty walahi I can't do that " Zuwairah stubbornly said. This is her first time going against Aunty's rule and that got her surprised.

"You say what?"

"Aunty I can't walahi..it's b you should kill to send me to a place where I would be killed and not just by an ordinary person but a monster Walahi Aunty just kill me coz I won't leave this house"

Hauwa makes sure to take a sit first to consume everything properly before she could utter another word.

"What has gotten into Zuwairah? " she thought.

"Mom...Dad, do you two truly love me?"

"Of course my dear, we do love you with our whole heart"

"Then please don't send me back to him, don't send me to where I'm going to end my life regretfully.

"What are you talking about Zuwairah?"

"Mom.....do you want me to marry someone that is contaminated with HIV?"

"Make it clear to us, what do you mean?"

"Rasheed is.. is... Rasheed is HIV positive"

"What?!!!!