"Hip hip, hurray!" All the women and ladies, about one hundred of them, throw their caps up in the sky and catch them.

Halima is all smiles and grin. She has graduated with second position in the whole class and she can't be more proud of herself.

The competition is coming up in the next two hours and Halima has the perfect award winning recipe, it's a dish she saw online but with a little tweaks here and there.

She walks to the car and drops her certificate in the backseat. She's startled by a voice and she jumps a bit before closing her eyes to calm her heart.

"Hi, Halima. Congratulations." The voice says. Not wanting to answer but not having any choice, Halima turns to the voice. There stands a man, very tall such that she has to crane her neck before she can see his head. He's fair, huge and very muscular. He's just the perfect definition of intimidating bouncer.

"Thank you, Sir." Halima smiles and turns to go to the driver's side of the car.

"Why don't I take you out? A congratulatory treat, it's all on me don't worry." The man says and Halima sighs. How can a teacher not understand a simple logic? Married women aren't to be seen around other men that are their non-mahrams. And he isn't her mahram.

"Sir, I don't know if you would like me to go over this again. I've been saying this in the last six weeks and I'll repeat it again. I'm a married woman. My husband is back there in Nigeria awaiting my return. Please stay in your lane." Halima says and turns to go. She knows Sa'eed is not awaiting her return, at all. But she's a married woman and she can't forget that. Sure this Sir is a nice man and all, every girl's dream man but she's married and he's too bulky.

Halima enters her car and leaves the place, heading to the supermarket to buy all the ingredients she'd need for a three course meal. After buying everything, she heads to the hotel and takes a nice hot bubble bath to refresh her muscles. She orders a stracciatella, it has become her favorite over the past few months.

Skyping her mother, she changes into a flay gown to hide her now visible bump. It's a little visible now that she's four months along. She isn't supposed to have started showing yet but she already has a big tummy so it's only right that she starts showing.

"Leema baby." Hajjo calls out and Halima smiles, taking a scoop of the ice cream into her mouth.

"Halima nah." Audu calls and Halima waves at him smiling.

"Mummy, daddy, I just came back from the school. We've graduated! The competition is coming up in approximately an hour." Halima says.

"Okay. Halima, let me say something. Once you've finished everything over there, come back home. Always remember, you're still a married woman. It has been four months. You should be able to come back home now, right?" Halima gulps, suddenly feeling nauseated. This is what happens whenever Hajjo talks to her about being a married woman. She nods, trying to keep down her bile till they're done.

"Good. Let me pray for you. Salati goma ga annabi." They all raise their hands in prayer.

"Oh Allah, Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum, Ya Zuljalali wal Ikram, my daughter here, Halima the daughter of Hajjo and Audu, is about to take on a large number of people who she doesn't know. Ya Rabbul Ka'abah, You alone we turn to and You alone we ask for help. Oh Allah, let her win this competition Ya Allah. Make her a better version of her self, allow her to heal in more ways than one, and give her the ability to pass any more of Your tests that You'll throw her way.

"Ya Allah bless her efforts and grant her hearts desires for You alone can do that because You are Al-Mutakabir. Ya Allah don't let her down. Guide her to the right path in all she does. Rabbana Aatina fidunya hasana, wa fil akhirati hasana, wa qina azaban naar Ya Rabb, wa qina azabul Mawt, wa qina azabul marz, wa qina azabul ayaat, wa qina azaban naar ya Zuljalali wal ikram." They all say Ameen and as Audu starts to speak, Halima rushes to the bathroom and throws her guts up.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihir-rajiun. Halima! What's wrong with you?" Halima ignores her mother's voice asking questions and focuses and what she has thrown up. The food she ate in the morning, the ice cream she was taking and... blood. A whole lot of it. She suddenly remembers that she once saw blood in her bile, and now there's more. She totally forgot to go see the doctor then, and now, the blood is almost two thirds of the bile. It's more than half of the bile sitting in the sink in front of her eyes.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihir-rajiun." Halima says repeatedly placing a hand over her mouth. She starts to feel dizzy but holds unto the door. Tears prickle at her eyes as she touches her small bump, her baby. She walks outside, deciding to finally tell her parents about her baby then she'll go to the hospital immediately. The competition can go to hell for all she cares.

"Mummy, Daddy, I have something to tell you people." Halima closes her eyes, bracing herself.

"That isn't what matters now, what's wrong with you?"

"That's what I want to tell you now. I am pregnant." Halima says and silence covers the place.

"Pregnant? How did that happen? Since when? Why am I just finding out?" Hajjo asks angrily.

"I found out that I am pregnant a few days after I arrived here. I was three weeks along which means it happened..." Tears accumulate in her eyes. Hajjo gasps.

"Why didn't you speak since, this is good news. I'm going to become a grandmother." Hajjo grins and both Halima and Audu give her looks that say 'are you serious right now?'.

"Halima, you're going to come back immediately you're done with your competition. You're going to start eating good food." Hajjo keeps on blabbing and all Halima can remember is the sight of so much blood in her bile.

"Mummy! There's blood in my vomit. Nayi aman jini!" Halima says and silence prevails.

"Get going to the hospital now! We're on our way. Let me book us a flight." Audu says and cuts the call.

Halima quickly takes her car key, a silk veil and the handbag she came inside with. She rushes to her car and goes to the nearest hospital.

After getting her blood sample taken, she goes to the venue of the competition. Madame Flora has already called her asking when she'll be arriving so she can't miss it.

Throughout the competition, she's distracted. Her mind has been conjuring up different scenes and different results that might be gotten from the blood sample she gave.

At the end of the competition, some random British girl wins but Halima isn't even paying any attention to the world. All she wants is to leave the place and go to the hospital.

Immediately they're given their certificate of participation, she drives to the hospital and luckily, the results are ready.

She enters the consultation room where the doctor is on a call. She looks around, imagining all the people whose hearts have been broken in this room, what were their expressions? Is her heart also going to be broken? Subconsciously, her hands go to her small bump and she rubs it. Her baby. Her thoughts are cut short by the doctor.

"Let's see what we have here." He looks through the results which are absolute gibberish to Halima and smiles.

"It seems you eat all types of food, that's not good for a pregnant woman. I'll give you a diet which you have to follow strictly." The doctor drags his laptop closer and types somethings.

"But am I okay? What about my baby?" Halima asks.

"Calm down. Getting worried isn't good for a pregnant woman. Your baby is absolutely fine." Halima let's out and exasperated sigh and listens attentively as the doctor tells her what to do and what not to do.