Hajiya Sadiya had been noticing Nafeesah for quite some days. She's a good actress in feigning to be happy but the careful mother in her had seen beyond that. Once she's done with the day's chores without bothering Nafeesah with anything, she walked to her room and found her lying on the bed.

Hajiya Sadiya sighted the attractive book title and walked in. Nafeesah was so absorbed in the book that she didn't catch her mother's footsteps.

"What's so special about Schwa by Zeemibs?" She asked, upon sitting by the edge of the bed.

Nafeesah became cognisant of her appearance, she beamed.

"Story of Hadizah and Fahad, mind blowing!"

"Hmm i see, is that why you have been in this room since last night?"

Nafeesah dropped the book. "Last night i read The Halal Way and Classical Muslimah on wattpad. The writers don't even wantto update it." She made a face.

"You're not a good actress though." Hajiya Sadiya remarked.

"Ummah me nayi?" Nafeesah exclaimed in wonder. By Allah she had been faking smiles all about the house and the way her mother noticed it amazed her. But still she didn't want to admit because she wasn't ready to share what's bugging her heart.

Hajiya Sadiya smiled. "This boy Shahid..."

"Ummah what about him?"

"It's been two weeks since i sight him in this house. I am beginning to think that he's not serious with you. It's been how many years?" Nafeesah was panicking when her mother voiced out her thoughts. How could she tell her that she didn't know why he had been behaving so cold these days? And that too, Nafeesah had zero idea of why he did that.

Nafeesah almost hummed out. She wanted to heave first, perhaps she could be able to speak clearly. When her mother's eyes lingered on her, she swallowed a lump.

"Ummah I don't why but he's so distant this days."

Hajiya Sadiya remained quiet for a while. "Have you bothered to ask him why?" From the way Nafeesah looked at her, she knew the answer so she added, "make sure you find out first. In two days. I'm tired of you two, he should make his intentions clear. Just because you two were engaged doesn't give him the chance to keep you waiting this long. You've been engaged for two years now. And..." Hajiya Sadiya left the remaining words to hang in the air.

Nafeesah stayed mute till her mother was out of sight. She knew her mother had been thinking hard about this especially now that she voiced it out. Yesterday Hafsatu threw a sarcastic comment at her showing that it's high time she get hitched. Even Hany had gotten a suitor and here she was with Shahid for almost seven years now. She massaged her head, which was throbbing so hard. She had been with him since she was seventeen and now she's twenty four.

She knew everything was a matter of time but people would hardly understand. They would like to be marriage alarms in her life.

So she braced up and dialed his number. After greetings here and there, he said he would come to see her at seven.

*****

Adeelah was caused to remember her childhood when she tuned the television to cartoon network and Tom and Jerry was shown. She laughed at the scene, remembering that when she was young, she preferred Jerry but now looking it at another perspective, Tom was better. She also realized that Tom and Jerry were best friends not enemies because when one is sick, the other becomes bored. Tom didn't have the intention of eating Jerry all along. But Jerry was always landing him in trouble. Adeelah pondered, alot of people in real life were like Tom.

After her little childish thought, she remembered her memory box, so she raced to her bedroom and drew the box out. She put it on her bed and climbed the bed. Once she was properly settled, she unlocked it and searched for particularly, something she thought of.

It was a toy camera. That type of little camera that people normally give out to children. It had a hole where one could peek and a botton to press so that the pictures in the film could display. With sheer giddiness and the childishness in her that arose, flowed with a memory, she peeped into the camera hole and began pressing the button.

She saw the image of a Zebra first, she smiled. Then a Lion, and a few of landscapes. She dropped the camera toy and smiled.

She could remember the event behind owning that toy cam. She was just five when she accompanied Oum to Umrah. Few days to their return, they went to shop in a store and they bought alot of things.

While Oum was shopping, there was another boy standing beside her. He had been looking at her, she could remember. She only smiled at him so he walked to her.

"We are buying gifts for our sisters and neighbours." She had told him.

He smiled at her too. "I don't have any sibling. But i bought this, do you like it?" He showed her the camera. Adeelah nodded and he gave her. At that time, Oum turned around. She spied at the boy then at Adeelah. She deduced that the boy meant no harm because the typical Adeelah she knew would scream at him.

Upon seeing her, he ducked his head low. "Masa'ul khair ya Ammi. Good evening mother." Adeelah had watched them. She didn't know Arabic that much but she knew it was a greeting.

"Khair in sha Allah ya walad, Mas'muk?"

"Alhamdulillah, Li annaki Misli Ummi, ud'ini bi Adeel."

Oum had smiled. "Tabarakallah, wasmu ukhtuka haziyi," she had tapped Adeelah's head adorably,

"Adeelah."

"Masroor." Adeelah also knew what that meant. He said he was happy. She had glanced at his handsome face, with a thick brow that adorned his face so well but she couldn't see the half of his face due to the mask on his face.

"Why are you wearing a mask. Why are you wearing a what? A mask?" Adeelah had asked on their way. She didn't know why he even followed them then.

She could remember that he didn't give her an answer. He only laughed.

She could remember asking Oum about him and about his whereabouts after they were back home. Oum had remained quiet.

"I prayed before the Ka'abah, for your fate be entwined in sha Allah." But Adeelah never understood and never remembered till today. Now she heard the words ringing and she's shocked. Why did her Oum want him for her?

Who was he? And where was he? Could he be Muhammad?

But she could remember that he was alone!

******

Beebo yelped in pain behind the van. Her body was on fire literally because Rano had never been this mercilessly with someone but her. She continued crying, dooming the type of life she lead. What good did it land her at the very end? None. Now Rano treated her bad till she bled and he's taking her to somewhere she had no idea of.

As if in her thought, the van stopped. Rano came out and opened the back. He stared at her disgustingly.

"You should call Danbatta and sound as miserable as you can so he would get here in no time." He handed her, her phone. Beebo looked around and found them in a nearly thick forest, she couldn't tell where exactly that was.

With a shaking hand, she obeyed to place the call.

"Convince him to come along Challawa..." he roared.

Beebo pressed the dial button and waited for him to pick.

As soon as he pick, she broke imto a heartshredding cry, the type she knew would disoriente Danbatta and have him out in no time.

"What happened Habiba?" Abba spoke.

"Come to me Danbatta. I was dumped at Challawa. Someone took me and ra..." her cry broke into pieces.

"I am on my way. Don't move okay?" She nodded with bits of cry escaping her mouth. Beebo felt terribly bad for doing that. She had wanted to keep Danbatta out of this but she was afraid of what Rano would do to Adeelah.

It would be better for them to receive whatever torments he would lash and get the punishment they deserve than to drag Adeelah in to the mess. She had had enough.

"I am sorry Danbatta." She cried to herself, her gaze not meeting Rano's at all. He was just laughing mercilessly at her as they waited for Danbatta.

After forty minutes, Beebo's phone rang and Rano threw the phone at her. "Don't answer yet."

He closed the door again and got under the wheel. He drove for atleast ten minutes as she calculated in her mind. Once the car was halted, he opened her again and grabbed her by the neck. His arm, trapped her neck as they walked.

Dbt's call came through again. She picked the call and he told her exactly where he was, asking for her whereabouts too.

As soon as his car pulled, Rano dragged Beebo to where Dambatta parked his car.

"If you dare move, i will shoot the both of you. Now be a loyal dog and move into the van."

"Rano?" Adeelah's father asked shockingly.

"Yes Dambatta, don't ruin my mood." He punched him such that he had no option than to move into the van.

With both of them in, Rano got under the wheel and started driving at a very high speed!

*****

Nafeesah was out to her friend's house since at the evening and then she planned to see Shahid at seven before she get home. So as she sat at the passenger's seat, in silence he cleared his voice.

"You had been behaving strange Baby." She managed to say, tears threatening to spill off her eyes.

Shahid reduced the volume of the music playing and looked at her.

"No Feenanah, it's been normal between us. I had just been busy." He aimed for her hand. She didn't react even when she felt the warm and soft sensation of his lips on it.

Nafisah wanted to withdraw her hand but she was afraid of what come may if she did. Maybe that was what irked him the other time and he never voiced it out.

"I will try to make time okay? You don't have to worry again." He whispered, now their hands in sandwich.

"Are you sure?" She asked. He nodded with that charming smile that had her heart hooked. She remembered Adeelah but she's sorry she couldn't heed to Adeelah's advice now. She wanted him back, the caring and loving him.

Shahid smiled again, narrowing his eyes at her. "I have a gift for you. To say how sorry i am."

Nafeesah widened her eyes. "Oh my God so you knew you did wrong!" She playfully glared at him at the end. So he knew he was wrong so why would he just scare her like that? She thought he was going to leave her after all those years they spent together. She didn't know when she released a sigh of relief and comfortably closed her eyes for some seconds. Now, she felt better hearing that from him but she needed assurance.

"When are we getting married?" She asked.

"As soon as i finish my masters. Which is next year."

Nafeesah made a sad face. "But baby that's long."

Shahid dismissed her. "Close your eyes."

Nafeesah suddenly felt a hot breeze of air near her face despite the air conditioner. She felt the same sensation as of earlier, first on her forehead, her left cheek, which made her close her eyes tighter, then to her right and to her chin. She's awaiting the next move with a terrible feeling when her phone shrilled.

Both of them jerked to the sound. She sighed and picked the call.

"Abba is missing."

******

Hnmmm for the first part of the chapter 😂
Hnmmmer for the second...

Hnmeeest for the third. Nafeesah well done o. You and Adeelah! Ba ruwan mu😁

i know the chapter is lacking, just manage!