Adeelah lifted her brow.

"I didn't ask you to smile. I asked you to tell me who you're. Not your name because i already know your name is Adeel and you look exactly like Celine described. See, wait I'm not going to entertain you swinging my brain back and forth okay? Because i have had enough of that. Second, i know Adeel from my childhood, so that makes it easier if you tell me that you're that Adeel i met at Saudi. You can say you're someone else too. All accepted. What I don't accept is this voice. Never. Not this name, ever. You know..." he stopped her with an expression that meant she should stop and breath.

Adeelah stared at him.

"Okay i am also married. If you have bad intentions, you should be a good muslim and put in mind that you have zero chance with me." She added.

He only stared with amusement. She's still the same afterall.

"Still the same but a bit nicer and matured." He commented, sitting on the bed. He motioned for her to come sit with him but she remained standing.

"If you force me to sit i will scream."

ElMustapha couldn't help but just hold his head in confusion. He'd totally forgotten how to play that Salisu in him. It's been a while.

"I guess you will be more happier to be on call with your father." He stood up, opened a chest drawer and brought out a phone.

"Ummah, Ya Nafeesah, Ameer. Their numbers is here." He gave her the iphone box. She couldn't tell which type it was but she knew it's Apple from the logo. She didn't even know how to react, hearing that he knew about her family to such details.

So, Adeelah only remained like a statue. She didn't make an attempt to collect the phone or talk again. She just sat on the bed with closed eyes.

"Billah I promise to pass out if you don't tell me who you're." She cracked, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"You know It's so cruel to keep me here, away from my family. It's so unfair, it's nothing close to being kind. I don't care what your reasons are but i want you to know this is the most cruelest thing someone has ever done to me. I may act normal because i am so drained. I'm so tired. Before you begin, it's good to know that i will never forgive you for this. For keeping me here even if you have the most purest intention behind it."

Her voice was breaking as she spoke. She's shedding the tears she had saved. On contrary, her words shredded ElMustapha into myriad pieces. He didn't even know where to begin.

"What i did in my opinion and my useless thought was the best one could do for a lover. You're at danger Adeelah. I wanted to save your life. I wanted to make sure you and Abba survive this. I didn't know any other way. I trulyy..."

"Will you just shut up your smelly mouth? How dare you to call this love! How dare you to take me away? You know if i feel like being stubborn and dramatic i can file a case against you and i will win. Because what sort of madness is this? How could abduction be a solution? You should know that you're not forgiven for this. Never. Why would you? For how long did you keep me here with zero explanation? You think keeping Celine was a nice move huh? It's never enough. If this is love, i will rather die than to give this kind of selfish love that doesn't care about the feelings of the significant other. Besides I don't even know you for God's sake! You should better speak up before i change my mind and toast this bottles with your head. You should what? Speak the hell up!" She shouted, standing up.

She looked at him in the eyes but he failed to hold a second gaze.

"I am so sorry Adeelah. I am so sorry you took this the wrong way. I am so sorry." He announced continuously.

"You should be sorry for yourself! Sorry for the fact that your handsomeness is of no use since the brain is zero!" She spat and aimed for the door. Flinging it open to exit the room, he held her hand, pulling her back.

Adeelah shook her head. "I am a married woman. I am a what? A married woman! So you don't carelessly touch me okay? Besides your palms are so calloused." ElMustapha nearly laughed at that but the situation was so serious. Adeelah's habit would forever be with her. No matter the seriousness of the situation, she would notice the smallest things. She was lying though. He made sure he had his palms moisturized to maintain their softness ever since he was her chauffeur.

"Dillaliya..." he called in such a tone that made her look at him as though he was someone interesting.

Adeelah sat down on the floor and he sat before her, taking her hand in his hand.

"Do you remember this hand?" He asked, circling his thumb around the back of her hand. She slowly drew her hand away but he held it back.

"Dillaliya. It's your Salisu." He went straight to the point. He felt the shock in her hand so he released her hand and shifted his sleeve.

"Do you remember this scar?" He asked, reaching for her hand so she could touch it.

"Dillaliya, do you remember this?" He asked in a calm voice that set all the pieces of her mind into a wholesome peace.

Adeelah closed her eyes. When he took her in his arms, her senses were already on a trip.

"Do you remember the first time i held you this way?" He asked, feeling the way her heart was racing as though she ran a thousand miles. He could literally not feel her because it's just an act to make her remember him.

ElMustapha detached himself away before he went to open a suitcase. He looked at his Salisu face laying there before he pulled it out. Right before her eyes, he put it on his face. When he saw her bulging eyes though quiet mouth, he smiled.

"Salisu." Then he removed it and dropped it.

"Adeel ElMustapha Kabo. Don't you remember your rabbit?" He showed her his real face.

"Wait, what?" She finally mumbled, confused.

"Salisu is a disguise name under a disguise face. I am back however to take my princess back."

Adeelah stood up and walked to where he stood.

"Can you close your eyes for a moment?" Without an answer, he gladly did. Waiting for a crash of her body against his, he felt the crash of her palm against his cheek.

She slapped him.

Adeelah slapped him!

*****

Ameer greeted Dr Rasheed the moment he walked into his well furnished office.

"Your patient is diagnosed with dissociative amnesia. Amnesia is a form of memory loss. People like your father can't recall some of their past memories due to the stress or trauma they went through. We recommend therapy to make him feel better. His kidney had got a problem but for now it's stable. We had scheduled him to have an optical surgery as per your request."

Ameer knew the doctor was talking in a way he would easily understand with no difficulty. With sagged shoulders, he thanked the doctor and left the office.

He walked back to the VIP section of where Abba was admitted. Ameer had been trying to remain strong even after when the news of his mother's death reached him.

He sat before Abba who would continuously thank him for taking care of him. It pained Ameer that Danbatta was not able to recognize him.

"I have two wives Aayat and Sadiya, i have a ten year old daughter Adeelah whom i love so much. I wonder where she is. I wonder if she is back from school by now. Please young man try your best to get these two people for me, okay? You're really kind. I appreciate you but I can't wait to meet my family. Aayat, Sadiya and Adeelah. Get them for me, i want to reunite with my family." He besought, adjusting his body on the stretcher.

Ameer only looked away. He couldn't believe what his ears were hearing.

"May Allah bless Aayat, i know she must be at home cooking, waiting for my arrival." By then, Ameer couldn't hold his tears anymore. He exited the room, tears strolling past his eyes. He couldn't not imagine being in Abba's situation. The fact that Abba couldn't recall the last ten years of his life was devastating! How would Adeelah and his family feel? How would they even react? Ameer hated even thinking about it.

So he let the tears roll freely.

The world is really not a promising abode. It really is a home for the fool!

****

Hajiya Sadiya swallowed the bitterness in her throat.

"Nafeesah just kill me already! Just kill me! Your father was there at God knows where, and all you had been doing was shifting your garment! Subhanallah Nafeesah did i raise you this way? Nafeesah how could you??? Nafeesah get out. Get out of my house. Get out. Wallah I can't take this. Get out." She thundered at the top of her voice.

Nafeesah slumped on the floor crying out loud.

"Ummah dan Allah dan annabi kiyi hakuri. I am really sorry Ummah. Ummah please forgive me. Ummah..." hajiya Sadiya kicked and snatched her leg away from Nafeesah's hold.

"Nafeesah I don't want to say the ugly. Please pack your belongings and leave this house. Go to wherever you found better than being under my roof! Go to where you could find another mother but not me Nafeesah." Those were Hajiya Sadiya's last words before she walked away from her daughter's sight, tears strolling down her cheeks.

She walked into her room and fell on the floor. Where had she gone wrong? Hadn't she given Nafeesah the right upbringing? Didn't she try her best? Why would this shameful act befall on her family? Was it the consequence of her husband's act or was it fate testing her faith? Subhanallah, she was afraid that she would fall in the shaitan's trap because the questions in her head were enough to remove her out of the fold of islam.

She hugged her legs and cried. She cried and cried and cried till she slept off like a baby.

****

"Shahid you cheated my life!" Nafeesah shouted into the space. He'd broken up with her ever since he found out. He completely dissociated himself from the case. Nafeesah could see her life becoming doom. She could feel the darkness shrouding her soul.

Adeelah did warn her but she didn't listen.

She followed the whims of her heart and at last she's here in a pit of regret and damnation. She wanted to scream, curse and shout at Shahid's head but he's out of the country.

What would she do? Who would she face? Who would even listen to her? When her own mother had forsaken her. Instead of living like her mother requested, she sat down in the middle of her room and began crying silently.

Her friend, Salima had been in a similar situation but she took care of it in the way Nafeesah didn't want to.

She didn't know what to do for now, other than to cry.

****

"Your flight to Cairo is tomorrow." ElMustapha received the silent answer he had been receiving since he took a token of slap.

Adeelah didn't flinch or blink.

As soon as he left, she started packing. Her clothes weren't much so she finished in time. With eagerness, she went to bed that night.

****

"Abba!" She cried engulfing him in a hug. After pulling away, he looked at her with a smile.

"Aayat! You came. I missed you so much Where's Adeelah?" Adeelah turned to look at Ameer questionably.

"She will come along too." Ameer lied and then took Adeelah by her wrist, out of the room.

"He has a memory loss, he lost his memories of more than ten years ago. Yesterday, the doctor said he might recover some of his memories after his therapy but the chances are small."

Adeelah fell right there, due to the wave of shock that took her. She's concious though. She managed to walk away from Ameer till she was in the hallways were she sighted ElMustapha standing.

He walked to where she was leaning on the wall, tears streaming her face.

"Hug me like I'm the most precious thing you've ever held..." she requested, falling limply into his arms that have the power to assemble her senses in a straight row.

ElMustapha didn't care about who was looking. He looked at her and he felt like it was just the two of them standing on earth, so he held her lightly yet strong. Like the way he would hold an egg, light so he wouldn't crush it but strong so it wouldn't fall.

He would have closed his eyes to relish the moment if he wasn't in an open environment.

Leaving the eyes open was for the best because when he set his eyes forward, he saw Muhammad looking at him in rage. He didn't shake or release Adeelah, instead he held her even more securely while he shoot a smile at Muhammad.