"He doesn't recognise me, Hidaya! What did i do to deserve all these?" Ameer complained, resisting the urge to cry. Hidaya looked at him again, he's really hurting. Their lives hadn't been the same since he met that Adeelah who turned out to be his sister. She felt like she's the root cause of it all.

If only she'd remained grateful, he wouldn't have wander his gaze around the street not to talk of seeing Adeelah. She would have been saved the heartache of knowing her husband was born out of the locks of marriage. Then, her kids would grow up and they'd come to know. Anyway, it's all fate and since no one knew about it apart from the small family circle, she's grateful.

Her mind wandered off to her thoughts last few weeks when she was thinking of leaving him. But how sure of the future was she? Would the men come knocking as her mother always say? She shook her head, tears threatening to fall out of her eyes.

It didn't matter. What mattered was Ameer was a good person and a good husband to her and she's certain that he will be a good father to their kids.  It's only human to make mistakes. She's made great mistakes too and he forgave her.

She remembered not liking the relationship between him and his mother. Now that Allah had taken the mother away, was she any better? What changed? Nothing! She became even more guilty... thats why it's good to live with people with good intentions because one day the either of you will leave the world, you would have nothing to gain for that.

Instead of replying Ameer, she held him in sympathy. He truly was pained. And she couldn't do or say anything because she's outweighed with guilt in her heart.

Perhaps if she hadn't act the way she acted, he wouldn't have met Adeelah. They would have been happy by now. His mother would have been alive, perhaps. She heaved a sigh altogether, forcing herself to believe it's all qadr. Allah had ordained it billion years prior to her birth and nothing in her power could change it otherwise.

"I'm sorry Ameer. It's all fate." She consoled him. He only remained limp, believing her. It's all arranged from above and whether he accepted it or not, there wrre lessons in what happened to him.

*****

Adeelah was stunned to open the door and see Muhammad along with Nafeesah tagging behind him with puffy eyes. She shifted her gaze from him to Nafeesah. The first thing that rang to her head was the coldness her sister exude. It was so evident between Nafeesah and her mother. And Adeelah. When she tried to talk to her, she shouted at Adeelah and Adeelah being Adeelah only shrugged. It's Nafeesah's lost anyway.

Now seeing her along with her husband made her still. So she just shifted without a word at neither of them.

Just when Nafeesah walked in, Adeelah saw Muhammad walking in with a traveling bag. Hmm, if he wasn't willing to talk, she wouldn't talk. Let him keep dragging, she would tag along.

Ignoring Nafeesah, she faltered to her room and sprawled on the bed. Suddenly, she's missing Celine. She decided to call her then she noticed that her phone was no where to be found. If Muhammad carried it, she wouldn't ask for it. It's a mere light thought, the stronger thought was she misplaced the phone somewhere around the house.

She drew her leg up and started to think. Her life played in her head like it were some movie. It's ironic how all she was able to call the film of her life started from the day Abba called her to say the old chauffeur resigned. Then Salisu came. She remembered how much his sight iritated her and how much he endured. Then she remembered getting married to him in Abba's parlor. Not even Abba knew that, that time she only married Salisu because she felt some sense of protection with him, she was also secretly hoping that they would be in good terms with each other even though her ego was totally against it.

In her own theory, all she needed to feel with someone was comfort, protection and nostalgia. The love should follow after.

With Salisu she felt the comfort she had been yearning for since she lost her mother. Abba couldn't give her that despite all his love for her and the things he did in her favor. The kind of comfort she felt with Salisu was something she could hardly explain; comfortable satisfaction. Yeah, she's satisfied with the way Hajiya Sadiya and most of her siblings treated her but it wasn't comfortable or totally in her terms. Effortlessly, being with Salisu felt like being in your well conditioned room after a long day. It felt like quenching thirst with cold water after breaking of a fast.

Then there was protection. Then, he barely did things to protect her. But she felt it in her veins... whenever she asked him to hold her hands, she wanted that feeling to surface and dominate every other thing she was feeling at that moment.

Nostalgia. He felt like home, he smelled like home of serenity. He felt like the smell of a new book or the smell of the sand after raindrop. The earthy aroma drew Adeelah and she used to feel like puting the sand in her nose forever. That's how she felt like with Salisu. She wanted him in her heart and beyond that. She felt like the heart wasn't even enough to contain him. Oh lord, she wished she could just born him again, because she thought that's the highest she could go to describe the way she felt about him.

The love thing, she wasn't sure then. But now even though she's mad at him, even having met him as Adeel, she felt the love trying to build but no, she wouldn't allow that. Because she's also attracted to him, in such away that her mind was always in the sewage when she looked at him. The way he talked, those lips looked devouring. If she let love to develop in his bid, with this attraction, she knew she's dead meat. It's something she had never felt in her life and now as it's happening, she wasn't able to stop it. She didn't want to, too.

Adeelah heaved a sigh.

And then there's Muhammad. Her innocent Muhammad who pulled her out of the messy paths of her lives. She felt indebted to him in some way. He's kind and all of that. She knew at first she wanted to love him but now she just couldn't. Her heart was gearing in a different direction!

The direction that Muhammad wanted to change. Even herself she's not able to redirect her heart, how could Muhammad be able to? She's prayed and her heart was following that one compass! That one direction! And she's satisfied with it. She wouldn't hasten though. She would allow herself to reaffirm the belief.

A knock interrupted her daydream and she stood to open the door. Nafeesah's glowing cheeks greeted her. Adeelah didn't return the small fake smile Nafeesah was shooting at her.

When Nafeesah sat down, Adeelah didn't bother to talk.

"You know, Abba recognized me. Not only agreeing i was Nafeesah. I can't believe Ummah told him the truth..." Nafeesah hiccuped her cries.

"They both sent me packing. Adeelah your husband is surely a gem. He adviced me in the car."

Adeelah only hummed before she looked at her.

"I am not understanding what you're saying. Or have you forgotten that you shooed me away when i was asking what was wrong?"

"I... Shaheed. I'm carrying our child..." involuntarily, Adeelah palmed her mouth.

"You're joking, aren't you?"

"I wish i am." Nafeesah replied. She's not that emotional right now because on their way, to the house Muhammad had adviced her. It was too late to scold her and she did tell him that Adeelah had done the scolding part it's just that Nafeesah became prisoned with her heart. She knew quite well it was haram, but she wasn't able to fight her heart. She did it for Shahid's love. To get his heart. Forgetting that Shahid's heart is in the Hands of turners of all hearts-whom she disobeyed, Allah. She forgot that after her disobedience, Allah could change Shahid's feelings for her. And it did happen. The reality slapped her so hard.

She wanted to go for abortion as her friend adviced but Muhammad told her no. She would like to hear what Adeelah would say.

Instead of hearing Adeelah's loud voice, Adeelah hugged her. Adeelah felt tears tripping down her face. If there's anyone Nafeesah needed most was her. It won't be right for Adeelah to turn her back against her when her parents have literally disowned her. That didn't mean she wasn't terribly mad at her.

"I'm so sorry for you, Ya Nafeesah."

"Adeelah he left too. I don't want to keep his imprint with me."

Adeelah shook her head. "I will make sure you both stay healthy under this roof. It doesn't mean I'm not mad at you Ya Nafeesah. Wallah i will come back at you. But for the precious being in there, i will hang on." With that, Adeelah barged into her bathroom.

Once she locked the door, her legs couldn't carry her anymore. She slumped on the bathroom floor and started crying. She cried for the debts of Abba which she and Nafeesah had to take part in repaying. She hated that Abba had lived a reckless life. She hated the fact that she was his blood but she didn't regret having him as father any bit. He was the best dad everyone could ever wish for. He was just a human who could make mistakes. He was just someone who let his heart desires lead his way of life. He made a mistake sure, but everyone deserve a second chance at life. Adeelah could swore that her Abba was better since he got married. He just lead a past that had to haunt his future. She's sorry that it fell on Nafeesah. Their innocent Ya Nafeesah who was only in love. She's mad at her though; mad at the fact that just like Abba, she couldn't control her heart.

Adeelah sat there and cried for as long as she couldn't point.

*****

The D day was there. Adeelah told Nafeesah about all that had been happening and all that happened. And Nafeesah was shocked that all that happened and they didn't have an idea. So she asked Adeelah if she could place a call to tell Ummah. Adeelah told her she wouldn't call. Ummah would feel betrayed that Adeelah got married without her knowledge.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Let's wait and watch Oga Mudi."

"What?"

Adeelah laughed. "Of course, Muhammad."

They both heard him clear his voice. Then another voice with a salam followed after. Adeelah could never mistaken that voice.

"Can i talk to you alone?" ElMustapha asked Muhammad first. Muhammad looked at him; silently saying sure. When they stood outside the parlor, ElMustapha smiled.

"We are brothers and i just think if you love Adeelah enough to take me to court because of her, i love her enough to refuse going to court. I  love you enough to give her up for you if she loves you too. But i want you to do me a favor. If Adeelah doesn't love you, please let her go. If she loves you, please cherish her like the most valuable thing you have ever possessed. She's a fragile precious stone. More than a diamond or a pearl."

Muhammad didn't understand. "What do you mean in a nutshell?"

"It means i love Adeelah so much that i will let her chase her happiness even if that happiness is not in my favor. And you as my brother whom i have been looking forward to meet, i cherish you more than love. I can give up the most desirable thing to me, for you. In Adeelah's case, if she loves you back, trust me, wallah i am out if the equation. We don't hve to go to any court, i will divorce her right away with her permission and then you have her." ElMustapha assured.

But Adeelah was eavesdropping. No, she followed them. It's the honesty in ElMustapha's voice that made her shed a tear but she was compelled to shed more tears when Muhammad pulled ElMustapha in a hug.  She loved the way ElMustapha handled the case. Adeelah didn't know that more tears were coming till when Muhammad pulled away and looked at his brother.

"At first i was thinking that all that's in your heart is money. I thought you're not interested in finding me. I thought you don't love me as your brother the way i do love you, that's why i behaved cold. When i heard that you love Adeelah, i wanted to make sure that both of you are sure of your love for each other. From your side, i am assured that no love would come between us. And again, no one deserves Adeelah better than you. This love you have for her, is one of the most underrated form of love albiet the purest and genuine. I want to tell you brother, you have passed the test. Adeelah too has passed it she loves you in a way that she doesn't want to admit it. I know she will tell you about it someday. In this case, i hand you over your treasure. Take care of her." This time ElMustapha initiated the hug. Both of them were in tears of mixed emotions.

Adeelah wiped her tears and scurried away from the scene. But she could feel ElMustapha thanking Muhammad. Muhammad wasn't used to being in such a situation so he punched ElMustapha.

"Which name should i call you? Adeel or ElMustapha?""

ElMustapha laughed.

"Let the world say ElMustapha. But you and Adeelah should call me Adeel."

They laughed over it and decided to walk back. When ElMustapha sighted Adeelah, he knew she must have heard them. He tiptoed to where she was standing. It's like a flash that both Muhammad and Nafeesah were no where to be found.

So ElMustapha got so excited by picking her up. Adeelah shrilled, urging him to drop her but he was so far away from doing that.

"No more court case Mrs Adeel. Test that name and listen to how it sounds like , Mrs Adeel. Mrs who? Mrs Adeel." He mimicked her, at the same time dropping her. Adeelah smacked his arm before she turned to leave but he held her wrist.

She didn't miss the look on his face. "I will be with you even when the stars cease to shine." She confessed, suddenly shy. She so wanted to leave but he held her wrist so strong.

"Lilu please let go!"

His laughter occupied the parlor. What! Lilu? Was that his new name? He wanted answers but Adeelah got the chance to run out shyly!

Oh Allah, I'm so grateful. He mustered with a smile...

*****

Okayyyy. The end is coming huh? I had interview with Xx__Jiddarh__xX  you can check it for your reading pleasure. And send me anything in my dm. Thank you.