I said triple update but here's the fourth chapter for today.
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It was a Thursday when Adeelah had to stay at school from morning till evening. Six to be precise. They had a lot of fixed lectures because examination was approaching.

She was reading her book and chattering in bits with Fatimah when Ameer's call came in. She wanted to ignore it at first but Fatimah picked the call for her. She eyed Fatimah and twisted her lips before she pinned the phone to her ears.

"I..." She wanted to lie. Ameer told her he was at the gate of her faculty wanting to see her. She didn't know what he wanted to tell her and she wasn't ready to meet him.

It wasn't her habit to lie.

"Okay I am coming." She said and cut the call.

"You're blushing!" Fatimah exclaimed.

"Yeah I am flushing whatever. Fatimah see to this, I am going on a date at school or what do you call it?" She asked, fishing out her mirror from her purse. Fatimah spread an amused smile.

Adeelah checking up herself? Interesting.

"Come escort me." Fatimah complied immediately. They walked side by side to the gate and there they found him sitting on the bonnet of his car.

"I am not sure if he can even recognize me. Let's see."

"Salam alaikum." They chorused. Ameer slipped his phone into his pocket and jumped down. Adeelah wished not to assess him but she woefully failed.

He was dressed in a an embroidered designed blue kaftan with a matching cap. He wasn't fair like her but he's not as dark as that. His nose was on the average, stopping just the way it should. His eyes were large, almost in the same proportion with hers. It then clicked on her to stop ogling so she did.

"Wa'alaikumus salam ladies." He smiled.

"Good evening," they greeted.

"How's studies?"

"Fine alhamdulillah." Fatimah answered.

Ameer smiled again.

"This must be Fatimah." He pointed at Fatimah. Adeelah looked at him. She didn't remember mentioning Fatimah to him, or did she? She couldn't say exactly. All in all, they talked just thrice how would he know Fatimah's name.

"Who told you her name is Fatimah? She is Zainab." She said, turning her face away so that he couldn't see the lies in her eyes.

Ameer laughed.

"Let's say I just guessed." Truth was, he asked around. It's been two months since they met and since recently he doesn't find peace within the walls of his house, he let himself busy. He didn't have the intention of being with a girl other than Hidaya but she's been giving him reasons to. Since he fell in love with her, he had never felt empty. Hidaya had given him so much love that it pampered him and he felt like he couldn't live without a woman's love. And suddenly just five months into the marriage she started drifting away. It's supposed to be their honeymoon phase still, but it was turning to something.

So he let himself busy with other stuff. Part of the stuff was the lady that intrigued him at first sight, Adeelah. He began to make investigation about her and he found out that she had never been in love with any man. And her only friend was Fatimah.

"Let me excuse you guys." Fatimah said, patting Adeelah's shoulder. Before Adeelah could say a word, she flashed away.

Ameer and Adeelah marched to some chairs they spotted and sat on different chairs as Adeelah suggested.

Ameer commended her in his head. She's a religious fellow, he could sense.

"I am free so I decided to come and see you and then maybe, get to know each other?"

Adeelah played with her fingers and straps of her bag. She didn't know what to say, out of all the words in her head none fit suitable at the moment. She's new in this thing and she wondered how some girls do it. She knew of many of her course mates who stood with different men on different days. She found herself praising them for such effort because right now, she didn't have a single word to say to Ameer.

Then it clicked to her, he had a wife.

"How's your wife?" She asked.

"She's fine."

"I am sure she's waiting for you but you're here," she bit her lower lip not to let the wrong words out at the wrong time.

"She sent me here. Anyway it is. How are you?"

"Fine..." The atmosphere fell into silence.

"I see you're uncomfortable having me here perhaps because it's your first time. How about we chat and make calls more often so that when next we meet we will have a topic to talk on? In short let's be friends."

"Pardon me." She said with a pause.

"I know you may call me old fashioned or whatever but Islamically, there's nothing like friendship between a man and a woman. I don't mean to reject your friendship but, no thanks." Ameer was taken aback. He didn't know what he landed himself into. And she's here quoting religion, he knew if he dig further, she might start quoting verses and ahadith which will just make him seem like a fool.

"It's true. Satan is always the third companion when a woman and a man sit together." He decided to impress her too although it was right.

"That's it and so long as we live, he will keep whispering into our hearts until we give in. And at the end our hearts will be ruined. This hadith I know said: when the heart spoils, the body as a whole is spoiled."

"Allahu Akbar, Allah the most great. I don't know you're a great Islamic teacher."

"Not really. I am a student of knowledge and part of being a nice person is spreading your knowledge with others so that they may benefit. And so..." She shrugged. Adeelah knew most people nowadays take things lightly and it's the smallest things that take people to hell. Smaller things accumulate and become big before someone realises. Sure Satan would never leave one alone, as he flowed in the body of humans like how blood flow in their streams. He promised to destroy the mankind except who Allah guided. That's why she was trying her best and praying for guidance from the Lord of the universe.

"In that case, what do you suggest?" Ameer let her took the lead.

"I will communicate with you and tell you my final decision."

"Thank you. I will be expecting you."

"Thanks." She rose to her feet and bid him adieu. Just as Ameer entered his car, someone smiled and dialed Hidaya's number.

****

Adeelah came out to meet Salisu waiting for her. That morning, Abba told her Salisu was sick and he couldn't take her to school, instead Abba took her and branched at the university senate building.

He was still making effort to make sure that lecturer was punished. It was very difficult but Abba wasn't going to step back. It wasn't about Adeelah only, it's about the many naive girls that would fall prey to Malam Hassan's trap. It had to be avoided.

There were many people of the likes of Malam Hassan, and they go scot free after what they had done. This time around, he would make sure Malam Hassan set as an example.

So Adeelah was surprised to see Salisu parking by the gate of her faculty waiting for her. Maybe he felt better. She opened the door of the car and hopped in.

"Good evening," she greeted.

"Evening dillaliya. You're surprised to see me huh? I felt better. I was just being weak since I received a call that my mother is sick. Dillaliya I don't want to lose her."

Adeelah hummed, hearing emotions dripping from his voice.

"May Allah grant her shifa." And he started driving them out.

"Ameen Dillaliya. Her only wish is to see me married. I found a girl but..." Salisu stopped as his gaze fell on the street. Some men were about to slaughter a goat. The other one was sharpening the knife before the goat's eyes and laughing whilst he danced.

"Dillaliya see those. Nonsense!" He bawled.

"Let them be?" She said more than a question. She had learnt to be giving him answers when necessary. Because she had gone far in reading more into the religion. It's an up most responsibility of every good human to treat any human with humility and respect irrespective of their worldly status. It pained her to soften to the workers but she had to do it. Sometimes no matter what, one has to do what is right even if their heart is in no agreement.

"I am in hadith 17 of annawawi collection in our night studies, which said: very Allah has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus if you kill, kill well. And if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters." Salisu argued.

Adeelah's eyes sparked.

"It's true but another hadith said: part of someone's being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him." She opposed. To her surprise, Salisu put a halt to the car and parked when he saw the way, the man standing by the other side of the road was trying to slaughter the goat with difficulty.

"I agree. But another said: If you can't change something with your hand, change it with your tongue Dillaliya. I am going whether you allow it or not." And he opened the door and sped out. Adeelah sighed, astonished. Maybe he's rubbing it on her face that he's becoming better and learned. Maybe it was the consequence of her insult that instigated him to put a lot of energy in learning a lot.

Whichever one, she felt bad. She won't have said those to him but still she won't apologize. And now she couldn't believe he won the argument.

Minutes later, he was back under the wheel. Adeelah imagined him to have a satisfying look. She won't look at him, no excuse her. Just no.

"You're so annoying." She stated as a matter of fact.

"Say that again Dillaliya. I just can't let things slide and I will do whatever it is to make things correct if I can." Adeelah kept mum.

"I just know how to put my tongue in one place. I mean I don't insult or jeer people Dillaliya." Adeelah felt something in her heart. It stayed there for a couple of minutes before she sighed, pushing it away.

"Dillaliya please stop your habit of sulking and insult. It's not good. I checked my next hadith, the one we will talk about today with Malam. It says fear Allah wherever you're and follow up a bad deed with a good deed , it will wipe it out, and behave well towards people Dillaliya. Behave well towards people." He emphasized such that Adeelah felt like spilling some tears out to feel better.

"Okay." She said and zoned away from the car.

"Dillaliya..." He said and trailed off.

"What again? Can't you just keep quiet? I mean you don't respect yourself that's why I always have something bad to say out. Stop pressing the wrong button Salisu then I will start behaving nicely with you. Mind your amazing business okay?"

"Which of the business Dillaliya? I have a lot of them." Adeelah slapped her forehead and kept quiet.

"By the way I want to stop at Sahad stores I need to fill... Uh-" she stopped because it wasn't necessary telling Salisu what she would do at the stores.

Salisu parked at the entrance of the stores and waited for her to come out. Just when she came out, he looked up and he noticed something from her garment. She wore a white light jacket atop her sleeveless gown. He suddenly rushed out.

"Dillaliya..." He stopped her and she stopped.

"I think you sat on a red colour?" He asked. Adeelah turned around and she held the tip of her jacket. To say she  wasn't embarrassed would be biggest lie of the century.

Somewhat, she swallowed something and looked at Salisu in the eye.

"Thank you." And she went back to the car.

"Are you not going out, I can give you my shirt to drape over. Besides it's just color."

"Let's go home." She briefly said. She couldn't believe what just happened. Had she been moving about with stained clothes? Why won't someone just politely tell her? Why Salisu of all people. Was she really bad?

*****

At home when she changed, she came out to clean the car seat but she met Salisu by the car.

"I need to clean the colour." She went with the flow too. At least the mention of the colour was making her feel better.

"I have washed it. It's mine to wash."

"What?"

"It's just more than a colour." Adeelah's eyes widened, she didn't let him to say another thing before she zoomed away from his sight. It was a two-zero for her that day. Salisu was just something. She didn't know what exactly.

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Oya go back and bombard me with your comments please. I still have five chapters written😂😝😝 and you will love them.

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