For some unknown reason, I became so angry with Manal's neglectfulness. I couldn't bear it anymore, and why would she be acting very odd? It had been weeks and whenever I asked her she would ignore me and frown her face. There was a time my friend, Hamid paid us a visit and guess what? She acted like nothing was wrong but as soon as he left, she returned back to who she had become. I tried my best to hear my err, to know what I did wrong but Manal never told me. And instead of me to talk to Hilwah or at least Salim's wife about it I allowed my anger to take full control over me.

Few days ago, I was in my room chatting with Aisha nonstop when Manal walked in with a Salaam. "Permit us to go and plait our hair. Amani is already in the car" She said and I pretended as if I didn't hear her. I thought she would be angry and would walk away but she didn't. She repeated her words again and that sounded stupid to me, hence I yelled at her...

"Fucking what? If you want to go then go, no one will stop you!" I uttered glaring at her.

"Fine, thank you!" She said in anger and left.

I wasn't happy seeing us in such condition, we had faced a lot before getting married to each other and now I feared that our relationship was already breaking. All I had wanted was for her to open up and tell me why she was acting weird but she refused to even give me a hint.

While chatting with Aisha, she sent me one of the pictures she snapped that morning. It was a clean shot and so I uploaded it with a selfish caption that I knew would probably angered Manal more if she sees it. I knew I was doing the wrong thing, I just wanted to make Manal jealous and more angrier, and that was thus what happened. She called me immediately she viewed the status picture and I answered.

"Who's she? Huh?" She queried.

"Which she? Aisha?" I said busting into a laughter. "You mean you don't know her?"

"You didn't answer my question, Idris!" She said and I could sense anger in her voice.

"Okey, fine. She's my best friend, ex colleague and also one of the best..." I was saying when she quickly ended the call. I wanted calling her but just as I was about doing that Doctor Nadia's call bounced in, she was by my gate. "Hello, dear" I uttered after picking the call.

"Hi, please I am by your gate" She said and continued. "Your gateman is an asshole..."

"No, don't blame him. I am yet to pay him his last month's salary" I said shutting my laptop.

"Oh, okey come out. It's about the cure you are looking for. My husband and I came up with a local cure for it, you know he's a Biologist so he helped me out.." She said as I quickly intruded.

"The cure for my friend's mother's sickness?" I squealed. "Wow, Ma Shaa Allah. I would be out in a second, thank you so much Doctor Nadia"

"You are welcome" She ended the call.

Do you remember the drugs Salim once sent Manal to get from me back then in Kano? The one that Manal later on asked who the owner was? Well, it belonged to Hajiya Siyyamah. She was suffering from a very rare genetic disease and I had been providing them with drugs...

I walked outside to Doctor Nadia and thus, she drove me to her husband's research lab. It was a very big laboratory. They gave me the drugs and told me to pay only when Hajiya got cured entirely. I was so happy, I called Salim and told him while on my way home and he was very happy too. He said he would come and get the medicine soon, perhaps during weekend or so.

When I reached home I found out that Manal had returned back to her parents' house with Amani, perhaps it was because of the status saga. I refused to call or check on her thinking she would come back soon but she refused. Today marked the 6th day since she left, no sign of her and she had blocked me on WhatsApp. I literally wasn't worried at first but as time goes on I started missing her and Amani. It was as if we had been apart for a year. I so much missed them both but pride refused to let me check on them or at least call and hear from them, yeah!

While turning myself from one side of the bed to another, I tried sleeping but I just couldn't. I kept thinking about Manal, the love we shared and so on. I couldn't get her off my head and I couldn't rest. Just as I was thinking about how to reconcile with her, my phone began ringing.

Manal?? I puzzled as soon as I saw the caller's name. Thus, I cleared my throat and received.

"Hi, I... I am pregnant" She said.

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Thank you for reading #InsideArewa