The next day, Aysha woke up to an empty house because it's her lecture free day. She was mentally and physically drained the other night making her drift into a heavy sleep, hence the reason why she didn't hear the girls going out as early as eight in the morning.

She went into the bathroom for her daily morning routine before she decided to go down and have breakfast. She didn't find anything on the dinning table to her surprise. Thinking that the maids have taken them to the kitchen she went there.

"Good morning Inna Ladi" she greeted the middle aged woman mopping the floor.

"Good morning Shatutu. Hope you slept well?" She replied calling her with the nickname she gave her. All the maids are friendly with the girls.

"Inna Ladi what do we have for breakfast, am famished wallah" Aysha asked after responding to Inna Ladi's greeting.

Inna Ladi shook her head at Aysha. She didn't know that she's at home because the girls had a squabble with Madam earlier before they left for school. She went to the maids quarters immediately after subh telling them to only cook for her, lock the store and never give the key to anyone but her. When the girls asked for breakfast, she rained insults on them making them angry and Hasny jibed back at her too. Mujaheed heard the noise and came out, showing his displeasure at the disrespectful behavior of the girls towards his wife. Afrah started crying adding Maggi and Salt as to what happened. Saying that she hasn't done anything to rile up the girls.

The girls were shocked to defend themselves. They left after apologizing to both Afra and Uncle Mujaheed.

"It's okay Inna Ladi. Let me go out and get something to eat" Aysha angrily stated after listening to what happened.

She stormed out of the house trying to keep her tears at bay. Afra meant whatever she said the other day and she has started acting upon her words. She will avoid her, she will never touch anything that doesn't belong to her to the girls in shaa Allah. she can survive off cafeteria food for the remaining year they have left. She hates to be treated like a nobody.  She is not like her mother, she's content with what Allah blessed her with and she won't stoop so low to beg food from Afra. She will call her dad to send her more pocket money since she will be buying food outside. She reached a nearby restaurant deep in thoughts oblivious of her surroundings. She bumped into a hard wall.

"Yah salaam!" She muttered raising her eyes to see the said hard wall. It was a guy who is giving her a hard glare, looking as if he is going to explode any moment.

"I am really sorry please forgive me." She pleaded looking like she's about to cry.

The guy just nodded and left because he was in a hurry to take food to the hospital for his ailing mother whom he think won't survive another day. She got her food and hurried back home waiting for the girls to come home so that they will decide on what to do about the new situation they find themselves in.

*_*

Hasny came home first with a stormy look on her face. She dropped her bag and Hijab on her bed flopping down on it.

"It has been long last my heart hurt this much Aysha. You wouldn't believe what happened to us this morning.  Gaskiya I can't stay in this house. I will move back to the hostel and squat with my friends then I'll apply for hostel next year" she fumed.

"Inna Ladi told me everything that transpired between you and the witch. I don't think leaving this house is the best thing to do for now. She can't get what she wants" 

"I don't blame uncle you know, no sane man will keep quite seeing his wife being disrespected by the people he is taking care of as his own flesh and blood but it still hurts" She put her palms on her heart for emphasis.

"Sabr ya ukhty, sabr dear. This too shall pass in shaa Allah. We have Allah, we have each other. She can't break us. We will not give her the power to" Aysha consoled both Hasny and herself knowing that the worst is yet to come.

Waheedah, Kubrah and Amina had tutorials with their course mates so they didn't come home until after maghrib. They have brought take outs from school making Aysha and Hasny squeal in joy because they haven't eaten since morning.

"I'm sure Hasny has told you what happened. We have decided to buy our food stuffs including a small camping gas. We can cook in the maids quarters since they have a small kitchen there" Kubrah informed after taking a bath and offering salatul maghrib.

"That's a very good idea guys. I've already decided to tell my dad to increase my pocket money. We should do window shopping, make an estimate of the money we will spend then share equally" Aysha added looking at them for approval.

Waheedah nodded and the rest joined in each giving her point of view on how things should change in the house. Uncle Mujaheed summoned them downstairs after Ishaa. He looked tired and torn squeezing Amina's heart knowing that he is having a battle of will within him.

"What happened earlier today is uncalled for and so unlike you girls. I will not dig into details because I know you as much as I know my wife. I am sorry about earlier. I should have listened to your side of the story before getting mad at you. I am stressed these days with work and business so I urge you to exercise more patience with Afra. Focus on your studies and make me proud. Ladi told me everything that happened in details and am ashamed to have reacted the way I did" he apologized with a sombre expression.

"We are not mad at you one bit uncle. We can never be mad at you after everything you've done for us. May Allah continue to guide and ease your affairs. In shaa Allah you'll never hear anything bad coming from us again" Kubrah chipped in on behalf of the girls.

"I've instructed Ladi to be making your own food separately from Afra's, anything might come up and I may travel within the week or month's end. I don't want you to feel pressured or unwanted in this house. I've told you times without number that this is also your house. If you have any issue, don't hesitate to let me know" he added.

"We have already decided to be cooking for ourselves. Don't worry dad, we will be alright" Amina said giving him a warm smile of assurance. They spoke at length about everything and nothing, telling him that they will be fine and they appreciate his kindness. For his sake they will let Afra have her way.

They bid him goodnight before going back to their rooms to do whatever it is they scheduled for the night.

Afra on the other hand has already planned her next move.

*_*

Thank you for reading LSTG.

Much love 🤗