THE SOUND of women yodeling filled up Malam Mukhtar's household.

Accompanying the sound was that of women's laughter and cheers—the air thick with the best bakhoor they could afford. Plates filled with rice was being passed around; courtesy of the money given to them by the Badarus. Given, Malam Mukhtar turned the money down but as always, Sakina, his wife; was quick to accept the money with open hands.

A group of ladies in their late teens walked pass the group of old women celebrating and dancing to the masu kidan kwarya. In their hands they held incense burners that had searing red coal in it. They planned on adding the incense when they reach where the others were.

The one in front pushed the door of their destination open, their gaze falling on that of their friends that surrounded the svelte figure on the bed. Her big, sequin covered veil remained on her shoulder, head tilted up to stare at her friends that she grew up with.

Her doe eyes widened; thick lips curling into a wide grin that revealed her teeth that had gaps in between them. Anyone could tell the amount of happiness she held in her from the look on her face.

Admittedly, she has flaws physically in the eyes of some people, everyone does. However, others—herself included—believe that she's perfect for Allah created her that way. And Allah doesn't make mistakes. He wanted to see her that way and for that, she's beautiful just like everyone else.

Her friends reached her in no time, wasting no time to embrace the 17-year-old bride. After the hugs exchanged between the friends, they retrieved the bakhoor and placed it on the hot coal; all the while singing and teasing the new bride who couldn't wipe the grin on her face.

"Tazama tazama tazama! Tazama dakko hula! Tazama miqo wando..." They sang, some messing up the line but they were having fun. Besides, in their defense, it was a remix.

Amidst their conversations, the door knob twisted open and in stepped Sakina, the bride's mother all wrapped up in some Laffaya she bought with the money given to her by the Badarus.

One glance at her face had the smile on the bride's face faltering. Her mother's face didn't hold the same grin it had on thirty minutes ago when she stepped in to see her. At the moment, her face was blank as a canvas.

Sakina reached her hand out and held one of the friends by her arm. She then leaned down and whispered something to the girl. Whatever she said to the girl had her nodding, and the turning to the others. She urged them to follow her out and leave the two alone. Despite not knowing what it's about, the girls all left silently—some throwing curious glances at the mother and daughter.

Once they were out, Malam Mukhtar stepped in.

The bride's eyes followed his movements. When he stopped beside her mother, she noticed the look on his face that was similar to that on her mother's face.

That look...it hunted her for years.

She could never forget that look.

"Aishatu..." He started.

A horn from the car behind had Aishatu snapping away from her trance of memory. She glanced at the rearview mirror, then looked ahead to see the green light on the traffic. Sighing, she shook her head and revved the car back to life, before moving to give the ones behind her space to drive away too.

Taking the lane that would take her to the hospital, she increased the speed of her Mazda SUV. Her eyes spared a quick glance at her Nordgreen Native leather bracelet watch, as she took note of the time before another sigh escaped her parted lips.

Internally, she scolded herself for giving into to the memories again. She seems to be doing a lot of that recently and if she is being honest, she hates it. She knows it's not good for her either but she can't help that it just happens. Stuff like that tend to happen a lot in her life.

But it's all in the past, and if anything, she should keep it all behind. That's what she has always told herself whenever the memory pops up, and she seems to be doing quite well. Or so she thought.

Arriving at the hospital, she found a parking space and parked there. When she stepped out of the car, she had to cover her face with her hand immediately, so as to shield her face away from the scorching sun. She had checked the degree before she left home, and she was honestly not so surprised to see it at 36 degrees. It was the afternoon, for her shift starts at 1 which would soon clock in fifteen minutes.

Sighing, she locked the car before she swung her bag over her shoulder and made her way into the building that was already bursting with people. As if on cue, there was the sound of an ambulance arriving, at the same time, a couple of nurses and a doctor came rushing past her to attend to whoever has been brought.

"Good morning Dr. Aisha!"

She turned around, offering the nurse a grin, "Morning" She replied the woman, along with the others she had come across. She has a good relationship with almost everyone, mostly because she was the quiet and bubbly type that was simply hard to not love.

She has been working in that hospital for nearly two years, and not once has anyone ever saw her engage in an argument with someone. She's not that kind of person. Everyone knows that.

She might look for trouble every once in a while, but she doesn't mess around like that.

Taking the elevator, she reached the third floor where her office is. When she stepped out, she met a couple of junior doctors standing there who instantly greeted her. She didn't miss the dark bags under their eyes, clearly they barely had any sleep.

It's time like that which reminds her of her early days in the hospital. It was tough to be honest, but she survived and she's sure they would too. Almost everyone does.

The very minute she stepped foot in her office though, someone held her wrist and dragged her in. Aisha rolled her eyes, for she already knew who the person could be. And she was right, because the minute the said person let go of her hand, her face came into view.

"Do you know what I just heard?"

Aisha playfully narrowed her eyes at her, "That the first thing you should say to a person is a salaam?"

The woman hissed lightly, rolling her eyes. "Buzz off, Sherlock"

Aisha chuckled lightly, making her way over to her table to drop off her bag on the table. She then made her way over to the coat hanger and took her white coat from there before she shrugged it on. Whilst fixing her veil, she threw a glance at the woman that's still glaring at her, "Calm down Jannah, tell me, what gist did you hear this time around?" There was this edge to her tone that either Jannah missed or choose to ignore.

Judging from the eye roll Aisha got from her best friend, it was the latter. "It's not a gist. It's a fact, but a secret one"

Aisha hummed, as she pinned her hijab in place before she leaned on her table, crossing her legs while she rests her hands on the table. "And what is this secret?"

"Lt. Gen. Abd Al-Rasheed will be getting surgery here!" Jannah exclaimed, though she kept her voice low so only Aisha would hear. But it was just the two of them there, no one could overhear.

Aisha's brows drew in as she tried to remember who the man is. Her lips tugged into a frown, while a crease formed between her brows. "Isn't that the Chief of Army Staff or something?" She wasn't the biggest fan of news and whatnot, but she could remember hearing her father say something about the man. Or was he watching the news when she heard the name pop up? It could be either.

Jannah was quick to nod, confirming her friend's statement. "The one and only" She affirmed, "That's why it's a secret. You know since he's of such high rank, his health will be kept a secret and whatnot for safety reasons which is why!" She paused, her lips curling into a grin, "He will be coming here"

If possible, Aisha's frown deepened. "Our hospital is one of the most crowded, why would he come here? Shouldn't he go to one of those elite hospitals and whatnot?"

Jannah exaggerated a sigh as she face-palmed herself. "Ya Rabb do I have to be the smart one all the time?" She mumbled, even though she made sure Aisha heard her. "Subhanallah it's not easy being this great" Slumping her shoulders, she looked up and intertwined her fingers in front of her. "It will easier to know if he goes to those kind of hospitals. However, this is one of the last places anyone would expect him to go. You know...the less obvious" She explained slowly, as if she was talking to a five-year-old.

Aisha lips tilted upwards into a small smile at her friend's antics before she shook her head. "Alright Mamana, I understand"

Jannah nodded in satisfaction, reaching her hand out to pat her friend's head repeatedly. "Yawwa. Allah miki albarka diyar tawa"

Hissing lightly, Aisha pushed her friend's hand away. "May God deliver you"

"Amen!"

"I can't with you" Aisha muttered, making her way to the other side of her table to settle on her chair. "He'll be in the VIP room though, right?" She simply figured, even though he decides to get admitted in a public hospital, he would still want the best experience. It's only natural.

"Yup" Jannah popped the 'P' letter as she leaned back on her table since the two share an office. The girl barely sits on her chair unless she wants to work. It's always the table, all the time! No wonder certain people doubts whether she actually works or not. "Apparently though, he's getting a new doctor to come and check on him"

Aisha who was checking her schedule on her computer looked up, a brow raised. "Why not get a doctor from here?"

This time, Jannah threw her head back and let out a loud, long groan that had Aisha shaking her head. Leave it to Jannah to be dramatic. If Aisha wasn't her friend, she would doubt how the girl became a doctor with that brain of hers. However, it takes two to tango. There's no denying Aisha can be dramatic too. In her defense, it's Jannah's that rubbed off on her.

When Jannah finally decided to end her dramatic groan session, she looked at Aisha again with her lips set into a deep frown. "He is getting a different doctor that he trusts, okay? From what I heard, he would only get the surgery done if the person he trusts will be in charge of it" She explained, using her hand to make gestures.

"He has a point" Aisha agreed. The old man has clearly thought it through since he has clearly looked at it from all angles. She looked back at her computer, scrolling down to see the surgeries she has next, "Hopefully I won't come across him"

"You know that's wishful thinking, right?" Jannah stated, as if what Aisha said is stupid. "You work with the VIPs most times. Even if you won't be the one to perform the surgery—if it gets to that, you still have to meet him for formalities sake"

Aisha let out a loud sigh as she massaged her temples with her fingers. "Do I have to though?" She asked, "All those kind of people makes me uneasy" And that was the truth. She hates anything that has to do with people like police, soldiers and whatnot. They make her uneasy, and besides, she has a bad history with them.

A history that she hates to remember, even though it's engraved in the back of her mind. No matter how hard she tries to forget, it's just there. It doesn't matter whether it's a police, a soldier, an agent or whatnot. Any person from the enforcement agency makes her uneasy to no end.

"Hey..." Jannah called out, her voice soft this time as she lost all her lark and goofiness. "...You'll be alright. It's nothing to sweat yourself about. It's nothing you can't handle. And if you really do feel like it's too much, let me know okay? I'll find a way to get you out of it"

Aisha stared at her friend for a while, before she offered her a nod and a small, forced smile. She couldn't deny that the woman's words eased her worries slightly though. Jannah has her back. She always does.

~*~

The rest of the day went by pretty uneventful. At least, as uneventful as it could be in the hospital. That includes a couple of surgeries, and seeing out-patients. To Aisha, that was basically the normal everyday life.

By the time the clock struck 8pm, she was making her way out of the hospital and to the parking lot. Sometimes, she tends to stay longer than that but she didn't feel like doing that today she left the minute her shift was over.

She had already prayed Isha before she left so all she was looking forward to when she returns home is getting under the duvet and slipping into la-la land. Her sore muscles need it.

Thankfully, there wasn't as much traffic as there was earlier in the day so in less than thirty-five minutes, she was already parking her car in the parking lot of her parents' house. There was something she noticed the minute she drove into the house, and that there were two more cars that weren't normally there and if she was is not mistaken, one particular car she knows who it belongs to.

It's safe to say the thought of going back to the hospital and working extra shifts sounded more appealing than stepping into the house and facing the said person. But as Jannahalways says, "It's wishful thinking" on her part. Why? Because she is sure the person is aware of her return into the house.

She knows her work schedule, and it's easy to know when someone drives into the house since you can see everything from the living room as long as the curtains were drawn open, and they were.

Sighing, Aisha leaned her head on the steering wheel which she suddenly clenched tighter. Her breathing came out a bit ragged, but she clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to take deep breaths. "Breath in, breath out" She muttered repeatedly to herself until she felt her breathing return to normal.

She had no problem driving and whatnot, but due to the fact that she had already turned off the car, there was no light coming in apart from that of the house that illuminated the whole place. Still, being alone in that place was getting to her. She felt trapped, for she had never been one to entertain being in a small space.

It goes along with her long list of memories she likes to keep tucked away.

Eventually, she felt as though she couldn't take being cooped up anymore so she hastily opened the door, immediately taking huge breaths that notably relaxed her tensed shoulders. Running a hand down her face, she threw a glance at the house again before she reached out to pick her bag. Stepping out of the car, she locked it behind her before she made her way towards the building.

Her steps seemed confident, but only she felt how shaky her legs were. However, she had learnt long ago that showing fear in the presence of such people is what they will use to eat you up. You let them have power over you for that.

Without any hesitation, except for the internal one she had for a brief second, she held the handle and pushed the door open with a salaam. Instantly, the sound of laughter reached her ears, making her halt. She looked around, wondering if she stepped into the right house because that laughter, she knows who it belongs to.

But the person never laughs in that house. At least, not since she became part of the family.

When she heard other voices, a couple that she recognized, she pushed herself further into the house till she reached the living room, where she spotted at least, five familiar faces. But that wasn't what made a crease form in between her brows, it was the boxes that were on display. From a glance, she could count at least ten of them and its contents were of course put on display too.

The air is thick with incense; one she had grown used to perceiving. It has always given her peace of mind, but not at the moment. Especially not when a pair of eyes met hers, and the laughter instantly died down.

"Oh look, Aishatu is finally back!" The old woman exclaimed, the sarcasm in her tone, thick.

The action though had the others that didn't notice her presence looking up, and while a couple offered her genuine smiles, majority of them threw glares at her before turning their attention back to what they were doing initially.

Aisha swallowed back all the dread and anger that resurfaced, as she made her way towards her grandmother. Crouching low, she kept her head down and said, "Ina wuni Hajiya"

Hajiya threw her a once-over, one that showed the extent of her distaste towards the girl before she rolled her eyes. "Lahiya" She answered, her tone showing disinterest. "Where have you been?"

Aisha blinked, "I was at work" She answered, even though she'll well aware the old woman knows. She just had to ask because she's looking for an excuse to scold or blame her for something.

The usual.

"Weren't you supposed to be back by eight?"

"That's when my shift ends" At that point, she's honestly too exhausted to deal with any drama Hajiya will throw at her. But what other choice does she have? She has to answer else she will be termed as 'disrespectful'. The insult wouldn't stop on her. They will extend it to her mother too, and the woman deserves none of this. "It takes time to come back from there"

A loud hum came from the one of the women, one that Aisha instantly recognized. "The question should be; did she even go to work to begin with?" The woman said, her eyes not once leaving the Super Wax she had picked up. She carefully observed it, before turning it around without once sparing a glance at the others that were now staring at her. She could obviously feel their eyes on her, but that doesn't mean she has to look up.

She wasn't scared. Just that she believes the girl isn't worth her looking up.

Hajiya's head tilted to the side slightly, her lips slanting into a frown. She thought of her eldest daughter's words, and as if that made more sense, she snapped her eyes to the girl that is still crouching in front of her. "Gaya min gaskiya. Ina kikaje?"

Brows drawn in and lips tilted downwards, Aisha stared at Hajiya. "I was at work"

The same woman from earlier scoffed, this time around dropping the atampha in her hand as she snapped her gaze to Aisha. "Didn't that mother of yours teach you that lying is a bad thing?" She questioned, eyes narrowed in and a brow quirked.

Aisha swallowed thickly as she looked down. She wasn't in any way guilty for she hadn't lied to them one bit. But the fact that they brought up her mother meant she needed to thread carefully, for anything she says will be used against them. When she had carefully picked out her words, she parted her lips to say something only to be interrupted when the sound of heels filled up the place.

She did not have to look up to know who it was. 

***

Hello everyone! First things first, Eid Mubarak!!

This is your Eid gift obviously. I tried to write Kamilah so I can update but my brain said no way😭🤷

Anyways, anyways, it's late so who's sleeping??

As for the book, who smells drama? I do😩🙂

Hope you brought that cold Pepsi? Coke is acceptable too for now🌚🤝

Sha sha I'm tired to typing so goodnight!

Love, Jannah Mia ❤️