Time.

That's what it takes to heal a person.

It could be days, weeks, months, and even years. Some never do, but it works for a lot. You just need to take time to yourself, take a breather and clear your head.

That's the same thing Yasmeen expected. She thought all she needed was time away from Asad and to truly understand all of this mess, and yet, as three weeks clocked since she left her marital home, she still yet to do so.

Asad didn't want to let her go, but he had to. And no, they aren't separated. It was just obvious she needed time to think about all this because it isn't easy to accept. He, better than anyone, could relate. So, how could he deny her that time to herself too?

Yasmeen returned to Nigeria four days after the whole ordeal. She'd decided to take classes online even though she wasn't in the right mental state for that, but she still tried her best. It's weird how she's taking everything calmly to be honest.

She hadn't had a single outburst since that conversation she had with Asad. Even when she told him she wanted to return to Nigeria alone, and be away from him, she asked with way too much calmness.

"You want to go home?"

She nodded, her expression stoic and her eyes blank as a canvas. "Yes." She affirmed, her tone not wavering in the slightest bit. "I need to speak to my parents." She's yet to tell them anything because what is she supposed to say?

None of this makes sense, but if anything, Asad's reaction only made her believe it no matter how bizarre it sounded.

And yet, she knew he can't tell her everything. Heck, she doubts he knows everything aside from the part he's involved in, and even so, he refuses to dive into it claiming it doesn't matter.

Because to him, it truly doesn't.

But to her, it does. That's what he failed to understand.

Asad blew out a shaky breath, looking haggard. Truth be told, he hasn't been able to sleep properly the night before, and he has to return to work the following day. He had taken enough break and could no longer delay his return.

He isn't in the right mental state to do so, but he has to get himself together.

The thought of Yasmeen leaving him though, that's not something he sees contributing to his current mental state.

He parted his lips to say something to convince her to stay, but nothing came out. He looked away for a brief second, thinking of whatever he could do to stop her. Picking up a few things that crossed his mind, he shifted his gaze back to her, taking a few steps towards her.

She didn't step away, and neither did her blank gaze waver. She stood her ground, unwilling to let him change her mind.

"Yasmeen, please." He breathed out, his expression forlorn. It was obvious he's distressed. "Please don't go. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about it earlier, but I only found out the day Ama died."

"That was when you found out that I'm, by some sort of ridiculous arrangement, your ex-wife's half-sister?" She couldn't wrap her head around that no matter how hard she tries.

What is her life again? A movie, or a novel?

How is she supposed to accept such a thing?

Asad folded his lips in, his eyes softening. It's hard to accept, he knows it well. That's why he had been trying to wrap his head around the whole thing for weeks, and yet, a part of him is still yet to accept it.

Yasmeen could see that she was getting through to him, so, she went to prod further. "How am I supposed to accept that everything's a lie, huh?"

Asad looked away, unable to hold the intensity of her gaze. It was way too intense—nothing he had ever seen in her before. This isn't his Yasmeen, this woman looks so distant and he couldn't even blame her for it.

"Think about it from my place." Her voice came out as a whisper this time around, because truth be told, she isn't as strong as she appears. "This isn't easy for me at all."

"I know..." He ran a hand through his hair, before blowing out a breath. Tilting his head upwards to look at her, he dropped all the walls he had—laying himself bare of his emotions. "I know this isn't easy for you--"

"It isn't for you either." She cut him, before he could give some excuse. The thing, despite what is going on, they both cared about each other.

He is worried about her.

And she, is worried about him.

That worry is stopping them from seeing and accepting what needs to be done at that moment.

Asad blinked, his shoulders slumping the minute those words left her lips. Her eyes, they were daring him to claim otherwise. "Yas..."

Yasmeen sniffed, guarding her expression so he won't see how hard this is for her too. "Tell me you don't feel an ounce of hatred towards me."

"I don't."

"No." She was quick to shake her head, because she knows there's no way he can feel that indifferent. "Asad I may not know the whole story, but I see it in your eyes. I see it in the way you look at me." She paused, her voice lowering. "Deep down, you aren't okay with this—you aren't okay with me."

For him to not tell her what actually happened, her best guess is, she has something do with it and it isn't good.

Asad flicked his eyes close, a headache brewing. Why is she so damn stubborn? Why can't she just take his words for it. Burying his face between his palms, he took in a deep breath before releasing it harshly. Then, his eyes met hers again. "I don't care about this, I don't care about the past. I honestly don't."

"Well, I do." If he won't push her away, then she would. She would push him away with everything it takes. Her expression was emotionless when she said that, though internally she was breaking because of what she's about to do. "I can't stand you, okay?"

He stared at her in disbelief, shaking his head. "You don't mean that..."

"I do." She doesn't. She's lying, and she knows that. "I can't stand even seeing your face. Don't you see it, Asad? Your past keeps coming back and I'm not sure if I can handle it. My life was okay; it wasn't perfect but I certainly was much better than I am now. My whole life has been flipped upside down in just a few minutes because of you. Your baggage is too much; I can't handle it anymore."

Lies. Lies, and more lies.

Her words, they hurt much more than he anticipated. It hurts even more because he was willing to fight for them, but she is giving up.

It hurts because those insecurities had been threatening to eat him up these past few weeks. But, he fought against them for her.

Only for her to bring them back.

"Don't say that." He shook his head. "Please, just don't." Who cares what anyone would say, he hadn't cried since Ama's death but he could feel his eyes welling up because of Yasmeen Khalid.

The power this woman has over him is beyond anything he ever thought.

This whole thing was hurting her just as much as it was doing to him. And to see Asad, a man she had known to be strong and collected nearly at the brink of breaking down, all for her—it nearly had her throwing away this whole thing and embracing him.

But, she didn't.

"Too bad, I'm already saying it." She forced herself to voice out more hurtful words. This was the only way she could think of at the moment. She knows she would regret it later, but at the moment, all she cared about was making Asad let go of her. So, she continued. "We should both be happy about this honestly, it's not like we ever liked each other. To you, I was simply a mere replacement of the woman you failed to protect, am I not?"

He couldn't argue with that, because to be honest, that's what it was in the beginning.

He saw her as a replacement for Iris. A chance for him to rectify his wrongs.

So, yes. She's right.

But, not anymore.

"See, you can't even deny it." She stated bitterly, before looking away to gather her thoughts. Darting her tongue to wet her chapped lips, she took in a deep breath before releasing it. "Let's not drag this," She swallowed thickly. "I want to leave as soon as I can, please. If you do care about me, even in the slightest bit, then let me go."

Asad took in a deep breath, "Is this what you really want?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll arrange it for you."

And that was it, there was no going back.

~*~

Yasmeen came back to Nigeria days after that and went straight to her parents' house. Mama wasn't surprised to see her, considering the girl already told her that she would return for a 'break'. That's all she said.

Mama knew there was something wrong, but she didn't prod further through the call. Even when Yasmeen arrived at home, she wordlessly pulled her in for a long hug—as if knowing the girl is going through a hard time.

In a way, she could.

She could see when something's off with the girl, and it's obvious she's going through a tough time.

Yasmeen didn't tell her anything the entire day, she simply avoided anything that will lead back to talking about the reason why she left her home. She did certify to her mother that she left with Asad's permission.

What she didn't know though was that Asad already called and informed Mama of her return. He didn't state why either, all he said was; "Yasmeen will be home for a while. I can't go into details because it isn't mine to share, but she's going through a tough time. Please, go easy on her. And, I assure you, I'll come back for her."

Even though Mama had so many questions, those words of his eliminated most of it. She could hear it from the dedication in his tone—it was there, the affirmation that no matter what life would throw at them, he will still come back.

What more could a mother want?

She can't force Yasmeen back considering even Asad told her she's going through a hard time. And besides, if the girl doesn't want to share her marital problems, who is she to prod? All she can do is offer her the emotional support she needs.

So, that was all she did for the first few days.

It helped, because Yasmeen seemed slightly better than she did when she first arrived. That doesn't mean she's alright though. She's still a wreck inside—a detonating bomb waiting for the perfect trigger.

That trigger came in the form of her father, who returned from the business trip he was on since she returned. The man heard of her return, and has been waiting to come back to inquire what is it that brought her back.

Hence, the first thing he did on his return was to call for her. She came almost immediately, clad in a floor length hijab that covered her feet. Settling on the carpet, she greeted him which he didn't answer.

Instead, all she got was, "Me ya dawo da ke gidan nan? Has he divorced you already?"

She swallowed thickly, her heart clenching due to his words. She knew she's supposed to be used to his words by now, but she still couldn't bring herself to do so.

Who is she to complain though? Emotional abuse means nothing in a typical Arewa home.

So, she shook her head. "No". She answered, her tone oddly strong. "I just have a question."

He stared at her as if she had grown fifty heads. "You came back all the way here for a stupid question?" What is this rubbish she is spewing? Is she trying to annoy him or something? Because she sure is getting on his nerves.

Zata sa ayi yawo dashi a gari ace yar sa ta dawo gida. He can't handle such embarrassment all for this foolish child.

Still, she nodded because there was no need of hiding it. "I can't ask you that over the phone."

His eyes narrowed at her, at the brink of lashing out on the poor girl. In his mind, all he could think of is whatever stupidity is going through her head to think of wasting his time like this.

Ta fara hauka ne? Or has she been spoilt in that matrimonial home of hers to think she can do whatever she wants?

Nonetheless, he kept his lips sealed, wanting to see the limit of her stupidity before he sets her straight.

She brought herself to voice out after a few minutes of silence. She had been thinking of ways to approach this, and yet, nothing seemed to be right. So, she just decided to pick the one that bothered her the most. Lifting her head up hesitantly, she swallowed the bile threatening to come up and hoarsely voiced out, "Am I even your child?"

Baba stared at her, his expression cold—and not so surprisingly, he didn't even think twice before giving her his reply. "No." His words were like daggers piercing into her heart.

Isn't he supposed to hesitate regarding stuff like that? Shouldn't he at the very least think twice or think of a way to lessen the blow?

But no, he didn't.

If anything, he seemed like he had been waiting for this moment to come. And now that it has graced him, he plans to seize the opportunity fast.

She found herself taking in a sharp breath, her eyes instantly glossing over. She didn't have the strength in her to hold it back, not when her whole life is crashing right before her eyes.

Her heart, she felt like it was being stabbed repeatedly.

But still, she forced herself to voice out another question.

"Who are my parents then?" Just voicing that out seemed bizarre to her. To think she has other parents?

Her whole life has truly been a lie. A big, fat, lie.

The old man held her gaze, blowing out a small breath before he shrugged. "Oho. Wa ya sani?" He didn't seem to have the slightest bit of sympathy in him regarding her situation. If anything, he seemed glad to finally break the news to her. "Your birth mother simply brought you to your Mama in the middle of the night saboda rashin gaskiya. Who knows? Maybe you don't even have a father."

His words, they only hurt even more.

Why is he so cold towards her? She wanted to know. What did she ever do to him?

Even if she isn't his flesh and blood, he still raised her for twenty-one years. Shouldn't he feel some sort of pity towards her? But no, he doesn't seem to care in the slightest bit.

If anything, he went on to continue. "—I didn't want to take you in, but your mother was adamant. She was even willing to risk her marriage for a bastard child." He let out a loud scoff, turning away as he let out a small hiss. "Shirmen banza. Ba dan ina ganin mutuncin iyayenta ba, I would've divorced her then saboda banson hauka."

Yasmeen blinked, blowing out a hot breath as she looked away, trying to hold the tears back but it wasn't working. If anything, they fell against her will because it hurts way more than she anticipated.

Tilting her head downwards, she bit her lower lip hard, hoping that would hold back the tears but it wasn't working. No matter how hard she tried, the tears just won't stop.

When the sound of her sobs reached his tears, he shifted his gaze back to her—mouth slightly ajar. "Oh, wai kuka kikeyi?" He sounded genuinely taken aback. But it only lasted for a few seconds, because he shook his head and added. "Ai baki fara kuka ba sai kinsan she did something to your so called husband's family. With the way you've been staying in this house for weeks now, I have no doubts he divorced you. I'm not surprised though, koh ni I won't tolerate having such person in my family. Don ya zama min dole ne saisa."

She could handle whatever he threw at her, but he didn't have to bring Asad into this because the man is her breaking point. Sniffing, she wiped the tears though her eyes were still bloodshot red and rose her head to look at him. For the first time in her life, she didn't want to hold anything back.

And no, she doesn't plan on being disrespectful. She just needs her questions answered.

"What did I ever do to you?" That has been bothering her entire life. "What did I do to deserve such hate."

"Being related to your birth mother, that's the reason why I hate you." The man truly wasn't holding back anything either. "After what she did to the Gidado family, who would want to be associated with her? No one. That's it."

"Yet you still got me married into that family."

"Because you needed to find out the truth sooner or later." Or more like, he needed to get rid of her soon. If throwing her into the lion's den is the answer, then so be it. "No one, not even one person in this family knows your true identity. Your Mama had a still birth around the time you were born though no one knew. You had the perfect alibi to being part of this family. But, the truth was bound to come out sooner or later."

Yasmeen's head was pounding—all these information, it was hard to digest. She felt like it was all a nightmare, and all she wanted to do was wake up from it so she won't have to accept any of it.

"Do you even know what your birth mother truly did to Khadija Gidado?"

Khadija Gidado.

That's Asad's birth mother from the tiny bits she knows.

She didn't give him a response, but her silence was one too. It was clear from the look masking her features that she doesn't know the key to this whole story. All she's been hearing was excuses and bits of it.

No one, not even Asad wanted to tell her what truly happened.

But here is this man who has been her father-figure for twenty-one years, not seeming to even hesitate.

And, he didn't. "She killed her." He stated, his words coming out slow so it would sink in Yasmeen's head. "Your mother is a murderer—and you, her child, and the wife of the person whose mother she took away. Accept it, you and that boy are ill fated. There's no happy ending for you two. It's over."

~*~

Guess who finally finished this book?????

Obviously, me!! It feels so good to finally round this up and say goodbye to Asad and Yasmeen. They will be missed dearly, but such is life.

Also, the complete book is now currently available on Okadabooks. Of course, I will complete it here first, so...worry not.

But, if you don't want to wait for updates, you can just get the complete book there. Also, you know the drill as always--I will be taking this book down once I'm done with updating it. No come say Jannah didn't tell you anything.

Tam, I've said my own.

On that note, prepare to say farewell to them too. Prepare your tissues and everything necessary.

Goodnight.

Love, Jannah.