Shey you know I'm taking my book down? Toh alhamdullilah.

Yasmeen groaned, her head instantly pounding. It felt as though someone was using a hammer to smack her head repeatedly. Her eye lids felt heavy as she tried to peel them open. But, they weren't cooperating. It didn't help that she felt as if the world was spinning and she was so close to dropping.

Or is she already on the floor?

She couldn't tell.

Another groan left her slightly parted lips—wanting to scream out of frustration. She hated her existence at that point, because it all felt too much. It's annoying because she kept feeling light headed, and at the same time, couldn't even flick her eyes open despite being conscious of her surroundings.

This went on for a couple of minutes. How long? She has no idea. All she knows is that it felt like eternity before she was finally able to peel her eyelids and be met with brightness that only added to her pain.

She was quick to shut it out, feeling as though her eyes had been burnt from being subjected to such brightness when she was only going through the side effect of what happened.

She repeated the same action a few times afterwards, before she was finally able to open her slightly blurry eyes without feeling like screaming. She tried to reach her hand out to get rid of the mistiness in her eyes, but that was impossible too.

She then looked down, only to realize her hands were tied to the rocking chair she's seated on, and so were her legs. Her brows squished together in confusion, lips curled downwards into the deepest frowns. Using the little bit of energy, she has in her, she tried to wiggle her hands free but it was of no use.

If anything, it only made the chair rock back, and forth—adding to her dizziness considering she's still hasn't recovered mentally.

Frustration bubbled in her, as anxiety threatened to have her a chokehold. Looking around, she tried to spot anything or anyone in sight but there was no one. The place she was in is unlike any she'd been too before.

Weirdly enough, it wasn't some shabby warehouse with faulty pipes and rats running along. No. She seemed to be in a small living room of a house she's unaware of—though it gave off the homey vibes.

Or at least, it was supposed to.

Something about the old furniture that could be dated back to decades back, and the eerie silence made the place cold, and chilling. The lights there weren't twitching—thankfully.

Had it been it was, Yasmeen would've had a heart attack because it'll seem like a scene straight out of horror movies. Thankfully though, the lights were bright enough that she could see everything in the room.

An old TV was fixed opposite the chair she's tied to—reason, she's yet to know. And aside from the rusty furniture and carpet that looked to be need of urgent wash, there wasn't much to the living room.

The curtains were pulled close, but they were in the same condition with the carpet. It's honestly a miracle that she's not a coughing mess then because the dust there was simply too much.

She tried to rack her brain and remember what last happened. Her memory was all jumbled, and all she could remember was bits of it. The harder she tried, the more got the pieces of the puzzle.

Having breakfast with Asad, that she remembered. She couldn't remember much after that except...going out with Tauhida.

Wait...Tauhida!

She forced herself to muster the energy left in her to look around in order to find the woman. To say she was worried will be an understatement. Heck, she was even more worried about her than she was worried about herself.

Yes, the last thing she remembered was them being on the road, and then the car suddenly stopped before she lost consciousness. She couldn't tell what exactly happened so it's only right she worries about the woman.

What if something happened to her?

Did they get into an accident? It would explain the splitting headache she has but not why she's tied to a chair.

Were they kidnapped? She wouldn't be surprised. She is in Nigeria after all. It's becoming a normal thing these days.

If so, where is Tauhida? Did those kidnappers hurt her? What if...

All sorts of negative thoughts clouded Yasmeen's mind, and she found herself so close to hyperventilating. She was scared of screaming for help, in fear of the people realizing she's awake and coming after her too. Who knows what will happen to her?

So, she chose to devise a plan first before acting irrationally.

However, before she could gather her thoughts and come up with something, the TV opposite her suddenly came to life with a screeching sound that had her flinching—making the chair rock back before going forth again.

She inhaled sharply, her heart hammering behind her ribcage as her eyes grew wide—though stuck on the TV that resembled those she knew from when she was a kid. You know those small TV's that have elongated behinds?

It the displayed colorful lines of red, blue and white as a long beep sound filled the room. It was getting to her sensitive ears, making her want to scream out in frustration. First, she was sensitive to the bright lights and then the screeching sound now.

It only added to the pounding of her head.

Thankfully, it suddenly came to a stop and with no warnings whatsoever, a video suddenly began to play—though the quality wasn't that good; she could still see amidst her blurry vision.

The sound of a baby's wail filled the room for a few seconds, before a woman's voice came. Yasmeen blinked, trying to get rid of the blurriness as she focused on the TV so she can see it clearly.

She succeeded just in time to see the woman pick up the baby from the crib and pacify her. Judging from how small the child is, she couldn't have been up to five months or less. The woman though her face wasn't that clear, her voice could still be heard as she hummed something to the child; hugging her close to her bosom.

Yasmeen's brows drew in, trying to make sense of what she's seeing but nothing comes to mind. What's all this again? She couldn't help but wonder. Amidst trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, she didn't hear the soft footsteps that approached her until a voice came from behind her.

"Cute, huh?"

Yasmeen flinched, not expecting the sudden presence and voice. Her heart beat increased before calming slight when realization dawned on her regarding the familiar voice. She didn't have to strain herself to look behind her because the woman graced her with her presence—casually strolling to stand beside couch a few inches away from Yasmeen.

Her gaze was fixed on the TV, but only for a few seconds more before she shifted it to Yasmeen—nodding as if to confirm her words. "You guys looked cute in it." Her lips stretched into a seemingly warm smile.

But, it didn't hold the same warmness it did all those times back.

Yasmeen didn't notice it then though.

If anything, she was quick to rake her eyes over the woman's figure. "Tauhida! Thank God you're safe. Are you okay? Did they do something to you? Are you hurt?" She rushed the questions out, genuinely worried about the safety of the woman.

Instead of getting an answer from the woman, Tauhida simply tilted her head to the side, as if wondering whether Yasmeen is just stupid or naïve. Can't she see the situation she's in? Yet, she could afford to worry about someone—her.

She wasn't moved to be honest, because she knew the feelings weren't directed towards her per se. She said it herself, 'Tauhida'. She didn't refer to her so why should she be moved?

With her sudden silence and look that accompanied it, Yasmeen's worry slowly dissipated into confusion. As if the pieces were falling in place slowly, her eyes gave the woman a onceover, then another one to see she's perfectly okay.

In fact, not a hair seemed to be amiss.

The only difference being she's changed out of her earlier traditional outfit. She's now donning an outfit very similar to the ones Yasmeen used to see her in back in the UK.

But the question in Yasmeen head was...why is Tauhida looking so calm and collected? Shouldn't she be shackled up like she is? The woman doesn't even seem scared in the slightest bit so...what the hell is going on?

"Tauhida..."

"You love that name, don't you?" She cut Yasmeen off, starting to get a bit irritated by the questioning look masking her features. Shouldn't she have put two in two together? Come on, she knows Yasmeen is smart so why is she acting all dumb now. Blowing out a breath, she bobbed her head slowly. "Well, I can't blame you. It's nice actually."

To say Yasmeen was confused will be an understatement. What the hell is Tauhida spewing now?

She didn't want to think negatively, but as she stared at the woman, she realized her smile wasn't exactly warm. It was chilling, and everything in between. Her eyes instantly narrowed. "What the hell is going on?" She gritted out, though internally she's fearing for the worse. She was trying to not let it show though.

Whether or not she's doing a good job or not, she has no idea ad doesn't truly care.

Tauhida pressed her lips together, and then pretended to think. After a few seconds, she clicked her tongue as she settled on the old couch—her face scrunching up in distaste before hissing. "Even I tell you, you will find it hard to believe." And that's the best part in her eyes.

If they can't believe it, all the stronger her cover is.

Sounds like the perfect plan right? Yes, she knows—she's smart.

"Try me." Yasmeen dared, although had it been she knew the answer that she'd get from the woman, she would've agreed that it's hard to believe. "Because I know you aren't the Tauhida I've known for months. You were pretending the whole time, weren't you?" That's the only logical explanation she can think of.

Tauhida's lips stretched slowly into a smile, one filled with amusement. "It's cute how you think you know 'Tauhida'." Call her crazy, but she truly is finding this whole thing humorous.

It's the highlight of her life entirely.

Yasmeen swallowed thickly, trying to mask the fear she's feeling internally. She then continued, "I can't think of any reason that you'd do this other than you liking Asad. He's the reason, am I right?" She pressed further, wanting to see a crack in Tauhida's resolve but there was none.

The woman maintained the same expression she has. That annoying, and creepy smile still plastered right across her face.

So, Yasmeen clicked her tongue and press the woman's buttons even more. She tried to mirror her expression; by feigning a mocking smile. "--Let me guess—you're that cousin who's been in love with him. But now that he's married, you're directing your hatred towards me because 'I took your man away'. That's it, huh?" She then dropped the smile, her lips puckered in mock pity. "How sad. That's too cliché."

Instead of being offended, Tauhida simply stared at her for a few seconds before she went on full laughing mode to the extent of throwing her head back—like she's hearing the funniest thing ever. The laughter sent an unsettling feeling down the pit of Yasmeen's stomach, but she tried to hide it.

When Tauhida's laughter died down, she stared at Yasmeen with the biggest grins out there. "You're funny. I'll give you that." She let out another chuckle, before that creepy smile returned. "Unfortunately, your guess is a bit more...basic and like you said, cliché." To her, it's cute how Yasmeen thinks her situation is as simple as that. "But honey, I think way outside the box."

She truly does. If her situation was that simple, she wouldn't have reached where he is at the moment. 

She waited for Yasmeen to say something, but she didn't. All she got from the woman was a glare that would've sent her to an early grave if that were possible.

Tauhida sighed in mock disappointment. Yasmeen isn't giving her the reaction she's hoping for. It's okay though, she'll get it out of her eventually. The fun is just getting started after all.

Clicking her tongue, she laid back on the couch that she's now slightly comfortable with. "Tauhida is dead." She stated casually, like it's no big deal. "She's been dead for two years now."

There it was...she was starting to get a reaction from Yasmeen.

The said woman's eyes widened almost immediately, her brows squished together for the nth time as she tried to make sense of what she's just been informed. "What?" What nonsense is this again please? What does she mean by Tauhida is dead when she's staring at her?

The woman nodded, "Yeah, Tauhida is dead." She repeated, her grin returning. "She saw me and had a heart attack." She suddenly went on to laugh again, clapping her hands in the process. "I mean; her reaction was priceless but I don't blame her. She was already born with a fragile heart so imagine this..." She sat up, as if she's about to tell a funny story to kids or something. "...imagine being alone in a house, in a foreign country and all of the sudden, seeing someone who looks exactly like you. Like, the person is even starting right back at you...ai dole zuciyar ta ta buga."

Did she feel remorse? Yes, she did in the slightest bit. She felt bad that Tauhida got a heart attack just like that but in all honesty, she preferred it that way. She needed to get her out of the picture anyway.

She didn't feel a bit of remorse even when she set the house on fire and made sure the body was beyond recognizable.

"--You know; I've been following her up closely for years before I finally decided to step in. I guess you could say I found the perfect timing."

Poor Yasmeen's brain was all jumbled up. She couldn't understand a thing. Tauhida is dead? She's been dead for years? Then who is this woman right in front of her?

So she never knew Tauhida to begin with?

Who is this woman and how is this all even possible?

Subhan Allah her mind was all jumbled up. And fear was slowly starting to creep through her. Imagine her fear to seeing, and sitting with this woman all alone in a place like this—a place where there's no one to help her.

No wonder the real Tauhida had a heart attack, Yasmeen is about to have one.

She couldn't imagine how the deceased felt seeing someone that looks exactly like her.

But wait...is she truly going to buy this nonsense about someone dead and someone else being there?

As if realizing that this must all be too much for Yasmeen, the woman turned to her in fake concern. "This is all too much to understand right? I'll break it down for you." Yet again, she offered her one of those creepy smiles that made Yasmeen feel as though something was crawling up her body.

It was that uneasy.

"So, that old hag—Nana, is the cause of all this. If she didn't force me out of that family, I wouldn't have gone this far. Do you think the decision I made to turn into...this" She gestured to her face with disgust. "...was easy? No. It wasn't." The way she spoke sounded as if she hated the decision she had to make. And she does. But, she still did it anyway. "You hate her too, don't you?"

Yasmeen could only stare at the woman warily. What else is she supposed to do? She's certain at this point that she's stuck with a crazy woman. And all she could hope for is that she could be able to stall her until someone comes for help.

She trusts that Asad will eventually realize her absence, their absence and will look for them.

So, until then, she needed to get her act together.

It's actually weird how calm she's taking the whole situation. Someone else would've acted out of impulse already because everything is simply too much.

Despite not getting a response from Yasmeen, the woman went on. "—She wanted you out too, but Asad had to come to your rescue." She then scoffed, her expression bitter as she glared at Yasmeen. Getting up on her feet, she approached her with a look that showed she was capable of doing everything. "Why is it always you?" She gritted out, once she was close to Yasmeen. "Even her..." She gestured to the TV. "She choose you too."

That's what annoys, and angers her the most. Why is it always Yasmeen?

But the thing is, Yasmeen couldn't even understand anything she's saying. She's simply trying to ignore her so she won't make her snap and do something much worse. She needed to tread carefully so she can escape this safely.

"What makes you so different huh?" The woman pressed, her eyes narrowed in slits and hands fisted by the side. "Why is it that it was so easy for them to abandon me, but you..." She paused, letting out a bitter laugh. "...they always choose you—even my own daughter."

That right there, was what piqued Yasmeen's interest. She was quick to whip her head around to look at the woman standing in front of her—eyes wide as saucers.

Her daughter?

It can't be...

As if knowing what's going through Yasmeen's mind, the woman straightened her spine and offered her a wide, creepy smile. "Nice to meet you, sister. I'm Iris. And today I'll make sure I send you to hell. Hope you're ready to say goodbye to your life."