Chapter 58: Chapter 58

She watched as everything unfold before her eyes. She heard as Umma fixed the date of her marriage to be in just two weeks time. Really? Just two week! Were they that eager to send her off? Have they ever seen a bride; whose wedding date was fixed just two weeks to come? She couldn't want to think about the things parents used to do for their daughters when getting married, like; furniture, kitchen materials and so on, for she knew Umma would never spend a single penny on her. That she is sure of.

The men thanked Umma and the man profoundly, and Hayfah wondered who wouldn't thank the person that gave out his daughter as if she were a piece of garbage. They walked out of the house, and she was still behind the curtain looking at how Malik's face gleamed with happiness.

She trudged to where Umma and the man were seated, opening the boxes of biscuits and sweets with griny smiles. She stood in front of them, the tears she tried so hard to stop before coming out of the curtain rolling down in ocean.

"Umma what was that?" That was the only question she asked, for she couldn't come to ask everything in details. From Umma begging them to solemnize everything in two weeks, to her shedding some crocodile tears about them having no money to buy Hayfah even a single sofa talkless of furnishing a whole house.

Umma looked up to her with a feisty look that held nothing but sheer hatred,"That was what you understand it to be. I saw you behind the curtain, and what you heard was right. Your wedding would be in just two weeks to come, so deal with it." That was all a seething Umma bellowed and kept on counting the biscuits and sweets-trying to package some for the man to take it back to the Galadimawa village.

"And who is this man?" Hayfah knew arguing with Umma about this would be useless. She wants to know who was the man first, before taking whatever action that was bubbling up in her brain.

"He is your father's only brother, do you have any problem with that?" Umma answered with a sneered look on her face, from the look on her face-Hayfah knew her old life was back, and she has no one to talk to; but Allah. And she's sure he's sufficient for her.

Hayfah ignored Umma and directed her question to the grey man that was looking at her with something similar to the look in Umma's eyes. "I've never heard Abba talking about his brother, so I guess if you're important in his life; he would've mentioned you while he was alive. So let me make this clear to you_wallahi I'm not getting married to Malik, talkless of in two weeks time. So, deal with it also!" The tears were no more cascading, she was looking at him directly in the eye with so much determination and bravado.

"Hayfah!" Umma exclaimed, standing upright, she was used to Hayfah's feisty side, but she thought they would take advantage of Abba's death that was still crumbling her and marry her off without her throwing any tantrums. But from what she observed, that would be more than hard, and she've promised Amna that she would have Adyan no matter how it will cost her, and she shall fulfill her promise.

"Are you out of your senses? He is your father's brother, and that makes him your father too!" Umma felt like strangling Hayfah that was flashing them a disgusted look.

"Don't you ever call him my father! For a father would never get his daughter married in two weeks time, a father would never beg his daughter's in-law to furnish her house-and lots of more evil acts a father would never do. My father is buried depths beneath the earth surface. He is the only father I have, and his name is Talhah Muhammad. What of you, old man?" She steadied her balance and kept her hands at akimbo, glaring at both Umma and the man that calls himself her father's brother.

"My name is Sagiru Muhammad. And as you said; I'm not your father because I've never loved him talkless of you. And how he made sure our father loved him more than me and my mother, I'll take my revenge on you, yarinya." He spoke with so much seethe that scared Hayfah but she made sure not to show a little bit of what she's feeling in her falling apart heart. She looked at him with the same look of hatred and despise.

"Then welcome to the family. I assure you this, you'll never be successful on this-like you've never succeed on Abba. And have my words, I, Hayfah Talhah Muhammad will never marry Malik Ahsan! Shafa'atu, Sagiru_you guys can deal with it!" She turned around like a lightning in a dark sky and swiftly left to her room_feeling how her heart was slowly incubating into a hard rock that would never shake.

She might not have Abba, but she would surely be her strength. She might not have Adyan's love with her, but surely-she would fight till the very end. She avowed she would never let Umma and that Sagiru of a man to hurt her feelings. That was then.

Sagiru looked at Umma with pleading eyes. She had promised to give him one of her father's farm in Galadimawa village if he made sure Hayfah marries Malik, and he couldn't lose that huge opportunity for his whole life.

"Don't worry, we shall find a way out. She thought she was strong enough to object me, I think it's the death that was still crumbling her up. But she'll be back to her senses." Umma said and dismissed him with the package of biscuits and sweets he would distribute to their relatives and hers.

Hayfah sat down on her bed, she wasn't crying_but her heart was literally on fire. Everything pains. She heard someone shuffling in the room, making some sounds, she knew who it was and she haven't even look up to her. They haven't shared a single word between them since she came back from Abuja, and she isn't ready to talk to her forever. Not after knowing she wasn't the sister she thought she was. Not after seeing those pictures in Abuja, not after what she came back and told her Abba.

The place beside her dipped, emanating someone sat down. She huffed out an air from her mouth and kept staring at space-she knew this wouldn't end in peace_for she is fed up with what they're doing to her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Look who is getting married in just two weeks. Aren't you supposed to be happy about this? Isn't he your Betty? I thought you guys loved each other!" Amna taunted and snickered, rolling her eyes at Hayfah with so much despise. She was enjoying every bit of where this is taking them, but all she knew and is sure of_at last, Adyan would be hers.

Hayfah ignored her and stood up, she suddenly decided to pack all her belongings in the house_incase the need to leave the house forever arises, for she would never let them get her married to the person she doesn't love and would forever not.

"Awwwn, such a pity. Is my Baby sis getting into an arranged marriage? But you need to rethink about this baby, he is handsome, rich and sensationally hot. What else do you want? Ohhh I get..." Hayfah closed her eyes, because she knew where this is getting to, and she wouldn't mind beating the hell out of Amna today, about this.

"...he isn't as handsome as your kayejo huh? No! He would never be as handsome as Addy. That guy is heaven baby sis...," before Amna could close her mouth, Hayfah landed a loud striking slap on her right cheek-she didn't even know how she walked the distance in seconds-and she tilted her face up to protest when she slapped her left cheek harder than before.

"Enough is enough, Amna! Know your limits, know the person you're dealing with! I'm no more the person you knew, wallahi I can beat the hell out of you in this house without having anyone to stop me. It's either you mind your business or taste the bitter side of Hayfah Talhah Muhammad. Such and idiot you are!" With that, she picked up her phone and texted Malik, she realized it was time she severe all the ties she had with everyone. For not everyone was needed in her life.

"Did you just slapped me, Hayfah?" Amna asked with a shaky voice, afraid to slap Hayfah back and get herself the beating of her life. For this was a completely different Hayfah.

"Stop making it sound as if you were not sure. Yes! I slapped you Amna, and one more word about him, wallahi you will know who you're dealing with." She didn't spare her a look, took her hijab and phone before walking out of the house, for Malik had texted her that he was outside-she doesn't give a damn about how fast was that.

She walked out of the house and found him leaning on his car. His face broke into a smile as he sighted her pale and empty face. He walked towards her but she lifted up her hands and stopped him, looking at him with the look that emotes sheer despise.

"Don't even take a step towards me. What do you think you are? My life's planner or the person that knows the best for me? Do you think I was joking when I told you I don't love you and would never get married to you? Malik you were really underestimating me! You don't know the person you're dealing with. Just enter this house and take whatever trash you brought and leave here-for eternity I mean!" She thundered, bulging out her eyes in an infuriated way, pointing at him with her index finger. She was just sooo fed up with everything and everyone.

He looked distraughted and started moving towards her, but the look she flashed him made him stopped on his track. He made a pleading gesture with his hand, "Hayfah, I beg you in the name of Allah-don't do this to me, I can't live without you Hayfah. Please don't shun me out." She looked at him with a glaring eyes. She've once heard his sentences, and what are they now? Lies.

"You know what? Talking to you right now is choking up my breath. But let me tell you one thing, it might be of help. I've always thought that I wouldn't live without Abba in my life, and you see? I'm living perfectly okay. So it's either you save yourself from the stress or suffer the repercussions!"

"I can only take back my proposal or should I say cut off the wedding when I'm sure you have someone you love and you're sure he would take a very good care of you. I want to know if there is someone that loves you more than I do."

"You know what? The word love is pernicious to my life. So keep the word love out of my life! I love myself, and I'm more than 100% sure that you would never love me more than I love myself. So back off, I don't need you in my life. I don't need anyone!" His words hit a painful spot in her life. For she've thought that Adyan loves her even morethan she loves herself, but he betrayed her trust and made her realized she was the only one that could truly love herself.

"I see you love yourself, that's why you let that moron slapped you without doing anything!"

"Malik Ahsan! It's better we didn't dive into that. But have my words: I've severed all ties with you. And Wallahi Tallahi, I'm a muslimah, and you know I know the consequence of my words, I just give you two days, if you didn't back off and leave my life completely-Wallahi Malik nobody will ever see me, not even my family. Prove your words that you love me!" She didn't wait for his reply as she thumped back inside their house with a stoney heart.