Chapter 61: Chapter 61

All the reasons not to do this came flooding in, as if her body chemistry just sent them a blanket invitation. She felt the soft panic that can grow or fade, depending on what she would do next. It would fade if she just marched into his room and cancel the wedding, but it was too late. She was pacing around in her room all dressed up to go to his uncle’s house because he requested for mahmud to also come along with her. The thoughts swirled in her mind, making her more anxious.

She looked at the clock and her breath hitched. She knew he would be out soon. Just on cue, he came knocking at her door making her to jump in horror. She sighed and walked towards the door. She unlocked it and opened the door. She looked at his glowing face to his fascinating Kaftaan. She looked at him again and blocked twice. He was handsome from the depth of his eyes to the gentle expression of his voice. “Are you ready?” He asked. She looked up again and breathed out. She smiled and nodded. He smiled again, “where’s amatullah? We should get going now.” She nodded again and went back into the room. She slipped into her hijab and picked up the baby. She took the baby’s bag and sauntered. They walked side by side out to his car.

He opened the door for her and she entered before he walked to the other side and hopped in. He looked at her and simpered, “are you sure you're ready for this?” He asks the question smoothly, the baritone of his voice reverberating through her bones. She gazed at him and rubbernecked. A small smile played on his lips. She squeaks and the flushes lightly when she realizes that he was waiting for an answer. “I'm fine... I’m ready... let’s get going...” She muttered, apprehensively. He gave her another soft smile before starting the ignition.

She surveyed the streets of bauchi and couldn't get the thought out of her mind. She was really going to marry him? Mahmud, the man she calls her best friend? it still amazed her that she was going to be a married woman in just few minutes. Everything felt like she was in a fantasy world.

The car came to a halt in front of the gate, he honked at the ironed brown gate and the gate man opened it. He drove in and parked the car at the parking space. He gazed at her and simpered, “we’re here,” he announced and all the reasons not to do it came flooding in. She shook her head as the panic surged. “I.. I don't think I can do this.... No, can we go home please?” She muttered, shaken. He shook his head and gave her a soft smile. “You'll be fine, okay? He just wants to see you, thats all. I’m with you....” She beheld his eyes for a minute and nodded. “Let’s go get married.” He winked.

She suppressed a smile. He could tell from her blush that she was now ready for it. They hopped out of the car and walked towards the entrance. They entered and head straight to his living room. He already had few people in the living room waiting for their arrival.

She couldn't tell what was making her to panic; the eyes on them or the fact that she was really getting married without her own father knowing about it. She restrained herself and walked further into the living room. They greeted the men in union and settled in the living room. Baffah took the baby and peered at her face. He smiled and shook his head. He glanced at maryam and smiled at her even though her head was since they came in. “Sannu maryam, right?” He inquired, she looked up and nodded.

“Shall we? It’s almost time for Maghrib,” the imam interrupted. Baffah nodded and they proceeded to do the nikkah. Her heart pounded harder in her chest but she tried to ignore it and slow her breathing. The only reason she's not breaking down was because of the men in front of her. She silently gripped the edge of her hijab and closed her eyes, listening to what they were saying.

The moment she heard the knot has been tied, everything went mute. Adrenaline floods in her system, it pumped and beats like it’s trying to escape. she thought, her heart would explode while her eyes were wide with fear. She looked up and scanned the room. They all cheered and prayed for them. She lowered her head and took deep breathes. “Mahmud, take her to Sadiya’s room to pray before you guys.” she heard baffah said. Mahmud stood up and took amatullah from baffah before they headed further into the house.

He spoke as they walk towards her room. “The woman he mentioned is his wife. We call her aunty Sadiya or aunty Halima, anyone you want. She's very nice, I know you guys will get along.” He knocked and few moments later, a middle aged woman opened the door. “Mahmud, you're here. Your uncle told me you were coming.” She smiled at them. She looked at maryam, “come in please. You're welcome,” she shifted for maryam to enter. They exchanged pleasantries before she entered the room. She scopped the baby away from mahmud before he left. “Sit down on the bed. Please feel free, okay?” The woman said, settling down on the bed. Maryam smiled and also settled down beside her but a bit far.

“You have a cute baby, masha Allah,” she commented looking at the baby’s face. Maryam smiled sheepishly and muttered a ‘thank you.’

“The toilet is there, you can go in and perform wudhu,” she said pointing at a door. Maryam stood up and removed her hijab before she entered. She came out few moments later to find no one in the room. Her eyes caught sight of the praying spread for her. She walked to where she kept her hijab and wore it. She was praying when aunty sadiya came back together with the maid holding a tray of refreshment.

After she was done praying, aunty sadiya urged her to eat before mahmud comes back. She settled down on the soft carpet looking at the tray in front of her. All the thought of her being married now made her to lose her appetite. She had too much to worry about. Aunty sadiya stared at her in pity. “You shouldn’t let anything bother you, okay? Take this as part of your Qadr and you were destined to marry him this way. Pray and leave the rest to Allah for he is Al Khabir and As Sami’. Now eat up before he comes back.”

Maryam nodded her head and looked away. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her palms. She was trying not to cry in front of her but the tears wouldn't stop. “Salamu Alaikum,” he came in with. “Wa’alaikumus Salam. Good, you're back. You should stay with her while I go check on dinner,” she said, keeping amatullah on the bed before leaving.

He walked further into the room to where Maryam was sitting. He plumped down in front of her on the carpet. Her heart was beating loudly that she thought he might hear it. When he spoke to her, it was a low roll of thunder. His words were always soft and soothing. “Why are you crying? What happened? Or you don't like being married to me?” He asks the question smoothly.

She shook her head, her face still covered with her hands. “Okay, then look at me and tell me what’s wrong. Do you need something?” He asked and she shook her head again. She wiped the tears and looked at him. “It’s just that.... I didn't picture my wedding nikkah to happen this way.... Without my father even knowing. I always imagined him being the one to marry me off....” She voiced out to. He nodded, “I know how you feel. I didn't picture my second wedding to be this way either but verily, Allah will not decree anything for us except what is good. And don't forget that I will always be with you through thick and thin, through good and bad times, okay?” she nodded, her lips quirked upwards in a joyous smile.

“We should get going now. Ahmad has been waiting for me, he wants to speak with me about something,” he uttered with a dazed expression. She nodded and rose up from the carpet. He held the baby while she took the baby’s bag before they sauntered out. They met baffah together with aunty sadiya. The guests had already left after maghrib. “Don't tell me you're leaving now, dinner is almost ready.” Aunty sadiya looked at them both with a smile. “Yes we are. I have somewhere to go now that’s why we have to leave now,” he asseverated.

“I would like to speak with you tomorrow, mahmud. You can come in the afternoon since tomorrow is Saturday,” baffah spoke and mahmud replied him. “Yes I also have something for your wife. I’ll give it to you when you come tomorrow,” aunty sadiya added. Maryam thanked her and they bade them goodnight before finally leaving.

He dropped her off at home before leaving to Ahmad’s place. She entered her room and carefully dropped the baby in her cradle. She stared at the baby’s face for few minutes and looked away. She thought she would be relieved and happy after the nikkah but nothing feels okay. Nothing feels right. What was going on with her now?

She settled down on her bed and took her phone. She stared at her screen lock, lips quivered upwards. It was a picture of her and her parents on her graduation. She sighed and unlocked the picture. She dialled on mommy’s number hoping she would pickup. “Maryam? How are you? How did the nikkah go?” She posed. “It.... Was... okay mommy but I really don't feel fine...” She trailed off and sighed.

Mommy was quite for a while before she asked, “what’s wrong dear? Something happened?”

“I feel very uncomfortable and my heart keeps skipping beats. I just.... Maybe it’s because daddy doesn't know about the marriage... I don't know what’s wrong exactly....” She spoke, disconsolate. “It will be all well in sha Allah. Just keep praying and don't play with you azkhar. I even spoke with mahmud earlier today. Everything will be okay, okay?” She simply answered with a yes but she was starting to get tired of hearing everything will be fine, not that she was losing hope. It was just tiring.

She stood up to pray when it was time before she fed amatullah and headed out to the kitchen to make dinner. She didn't know what to do exactly. Was she supposed to make dinner with him or what? Or she should call and ask? But it’s been almost an hour since he left, maybe he has already eaten his dinner. She shrugged the thought away and opened the pantry.

Her heart was still racing but she ignored it even though it was impossible to do that. She was cutting some onions when she heard a faint noice in the living room. She stared at the door contemplating wether to go check it or not. She dropped the knife, washed her hand and quickly stepped out when she remembered amatullah. She entered her room and walked to the cradle to find her still sleeping. She sighed and smiled. She peered at her for a few seconds before going back to the kitchen to finish cooking.

She was done cooking in less than two hours and set everything on a tray. She picked it up to leave before she heard a loud noise from the door. Her eyes widened as her heart skipped beats. She was even too scared to go check what was that. Maybe it was mahmud, she hoped. She walked towards the door like the floor would give out under her tiny body body ass. Every step was so light that she makes no sound at all. She was scared. So scared.

She heard a loud noise but this time it was louder than the first one, like a gunshot. She covered her mouth with her hands to avoid screaming while she moved backwards. Her phone wasn't even there, left alone to think of calling mahmud. She wanted to follow the back door and run but she couldn't leave that poor baby. She summoned her courage and walked towards the door. Her hands trembled and her eyes water as she reached her hand towards the doorknob. No one was in the dinning room, same as the living room. She heaved a sigh of relieve, her nerves relaxed. But where did that noise came from? She quickly stepped into her room and everything turned to a fantasy, a bad one.

She looked around the pool of blood underneath her feet and looked at the baby’s cradle. She wasn't in there. She looked around the room. with every move she made, she got more terrified. She could feel the sweat drenching her skin, the throbbing of her own heart.

The paralysing hurt spread through her body like icy, liquid metal. She clenched her fists as she hesitantly traced the blood that led her to the bathroom. She knew no doubt it would be either her baby or mahmud. She was even too scared to find out who it was. Her legs twitched, fighting not to give up. Her throat closed in threat of screaming at the sight of her baby in the bathtub, lain there in blood and lifeless.

**

“Nadia! Nadia!!” he kept calling, but she didn't answer. He hissed softly and stood up from the sofa. He glided up the stairs to her room. She wasn't inside. He heard the water running from the bathroom. He heaved a sigh and sat down on the bed beside her phone. He brought out his phone and continued with what he was doing while waiting for her. Her phone vibrated indicating a new message but he ignored it. It did again and again. He hissed and glimpsed at the phone for brief seconds. His eyes caught sight of the texts that was sent.

His mouth opened, eyes widened while he picked up the phone and swipe open the text messages. He scrolled to the beginning of their conversation. He read from where she asked them rape maryam to where they successfully did to where she asked them to go kill the baby and then the new messages looming in. They've successfully killed the baby like she asked them to.

He sat there on the bed still rereading to make sure what he read wasn't fiction. His eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. His wife was all behind this mischief? She was the one that ruined maryam’s life and tarnished her image. Destroyed the relationship between her and her parents. All because he said he wanted to marry her?

She peeped again from her closet deeply scared to come out. She peeped once more, hoping he didn't see what was crossing her mind. She finally stepped out and stood far away from him. His mouth was still wide open. He looked at her and stood up. “You did everything? You did everything? Why are you so evil?” He asked walking towards her. She shifted back and shook her head. “I can explain everything, I swear...”

“You what? You can explain? Explain what? What?” He thundered, anger boiled deep in his system, as hot as lava. He sighed and rubbed his temple. He shoved the phone in his pocket and sauntered out of the room. He locked her up and left the key there. He walked into his room and picked his car keys before leaving. He locked the back door and the front door before he entered his car and left. He had no idea what he was going to do or where he was going.

If he told his brother he might turn Nadia to the police but he wouldn't want that to happen to his wife. But he had to fix things since he was among the people that ruined maryam’s life. This was the least he could do to make up the things he had done to her.

He swerved the steering wheel and headed to her parents house. He was going to settle things no matter how bad things would turn out for him.