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Page 25: A Secret Uncovered and Mothers' Schemes
Muhammad remembered his phone, which he had left on the dresser earlier, so he headed back inside to retrieve it. He found Maryam completely engrossed in jumping around, entirely unaware of his presence until he spoke.
"When you are done, Ammey is calling you," he said, picking up his phone from the mirror. He turned and left without looking back at her.
She continued until she grew tired, then went to clean his bathroom thoroughly before stepping out. Not seeing him in the parlor, she noticed a door leading downstairs. Peeking inside, she saw several computers. Believing Maryam and Karam were not around, she stepped inside. But just as she was about to touch something, he suddenly walked in as if thrown into the room.
Seeing what she was about to do, his expression darkened instantly. "What did you leave here for me?" he asked in the cold, stern voice he was known for.
Startled by his sudden voice, Maryam turned around in panic. Seeing his fierce demeanor, her body began to tremble. "I... I just came to see if you were here, and when I didn't see you, that's why..."
"That's why you came to check on what you hid here, right?" he demanded coldly. Her trembling intensified as she realized his expression looked as though he had never smiled a day in his life.
"Stop looking at me like that," she said, her voice shaking with fear.
Tightening his expression even further, he pressed, "I am asking you, what did you leave in here?"
"For God's sake, Bross, please let me pass before Mama returns and finds me missing," she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes as she deeply regretted stepping into what clearly looked like his private office.
"Don't you dare cry in front of me, or I will trample you right here and now," he warned intimidatingly.
She immediately choked back her tears, waiting for him to clear the way. After drilling her with his piercing gaze, he firmly pinched her ear and dragged her back toward their section of the house.
She burst into tears because he wasn't pinching gently—he twisted it maliciously. Spotting them from afar, Nassar quickly slipped out of the house, realizing their older brother was on an absolute warpath today.
As they walked in, Mama was just arriving. Seeing him harshly dragging her daughter by the ear, she screamed in a fury, "You wicked, cruel oppressor! What did she do to you? Or has your usual malice flared up again? Release her ear before you rip it off, you cruel monster!"
She shouted this from the safety of the doorway, deeply intimidated by him whenever his ruthless side emerged.
Ignoring her completely, he kept torturing Maryam until she was thoroughly exhausted before shoving her toward her mother and walking out. Hearing the string of curses and insults Mama hurled at his back, a bitter smile played on his lips as he stroked his closely cropped hair. He performed his ablutions and left for the mosque as the Maghrib call to prayer began.
Inside, after finishing her tirade against MD, Mama turned on Maryam. "And you, what did you do to him to make him want to ruin you like this?"
Sobbing, Maryam replied, "Just because I entered his computer room! He caught me in there and started his furious outburst right from the spot."
Horrified, Mama gasped, "Good heavens! What on earth took you into that degenerate's room, Sailuba? Baby, what business do you have with him to warrant going to his quarters? Have you started mingling with him? Please, protect my dignity, baby, and do not ruin a plan I have spent years perfecting!"
Maryam stared at her mother in utter bewilderment. Why was she so completely unhinged just because she had entered MD's room? Could her mother be plotting something sinister?
Shaking her roughly, Hajiya Sailuba demanded, "Maryam, tell me, when did you start interacting with Muhammad?"
"Mama, isn't he my brother?" Maryam asked in confusion. "Mama, please tell me what is so wrong with that. You look so panicked—can he actually harm me?" She fixed her eyes intently on her mother.
Realizing she had overreacted, Hajiya Sailuba quickly composed herself. "It's not that, baby. You know that when a man and a woman are secluded, the third person among them is the devil. That is why I am so cautious with you."
Exhausted by the conversation, Maryam muttered, "Nothing will happen, Insha Allah, Mama. And I have never entered that room before today."
Letting out a hidden sigh of relief, Mama said, "Well, don't do it again."
"I understand," Maryam replied, retreating to her room, thoroughly drained by the discussion.
As soon as Hajiya Sailuba reached her own room, without even pausing for prayer, she scrambled for her phone and dialed Hajiya Zakiyya. The moment the call connected, she skipped all greetings:
"I am ruined, everything is ruined!"
Panicked, Hajiya Zakiyya asked, "What is it, my friend? What could have happened since we parted just moments ago?"
"Zakiyya, that foolish girl is on the verge of destroying our plans! I told you I wanted to deal with her, but you stopped me. Wallahi, she is going to ruin a seventeen-year-old plot just when victory is within my grasp!"
"What exactly happened to make you speak in such frantic riddles?" Hajiya Zakiyya pressed, anxious to understand her friend's terror.
Without delay, Hajiya Sailuba recounted everything that had transpired since her return. She added, "I am terrified they will dismantle the ancient enmity I spent years planting between them, right when I need that girl to be completely ruined..."
Hajiya Zakiyya cut her off sharply, "Are you doubting the power of our new sorcerer?"
"I don't doubt him, but I fear the counter-plots of that bastard boy's mother. You know her family has deep roots in dark medicine as well."
"Don't worry, my friend. If she stands up, we will meet her halfway," Zakiyya reassured her, reinforcing their wicked alliance.
Meanwhile, Maryam went to take a bath as evening prayers approached. She wrapped herself in a towel, performed ablutions, and threw on a long dress and a hijab without bother for lotions. After completing her prayers and reciting the Holy Quran, she changed into a stunning, pristine white top and trousers. Written in bold blue text across the chest was ONLY FOR YOU. The matching trousers stopped just past her knees, making her look exceptionally beautiful. She styled her long hair into a ponytail, tied a matching blue bandana around her head, and began snapping selfies with her phone.
As she was taking photos, MD and Nassar walked into the room. The moment she saw MD, her face hardened, remembering his actions earlier. A subtle smile touched his lips as he stroked his cheek.
Approaching her, she looked down, her face tight with resentment. He stared at her, completely captivated by her intense beauty. Reaching out, he lifted her chin and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Before she could pull away, he took her phone, leaned in close against her side, and began taking pictures of them together.
Nassar chimed in, "Wow, Bross, you two look amazing together, just like a couple!" He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth when he saw the look MD gave him, though a smile lingered on MD's face.
"Include me too!" Nassar laughed, squeezing into the middle. They played around together, though Maryam remained cold toward MD, refusing to acknowledge him because of the ear-twisting incident.
Suddenly, Muhammad's phone rang. Seeing it was Baffa calling from a Nigerian line, he answered quickly, "May Allah protect my Baffa," a warm smile spreading across his face. Nassar and Maryam fell silent at the mention of their father.
"Come pick me up at the airport," was all Baffa said before hanging up.
"Yes!" MD cheered, hopping slightly. They stared at him before Nassar asked, "Baffa is back?"
MD extended his hand for a high-five. "That's why I love you, you catch on fast! Let's go pick him up," he said, taking the boy's hand.
"I want to come too," Maryam's voice cut in. He turned to look at her outfit, then shook his head slightly. "Honestly, we can't wait for you to change," he said, tightening his expression.
"For God's sake, I'll just throw an abaya over it!" she pleaded.
"Two minutes," he barked as he and Nassar walked out.
Page 26: The Storm and the Breaking Point
She met them by the car. Nassar was chattering away while MD was completely absorbed in his phone.
The moment her fragrance filled the air, his head snapped up. His eyes locked onto her, and his heart began to pound with a frantic rhythm—a sensation he had never experienced before.
"Let's go," she said, her own heart racing under his intense gaze. In her mind, her mother's dark warnings echoed. Could Mama have been right about him all along? She harbored these anxious thoughts as she climbed into the vehicle.
"My princess, please lend me your phone," Abdul Nassar asked, leaning over from his seat.
"What do you need it for?" she asked without looking up.
"I want to call Anty, please."
Before she could hand it over, her phone rang. A sudden wave of apprehension washed over her as she saw an unrecognized number. Who could be calling me? she wondered.
"Answer it," his voice commanded unexpectedly.
She answered without looking at him. Before she could speak, a voice on the other end murmured, "Peace be upon you, O Queen of Beauties." A small smile escaped her lips; by now, she was growing accustomed to D-Boy's relentless persistence and his smoothly comforting words.
"And peace be upon you, my frie—"
Before she could finish, MD slammed on the brakes with brutal violence. Maryam was thrown forward, smacking hard against the dashboard. Her phone slipped from her hand and landed directly on his lap.
He snatched the phone, shoved it into his pocket, and marched around to her side of the car in a blind rage. "Get the hell out of my car!"
Stunned, she stared at him, completely unaware of what she had done to trigger such sudden, explosive fury. "Get out, I said!" he roared.
Trembling with fear, she scrambled out of the vehicle. He slammed the door, hit the gas, and sped off with terrifying speed, leaving her in a cloud of dust. Checking her watch, it was just before 9:00 PM. She burst into bitter tears, looking up at the sky as dark, menacing storm clouds gathered overhead. Clutching her racing chest, she wept, "Good heavens, what did I do to this wicked man to make him abandon me here?"
Suddenly, the sky opened up, and a torrential downpour unleashed. Maryam harbored a paralyzing phobia of storms, and he had dropped her in an isolated area with no houses in sight. A fresh wave of absolute hatred for him consumed her as she began walking slowly through the heavy rain, sobbing hysterically as her body shook from the chill.
In the back seat, Nassar sat frozen, terrified by his brother's reckless driving. His heart bled for Maryam; he hadn't seen her do anything wrong to warrant being abandoned in the middle of nowhere. He hadn't even noticed the storm until the blinding rain forced MD to slam the brakes to a halt.
Nassar burst into loud, panicked tears. "That's it, my sister is going to die!" he sobbed.
MD glared at him, pulling the boy close. "What did you just say?"
Instead of answering, Nassar cried, "What did she do to you, Bross, to make you leave her all alone where there's no one? What if something terrible happens to her? And she is terrified of the rain! Whenever it storms, she never steps outside!"
The boy's words struck his heart like a physical blow. Without a word, he spun the car around and drove back aggressively, filled with sudden self-loathing over what he had done, even though his chest still burned with a strange, inexplicable jealousy over the way she had been speaking to another man.
Meanwhile, Maryam trudged along the deserted road, surrounded only by the roaring sound of the rain. Her heart pounded so violently that her limbs felt weak. She had walked quite a distance from where he dropped her, wiping the rain from her face as it washed away her endless tears.
As he drove, Baffa's line rang again. MD pulled over and answered. "Don't bother coming, the weather is terrible and I've taken a taxi," Baffa said, hanging up immediately. MD said nothing, grateful his father hadn't sensed his distress.
Reaching the area where he had abandoned her, he slowed down. His heart dropped when he didn't see her anywhere, causing Nassar to wail louder, fearing the worst.
"Shut up and stop stressing me out!" MD snapped, his face flushed red with anxiety. He was deeply berating himself now, realizing how completely unacceptable his actions were.
He crawled the car forward, scanning the darkness. Maryam, thoroughly drenched and exhausted from crying, was losing the battle against a sudden, raging fever. Finding a large rock by the side of the road, she sank onto it, shivering violently and sobbing into her knees.
"There she is, Bross!" Nassar shouted, pointing her out.
MD threw the door open and sprinted out into the pouring rain, ordering Nassar to stay inside. His heart twisted at the sight of her huddled figure. He knelt in front of her and placed a hand on her trembling shoulder.
She snapped her head up in absolute terror. She hadn't expected him to return, knowing him only as a ruthless tyrant who hated her, just as her mother had always said.
She glared at him with bloodshot eyes that swam with fresh tears.
"Sorry," he muttered from the depths of his throat, his voice trembling slightly.
"Sorry for what?!" she spat bitterly, consumed by rage and resentment.
"Come on, let's go," he urged, looking at how the heavy rain had soaked through her clothes, causing them to cling tightly to her skin. She completely ignored him, acting as if he weren't even there.
"Please," he begged, the cold rain starting to penetrate his own skin.
"Get away from me! Don't you ever involve yourself in my life again. There is nothing between us, you monster!" she yelled, her teeth chattering violently against the freezing cold.
"Please," he begged again, looking as if he might cry himself.
Shoving his shoulder, she cried, "No! I ha—"
Before she could finish the word "hate," he violently pulled her forward and slammed his lips onto hers, kissing her with a desperate, punishing intensity. When he finally released her, his voice shook with raw emotion: "So it's only that worthless boyfriend of yours that you don't hate, right? You're treating me like this just because I showed my anger over you entertaining some random bastard? Well, thank you very much!"
Only then did the realization hit her: this was the reason behind his explosive cruelty. Her rage multiplied. Vowing never to step foot inside his car again, she stood up and began walking away into the storm.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled. Ignoring him completely, she kept walking.
Realizing that reasoning with her was futile, MD rolled up his sleeves, scooped her up in his arms despite her kicking and screaming, and marched back to the car.
Page 27: Feverish Nights and Inner Turmoil
He opened the door and tossed her into the back seat next to Nassar. She buried her face in her hands, weeping hysterively, the veins in her forehead throbbing against her flushed face.
Nassar watched her in silent pity, noting the rain dripping from her shivering body; the violent tremors left no doubt that a severe fever had already taken hold of her.
MD drove back in a tense, chaotic silence. Her crying hammered heavily against his heart. He felt a profound sense of guilt, yet his stubborn pride refused to fully accept the blame—he simply could not tolerate the sight of her speaking intimately to another man in his presence. The thought burned him to his core. Why on earth are you reacting so blindly over her? a voice in his mind questioned. She's just going to run off with that degenerate classmate of hers, he muttered aloud, hitting the steering wheel with brutal force. Both siblings jumped, and Maryam’s sobs quieted into a stunned silence at his sudden outburst.
The moment they arrived home, she didn't even stop to ask for her phone. She flung the door open and bolted into the house, sobbing past Mama and Ammey who were sitting in the parlor. Locking her bedroom door behind her, she stripped off her soaked clothes and ran a scalding hot bath. Shivering violently, she submerged herself in the water, letting out long, shaky sighs as the heat slowly restored life to her limbs. After a thorough wash, she applied some lotion, climbed straight into bed, and fell into a restless sleep, missing the arrival of her beloved Baffa entirely.
The following morning, she remained in her room until late, meticulously doing her makeup to mask the exhaustion before stepping out with an air of calm elegance. Despite looking a bit pale, her striking beauty remained intact.
Baffa looked up and smiled warmly, extending his hand. "Come here and sit down," he said, gesturing to the spot beside him. "I missed you all terribly, my children." She placed her hand in his as he pulled her onto the couch beside him.
From the moment she walked in, MD’s eyes had been glued to her, finding her even more devastatingly beautiful than before. She greeted her parents politely, but when it came to MD, she offered a strained, barely audible greeting without making eye contact. Her face remained a mask of cold resentment as she began mixing some tea.
Once Mama and Ammey finished breakfast, they retreated to Baffa's private lounge to discuss some matters.
The moment they left, MD pushed his plate aside, rested his chin on his hands, and fixed her with an intense, intoxicating gaze. Seeing this, Nassar quietly gathered his things and left the dining area to give them space.
She felt utterly suffocated by his unrelenting stare but fought to keep her composure, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing he rattled her. Unable to swallow a bite of food, she resorted to just sipping her tea. Suddenly, he stood up and took the cup from her hand. Sitting right next to her, he brought the cup to her lips. She turned her head away, her expression hardening further.
"I am sorry, please. How is your body feeling?" he asked softly, gently caressing the side of her face. She ignored him completely, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Not even D-Boy's worst insults had cut her as deeply as MD's cruelty.
Gently forcing her face back toward him, he offered the food again. "Don't cry in front of me. I am truly sorry, please," he murmured in a softened tone. Without a word, she attempted to stand up and leave, but he unleashed a sudden, sharp command that made her drop back into her seat instinctively.
"Wallahi, I will trample you right now! Just because I am trying to pamper you, you think you can bring this disrespect to me? Eat, lady!" he growled, his face twisting into a harsh glare. Terrified by his sudden shift, she opened her mouth and let him feed her, swallowing the food through her silent tears. Once he was satisfied she had eaten enough, he gave her some water, took her hand firmly, and led her toward his quarters.
He hadn't slept a wink the previous night, his mind entirely consumed by what he had done to her. No matter how much he searched his soul for the root of his explosive reaction, the answer always returned to a singular, undeniable truth: she had been on the phone with another man in his presence. And the underlying reason for that anger could be summarized in three simple words: I LOVE HER. No matter how he tried to spin the situation, that reality completely disrupted his peace...
