Sweet Haram.

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Hanif's  POV.
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I was working on a proposal on my laptop when Usman walks in. "Ango! Are you done?"

"Why are you so interested? It's unlike you".
He laughs "Yeah well my car has been having problems for a while now so I dropped it off at my mechanic's before taking napep here".

I smile "Makes so much sense".
He looks at Dahir's desk "Where is your guy nah? It seems like you're missing him".

"Yes ofcourse, he always took care of all the physical stuff and it would have been really helpful if he was here".

"I'm sure".
"So? When are you leaving?"

I shake my head "It's not soon".
"Meaning?" he asks hopefully.

I smile "Meaning there's no point having hope".
"If you say so. But I'm going to wait on your friend's table".

"Don't touch anything, he notices it".
"That guy has the eye of a hawk".

I chuckle "If you met his father it wouldn't surprise you. They are exactly alike".

"Wasn't his father the one who led us in prayer a few months back? Well it would make sense since he is our boss's son in law".

I say nothing.
"Then you two must be closer than I thought".
"We are practically brothers, related".

"I should get married too. You're already starting to look plumpy".

I raise my head, glaring at him "Don't you dare".
He laughs.

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The moment I park the car Fayza runs out looking alarmed. "What is it?" I ask feeling worried.

"Reema is at Dahir's house right now. He just called and apparently she has a mark on her face, I think that insolent fool might have beaten her".

I can already imagine it, unlike both her brothers she took her mother's fair skin so I can only imagine how visible it looks.

"Let's go".

I follow her out.

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Dahir and I sat in the living room while all three women were inside, discussing. I didn't know what to say to him, he was shaking his legs furiously, his eyes closed as he leaned his head on the chair.

Usually when he's pissed I just leave but I can't, not in this situation.

He finally sits up "I'm going out, it feels stuffy inside" he puts on his slides and walks out. I as the good friend followed behind him.

"What the hell was Baba thinking?!" was the first thing that came out of his mouth the moment I close the door. That was probably why he left, to vent.

"Why!" he growled. "I warned him about that man, I warned him but he didn't listen. So what if his father is a renowed man of God! So what? How many people worship Allah for one man to be out of this world? Now my sister runs home with a bruised face? My baby sister?!" he complains looking like he would kill the next person he sees.

"Imagine how much she suffered..." he gets calm "And I couldn't do anything because Baba forbade me but I'm done, I can't sit back and do nothing anymore".

"For now you should just be there for her. Help her confront your parents". I advice.

He huffs, looking sad "Not any time soon. Not until her face gets better. I can't let Ma see her this way, she would die of heartache. She didn't want the marriage too, only Baba did. I'll take her there the moment she gets better".

" Yeah. Imagine how she feels, her children forced into marrying people they don't like. Knowing how much pain her daughter goes through. Especially now that she has a child to take care of".

He stares at me like he just got a revelation.
"What?" I ask.

"Mallika said she thinks Ma didn't like her and I promised her otherwise maybe she was right. It was Ma I went to when I found out I was marrying her, she even cried. She probably started despising her because of me".

I say nothing, maybe it's not my place.
He huffs "I forgot how emotional she can be. She must be feeling like she failed us. I'll have to go see her tomorrow, maybe even offer to take her shopping".

"Maybe that's the best thing to do".
I nod.

"Let's go back in".
And that's why I let him be when he's angry, he finds a way to calm himself down eventually.

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"Ya Hanif" she says hugging me. I can't believe Reema is the one going through domestic abuse. She's still a child, she still behaves like one.

"You still hug me? Even when you're someone's mother?" I ask.
She pulls away a bit embarrassed, realising things aren't the way they used to be, now I'm her cousin's husband.

"Yeah. I'm a fully grown adult".
"You're just 23".

Mallika walks in with Fayza walking behind her. Obviously all three girls cried their eyes out.

I turn back to Reema who looked like a tomato, she must have cried more than any of them. Her eyes get bigger, red and scarier just like Dahir's.

"Have you eaten?" Dahir asks his sister.
"You know I don't joke around with eating".

"Better because you know if you don't little Khalid will have to watch me punish and then feed his mother".

She laughs, she still laughs over the lamest jokes.
"The irony".

She looks at Fayza and I "Well it's getting late so you two should get home. Fayza has work to do and I'm sure you do too".

I nod "You'll come over koh?"
She smiles "You haven't met your nephew".

"We'll wait".
I smile and walk out while Fayza says her goodbyes.

Finally after waiting outside the gate for 10 minutes she finally walks out wiping her tears. "I can't believe it's the first time I'm meeting my nephew and he's 2years old".

Yeah.
Her husband didn't let her come home, instead when she was almost due he sent her to his parent's house in Kazaure. I'm still surprised Ma survived those times.

She was always falling unconscious but she pulled through because at the end of the day she's the only mother they have and things aren't as bad since she sometimes convinces their father.

"Don't worry, this is the end of it inshallah".
She smiles "I hope so, she's like my little sister. I don't like seeing her hurt".

"She has Dahir and Anwar, we both know that those two will make sure all hell breaks loose if anything happens. But she also has me too".

"I know".

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