Married To The Gateman

15: Boundaries

"Abba please, let Ya Fareeda go, she didn't do anything wrong. I've witnessed everything." Nana cried as she held his legs and he looked down at her angrily.

"Nana, get out of my sight!" He thundered, and she knew she had only one resort left now. She ran downstairs and all Fareeda did was closed her eyes as she felt the way he beat her mercilessly. She knew even if she tried to defend herself, it would be of no use because he would never believe.

"Were you really going to beat her, Fareeda? Isn't she your mother?!" He thundered as she felt more of the cable on her body. She wanted to cry, it pained her but she would rather choke on her breath than cry in front of these two people.

"It's only because I told her that since she's married now, she should stop staying inside the house because what's the essence of her marriage? I helped packed her bags so she should take them to his chamber but Fareeda nearly killed me that day, it was the gateman that rescued me from her hands. And today, just because I came here to wake her up for prayer knowing she didn't pray, she wanted to beat me. What have I done for this girl, Alhaji?" Ummah wailed and palmed her face. Deep within, she had never felt satisfied with herself like she did today, and relieved as well. Because she knew if not because of Alhaji's intervention, nothing would stop her from getting mercilessly beaten by Fareeda today.

Alhaji turned to look at her and his eyes softened a bit, "I'm sorry, Hadiza. And you did the right thing by asking her to stay in her husband's place. What are you thinking? How could you be married to a man and also not stay with him? Is marriage a joke to you, Fareeda?!" He asked and threw the cable on her bed before he roughly pulled her out of the room. He kept dragging her until the were in the downstairs living room, and all Fareeda did was stared at his back while every part of her body echoed with pain but mentally and physically.

He threw her to the door just when Mujaheed opened the door with Nana tailing behind him as she cried. "I don't want to see your feet in my house ever again, okay? You're married, so you should stay with your husband from today onwards. And if you dare make him divorce you because I know clearly what you're capable of, I'll never forgive you, Fareeda." Her head fell on Mujaheed's feet and he squatted down and lifted her up.

"I'm sorry, Alhaji that this has happened. She's sorry as well." He said, and even though he was burning with rage within, he sounded so calm and apologetic. His hands were around both her shoulders while he lifted her up and she just stood there, frozen. She was hurt beyond words could ever tell and right now even though she wanted to vent her anger on Alhaji, but she didn't even know from where she was going to start.

"Mujaheed, I know you agreed to marry this worthless girl here because of me, and please unless you want to part ways with her, don't let her go no matter what she says or do to you, just call me to put some senses into her. But if you don't want to stay with her anymore, I'll understand, okay?" Mujaheed nodded his head, but for the first time in his life, he wanted nothing but to punch Alhaji so hard on the face.

"I won't, Insha Allah. Thank you for trusting me enough to hand your daughter under my care." He said through gritted teeth even though he had a cool facial expression on his face and he turned to look at Nana that was crying beside them, "Nana, some of the maids should help you bring her things to my chamber, okay?" She nodded her head and began to walk upstairs.

"I'll pack everything now." She said and disappeared.

"I think we should go." He spoke softly to Fareeda but she stayed rooted to her spot. She lifted her bloodshot eyes that hadn't yet shed a single tear and laid them on Alhaji.

"He might've apologized to you on my behalf, but we both know I'm not sorry and I will never be sorry for whatever I'll do to you. I can be the baddest girl in this whole world, and do you know what? You deserve this. You got me married to him despite knowing it's the last thing I'd rather happen to me, you wanted to make my life a living hell by getting me married to him, right? But I assure you, as long as I stay alive, you'll never find peace and happiness, you'd prefer your death more than living in this worthless and dark mansion you've built!" She cleared the bead of sweats on her forehead and when she spoke next, her voice was strange and strong with the intensity of her words. "It has crossed my mind that I've never said this out to you even though we all know its a concrete fact; I hate you, Alhaji Kamal Sardauna, you're the worst father to ever live on earth. The word father shouldn't be addressed to you, you terrible and disgusting man!"