Amidst Our Hearts

Fifty one.

Cairo, Egypt.

"Sakeena is not stepping foot in Egypt and that's final." Amma's voice thundered in the eerily quiet room. She is seething red with rage and her nose keeps flaring as she puffs out breaths of anger. This wasn't what she was expecting when they decided to fly to Egypt right after the incident that happened.

"Try to understand Adara, we need her here with us." Hamiz El-Bahd, Amma's elder brother conjoled but she's not having any of it. "All of you need to be here with us for your safety." He persuaded.

"My children, Sakeena included are safer in Nigeria. I don't want them to get caught in this especially Khalifa." Her voice rose a pitch higher than normal. She's not going to have any of it. Her children are already involved in this case and she doesn't want them to get further involved, putting all their lives in danger.

"Why are you so close to that girl anyway? She's in no way related to us but you went ahead and got her tied down to Khalifa and brought her into this family." Fahima, Wardah's mother and Amma's cousin snickered.

Her cousin's overbearing attitude is starting to get on her nerves. She has been harbouring ill feelings towards Sakeena since she heard the news that the girl is supposedly Khalifa's wife. She knows her daughter has always been obsessed with him since they were kids even though she's older than him. First it was Haaya who stood in her daughter's way and now, Sakeena.

"Stay out of my family matters Fahima." Amma shot her a hot glare. Only her and her twin, Arwa who has been quiet the entire time know the main reason Sakeena got tied to Khalifa and they both swore to take that secret to their graves. "It's my family so I'll handle it myself."

"Let us help you Adara, you don't have to go through this alone." Dalia voiced with concern lacing her tone.

"Isn't Arham's death not enough lesson for all of you? Pardon me for being rude but my other twin lost his life to that heartless man for a mistake my kids are now paying the price for." Her voice cracked at the end. She broke down in her husband's arms with strings of tears rolling down her face. "Do you even know that Haaya is alive?"

That got to them.

Shock. An emotion that makes chills run down your spine and makes your jaw hits the floor. Everyone stared at Amma like she has grown two heads. Gasps were heard before Amma spoke up again.

"You don't know what you're saying." Hamiz shook his heard as he thought of the worst to come. He saw this coming, he actually did but he never thought it'll strike his sister in another country first. "Haaya is dead, she has been for four years and she'll forever be, she won't come back." His voice rose higher while he shakes his head.

Amma stared at her brother as he pulls on a neutral expression but she can see the glint of nervousness in his eyes. His hands a clamped together with sweat glistening under the light. He keeps rocking his body back and forth and his rough breathing reached her ears. He didn't react this way earlier, his entire demeanour changed when Haaya's name was mentioned. Does he know anything related to Haaya's sudden return?

"Haaya is alive and she's in Nigeria threatening to take Sakeena's place in Khalifa's life and ours. She won't rest till she has Sakeena kicked out from our lives because she feels like as soon as she died she got replaced. She feels like we all abandoned her when she got kidnapped. She feels like we didn't find her sooner because we don't love her." Amma paused, tears pooling in her eyes. "And to make matters worst the explosion happened and Arham is dead." She broke down into sobs together with her twin sister as they mourn the death to their brother.