Atonement

4.laying low

The days passed and Sultana found out that nothing sucks more than sitting idle at home,depriving herself from any kind of networking and call making.

She looked at her brother who is sitting adjacent her on the couch,both laying with their eyes glued to the television screen.

"You know,this house sucks. Let's go for a staycation or something."

With a raised eyebrow he shifted his body towards her and slumped his shoulders,scrolling through the images of hotels in Abuja that's suitable for that.

"Look at this place. What do you think?"

"Uhmm,not my type of place."

Just then,their mother walked through the door with three strange people behind her holding very long Chazbis.
The men said their salam and sat down were their mother offered.

"Is she the one?" One of the man pointed at a confused sultana who's now sitting upright.

"Yes she is Malam,it's been years now but nothing about her changed."

"That was what her father said too. I can see the jinns in her,she's been possessed all these long. You!" The Malam pointed at sultana. "go and bring your hijab and come here."

She looked at him and turned around like he wasn't even there."

"You see! It's them. I can see them in her eyes. Get her hijab young boy. Hajiya we need you to hold her down."

Sultan did as instructed pleading with her to put it on.

"Hold her down."
The Malam instructed. The two other men walked to where she is trying to hold her. They caught her arm up and dragged her down to where the malam is.

He hit her head with his palms three times then asked them to remove her hijab claiming the jinns will use it and kill her.

Just as they are about to do that,Qalb came through the door,his scent dominating the whole parlor.

"Assalam alaikum warahmatullah." His deep voice resonated in the room.
He looked at the scenario and for a moment he felt like excusing himself.
Umma,their mother answered in a low tune,slightly embarrassed.
Sultana jumped up from them and ran into his arms.
Yeah that was a surprise for him too.

"Please take me out of this house. Please."

"Young man bring her back here! Kar su shafe ka."

"I know how to handle them. I'm taking her out." He said more like a statement rather than asking for permission.

He led the way to his car,opened the door for her as she silently slid in and watched how he walked carefully to the other side of the car.

"Assalam alaikum warahmatullah."

She replied his salaam silently debating on whether to thank him or just keep shut. Agreeing with the latter,she adjusted her seat facing the window watching how peacefully the rain is falling.

Qalb-Saleem understood that she doesn't want to speak so he just lets her be,playing My mind and me by Selena Gomez and tuning the volume to the lowest.
Given the temperature of the Ac and the earth's temperature at the moment,he pulled out a dark grey blanket from the compartment and wrapped around her chubby body.
For a moment he thought she was asleep so he tried to adjust the torn hijab on her.

"Why are you nice to me?" Her rasp voice startled him,making him jump back to his seat.

A huge part of him wants to tell her it's because she makes his thoughts go wild,she makes his heart beat faster,the sight of her brings an unimaginable peace to his life. He wants to tell that despite how chaotic her life seems to be,to him,it's yet another definition of gentle.