Beyond

UNVEILINGS AND ELEVATIONS

Abuja, Nigeria.

September, 2018.

The soft hum of the air conditioner provided a distant backdrop to the hushed conversation over the phone. Madina fidgeted with the edge of her scarf, her unease evident in the uncertain movements of her fingers.

As she listened, a mixture of emotions played across her face – a delicate dance of loyalty and personal desires. The weight of the request hung heavily in the air, and uncertainty etched lines on her forehead.

"Madina, you have to do this for me," he insisted urgently, his words pressing her to make a choice that seemed impossible. "I need to know what she's up to."

Madina sighed, "I get it, but spying on her feels wrong. What if she finds out? It'll destroy our relationship."

A pregnant pause filled the air before he responded, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone. "Remember, this is for you too."

Madina hesitated, her internal struggle reflected in the turmoil of her thoughts. "Fine, but you owe me big for this. And if things go south, you're the one explaining why I invaded her privacy."

After ending the call, Madina took a deep breath, attempting to steel herself for the task ahead. Her mind raced with conflicting emotions, but a resolute determination settled in. She understood the gravity of the situation and set out to plant the cameras in inconspicuous corners of her cousin's room.

The opportunity presented itself seamlessly – Fatimè was out for a doctor's appointment that usually extended for hours. This window of time would afford Madina the chance to carry out her covert mission without detection.

When Fatimè returned, Madina, wearing a mask of feigned innocence, greeted her. "I didn't know you'd be coming today," Fatimè remarked upon seeing her in the room.

"I wanted to check up on you, A jamo?" Madina replied.

"Fine," Fatimè answered, her weariness evident, not wanting to delve into conversation after the exhaustive visit to the doctor. "Do you want to watch a movie? Khalifa sent some to my laptop yesterday."

Madina nodded, grateful for the offered distraction, yet beneath the surface, the conflict within her simmered, a storm of conflicting emotions masked by the façade of normalcy

---

Lagos, Nigeria.

30th July, 2018.

When the car finally turned to the corner of Fatimè's street, Madina and Fahad both let out a collective sigh of relief. They had been ensnared in a grueling traffic jam for the past two hours, and Fatimè had become increasingly unreachable as time ticked away. Originally, they had planned to visit her the next day, but Madina had insisted on making the trip immediately.

As they pulled up in front of Fatimè's gate, they noticed another car parked there. Suspicion immediately raised its head, and Madina and Fahad quickly exited the vehicle. A man was engaged in a conversation with the security guard, and Fahad approached him with a sense of urgency.

"Hamma Musty," Fahad called out as recognition flashed across his face, "What are you doing here?"

Mustafa looked flustered as he responded, "It was Hammadi who called me. He urgently requested me to come and pick up Tims, but when I arrived, the security guard informed me that they had already left. I've been trying to reach her, but her phones are all unavailable."

Fahad turned to Madina, who wore an expression of mounting fear. He then turned back to the security guard, his voice edged with concern, "Do you have any idea where your Oga and Madam went?"