Something Borrowed

Chapter 24 - Zainab

Eid il Kabeer was now fast approaching! Just five days to go. That is life for us, moving faster than we could ever imagined. Before you know it, it's another year. It is highly important for us to understand the principles of time, hence time waits for no one. 

While our school was now on an indefinite strike, I had no any other option but to wait for the strike to be called off. Though I missed school, I still wanted to be around my mother, my role model! Just as I was now serving us lunch, someone double knocked our gate. My mother signalled me to go check it out as usual. It wasn't Sir Abrar, we knew it, hence he normally used to apprise us of his coming, unless he wanted to surprise us or had something very serous to discuss with us.

Just as I opened the gate, I saw Fadilah holding the same gun she threatened me with sometime ago. She was in a very bad mood. I shouldn't even mind telling her to come in. Her appearance meant one thing to me. She was going to kill me, or maybe me and my mother. My heart began racing nitro despite the fact she wasn't pointing the revolver on me. I wanted telling her she doesn't have to do what she came for, but we could go inside and talk things out, but before I could talk to her, she lifted the revolver to my face.

"If you say a damn word, I'm gonna kill you with this gun. I don't care whether we are sisters or not!" She said breathing heavily. "I really don't care. I just want to warn you today to stay away from Ayman. If he comes, tell him to go. Send him away and act aloofly towards him. If he's not getting your attention he will definitely learn to love me, I'm sure of that because you're my only problem in this world!"

And just then, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I didn't know how, but it just started. I was totally confused. What my junior sister wanted me to do was something I would rather take a bullet for. I wasn't willing to give up on Ayman, and just like her mother borrowed our father from my mother I would also borrow Ayman from her.

"I'm sorry I made this tears to walk down to your face, but..." She cleared her throat and continued. "Just do as I say. Try your best and push him away from you, and seriously we won't be having any problem anymore. But if you don't do that, then you will leave me with no any other option but to end your life. The choice is technically yours"

And just then she lowered the revolver, turned her back and then left. I heaved a sigh. I wanted telling her I'd rather die than to do what she wanted me to do but doing that would land me into my early grave. I love my mother, and I couldn't let her be alone. I believe silence could also serve as an answer. Let what I had in mind be between me and the best of all planners (Allah). I heaved a sigh and walked back inside.

My mother asked me who was by the gate and I told her it was a stranger, looking for a friend's house. I knew I shouldn't have hid things like that from her but for the sake of peace to reign for now I had to do that. Handling everything my own way, right now, was the best thing to do. I want Fadilah to soon figure out things ain't getting any better, and for her to come do what she thought she was good at. But before then, I should apprise Ayman about it. I really had to do that. Immediately we were done eating, I took the dishes to the kitchen and washed them hurriedly. Thus, I went straight to my room and dialed Ayman's contact. We greeted and I told him everything that had happened.

"Fadilah did all that? I'm definitely going to deal with that stupid, foolish and crazy girl..."

He was so angry on the phone that I had to calm him down lest things turnout the other way round. I didn't want him to apprehend the issue harshly. I want him to calm down because only then can we figure out the best way to solve things out without shedding anyone's blood. But just then, he told me he was already tired of her and he was going to divorce her soon enough before her mother take control of his father's company.

"What do you mean 'take control of your father's company?' I don't understand, Ayman. Please elaborate" I uttered holding the phone perplexedly.

He heaved a sigh. "Today in the early morning, Kabeer called Na'eelah and told her about Hajiya Karimah's plan to takeover our company. I knew this was coming. I had a hunch about it. Hajiya Karimah is just evil!"

My heart was now beating, Oh My God, vigorously as Ayman elaborated everything to me. "You're her son in-law, and I think she's using that privilege to get what she want. Just... just do the right thing at the right time Ayman, before its too late" I advised him.

He paused for some seconds before proceeding to talk. "Yeah, exactly, and I'm going to do what's best right now with or without anyone's approval. But I need to talk some senses to Fadilah first" He uttered sounding angry.

"But what if she... she hurt you in that process, Ayman, after pronouncing the divorce to her? I'm sure she's going to shoot you with that revolver she threatened me with..."

"And why would she even do that to me? She loves me alot, and..."

"Yes... yes, she loves you alot and that's why she's going to shoot you the moment you divorce her. She'd rather kill you than loose you to me. I know who that girl is. Ayman please I can't afford to loose you, okey?"

"Okey Beauty, but what should I do? Send her an angry letter with a divorce? Uhm, what if she shows everyone the angry letter?" He muttered, sighed and continued. "You know I want to talk some senses to her, I really need to do that, and after that I'm going to divorce her. No letter writing. Infact, I can't even write letter properly. Electronic eorld of Social Media today made me to forget letter writing. So you see, Beauty, I'm meeting her and I'm going to make her understand. She must be on her way back by now. I will go wait for her at home. It has to be over..." He kept talking despite my unyielding efforts to intrude into his words.  "...See you later, Beauty. I love you alot"

And just then, he terminated the call. My heart was nearly torn apart by that. I love him alot, and I just can't afford to loose him but he seemed indifference. I tried his number again and again, but he just refused to pick. Oh God of Mercy, I need to see what I can do about this situation. I can't let bad things happen to Ayman. I really can't. Thus, I got myself dressed and walked out of my room in haste.

"Where are you going to, Zainabu?" My mother suddenly uttered, fricking me out. She was sitting in the parlor.

I thought of lying to her but then I thought if things went bad and she discovered the verity, she would freeze the heck out of me.

"Mum, I need to see Ayman. I want to talk to him. I really do..."

"Why? And what are you going to talk to him about? Infact, was he the one that knocked minutes ago?" She threw me questions that obviously needed to be answered immediately.

"Mum," I gulped and continued. "Actually, he wasn't the one that came but we just finished talking on phone right now and he said he want to see me. It's about us"  I tried not to lie, but one way or the other I really had to... and so I did.

"Alright. I trust him, and I trust you. I just hope nothing goes wrong..."

"Nothing will go wrong, In Shaa Allah, Mum. Bye!" I pecked her and ran out.

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Hum, hum, hum!