She slept for the half of the day, glad that she hadn't fixed any lecture for today because even if she had, she'd have no choice but to cancel it. She had sent Mama a text on WhatsApp regarding her call that she missed yesterday and said she was sick before she slept off. She woke up to find no missed call even though Muhibbah was sure she had received the call.

She was starving by the time she had her bathe. She walked into the kitchen with the hopes of seeing at least a kettle to boil water and if she was lucky enough to find milk and milo so that she can atleast take tea before she went out to get proper food. But to her surprise, Muhibbah found the kitchen fully stocked. There was even a fridge inside and upon opening it, Muhibbah couldn't close her mouth due to how shocked she was.

There was everything a person would need to cook and even beyond. She instantly felt her hunger intensifying because of the tons of things she was craving that came to mind. Then she thought, was it really his house that he brought her? Wasn't it some couple's house or something? Maybe they had traveled?

Shaking off that thought from her mid, Muhibbah began to cook as she watched the clock because she was really starving at this point. She was done and had just sat to eat when he opened the door to the living and was glued to his spot when he saw her.

She had forgotten how she was dressed until she saw him staring without even blinking. She was dressed in an A-shape Ankara gown that looked so beautiful on her and she had worn her head tie in her signature style that always made her looked gorgeous, as Sareena had always said. Sareena had tried all she could to learn how to tie hers like she did but she always grumbled that it never quite looked like hers.

She hardly wear Ankara, especially when she was in Dutsinma. It was always Abayas and gowns because she felt more comfortable in them. Whenever it happened and she wore one, Muhibbah always wore a hijab that day. So it was possible that he had never seen her in an Ankara before, especially now that she didn't even have a veil or hijab on her and her hair was fallen on her shoulders because she had realized that Maman Fatima pulled at her ribbon yesterday and it wasn't like she had another nor did her hair stay in place if she were to braid it or something because of how soft and silky it was.

"I thought we spoke about how you always stare at me?" Her voice broke their silence and he seemed to have regained his composure because of that.

Bilaal quickly took his eyes off her but he still wasn't able to walk further into the room. "I'm sorry, I cooked without asking you if I could touch anything in the house. I was hungry and saw everything I need so I just decided to cook instead of going out."

"It's fine." He said, his voice a little disoriented.

Muhibbah could feel his battle with himself in between staring at her and taking his eyes off her. She subconsciously pulled her hair away from both shoulders and had it laying on her back while she got to her feet.

"I've left some in the kitchen in case you're hungry." She realize it was only decent if she cooked with him as well. He was a student after all, and good cooked meal was one of a student's biggest challenge. "I'll just eat in there and come out. I'll probably have to leave to Katsina if the house couldn't be gotten today."

"Okay, ma." He said as she walked away. And from the corner of her eyes, Muhibbah could see him walking into the kitchen. She didn't know why he seemed shocked and at a loss of words. Even though she knew taking too much wasn't his forte, he still looked as if something had gotten him gobsmacked.

She walked into the room, ate and gotten everything she needed to pack into her bags before she walked out, wearing her hijab. She saw him on one of the sofas, eating while he stared at his phone, scrolling down absentmindedly. She didn't know how it happened, because he seemed so engrossed in his phone to have noticed her presence when she hadn't even made a single sound.

But he looked up at her and instantly looked away while she moved further into the living room. "Were you able to get the house? If yes, how much did the agent said?" She was beginning to get annoyed at how she seemed to be the only one that was speaking. But she blamed it on the circumstance she was in.

"I called the agent I got this house from and he said he'd have to check and revert back to me, he still hasn't. So I'm waiting for him to call, I'm sure he will once he get one." He placed the plate down and stared at her strangely.

"In that case, I should leave to Katsina then." She got to her feet. Because her bags were already packed, she simply walked out to the car with the one she was holding and before she walked back to get the rest of the bags, she saw that he had already helped her with them.

He put everything at the back of the house after telling her that hr kitchen utensils that he had packed from Baban Fatima's house were in the trunk. Muhibbah thanked him again before she drove out of the house. There were a lot of things she found strange about him. Some seemed unreal while some were just there...waiting for her to sort her thoughts.

But whatever it is, she was thankful to him. And for this, Muhibbah would forever be indebted.

Ω

Mama had forced her to come out even though she had told her that she was so sick she had to come back home because she couldn't stay there. But once Alhaji Nasir arrived, she forced her to go out and meet him. In her words, there wasn't any sickness that was bothering her, she was just lonely and needed a man in her life. Muhibbah wished she could scream and stay rooted to her ground that she wasn't going to meet him, but she couldn't.

And here she was, seated in Baba's guest living room with Alhaji Nasir sitting across from her, staring at her openly as if he was going to rip her out of her clothes right at that instant. She knew this wasn't the first time someone had a fixated gaze that was unwavering on her. But the looks had differed.

Bilaal looked at her as though he were fascinated by her. As if he was trying to find out a chest of treasure hidden deep into her being. As if he couldn't believe that a human could look like a fallen angel of some sort. And when his gaze got heated mostly, it was as though he were trying to uncover the thousands of layers she had used into hiding her actual self to have this perfect 'society-fit' Muhibbah everyone was seeing.

But Alhaji Nasir's gaze was different. He had lust written clearly in all of his gazes and his words. It felt as if with just a few more visit, he would be compelled to ask her to follow him to his house or a hotel room because he was simply so impatient to wait until they got married. The thought alone made her want to puke and she realized that she needed to remind him her stand about him getting married to her.

She stared back into his eyes and realized he was flashing her a look similar to the one Baban Fatima did few days ago. The memory made her shudder before she hissed underneath her breath.

"I'd really appreciate it if you'll please stop staring at me this much, Alhaji Nasir." She said in a clipped tone, her anger becoming evident on her face.

"Why? I'm just staring at my wife to be Insha Allah." She was about to reply him with something hurtful that will make him get back into his senses when he added. "I'm just admiring how sexy this dress looks on you. Look at how it accentuates your chest, making them look so..."

Muhibbah didn't know when she got to her feet and screamed at him. "Just what do you think you're doing, Alhaji Nasir?!"

He chuckled and relaxed back on the chair. "What? It's not like you're a young innocent girl for me to coat my words. In fact, those young girls fully know everything for me to do that. I'm simply admiring what would be mine in a few months, and I don't see any wrong in doing that."

"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm ever going to marry you, over my dead body. You can deceive my mother into thinking you're a good man, but me? Never. I'll forever remain that woman you've wanted and will never have, mark my words."

She was done being the obedient daughter that never showed him her anger or distaste. She was done forcing herself to smile at him or say things to him that she didn't mean simply because she was afraid that Mama would do her bad. Was it worth it? No. Because even though she had done all that, nothing had stopped Mama from treating her the way she had always done. The earlier Muhibbah realized that Mama had ingrained the hatred she had for her father on her, the better it would be. She would never be able to please her.

"You think so?" He asked mockingly and laughed. "Whoever told you I really want to marry you has lied to you big time, Muhibbah. I don't want to marry you. But it's probably something I need to do so long as I want to satisfy my craving of you. And once I do that, I'd send you packing. Your mother desperately wants to marry you off, and I'd use that and get what I've always been wanting. I don't care the process I'd have to go through to have you on my bed, all that matters is, I know I must have you there, no matter what will happen."

Muhibbah was staring at him without even blinking. Even though she had always known that his intentions weren't good about her, she had never thought he would tell her that straight to her face.

"Is everything sexual to you? Have you ever thought outside of the sickening box you've locked yourself in? There's more to life than that. This is maddening!" It was so hard to conjure these words. Because at this moment, everything just blanked out of her mind.

He chuckled and got to his feet, staring at her lustfully. "It's a box that gives me immense pleasure, why will I try to get out of it? And you too, my darling, I promise you'd enjoy being in this sickening box of mine. Because trust me, I'll have you trapped in there, soon." Before Muhibbah could react, she felt his index finger as it brushed her lower lip, making her to jerk away Asia she had been touched by a molten magma.

"Easy there, darling. Those lips will be mine to kiss, suck and do whatever I want them to do, soon." Muhibbah was at the verge of bursting due to anger when he walked to the door. "Miss me not, my dearest wife." With that, he walked out of the room and Muhibbah slumped on the carpet, trying so hard to tame both her anger and tears that were threatening to convulse out of her in an indescribable speed.

She hated him. She hated everything and everyone. And at this point, Muhibbah had never wished she was staying with her father like she did now. And it wasn't like she could even call him now. Because Mama made sure she had them estranged to the point that Muhibbah felt more comfortable with a stranger than her own biological father.

Softly, a cry escaped her lips and she didn't try to stop it. Pain, with an intensity so fierce, hit her. Making her realize she really wasn't strong enough to withhold all this.

After she was done crying, Muhibbah gathered herself and walked directly to Mama's room. She found Bilkisu in the room as they made all the necessary plans for the upcoming wedding. It was just a month away, because Mujaheed's parents had begged for it not to be set farther and Mama obliged. Anything to make sure her little girl got married, right?

Muhibbah had the anger she felt in her heart visible on her face. She looked at Bilkisu that was throwing her a look full of different meanings as she said. "I need to speak to Mama right now, leave us alone." She left no room for denial or anything. And it must be that both Mama and Bilkisu had sensed this new mood of hers, because she just walked out without a single word and Mama didn't try to stop her.

Mama looked up at her expectantly. "Make sure whatever you're going to say is worth putting an end to the joyful conversation we're having."

"Yes it is, Mama. Because at this rate, I might be dying and you really wouldn't care. Mama, I'm sorry but whatever is going to happen, I'm never getting married to Alhaji Nasir. I'd stop picking his calls or going out to see him when he comes. I know that there's nothing more you want than to see me married, but I can't get myself embroiled into a miserable life more painful than the one I'm currently living. He just told me himself the actual reason why he wants to marry me, it's sexual, Mama..."

"Dallah Malama rufemin baki! (Oh come on, shut up!)" Mama's thunder was so loud that Muhibbah's heart shook in fear. "If this is another strategy of yours, know that it's not going to work. Whatever you're going to say or do, you'll marry Alhaji Nasir whether you like it or not."

Muhibbah wiped her tears, begging her mother with her eyes. "Mama, he told me with his own mouth that he'd divorce me once he fulfill his desires. The only reason he's getting married to me is because he knows that he'd never get what he wants if he doesn't..."

"And so? Tell me if there's ever a man that loves a woman enough to marry her and he wouldn't fantasize about her sexually, is there? And so what if he divorces you? It's better to be a divorcee than a spinster, trust me. And if he does, at least your wicked father will have a taste of his own medicine. He'd feel exactly what my father felt when he divorced me too."

Muhibbah gasped at the blow of pain that nearly knocked her down. She looked right into Mama's eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Mama, I'm not my father and never will be. Whatever happened between you two is part of your destiny and it couldn't be changed. And it has been preordained that my other siblings belong to Baba so there's no way you'd stay married to my father even if he wanted. Don't punish me for a crime I didn't commit, Mama. Apart from being my father's daughter, I'm your daughter as well."

She just walked out of the room after saying that, because at this rate, she had already given up on everything. The pain was basically lacerating her entire being. She slumped to the ground the moment she locked her room. Agony so sheer it nearly blinded her.

Y'all don't comment o! So I thought I should give you guys a break😌