'Can you please come out for a few minutes, Ma'am?'

She read the message over and over again. She didn't have to ask who it came from. Even though she didn't have his number, she knew that it could only be him. In fact, it had only been a few minutes since when he submitted his answer sheet to her and left the examination hall and then this came through.

At first, she didn't know it was their class she was going to invigilate until she came and there was this part of her that was glad it was. She didn't know her reason for feeling that way, but she just wasn't going to ignore the feeling as if it had never happened either.

It was left of a few students and Muhibbah excused herself from the other lecturer that was with her and he assured her that she shouldn't mind. He'd hand over the sheets once they all submit, she can even go home from there. She thanked him profusely and left. But only she knew that the idea of home wasn't ideal to her.

There was the agonizing trip back home that awaited her and then what she had waiting for her in the form of her mother. She was sure Alhaji Nasir was still somewhere in the school waiting for her to be done so he could take her back home. And she knew so long as she wanted to keep her remaining sanity, then she had no choice but to follow him back. Unless she wanted Mama to grind her with words.

'I'm in my office.'

She texted him back and awaited a response from him. She had a few things to sort in the office, so Muhibbah started doing that while she waited for him. All her thoughts were, he had thought of the possible way to stop her engagement and wanted to discuss it with her. There was a soft knock on the door and she ushered him in without looking up.

"Good evening, ma." He greeted, this time, she didn't feel his gaze and that forced her to look up at him and see he was really the one that came in or it's one of her students because she was the Level Co-ordinator of Level 1 students already.

It was him, and even though she had looked up, he was still not looking at her. "What is it, Bilaal?" His name had this compounding effect on her that she couldn't explain clearly even if she wanted to. All she knew was, she liked calling his name and so she used it at every chance she got.

"I got these for you, ma'am. I don't know how you'll take it and I'm so sorry if you're going to feel offended." He placed a black nylon on her table and took a few steps back before he looked up at her. "I'm done with my exams today. I'll be going to Amir's house today and rest for a few days before I go back home. So, I don't know if we can meet there?" He asked, and before she responded, he quickly added, "So we can figure out that...I mean..."

Muhibbah smiled while she nodded her head, he seemed a bit nervous and she wondered why. There was always an air of command and sophistication around him. She had never seen him nervous until today and she wondered what happened and what it was he brought to her in that nylon.

"I'll come to Maman Amir's house so we can discuss about it. I think I also have some evidence worthy enough. But we shall talk at home like you suggested. He's waiting for me to take me back home and I don't want to be late so we'll be on the road when it's beginning to darken."

"I should be on my way then. See you soon, ma'am." He quickly got out of the room even before she got the chance to ask him what it was in the nylon.

She placed down the pile of files she was holding and opened the nylon. Only to find a pack of Always sanitary pad and a Maroon hijab that seemed brand new, those ready to wear kinds that people now sell. Instantly, Muhibbah got to her feet and pulled the edge of her baby pink hijab only to see it badly stained.

She let out a soft scream as she slumped back on the chair, wishing she could stop the tears that had accumulated in her eyes. So, that was why she was getting all those stairs from both students and lecturers? She really thought it had something to do with Baban Fatima's case so she tried all she could to push it away from her mind.

She could remember seeing two of her female students walking over to her then when they almost reached her, one of them backed away and the other had no choice but to do so as well. So it was all now coming back to her, so strong she had to palm her face and breath heavily into her palms. It had been so long that she felt as hugely embarrassed as she did now.

Partly, she knew it was her fault. Because she was aware of how heavy her flow was in the first days yet she still wore a baby pink hijab, Ya Allah. She didn't know whether to be thankful to him or shy. whatever it was, Bilaal had saved her from further embarrassments because she couldn't imagine walking from their department to the senate building like that, with the thousand of students she was going to encounter...ugh!

'Thank you.' She typed and hit the sent button. Because really, she was grateful to him.

She quickly rushed to the staff toilet and took care of herself. The color of the hijab he got for her looked spectacular on her face if she could say so herself. She locked her office and walked out. Those female students she saw earlier walked up to her once again yet they stopped midway when they realized she had already changed her hijab and they smiled shyly at her.

Muhibbah returned the smile to them and nodded her head. "Thank you, okay? But next time, tell me on time, please." They smiled and nodded their head vehemently at her before she walked away.

Her agony began to get back with every step she took toward Alhaji Nasir's car and she wished she could just go to the park and get into a car that will take her to Katsina, damn all the consequences. But Muhibbah wasn't strong enough for the things she knew Mama will do to her if she dared did that. Plus, the house was already getting full with wedding guests, so she couldn't bare being treated that way in front of them.

She saw his car parked where she left it, just that there was a woman in the front of the car she had just vacated out of. She lifted her phone, snapped a picture of them before she continued walking to the car. The woman immediately got out of the car before she reached and she knew it was probably because he had noticed her coming.

She chuckled when she got into the car and closed the door. "You don't have to tell her to leave, I can gladly go to the park and take myself back home if need be." Because that would've been the best thing he'd do for her.

"Why are you in another hijab?" He asked instead, driving off. He acted as if he didn't hear what she said at all.

"How is that any of your problem?" She asked and pulled her phone out of her bag. From that, none of them said a word and she could actually thank him for keeping shut if he stayed like this until they arrived home. How blissful the silence was for her.

Ω

Like every other time, Bilaal followed Kamal back to Katsina today too. And even though he wasn't sure why, he kept staring at all the moving cars by the road to see if he could recognize that man's car. He knew he will, because everything that concerned her was of great value to him, yet he still couldn't see it.

Kamal was talking to him about the football match he was hurrying to go and watch when he saw the car parked by the road side. The windows were tinted, so he wasn't sure if they were the ones in the car or not. But he knew it was the car and the first thing that came to his brain was they got kidnapped somehow. Even though there was no report of any incident that happened on the road before they left Dutsinma, even though it mostly circulated almost immediately after it happen.

"Kamal, isn't it that man's car?" He asked and shook his head even before Kamal answered him. "Wait please. I need to check, please Kamal." Kamal didn't argue when he slowed down and stopped the car by the road side.

Bilaal immediately hopped out of the car and ran to Alhaji Nasir's car with his heart beating wildly against his ribcage. He hoped she was safe, he hoped that she was fine because he didn't know what would be of him if she wasn't. He knocked on the window from the passenger's side frantically after noticing that the car was locked. Which meant one thing, it was locked from the inside because once he moved closer, he noticed the car was still on, probably the AC still working.

Remembering the kind of man she was together with was, Bilaal kept knocking frantically while he also kept trying to open the door. Until somehow, it opened and he realized they were having a fight. Not an actual fight, but a fight nonetheless. And it must've been a struggle from her side until she got to open the door for him.

Her seat was winded back and Alhaji Nasir was hovering over her from where she laid on the seat with tears streaming down her cheeks. Bilaal had his eyes fixed on her without knowing what he was feeling about the entire situation and the moment she looked up and saw him, she quickly pushed Alhaji Nasir off of her and practically ran out of the car.

She hid behind his back as she cried softly, painfully. "He's trying to...he's..." she couldn't form straight words and her words were coming out in hiccups. She could be 27 years old, but right now, she looked so petite behind his back. So innocent and weak that he wished he could wrap his arms around her and make sure no harm reached her.

He turned to her with the most calming look in his eyes. "It's fine, Hibbah, I'm here, okay?" His words seemed to have gotten into her, because she looked into his eyes for a minute before she nodded her head and leaned onto the car because it looked like she was about to pass out at any given time.

Seeing that she was trying to recollect herself, Bilaal walked to the driver's seat and yanked it open. His punch went straight to Alhaji Nasir's face without a single care in the world. He just knew that whatever was going to happen, he had to steam off on him. Damn the consequences. He continued throwing punches at him without knowing where he was hitting until he heard her voice.

"Bilaal! That's enough." He slowed down and looked at her bloodshed eyes that were still tearing. "Please, okay?" She begged softly and he pulled his hands away from Alhaji Nasir's collar.

"Let's go," he said to her, anger evident in his words.

Before they reached Kamal's car, he called him. "Kamal, I need you to please leave your car with me and take another to Katsina. I can't explain in details to you, but I need this help, man. I'll send the transport fare into your account." He ended the call and immediately sent him the money which had Kamal coming out of the car almost immediately.

"We all know this amount is crazy for a transport fare, Bilaal. And I don't need you to give me money for this." He said when they reached the car as he handed him the key.

Muhibbah had her hijab covering her face and before Bilaal spoke, they saw Alhaji Nasir's car drove off in an extreme speed. "Consider it a gift then, thank you so much."

"Can you get in the car please?" He turned to her with the question and she nodded her head at him. He didn't have to be told that she was still crying, because the sides of the hijab he had just gotten for her barely an hour ago kept getting drenched.

She entered the car and placed her head on her knees immediately she closed the door. Bilaal didn't get in the car until Kamal successfully waved a car that stopped and he bade them goodbye. He hopped into the car as well and heard the sound of her clearly painfully.

Before he turned the car on, he just sat there as he stared at her while she cried. He wished he knew what to do to her that would make her feel better. He didn't even know what Alhaji Nasir tried to do to her but he was still boiling with rage. And in this situation her Mother still thought it was a good idea to get her married to this man?

Yes, she could be old enough to her to think she was already a spinster. But isn't her daughter's life more valuable to her than anything else?

"I'm so sorry," he whispered and she shook her head at him.

"I feel like killing myself right now, Bilaal. I feel so disgusted of myself." He wondered what Alhaji Nasir did or what extreme and he couldn't ask her about it.

"What do you think I can do to help?" He asked instead, even though that's not the real question in his mind.

"Take me away. Don't take me to Mama's house, I'm sure he's going there directly now and I'm not strong enough to take whatever she's going to dish at me. Just...take me away." Her voice broke with every word she uttered that he wished he could cocoon her into his arms until her heart calmed and the pain subsided.

He had never felt the urge to hug someone, so strong it was threatening his sanity until today.

He heaved a sigh and ignited the car. Because unless his hands were in use, he may likely hug this woman that ever so painfully cried by his side. She continued to cry as softly and painfully as he had never heard before. Making him feel as though there were droplets of fire dripping onto his heart with each tear she shed.

"Do you want to have him arrested and put behind bars? Or you want him to be beaten badly enough he wouldn't dare do something similar to another woman, hell, he won't ever even think of it. Tell me, what do you want to be done, Hibbah?" Twice, his name for her slipped out of his mouth, and he blamed the way his heart was squeezing with an emotion so strong it nearly burst out.

"I just want the engagement cancelled. I don't to ever see him again in my life," she answered.

He didn't know how to make it happen, but he will. Even if he were to call and ask his father for help.

Una never comment o! I'm supposed to update 2 chapters but your comments will determine an update or not.

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