Nailah Zayed.

Maroudi, Nigeria.

I've always known Imran is psychologically unfit—at least, since Ayaan told me. He may not seem like it, but he is.

However, I never got to see him that way—not once in the years I've known him. If not that I'd met Ayaan before I met him, I never would've believed what he told me. He's always been calm, never once acting out in an obvious manner.

However, I needed to confirm and see for myself whether what Ayaan said was true—regardless of the trust I'd put in him. So, I did the only thing I could do to bring out his true self to see for myself and for everyone to see whether he's the man I've always known him to be.

Or I guess, you could say I wanted people to see the side of him I'd see over the years—the side he didn't think I was aware of.

You're probably wondering how I managed to believe Ayaan that easily regarding him, right? I didn't. It took me a long while to believe him—it took over a year for that to happen. And that was only after I had met Imran.

I could still remember the first time I met him. My impression of him was...he seemed more like someone I would trust compared to Ayaan. Yes, the latter was completely honest with me since the first time we met. I could've used his information against him—considering he basically exposed himself out to the enemy. However, I didn't know him.

Imran was the one I knew. At least, he was the one I've been informed of.

So, when I first met him, I thought I could understand why my sister got along with him. He seemed warm, and friendly. I would admit that for a split second, I thought I had met someone I could actually trust—I even thought of letting him know about Ayaan.

Then it started. The very first thing that raised a red flag regarding him—the stalking.

At first, he was the one that stalked me. One would think I wouldn't realize it, since he was being discrete and I guess I wouldn't have if not for Ayaan. He was the one that found out, and told me about it.

Turns out he was right. I didn't show it either, but it seemed almost everywhere I go, Imran stalked me in the shadows. I was creeped out to be honest, who wouldn't when you have someone constantly following you everywhere?

I was even paranoid for a while; the action set the basis of my revolting feelings towards him. Do you know how it feels to constantly look over your shoulder because someone's been watching you? Do you know how it feels to be overly aware of yourself and your actions because someone's eyes are on you?

It wasn't a good feeling, that much I could tell you.

The only one that helped me get through it was Ayaan—who admittedly was always there to help me get through it. Somehow, he managed to stay off Imran's radar—because for six years now, we managed to keep the fact that we've known each other and have been in cohorts with each other from everyone. It wasn't easy to be honest, but that alone was enough for me to learn to trust Ayaan.

It was when it all started, our alliance that is. For six years, we had been monitoring the family, watching their every move and waited for the perfect chance to strike. For me, I had to suck it all up...I had to put up with everything that family threw at me with the only thing getting me through the years being, 'It will all be worth it.' I reminded myself times without number. 'One day, I'll be free from them. One then, they would finally get what they deserve. I'll get justice for my sister'.

When I returned to Maroudi, I thought that will be the end of it; and for a while, it was. He didn't follow me around at first—having gotten caught up with work. After all, he is the heir to Hadi Groups; there was no room for him to mess around.

At least, that's what one would think. He hired someone to do the job with him.

So, for about a year of my return, I still had to put up with that and pretend as if I'm unaware of it as well. I don't know what made him stop, but after the first year...he did. And we only got to meet on certain occasions because we both were busy and barely kept contact with each other.

Our marriage came to light about three years ago at the same time the merger between the two companies took place...it didn't come as a surprise to anyone—at least, not to anyone in our family. It had been insinuated on more times than one, it just became a general knowledge.

We got married two years ago; and yet again, I was plunged into another life where I had to fake my emotions all the damn time. It didn't matter that it's been years since he stopped stalking me, I was still traumatized from that action. I couldn't say a thing about it, no one would believe me.

Or more like, no one would care. Like always, they will turn a blind eye to it.

In the eyes of everyone, he was the definition of kind to me. I pretended to be that as well. But behind everyone's eyes, I didn't bother to hide my distaste towards me without having to express my real reason why.

He did try to make it work at first, but I couldn't bring myself to do that.

Couple my experience with him, along with him potentially being behind my sister's death, I couldn't bring myself to ever have any positive feeling towards Imran, ever.

You'd think he'd learn to trust me, or at least give me the right reasons to trust him, right? He didn't.

He tried to hide it, but I was aware that every night, when he thinks I'd fallen asleep, he comes into my room and goes through my phone—it seemed he didn't trust me either. I guess me being cold towards him set the basis that I might have feelings for someone else. Some might term that 'protectiveness', and deem it 'cute' but it isn't.

It's a toxic act, and it didn't matter what intention he has, nothing would justify it.  

Try living your life for years with such a man. Do you still think Imran is the saint you all believed he was? I admit, I'm not either. But, I never claimed to be the protagonist I feign to be. I've long made up my mind to be the villain instead.

It's like Ayaan always tells me; looks can be deceiving. And I believe Imran is more befitting of that statement more than anyone else.

I had been cautious of my relationship with Ayaan as well. There were no traces of my interaction with him because for starters, I never used the phone everyone knew me with to interact with him.

Him coming to Maroudi, and our entire interaction leading to this point was staged.

My second meet-up with Ayaan that ended up with a breakdown, the photos sent to Basma, the rumors about me and Ayaan, and the photos of us sent to him on the day he finally snapped...I did all that.

See, Ayaan and I had different goals. His was bring down Hadi Groups, and mine was to make Imran crack. And I knew just the right way to do it was to bring out the side of his he had kept hidden for years.

The side that only comes out when he feels like he's losing Nailah...he's losing me, to someone else.

The only way to drive Imran crazy and bring out the real him was to make him think there was something between I and Ayaan—and there is, just not in the way he believes it to be.

I will admit, I wasn't particularly happy about doing such a thing to him, considering on more occasions than one he's been nothing but good to me. However, I had to remind myself times without number that he's not the man he's pretending to be.

For a moment, I nearly believed his 'good husband' facade. That belief got thrown out the window though when he nearly strangled me to death—and yet again, I was reminded of of the real man he is.

The man who killed my sister and brutally killed an innocent man because of his obsession.

Yes, I agree he's unwell. But I will never accept that as a justification for all he'd done. He needs to pay for it, that's the only way I can get what I've wanted my whole life.

The problem is, since he stormed out on me that night, he's been out of sight. I of course didn't stay in the house and waited for him to return and finish me off like he did to my sister. I couldn't, not after the last conversation we had.

There it was.

What I've been wanting to hear for ten whole years.

And yet, despite how much I anticipated it, nothing prepared me for this moment.

My heart dropped the minute those words left his lips—my eyes suddenly teary again. "W...what did you j-just say?" It hurts to speak, but I tried to ignore it. "What did you do to my sister?"

His lips slanted into a small frown as he shrugged. He blinked, like a kid that was trying to defend himself after doing something wrong. "I didn't mean to. She just angered me like you're doing now and I may have lost control." His tone dropped after saying that, as it took a turn to one befitting psychopaths.

"So...you killed her?"

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to." I wonder who was trying to convince. Me, or himself? He suddenly smiled again. "They know I didn't mean to do so too. They gave me you in her stead, no?" He then scoffed. "They thought I wouldn't be able to tell you apart? Oh please! I saw the life drained out of her eyes, I know I killed her."

Yes, I brought this on myself. I was the one who wanted to bring out this side of his. And yes, I was feigning my reaction but that was only until he nearly killed me and brought up my sister. Since then, my reaction has been true.

I guess I still underestimated just how bad he truly is. Because as I lay there, trying to recover from what happened, I was still baffled by how easily he's speaking about what he did to my sister like it's no big deal.

I took in a deep breath, tears cascading down my face as I stared at him in disbelief. "How could you call yourself human after doing that to her?" I gritted out, my heart breaking into pieces that will be impossible to put back together.

"I loved your sister."

"That's not love." I will never accept that as 'love'. "It can never be love, Imran. You don't kill the people you love, you don't!" At that point, I couldn't care less if he would kill me right then for angering him.

I was finally able to voice out the things I've held in me for years. I couldn't stop now.

He looked away, getting up on his feet as he began to pace around. "Well I would rather see her dead than with another man." He gritted out. At that moment, I wouldn't be surprised if one told me he has lost his sanity completely. "If I can't have her, then no one should. That's how it's supposed to be."

You know that moment when you want to say something, but you can't figure out what exactly you want to say? It's the same for me at the moment.

I could only stare at him with more tears streaming down his face. There was no use talking sense into this man...he's far too gone.

He took in a deep breath—running his fingers through his hair repeatedly as he began to mumble his last few sentences to himself. At a point, he shot his head up, his bloodshot eyes having no traces of the white again.

"I had you in her stead, and we were living our lives perfectly, weren't we? I even tried my damn hardest to be good to you? I gave you everything you wanted, didn't I? I do every fucking thing you want because that's how much I love you. I didn't want to make the same mistake I made with her again but what did you do, huh? You made me look like an idiot!"

"Imran--"

"And that man, Saif it is or whatever..." He snapped his fingers repeatedly, then let out a scoff. "...he thought I was an idiot too. He told me there was nothing going on between you and that Ayaan but I knew it was a lie."

"He didn't do anything to you."

"HE FUCKING LIED TO ME!" I flicked my eyes close, the pain in my heart increasing tenfold. I haven't shed tears in my life for so long...it felt like it was all coming back at this moment. "HE DESERVED TO DIE!"

I flinched, him raising his voice only scared the crap out of me even more. I wouldn't lie, I was genuinely scared of Imran at the moment. He looked like he can do anything at the moment.

"—Do you think I enjoyed bashing his head with a club? Do you think I enjoyed having his blood splatter and taint my body, huh? NO! BUT YOU DRIVE ME FUCKING CRAZY, NAILAH! And we both know I would rather kill off everyone that tries to get between us than to lose you again. I will never let that happen!"

With that said, he turned around and stormed out.

I hadn't seen him since then.

One would think his silence is a good thing. It isn't. The longer it takes to find Imran, the more anxious I become.

That's why we need to find him fast. Unless he gets caught, and gets the help he truly needs, I would never be in peace. We all wouldn't be in peace.

Only Imran's end will bring an end to our story as well.