"That is the doctor's prescription. Make sure you buy everything." Adama went out of Sameer's room after giving him the doctor's prescription. She told him to go and buy the drugs in the nearby pharmacy. Ruqayya will be awake anytime from now.

She went back to her room and met Hassana staring at her daughter. She has been staring at her since she woke up this morning.

"You should take your bath and come back." Adama sat on the couch waiting for her to reply.

"I don't want to leave her alone." Hassana replied after some minutes. She wants to be there when her daughter wakes up. She wants to answer all the questions she will ask even though she doesn't have answers.

Adama rolled her eyes at her "She won't be alone. I will be here with her." Her words sound offensive to her. How can she say her daughter will be alone when she is here?

Hassana chose to ignore her and stare at her daughter. She obviously doesn't understand how she feels. She will only know what it feels like if she was in her situation. Not that she is praying for her to be in this kind of situation.

"Your guests are..." Ruqayya opened her eyes slowly, making Adama stop saying whatever she wanted to say.

"Ruqayya" Hassana called. She beamed and help her sit up. Her daughter is finally awake. Adama passed a glass of water to Ruqayya. She drank everything and cough out loud.

"Ruqayya" Hassana called again, trying to control her tears.

"Mum" Ruqayya called in a shaky voice. She remembered everything that happened. She still can't believe something like that happened to her. Her mum tried touching her hand but she pulled back feeling insecure.

"What is the problem?" Her mum asked. She could see the fear in her daughter's eyes. Her eyes says it all. What have these monsters done to her daughter?

"What is the problem? Why did you pull back like that?" Adama asked with a frown on her face.

"Please don't touch me. Help me! Help!" Ruqayya cried out. "I will do whatever you say but please don't rape me." She cried, pulling the blanket to her body.

"What are you saying?" Hassana didn't believe it was her daughter crying on the bed. She looks so scared. Why will anyone decide to hurt an innocent soul like her?

Adama opened and close her mouth. She doesn't know what to say. Ruqayya is clearly going suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She was once a therapist and understand how things like rape could affect someone. "Ruqayya" She called softly. "She is your mother and I am your Aunty. We won't hurt you. Just calm down and listen to me. We won't harm you in anyway, okay?" Adama tried using one of the techniques she use with her patients those days.

Ruqayya was still crying on the bed,trembling in fear. She was scared they will hurt her the same way she was raped yesterday.

"Hassana is your mother. She won't hurt you. Just calm down." Adama was trying to act calm. It's been long she did anything of this sort.

"You won't harm me?" Ruqayya asked, staring at Adama with teary eyes.

"I won't harm you. I promise." She smiled and hugged her slowly. Ruqayya nodded and wipe away her tears.

Hassana couldn't control her tears. Her daughter is now scared of her. She pulled her in for a hug after Adama assured her nothing will happen. Ruqayya was a bit hesitant to hug her back.

There was a knock on the door, startling them a bit. Adama opened the door and collected the drugs from Sameer. She didn't allow him enter the room because of Ruqayya. She will get scared if she sees a male in the room.

"You should take your drugs, Ruqayya." Adama passed the drugs and a cup of water to her. She nodded and swallowed the pills.

"I think we should go back to the house." Hassana suggested. She wants to take Ruqayya back to the house so she can take very good care of her.

"Okay" Adama nodded and brought out a long hijab from her wardrobe. She gave it to Ruqayya and told her to wear it. She returned to the house with her mother. They followed the back door so they could avoid a lot of people.
..............
"Ruqayya you should eat something. You haven't eaten anything since yesterday. Please." Hassana beseeched holding a plate of food. She is sitting on the floor with her daughter. She has been persuading Ruqayya to eat something.

"I don't have appetite." Ruqayya said, crying on the floor. She has been crying since they came back from her aunt's house. She keeps remembering how everything happened last night and she can't control her tears. How could they do something like that to her? The people who raped her are very heartless.

"Can I ask you a question?" Hassana asked. Ruqayya nodded indicating she asks whatever she wants to.

"Who are the people responsible?" Hassana knows she shouldn't be asking Ruqayya about that now but she is curious.

Ruqayya didn't reply her. She simply cried on the floor. Her mother will never believe her if she tells her the name of those three monsters that raped her. She is still in shock herself so she wonder how her mum will behave. They are not family and they are not strangers either.

Hassana blink back her tears and gulped. She shouldn't have asked her about it now. There was a knock on the door, interrupting her thoughts. She got up and opened the door. Her husband was standing in front of the door. He looks exhausted. She smiled weakly at him and told him to follow her. Ruqayya was still crying on the floor to notice him.

"Ruqayya" Her father called. Ruqayya quickly turned her head. She shift back, trembling in fear. All she could see on her father's face was the culprits smiling at her.

"Please don't rape me. Don't touch me. Stay away from me." She cried out, trembling in fear. Her father raised his eyebrows.

"What is wrong with her?" Omar asked his wife. He doesn't understand why his daughter is behaving strangely.

"Leave me alone. Don't harm me." She beseeched. She ran inside the bathroom and lock the door.

"Please leave the room. I will explain everything to you, but please leave." Hassana pushed her husband out of the room and lock the door.

She knocked on the bathroom door  "Open the door. He is not here anymore. Please come out." Hassana knocked harder.

"Are you sure?" Ruqayya asked. She nodded then replied her when she realize Ruqayya can't see her. She opened the door and peep to see if her mum is saying the truth. She came out of the bathroom after seeing no sight of her father.

"That is your father, Ruqayya. Why were you shouting like that?" Hassana asked. She knows Ruqayya is still in shock but she didn't expect her to act like that with her father.

"I am scared of being around the opposite gender, Mah. They scare me. I hate them." Ruqayya fell on her knees, crying out loud. She has so many questions on her mind. Why will anyone rape her? What did they gain by raping her? They have ruined her life simply because of their selfish interests.

Hassana didn't know what to say. She also fell on her knees, crying her eyes out. Hassana just realized being responsible has nothing to do with rape. Women don't get rape because they were drinking or took drugs. Women do not get rape because they weren't careful enough. Women get raped because someone raped them. Rape is one of the most terrible crimes on earth and it happens every few minutes. Instead of educating women about how to defend themselves, they should teach men not to rape. They should go to the source and start there. She always blame the girls when she hears about any rape case, but she realized it doesn't matter if you dress properly or not. Those evil people will still do as they please.

Ruqayya fell asleep on the floor after crying for minutes. Her mum went out of the room careful not to wake her up. She left her on the floor because she didn't want to wake her up. She needs rest.

She saw her sister in law, Halima walking toward her. She quickly hid her face and greeted her. She doesn't want Halima to see her red eyes from crying.

"Where have you been? Where is Ruqayyah? I heard about what happened to her. Who could have done something like that?" Halima asked. She was clearly mocking Hassana. They have never been a fan of each other. Always looking for petty things to argue about.

"She is fine." Hassana was forced to reply her. Bad news spread like fire. How the hell did Halima find out about what happened? But then her daughter, Yusra is one hell of a gossiper. She obviously told her.

"I told you to always keep a close watch on that your daughter, but you never listen. You have given her too much freedom. Can you now see the outcome? It's such a pity." Halima sneered, staring at her sister in law. Hassana has been her least favorite sister in-law. Let's not talk about her daughter, Ruqayyah. She doesn't understand why she hates her and her children. "Who knows maybe it was all planned?" Halima mumbled but loud enough for her to hear.

Hassana didn't let her words get to her. Halima  is just a bitter person. Yusra took over her with that bitter attitude. "You know what you just said is a big lie. My daughter Ruqayya is more pious than any of your daughters or sons could ever be. Let me give you a free advice. Keep a close watch on that your daughter called Yusra. I saw her in a stranger's car yesterday. I don't think you will want to hear what they were doing." Hassan walked away,smiling in triumph. Halima needs to teach her children before she talks to her. Halima was glaring at her. Her face was red due to anger. One thing Hassana has learnt from Halima is that she hates it whenever anyone insults her kids. She always use that to her advantage.

Hassana entered her husband's room and sat down on the bed. She was hearing noise from the bathroom so he is probably taking his bath. He walked out of the bathroom and noticed her presence.

"Can you give me a good explanation why Ruqayya was acting strange earlier?" Omar didn't want to sound rude but he can't help it.

Hassan sighed and tried to calm him down. "She is suffering from PTSD." She explained further seeing his confused face. "Post-traumatic stress disorder. According to Adama, she is still in shock and it will take days before she recovers." Hassana explained to her angry husband.

"How did all these things happen? Didn't she go for the dinner?" Omar asked the question that has been on his mind. Hassana didn't explain how everything happened yesterday.

"Let me explain." Hassana explained everything to him. He was too shock to react. Adama's house is always safe so how did the criminal get inside? Her husband is a politician so they always have tight security in the house. Who could have had the effrontery to rape Muhammed Aliyu Omar's daughter? That too, in his cousin, Mukhtar's house?

"So what should we do?" Omar asked.

"I don't know honestly. I will talk to Adama." Hassana said to which he nodded.

Assallamu'alaikum

Is anyone still awake?

Please do not forget to vote,comment and share.

Thank you