BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA.

Dressed in shadow leather pants, grey colored knitted jumper and iron swing coat over the entire outfit just in case the weather changes again as you cannot predict anything in September. The weather is a bit chilly and rain might fall any moment, she needs to be ready in every situation so she won't be rendered destitute by any chance. That is something she cannot afford no more, being helpless is not for her after all she's been through for the past few years.

She tied her hair into a low bun around her nape, pinned it down with a half dozen of pins then remove one of her many crinkled cotton veils, iron color and wrap it around her, pushing it inside the coat. She's closed her face with sable face mask for more discreetness, not trusting the entire Bauchi State with her unfamiliar face. Or familiar? You never know with these sneaky rich folks you see around.

Reaching out for her wedged heels, she slipped her feet inside then stood up. She's changed a lot! People who've seen her few months ago won't believe she is the same person now. She's stopped wearing the colorful outfits she's always loved for years, since her childhood. She's vowed to wear those shady colors of grey, black or white to mourn her son's death and only return to her old ways when his murderer is safely locked behind the bars. She can't and won't allow herself such felicity when she still hasn't won, when she's still failed as a mother. Things are about to change though.

The old Mahnoor might be dead or locked somewhere because this new one doesn't tolerate a lot. She now wears makeup to perfection by herself after watching tons of tutorial courtesy of not having anything else to do except painting and she cannot paint all the damn time. Apart from her now flawless makeup, she's trained herself to wear heels and walk like a grownup woman her age. She is twenty two for goodness sake, she needs to act like a twenty two year old like her friends used to scold her to.

Her eyes pierced into her face in the mirror, her perfect long eyelashes combed with mascara, eyelids seasoned panda smudge that makes her look more daring and bold which was the aim. Her lips painted with bold red lipstick to make it stand out against her ivory face. She tilted the mouth sideways in yet another sardonic smile she always give herself whenever she thinks about how much she would enjoy seeing Zubairu Ajuji and his son rotting in pits of abysmal hades. Oh, the joy and felicity that will envelope her then will know no bound. The man who thinks his power can do everything for him is sickly mistaken because she is also a determined hurt mother.

Taking off a sable saddle bag, she wrapped it around herself in a crossover then leave the small apartment, locking the door behind her. Her neighbor walked out just right at that moment, she looked up at him and gave a small wave then turn around to leave.

She's been living in the building for a long time but she never bothered to befriend anyone around. The only time they clash is when she is leaving the house, she'd wave at whichever one she's come across then continue on her way like nothing is wrong which it isn't. She won't make any friend in that building, she is going to leave as soon as the case starts, she won't be safe there. She's asked Asad to get a new house for her somewhere no one would find her or even think a human lives there.

That is where they are going after visiting her lawyer, Attorney Nufaisa Rashidi. After celebrating their small victory yesterday, Anila gave her her number and asked her to call her for an appointment instantly which she did and luckily got asked to come the next day. The art exhibition has been postponed until the end of the week in three days making it fall on a Sunday. She wasn't happy about it but she is at the same time because seeings Nufaisa Rashidi is something she cannot wait to do. She needs to make sure everything is going according to her plan.

She walked down the stairs and outside the lobby to the waiting car outside, Asad's silver Audi RS Q8. She can easily drive herself with her own car but he insisted on taking her because they haven't been spending time together and he's missed her a lot. She's been too occupied with her paintings to think about their growing relationship, she wants to distance herself from him to make sure she is not making another mistake due to her loneliness. Like she's done with Aman and regretted it the next morning but with Asad, it's genuine. Something serious is happening for the first time in her life.

Opening the door, she settled inside the warm car before tugging her hand gloves to cover her freezing hands. "What's up?" She greeted busily, flexing her fingers in the gloves before turning to look at him with a smile.

His eyes are trained on her, looking all around her face and when she caught him, he looked away awkwardly and the twinkle of mesmerization vanished from his eyes. She shook her head, she is now used to his awkward eyes on her. Asad is slowly changing so many things within her which she's refused to change after putting her heart at stake with his brother. She wants to take things slow with him which is why she is only going to give him a go ahead after Aman is out of her life for good.

He is going to have to divorce her before he gets to that jail, that's just it. She won't be tied to him while he is there rotting forever.

"Nothing's up except the angry clouds." His hands clasped the steering wheel before he meandered again to look at her, as if he couldn't help himself. "I don't get why you always look more beautiful every time I see you. Even with the dull color." He grumbled the last words, changed the gear and started the car.

Mahnoor giggled lowly, not that genuine one that sounds girlish but the one that is totally out of place but forced to come out as that's the best option at the moment and what she is supposed to do. "I don't know what you see. Maybe it's the makeup."

He rolled his eyes at that. It is not at all the makeup. "Stop reassuring me. Where should we go to now? To your new house or to your lawyer?"

Mahnoor checked her wrist watch that read out ten in the morning and her appointment is ten forty. "I need to see my lawyer first. She is my main priority now."

"As you wish, my lady." He yawed around and drove straight to the law firm she's just told him about. She called him all excited yesterday after Anila had left to tell him about the lawyer they've found.

He had to salute that Anila girl for getting Attorney Nufaisa Rashidi to work for them. She is quiet expensive for her work but nothing Mahnoor won't be able to afford and she also works efficiently. She doesn't play when it comes to her client and he's never heard of any case that she failed, no matter how long it's going to take her or how complicated a case might be. She's just gifted in that way to work hard till each and every proof is found and the person in the wrong is brought down.

They arrive at the law firm, a renowned one in Bauchi State albeit that is not where she works but whenever Nufaisa Rashidi goes to another state apart from her own, she is always welcomed to work at the most renowned law firms for the betterment of their reputation. She is currently staying there and will be here until she solved all the case she's taken up and the first being Mahnoor's. Her case was the first one she took and that was what brought her to Bauchi State yesterday because the minute she read about the case, she knew she is going to work her ass off to help this wailing mother.

It is not easy. She's been through all that with her in-laws back facing her which is why she wants to help even without money which clearly looks like it's not the problem. She is willing to throw away any amount of money to win this case from what Nufaisa discovered.

Mahnoor was accompanied to Nufaisa Rashidi's cabin after she told them her name and appointment time. She was asked to stay outside as her ten o'clock client is still inside so she sat down on one of the waiting chairs beside the door. Asad was asked to stay in the car, she wants no inconvenience when she talks about her case because the passion inside of her to ruin his family will definitely scare him away. She is afraid her contempt for those two Ajuji men ran way deeper than she'd wanted it too.

She's worked day and night for their subjugation and bane, maybe that's why.

A man so handsome and tall walked out of the office, his head held high as he moved with grace. She's seen his face somewhere but cannot point out where, so she inclined her head back to look at her red hennaed toes. She heard the click clacks of a feminine heels coming out from the office, she couldn't stop her curiosity when she raised her head to look at the woman that just walked out. Her brows furrowed wondering whether she is the Nufaisa Rashidi or not because if she is, this wasn't what she expected when she heard about her name and reputation.

The woman in front of her is standing at average height, the man close to her towering above her like he wants to swallow her up. Her dark complexion not too dark but she won't be called fair either. She is pretty, her features soft and really feminine -deep set eyes, pointed small nose and angelic full lips- but encased all in her face, she looks sharp and calculating as though she is meant to be a business tycoon instead of a renowned lawyer.

She is wearing a wide legged mulberry jeans and jam t-shirt tucked underneath the jeans. A plum overcoat closed her entire outfit to her mid thigh. She is definitely hiding something behind this overcoat which is something Mahnoor realized instantly with just one look at her. This woman in front of her is pregnant and she is trying her best to not let it attract too much attention from people around.

"...in just few days. I think in a week." She explained to the man, dusting a few lints from his own coat in a romantic gesture that warmed Mahnoor's heart, if only she's gotten something relatively close to this with her own husband.

At second glance, she knew the tall handsome man is her husband. "I'm going to stay here with you for the week. In your condition, you are not supposed to be wandering around without me. I'll be at home waiting for you." The man caressed her stomach discreetly then kissed her lips gently not to ruin her lipstick.

Nufaisa pouted her lips at that then shrugged her shoulders. "As you see fit. I'd like that and I want pizza today. On your way, my next appointment should be here."

Mahnoor didn't make any sound or movement to acknowledge them her presence there. She wants to swallow herself down the floor and be invisible when the two of them yawed around to look at her right then, their kiss about to meander into a full blown passionate one. Oh, why did she agree to wait for her? Had she known she was with her husband instead of a client, she would've waited at the reception with the receptionist. Ugh, this is so maladroit for her head.

She heard Nufaisa scolding her husband about how inappropriate it is for him to indulge her in such a thing when he knew she is still in the office and anyone might come in. He gave a shrug of nonchalance and whispered he'd do it again if she doesn't keep quiet and she did instantly.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that. My husband is just about to leave." She gestured with her hand at the tall guy that nodded at Mahnoor, his face ladened with a friendly smile that she felt obliged to return one. "Mahnoor Muneer Imam if I'm not mistaken?"

Mahnoor nodded and stood up, gave her her hand to shake. "And you are thee Nufaisa Rashidi..."

Nufaisa grinned at the honorific. "Oh, don't make me blush. I'm just Nufaisa Rashidi. You are pretty by the way."

Mahnoor blushed at the comment then nodded, looking away to give them further privacy before Nufaisa decided to send her husband away forcefully. Mahnoor's heart ladened with yearn, yearn for something even half as the relationship Nufaisa have with her husband. She can only think of one man that could do that to her and that's Asad, maybe she should try and concentrate more on her feelings after everything is set aside. She swallowed, hoping to God for the first time things will go right in her life because the minute she left her father's home as a married woman, she never knew what happiness is until Aasim was born only for it to be hauled back at her face.

"Let's go inside." Mahnoor followed her inside the professional looking office that smells like strawberry.

The room looks like somewhere Nufaisa wouldn't work in because it's so not like her. It is filled with black and white which is not something she'd prefer. That makes Mahnoor curious about the woman's personal life and how she goes with it being an extremely good lawyer that fails none of the jobs she was given as long as you are in the right, she proves that no matter what. What Mahnoor doesn't understand is how she is so young but renowned for her honest brutality. She thought she was some older woman breaching her fifties with glasses and plum figure. Oh, well!

They both sat down, Nufaisa at the lone chair in front of her desk while Mahnoor sat on the other end. Clasping both hands in front of her, Nufaisa regarded her with narrowed blunt eyes, not concealing the intense curiosity that marred her deep brown eyes. Her nose wrinkled at a conclusion she's come to. The way she is staring at Mahnoor makes her a bit self conscious and her resolve cracked a bit. The facade she's been using since leaving the Ajuji manor blurred at the intensity of Nufaisa's survey.

Finally, she unclasped her hands and took a pen and paper from her right hand side, scribbled some things before yawing her attention to Mahnoor. "A murder case, huh?" Mahnoor nodded, her eyes stern. She scribbled some more then played with her pen. "So your husband killed your son while he was intoxicated and your father-in-law bribed the police officers with money?"

Mahnoor nodded, choking back the awful feeling of the past that is about to envelope her in shroud of raw pain. "I don't think he was intoxicated when he did that. His father forced him to take liquor so things won't get ugly."

"Have they opened the case then?" At another nod, she gave a smile and write down something again.

"Now we can go to the station and get the police officer to hand us over the file so we can reopen the case. I know it's hidden but there is no way a filed case will be lost, I have my ways. After that is reopened, we are going to summon the defendant and see how things go from there." Nufaisa stopped scribbling and murmured, her mind running miles per second.

"But he is not in the country. Can we get him to come back?"

Nufaisa gave a full blown wicked smile. "Oh, yes. We can have him thrown back here too if need be. A murder case is not a joke and not when I am involved. I'm going to make sure your son gets justice no matter who his grandfather thinks he is."

Mahnoor saw it all over her face that she will definitely get them justice, her heart bloomed with plethora of hope. "I'm sure you can. I'll go and make sure all the evidences I've kept are stored safely just in case."

"I think you should bring them to me just in case. The minute they find out about this case being reopened, they are going to flip out and come for your head at once. They might even make it more dangerous for you to leave your own home or send men to check whether you have proofs with you." Mahnoor looks horrified at never thinking about the consequences of dealing with rich heartless people, Nufaisa is right. "So I'm going to make sure the hearing happens as soon as possible so your life won't be endangered."

"I know Zubairu Ajuji and all his tactics. I have to go into hiding so he cannot find me. Do you have any place to suggest? I don't want anyone other than you to find out about where I'm going to." Mahnoor's face flashed with determination. Asad might be threatened into telling them so she cannot afford to let him know where she is thinking about going to. She trusts him, but some things are better left unsaid.

Nufaisa thought for a few minutes before giving a small smile of solving a problem. "I have a cousin that lives not far from this firm. She hardly leaves her home and the house is also deep in an estate no one would think about barging in. I'll talk to her so you can stay there for a few days. How does that sound?"

Mahnoor contemplated. Living with a stranger? Can she do that after all she's been through? But this is for the sake of her son and what she's been thriving for, she needs to do it. Things are going to end soon, this is trivial than all the things she's endured.

"Perfect."