The way I suffered just to be able to publish this update!! You owe me comments!!!😭

SA'ADATU'S POV.

KANO, NIGERIA.

Faiza was the first to get up, quick on her feet while I followed after her. Her gaze shifted from her brother, to a slightly bruised Zaheer, and then back to her brother again. "Yaya..." She called out, her hand reaching behind her to where I am. When her hand found mine, she held it in a tight grasp—a silent evidence to how she is feeling at the moment. She then swallowed a lump, then released a shaky breath. "...how is he?" She asked the same question in my mind.

How is Abubakar? Is he dead? I cannot say he does not deserve it, but it will be best if he is not. The trouble that comes with him dying, and the consequence Ya Yusuf and Zaheer would face as a result of it definitely, is not worth it. Not one bit.

Adnan's expression as calm as ever, and when he answered, there was a tinge of disappointment in his tone that I did not miss. "He will live." He declared. "These two won't rot in prison after all." He stated, with a slight nudge of his head in the direction of Zaheer.

The said man threw him a look. "That is no way to treat a guest." Though his tone was serious, I know Zaheer enough to know he is pulling Adnan's leg—the two still have not gotten over their unspoken, and unreasonable beef it seems.

Adnan threw him a pointed look of his, his lips set into a tight line—clearly annoyed without knowing he basically walked into the man's trap. "Do not make me regret bailing you," He threatened.

Zaheer offered him a sarcastic, tight lipped smile. "I did not need you to," He responded casually with a shrug of his shoulders. "I could have gotten out on my own." Did I mention Zaheer is actually a cocky person? No? Well, he is. "And also," He turned around to face the man completely, his gaze unwavering as he held his. "Do not make me regret giving you a ride back home."

Adnan's eyes narrowed behind those glasses, and his frown deepened. "I did not need you to," He bit back.

"You did not?" Zaheer arched a brow, feigning innocence. "Then why did you tag along?"

"This is my house," Adnan gritted out. "Why are you still here again?"

"To see my woman of course," And it appears Zaheer is outright shameless as well. His lips curled into a wide grin once those words escaped his lips, and then he turned his head around, his gaze meeting Faiza's, and if possible, his grin widened. "I cannot possibly leave her worried about me. She should at least see that I am doing well for her peace of mind." Yup, shameless indeed. 

She huffed out a breath, then threw him a glare but underneath that annoyance, it was evident that his words got to her. But, it appears only she and I found his words to be cute—because he certainly did not move the older brother standing in front of him, and staring at him with a look that questioned whether he had grown ten heads.

Adnan's breath of disbelief came, and the stunned look that masked his expression is way too funny. As if he had enough of this all, he stepped in front of Zaheer, blocking his sight from looking at Faiza. "Get out of my house." His words were serious, and so was his expression. I am sure if it was anyone else, it would have gotten through to them.

But, not Zaheer Wambai apparently.

Because what did the man do in return? He offered him a wider grin, then his voice followed. "Come on, brother-in-law," He reached out to pat his arm awkwardly, "We should have gotten over that phase by now. We will soon be family after all." I swear Zaheer is such an unserious person—he will always be, there is no doubt there. "We are brothers now, even."

A snort-like laugh escaped my lips, and I had to cover my mouth with my hand in order to hold it back before I could gain any sort of attention in my direction. Even Faiza seemed to be fighting back her smile though her glare remained prominent. It was evident the two needed some alone time, but they will get none of that—not with her brooding and overprotective brother in the way.

So, I deemed it my moment to step in, and so I did. Letting go of Faiza's hand, I offered her a small, assuring smile before making my way towards her brother. Once close enough, I slipped my hand and hooked my arm with his, and I could see the way his tensed shoulders slumped slightly.

"Come, let's go so that you will rest," I said, my fingers intertwined with his as I tried to move him with me. But, he did not budge—his stare off ongoing with Zaheer whose grin still has not wavered in the slightly. I assure you, he is intentionally getting under the man's skin knowing what reaction he would get, and enjoying every minute of it. I suspired, then gave Adnan's hand a small squeeze. "Let's go."

Hesitantly, he looked down, his firm gaze meeting mine though wordlessly.

I offered him a tight lipped smile, "Muje," This time around, he did not fight it when I steered him away, though the hesitancy was evident in his stance.

And to make matters worse, Zaheer's voice followed behind us as we walked away. "Don't worry brother-in-law, nothing would happen here. You do not have to worry."

This time around, before Adnan could turn around, I did the honor and threw Zaheer a glare which he returned with his infamous, charming grins. I rolled my eyes. I swear, if he ruins my plans of getting Faiza's brother away for them, I will not interfere again.

Thankfully, we managed to make it back to the bedroom without the overprotective brother attempting to walk out and drag Zaheer away. The moment the door closed behind us, I let go of Adnan's hand, and walked ahead of him without so much as sparing him a glance, my earlier annoyance returning now that we have gotten over the main issue we had that came up.

He followed behind me closely, but even without staring at him, I could feel his questioning gaze follow me. "Hayaty..." He called out, his voice softened up, and it was evident from his tone that he knows what he did, and the fact that we had an issue just now will not make me forget it.

So, I ignored him, and then reached out to take off my hijab. Once it is off, and as I was folding it, I felt him move closer to me and before it could register in my head, his hands had slipped around my waist, and his chin rested on my shoulder as he hugged me from behind, his warm breath tickling my neck.

"Hayaty," He called out again, this time around his voice a whisper, his arms tightening around me. "I am sorry," He apologized, but truthfully, that only annoyed me more.

Because what do you mean he is apologizing this easily? Seriously, what if I wanted a bit of drama and he is just caving in this easily.

I ignored his advances, pretending as if it was not getting to me when it really is. But, I knew deep down that if I stayed in his arms any longer, I was going to cave in, and that will be difficult for me to hold my grounds any longer.

Much to my luck though, the sound of his phone ringing suddenly came, breaking the slowly charged air. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, and I found my hands moving to remove his arms that were wrapped around me so I could turn around and meet his gaze. "Answer your phone," I said, keeping my tone neutral though internally I was on my knees thanking whoever is calling him.

He seemed as though he wanted to say otherwise, but he pulled the phone out and checked the caller ID, and my eyes caught the name written there, a name I am not sure I have ever heard of before. 'AMIR QASIM' flashed across the screen, and judging by the way Adnan's earlier larking expression melted away, it must be a serious phone call.

"Answer it," I urged, then offered him a small smile, hoping it would be enough to ease whatever thoughts he has of me being upset. I am, but I am more grateful towards whoever it is.

His hand moved to rest on my upper arm, then his thumb rubbed soothing circles there. "Give me a moment."

I nodded, then moved away from him, making my way out of the room so he would have the privacy to discuss whatever it is that came up. I contemplated on whether I should head to the living room and check on Faiza and Zaheer, or whether to give them a bit more time alone. However, just as I had decided to just head to my room, Faiza making her way over caught my attention, making me halt in my steps.

"Faiza..." I breathed out, walking over to her so I closed the space between us, then came to a stop once we were close enough. "...are you okay? Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, then offered me a small smile. "No, everything is okay. I just...we will head back now."

I found myself arching a brow, "Listen, I know this is not the time but I just have to ask," I reached my hands out to take a hold of hers, my brows now drawn in when I asked. "This thing you have with Zaheer, are you sure about it?" The fact that Zaheer is a friend of mine, one that I know and trust does not mean I would choose him over Faiza in this situation.

Faiza is fragile, though she does not seem like it. The kind of security she needs, I am not sure Zaheer can provide, and that is just the truth. But, if she does feel as though she can get it, then I would support them wholeheartedly.

A conflicted look took over her features, and then she released a shaky breath. "Honestly, Walida," She stared down at our intertwined hands for a second, before she looked up, her shoulders slumped. "I am not sure what to do about it."

"But do you like him?" I found myself asking.

She folded her lips in for a second, then exhaled a loud breath. "I do not want to."

"That is not a 'no'."

"It is also not a 'yes'," She threw back, the exhaustion evident in her tone. "I just...I do not know. I guess we need to talk it out or something. But--"

"It is okay," I gave her hands a small squeeze, my lips slanted into a hopefully comforting smile. "You do not need to have it all figured out now. You two should talk it over when you are both ready. But Faiza," I took a step closer to her, my eyes levelling with hers. "Whatever decision you make, I will support it."

Her eyes glossed over for a second, and in response to my statement, she simply closed the space between us, her arms wrapped around me as she embraced me. I hugged her back, my eyes flicking close momentarily.

"Thank you for having my back," She whispered, her voice small.

"Always," I whispered back. "What are best friends for?"

Faiza pulled away from the embrace with a feigned shudder, "Do not make this gross," She threw me a pointed look. "You better not add anything like 'I love you'." Though her tone was serious, she seems to be fighting back a smile as a smile as well.

"What?" I chuckled, shaking my head at her words. "You wish." I huffed out a breath, rolling my eyes.

The smile finally cracked, but before she could say anything, the sound of the door opening behind us caught our attention, making us both turn around just in time to see her brother stepping out. His gaze found mine first, before it drifted behind me to where she is, and there was this look they shared that told me they would need some time alone.

So, I excused myself, leaving them there and then made my way over to the living room. Immediately I stepped foot there, my gaze caught that of Zaheer whom turned around, his phone pressed to his ear, his expression serious. But when our gaze met, he offered me a sheepish smile, then said something to whoever is on the other end of the call, ending it. Tucking the phone away, he then turned around to face me completely.

"The latest Missus in town," He teased, his lips curled into one of his famous boyish smiles.

My eyes narrowed as I found myself coming to stand in front of him, my glare unrelenting. "What are you up to, Zaheer?" I found myself asking, my tone serious.

His smile faltered slightly given the seriousness of my tone, and it was evident he did not think I would be that serious—or he just hopes I will not bring it up. When he realized I am not willing to back down, he sighed reaching his hand out to pinch the bridge of his nose, his smile disappearing before he found my gaze again.

"Sa'adatu," He called out, and I think it is the first time I am hearing him call my name like that. There is always a funny title he attaches to it or something. But that was not the only weird thing—I was seeing him being dead serious for the first time in his life. "I like Faiza." He breathed out.

I blinked, my resolve melting only slightly but I tried to not show it. Instead, I found myself saying, "So?" I arched a brow. "You like her, then what?" He did not say anything, simply allowing me to continue. "Zaheer, I know you. And for as long as I have known you, you have never been serious with your life—and it was cute and all before, I have no right to tell you how to live your life. But, Zaheer, Faiza is not another one of your quests. If you like her just for the sake of it, it is better to put an end to this soon."

I am not trying to judge, I am merely looking about for Faiza. I believe what Faiza needs is security—security from the man that she would give her heart to next. Zaheer is a good man, there is no doubt there. But, is he ready to settle with her? Is he ready to give up the life he has been living all this while for her? Is he willing to change the way his mindset has been all this while?

"Faiza might not get into another relationship or marriage easily like that. Whoever she will end up being with, will have to show her that she can be happy and secure around him, what do you have to offer, Zaheer? Can you look at yourself now and say you can offer that much?"

In the past, his mother has tried to get me to talk him out of his phase of his, but I did not bother much because I know he will not listen to anyone—besides, he does not have a reason to. Now, I am pressing to know if he is still the same man from a year ago, or if he has matured.

"Sa'adatu," He breathed out, once he was sure I am done talking. I arched a brow slightly in response, and then he held my gaze, not a trace of lark spotted there. When he spoke again, his tone was the most serious I have ever heard from him. "I have quit racing." He suddenly admitted.

"What?" My frown deepened. "You quit racing?" I am sure my tone is laced with disbelief, a valid one because as long as I have known Zaheer and heard of him, racing has been his lifeline. He nodded in response to the question, and I found myself asking again. "Since when?"

"Since a while ago," He confessed, "I have not raced in a while, and I do not plan on doing so."

"Because of Faiza?"

He shook his head no. "No. Not because of her."

"Because of what then?" What reason could there possibly be strong enough to have Zaheer quit something like racing?

"Not 'what', 'who'." He corrected, confusing me further. Then, he went on to explain. "I quit racing because of Amani."

I blinked, taken aback by the response. "Amani?"

He nodded this time around. "I do not want her to lose another father because of recklessness." He said, his gaze never wavering from mine. This time around, he did not allow me to say anything as he continued. "Sa'adatu, I very much understand what Faiza needs, and I am trying to become that person. To be a man worthy of her, and an even better man, worthy of becoming Amani's father."

Okay, I was not expecting that, so I will not lie, his words did catch me off guard to the point that all the words I had t the tip of my tongue vanished. Instead, I found myself blinking, and simply staring at him, awestruck.

He took my silence as his chance to then add. "I know you have your worries, rightfully so. But, I promise, though I am not now, but I will become a man worthy of Faiza and Amani's love. I just hope you will have a bit of faith in me, I will be good to them both."

My glare melted slightly, and then I found myself saying. "If you hurt her, I will have your head." I could not find any other word to use, he has managed to convince the greater part of me with just those words.

Finally, his lips curled into a smile, his amusement returning. "I am pretty sure her brothers would do the honors before you do. You can just do the honors of pouring sand over me in my grave."

"You bet I would." Though my words came out seriously, my face broke into a smile, the earlier tension easing as our old light banter filled air returned, coupled with his never-ending teasing. Truthfully, Zaheer feels like a brother to me, it has always been that way, and even after everything that has happened—our relationship still stands.

And a part of me, the part that was not entirely dedicated to Faiza, actually rooted for him. It has no doubt that he would treat her well.

Soon enough, the Bayero siblings joined us, and then Faiza declared her leave with Zaheer, which her brother was not entirely thrilled about but he did send them off with me, and with a 'I have my eyes on you' glare settled on Zaheer, who at this point, has turned Adnan into his grandfather really.

Because ask me what he did in response to the glare? He simply grinned, and then said something along the lines of, 'I love you too, my brother. So glad you accepted me into the family', and then got into his car.

I am not sure when exactly, but it must have been from the drive to our house earlier but they have formed this funny bond. As Zaheer's car zoomed out of our house, I did not miss the small smile that donned my husband's lips, which he was quick to wipe away when he caught me staring.

Clearing his throat, his arm wrapped around my waist as he steered us back into the house, and then his voice followed. "I will head upstairs and take a shower," He declared, then turned around to look at me seriously, "And we will be expecting a guest later."

"A guest?"

He nodded. "My cousin, Amir Qasim would drop by," He stated, his tone serious. "There is something you need to know."

My frown returned, and something about his told me I will not like whatever I would hear later, and I could not wait. So, I found myself asking, "What is it, Adnan?" My voice was low, and laced with the fear of the unexpected.

He sighed, then shook his head. "I will tell you later. A lot has happened now. I promise, you will know later." He offered me a small smile, then attempted to turn around and walk away, but I was having none of it.

My hand reached out to take a hold of his hand, "You have already brought it up," I started, my voice low, but I was a storm inside. My heart hammered behind my ribcage, the gravity of the look in his eyes making my shoulders weigh heavily. "You might as well tell me what it is exactly."

"Sa'adah..."

"Please, Adnan." I gritted out, my breathing shaky as my hold around his hand tightened. I swallowed down a lump, and I could hear I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. "What is going on?"

He held my gaze, and I could see the hesitation in it. He did not say anything for a short while, and my desperation grew. Then, he suddenly sighed, and I watched as his resolve crack. Then, he reached out and removed my hand from it, and instead took both of mine in his, before he found my gaze again. "It is about Khalil." He breathed out.

My frown deepened, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach. "What about him?" He and I have only spoken of him once, and that was when he offered his condolence. I guess it was an unspoken agreement between us to not speak of each other's exes, just as how I am oddly curious about a certain woman from his past, but I did not bring it up because I am not sure I want to know or dwell in the past again.

But, he bringing Khalil up like this tells me there must be something grave.

His gaze held mine, and I could see the inner turmoil in his orbs as he struggled to break the news to me, till he eventually decided to just say it. "His death was not an accident," He said, "He was killed."

My shoulders dropped, and I felt as though ice bucket has been dumped on me. "What?" My own voice was barely audible to my ears.

"And they finally found who was behind it," His hands gave mine a small squeeze, "It was Emily—his first wife."

****

Do I have an AN today? No. Because my head hurts from all I had to go through to be able to update today 😭

Sha. Stay safe.

Love,  Jannah Mia❤️