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KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

"Oh no! That was meant for Amirah!" Jannah wail took over the quiet, eerie, still place, it echoed throughout the walls and bounced back to the occupants of the rooms ears.

"What the heck?!" Jabir rushed to take the gun away from her when she aimed it again at shocked Amirah, not willing to give up.

"Leave me alone!" Jannah yelled again, pushing Jabir away from her in hysterics but the guards are there to take her down and she fell to the floor with a thud, hitting her head. One of the guards place his knees on her back to keep her down.

Jabir went beside Jannah who is struggling with such strength to fight off a well trained guard. "Stay down or I will be forced to hurt you."

Jannah glared at him, eyes shining with such wrath that rendered him speechless. This girl is really gone. "You are a traitor just like my father! Choosing a stranger over your own family. Bunch of spineless men." She spatted and like a slap to Jabir, he flinched back. If his eyes weren't playing tricks, he'd swore he saw regret in her eyes for a split second before it dematerialized. "I want to fucking kill her! I want her dead!"

Amirah pushed Najla to Aunt Azima's arms, too shocked to think where the girl landed then she rushed to Imad. He was shot right beside his stomach but not close to his ribs. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she reached him, falling down on her knees and held him up, he is losing too much blood already. She place her hand there, remove the head tie from her head and press down on the wound, hard to stop the immense bleeding. Her head hurts, she cannot even think straight.

It took her by surprise. One minute they are fighting to get Najla away from the bouncer when Amirah threatened to kill her first before killing her mother, Imad trying to take the gun from Jannah because he didn't know she was going to try shooting Amirah behind him. He jumped right when she fired the gun, the bullet grazing his side in a painful way that had him genuflecting to his knees. He fell on his sides holding the place he was shot.

The freaking bullet is inside of him and there has never been pain like that.

Amirah's face broke into perspiration, yawing ashen and pale. Her lips are trembling and she cannot see much since the tears are obstructing her view. She couldn't speak, something is clogged behind her throat because even the outcry lurking inside wouldn't come out. Her stomach feels rock hard, her chest thudding loudly to the point of pain.

Jannah really knew how to use a gun, he didn't expect such perfection from her and thought she was holding it to scare them. He cut short the long screed and polemic when his daughter's life got threatened. He could vaguely hear her wails in the background at the sound of the gun. Such traumatic experience for a little kid, he won't forgive Jannah for that. She's made a grave mistake, he will get back at her for that.

He was galvanised off his revenge thoughts when Amirah rushed to where he is lying, crying her eyes out without saying anything. He banished the thought of revenge, it is not worth it!

She keeps staring at his eyes, as if trying to hypnotise him into not slipping off consciousness and he smiled. It is catastrophic! The contrite surged through him like an avalanche, rendering him weak and more guilty. They are suffering only because of him.

He thought he could protect them from all satanic evils but he is one himself. They are already falling from this trouble to that one right after they appeared back in his life. That's epidemic from his side, honestly. How could everyone just have him denunciated the minute his happiness got sheaf? Maybe his miscellany of merriment is rotten and needs to be reincarnated. That should be it, not too bad huh?

This is tantamount to what he did to Amirah right? The pain he's caused her with his lack of understanding, huh? He badly wants to condescend his theory but it is not possible when the woman suffered while giving birth. That thing is stuck to his mind and he cannot wait to find out what has happened while she was giving birth to Najla.

Her voice soothed his raging mind. "Please don't leave me. Help will be here any minute, hold on." She whispered after series of hiccups and sobs. Her eyes are already crimson, the cornea hiding along with her eye balls.

He grinned, the pain already eating up his cranium. "You think I'm going to leave you now? Never, gummy bear."

"Don't." She smiled too, a modicum one but enough for him to close his eyes and lost consciousness just when the sirens were heard from outside.

The paramedic's surged inside the room in haste, reaching out for Imad. They took the veil along with him to close the wound and stop it from bleeding. He is placed on a gurney and rushed out of the building to the waiting ambulance. Amirah decided to follow them, throwing orders at the police to make sure her sister is safe from the woman before she disappeared. She needs to make sure Imad is safe, she won't rest if that isn't affirmed.

"Are you the patient's relative?" One of the paramedics inquired right before Amirah stepped inside. He looks young but that is beside the point now since he looks to know what he is doing.

She nodded at first then whispered. "I'm his wife." Then climb inside the car to sit beside Imad on the table other paramedics are sitting on.

One of them tried removing the bullet after pouring alcohol to the wound. Amirah winced and looked away but Imad didn't as much as squirmed, he is unconscious. Her heart lodged to her throat, she wants to regurgitate something but her stomach is empty. She knows how alcohol hurts when poured on a wound, it makes someone go crazy and had he been conscious, she knew he would've fell off the gurney.

The bullet was removed with a tenaculum -bullet extractor- and she sighed, there is no need for incision. She don't want to see him torn like they do on the television.

"Don't be too afraid. The bullet won't hurt after it's done it's damage within except if it is poisonous or hits an artery that causes stroke." The younger looking paramedic explained to her seeing as the tears are about to gush down her face.

The paramedic dressing Imad closed his wound with tourniquet, he did it expertly that she smiled. He occluded the wound like it was never there except for the little blood from his hand. She cannot help thanking the man for treating her husband good, her smile grateful and large. The ride continue on to his family hospital since the bullet won't cause too much damage or they would've stopped at the nearest hospital to have him treated as soon as possible.

The paramedic answered. "Don't mention, it is my job. You are lucky the bullet is actually from a sleaze gun, 2mm kolibri cartridge dimensions and the bullet is not too deadly, just taser XREP. Hence his stomach, liver, intestines, spine and colon are safe though we have to check further. Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging needs to be done as soon as we get to the hospital."

Amirah blinked albeit knowing what he is saying, it doesn't make much sense to her worried brain. She nodded her head anyway, staring down at Imad's pectoral rising and falling in gentle pace. He looks at peace but she is sure that won't be long lived since the minute he gets conscious, the pain will be unbearable. She shuddered remembering when they poured the alcohol in his wound.

They arrived at the hospital and like every hospital, they didn't permit her inside the CT or MRI room but his brothers assured her he was going to be alright. She sat down quietly on one of the waiting chairs, listening to the little sounds of footsteps going around though the place is hushed and eerie. She is thankful for that, no one needs to see her all bloody and disheveled. Her head tie is actually nowhere to be found, filled with blood.

Silent footsteps were heard from behind her but she didn't turn around to see who it was, her head jumbled with so many thoughts. When someone sat beside her, she still was out of it to bother yawing her attention back to new breathing specie sitting there with her. So many sporadic thoughts keep raging in her head hurting her cranium and brain in process. She just hopes Afaf is safe now and they are on their way home.

The person beside her got tired of the silence and talked, she jumped off her catatonic state!

She didn't expect the crowned prince to be there with her but from his voice, she knew he was the one. Okay, what the heck? What is he doing there and why didn't she sense his intense aura? Her mental focus left Imad's situation and she pivoted around to watch her husband's older brother, her brother in-law, passing her a bottle of water and a vintage head tie to close her head.

Oh, God! This is so embarrassing, her hair is all over the place albeit tied with a rubber band. Most of them are flying around her forehead and the little she has packed are about to get off the sheaf. She gulped and took the head tie first, tie it around her head slowly then the water bottle to take a sip. She didn't want to drink water but the way he is staring at her compelled her to do so and she did. This is so what it is, on God.

"You need to go and clean up. He will be unconscious for awhile." His words are quiet, calm and stern that she found herself nodding at the command.

That is that last thing in her mind, cleaning up. She wanted to stay there with Imad the whole time till he wakes up but there are things she really needs to do. She should confirm Afaf's wellbeing and also get to her crying daughter. She does not know where to begin and where to start from. Should she go to the palace and help Usayma or go home to her family?

Left with little choice, she opened her mouth to speak. She never thought there would come a day where she will speak to this man, especially not in a secluded place alone. "Can I borrow your cellphone?"

He nodded, took his brand new phone courtesy of his wife and pass it to her. Her hands shook a bit but she took it and dialled Afaf's number hoping the phone wasn't misplaced during the kidnapping. She also knew that Afaf hardly goes out with her phone so it might be safe. She cannot read out Aunt Azima's number since she hasn't memorised it. She hopes Afaf will pick up though or she'd be doomed.

"Hello?" The relief that surged through her was immense but she pushed that away and decided to talk.

"Afaf, it's me, Amirah." She took a deep breath again to calm herself. "Can you all go to the palace? I need to take care of Usayma there and I want Najla with me."

"Alright, we'll be there in no time." Amirah whispered small okay and hung up the phone passing it to it's owner who has been staring at her in a scrutinizing way.

"Thanks." A small smile graced her lips, liking his kindness. People say he doesn't talk neither does he care though Imad keeps telling her that that is all a lie that he is just different and quiet.

Shaddad nodded, having so much to say to her but kept quiet. Then he couldn't hold it in. "I don't know what has happened between you and Imad but I want you to know that you have a choice." He paused a little, disregarding her confused and galvanised face. "You have been through so much. I know about you being a maid in the palace." She gasped but yet again, he disregarded that. "Even the way you've given birth to your daughter. So I will give you this option." He kept quiet, hoping she's absorbed everything.

What does she expect? He is the crowned prince and have his eyes everywhere. He will definitely find out about everything and her being a maid too.

The silence stretched and she is getting impatient. "What option?"

He adjusted himself on his chair, facing away from her for a bit then looked back. She is sure her eyes are admiring his physique and pulchritude. His bronze skin is so smooth and glows, his beard neatly trimmed and so dark as if dyed to his strong looking nose and almond eyes. There is no way Falak won't fall hopelessly in love with this guy in front of her. He has so many aficionados, not their fault at all.

"You can leave Imad if you don't want to stay with him. I can help you with everything you need because what he did was uncalled for. Don't think you are compelled to be with him because he's helped you or because the King wants you to. What I'm saying is, you have a choice to walk out of this marriage if you don't want to stay." He finished, eyes calculating and making next move.

Amirah is shocked beyond words, she is rooted to her place. She couldn't believe what he is saying but it doesn't mean she has never thought about it. She's thought about maybe not working it out with him but quickly dismissed it because she can not support herself financially. She's thought about what is going to happen if she leaves the marriage like that with a daughter. Her only joy is Afaf will be happy in her own marital home but she won't be.

What if Imad decide to do something similar to what he did in future? What if the trust between them wasn't built from the beginning and it will keep shaking like that? So many what ifs to think about but she cannot bring herself to walk out of the marriage with Najla. Najla needs a father figure and the way they are bonding up is quiet interesting. If she leaves the marriage, she will just complicate her daughter's life further.

She didn't expect Shaddad to talk to her about this. She didn't expect so much support from the aloof crowned prince but look at him sounding like an older brother. Her chest give this flutter, it expanded and her limbs tingle with warmth. At that moment, there is this connection she badly wants to build with this man. She's been wanting a brother figure and her brother in-law is also her brother right?

She worded out the weirdest request to ever exist. "Can I hug you?" Her eyes are glossing over even though they glowed with gratitude.

Shaddad was taken by surprise, his brows furrowed because he's never hugged anyone other than his wife and children or when his stepmother forced herself into his personal space once or twice. But this woman in front of him looks vulnerable and the hug is just what she needs and so he gave a nod.

He acquiesced, moving closer to her and she enveloped herself in his arms in mere seconds. Her head lie gently on his shoulder, his hand around her back loosely.

Weirdly, it doesn't feel queer or bizarre, not exactly liking it but it was okay. She is so small, smaller than his wife and almost like a daughter in his arms and not sister in-law. Maybe being nice to people in need is not that bad after all. But he cannot picture himself doing something similar to this to anyone. He just admire her strength and courage!
Okay
After a few minutes, she withdraw and wipe her tears, trying to get herself back together and make sure her emotions are back in check. She's wanted to tell only Imad her story but now, she wants to tell the crowned prince everything.

So she did.

Shaddad kept quiet after she's narrated the story, he didn't know what to say. He does not know whether she expects him to console her or something. The story is quite traumatic, it makes his head ache with the complications she's faced throughout those three years.

Imad does not deserve this lady and he'd make sure she gets a better life the minute she word out wanting to leave Imad!

"Sorry about that and my offer still stands, you can walk out of it if you can't take it." With that, he gave her a comforting ghost smile and stood up. "You should go and fresh up."

"I will. Thanks for everything. Really." She smiled and stood up too, only to fall back again on the chair when her legs couldn't take her weight so he helped her.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and they started walking down the long corridor where they bumped into Falak, Harith, Halima and Masrooq coming. Falak looked at them both and grinned widely, Amirah managed to get to his shell. He's talked about breaking the marriage yesterday if she doesn't want it so it means he's talked to her about it. Aw, the brother in-law and sister in-law bond is making her lips ache.

"How cute?" Falak teased, her smile widening to make her husband squirm. He released Amirah gently and she blushed. She is still not comfortable with Falak, maybe later on.

"Too cute!" Halima giggled before they talked for a bit and Masrooq offered to take her back to the palace.

How cute? Aw, Shaddad is making me blush abeg. Such cuteness.

Wanna know the secret huh? Chapter seventy two guys, wait for it! Su Imad baa mutu ba, hmm...

Tut-tut...
Five more chapters.