#FewWords
*Stay clear of the herd mentality. Why should you do it just because everyone else is doing it? There’s no need to fit in. Let society say you’re the odd one out. Remember, at the end of the day, it’s better to walk alone than with a crowd headed in the wrong direction.

Recap
Can you tell us exactly what happened to you that day?" Barrister Samir asked

"Yes... I just walked out of the hospital and..."

"No... right from when you left whoever's house you were living in because I want to let this court know that Salma Ahmad is an orphan and she lives with Mr Muhammad Shehu, the famous Shehu Corporation's CEO and founder. Salma, are you related to Mr Muhammad Shehu...in anyway... legally or biologically?" Barrister Samir asked her and that moment she raised her eyes, looked at her Zainab knowing exactly what the man was beating at.

Chapter Forty Nine
Third Person's POV
"Hmm...well, I am living in Mr Muhammad Shehu's place..."

"We know that Miss Salma, you need to tell us exactly how you are related to live in his house?" Barrister Samir sternly said with a smirk on his face.

Salma looked down at her feet and thought none of this will be brought up if her dad didn't die. She raised her head and looked at Nasir who slightly nodded at her, reassuringly.

"Hmm..."

"Objection my Lord! Barrister Samir is diving into a matter that doesn't what we are meant..." Barrister George stood up, with his flat on the table as he wasn't a man with height.

"Barrister George, this matter..."

"My Lord... barrister Samir is trying to divert and waste this Court's precious time in dealing with this case" barrister George said in one breath before he sat. Salma unconsciously breathed in relief because she knew what allegations barrister Samir might have accused her of she answered the question.

"Barrister Samir..." The judge adjusted his glasses and looked at him. Barrister Samir slightly bowed. The judge instructed him to go ahead if he had other questions if not then the court will proceed.

"Miss Salma, how exactly do you want to tell this court how you recognized this men...what technique did you use to..."

"Barrister Samir, I was kidnapped and before I could go unconscious I already saw each of their faces..." She kept quiet and looked down but she knew she had to go on if she wanted these men to not go unpunished.

"...they used a taxi to get me... I thought it was a taxi and that was how I walked right into my own destruction"

"Who knows if you had all these planned?" Barrister turned to the room

"Objection my Lord!" Barrister George stood up

"Barrister Samir... beware of your words" the judge warned.

"I have no questions for now my Lord?"

"Barrister George, do you have any questions?" The judge asked him

"Yes my Lord"

"Sadiq...did you drive a taxi cab on..." Barrister George asked him indicating the date and time. Sadiq was stunned and at first, he turned to his friends who nodded at him to go ahead.

"I was... I did..."

"How did you come across the cab? What did you use the cab to do on that day?"

"I had an urgent trip so I took the cab from a friend who uses it as his source of income" Sadiq answered, Barrister George smiled at him and walked to the witness box tapping his fingers on the polished wood noiselessly.

"Wow...do you recognize this man?" Barrister George pointed at a man who he instructed the police to get into the courtroom.

"Well...I..."

"My Lord, Sadiq is speechless because he clearly recognises this man...Mr Latif, please tell us exactly what you know about this man"

Mr Latif was made to swear to tell the truth before he started talking.

"My taxi was hired by these men on that day and as a business man, I always made sure my cars were hired into good hands. After a few contacts, I got to know these young men were unusual as none of them was interested in driving as a means of income. When I disagreed to hire them, my pay was tripled and that's how I hired the cab to them"

"My Lord, Mr Latif is saying that he hired the car that was used to kidnap Salma Ahmad...give me the permission to show this honourable court a CCTV footage that was caught at Allen Avenue"

"You can go ahead..." The judge gave the permission.

The footage was played on a screen and   Mr Latif testified that the car in the footage is his own car and Salma Ahmad also backed up his claim that she recognized the car.

"Sadiq..."he walked back to the witness box on the left side of the courtroom and tapped his fingers on the wooden table.

"...now do you recognize this man" he asked again

"I don't recognize this man my Lord" he said in a confidence that shocked barrister George

"Hmm, you don't recognize this man? Does that mean that you've lost your memory along with your senses or..."

"Objection my Lord!" Barrister Samir stood up with his hands clenched

"Barrister George is trying to manipulate my client with his questions"

"Barrister George... notice the use of your words" barrister George got his attention.

After a few minutes of question with no good outcome, the hearing was adjourned to a week later.

Salma walked out slowly, one of the men looked at her and smirked as he was being led to the police van.

"Barrister George..." Barrister Samir walked towards them in a stylish manner and looked at Salma before he smiled and continued

"...well, Miss Salma Ahmad is a cute girl and no girl deserved that but listen to me, I'm being paid for this and if you don't come up with strong evidence on the next hearing, there's nothing I can do to help you...quite clear you'll lose the case" he smiled confidently and was about to walk away when he turned and looked at Salma for a second. This act of his got them startled for a bit because in the last seconds he couldn't wait for them to reply to what he said and now he has turned again.

"Listen...Salma Ahmad...do you recognize this?" He brought out a paper from his inner pocket and showed her. The paper had Salma's name in her handwriting.

"This? This is..." She stammered when she remembered the paper which she wrote her name on for the sick in the hospital.

"Good that you remember it, this was my mum's last request... God had everything destined" he smiled and wished her luck.

"That means this man is giving us all the chances to win this case" Barrister George said as they walked to the car.

Nasir asked Salma as they were all confused and didn't really get the story behind the paper. Salma explained everything that happened on that day she was kidnapped and that unfortunate thing happened to her.

"Hmm, God works in different wonders" Jalal nodded his head linking all the events.

"Hmm, Mr Latif wants to help us to win this case, he said the street across has a hidden CCTV camera and that means it must have a footage of when they visited him" Jalal said, after that Mr Adam was called and instructed to do the next thing on their list.

Zainab had a conversation that Salma needs to live with them because the court might use that as an opportunity to tarnish her image but Mr Muhammad Shehu disagreed.

"No...Mrs Zayn, Salma is now like a daughter to me" He relaxed on his chair

"How did today's hearing go please?" He tried to change the topic but Zayn supported his wife's point.

"Well, if you want... I can arrange to get her adopted" he suggested

"No...no...dad... that can't be possible" Nasir walked down the stairs in shorts and a big shirt.

The trio all turned to look at him surprisingly.

"What do you mean Nasir?" Mr Muhammad, his dad asked.

"Listen...If you adopt her that'll be a problem for me" he scratched his head and found a spot to sit, close to Zainab who just looked at him blankly.

"Hmm, well you have to explain yourself now" Zayn spoke for the first time he came down the stairs.

"Hmm, dad...I like Salma and nothing will be possible if you..."

"What... Nasir you are just 19 for goodness sake...you can't think about these kinda things, you don't know what the future holds" Zayn said while his father just looked at them, turning from one to another.

"No... uncle Zayn, I like her" He insisted

"I'm sorry I'll say this but I hope what you know what you are going into" his dad spoke and Zainab supported him because she doesn't want anything that will make Salma break in the future.

"Does Salma know?" His dad asked

"Well, not really... I've just shown her but I doubt she knows anything about..."

"That's good, I won't adopt her but you can take things forward by proposing to her if you want...I don't mind... we have the resources..."

"Mr Muhammad, this is a very sensitive topic, don't you think it's too early?" Zainab asked him

"No, it's not. Salma and Nasir are both adult's please, they can handle their affairs. I'll sponsor their education till they can handle things themselves" Mr Muhammad calmly spoke, he looked dangerously calm for such a topic. After intensive discussions, Zainab suggested she had a discussion with Nasir, alone and they were excused.

"Nasir, Salma has gone through a lot and I just hope you won't cause her any pain..."

"Noo...aunt Zee, I love her, I love Salma, I love everything about her... I want to wipe out her tears, I want to be the coolness of her eyes, I've known her for more than a year, we've been together for almost a complete school session and I know... I just love her" he ended his speech.

"Hmm, Nasir...I love the fact that you do" she smiled and opened her hands for a hug.

"Thank you Aunt"

They walked back to the parlor with Zainab smiling.

"Women and their ways" Mr Muhammad chuckled

"You are a grown up now" Mr Muhammad playfully hit his son's shoulder before he walked out of the parlor.

"Please don't tell Salma now... I want it to be special" he smiled shyly as he told Zainab after Zayn also went out. She nodded her head and assured him she'll tell his dad and Zayn.

Nasir went to his room and picked his phone but he couldn't do anything, his thoughts were centered on Salma and what she was going through. After a while, he thanked his dad for getting him transferred to his alma mater in his final year. God had everything destined, he was happy that he understood the reasons behind his father's actions, one thing that got him sad was the camouflage his mother and how she almost used her devious manners. Jalal already warned him that Fatimah can't be that calm, she has something she must be cooking up.

Mr Muhammad didn't really how hurt he was but he didn't say anything to anyone apart from Jalal. Jalal secretly told Nasir that the only thing that kept his parents together was him. He told him that his mother changed to her real colours immediately she gave birth to him because Mr Muhammad Shehu had her on house arrest to prevent her from aborting him. She was paid every single thing she did to him as a mother and Mr Muhammad couldn't find it suiting to have any kinda relationship with her

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End of Chapter 49, thank you so much for your reads and don't forget to vote, comment and share.

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