Kano State, Nigeria.
2018.

After they get all the clothes and things Marawiyyah will need from the house, they lock the room and went to tell Baaba about their departure. She told her she's forgiven her and Falak reluctantly ask the guards to drop some food stuff for her too. She wouldn't have forgiven the wretched woman if she were in the same shoes as Marawiyyah, it will take time before she does so seeing Mari forgiving her just pushed her into giving her the food stuff to help her wrinkling stomach.

She didn't want to after hearing what the woman has done to her, her heart ached even after she gave her and feels like she should go and collect back their stuff and leave the woman to starve for the rest of her life. She deserves everything that comes her way and more. If only Mari wouldn't stop her, she would've took all the woman's dirty money, any food she has remaining, take all the chickens chirping in the house and the stupid goats that kept on looking at them since their arrival. Yep, she just wants to punish the woman for her countless sins and help her see what she will go and see in the hereafter if she doesn't change.

They made their way outside to the cars waiting and Mari felt conscious around those handsome and beautiful people. She is wearing a wrapper that has faded beyond recognition, she has had that wrapper since when Falak was around, they matched the outfit then. A white shirt that's yawed oat, it is extremely tight making it hard for her to breath some times. Meanwhile, her head is wrapped around that typical square head tie that they shape into triangle, she has a lot of them with her, some of Falak's too. She closed her body with a hijab that stopped just around her knees. The hijab she likes going to makarantan allo with when Falak was around, she stopped going after her departure. It was hard to take in some things without Falak beside her.

They are all dressed so simple yet posh and Royal while she don't even look close to the maids she's seen in other cars. Everyone is comfortable in their clothing while she is having a hard time breathing in her own clothes. She is not one to be conscious around anyone but for some reasons, someone's eyes on her made her squirm and feel conscious if her dressing. It looks like that person is seeing right through her outfit giving her a number. She hates that feeling, so she fold her arms on her chest to look confident.

Falak looked at her friend and still can't believe that she is with her. Seeing her expression as she looks around her sisters in-law and brothers, Falak knew exactly what she is thinking so she wrap her arms around her shoulder and brought her closer to her then passed a reassuring nod of her head. There are people watching them so as soon as they walked out of the house, everyone piled into the car and they zoomed out.

Falak, Fikriyah and Marawiyyah are in the same car. Shaddad shared another car with his children when she gave him the excuse of making her friend feel comfortable amongst them. The happiness shining in her face is enough to make him surrender to her request. There was also something he didn't like in her eyes. He knew Falak too much for her to try hiding anything from him. There was worry, regret however happiness shone in her eyes so he agreed but she will tell him what happened that has her all worked up.

"Don't feel conscious while sitting with us. They are the best set of human beings you will ever come across. They just want you to get comfortable before they start with their craziness, you will love them. And the men, they are married except for two of them. You won't believe it but I have another blood step younger brother. His name is Imad." She filled her in seeing as her friend's expression yawed to sheer amazement.

"Really? How old is he?!" She asked, a smile stretching itself on her lips. They have always wanted a younger brother so they can act all protective. They think since men are always possessive over their younger sisters, then they are going to change it into women being protective over their younger brother.

"He is just eighteen will soon rock nineteen. He is one hella talkative and wants to get married very soon." Falak shook her head at the thought, he really is getting married soon though, she can't believe their mother and the King agreed to it so quickly. The boy knows just how to get his way when it comes to his parents.

"Wow, just as determined about love as us." Mari grinned but it faltered at the thought of her own life. Her life has been a ride she wouldn't want even her enemy to be on that boat. 

Wow, she's been though a lot and she still could smile, Falak thought bitterly. She wouldn't have being sitting there with them if she was in her shoes. Honestly, Mari is stronger than she's thought all those years. The woman is among the top two strongest she knows. One of them being her mother then the next is Mari, she is strong as heck.

The burning need for avenging her friend burned through her like searing volcano burning through the stones. She never felt anything so hot and unnerving as she did at that moment. There are a lot of things she wants to do to make her friend happy and she will need Shaddad's help with that. Her husband will be her support and she knows that but what she didn't want to go through is everyone knowing what happened to her friend. It is something personal that not everybody should know about.

They need to bring down this people for good and make sure they don't poison their society again. Things like that still happen and Falak can't believe. She was too into her own life to know about the struggles outside the palace. She needs to leave the palace for a little and hear about people's struggle in the world. Not everyone's life is all rainbows and unicorns, some don't even know those things.

Maybe it is time she step up her game as the next Queen in the state. She needs to work alongside her mother and bring justice to women out there that are suffering because of nothing. Women are suffering across the globe because they are born females. Some can't fight back while some are tamed by force which they can't take out on. She wants to fight everyone and bring back a home for any woman living in that town, she can't say the world. It's a hard and long process, but she feels determined to do so.

No doubt, her sisters in-law and friends will help her accomplish that. No one wants to see another woman suffering just because they can't raise their voices up to the authority or because the word has just turned upsidedown for the sake of it. The government hardly get to know what happens when the powerful rich ones stamp on their mistakes to hide away anything that could land them in jail or put their reputation at stake. They know how to make their work clean, she will give them that. They know just how to hide away what they are doing bad from their family, some don't even try.

They tend to forget that closing their children at home won't help anything after they finish tarnishing other girls' lives outside. They can't escape from Allah when he promised to do something. Hiding them away or taking them to another country or getting them married at a tender age won't stop a thing from happening. They have inflicted a lot of girls that leave them traumatic and depressed for the rest of their lives. They get suicidal thoughts so often that you'd think how on earth they are still living the suffocating breath surrounding the world.

Some around five percent manage to come out of those depressing time but ninety percent of them don't and can't. While the other five end up committing suicide just to escape the pain and fingers point at them for mistakes they never intend to do. For something they have no right to stop from happening because they are Females!

She honestly thought those things don't exist, she hardly watch the news but she will start joining Shaddad. The thing is getting out of hand and the true saying is, you never get the bad feeling of something happening to others till it happens to someone close to you. She knows how it feels and hope she will be able to wipe other people's tears. She just needs that little push, and she will act upon it quick.

She will help fight for justice no matter what it takes. Why didn't any of the royals study law? No wait, Huzaif is a lawyer and she sure as hell is going to have some serious talks with him. He is no normal lawyer and that, she knows. She could see how proud Jaiyana talks about him when she watches the news and find out he has closed yet another complicated case no one thought would be completed. Time to bring law into use in the family to help others.

They arrive at the house her mother arranged for them. If she could remember clearly, that is the house where her mother grew up however it looks renovated from the last time she saw it. The land is big so they all pile out and watch the plum and oat coloured building standing proud. There is a black gate and the guards make their way to open it for them to pile in. They should've stayed in the car but they didn't know there is any parking space inside for their cars. Not all the cars fit though, some stayed outside.

As they filed in, she stopped to look around the lush green plants. There is a driveway that leads to the front porch where an oak door sat. She was quick to open it, there wasn't any lock.

They found out that there are ten bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, family dining table and small backyard. Woah! Who would've thought an enormous land in a village will bring out such home? Her mother was so thoughtful for not just selling the land away though she knew she will hardly visit. It is well furnished with modern wood furniture bringing out the colour of brown around the oat. Everything looks furnished, well arranged and also cleaned not long ago.

Shaddad was given the master room that has bathroom while the others scattered around the other to use the general bathroom. Yazid and Imad are given one room while Marawiyyah is given one then one for the five maids that accompanied them. She see no use of sending maids with them when they are all females and can do the house chores perfectly. Some of the guards can squash up in the last room that has it's backdoor so they won't have to follow the front door when coming in. Some will stay in the Gateman's room and guest side outside, just enough.

"This place is cozy, I could live the rest of my life here." Asad dramatically whooped, moving around the whole place like a lunatic. He wants to be in all the places at the same time.

"I damn hope there is network because I need to do so much." Inayah commented, removing her phone to check the connection. Sure there is network there, full one.

"If there is television, I know each of my problems will be solved." Commented Jabrayah, moving to the said item to check if it's working.

"You guys should go and rest, I need some rest too." Falak followed Shaddad to their room and lie down next to him leaving the other side for the babies.

"You looked worried earlier. What happened?" He asked silently, feeling her breath across his nape. He always knows when she is asleep or not from her breathings.

"She has went through a lot, Statue. You won't believe how much she's suffered all those years while I was thinking she got married somewhere..." And she narrated everything Mari told them earlier in her room, not missing a single word she has engraved in her memory.

"We are going to make sure they are caught, don't worry." He pecked her forehead before letting her doze off and take off the veil around her.

•~•~•

The sun is setting when the girls decided to cook something. There wasn't any food stuff inside so they took from the ones they brought and cooked jollof rice with pepper chicken paired with salad. The girls did all the job excluding Mari who just watched as she try removing the ones that will judge her and the ones that won't. All of them look nice and they were all trying to warm her up in them which she appreciates that. She helped giving address to one of the maids to buy the items for salad, it was so cheap.

After they all ate, the girls sat down around the dining and chilled while the men move to the living room excluding Shaddad who took his children and left for their room. The maids cleared the table and did the dishes. Falak started thinking of what they should do before the day ends. It's been boring catching up, reminiscing old memories while laughing awkwardly. There is something she knew that happens every Monday in that village, then she remembered. They could go to Gaada and play like teenagers again.

"Get dressed girls!" Falak shout in a loud voice before clamping a hand over her mouth not wanting to wake her children up. She don't want to take Shaddad with her, he should stay with the children. Fortunate for him, he didn't want to be dragged to those things.

Everyone scattered including the princes that she forced to attend or she gives their wives to the men there. They are to dress like the villagers so they won't make them feel awkward with their extravagant choice of clothing. Thankfully, they have wrappers for their ankara but they have to collect those village vintage head ties from Mari who was more than willing to offer it to them. They finish with touches of makeup on their faces, just like those villagers.

They laughed at each other then waited patiently for the princes then they left. The princes didn't remove the casual wears though, they don't have any clothe that will match the villager's. Falak didn't mind so she and Mari lead the way. She didn't want them to take the car, they will get unnecessary attention apart from the one they definitely are going to get looking like outsiders in their expensive wrappers and shirts. She don't mind one bit, she once lived there.

The place was set to go when they arrive, the sky already black as they have prayed isha before coming out. There are woods removed from trees arranged in circle with an enormous amount of space in the middle for the Gaada, it is for the couples to dance. Married ones will dance together, if you are crushing on any woman in the village that is unmarried, you can call her to dance and from there everything will move forward to marriage.

Falak enjoyed going even if nobody dares to choose her, she never stops going to dance and laugh. The men will wear their old babban riga, some with old worn out, unstarched Zannah Bukar cap. The place has started filling up and naturally, all eyes were on them but it's a thing meant for everyone. Especially the ones that once lived in the village. They ignored the eyes and sat down close to each other the Princes and her sisters in-law looking around the place weirdly but with excitement to see what will happen.

Everyone danced around excluding Mari as she could only stare longingly at her friends as one danced with her husband while the other held her brother, Imad. No one asked her for a dance, not even the man that once claimed to love her unconditionally. She closed her eyes and place her face on her knees which was brought to her chest. She didn't like the eyes people are throwing at her when no one from the royal family is seeing. They make her feel like she doesn't belong with them and she watch as her ex fiancée, Idris danced with another girl.

She was more than thankful when Falak said she was tired and want to go. They left the place much to her relief, she listened on the way as they chat about how they enjoyed the thing. As soon as they arrived home, she went straight to her room and lock it up. She sat down on the Queen sized bed and cry her eyes and heart out. No one knows how she feels and no one will ever know how it feels to be casted to the side. When she got tired of crying, she lie down on the pillow and willed sleep to come to her. She couldn't do so though.

It's better to find herself in those goddamn dreams than stay awake remembering about her past. It will make her go crazy and start thinking about things she should think about so with a heavy heart and mind, she left the room. She didn't know that leaving that room is where her new life lies. Where her new happiness will be found.

*****
Yoyoyoyo!
How are you? I haven't updated in a while huh? Just two days I think, we need to step up the comments guys. The book is about to end but you guys are drawing back or should we stop here?
RQ; Would you rather marry your islamiyya teacher or marry the imam around your area? Chai, I'll go with teacher😂 You?

Aishatu.