"What?" Ameerah chuckled, not getting what Rahma meant. "What are you talking about"

Rahma shook her head, eyes welling up with tears. "It's you right, Rahma?" She couldn't believe her eyes. If what Ameerah really said was true, then that meant she's her childhood friend Rahma? It means the real Rahma isn't dead.

But how.

Ameerah shook her head, staring at Rahma as if she'd grown two heads. "What are you talking about Rabia?" She decided to use her real name, to see if it would snap Rahma out of whatever trance she got into.

"You said you left home that night..." Rahma blinked furiously, "Don't you remember? We left home together. I—I thought...I thought you died" She reached out and held Ameerah's hands, the tears she held back streaming down her face.

Ameerah raised a brow, her smile disappearing from her face. "Yes I said I left home that day but..." She removed her hands out of Rahma's. "...I left home alone"

Rahma shook her head, unable to stop the tears. Was the incident that traumatic that she forgot her? "No you didn't" She bit her lip to hold in the sob, "We left Miya together"

Ameerah looked down for a brief second, before she looked up again. She had a small smile on her face, "Rabia, I wasn't from Miya"

"What?" Rahma's mouth hung open. She wanted to tell Ameerah that she's mistaken. However, the girl seemed to believe what she was saying.

"I wasn't from Miya" Ameerah repeated her earlier words. "I'm from a village near Miya. I wouldn't exactly call it a village as my family roam about from one land to another. We're Fulani and my parents rear cattle, so move around a lot"

"But..." Rahma trailed off. She couldn't understand everything. It didn't make sense. Everything about what Ameerah said earlier pointed that she's the real Rahma. On the other hand, what she's saying at the moment proved otherwise. "How did you end up in the forest that night, and in the hospital. I was sure I saw Rahma, I saw you"

Ameerah swallowed, thinking of how to explain the situation to Rahma. It was true that she had post traumatic amnesia, but it only lasted for about a week. After her first week, she remembered everything. She simply chose to pretend otherwise. However, everything Rahma is claiming her to be at the moment wasn't correct. They weren't from the same village before, she doubts they had ever crossed paths. So, she decided to explain.

"My family was supposed to move again the next, but I didn't want to. I've always hated moving about but I had no choice. So, that night I decided to run away. I know it was stupid of me to do so but I was a child, I didn't know the dangers of the outside world. While running away, I heard voices...." She blinked, suddenly remembering how she felt at the moment. "...I should've ran, but I didn't. Instead, the curious part of me made me walk towards the direction of the sound. And that was when I saw it" She paused, inhaling sharply. She blinked rapidly as her eye brows drew in. She suddenly shot her eyes to meet Rahma's.

"What...what did you see?" Rahma rambled.

Ameerah nodded slowly, suddenly understanding where Rahma got the mix up. "I saw a girl, she sprinted past me. I don't think she saw me because even I didn't see her clearly, she was gone before I could react"

Rahma set her lips into a tight line. She knew it couldn't be her. She ran away, she was alert of everything in the forest surrounding her, within earshot that it. The only time she lost track was when she was out of the forest.

And if it wasn't her then it had to be Rahma. The real one.

"There was a man after her" Ameerah's voice suddenly came out low. "When he must've thought I was her. It was so dark, I couldn't make out his features and I'm sure he couldn't make out mine..." She trailed off. She didn't need to continue though. Both knew what happened afterwards. There was no use of saying it.

Still, some things didn't add up for Rahma. She was saw she her friend, the real Rahma that day. And she clearly heard what the nurses said about her.

She looked down, exhaling lowly. "But I was sure I saw you...her" She couldn't figure out how to address the situation. Is Ameerah and Rahma really two different people in her memory? "...I'm sure of that" She muttered.

"Maybe you were mistaken"

"No it couldn't—" She stopped, suddenly remembering something.

"What she thought and believed happened, might not exactly be correct. She might have it totally wrong, or slightly mistaken in rare cases. Take for instance she thinks she saw someone familiar in the past, she might be wrong especially after experiencing a traumatic event"

Those were the words of the doctor she met with Zarah back in the States. Could that be what happened to her? Surely her whole experience from leaving her home down to ending up in the hospital had been traumatic for her. If that's true, then it meant she never really saw Rahma back then. It meant...

Rahma might still be alive.

A small sob escaped her throat. She covered her mouth with her hand to keep it down yet it didn't stop the tears that freely fell. She couldn't tell if she was crying because of pain or happiness. After blaming herself all these years for the death of her friend, it turned out she might still be alive and breathing, somewhere.

She leaned back on her chair, her shoulder sagging as she crouched, letting the tears fall.

Ameerah wanted to offer her the comfort she needed but she didn't know how. Especially not after she believed that she might be her childhood friend. Not knowing how to react, she simply sat and watched Rahma cry knowing she needed it at the moment. She needed to come in terms with the truth and accept it.

So, she watched her cry the pain away. Her presence alone was all the comfort Rahma needed to let the information sink in. For the first time in years she felt that guilt lifted off her shoulders. If the real Rahma really is alive then she wouldn't have to live the rest of her life with the guilt of being responsible for her death.

~*~

They stepped out of the court in groups. The minute they were out of the courtroom, everyone went his or her separate ways. The ones who had no direct relation to either parties murmured about the judge's decision, wondering why he would say such a thing when he could've ended it all that day.

They'd have another hearing in a week, the last one regarding the case. It will be in a week that it will announced whether Tahir is innocent or guilty of all charges against him. It will also be during that trail that the punishment for Aisha will be announced.

Rahma knew she wouldn't be there, yet she already knew the outcome of it. At least, she knew that Tahir's name will be cleared.

By the time she would probably be dealing with her own hearing, that is, if she would have one.

On Tahir's side stood his mother and Noah.

On Ameerah's side stood Rahma and Mubarak. He didn't care that he was seen on her side. The truth will eventually come out either ways. Rahma on the other hand didn't care what Tahir or Noah would think about how she knew Ameerah.

It was clearly established between them all that it was possible to know anything and anyone you want with the right connection. They are a living proof of that.

And amidst of them stood Aisha and Mubarak's mother who weren't planning on taking sides.

Without a second glance spared at the other groups, each went their separate ways. As the second trio put a distance between them and the others, Mubarak pulled out his phone when it pinged. He then looked at Rahma. "I found your person"

She stopped, turning around to look at him, "Who?"

"Lena"

"You do?" Her voice rose lightly, but she didn't care.

He nodded, a small smile donning his face, "I have her address. I'll just forward it to you now so you drop by"

She smiled back, "Thank you"

She waited for him to send the address, and when he did, she nodded. She looked at the two, "I'll get going now, I want to meet her as soon as I can"

"Good luck then" Ameerah offered her a smile.

"Thank you" Rahma muttered again, to both of them. She then turned around and sped up to where her driver parked the car. Had it been she had more time in Nigeria, she would've really considered learning how to drive. It would save her the hassle of having a driver. Then again, having one is an advantage to her as even if she knew how to drive, she didn't know her way around the city, unlike him.

When she got in the car, she gave him the address and told him to head there straightaway. All through the drive, she prayed to Allah that the Lena woman would cooperate. She didn't know what she would do if the woman didn't do so. She was her only hope at the moment.

Tapping her foot on the floor, she hoped the car will speed up faster than it was at the moment. Because of her impatience, she noticed how long the drive was from the court to where the Lena woman lived.

Eventually her driver pulled up at what seemed to be a simple apartment. Littered around the area, surrounding it were houses of the same structure. One would easily be confused being there for the first time. There was nothing fancy about it. Nothing compared to her apartment or that of Noah's.

"This is it Ma'am"

"Thank you" She opened the door, then stepped out.

Turning around to face the apartment, she reached her hand out to shield her face from the sun. She hesitated for a whole, thinking of the possibilities of the woman refusing to help her. She shook those thoughts away and pushed her legs forwards, heading towards the door.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door. After a while with no response, she knocked on it again. Then again. Just as she stopped, she heard muffled sound of footsteps from inside. She stepped a couple of feet back, and waited.

A couple of seconds passed before the door swung open slowly. A woman came into Rahma's view just as she looked up. Their eyes met.

Rahma's brows furrowed for a fraction of second before it widened. The familiar face was impossible for her to not recognize. She gulped. "Lena?" Her voice held disbelief.

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, before she attempted to close the door.

Keyword, attempted.

Rahma quickly slipped her hand between it and held it before Lena could have the chance. Using every strength, she could muster at the moment, she pried the door open. She knew the woman let her opened the door, because they both knew Rahma stood no chance against Lena when it comes to strength. "You're Lena?"

Lena squared her shoulders, raising her chin as she crossed her arms. "Yes" She didn't move her eyes away from Rahma's.

Rahma blinked. She wanted to ask all the questions she had at the moment. However, she was sure speaking out in the open wasn't a good option. "Can I come in?"

Lena walked back in, "Close the door when you're in"

Rahma sighed, before she stepped into Lena's apartment, closing it behind her as asked. She walked further into the small yet moderate apartment that barely had any furniture apart from the essentials. It didn't look like it was decorated for someone who wanted to stay there for long.

Lena who had her back facing Rahma turned around, "Why are you here?" She kept her expression stoic.

"I have questions for you"

Lena snickered. "And what makes you think I have the answers to your questions?"

Rahma held her head up, not letting Lena to intimidate her. The pointy questions, narrowed eyes and wide stance had intimidated her back then, but not anymore. She wasn't the same girl she was back then. "Because you know Maria" She watched Lena's strong façade falter at the mention of Maria's name. "And because you had something to do with why I ended up in prison"

As soon as Lena's façade falter, it disappeared. She blinked, then shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about"

Rahma hummed, then nodded. She slipped her hand into her bag and pulled her phone out, playing the recording of her conversation with Maria. "Does this sound familiar?" She rose a brow. Though there was nothing on Lena replying, it was evident that the call was directed to her clearly by how Maria mentioned her name. She could deny it and claim it wasn't her, that it was any other Lena, but she didn't. "Or doesn't this sound familiar too?" She quirked a brow.

Lena clenched her jaw. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything" Rahma didn't waste a second when replying. She exhaled lowly. "I want to know everything starting from the day my adoptive father was murdered"

For a minute, Lena said nothing but stared at Rahma. Eventually, she flicked her eyes close and sucked in a deep breath. "You might want to sit for this" She gestured to the couch beside Rahma with her head. Without waiting for a response from Rahma, she sat on the couch she was closest to, pressing her legs together as she intertwined her fingers.

Rahma sat on the couch, facing Lena in the process as she slipped her phone back into her bag. She knew she made the right decision by saving a copy of the recording on her phone. "Did you know who really killed him? Because we both know I didn't"

Lena only nodded.

"Were you there?"

Yet again, Lena nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Rahma's couldn't stop herself from raising her voice. The anger she felt at the moment was immense. All this while, someone knew that she is innocent yet the woman didn't speak up and helped her. She wasn't there with her in JDC but she was with her in prison, she saw how much she suffered.

How could anyone be that cruel?

Lena chuckled bitterly. "Did you think it was easy?" She raised a brow. "I get that you suffered for a crime you didn't commit Rabia but you had no idea what I went through either. What any of us went through. Nothing is as you thought it was. No, the situation was much more complicated"

Rahma couldn't stop the sarcastic laugh. "So because your life was miserable, you decided to ruin mine?"

"Your life would've been ruined eventually anyway. It was only a matter of time"

Rahma clenched her teeth, eyes narrowed at Lena. "That isn't your decision to make. It isn't any of your decisions" She clenched her fists by her side. "You of all people knew how much I had to suffer in prison. I was only twelve. How could you live with your consciousness knowing you framed a twelve-year-old who knew nothing of murder?"

Lena swallowed. She was already feeling guilty. Now, her initial guilt coped with Rahma's words only made it worse. "I've spent every day in my life with that guilt"

Rahma scoffed silently. She could feel the tears forming. Whenever she felt immensely angry, she always ended up somehow crying. It was her own way of dealing with the pain. "Was that why you helped me in prison?" Her voice came out low.

Lena looked away.

Rahma nodded, pressing her lips together as she realized that Lena wouldn't answer her question. "Why were you in prison? Have you always been a criminal?"

Lena snapped her gaze to Rahma, "Of course not" Her tone held utter disbelief. "Do you think this is the type of life I wanted for myself"

"Well it's the one you're living"

Lena gulped. "I made wrong decisions in my life, I admit it. But I had my reasons"

"Why were you in prison?" Rahma repeated her earlier question, stressing each word.

"Manipulation of official documents" Lena replied, earning a raised eyebrow from Rahma. So, she sighed before she explained. "I got rid of any official document pertaining Maria and Noah which within my power"

Rahma slowly nodded. It was all finally making sense. It had to be the reason Zarah couldn't find anything on them. "Why did you do that?"

Lena kept quiet.

Rahma inhaled deeply, closing her eyes momentarily before she exhaled; opening her eyes again. "Why did you do that?" She raised a brow, hoping this time Lena would answer her.

She didn't though.

"Does this have anything to do with your husband?" She used the card she had been keeping since. She wanted to use that to get answers from the beginning but decided against it.

Lena's eyes squinted at Rahma.

"Is Maria using your husband to manipulate you, Lena?" She raised a brow.

Lena scoffed lowly, shaking her head in the process. "She can't do that"

"Why not?"

"Because he's dead already"

"What do you mean---"

"My husband was the one that was killed, Rabia" Lena cut her off, her tone held an edge. "I'm Lena Malik. Noah's mother"

~*~

No AN today.

Goodnight.

Love, Jannah.