"That's not possible" Rahma shook her head, turning away.

"Why do you think so?"

She swiftly turned back and glared at Lena, her teeth clenched. "Because his mother is dead" She folded her hands over her stomach, "You can't be someone that's dead"

Lena looked away for a brief second, snickering at Rahma's words. "You'd be surprised by the amount of thing that you believe won't happen in reality" Her voice came out low. When she stared at Rahm again, her gaze was focused, steady and it shone with determination. "There are a lot of things you don't know Rabia. And trust me, the least you know, the better"

"I believe I deserve to know after everything I went through because of you people" She leaned back slightly, a brow quirked, "Or will Maria find a way to hurt me when I find out the truth?"

"I won't let that happen"

"So what" Rahma snickered, "You're protecting me from her now?"

Lena sighed, offering Rahma a small smile. "I made the wrong the decision in the past, that I admit. But, I would make the same decision if I was given the chance over and over again"

Rahma scoffed, looking away.

"But that does not mean I'd make you suffer the consequence of our action over and over again. I won't help Maria hurt you"

"But you won't stop her either" Rahma quirked a brow. The question was a rhetorical one, they both knew the answer to it already. Somehow saying it out, made her feel a little bit better. "You won't testify against her either, will you?"

Lena only stared at Rahma. She didn't feel the need to respond verbally. What's the point when they both knew what the answer will be?

"Why are you protecting her after everything she said to you?" Rahma's voice rose, but she didn't care. All she wanted at the moment were answers, but Lena wasn't giving her much to work with. If anything, it only gave her more questions and added to her confusion.

"I'm not protecting her" Lena shook her head. "I'm being selfish"

"At the cost of ruining my life?" Rahma clenched her fists, hoping it would help her reign her anger down. It didn't work though. So, she clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes at Lena. When she spoke again, her voice came out low. So low Lena barely caught up on what she said. "I never did anything to any of you. I've already been through so much before I met you"

"And I'm sorry for that"

"Don't apologize" Rahma held her hand up to stop her. "Just help me. Testify against Maria so my name can be cleared. Please, I do not want to go back to prison" She exhaled loudly, blinking in the process. "You know what I've been through back there. Don't make me go through it again. I'm pleading with you"

Lena looked away. "Maria will do everything she can to not go to prison. You don't know her"

"She can try all she wants but if you testify, she'll have no other choice"

Lena snickered, looking down at her fingers. After a few seconds, she looked up. "If this is all you're here for, please leave"

"What?" Rahma lifted an eye brow, cocking her head to the side.

"Close the door when you're out" Lena stood up, and abruptly headed towards a door.

Before Rahma could stand up and reach out to stop her, Lena closed the door shut, then locked it. Rahma was relentless though, she didn't plan on leaving without getting answers. So, she headed for the door and pounded on it, demanding Lena to come out and face her, to give her the answers she desperately needed. At a point, she even threatened to provide the recording she has as evidence, but she knew it wasn't enough to convict either of them and acquit her.

She waited by the door. She screamed and cried, at a point even pleaded but to no avail. Lena made no move to open the door or answer her questions. Yet, Rahma waited for the hours that followed.

When the sky started becoming dark, she glanced at the time on her phone with sagged shoulders. She was exhausted to say the least. She hadn't left Lena's door for hours and Magrib was fast approaching.

Instead of leaving like Lena expected, Rahma waited. The only time she left the door were to pray, afterwards, she returned to the same spot.

She wasn't planning on leaving any time soon without her answers come what may.

~*~

"I'm sorry"

Ameerah simply watched him, not uttering a word. Her silence wasn't because she was angry at him. No, it was because she had nothing to say. She didn't know what to say.

"I should've known what Aisha was up to" He looked down, sighing lowly. "I'm really sorry Ameerah"

"It wasn't your fault Mubarak" She tried to offer him a small smile, but failed. She couldn't muster it up when she was feeling extremely down. "We didn't see it coming. Both of us didn't"

"Are you angry at her?"

"Honestly..." She sighed, "Yes" She didn't see the need to lie to him over what's obvious. She blinked, casting her gaze down momentarily, "But I'm angry at myself the most. Yes, what she did was wrong, but in a way, I would've done the same thing either. And yes, I'm still angry at Tahir because even if he's innocent, it doesn't mean that he's completely good either. I mean, you saw what he and Noah did to me, and for what? For their entertainment?"

Mubarak looked down. Even if he didn't really consider them both real friends, he couldn't help but feel responsible for their actions. Perhaps, if he had spoken up and talked them out of it, Ameerah wouldn't have gotten hurt. But he didn't.

Ameerah released a long, low sigh. "Yet, I'm angry that I spent ten years of my life hating someone that was only trying to help. I feel so stupid" She rubbed her eyes, to hide the redness and tears that were forming. She didn't want to cry anymore; she didn't want to seem weak. When she felt comfortable enough to face him, she continued. "Mubarak, on one hand I hate Tahir and Noah. On another, I feel guilty for blaming an innocent person"

"You didn't know. We both didn't. It's not your fault"

She cut him off before he could continue. "Yes it is. I should've listened when the girl and her mother wanted to speak, but I'd been so negligent, blinded by my hate towards Tahir that I didn't see the truth" She sniffed, staring at the spot behind him. "If I did, I might've been able to find the real culprit and get justice for her..." She trailed off, her voice turning into a mere whisper.

Mubarak didn't say a word to her. He knew she needed to say everything on her mid to get it off her chest. It's the only way she'd feel better.

"Yet because of my stupidity, I can't even fulfil the promise I made" She wiped the tears, looking down at her fingers.

"We might still be able to find the real perpetrator"

"How?" She chuckled humorlessly, "It's been five years Mubarak. No matter what he we do now, it won't help. Same thing applies to my case"

"So, what do you want now?"

She shrugged. "I might as well leave it all the past and try to move on, right?" Another tear slid down her cheek, and just like earlier, she wiped it away.

"Are you sure about that?"

She shrugged again, a sad smile plastered on her face. "I don't to waste my time away filled with anger anymore" She breathed out loudly, as if to assure herself of the decision she made. "After the hearing next week, I'll go back to school and focus on the building my future instead. I know it won't be easy with the damage done, but I'll try my very best. We can't change the past, right? But we can build the future, the right way. Allah will choose what's best for us in shaa Allah"

He smiled. He liked that plan. If she was willing to give up on the past, then so was he. All he ever wanted to do was support her anyway, and that's what he'll keep on doing. "Okay" He nodded. "Let's do that"

~*~

"Why did you do that?"

Aisha smiled slightly. Despite the reaction she got from Tahir, she expected it to be honest. However, she was sure that she made the right decision and nothing could ever change that. "The truth will eventually come out Tahir"

Tahir sighed deeply, "I know that but now...."

"I'll have to face the consequence of my action" She completed his statement. Instead of looking scared or gloomy about it, she simply smiled. "Tahir this is what I want. I don't want to live with guilt for the rest of my life"

"But I could've...."

"You could've taken the blame instead?" She rose a brow, "In the process you'd ruin your chances of competing in the next election. It would ruin your future" She knew how much Tahir wanted to compete against his father, and how much maintaining a clean slate meant for him. So, how could she let him give all that up for her? Her consciousness wouldn't be able to deal with it. She couldn't deal with taking away the one thing that meant everything to him.

For some reason, Tahir felt like if he competes with his father and won, then he'd be able to prove to the man that he isn't worthless. That he is just as good as his siblings are. Then maybe, the man would learn to love him and accept him.

It sounds weird but that was all he ever wanted.

Unlike other children, he didn't have that happy home. He didn't have a loving mother and father who care so much about him. He didn't grow up with that love that every child deserves. He never got it. And although he might seem to be over it, he wasn't.

The little child that never got that love was still there in him. He was simply a broken child trapped in an adult body.

He wasn't completely a good person, but he wasn't a bad one either. He's just human. We're all good and bad, and same applies for him.

And she happens to be the only person that knows that. Then, how could she take that away from him?

Tahir sighed, placing both his hands on the table between them, his fingers intertwined. "There's a possibility you might face legal charges. Can you handle it"

She nodded. "I think that's what facing the consequence of my actions mean, right?" She chuckled.

He couldn't help it, he chuckled too. When it died down, he spoke again. "And Mubarak?"

She smiled, sighing in the process. "He promised to help. It feels comforting to know that my family are willing to help me get through this difficult stage" She told her parents the truth only recently when she planned on returning to admit her crime, to which they supported her since she was finally making the right decision. They kept it from Mubarak though, knowing him.

"Same goes for me" He smiled, "We're in this together all the way"

~*~

Noah glanced at the time on his phone, then drummed his fingers on it as he stared at the door. He hoped they'd show up and not leave him ditching. He was doing this for the sake of all of them. After what had happened in the past couple of weeks ranging to the hearing earlier, they all needed to work stuff out.

The door opened, and Tahir stepped in making Noah's lip tilt into a small smirk.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. "Thought you won't show up"

Tahir shook his head, "Shut up" He chuckled slightly. "This is my place. I'll come back sooner or later either way" He head to one of the couches, before he plopped himself on it. "So, what's this about?"

"Wait first" Noah moved his gaze to the door, "There's still one person left to arrive"

"You mean..."

Before Tahir could finish his statement, the door opened again and this time, Mubarak stepped in. He looked between the two, then raised a brow with lips set into a tight line. "What's this for?" His question was directed to Noah who gestured for him to come and sit.

Without a glance spared at Tahir, he headed for one of the couches, then sat.

Noah clasped his hands together. "Okay! Let's agree we all have something to talk about"

"There's nothing to talk about"

Noah glared at Mubarak, who wasn't backing down either. "How about the fact that you, knew Ameerah and are working with her. And you" He shifted his glare to Tahir, "Knew where his sister had been all these years yet never said anything despite knowing how much he wanted to see her"

Both men looked away.

Noah scoffed, "I think it's safe to say you are both wrong in various ways. And Mubarak..." He glanced at him, "I don't know who you really are, or if you were faking being a friend to us all these years or not. But, I speak for both Tahir and I when I say we really did consider you a friend. We still do"

Mubarak sighed, finally turning to look at Noah. "I did what I had to do because it seemed right. I'm sure both of you would've done the same thing considering Tahir did something similar with my sister" He shifted his look over to Tahir. "But I'm sorry Tahir, I'm sorry that we've made you suffer for something you didn't do"

"Are you speaking for Ameerah or Aisha"

Mubarak scoffed, "I can't speak for Ameerah. You two owe her an apology too. That's between you three" He stared at both of them whom nodded in agreement. He then sighed, clasping his hands together. "But for now, I'm speaking as Aisha's elder brother. Thank you" He didn't smile, but his gratitude was sincere. "You were only trying to help. Admittedly, you did it in the wrong way but I understand how you feel. If Ameerah was in that situation, I would've done the same"

Tahir only smiled, then nodded. "I'd apologize to Ameerah, I promise. I already fixed the mess Noah and I caused"

Noah nodded in agreement, "We both will apologize"

Mubarak finally smiled, accepting their apologies.

"Hold up!" Noah exclaimed, making both men stare at him. He first stared at Mubarak, "You are obviously in a relationship with Ameerah. And you" He moved his gaze to Tahir, "...with Aisha. Then does that mean you were lying about Rahma?"

Tahir nodded. "I still don't get how you guys believed me that easily" He shrugged. "Although I did that to get myself an ally. I needed someone to believe me. And she did. Except she turned out to be on your side" He nodded at Mubarak.

"Does my sister know about her?"

"She does"

Noah opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of his phone ringing stopped him from doing so. He reached his hand out and picked up the phone, swiping across the screen when he saw the caller. "Hello"

The person on the other side said something that made him shot up from the couch, eyes wide as saucers.

"WHAT?!" He yelled.

~*~

Rahma sighed, rubbing her eyes with her fingers. She stared at her outstretched legs. Her feet missing her earlier heels. She had taken them off eventually as time passed by. She still had her back leaned on Lena's door.

It was currently some time past 8pm. And Lena still hadn't made a move to open the door and speak to Rahma. Rahma being the stubborn person she is refused to leave the door, except for when she prayed. But even then, she prayed by the door.

She hadn't eaten anything apart from the breakfast she had, and her stomach was rumbling. Still, she ignored it. She had spent far longer hours in prison without food and water, this was nothing she couldn't handle.

Her phone that was in her bag rang. She sat up, reaching her hand out for the bag. She slipped her hand in it and pulled out the phone, Mubarak's name met her gaze. She swiped across the screen and pressed her phone to her ear. "Hello..."

"Rahma" He sounded breathless.

"Mubarak..." She sat up completely, instantly knowing that something was wrong. "...what's wrong? What happened?"

"Okay, don't freak out okay..." He breathed out.

"What do you mean...what..." She stood up, hands akimbo. "Tell me Mubarak, what happened"

"It's Maria"

"What about her?"

"She's dead"

~*~

No. One. Saw. That. Coming.

@mss_amee I told you so😅😅😅

Hehhe. Goodnight fiful.

Love, Jannah.