BETROTHED ✓

5°

She wasn't violated." The midwife announced, making Nna release a breath.

Alhaji Sayuti lowered their gaze, shamefully.

"Are you really sure?" Kashi inquired; covering her face with the palm of her hand.

"Yes. I have checked thoroughly. Larai wasn't touched at all. Her hymen is intact."

"Thank you." Baaba dismissed the midwife, then averted his gaze back to alhaji Sayuti. "I'm truly disappointed at how you and your wife came here to attack my family today. It was horrible news, I know, but the least you could have done was trust me. If truly Larai was violated, in a heartbeat, I would have called off the wedding myself. You know me. We have been friends for decades. I must tell you; I really didn't expect this behavior from you."

Remorsefully, Alhaji Sayuti joined his palm; his gaze still lowered. "For what happened today, we're really sorry. We shouldn't have acted so rashly."

"I'm sorry for all the rude remarks I made against you, Kulu," Kashi muttered her apology.

Nna shook her head and took her hands in his. "Let bygones be bygones. We're about to be relatives soon. Sometimes, such arguments are inevitable."

"Thank you." Kashi rubbed her hands, uncomfortably.

Alhaji Sayuti cleared his throat, before speaking; "About the allian-"

Larai shut her eyes tightly, hoping for a miracle to happen.

"The wedding is still on. That's if you are still interested." Baaba responded, with a slight shrug of his shoulder.

His words had all of Larai's hopes crumbling. Her nasolacrimal duct had gone dry. She found it hard to believe that despite everything that had taken place, Baaba would still allow her to get married into such an awful family. Her legs gave out and she hit the floor, with a thud.

"Ya Larai." Azumi rushed to her aid.

"Why are you crying so badly? Are you hurt?"

With tears glistening in her eyes, she gazed at her sister and threw her arms around her neck. "I don't want to get married to him." She sobbed.

Her sister ran her hand around her back, soothingly. "Then tell Nna."

"Nothing can be done now." She sniffed. Her life was about to be ruined and there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop that from happening. It had been predestined.

•

Nna's gaze lingered on Larai's sleeping figure for some seconds before she decided to wake her up. "Larai!" She crouched and patted her leg

"Yusuf?" With her eyes still closed, she mumbled. "I knew you were going to come back."

Nna's brows furrowed. "Larai!" She boomed. "Wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open and she jolted to a sitting position. "Nn...Nna?" She rubbed her eyes and reopened them to her mother indeed in her room.

"Yusuf; who is he?" She narrowed her eyes at her. "Start explaining."

Larai's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "Nna, I swear, I didn't ask him to come here. I...don't even know him."

"You don't?" She glared at her. "Just yesterday, I was busy telling Kashi just how honest my daughter is."

"Nna-"

"Shut up!" She pointed a finger at her face. "I'm going to ask you for the last time and don't you dare even think of lying to me. Who is Yusuf? Why did you call his name in your sleep?"