Aya
Just thirty minutes into the search and my body was aching. I never actually realized how massive that house was until that very moment, and we hadn't even been through half of it.
So far we searched the gym, laundry room, the cinema I never entered, the library I forget we had, all four lounge rooms-two downstairs and two upstairs, the kitchen, the small quarters outside which was Nengi's apartment and 6 bedrooms inside the house, including Layla's, but nothing was in any of those places listed. We didn't check Hafeez's room because he claimed to have checked everywhere so the only place left was my bedroom.
Together we searched the place in silence. Under the bed, behind the bed, in the closet, in the bathroom, literally everywhere, and obviously it wasn't there because duh! I didn't take it.
"I hope you're convinced now," I Said to Hafeez "none of us took your money, maybe you did misplace it like Asma Said"
"Yes, Yaya try checking again" Asma agreed.
He sighed "I didn't misplace it"
"Well we didn't take it either!"
"I know that now" he said "I'll call the office and tell them to-"
"Wait!" Layla cut him off.
"What?" We all Asked.
"What's that?" She pointed her hand downward to a certain direction, referring to something.
"Where?" I Asked.
"Right there!" She moved closer, still pointing, it took a while before I realized that she was referring to one of the cute one seater sofas in the room. She moved closer again and fumbled for a while, and when she turned around, she was holding a black briefcase, as if it just appeared.
That made my breath get caught in my throat immediately, my eyes dilated to the highest point and jaw dropped without me even realizing it.
"I believe this is what you're looking for" she said as she handed the briefcase to Hafeez. He opened it up immediately and indeed, it was filled to the brim with cash, clean bundles of hundred dollars notes.
I couldn't read the expression on his face, partly because it was unreadable and mainly because I was trying to get my own emotions in order. I know damn well that I didn't take that money, I can't even remember the last time I went to his room, talk more of actually snooping around and stealing such a huge amount of money.
"Wow Aya, Wow!" Was all he said, shaking his head in the process.
"I knew she took it all along, I just didn't want to talk and make myself look like the sour and senile one" Layla responded.
"N-no-" I quickly said and moved closer to him "wallahi Hafeez, I swear I didn't take this briefcase, i can't even remember the last time I went to the penthouse, talk more of your bedroom"
"If you didn't take it, then what's the briefcase doing in your room?" He asked, anger clearly evident in his voice.
"I-I don't know how it got here"
"Oh, so it grew legs and chose to come hide itself under the sofa on its own?" He raised an eyebrow.
"no, I-someone must've put it there, I'm sure someone put it there, because I know I didn't take it" my voice was starting to crack at that point.
"Can you stop the drama please? You might be good at acting in front of the cameras but you can't fool us in real life" Layla rolled her eyes "The briefcase was found in YOUR room, hidden under YOUR sofa after confidently saying that you didn't take it, so what do you mean someone must've put it there? Who do you think has the time to be so petty by stealing money for the sole purpose of setting you up?"
Her words made tears roll down my cheeks, not because I was hurt by them or because I didn't have anything to say in my defense, but because they were having an effect on him, each word she uttered made him believe that I did in fact take the money and even angrier than he was before. He was just looking at me with daggers in his eyes and a mixture of disappointment, irritation, and if I'm not mistaken...I saw disgust too.
"What was the need to stoop so low and embarrass yourself like this Aya? If you wanted money you could've asked me for it, 20 million is not and will never be a problem, I would've easily given it to you whenever and wherever, but you chose to sneak into my room and steal from me instead, that's low and pathetic, you should be ashamed of yourself because I'm sure you can make that amount on your own!"
I shut my eyes right at that as every single word he said felt like an arrow piercing through my poor heart and injuring it from each and every direction.
"Why would she be ashamed? Someone that has no self control, discipline or wisdom, just an attention starved soul and a greedy skull covered with this stupid yellow turban she always wears" Layla hissed "Believe me I know her type, all these northern actresses, this is the least they can do to acquire wealth, very disgusting and selfish lots!"
"Watch your mouth Layla!" I warned.
"What will happen if I don't?" She placed her hands on her hips "do you see what I mean baby?" She turned to Hafeez "Do you see the sudden aggressive nature? She even has the mouth to talk after being caught red handed!"
"Hafeez I swear, I swear on everything I love, I didn't take your money, why would I even do that? For what? You said it yourself that I can make that amount by myself, so why would I feel the need steal yours?" I sobbed, standing just an inch away from him "I'm many things in this life, but a thief is not one of them, I would never even let the thought of stealing something as small as a pin from someone cross my mind, I never have and I never will, because I was raised and educated better, I know the punishment of theft in Islam and I know exactly how much Allah despises it, I would never allow myself to commit such a dirty act"
"So please explain to me why the briefcase was hidden in your room" he said. I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't find the right words, so I just closed it and let the tears fall once again "exactly! There's no explanation for it. You can only cry because you know you can't cover your tracks up now"
"Yaya please, it's not right to just accuse her like that" Asma spoke for the first time in a while.
"Like what? When the briefcase was found hidden in her room?"
"Yes it was found in her room but That doesn't mean she took it. For all you know, someone could've done this just to stir some drama in the pot between you two, it happened in all the Soap operas I've watched, so don't just dive into conclusions without proper investigation because you might regret it later" for a second I didn't believe that it Was Asma talking like that....so mature and intelligently.
"There's a huge difference between TV and real life Asma, whatever you see here is exactly what it is wether you like it or not. I get that she's your favorite sister in-law and all but what are you trying to say? That I'm the one trying to stir up some drama between them?" Layla stepped in "I think it'd be best if you just keep quite and let the grown ups handle this"
"Don't try to put words into my mouth Ya Layla, I didn't say anything like that, it's just an assumption I made and I have a right to my opinions, there was no need for you to get worked up" Asma replied "and with all due respect, you're just 2 years older than me, so don't be tryna shade me with the 'grown ups' stuff" she added, using Layla's American accent against her in a mocking tone, which would've berm funny it wasn't about to break down.
Hafeez gave me a look and shook his head one last time before turning around to leave the room, but of course I followed him, all the way downstairs, I stood in front of him, blocking his way as I was ready to try and convince him that I didn't take the money once again, but I didn't get the chance to utter even a single word as the front door was just bursted open and someone walked inside, that someone being Hajiya; an angry Hajiya with a tensed up Baayi, an uncomfortable Mama and Azeeza trailing closely behind her. They got to the lounge room exactly when Asma and Layla did from my bedroom upstairs.
"Sake ta!; divorce her!" Was the first thing Hajiya said after pointing at me when she locked eyes with Hafeez.
"W-what?" He asked, with a confused expression across his face.
"Na ce ka sake ta!; I said divorce her!" She repeated.
"Hajiya please-"
Baayi started but she cut him off "Shut up your mouth!" And that's exactly what Baayi did, he didn't say another word. Then she turned to Hafeez "Listen, I don't want this girl to spend another minute in this house. Send her packing right now"
"But...Why?" He asked.
"Because she's exactly what I told you all she was; a dirty wayward harlot without an inkling of shame and decency! Someone who sells her body in exchange for money and movie roles!"
"Subhanallah! Why would you say such things Hajiya?" Hafeez cringed in disgust.
"Because they're nothing but facts! And I have proof" she said, then called Azeeza and said something to her in Kanuri. Azeeza nodded and pulled her phone out of her fendi shoulder bag, tapped it for a while before moving forward to show Hafeez something.
"What the-?" He suddenly looked startled "where'd you get these ?"
"Gistloversblog. They're also on instablog and northernblog, all authentic Internet gossip zones" Azeeza replied "everyone is talking about them"
That was when I realized that the storm had already arrived. Actually, no, that's more than a storm. It's a hurricane, a tsunami, or maybe even a mixture of all three, it's a freaking 'storrinami'
"But...they could be fake" he insisted.
"They're not" Layla suddenly jumped it, eyes on her own phone, the brand new iPhone 13 she bought two days before "look. The guy she was with put out a statement on his Instagram. He has owned up to it already and confirmed that the pictures are true" she turned the screen and showed whatever she was looking at to him.
A sob found a way to escape my mouth, despite trying so hard to stop it, but I couldn't, it was just too much, watching my entire life crash down from all directions in just an hour "These pictures are fake. It's not me in them!"
"Oh really, so you have an identical twin sister? Or are you trying to say that it's your clone? Because this is in fact your face" Layla said with a raised eyebrow.
"He edited the pictures to set me up because I refused him when he approached me with his disgusting proposal. Please....you have to believe me!" I cried.
"We would've if that wasn't your defense for everything" Layla rolled her eyes "just a while ago after we found the money in your room, you said someone wants to set you up, now again, when there are pictures and everything, you're still saying the same thing"
"Money?" Hajiya asked, getting fired up once again "which money?"
"She stole 20 million from his room!"
Before i even got to process anything, a resounding slap made its presence known on my face, by non other than Hajiya. It landed so hard that I fell on the floor, almost hitting my head on the massive cream and brown colored Turkish carpet. She was about to slap me again but Baayi stopped her, earning himself an insult in the process.
"Please Hajiya, there's no need to be violent. We can sit down and talk about this, it could be a simple misunderstanding" he said.
"Yes, I think we should all calm down and talk things through, dan Allah" mama agreed, just as Asma came to my side and held me in her arms, giving me a shoulder to cry on.
"Eh lallai kam baku da hankali! Talk What through? You're calling this a misunderstanding and asking me to 'talk' When there's proof?" She dangerously glared at them "not another one from you both because I don't want to disgrace you in front of your children" she warned, then turned to me, but immediately narrowed her eyes when she saw Asma consoling me "keh kuma za ki kyale ta koh sai na ji miki ciwo tukunna?; and you, will you let her go or do I have to injure you first?!" She barked, and Asma let go off Me immediately, not because she wanted to, but because she didn't have a choice.
"This is exactly what I feared, I just knew that this would happen, out of all the girls in this world, you had to get him married to someone who's known to be a public property, now look, everyone is talking about This. had it been she was on her own, wandering around the streets like she's used to, that would've been her business, but no, you had to drag her into our reputable family, now we're also collecting stray bullets!" Hajiya was yelling uncontrollably, and my tears were in sync with each of her words "all of you thought Majeed was the villain, but my boy did the right thing, he knew that marrying her meant sharing her with the public, and he was smart enough to free himself from her shackles before it was too late!"
"Such a wolf in a sheep's skin" Layla hissed.
"Hafeez," Hajiya called, to which he lifted his head and looked at her "Break all ties with this girl, I don't want to see her face for another minute!"
"Yes please, throw her out of our lives for good, we're decent and well brought up people, we don't need any contamination hanging around to stain our white" Layla added.
I mustered some strength and stood up to be in front of him, trying to keep my sobs under control "Hafeez, please trust me, I swear with the oneness of Allah, I didn't do any of the things I'm being accused of, I would never. Please just-"
He cut me off "Aya, I think you should just leave!"
I instantly felt my heart shatter into a million pieces like a glass cup that had been dropped on the floor "w-what?"
"Just go! Go back to your parents house until further notice because I don't even want to see your face right now" and he meant it, because he wasn't even looking at me.
"No no no please....please don't do this to me, don't do this to me" I sobbed uncontrollably, not caring that I was showing my weak and vulnerable side to those who desperately wanted to break me, I was too emotional to care, too emotional.
My heart ached badly, as if it was a wet cloth being squeezed to drain the water out of it. I felt the exact same pain I felt when Majeed left me for Yasmin, and it's like the harder I cried, the more it hurts. I felt like screaming till I ran out of breath and just disappearing to somewhere no one would be able to find me because I didn't even know the type of cry to cry, but I knew it wasn't possible, I knew I didn't have a choice but to sit there and face my reality, and that made it hurt more. I was in so much pain that words can't even explain.
Under one hour, my Dignity got bruised, my upbringing got injured, my virtues got beaten up and my self respect got torn to shreds, right in front of my eyes and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I had nothing to do or say in my defense, and even if I did, who would believe me? Nobody was ready to listen to me because they've already made up their minds to believe Uthman since he's a man, and on this side of the world, the woman is always wrong, the woman is always the one at fault, no matter what, and I don't think that narrative will change anytime soon.
I calmed down a few minutes later and was able to control my tears and sobs before raising my head to look at Hafeez again, but he still had a mixture of fury, disgust and disappointment across his face and was avoiding my eyes. I kept looking at him, hoping he'd speak up and tell me that he trusted me, but he never did, he just headed upstairs instead to avoid me completely.
And that was when it hit me; I was not needed there, so I did what's best for me, I packed my bags and left, because there was no point even trying to convince them.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
OKAY WHOAAAAAA!
Me I can't even talk, I just want to cry with my poor AY 😭😭😭
please ehhhh, make una vote and comment, let's not make Aya sadder than she already 😩
Ok bye! Thank you so much for reading ❤️ really hope you enjoyed it.