Dakahlia, Egypt.
Everything happened so fast. From the gunshots to the bomb explosion. No one saw it coming. The prisoners ran for their lives like headless chickens, some manage to escape while others got killed during the gunshot wipe out. Most of the guards there are also dead giving the perpetrators easy access to the sole person they came for.
Arham El-Bahd was in the gym located at the basement of the prison doing this daily morming workout felt a sting at the back of his neck. He met three bulky men all dressed in black behind him and tried to fight them but this vision became blurry and everything blacked out.
The men did as they were instructed and transported him to their hideout where the third phase of their plan will be put to motion. Their boss, commonly known as Lucifer smirked as he twirled the flute of champagne in his hand. His men did the job perfectly just as expected.
"Nice job." He voiced with his thick arabian filled accent. "You can have the rest of the day off. Have this and enjoy yourselves with the ladies too." He threw some some bundles of money making them hail praises on him grinning widely at the handsome rewards they received.
With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed them. It's now only him and his prey in the room. He let out an evil laughter as he continue to stare at the unconscious person on the dusty ground. His plans are working out perfectly. It took him eighteen whole years to carry it out. He is the reason behind the sorrow of the El-Bahd family, the mastermind behind the whole of their miserable and sorrow filled life.
He is the devil himself.
•••••
Federal capital territory,
Nigeria.
It has been two whole weeks since Khalifa got admitted in the hospital. Today, he is being discharged. Amma with the help of Sakeena helped pack his stuff from the hospital while Abba went to sign the discharge papers. Fadeel and Abdullah are nowhere to be found. Ammar has been living Adda Sameera For the past two weeks Khalifa got hospitalized.
An hour and a half later the whole family set the road for home where Sakeena's biological family's waiting for them. Pleasantries were shared and hugs everywhere. Just like that, the tensed atmosphere in the house disappeared but they know better than to just sit back and relax.
Later that same day, Fadeel, Khalifa, Sakeena and Ammar are in the living room downstairs with Fadeel flipping through the channel till he stopped at Al-Jazeera when news was airing. The room was dead silent as Fadeel read the headlines out loud.
Bombing and massive destruction at Dakahlia central prison.
That was enough to get Khalifa and Fadeel on their toes. Khalifa rushed upstairs to get his parents while Fadeel dialed his older brother's phone who happened to be arriving into the house at the same time. Silence creeped into the room with only the sound of the tv heard.
They all stared at the news anchor who's narrating the tragic event that happened at the prison. The bloodshed wasn't what made their hearts race, it was the first name on the list of dead prisoners at made their hearts drop to the heal of the feet. They all know what it means, except Sakeena and Ammar. The worst is yet to come.
Abdullah was the first who made a move with his phone in his hand as he made several calls to the minister of defence in Egypt. Abba held Amma as she's about to collapse to the ground and Khalifa became immobile till Sakeena tapped his shoulder making him flinch. He looks haggered and dishelved. His eyes turned red and breath picked up.
Sakeena noticed he's about to have a panic attack so she dragged him with all her might to their room and gave him water to calm his heavy breathing. Many memories from the past flashed before his eyes, voices that haunted him for the longest time return. He laid his head on her shoulder till sleep took over him.
Meanwhile in the living room, Abba is on the phone as well as Fadeel who's speaking with his cousin, Areez inquiring the latest information about the bomb explosion in the prison. The most shocking and drastic news hit them. No one was ready for that kind of impact.
"Are you sure about this?" Fadeel asked just to be sure about what he heard through the phone.
"I'm absolutely sure. The message was sent to uncle Hamiz's phone with a short clip attached to it and it looks real." Areez explained. "I'll share the video with you." Fadeel's phone beeped immediately he cut the call and played the video.
Inside Dakahlia central prison, everywhere is painted red with blood. Many dead bodies laid on the floor not a single one moving. They're all dead. The clip went by swiftly till a particular body came to view making Fadeel gasp and the phone landed on the floor with a thud.
Amma who has been pacing back and forth stared at her son for a while before picking up the phone only for her to also drop the phone back on the floor which let out a crack sound but that's the least of their concerns right now. She let out a loud piercing scream as the sight of her dead brother flashed in front of her eyes.
This isn't possible, he can't be dead. Even though he did a lot of unforgivable things in the past he can't just die like that. She thought.
Abdullah who scrambled back into the living room when his mother's scream reached his ear looked panicked. The Egyptian minister of defense didn't give him good news at all.
"Book two flight tickets to Egypt, now." Abba instructed his elders son who understood the assignment and carried out the instruction given to him at that moment. He picked his wife up in his arms bridal style and exited the living room to their room. She's not in the right state of mind at the moment.
Abdullah and Fadeel slumped on the sofa nearest to them with Fadeel staring at the ceiling and Abdullah with his head buried in his hands. "How can this be happening?" Fadeel voiced.
"There is more to this story than what meets the eye. Nothing is making sense here, at all." Abdullah chided with a gruff voice.
The duo were left alone with their thoughts while Sakeena on the other hand has many thoughts running through her mind. She is seriously confused. How can the tragic event affect them this bad? Is there a possibility that someone they know is part of those dead in mates at the prison? Could there possibly be a family member or an enemy that's either dead or escaped from the prison?
Her mind got clouded with these thoughts till she couldn't handle it. She glanced at Khalifa sleeping soundlessly on the bed. Her head is starting to throb from the thoughts swirling in her head. The nagging feeling in her gut is getting stronger by the minute.
Sakeena trudged to the washroom and performed wudhu then pray two units of nafil. She prayed to her creator to heal the hearts of those who got broken, to protect both her families from harm, to heal Khalifa, to make everything that'll come their way come with ease and grant them patience and virtue to pass the test Allah has sent their way.
She climbed the bed and grabbed the A.c. remote and turned the temperature to the highest because of the increasing temperature of the weather. She sighed and interlaced her fingers with Khalifa's while staring at his peaceful baby sleeping face.
It'll get better In Sha Allah. Sakeena whispered and shut her eyes then drifted to sleep as well.
Sakeena groaned and swatted the hand poking her stomach away but it came back and continued poking her again and again. She rolled to the other side of the bed and covered herself with the duvet but it got tugged away. She peeled her eye lids open and her gaze clashed with Khalifa's face featuring a cheeky smile.
"Did you have a nice nap wifey?"
"I was till you decided to distrupt it." Sakeena hit him with the neck pillow beside her causing him to let out an ouch.
"Savage wifey." He pouted and trapped her under him. "And now, payback." He leaned down slowly and Sakeena's eyes widened when she realised what he's about to do. She used her hand to push his head back. "What?" He asked puzzled.
"Bad breath." She replied.
Khalifa chuckled and shook his head. "To hell with that wifey." He took her lips in his into a ferious and heated kiss. Sakeena smiled through the kiss and snaked her arms round his neck pulling him closer. Khalifa placed his two hands beside her so as to not put his entire weight on her. The two made out till they're out of oxygen.
Khalifa pulled apart with a painful cough raking through his chest. Sakeena's eyes widened in alert and passed him a bottle of water that's beside her. She watched him as he gulped the water down and laid back on the bed, this time with Khalifa's head on her stomach.
"I miss having this moment with you." Khalifa voiced. "Just me and you, away from the chaos of the world." Sakeena smiled as his words made butterfly flutter in her stomach.
"I do too." She sighed. Khalifa traced his finger down the skin of her exposed waist making her giggle. "It's ticklish."
"As it should be." He closed his eyes enjoying the warmth radiating from her body. "I love you as you are Naisa, forever and ever."
"I love you as you were, you are and you'll ever be, with my mind, heart and soul." Sakeena assured and clasped her fingers with his giving it a light squeeze.
"I'll protect you from all harm." Khalifa promised
"We'll heal together, from the monsters of the past." Sakeena let her other free hand get lost in his hair, his silky and soft hair slipping through her fingers. "It gets hard along the way but you have me as a support system, a shoulder to cry on and your backbone." Sakeena assured. "Now, cheer up and I'm hungry." She pouted.
Khalifa got up from the bed and p pulled her up then dragged her out of the room. "Let's get a snack then." Sakeena followed silently without objecting.
Khalifa halted his footsteps making Sakeena to crash behind him also. His eyes widened as he watched his father and mother with suitcases in the living room having a talk with his eldest brother. Sakeena raised her head and gave him a glance then followed his sight to the living room. "What's going on?" All head turned to them as the sound of Sakeena's voice that made their presence known.
Amma looked at Abba before walking towards Khalifa with a seldomly sad expression. Her eyes are bloodshot red, face puffy and red from all the crying and shed of tears. She is trying hard to make up an excuse that'll not male Khalifa panic but luck isn't ok her side, she has to tell him the truth.
"Habibi." Amma called softly, her voice echoing through the silent room. Sakeena noticed Khalifa's tensed figure so she made a move and held his hand, stroking the back of his hand gently. "A lot has happened in Egypt and we don't know the situation your uncle is in. We have to leave."
Khalifa blinked, his brain processing the new information passed to him. He shook his head vigorously disagreeing with his parents' sudden and irrational decision. How sure are they that everything is going to be fine now when all is crashing down? Can they guarantee that they'll all be safe? Will it all end well?
"No." Khalifa's voice broke. "You're not going." He took a step back as his mother took a step towards him.
"Khalifa you need to understand. We have to go." Amma voiced as tears streamed down her face.
"No Amma. Egypt is too dangerous for all of us. If you leave who'll guarantee your safety? What about Sakeena?" The tips of his ears turned red and It spread through his whole face due to rage and resentment.
"Habib-" Amma started.
"No Amma." Khalifa snatched his hand from Sakeena's hold and walked up the stairs with long strides. A loud bang was heard after making Sakeena flinch. She has never seen him this angry, why will he be angry at something so trivial? Sakeena thought.
Amma broke down in the middle of the living room with hit tears rolling down her face. She has failed to protect her family, how did everything go wrong?
Sakeena reached her Amma's side and consoled her. "I'll talk to him Amma." Sakeena followed Khalifa up the stairs to their room. She turned the handle but the door won't budge open. A loud crashing sound is heard from the other side which made Sakeena panic. What if he hurts himself?
Sakeena hit the door with her hand. "Khalifa open the door." She continued to hit the door but no reply. Fear is eating her up. He's not in the right frame of mind and can do anything due to anger. "Khalifa please." She pleaded.
The room went dead silent for a money before the door creaked open. The room is a mess because of Khalifa's outburst. Sakeena spotted him sitting on the floor with his back leaning on the side of the bed, his knees pulled to his chest.
His eyes are bloodshot red with unshed tears laying behind them. His messy hair is sticking to his sweaty forehead. His breathing is coming out short as his chest rises and falls.
Sakeena crouched down to his level and took in his disheveled appearance. Her chest tightened at the sight. It hurts her to see Khalifa in such state and the fact that she doesn't know the reason behind his pain makes her more remorseful. She took a seat beside him on the cold tiles and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I know it hurts even though I don't know the real cause. It is so painful you feel like ripping your heart out. You just want the pain to stop and never come back. The slow and steady aching pain eating you up gradually, every bit and piece of your heart is blazing with fire, flames of anguish." Sakeena paused.
"Sometimes we find ourselves in situations we can't control Khalifa, we just have to face it head on. You don't have to fight back because it'll only come back ten times more painful. It's okay to grief, it's okay to cry, just let it all out and you'll feel better Khalifa. Some people may say crying is a sign of weakness but I disagree. Crying shows just how strong you have been all this while and it doesn't make us less human."
Sakeena clasped her hand together with his. "Even if the world turn it's back on you I won't, I'll never will. I am in this with you till the end. We will get through this together, for better for worst." The world stopped revolving around them as Khalifa's body shook with painful sobs raking through his body.
Sakeena held him tight as he bawled his eyes out. She felt her eyes stinging with tears as they pooled in her eyes. She blinked making the tears fall. "See, you're making me to cry too." Sakeena said with a hoarse voice, her throat feeling clogged.
Khalifa sniffed and looked at Sakeena with teary eyes, bloated nose and a red puffy face. "I'm sorry for making you cry."
"Sakeena wiped her tears. "Don't apologize to me, at least see Amma off."
"But I don't want to say goodbye."
Sakeena used her hands to cup his cheeks. "You're not saying goodbye." She shook her head. "Amma wants the best for all of us as her children, she wants us to be safe."
"I can't take anymore losses."
"We will all be safe bi'iznillah. We will get through this phase together and all shall pass In Sha Allah." Sakeena assured. Khalifa wiped his face and pulled Sakeena up together with him. He pulled her out of the room while she didn't object back to the living room where his father, mother and brothers are.
Amma rushed to Khalifa immediately she sighted him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Khalifa glanced at Sakeena who gave him a comforting smile then wrapped his arms around her. "Promise me you'll be back Amma or I'll fly down to Egypt." Khalifa whispered making Amma chuckle. She knows how stubborn Khalifa can be.
"I'll be back In Sha Allah." She assured. "Keep Sakeena safe from all these, never let her find out." She whispered back loud enough for only her son to hear.
"I will, with my life." Amma felt her heart drop because of the determination audible in his voice. She doesn't want to lose her son nor does she want Sakeena to be harmed as well.
Abba cleared his throat, interrupting the mother and son time. "We do not want to be late, we should get going."
Amma pulled away from Khalifa and hugged Sakeena. "Take care of him, seems like you're the only one that can handle him now." Sakeena smiled at her mother in law's joke.
"I will Amma, don't worry." Sakeena assured.
Amma and Abba bid their children goodbye before setting off to the airport.
Abdullah turned to his younger siblings. "You'll be living with us now, pack your bags and we'll be on our way."
Sakeena nodded and set off to their rooms to pack their bags with Ammar leaving the three brothers in the living room.
"Any news from Haaya lately?" Abdullah asked Fadeel in arabic. They are all walking on thin ice now, they have to deal with Haaya so as not to make matters worst for everyone.
Fadeel shrugged."Not any. Looks like she's laying low for a bit."
"Don't you find it suspicious that the time when the explosion in Egypt happened, Haaya disappeared all of a sudden? Or is it just mere coincidence?" Abdullah voiced his thoughts. He did a little digging on Haaya the moment the time she appeared again but it all led to a dead end. "I asked for a search in the database of the country but nothing popped up about Haaya's death, like it mever happened."
"If Haaya didn't actually die that night, what really happened?" Fadeel asked. Their gazes land on Khalifa with questioning eyes.
"What?"
"You were the one who got to her first after she was kidnapped, did anything look suspicious or out of place?" Abdullah asked.
"It was dark at night and the room she was found had only a dangling light bulb. When I found her she was alone in the room. You knew that after that I blacked out." Khalifa explained, his memories fresh from the night that changed their lives.
"What caused your blackout?" Abdullah asked, his pieces of the puzzle unable to click in his head. "Was it a hit, chloroform or what?"
"What are you interrogating me for?" Khalifa asked his brother with a raised brow. "I had a seizure."
Abdullah stared into space, his mind wondering off till it finally clicked. "You said that there's only a dangling light bulb in the room. What if it was planned for you to have a seizure that night? Flickering lights trigger your seizures."
The new information sinked in their brains. "The kidnapper knew that you're going to be the first person to find her and led you exactly to her and whatever happened after." Fadeel concluded.
"On what charges was uncle Arham arrested four years ago?" Khalifa asked out of the blue.
"What does that have to with all these?" Fadeel asked.
"Kidnapping and rape." Abdullah answered.
"Drug dealing as well." Fadeel added.
"The night Haaya supposedly died uncle Arham was under the influence of drugs, hard drugs. One thing about drug dealers is they only supply, they don't consume it. He has never consumed drugs before, his bloodstream have always been cleared. Could it be that someone purposely drugged him that night and if possible, framed him?"
"The drug dealing and smuggling was approved positive but the kidnapping and rape charges were never looked into, like it was forgotten." Abdullah added."But he pleaded guilty to all charges before he was sent to prison and admitted that he committed all crimes." Abdullah's gaze met Khalifa's who's staring back.
"Do you think he might possibly do it for a particular reason?" Khalifa asked.
"How can anyone go to prison on false accusations?" Fadeel wondered. "How did you know his bloodstreams are clear of any drug?" He faced Khalifa.
Khalifa sighed and met his brothers' piercing gazes. "I was dependent on anti depressants after Haaya died because of how sick I was. One day I was going through the drawers in Amma's room for my pills she took away and I came across a pile of results, same tests but different dates. It was uncle Arham's, they were drug test and on the papers it all said the same thing. He has no drugs and alcohol or any other intoxicant in his system."
"Maybe uncle Arham was just a mere pawn in this game." Fadeel blurted. "Someone is actually behind all of these, everything that has been happened."
"But who is the mastermind behind everything then?" Abdullah asked no one in particular.
•••••
The pending drama mehn!😣
Everything is counting down to the last ten chapters😈. Who's readyyyy????💃🏽🔥
The never-ending mystery and the questions are piling up.
Who do you think is actually the mastermind?
What will happen now?
Drop your thoughts in the comments, click the little star below and share. I'll see y'all soon, Byeeee❤
Aishatou❤