She had to go to the court today, and she was hell bent becuase she didn't mind wether he would let her go or not. She had asked Ammi to send the driver with her car and she did. It had already been a week, and Fatima Zarah couldn't be more glad that she could finally be free from seeing his face and not having to spend so much time with him. Even when he told her he didn't need maids from the palace, she didn't mind. Because all she knew is, she wouldn't be the one that'll be cleaning the house, she'd ask Ammi to look for a maid for her.
She got ready and the cook had already presented the food on the dining table, when she didn't se ehim, she shrugged off her shoulders and cheered herself to freedom. Because to her, that smelt like one. She quickly finished her breakfast and walked out to the parking lot. She had already got into the car and was warming the engine up when she heard a soft knock on her window. She swung the glass down.
They stared into each other's eyes and he got tired of the staring contest before he spoke, "Where are you going?" One thing she had noticed about him, he was possessive. Just because she got married to him didn't mean he owned her or something.
She looked at him squarely and rolled her eyes, "Where did we first met?" It was sarcastic, they both knew, but she wished he will answer himself. Because she saw no reason to answer him.
"I asked you where you're going not for you to ask me back, Fatima Zarah." She didn't know wether he was being authoritative or his voice gave out the annoyance he felt. She smiled mischieviously and shook her head.
"It was a rhetorical question, we both know the answers. I'm going to court, is that what you want to hear?" She asked and looked at the time on her wristwatch. "I need to go, Al-mustapha, I'm late." She waved at him and smirked before she swerved the steering wheel out of the parking lot. When she got to the gate, she swung her window once again and handed some cash to the gatemen.
"Keep buy everything she needs, I just need to be mentally stable to take care of her myself." They saluted to her and she drove off. Having it in mind to have a peaceful conversation with herself on how to see Lucy for the first time and explain to her that Lily was dead. She knew she sounded childish, but that's something only her could relate to.
"Amarya! The latest Royal bride, how have you been?" Jamila chorused as they both hugged each other. Fatima Zarah quickly got into the change room and she changed into her uniform before they walked together to the court.
"I've missed you more than words could ever say, Jamila. How have you been? Do you know I'm kind of nervous, meeting Barr. Aliyu for the first time after my marriage? It feels as if I've betrayed him." They both chuckled and haven't walked more than five steps when her name was being called.
"Fatima Zarah!" she prayed some supplications in her mind before she turned and Jamila quickly walked off and left her standing alone, while Barr. Aliyu walked up to her with a feign smile on his lips.
She smiled back at him and greeted him, "Good morning, Aliyu."
"Good morning to you too, The royal bride. You that's your newest name in town, apart from Fatima Zarah, right?" he asked, and she smiled wearily at him before she nodded her head, even though she haven't heard about it.
"I'm sorry I haven't invited you for the nikkah, I got carried away." She apologised, and she was more than glad when he smiled, and this time it was genuine.
"You shouldn't mind about that, really. I know how busy you must be. But you have to give me one of your sisters as a compensation, deal?" He asked jokingly and Fatima Zarah nodded her head with a small laugh before they walked into the court together.
"I have no sister, though. But if you see someone in the palace or together with me, just consider her yours, it's a deal then." They both chuckled and moved their separate ways.
Fatima Zarahs at down beside Jamila and she nudged her shoulder playfully, "How can you leave me all alone there? That was bad, Jamila!" She exclaimed and Jamila muffled her laughter with her hands before she hushed her reply.
"Because I know you two have to set things straight, and it was easy seeing the way he was smiling broadly, poor guy." Jamila chuckled and stared briskly at where Aliyu was seated.
"He said I should give him one of my sisters as a compensation, but since I have none, I promised to give him anyone he meets in the palace or anyone he sees with me. I pray he likes you though, because I'm definitely going to give him my consent. Ooops, I forgot you're already bethroted. When's the wedding?"
"In three months to come, Insha Allah. But Barr Aliyu likes you, poor guy. Even if I'm not bethroted you know I don't like that sheepish smile of his, it easily annoys me!" They both laughed and delved into the wedding arrangements of Jamila's. Fatima Zarah was so excited because she felt that she could finally attend a wedding with her own freedom, because Ammi hardly ever let her to attend wedding events unless they were going together.
She called Ammi on her way back home and they chatted for a few minutes before she arrived. She had alot of cases to study today, and she was happy that today, there would be no faint voice that'll say 'It's time to go to His Majesty's chamber, Gimbiya." She hated the voice and words altogether.
❀
Ever since he dreamt of Alex last week, he hadn't found his peace. Everything got jumbled up for him and he didn't know what he was exactly feeling in his heart. Sometimes it was an illusion of him playing together with Alex in the forest he had lived the most more than the house he was to live in. His phone's ringtone jolted him out of his thoughts and he picked the call immediately seeing it was Ummah. She hadn't been easy on him ever since he said he needed nor maids nor servants from the palace.
He walked out of the station placing the phone firmly on his left ear, "Good evening, Ummah." He silently wished she called him as Ummah.
"Come to the palace, now." She ordered and ended the call, and Al-mustapha wished if he could scream out his annoyance, the night sky would make it heard all over the streets of Sokoto state. Nonetheless, he got into the car and drove directly to the palace. He wondered if Fatima Zarah had gone back home or she didn't, and he didn't have her number to call and ask.
When he arrived at the palace, he entered her chamber and asked one of the maids to tell her that he had arrived, and she took her time before she came out to meet him. She sat down on the sofa she had always sat on and Al-mustapha greeted her with utmost respect.
"I called you here to ask your reason why you don't want servants from the palace. Is she the one that told you to say this, Al-mustapha?" He chuckled softly and shook his head.
"Ummah, she can't ask me to do something unless I want to do it myself. You know how I am, and who I am. It's just me, I don't like servants from the palace, please respect my decision. It won't be a taboo just because I don't want palace servants in my house, would it?" He fixed his eyes on Ummah so he could read her expression to know what she was thinking, but she held everything in that he couldn't read her expression no matter how hard he tried.
"I'll let it slide, but I myself will be inspecting your house from time to time. I heard she went to court today, why haven't you informed me that she'll go back to her studies today?" Her eyes were sharp and burning on his face that he had to look down onto his hands.
"I apologize, it totally slipped off my mind." Telling her that he didn't know about it too would only bring more harm than good, and she nodded her head.
"That's all, pray in the mosque together with the Sultan before you leave." He nodded his head and bid her goodnight and he went directly to the mosque as she had ordered him to.
He was on his way back home when his phone rang and it was from the station. "Robbery report, sir. There's a reported case of robbery and murder in Alhaji Mahdi Jari's house ongoing now!" He didn't know when he served the steering wheel and he drove in such a speed that got him to the station in a few minutes. They set out to work, and in a few minutes they were already in the address given by the reporter.
Al-mustapha and his men checked all the places and the armed robbers were still in the compound when they arrived. They had already killed the owner of the house with his two sons and a wife and when they arrived the robbers had a girl in their hands as they tried to take her along with them. "That's his daughter, Sir!" one of his men shouted while pointing at the girl that was being dragged by two men to their car in a rush.
"Freeze!!!" Al-mustapha shouted, and he had no choice but to shot at the two men holding her hands. They collapsed on the ground holding their legs and the car they came with drove off in a speed. The other police men rushed to where they were and the girl that was clutching to her chest and looking around between the bandits and the police men with fear evident on her face. She had tears all over her face and her chest was pounding heavily against her ribcage.
Al-mustapha walked directly to her while his men walked to the two bandits that were on the floor and nabbed them. He squatted down to her level and stared directly into her eyes until he read her facial expression. She was in fear, she was hurt, and in so much grief.
"What's your name, lady?" He asked, and she looked at him then read the name tag pinned to his breast pocket.
"My name is Jannah Idris Kakangi." She whispered with tears rolling down her cheeks until they got into the openings of her lips.
"How come are you here?" he asked, because from her name he knew she wasn't The late Alhaji Mahdi's daughter and he wondered what brought her to the house.
"My father is the gateman here, and those men took him with them. Will you please save my Dad?!" She cried as she pointed to the path their car followed and Al-mustapha followed her gze for a split second before he turned his attention on her.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure I bring your father to you. Stephanie! Come and get her to the car, take her to the station, I'll be there soon." He wanted to ask her 'Don't you think they left with him because you love him and you're attached to him? And your love caused this on him?' But he didn't, because he could see her fear, exactly what he had felt the day he lost Alex, and he spared her the question, not because he didn't want her to feel the pain, but because it wasn't professional to ask her that. Because even if she were to feel the pain, he wouldn't even notice.