KANO STATE, NIGERIA.
Aleem's eyes held no remorse as his monstrous gaze held Maha's who cowered back in fear, memories of six years ago came rushing back to him like a memory reel. He felt no regret whatsoever for whatever had happened that faithful night, he could have lost his position as the third heir which was already at stake at that time and so he had killed Ayub. Yes, he was actually the one who stabbed his own nephew but Maha thought she was the one. At that time he was standing outside her bedroom waiting for the right time to struck, fortunately for him she held a knife in her hand so she could threaten him with it when he came back. He knew that knife was just for show because she will never be able to raise it at anyone, she is too naive and foolish to do it even if it meant saving her own life.
As Ayub attempted to scare Maha from behind, her instincts kicked in, and in a moment of sheer terror, she whirled around, a gasp escaping her lips. In the dim light, her eyes widened as she believed she saw the blade of the knife pierce Ayub's form.
However, the reality was a cruel deception. Unbeknownst to Maha, Aleem had seized the opportunity in that chaotic moment to carry out his sinister plan. It was his knife that had inflicted the fatal wound on Ayub, concealed by the shadows and the confusion of the scare.
In the aftermath, Maha, still grappling with the shock and horror of what she believed she had done, was unaware that her uncle, the true orchestrator of the tragedy, had manipulated the situation to cast blame upon her.
It didn't go as planned though because Ayub had seen him and that was why he had told Maha it isn't her fault, Ayub had tried to hold him and shout for help but he had plunged the knife deeper into his chest and that was why he had died before people could even come to his aid.
He had always been the greedy one among his siblings even during their childhood but no one ever thought it would lead him this far. What happened with Maha was not something he had planned, the girl was truly beautiful and he had followed the devil's whisperings which brought about all his problems in the first place. When their parents found out about his pathetic behaviour, they had disowned him. The fact that he didn't regret what he did to the 16 year old was what had made them angry. He truly did not regret it even now, it was her fault for being too beautiful.
He had been carrying out some plans to steal his other siblings inheritance and at that time when Ayub had came back, he had accidentally saw some papers concerning the matter. His parents' had already told him to leave the house but he didn't but the moment Ayub saw those papers, he knew he was doomed and he had to leave. He had murdered Ayub and he fled leaving his wife and 14 years old at that time, he left his family and for the past 6 years he had never turned back, he settled in germany and made a new family. He had found out five years ago that his father had restricted his entry into Saudi Arabia.
Aleem gritted his teeth when he remembered Ayub, he and the boy had never really gotten along, many times he had tried to stay in the house privately with Maha so he so he could have his way with her but Ayub would refuse to leave. With the way his green eyes had always looked at him, he knew for a fact the boy didn't trust him and that was why he didn't want to leave him with his sister.
When Ayub was still alive, he had been the best of friends with Maha, their bond was unlike any other he had ever seen. They loved and adored each other so much that when he had made Maha think she killed him, he had almost felt bad. Ayub could have still been alive if he had made the right choice and kept his mouth shut at that time.
"Doctor, there's the patient." Aleem said as he pointed towards Maha, immediately he said that she turned to hold her husband in fear but the man didn't even react. He didn't push her nor did he support her.
"Ayman hold her, she's insane we have to give her this injection." Even when Aleem said this, Ayman didn't react he just sat there like a stature.
"Please Ayman, you know I'm not crazy. You have been living with me for months, you would have known if I am crazy." Maha said, she held Ayman's hands tightly and she refused to let go.
"That's what a crazy person would say." Aleem said and then he scoffed, he moved towards the bed to grab Maha and he could see the horror in her eyes as she released Ayman and kept moving back. He wore a sinister and lustful smile as he looked at her, his disgusting lustful eyes looked at her body and he couldn't help but marvel as she has become more beautiful. Just as he was about to grab her hand, a hand shot out and held his.
"Ayman wha--" He didn't get to finish his sentence when a painful blow landed right on his face, he stumbled back holding his nose. He felt something warm on his nose and he knew the bastard had broken his nose, he felt his world spinning around and he barely managed to stay awake.
"Ayman, bakada hankali ne; are you crazy?!" He heard his mother, Samira yell before he felt Aminu's hand around his shoulder, helping him to stand on his feet.
"He deserves it, this man is a monster! A rapist!" The room became eerily quiet after Ayman blurted those words out, hajiya babba, Aminu and Samira were looking from Ayman to Aleem, while Maha was still curled up on the bed in fear and Ayman was still glaring at Aleem.
"What are you talking about?" It was Aminu who was finally able to break the silence and even when he spoke his voice was barely above a whisper, for the past 5 years he had known Aleem, the man had been nothing but good and he wouldn't believe it if anyone told him the man would hurt a fly so this truly came as a shock to him.
"He tried to rape my wife! Why do you think she fainted when she saw him?! What a despicable monster, how could you do that to your brother's daughter?" Ayman walked towards Aleem and held him by the collar, his gaze met Aleem's and he glared at him forcing the man to look elsewhere. Silence settled in the room and this time no one was able to speak, no one could even move to stop Ayman from holding Aleem in a choke hold. The information was to big and shocking and it was taking quite sometime for it to sink in.
Suddenly the door burst open and everyone immediately turned to look at who had opened the door, a worried looking Zayn stood by the door as his eyes searched for Maha. When he finally found her on the bed and was about to move towards her, his eyes caught his uncle who was being held by Ayman.
"Umar?" Aleem's real name is umar Al-Harith but after what he had done and he fled, he had changed his name. He didn't deserve to use the name after he had tried to drag it through the mud, even if he didn't change his name his parents' would have made him change it. He also had to change his name because he had to keep a low profile for the pass 6 years.
After what he had done all his nieces and nephews had stopped calling him uncle, he didn't deserve that title after what he had done. If he had honoured that title then they wouldn't be were they are today. Zayn's face scrunched up in disgust as he looked at Umar's face, he despised the man after what he had done to his little sister. He mentally thanked God that he chose to come and see Tessie today else he wouldn't have seen this monster and give him a piece of his mind for what he did to his dear little sister.
He had been Maha's favourite uncle, she always wanted to go to his house for holidays and she never took no for an answer when she wanted to go. It still baffled Zayn how he was able to put all the trust she had in him and try to rape her, and to think he made her think he made her think she killed Ayub. Yes, all the family were well aware that it wasn't Maha's knife that killed Ayub. Yes, she held a knife at that time, her hands were shaking and she was crying saying she killed Ayub. What made them believe she didn't kill him was because her knife didn't have even a droplet of blood in it and yet they couldn't find any knife with blood inside the room. Their so-called uncle who had refused to leave after his disgusting behaviour was later realized to be missing minutes after Ayub's death, everyone had come to the conclusion that something must have happened and he killed Ayub and he fled with the knife he used so his finger prints wouldn't be found on the knife.
Zayn despised him, just seeing his face now made his blood boil. When he came, the palace was in chaos and Tessie briefed him that Maha saw their father's friend and she fainted and the man said she is a murderer and she is insane, he even claimed that they were family friends. How dare he open his flithy mouth to lay such claim when he is at fault? No matter how everyone tried to tell Maha that she isn't at fault because it wasn't her knife that pierced Ayub, she refused to believe it and for 6 years she has been living with the guilt when she is actually the victim.
"Missed me dear nephew?" Umar asked with a sinister smile, he just realized that it would be futile trying to act innocent, two people were already against him and soon Aminu would call the Al-hariths' and he will find out the truth and he will rot behind bars so its better he exposes himself and makes a run for it while he still can.
"You killed my brother and tried to rape my sister!" Zayn shouted, all those emotions he had kept bottled up inside him came rushing back and he wanted to slit umar's throat.
"Your brother? Yes i killed him because he saw what he wasn't suppose to see and your sister?" He paused as he moved his gaze moved towards Maha who was still curled up in bed, his eyes were lusful as he looked at her body. Noticing his gaze, Zayn stood in front of Maha blocking her from his view.
"It was her fault for being too beautiful." The moment those words left his mouth a painful blow landed on his face and he stumbled back, he quickly scrambled far away from Ayman.
"You will rot in jail, i will make sure of that!" Zayn said, his blood was boiling as he said that.
"You don't have any evidence and that is why you were quiet for the past 6 years so I would like to see you try, I didn't run away just to be caught after 6 years!" Umar said, he stood up and made to leave but Aminu quickly called the guards to stop him from escaping.
"Let him go." Ayman said, everyone turned to look at him like he was crazy, didn't he want justice for his wife?
"Run, run as far as your legs can carry you. Run to the end of the world and I will follow you, you will rot in jail. I will ruin your life, I will be the devil in your life, no one harms my wife and lives to tell the story." The room became silent as Ayman uttered those words, now Umar became really scared, he knew how influencial the Shugabas' were and that was the actual reason he had befriended Aminu 5 years back so he could have someone backing him.
"LEAVE!" Umar didn't need to be told twice, he quickly ran outside. No one had ever outrun any of the Shugabas' once you offended them but he was hoping he would be able to. He made a wrong decision by coming here today, he had heard about Maha's marriage to Ayman and he wanted to come and scare her, he wanted to give her those injection so she would become insane and won't be able to expose him but now the tables have turned.
Back inside the room, Ayman was still seething while Zayn quickly went to Maha and enveloped her in a hug. Samira was the first to come back to her senses and she went towards Maha and also hugged her, reassuring her that everything would be alright. Though hajiya babba didn't hug her, she still offered her words of solace because she truly pitied her.
Aminu also left after he had finished reassuring her that everything would be okay. Now only Ayman, Maha and Zayn were left. The all sat in the room quietly until Zayn left to take a call.
"I didn't kill him."
"Yes Nur, you didn't." Ayman said as he patted her back.
"I... didn't kill him." Maha said again and this time when Ayman said she didn't, she jumped on him and hugged him tightly to herself and began to cry, Ayman patted her back as she kept crying. He did't try to stop her because he knew her tears were tears of joy.
Zayn came back into the room wearing a small smile as he moved towards Maha and Ayman.
"Abu wants to talk to you." Zayn said as he handed her his phone, before Maha took the phone she cleaned her face and then she tried to wear a smile which she failed woefully at.
"Oh, little one." Sufyan said as soon as he saw her, Maha flashed him a smile to which he replied with a wide grin.
"How are you feeling now?" Sufyan asked, Zayn had already briefed them on all that had happened.
"Am fine, well I will be fine since Ayman is here with me." Maha said, she held Ayman's hand as she said that and he gently squeezed her hand as he flashed her a smile.
"I hope you didn't cry in front of him?" Mariam asked, she had been sitting quietly beside Sufyan and the first words that came out of her mouth were those words, what a mother! Maha lowered her head as she played with her fingers and bit her lower lip nervously, she didn't just cry but she even fainted after seeing him. Mariam's number one rule is to never cry in front of your enemy, it only makes them feel better.
"So you cried." Mariam said and then she scoffed, Sufyan only shook his head at her behaviour not having the strength to scold her.
"He even confessed that he killed Ayub." Maha said and then she burst into tears again, Ayman held her shoulder as he placed a kiss on her head.
"Yes we already knew, justice will be served for Ayub now that Umar is finally back." Sufyan said, he was boiling with anger. His siblings had always told him not to trust Umar too much because some said they were suspecting he is a drug dealer but he refused to believe them saying he would never harm him or his family. He had went ahead to give him the key to his house so he could come whenever he wanted, he gave him things that even their parents were unable to give him because they said they he was too stubborn but at the end, what did he do? He tried to rape his princess and killed his son and placed the blame on his princess making her traumatized for the past 6 years, he would definately makes sure he pays for all that he had done.
The phone call went on for another 1 hour and Maha spoke to Hassan and Hussein with their wife and kids. After they had finished the phone call, Ayman tucked Maha in bed and when he was sure she had fallen asleep he left the room. Zayn couldn't be more happier, watching how Ayman took care of Maha he knew she had found her soulmate, he just hoped he also finds his in Tessie.
As soon as Ayman left Maha's room, the smile on his face vanished into thin air. There was no need wearing the smile anymore when he had only been wearing it for Maha, both he and Zayn finally arrived inside Aminu's chamber. Aminu wanted to keep what happened a secret and so only Samira, hajiya babba and Aminu knew, the few people who were around when Umar had called Maha a murderer were informed that he mistook her for someone else. Some people didn't believe it and they believed the royal family were hiding something but since they were all being secretive and the commoners could question the royals on their family matter, they couldn't find out anything.
"Did you know?" Hajiya babba asked.
"She only told me she killed her brother, she never told me her uncle had tried to rape her." Ayman said, he gritted his teeth as he said the last line. Hajiya babba nodded her head and after that the room became quiet.
"I don't think we can find any evidence against him, it happened 6 years ago so it's going to be hard to find any evidence." Zayn said.
"What about witnesses?" Aminu asked.
"Only Maha, Ayub and Umar were in the room when it all happened but when we got to the room, Ayub was bleeding and Maha's knife didn't have any blood on it but we couldn't find the knife with blood and that was why we deduced Umar killed him and ran away with the knife so his finger print wouldn't be found." Umar was a really smart man, he knew that no matter were he ran to as long as they took the knife and saw his finger prints on it, nothing would stop Sufyan from chasing him to even the end of the world. He ran away with the knife so he would leave them in doubt and no one would come looking for him.
"The fact that you couldn't find the bloodied knife is enough to prove the fact that Umar might be responsible." Samira said.
"We are not taking him to court we are taking him to the cell." Ayman said.
"What do you mean?"
"I guess it's time to use my influence as Ayman Shugaba, I will make sure he rots in jail." Everyone's eyes widened when they understood what he meant, he was taking him to cell without a trial and he was going to use his influence to make sure he rots in there. The fact that he was willing to use this method proves how important Maha is to him, even if Ayman wanted to prove something, he would always make sure to do it in the right way even if it meant him failing when he is in the right.
"Zayn, let's go. We have a busy day ahead of us today." Ayman said, both he and Zayn left the chamber to go to the police station, he could just make a phone call and wouldn't need to go himself but he wanted to be there. Ayman wanted to help search for Umar since he had told him he would find him even if he went to the end of the world and it took him almost midnight.
He was unaware of what was happening in the palace with Maha, infact no one in the palace was aware.
This chapter is one of my favourites❤