LATER IN THE NIGHT, AFTER THE WEDDING
"Don't you dare touch me!". Zuwairah spat at her husband as he tries to come closer to her on their matrimonial bed. Her voice shaking as she uttered those words.
And why can't I come closer to my Amarya(Wife)? I'm your husband Zuwairah" he replied her. He can't pinpoint what was happening. Earlier in the morning, before they had tied of the knot, they were so happy. When he had called her on phone whilst they talked, she sounds so happy. Then, why now? What happened to her all of a sudden?
"No, you're not. You can never be my husband!" She clamored at him. She had promised herself never to allow him touched her. She only agreed to push through with the wedding because, she doesn't wants to ruin her families reputation.
"yes I'm, because we had gotten married this morning, I paid your bride price already my dear wife. Please,just tell me the reason why you're behaving this way?" He frustratedly ask. what has gotten into her all of a sudden? She don't look like the same Zuwairah he used to know.
"Go! Just get out from here!" Zuwairah screamed whilst crying uncontrollably again.
"I told you already, I'm not going anywhere,you're my wife and I love you so much" he tried his best to make her see all the love he had for her but all to avail because Zuwairah is not ready to change her mind.
"but I don't love you, please go away!" She shout at him.
"Zuwairah, what's wrong with you? Aren't you a virgin anymore? I promise if that's the case I won't get mad. I loved you and I'll understand. I didn't marry you because of that but I did marry you because I had loved you so much" He said to her almost crying.
What could have caused her sudden changes? he kept asking himself
"I don't care Rasheed, just go away! I hate you so much, so go!"
"I see, you don't know what you're saying" he said smiling trying to move closer to her but Zuwairah brought out a small knife in a swift and threaten him with it " if you know you love your self, don't you even dare move closer to me because I won't hesitate to kill you " she said pointing the small knife at him.
"Zuwairah! wha.....what are you doing with a knife?" he asked glaring at her, he was so shocked, he hasn't met this side of her before.
"it's better you get out from this room right now. If not, I'm going to kill you and also kill my self" she threatened again "now get out! out! go away from here!" She shout to the tip of her longue.
Rasheed was confound of what's happening, he's very sure that he haven't done anything wrong,then why the sudden change? "Perhaps she's hiding something? " he thought before bringing out his phone from his trouser, he dialed his friend number and within a swift he picked up.
"Hello, the groom" he taunt but compose himself when he heard his friend weary voice.
"Abdul, what's wrong?"
"I..I don't know what is happening " he said.
"What? What do you mean by 'you don't know what's happening?' " His friend asked surprised and confused also.
"She...she drove me out of the room"
"Who? Who drove you out?"
"Zuwairah of course! Who else?"
"What?! What happened? Why would she do that? I mean, you two are married right? So why would she drive you out of the room? Come on Abdul,you don't joke with things like this on your wedding night. So, hurry up and go meet up your wife...okay? "
"I'm not joking, I'm serious Abubakar! She ..she drove me out by threatening me that she would kill her self if I don't leave"
"What? Zuwairah? I mean, the same Zuwairah we have always known threatened you? But she isn't someone with that kind of an attitude? " Abubakar answered not sure of what to say.
"That's why I'm more confused right now. I think something is bothering her,she really need someone to talk to. You need to see her,she was shivering and crying all the time".
"Are you sure, you didn't offend her?".
"Why would I? I mean, we just got married today and...no I didn't do anything Abubakar"
"Okay calm down okay, just go to the other room and sleep peacefully, first thing tomorrow morning I and Qasim will be there" he said and they both hang up the call.
Zuwairah is not the type who would deceive people,no she can't, but why would she drive her husband out of the room and lock her self up? Definitely! something fishy is going on but what could it be?
*****
"As salamu alatikum(Peace be upon you)" both Abubakar and Qasim chorused together as they both entered Rasheed's house.
"Wa alaykumu salam(Peace be upon you too)" Rasheed answered them with a tired and sad voice.
"God of mercy,was it this serious?! I mean, did she really lock you out of the room?" Qasim asked with wide eyes as he saw the same cloth of that yesterday on his friend's body.
"I don't know what to do anymore,I tried to have a proper conversation with her,I pleaded with her,I did everything I could to make her open the door for me since morning but no,she didn't"
"Subhanallah! Where is she right now?"
"She's in my room"
The two friends leave the sitting room to have a talk with her "at least she wouldn't act the same way toward us right? She will open the door today and explained why she was treating our friend this bad since yesterday night. More over, no one false her into this marriage, if she wasn't interested from the start,she could have just said it,instead of making my friend miserable " Qasim said annoyingly as Abubakar only glance at him for few seconds and shook his head.
"I don't have your time now" that was the only thing that came out from his mouth.
"Of course you won't, because something big is awaiting us..don't you think?" He smirk.
They both halt in front of her room and took out a deep breath before they started knocking
Knock... knock... knock
Zuwairah was already a sleep,she couldn't get a glimpse of sleep since yesterday night, she was scared her husband might badge into the room, so instead she became the security guard of her self as she has been guarding her self with a knife on her hand since yesterday night till this morning.
She jolt up in surprise and fear as she heard the sound. Again Abubakar tried to knock
Knock.... knock.... knock
"Who...who is there?". She stuttered with a shivering body on the bed,she makes sure she hold the knife securely at her hand pointing it directly at the door in case if he badges in.
"Zuwairah it's me Abubakar, please open this door"
"No..no.. I won't! Go away! You all should just go away!"
"Zuwairah what has gotten into you? Why are you behaving this way? Is this how a newly wedded couple act? No! So please, open up this door let talk maturely. This is not right. Let know what's bothering you,what you're afraid of and we will all help you..please open this door" Abubakar said as he bang on the door repeatedly.
"No way! I said you should all leave me alone! I want to be alone! Non of you can help me! Non of you can save me! just leave me alone please I beg you! Go away!"
"Zuwairah I swear to God, if you don't open this door right now,I'm going to break the door" here comes her husband voice
"No! No!! no!!! Don't you dare! If you dare break the door, I'll make sure I kill you and also kill my self! Don't you dare break the door! " she said with shivering voice
"You see! You see what I've been telling you guys! You see right? This is what she has been saying since yesterday 'she will kill me and then kill her self' what have I done to her? I don't know. She keep insisting to kill her self"
"Zuwairah please I beg of you,I beg you in the name of Allah, please open this door,you can't remain like this forever, you need to come out and settle things with your husband, if he has wronged you in any way just say it and he'll ask for your forgiveness"
"You all should just go away,I swear if you don't leave, I'll kill my self!"
"Ok ok fine...we will leave..we're going Zuwairah"
"Just Go!!!' She yell at them
The three men look at themselves with sad face before they all went back to the sitting room
Abubakar stood by the window while Abdul and Qasim took a sit. Abdul rub his palm on his face frustratedly before a brim of tears started running down his cheeks
"Abdul you need to be honest with us please,why was she so angry. No! I mean, she doesn't even sound angry,she sound scared. Like...like she's scared of you or something. What did you do to her?" Qasim asked and Abubakar also stare at him intently as they both waited patiently for his answer
"You all know me right from our childhood guys! You both know that I don't fight or I'm not the quarrel type. I don't pass my boundary right from my kid you know that,we've been together for the past 26 years now. And when I met Zuwairah you two were the ones that gave me the courage and since then we've been living fine and happily, Not until yesterday night. I swear I didn't do anything to her, I swear" he lamented
"If you didn't, then what could have cause this now?!" Abubakar asked frustratedly and mistakenly his hand swiftly move the cotton and then he spot someone running towards the gate 'Zuwairah' without shoes on her leg
'Zu...Zuwairah? " he called out in surprise
"Where did you see her?" Abdul asked with a confused look
"That... That's... That's Zuwairah running away" he said budging out his two eyes in fear
"Where? Where did you-" Abdul also stopped at his mid sentence when he saw her running towards the gate
"Zuwairah!! " he screamed out her name but she didn't stop,she keeps running and running. The three men ran out of the house to follow her but by the time they all reach the gate, she already hop into an unknown car and the car drove roughly away
Did she really abhor me this much? What could have been my offence for her to develope this much hatred for me? When she has no interest in this marriage, why then did she agreed to it? She love someone else and she married me? What does she take me for? A fool?He was so much in love with his wife and yet she betrayed him, He finally made up his mind, he will look for her no matter where she runs to,he will make sure he finds her and ask why she had to lie,why she had to deceive him,why she had to cheat him. Is this how she had plan to ruin everything for him? Why would she leave him and run away with a man? Yes, he saw a glimpse of the guy's face. Fuck! I'm even more handsome than that guy! And I'm sure, I'm also more richer than him!Then what was I lacking?"Abdul this is not the right time for this,we need to look for your wife ASAP. This is not funny, you know that?" His friend Abubakar said.
"I really don't know what to do with her anymore,I really can't take it. How dare she!" Mr Dauda said out of annoyance."Brother, please calm down" his kid sister begged "you should know sister by now" she said and he nod in understanding."So my dear,you were trying to say something " he said facing Zulaiha."Yes Abba, she and the guy met day before her wedding ""What?" Everyone chorused in surprise.FlashbackJust as Zuwairah was about to open the gate of their house,she bumped unto Zulaiha which got her startled coz she wasn't expecting to see her, though they may have agreed to meet but not this early morning."Zu...Zulaiha! Hey! How...how are you doing?" She asked with a nervous smile."I'm good" Zulaiha answered as she eye her suspiciously."What happened Zuwairah? You looked tensed"
Hello?" Binta said"As salamu Alaykum. Please, am I speaking with Ms. Binta Danjuma?""Ameen, wa alaykumu Salam. Yes speaking,how may I help you?""Actually Ma,I attended your sister's wedding yesterday. How I got your number, Is not the issue now... I saw your sister now in our hotel now which I was expecting to see her with her husband but to my surprise, she was with a man. Anyways, it looks like she was kidnapped or something coz she look terrified.""What?!!" She exclaimed."Well, am at the hotel now and I'm the manager. I'll make sure she stay's here till you come get her. You have to come and rescue your sister ASAP please. I'll text you the address""Yes yes..thank you,we will be there in the next twenty minute..thank you" she said as she hang up the call."Subhanallah" Mr Dauda uttered in shock as Binta narrate her phone call talk with them
Innalillahi wa'ina ilaihi raji'un" everyone in the room chorused in shocked."What?!" Rasheed who was also taken by surprise also muttered in surprise. This will be the first time of hearing such thing against him in his life. "Could Zuwairah stoop so low just to make me get out of her life? Is this her way of making me leave her?" He thought as tears flow down his cheeks. Since the day he was born,and has known what's right from wrong, he has never cried like this, not until today. Zuwairah has turned him into someone elseHe thought he had offended her but now, reverse is the case. Now he knows that she was the one who doesn't want him around her and she kept lying. She made sure to hide her true identity just to humiliate him on a day like this...all in the name of what?- nothing! Pure nothing!"Zuwairah my dear,please what are you saying? That my son is HIV positive?""Ye...yes Mom " she stuttered without lookin
"It all happened when........................""STOP!!" Rasheed cut her off. He was so confused, he doesn't even know what to say anymore."What i meant to say was that......I didn't mean to..I didn't mean to say this, but I think Zuwairah is suffering from a mental illness ""What?!" Everyone in the room chorused together."Yes..coz I really don't understand her anymore. First,it was the false HIV and now.....,she is accusing me of being a rapist,murderer and a kidnapper? Haven't anyone ever thought about it? Isn't she acting weird? I mean, who told her all these lies about me? Who was the one deceiving her?" He asked calmly but still Zuwairah kept mum.Should i say it? I think I should, at least all his bragging will be over once I let out the truth"ANSWER ME ZUWAIRAH!!!" He yells angrily making her flinch in fear."I really don't understand what's happenin
FlashbackTwo weeks later"Tracy please calm down, please""Zuwairah how could I? How could I? My life is ruined already,can't you see?! My life is ruined! " she frustratedly said. She's in so much agony that she can't even tell how she's feeling right now,she only knew that she had lost everything in life."Please just try to calm down,we can find a way" Zuwairah tried to calm her down giving her some hope,even though she knew there's nothing that can be done, she still want to say some good words into her"Did you just say we can find a way?" She scoff as she laugh dryly."Tra-""Tell me what is the way out of this?" She cut her off."I think-""Do you think there's a way out for me? What way could be for someone that's infected with HIV positive?" She cut her off again."I just lost all the right of b
"Zuwairah, take this" Zulaiha said as she pass a small bottle which contains black leaves inside to her friend.'Wh....what...what's this again Zulaiha?" She stuttered as she stare blankly at the bottle in her hand without making an attempt to accept it."Just take it you idiot!" She whispered softly to her,she doesn't want people to know what they are doing.Today is the big day, Zuwairah's wedding and she's not happy about it. She was scared that she had to tell her friend that she doesn't wish to get married to Rasheed but Zulaiha was so good in convincing her. Now, they are in her room with some other relatives and guest dressing up."Take" she then accept it with a shaky hands."What do I do with this?""This will make your husband loves you so much Zuwairah,he'll love you more than his first wife..I know you love him,you can never hate him and it's all written on your face. Th
The Muhammad's Mansion was as quiet as grave yard. Visitor's keep coming from different places when they heard about Rasheed's death. It was a painful death to everyone. Everyone loves him,most especially their relatives, from his paternal and maternal came with a broken heart, just to console his parents.His wife was sitting beside Habiba,while Mardiyya and Habib sat beside their uncle, Rasheed's Mom and Dad sat close to Zuwairah's parents and some other relatives were there consoling them most especially Zuwairah for her loss.Zulaiha badge in with tears already in her eyes "Innalillahi wa'ina illaihi rajiun!" She muttered dramatically as she burst into another tears."Wayyo! What happened? How did it happen? What killed him?" She asked her friend with fake tears on her face."How could this happen! How could Rasheed of all people be dead?" She ask again with tears running down her cheeks."Zulai