Chapter 4

Without hesitation, Ahmad approached her and gave her arm a firm grip. He dragged her out of the hall despite that she was trying to free herself from his hold but he never budged, he was quite stronger than she expected him to be.

“What the heck is wrong with you? Why are you even here? The audacity you have to come drag me out of my school party that way…”

He dragged her into the car and closed the door. He walked around and hopped in before he started the car.

She still continued. “How dare you come in here and disgrace me in front of my friends? Are you crazy?”

“Oh just shut up, go and shove your head in the toilet!”

Her mouth hung open as her eyes fell on him, and her expression twisted with anger.

“I am sick and tired of your senseless words so just shut up!” He hollered, resentfully. “And one more word from you again, you will see my true color tonight, I assure you. Just try me!”

With that, the car fell silent. She breathed out the anger and rested her back, folding her arms on her chest as she mused curses on him. At least that would help with her temper.

Immediately after they arrived home, she stepped out of the car and headed in with him trailing behind her. He followed her into the living room where he met her standing before Ummah as she kept on throwing hurtful words at him nonstop.

And as much as he wanted to control himself, Ahmad gave her an open smack across her cheek. She held her stinging cheek and yelped in pain. She couldn’t figure out if she was amused by the slap he gave her or how painful it was.

“You listen to me and you listen well. I will not tolerate such rubbish, not from you, not from anyone. And as from today you will never, I mean never go out for no absolute reason. And I don’t want to ever see you dressing this way again…” He continued listing his rules as Hidayah looked at her mother for her confirmation but Ummah turned her head away. Ummah has had it enough also but thankfully, she has Ahmad to take care of her worries for her.

“Ummah are you hearing what this man is saying? He slapped me, and you didn’t even flinch, you said nothing and now he’s setting some ridiculous rules and regulations, still you aren’t saying anything.” Hidayah stared at her mother in disbelief. How could Ummah let him disrespect Hidayah that way?

Ummah looked at Ahmad with a disappointed look. “What are you standing there for? Why aren’t you beating the living daylight out of this girl? I wanted you to beat her till she can’t move a limb, maybe by then she won’t have the guts to speak after you’ve beaten her enough. And for you,” she then pointed at Hidayah. “If you break any rule, I mean if you even attempt to break any of his rules, by Allah, Hidayah, I’ll hit you black and blue in this house, just try me and see. Stupid girl.” With that, Ummah rose up from her seat and left them exchanging hateful looks with each other.

Ahmad stared at her, sending daggers her way. He has never felt so infuriated in his life like he was that night. He scoffed and also stormed out of the living room.

Hidayah slumped down on the cold floor, whimpering. Everything that happened got her thinking, was she even Ummah’s child? Does her own mother even love her? If not, why would she allow that so-called nephew of hers to hit her and that wasn’t enough, he had to set his rules for her and she dared not to break any of it.

With teary eyes, a sore cheek and heavy heart, she pulled herself together and stood up from the floor. She picked up her purse that she had long forgotten she had dropped when he slapped her and also headed towards the stairs.

On her way to her room, she encountered her sisters sitting down in the living room upstairs. She exchanged glares with her immediate younger sister, Aisha, before she hissed furiously and entered her room, banging the door closed just to annoy her sister.

“Now what’s the meaning of this? Why can’t you for one bit be nice to each other? Someone might think you guys are step-sisters or even co-wives.” Aisha pretended as if she didn’t hear what Nafisa had said.

Nafisa heaved a sigh and turned her head away from her. She scrambled up from her seat afterwards and followed Hidayah into her room.

Nafisa met her pacing back and forth in her room like she was in a waiting room. The moment Hidayah saw her, she groaned, knowing clearly Nafisa was only there to stick her nose in Hidayah’s affairs.

“What? What are you doing in my room, Nafisa?” Hidayah shrieked at her.

Nafisa shrugged her shoulders and still walked further into the room even after Hidayah had shown her she wasn’t welcome. “I just thought you needed company. And you definitely look like you need someone to talk to.”

Before she finished talking, she settled down on the vanity stool as she smiled like Hidayah wasn’t giving her a dead look.

Hidayah wanted to protest but she couldn’t because she knew Nafisa was right, she needed someone to talk to, to get everything out of her chest and her sister was the perfect person to help her do that. Presumably the reason behind that was Nafisa never judged her. Hidayah settled down on the edge of her bed, facing Nafisa.

“Do you think Ummah really doesn’t love me anymore? I mean… it’s… it’s obvious she doesn’t.” Hidayah popped the question then answered her own question.

Nafisa muffled her laughter and shook her head. “Why in the living daylight would you think that she doesn’t? You are like her favorite child, I could swear on that. I know you’re her favorite. The way she looks at you is different and the way she handles you is also different. You could break Ummah’s favorite vase and get away with it but for me? Ha-ha… let me, dear, not even try breaking her least favorite plate.”

Hidayah shook her head in disagreement as she stared into a blank space. She then shifted her gaze to Nafisa. “Ahmad slapped me and she didn’t say anything, she didn’t even budge when he did that. And to top things up, this guy has the audacity to set rules for me and that woman is okay with it.” Hidayah didn’t know she was yelling till Nafisa held her hands and pleaded with her to keep it down.

“Firstly, lower your voice. And secondly, I will be honest with you, Hidayah, I saw it and you deserved that smack… hey… hey, allow me to finish…” Nafisa cut her off before Hidayah could cut in. Hidayah breathed out furiously, almost regretting that she could trust Nafisa with her worries.

“What you said to him was cruel and what you did too was not right, Ya Hidayah. The way you dressed for your graduation really triggered him. Then you stayed out late which added more fuel to the fire. And I know what you’re thinking, that maybe I’m backing him up or I think you deserve to be maltreated, no… not at all, Ya Hidayah. Ya Ahmad is just looking after you and I believe that he loves you as a sister just the way he loves us all and I’m very sure he’d do the same to me or to Ya Aisha or even Ya Safiyah who is married and has a child now, who knows?”

Hidayah scoffed and shook her head, she still wasn’t convinced with Nafisa’s words. “I don’t like the idea of these new rules, Nafisa. He said I can never go out again and even if I have to, I can’t go out alone. So he means I can’t go out to see my friends or Adam?” Her eyes bulged out when Adam crossed her mind. He was the last person she’d want to distance herself from. “And Ummah literally agreed with him, can you believe that?”

“Who’s Adam… anyways, that’s not my business. For what he said, I know he said it out of anger and Ummah agreed to that because she was upset too. He did that to me too when I got two teeth extracted. He told me I won’t have any sweets again but here he is buying chocolate bars for me by himself. So you shouldn’t worry about that. Just lay low for a while till they cool off, okay? I’m sure everything will work out perfectly fine, In sha Allah.”

Hidayah hesitated before she slowly nodded her head. She was defeated by Nafisa’s words. “Now get up and go, I need to be alone right now.” Hidayah pulled her up and shoved her towards the door.

“Hey, hey, for real? Oh come on, you do this all the time, can’t I at least get some chocolates or something sweet? Where’s the doughnuts you promised me?”

Hidayah chuckled as she opened the door to push her out. “You seriously need to stop taking too much sugar, Nafisa. And stay out of my chocolate bar bowl, I know you steal some when I’m not around.”

Before she pushed Nafisa out, she had already bolted out after Hidayah finished talking as she knew what Hidayah said was true.

Hidayah laughed a little while closing the door. She walked to her closet, wondering how Nafisa always managed to brighten up her mood no matter how melancholic or enraged she was. Nafisa just knew her ways with people. Maybe that’s why she was everyone’s favorite, including that so-called Ahmad.

Her stomach did a backflip when she remembered his face. How he furrowed his brows whenever he saw her or how he stared at her with a stoic expression whenever she said brutal words to him. Hidayah knew he had endured her craps for way too long. She rubbed her aching cheek. She heaved a desolate sigh and grimaced as she wondered why he’d use so much force on just a slap. Or maybe he had been planning to do that his whole life.

She hissed and tried to disregard his thoughts from her mind but that was unfeasible. She hated herself for even thinking that he was handsome. She got more angrier when she actually cared to think if he had a girlfriend or not, that wasn’t any of her business. So what if he had a girl in his life? For one thing she knows is that she pities whoever marries that cold hearted man.