"Where are you taking me to?" I asked him in anguish, sobbing silently.
I never get free in my life!. From one problem to another!.
"Oh my ruyah," he said softly, caressing my cheek and looking at me with lust while I shuddered in disgust and fear. I tried to move away from him but he used his other free hand to pull me on his thigh.
"You know, you are mine since the first day and I need to claim what's mine and plus the baby. I can't allow some bastard to claim my two precious" he seethed, shaking in rage.
"But you know what Darling?" His mood changed. "You are mine from the beginning and God blessed me with a baby" he chuckled.
"My husband is coming for you," I said meekly.
"Your husband" he mocked.
"No one can take you away from me even death, won't dare it. I shall battle with death, till death taste to itself" he snarled, holding my wrist hard. I knew it would form a bruise.
"You are hurting me" I whimpered, tears began to brim out of my eyes.
"I'm sorry love, I didn't mean to," he said remorsefully.
"What of my husband?" I asked urgently.
"What I did to your husband was still better than what I did to your late crush" he grinned widely showing his white pearls teeth and dimples.
I turned away from him, how can people change from being good to bad. What happened to my best friend Mubarak?. He had changed. He was not the guy I knew again, this guy was manic and obsessed.
"What did you do to him?" I asked timidly.
"Well your crush, transgressed his boundary. Wanting what was not his. He professes his love to you on your wedding day!!. I was furious that moment but I kept my cool because I wanna win your trust back babe" he moved closer to me, putting his head on the crook of my neck, breathing, nibbling and murmuring 'Mine' over and over again while I shivered in disgust.
"Then what happened, "I asked wiggling myself away from him, and I'd known that was impossible. I'd a gut feeling at the pit of my stomach that what he was going to say would be bad.
"Then I need to show him you are mine. I told my boys to bring him to me. Oh, his scream was like music to my ears. His pain and pleading gave me pleasure. It sounds like a mermaid siren calling to the pirates" he licked his lips, looking extremely happy.
I felt disgusted, this man was crazy and sadistic.
"After they brought him to me. Do you know what I did?" He asked cockily while I shook my head vehemently.
"I broke his two legs that he used to walk to you. I removed his eyes to look at what's mine and removed his tongue to talk to you then I burned him alive but the ashes I'd throw to the river" he grinned manically as if he had won a trophy. I felt disgusted and felt like puking.
"What of my husband?" I asked gently, afraid of what my ears would hear.
"Well him, he was injected but not to kill him but to paralysed him for some hours" he muttered dejectedly.
"I don't want to kill him now, I want to make his death slow and painful that he would wish for death but death won't be around," he said sadistically.
"And mind you Ruyah, I don't want you to call him your husband from now on or even mention his name because you are getting married to me today" he left me alone to wallow in my miseries and commanded the driver.
We arrived at the same law court, he dragged me in. The same judge that judged that day was on his seat trembling in fear because a man in black was pointing a gun on his head. And the same sheikhs that did my marriage with Zain was presented too but one of them looked furious.
"How dare you kidnap us here" the Fulani sheikh bellowed.
"I wanted you all to witness I Mubarak getting married to her," he said calmly, not caring about the man's outburst.
"This is disgusting. I'm going and there's no one who can stop me" the man said firmly, looking Mubarak in the eyes. Mubarak's eyes flashed anger but he laughed.
"You are going?" He stated sarcastically.
"Yes, I'm " the man replied
"You are free. Go" Mubarak said while all of us looked shocked, the other sheikhs shook their for him not to go.
Before the man could open the door, Mubarak turned and brought out his pocket gun then shot him. The man's body fell with a loud thud on the floor while I screamed.
I didn't believe him when he told me about my crush's death but now I believe.
I thought there was still good in him but he had lost his sanity.
He laughed maniacally, waving his gun. "No one commands me or goes against my orders. Do you all want to go?" He asked mockingly while they shook their heads vigorously. I was a crying mess... I never witnessed a dead body before here I stood with a blood pool of an innocent man. I barfed all the content in my stomach even though there was nothing there.
"Start the sermon" his voice boomed through the hall. The judge and sheikhs sat upright.
I didn't hear a single word that the sheikhs were saying before Mubarak came to yank my hand and took me to the judge.
"Sign the document and the law proclaimed both of you husband and wife" the judge stammered. My hands trembled as I collected it.
"I can't" my voice broke.
"You can't?" He asked, looking pained and hurt before it changed to rage.
"You said what?" He seethed.
"Please I can't, I'm married" I pleaded with him.
"Bring the boy" he commanded. A man emerged out of the door, dragging Muhammad on the floor with tied hands and gagged mouth.
"Mom, please help me" I was breaking inside. He looked scared.
"You can't run?" Mubarak looked at me in the eyes while I shook my head.
"Cut him" he commanded, the man holding him took a knife and cut him on his wrist while I screamed. Tears brimming from my eyes without control.
"I will, please leave him out" I pleaded, signing the papers not reading the content.
"Good girl, that's why I love you so much" he patted my head while I cringed in disgust.
"Do you Mubarak take Ruqoyah has your wife" the sheikh's voice trembled while he replied "yes" smiling cheekily.
"Do you Ruqoya take Mubarak as your husband?" he asked me but I was silent. He leaned towards me and whispered, "your boy will pay for it..." I didn't hear the remaining before screaming out "I do".
"I pronounced both of you as husband and w..." A gunshot was blaring outside while Mubarak muttered some caused words. Mubarak lifted me up and dragged Muhammad to the back door.
~**~
"Go shower in the other room then come down for dinner," he said with his blood-stained shirt and hand.
We arrived at his house after the episode of bullets blaring. His house was big but not like alhaji's house.
I went into the bathtub then filled it with water before entering. After bathing, I went to the bed and curled up on the bed and cried, afraid of the unknown.
Someone was knocking but I didn't have the willpower to open it or was afraid of facing him.
The person entered and cleared his throat. "Master said, you should come down for dinner," she said but didn't reply. She repeated almost five times but when she didn't get a reply. She went while I sighed.
As I was about to turn, I heard a well-known scream from the hall. I stood abruptly, running out like a manic to save Muhammad. They were torturing him. As I was running through the stairs, I missed a step making me roll on the stairs and fall on my stomach. I cried out in pain, I felt an executing pain all over my body.
Mubarak pushed Muhammad away running up to me. I pushed him away and crawled to Muhammad. Bloodstain was on the floor as I was dragging myself to him. His arm had been twisted on the other side.
"Call the doctor" I heard Mubarak's scared voice. That's what I heard before I blacked out.
~**~
"Please can you go outside so that I can examine her?" I heard a feminine warm voice.
"You better do it quickly" I heard Mubarak gruffy sounds. I opened my eyes only to meet a very fair woman smiling warmly at me.
I held the doctor's hand. "Please doctor, save me" I pleaded.
"Okay, I'm going to tell him that your condition is critical, you need the attention of the hospital" she whispered while I sighed in relief.
"She is not going to the hospital" I heard Mubarak angry voice while I gulped
"If she doesn't, she will die," the woman replied calmly.
"Okay, get ready to go to the hospital," he said.
"If both of you are playing games with me. I swear to God I'll ruin you and your family".
When we arrived at the hospital, I tried to run out but he held me back and whispered harshly to me. " if you try to run away, I swear I'll kill him, '' he seethed, tightening his grip on me while I whimpered.
We entered the hospital with ease, Mubarak went to the receptionist and filed a complaint before he was directed. He was still holding me when we entered the elevator.
The elevator ding, we went to the doctor room, upon getting there, I saw; hajia, mom, alhaji, Aisha, Zain and everyone. My heart leapt a beat, I sighed in relief.
"Release the girl and go free," alhaji said calmly
"No way. I know this was what you have been planning and I've prepared for it" he grinned. He brought out a pocket knife and held me by my hair. He brought the knife to my neck and moved a step backwards till we reached outside, beside his car.
"Take a step there then I will kill her and your son. And I know we won't want that?" He laughed sinisterly. I gulped in fear and I prayed silently.
I saw everyone was looking afraid but Aisha looked happy.
What is she still doing among the family, I thought.
I glanced at Zain again and saw him mouthed the 'main part' . I stared at him confused then gestured to me. I gasped and took my left leg to kick him when the sun did not shine. He groaned and released me. I ran to Zain, in my peripheral side I saw Mubarak pointing his gun at Zain.
When I got to him, I saw him looking at me with a pained expression while I smiled at him and sighed in relief to be able to breathe in his manly scent. I felt sharp immersed pain on my back and liquid tickling down from the pain. I fell on my knees, I didn't know when he shot but the bullet pierced me.
I fell on Zayn's arm and touched his cheek with my bloodied hand. I smiled while a lone tear escaped from his eyes.
"Sh sh, don't cry," I said trying to catch my breath.
"I'm very happy to have my last breath on your arms. I love you so much. It took me time to realise it but Allhamdulilai, I'm able to tell you before I die. I love you Zain" I said softly, my eyes lid felt heavy. It closed by itself, not without hearing Mubarak and Zain wailing.