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Hurairah's POV

It was early morning. The servant cleaning my room woke me up when she dropped something. I stretched out my arms embracing the ray of light that comes in through the window.

"Is everyone at the breakfast table?" I asked her.

"Yes." She said.

I rose out and went towards the door to go there. I arrived downstairs. I went to the breakfast table. There, my loving family were having breakfast. My eyes became filled with tears as yesterday's events replayed in my head. What would have happened if that man killed me?

My mother noticed my presence. She called me to go seat. I nodded. I went and sat beside my brother, Amir.

"How far?" he said in a cheerful tone. He looked happy. He always says that to me when something good has happened in his life.

"Should I make a list of what I want?" I muttered while filling my plate with food.

"As you wish." he said.

"What happened to your skin Hurii? It's red." my sister, Rukayya asked. I looked at her blankly. I looked at my skin. It turned red.

"Allergy." I replied. Everyone looked at me.

"Why did you eat pineapple again when you know you're allergic?" Dad scolded me using a concerned tone. I looked down and remained silent. It was all because of that man. Cruel man. I didn't have pineapple. I got this skin because of the heat of a fire.

"What's wrong with you Hurairah? You seem off. Are you okay?" came my mother's worried voice. I nodded slowly and hummed once in response. Last night's memory was still in my mind. That man tortured me. I still feel it's not over yet.

"Okay fine. This may lighten the atmosphere. We'll all go to a concert later tonight at Kaduna's biggest park to watch our favourite rockstar." Amir's eye glinted with happiness as he informed.

"You have our permission. You can take Rukayya and Hurairah." mum said.

"I'm going to work. Spend your day well." Dad said. He got up. I sent him a flying kiss and he waved at me before he left.

"Where did you go last night Hurairah?"

My mother's question got me choked with the food I just inserted in my mouth. I looked at her with a stunned face. Did she enter my room when I was away?

"Where can I go without asking you first?" I lied. I felt bad for lying though. I hate keeping things from her. I want to be transparent and share every feeling of mine with her because she's so understanding and loving. She's my best friend whom I can trust. But I know once I tell her I work, before she even listens to the type of work, she'll ask me to resign because she doesn't like my sister and me to work anywhere. She says we women aren't meant to suffer by working. Our husbands will take care of us like gold.

"I'm going to work too before Father complains I go late again." Amir retort. He stood up. Mother wished him a safe journey and he dashed out.

"Where were you last night Hurairah? I went into your room around 11 when I couldn't sleep. I wanted us to talk. I searched the bedroom, the bathroom, I looked everywhere in the house. I waited and couldn't sleep because I was worried. Your phone was unreachable. I had a bad feeling about you being in trouble. At four, I saw you walking into the gate. I didn't want to start questioning you at that time. I returned to sleep and now, I want to know where you went all that while." mother asked me. Her face looked very serious. I averted my gaze from her. I can never lie when looking into someone's eyes. I was speechless with words. I didn't know what to say.

"I saw you smiling at the security guard. That means he knows where you went. I'll call him here since you're not ready to speak." she exclaimed. I saw her grabbing her phone from the table and dialling his number.

I chew my lower lip nervously because the security Uncle knows I leave home every night. That's why he never close the gate. Before I got the chance to cook up an excuse, he entered the room.

"Where did Hurairah go last night?" my mum asked him.

"The gate was closed, Ma'am. She didn't go out." he denied thinking he'd save me from my mother's anger not knowing he was making it worst because she already saw me. I closed my eyes.

"I saw her coming in." I heard my mum telling him.

"Where were you?" Rukayya asked me in a whisper.

"I didn't go out." I said loudly. I opened my eyes. My mum raised a daring brow.

"Did I see your ghost then?" she asked.

I looked away from her. I still haven't gotten an excuse to tell. My brain really went blank after last night's torture. I'm not able to think.

"Well Ma'am, I'm sorry for informing you about this now, but I think it won't be good hiding it from you any longer. Hurii leaves home every night and returns only in the morning." Security uncle revealed. I looked at him. He gave me an apologetic look. I really thought I could trust him with my secret. He deceived me.

"She sleepwalks." he added.

For a moment, I heaved a relief sigh, but then what he said struck my head. Sleepwalks!

"Sleepwalks?" Rukayya repeated. She looked at me as if I had grown two heads. "You sleepwalk and you never found it important to tell us?" she inquired.

"Unbelievable. Tell the driver to get the car ready. He'll take us to the hospital. They'll find you a cure for this dreadful illness." Mother spoke.

I gazed at the security Uncle. I whispered a thank you to him because he protected my truth. He smiled. He excused himself and went out.

••••

Hafiz's POV

I descended the stairs of my home ready to leave for the office until I heard my name being called out by my mother's voice.

"Hafiz!"

I turned and met the beautiful young woman. I went towards her, and we held each other's hands.

"Good morning. I'm getting late for work." I informed her.

"Your grandmother hasn't been sleeping for days. Can you please take her to the hospital? As you know, I have the fear of visiting the hospital after your grandfather's death." She said. I was running late for work because I missed my alarm. I peeked at my watch. It was already 8:25. Mother can't take her of course. She stopped going to hospitals fifteen years back when her father passed away in it. She says she feels his presence whenever she goes inside the hospital which makes it hard for her to accept his death.

"Your father isn't here either. He left for work after breakfast." she added.

"Where is Grandmother?" I agreed to go. I'll make sure we're quick and I drop her back without spending much time.

"I'm here." came her voice. We turned, and we watched her coming down the stairs of the main house. She arrived. She had eye bags under her eyes. She really looked like she hasn't been sleeping for days.

"Let's go." I let go of my mother's hands and held her hand. She waved a hand at my mother before we exited the house.

"Do you know if you had a wife, instead of running late for work to take me to the hospital, she will handle it on your behalf?" she started her daily chat. I don't know why she enjoys poking her nose in my personal life. Why does she care so much about me getting married? It's not as if she'll be living with the woman. I will. And I still haven't found anyone worthy to be my wife.

I opened the car door for her. I helped her settle in, and I closed it. I went to the driver's door and entered. I began driving.

"Youths of nowadays may think they can live without a partner, but believe me they're wrong. There is always that void only a wife can fill in your life. She'll give you peace and happiness. She'll provide you with everything." she continued. I focused on the road. I showed her I wasn't interested to discuss the topic with the blank face I wore. My work at night won't let me welcome someone into my life. It's against the principles.

"You're thirty-two years old Hafiz. People younger than you have gotten married. Some even have children. What are you waiting for? You work. You welcome a seven-figure salary every month. Keeping it all to yourself without sharing it will not make the money blessed. You have to share it with someone, and that someone is your wife."

I gave her a quick glance when she said I don't share my salary. Who did I buy a cosmetic bag for just last week? I wanted to mention the things I bought only for her, but I decided not to speak because that will prolong the discussion and I want it to end quickly.

She sighed. She must have realized I don't want to talk about it. The rest of the ride was silent. It at least made me comfortable in my own car. We arrived at the hospital. I went out and went to her side to open the door. She alighted the car. I handed the car key to the security man to go park and we went inside.

"Which doctor are you seeing?" I asked her. We went to the receptionist. I gave her our family's card number and she said only one doctor was available at the moment.

I peeked at my grandmother that didn't answer my question before.

"Send him our appointment. I don't have a particular doctor. I see anyone." she replied.

I exhaled a long breath. She was just wasting my time. Even her sentence takes so long before she finishes delivering it. We proceeded to go meet the doctor. I was about to open his cabin door when she stopped me.

"Knock first. What if there is a patient inside?" she asked.

"I would have if I had time. Right now, I'm getting very late." I showed her the watch which read 8:50. I missed the first important meeting of the day. I want to attend the second one because, in the second meeting, my company will be finalizing an important deal worth millions. I have to leave the hospital before 9:30.

I dashed inside. The doctor was speaking to two women across him. Their backs faced us. He glanced at us.

"I'm sorry for not following the procedure. Can you please attend to my grandmother, now?" I said. More in a command.

The people sitting there turned. I was shocked to meet Ahmed Saraki's daughter and someone who looks like her mother. I covered my shocked expression with a stern face. I know she hasn't seen my face last night so she doesn't know I'm the one who captured her. I remained relaxed. Not that something will happen which will make me hyper if she recognizes me. She still can't do anything to me because I'm very powerful. With a snap, I can banish her existence from the world.

"Good morning!" she greeted my grandmother with a happy smile on her face.

"Do I know you?" Grandmother asked her.

"No. We're meeting for the first time. Please come sit. We'll wait outside." she got up and offered her chair. She looked at me.

"Good morning." she said with the same happy smile on her face.

Who greets strangers in this era? I disregarded her greeting and guided my grandmother to the seat. Her mother got up and they left the room.

Hurairah's POV

Strange people. None of them replied me.

"They don't have to reply you. It's good manners to do something without expecting anything in return." my mother said. My phone started ringing. I glanced at it. My boss was calling me. There must be another mission. The other Boss must have planned something explosive.

I answered the call. I started walking further, leaving my mother behind.

"You missed your chance of getting us his member last night. Don't miss this chance. The Boss himself is planning to go to a concert at a resort later tonight. He plans to complete a deal there. Bring him to us. Dead or alive. We'll send you together with our team to help you. We don't want what happened last night to repeat itself. You're a valuable member we don't want to lose yet.

Oh no! The Boss and my family. Then my family can't go there. I can't endanger their lives. The thought ran through my mind.