Before @MaryamASD say I'm doing yanga with updates againðð
Enjoy.
5th MARCH, 2017.
ABUJA, NIGERIA.
"It's both hectic and intense" Noah said, glancing at Tahir with his eyebrows drawing together.
Mubarak nodded in agreement.
Tahir shrugged. "I don't care. I have to win"
"But why?" Mubarak inquired, crossing his legs as he placed his arm on the arm rest. He kept his gaze on Tahir who still had his calm façade. While the two were both confounded by the mere thoughtâas always, he stayed calm.
Tahir made no move to speak. He simply blinked and looked away.
"Well, you know you have to be at least 35 years to be a Senator, right?" Noah inquired. He had meaning to say that since the first time Tahir brought up the whole Senator thing. It just happens to slip off his mind every time until then. "You're just 28. It'll take you 7 years before you'll be able to run for office along with your father" They both didn't get why Tahir wants to run for office when his father is doing that too.
"Exactly" Mubarak piqued in. "Don't you think you're rushing things?" At first, they thought he would wait till he's old enough. But suddenly, he brings up the fact that he wants to run for office in the forthcoming elections. It took them by surprise to say the least.
Of course, they had been supportive of the decision right from the beginning but now, they're not sure it's a good idea.
Tahir turned to look at them, leaning forth a bit; his hands resting on his thighs, "Let me worry about the age. I'll handle that. I just need your support"
Noah and Mubarak exchanged a look before they both sighed.
"You know you will always have our support" Said Mubarak, offering his friend a smile.
Noah nodded in agreement. "Just maintain a clean slate and handle the age issue, you'll win in shaa Allah"
"Exactly. You're actually lucky since you've been acquitted of that case. That will help"
Tahir parted his lips to say something. However, the sound of his phone ringing caught his attention. He reached his hand out and picked up the phone and picked up the phone that laid beside him. Swiping the answer button when he noticed the caller was his lawyer, he brought his phone up to his ear, "Hello"
"Mr. Tahir, I'm afraid I have bad news"
Tahir's body froze. He swallowed thickly, darting his tongue out to wet his suddenly chapped lips, "What's wrong?"
"Someone filed for a retrial"
He clenched his fists by his side, his lips curling into snarl. "Who did it?" He asked, his voice coming out low. The anger he felt at the moment was immeasurable, and he wanted to find out who was the person who wants to suddenly become a hindrance to his plans.
His lawyer on the other end of the call didn't hesitate to utter the one name that set off the ticking bomb that's Tahir. "Ameerah Hamisu"
Perhaps it's the anger of the retrial issue, or who filed the retrial that set off his anger. He threw the phone across the room, sending it smashing on the wall. Even as he watched the phone lay in pieces, the anger didn't simmer down.
Noah and Mubarak watched him with widen eyes. The two glanced at him, then at his phone.
Mubarak blinked, watching Tahir's shoulders rise, then slump. He had his eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "Woah man...what happened?"
Tahir scoffed. Looking down for a brief second, he shook his head while chuckling humorlessly. "Someone filed for a retrial..." His voice lowers as he trailed off.
"What?" Noah eyes widened an inch more than earlier. "Who did?"
Tahir looked at him, a smile that held nothing amusing masking his features, "Who else? It's that girl, Ameerah"
"Wait...is she the same girl that you two were talking about the other day? Juwairiyya's friend?" Mubarak looked between the two, who are yet to look away from each other. It's as if they are wordlessly interacting.
"Yes"
"But...what..." Noah blinked, shaking his head as he tried to get a hold of his thoughts. "What does she have to do with this, what's her relation to your case? Something that happened 3 years ago. We only met her a few weeks back"
Tahir paced around the room before he finally settled on the couch he was sitting on earlier. He ran his hands through his head furiously, tapping his foot on the floor. After a few seconds, he looked up, his arms resting on his thighs, "That's what I want to figure out too"
"Let's worry about that later" Mubarak waved it off, moving his gaze from Noah to Tahir. "The real question now is...well, let's be honest Tahir, did you do it?"
Tahir whipped his head to look at Mubarak as if he grew an extra head. He scoffed, "Of course I didn't! How many times do I have to tell you that? You know what? You're my friend yet you're doubting me. Tell me Mubarak, if you, as my friend don't believe me then how will the others huh?!" Tahir slammed his hand on the couch, standing up abruptly.
Noah sighed, running his thumb over his knuckles, "Calm down Tahir. Yelling won't get us anywhere"
"He's right" Mubarak stayed unfazed by Tahir's outburst, "I was just asking. If you go around this way, no one will believe you. The one that gets angry and defensive the first is the one that's guilty"
Noah turned around to glare at Mubarak, "You didn't have to say that to him"
Mubarak moved his gaze to Noah, "Why not? It's basic knowledge. He should learn to control his temper if we're going to handle this issue"
"It's your fault for asking such question!" Tahir pointed out, feeling his anger resurface.
Mubarak sighed, clasping his hands together as he calmly glanced back at Tahir who remained standing. "I was simply asking to assure you that we have nothing to worry about. They can file for a retrial all they want. As long as you're innocent, we have nothing to worry about" He leaned back on the couch, crossing his legs.
That seemed to calm Tahir down because he sat down after Mubarak said that. However, it didn't stop the gears in his head from turning. "There has to be something we're missing. Like how is she related to the case?"
The two other men shrugged.
"If she goes around filing for a retrial, she must have a lot of free time..." Noah trailed off, a glint appearing in his eyes as his lips slowly stretched into a smirk.
"What do you mean?" Mubarak asked, wanting to know the reason behind the smirk. Tahir followed his gaze, yet he didn't utter a word.
"Isn't it obvious?" The silence that follows was the answer he didn't get verbally. It wasn't obvious. They needed him to elaborate. This made him sigh, "We make sure she doesn't have time for retrials. We stop her before she goes too far. We can't take any chances"
Mubarak's lips slowly stretched into a smirk. He raised his hand and pointed his finger at Noah, "That..." he chuckled, "...is actually a good idea. The now is how do we keep her away from the retrial?"
"We finish off what we started" This time around, it was Tahir who answered. He tapped his index finger on his knuckles. "We stopped before it got too far at first since it was all a game but let's go all the way now"
"You mean..." Mubarak trailed off.
Tahir nodded, "Yes. Let's ruin her education completely. Let's see how she deals with that and a retrial"
~*~
"You know she helped me a lot before she was released. If not for her, I don't think I would've survived in prison" Rahma sighed. Using her fingers, she massaged her temple, briefly shutting her eyes, "However, she being here means we're at the risk of someone else knowing my true identity"
"Are you sure she won't tell? You just said she's a risk to us" Zarah asked, folding her arms over her torso, her right hand clenched.
Rahma sighed again. She nodded as she exhaled while her eyes looked up to glance at the attorney, "I trust her. Besides, we can't do anything to her even if she decides to expose me"
"So you still don't trust her fully..."
"I do" Rahma replied without a second thought, "I was just pointing out facts"
Zarah slowly shook her head. After a few seconds of staring at Rahma, she released a long sigh, "You've always been the one to trust easily" She mutters.
"Huh?"
"Nothing" She shook her head. "Just try as much as you can to stay away from her. We're so close to ending everything, we can't have your identity being compromised"
Rahma looked away after she said that. She reached her hand out and scratched the nape of her neck, "Yeah well about that..." She briefly glanced at Zarah to see her narrowed eyes resting on her, "I think there was someone else there"
"What?"
"I saw a shadow when she left. I was about to check it out when one of the workers asked for help but I'm sure, there was someone else there"
Zarah clenched her eyes shut, "How could you be so careless Rabia!? I promised to look out for you and get you released but...Ya ilahi!"
She could tell Zarah was enraged considering she called her by her real nameâsomething she hasn't done since they stepped foot in Nigeria. "It wasn't my fault. How could I know there was someone there?"
Zarah opened her eyes, releasing a long sigh that had her shoulders slumping. "Enough about that, who do you suspect to be the person?"
Rahma didn't think twice about uttering the one name that had been on her mind since. "Tahir" She couldn't think of anyone else other than him. He's the one person that have a reason to tail her considering he's close to Maria. The woman might've asked him to keep tabs on her and now, he might've found out her secret.
Zarah blinked, brows drawing in close. "Tahir? As in, Tahir Shagari?"
Rahma nodded, "Yes" She has forgotten his surname but after hearing Zarah utter it, she's sure he's the one.
"How do you know him?"
"We met at Maria's place before. He was also there at the event yesterday" She wasn't sure if letting out their second encounter was a good idea but Zarah looked furious. But it wasn't just that. There was another emotion swirling in her orbs that Rahma couldn't tell what it was.
"What...why didn't you tell me this before?" Zarah asked, now pacing in the living room. She had dropped her hands by her side, but her fists were still clenched.
"It slipped off my mind. Sorry"
Zarah shook her head, eyes squinted slightly at nothing in particular. After a couple of seconds, she stopped pacing and situated herself on the couch Rahma's sitting on. "Rabia listen to me, stay away from Tahir" She spoke slowly, letting each words sink in confusing Rahma more than she already was.
"Why?"
"He's a dangerous person Rahma. Trust me, you don't want to get involved with him" Zarah finally stopped addressing her with her real name. Rahma took that as a sign that the woman had finally calmed down.
"You sound like you know him" It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact.
Zarah sighed, blinking a couple of times as if she's about to reminisce a memory "He was involved in a rape case three years ago and I was the victim's lawyer. It was the first case I've ever handled as a lawyer"
Rahma didn't know how to process the new information. She never thought of him being involved in such a heinous case. He didn't look like it, but then again, they all don't. "Did you win?"
Zarah shook her head, "It was the first case I ever took in my life and the first I lost"
"Was he innocent"
Zarah held Rahma's gaze for a while before she shrugged, looking away. "I really couldn't tell"
"Then why did he get out?" If Zarah couldn't tell if he was innocent or not, how did she lose? That's what Rahma couldn't wrap her head around.
"How else?" Zarah glanced at Rahma, "Money of course" She chuckled humorlessly. When it died down, she added. "And apparently, the evidence provided wasn't credible. Apparently he was at the wrong place at the wrong time"
"What if he's really innocent?" She wasn't trying to defend him; she was simply looking at all the possibilities.
"I beg to differ" Zarah scoffed, "I know better" She muttered.
Rahma stared at her not uttering a word. There was something about Zarah's words that she wanted to comprehend. Something she guessed but couldn't tell if it's real or not.
Her silence had Zarah glancing at her. "What?" She asked, noting the stare.
Rahma blinked, "You sound like you know him or better yet, he did it"
"I have my reasons" Zarah muttered. She raised her wrist and looked at the wristwatch strapped around it, "I have to go now. I have a friend to meet. You know the drill, keep your friends close"
"Yeah it's a bit late than usual" Rahma agreed, after checking the time on her phone. For the first time, Zarah stayed a bit longer than usual. The sun is out already and she was sure some people have started buzzing up and about already. However, that was what flickered a thought in her. She looked at Zarah, eyes slightly narrowed, "What are you up to?" Zarah had always been cautious, why would she stay this late?
Zarah only shrugged, "Be careful and visit Maria as soon as you can to plant the recorder, our time is limited"
"Alright"
Rahma waited until she heard the door click shut before she stood up to cleared the place. While fixing the couch cushions, she spotted Zarah's phone that she left. Her brows furrowed as she reached her hand out and picked it up. She quickly rushed out, hoping that the woman hasn't left yet.
She spotted Zarah making her way towards her car. She jogged up to her and handed her the phone, then bid her farewell before heading back.
~*~
Noah dribbled the basketball, keep his head up so as be aware of his surroundings. He kept his eye on the rim of the basket and jumped as he shot the ball into the basket. He watched as the ball missed the basket and went down the other side.
He groaned, running his finger through his long hair frustratingly. That was the fifth shot he missed and it only frustrates him more. As much as he tried to keep his head in the game, he couldn't.
This time around, he didn't bother getting the ball and pointlessly throwing it again when he knows he'll fail. He simply made his way over to the bench and picked up the water bottle on it, taking gulps from it greedily. Once he was satisfied, he brought the bottle down, exhaling loudly.
He closed his eyes, trying to get rid of the thoughts that had been disturbing him since. But he couldn't.
"Mr. Sagir"
"Ah...Dr. Noah. I didn't think you'd arrive this early" The old man chuckled, reaching his hand out for a handshake with Noah's outstretched hands. "Welcome, come in" He shifted away from the door, giving Noah enough space to step in to the apartment.
"Well, you said to be here as early as possible so..." Noah trailed off, joining the man as the two chuckle.
"Dr. Noah, always the punctual one. I have somewhere to be so I was hoping we could do the annual checkup early this time around"
"Of course"
After the checkup that could be done in the house, Noah urged the man to stop by the hospital for the rest when he's free to which the man agreed. Just as Noah planned on leaving, he asked him to stay for morning coffee at least. "I know how much you like coffee" The old man said. He spoke from experience. During the years that he'd known Noah, there's one thing he could tell about the young man. He always takes coffee in the morning, especially if he stays out for night shifts.
They decided to have the coffee in the balcony. The man said something to Noah that made him chuckle and look away.
That's when his chuckle died mid-way. His gaze fell on Zarah who walked out of the apartment opposite them. His brows furrowed as he wondered what she could be doing in that area. It was well known that she doesn't stay in places like that.
But that wasn't what made his eyes nearly budge out. It happened the moment Rahma stepped out of the house and headed towards Zarah, handing her what looks like a phone.
It was at that minute that he knew something had to be going on between Zarah and Rahma.
The question is, what is it?
~*~
Noah will finally find out the secret!!! Chaiii
Update since we reached 5kð©ðð thanks yall.
Have a good day.
Love, Jannah.