72
"What are you doing here?" Khalid asked with a glare immediately Mansur barge into the house. Even Kareemah was surprised and so was Mufeedah too
"Khalid I'm sorry" he begged not breaking the eye contact with him. He knows he has wrong them,even though it was Kareem he wronged,he couldn't still deny the fact that Khalid was also affected too,they were all friends right from their kids and he ruined everything. Inwardly, Mansur just couldn't stop blaming himself
"Just tell me exactly what you're doing here Mansur " Khalid inquired again
"I'm here to confess" 
"What confession do you intend to make?" Khalid asked. And in the next seconds he wide out his face in shock "wait a minute....Were you?....were you the one who kidnapped Maryam?"
"What?! No!...no I wouldn't do something as terrible as that" he replied immediately defending himself
"Well you did worse than that years ago" Khalid replied sarcastically
"So what then are you here for? And what confession are you talking about?" 
Mansur told them everything not leaving a single part out of it. Khalid moved closer to him as he made sure his strong fist land on his face. Mansur knew that he deserve more than this,he had expected something like this or worse 
"I'm sorry...I'm really sorry" he keeps begging
"How could you? How could you Mansur! How could you do something terrible as this to him?! Not only that, you also made her believe that Kareem was the one who did it! And now what? Maryam's life is at stake here! She was kidnapped by her! Just because she wanted to take revenge on Kareem! Shit!" Khalid explored out crazily. He can't even specify how he was feeling inside, he was burning, he feel like killing Mansur but now isn't the right time
"Why did you do it son?" Kareem's Mom asked facing Mansur,but he only held the regret look on his face. He couldn't bring himself to look at them in the eyes
"Talk to me son,at least there must be a reason for you to engage in this act,tell me. Why did you do it? "
"I'm sorry, but I was only jealous of Kareem"
"What?!"
"Yes,I was jealous of him because he had everything. And then, he was about to become the governor son. Everyone started recognising him in school as the most honourable person which I've always dream to be. Though what happened was a mistake but I refuse to say the truth and instead I blamed Kareem for it,I only wanted to tarnish his image"
"And now you've gotten what you wanted right? So leave" Khalid said showing him the way out
"Kay please" he begged and Khalid punch him again on his face real hard
"You don't have the right...I repeat you don't have the right to call me that name. I hate the name! Ever since you betrayed us, we stopped the nickname! Now out!! Out!!"
"Khalid please stop" Kareemah beg in tears but he has already turn into a deaf to whatever she might be saying. All what is on his mind right now is just for Mansur to leave the house
"I..I know where Maryam is" 
"What?"
"Yes I do. I saw Safeenah at the airport, so I followed her. That's why I'm here"
"I'm only letting you stay for now because we really need to save Maryam and Kareem,if not...I swear I don't really know what I would have done to you" Khalid threaten
"Man wait,this is not the right time to talk about this. I think we should save Kareem and Maryam first" Faruq intervened
The three men left in Mansur's car assuring the women in the house that everything will be fine
******
Kareem walked into the building scanning everywhere around him. Already two giant men are behind him with guns on their hand
He walk into the room where his wife is been held captive in. Just as his face came in contact with his wife,he called out her name and ran to her. He has missed his wife so much,just for few days and he couldn't hold it anymore "Maryam!" He squeal out and hug her tightly
"Ka...Kareem" Maryam uttered softly. She also hug her husband back tightly. She missed him a lot, she missed his voice,his face,his scent, everything concerning her husband she has been missing it
"Kareem I'm sorry,I'm truly sorry. I...I shouldn't have left,I shouldn't have leave the house that night" Maryam beg her husband crying
"Maryam please don't do this to your self,have you forgotten? Our baby is in there with you,you shouldn't stress her" he said as he placed his hand on her stomach smiling lovingly at her. They both look at each other with pure love,they both have forgotten that they are in the lion's jungle
"Kareem I promise I won't get mad at you anymore, I won't care if you marry her. Please just take me out of this place,I'm scared" 
Kareem chuckle at what his stupid wife said. He has to tell her that 'baby' is not his girlfriend but an agent. He placed both of his palm on her cheek as he said "Maryam please calm down,you need to listen to me OK?" 
"OK"
He told her everything and Maryam only weep more than earlier "hey! Why are you crying again?" 
"I'm sorry, I made a very big mistake. I left because I thought you were cheating on me. If I had known, I would have stayed and allow you to explain to me,may be this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry Kareem please forgive me" Maryam was still begging when Safeenah and Mr Shu'aib walked in
"Wow! Wow! Wow! Look who we have here! The beast is back here" Safeenah mocked
Their back was facing them and they both turn to look at them,Kareem wrap his arm tightly on Maryam's waist protectively "why are you doing this Safeenah? Why? You aren't like this before"
"Yes,I wasn't like this before,you made me! You turn me into this! You...you killed the old Safeenah!"
"What are you talking about?" 
"Oh! You don't know? You don't remember?!"
"What the fuck are you talking about?! " Kareem glared at her looking so confused
"Of course you won't know,you can't understand what I'm talking about. What I'm fucking talking about is Yasira!" She exclaim angrily
"Ya...Yasira?" Kareem asked confused while stuttering
Maryam looked at the both of them with  confused face
"You can't easily forget her could you?" Safeenah asked with a smirk
"How...how are you connected with her?"
"She's my sister you beast! She's my mother! My hero! She's my everything! And..and you took her away from me! You killed my only hope! She's the reason why I live and you took her away!!"
"No!! No I didn't!"
"You did! You killed her! Why?! Just why? Why did you kill her Kareem? Kareem why?! Why?!" She asked sobbing uncontrollably
"We are only four in my family, my Dad, Mom, Sira and me. My dad died when I was four years old and since then mom has been the one taking care of us,five years later she was sick and when we took her to the hospital, we learnt that she is diagnose with cancer,she was hospitalized and Sira took over. She take care of my mom bills at the hospital by working as a house help for a very rich woman in my area,she goes to school in the morning and when comes back, she goes to her house to work. Sira pays for the house rent,the food we eat,all the expenses in our lives she take care of it all. She's more than a sister"
"On that faithful day, she's was to go and collect her monthly salary from her madam,with that money we could save our Mom,she's going to undergo a surgery and we don't have any money,her madam promised to help and to also pays her her salary. She...she was on her way going there while you hit her with your car. I saw you! I say you Kareem! It was your car! You hitted her terribly and ran away!"
"We rushed her to the hospital to get her treated but unfortunately the doctor couldn't save her and she died,with this news my Mom died also. I was left all alone,I don't have anyone to go to,no family,no friends. I was only a kid,I'm just nine years old then. Six years later, Sira's madam saw me Hawking in the street,she asked about my Sis and I told her everything, she took me in and started treating me as her daughter,though she had two daughter's who are much older than me,they are age mate with Sira,I wasn't comfortable living in that house because they both hate me so much,they believe that their mom has transferred all the love she had for them to me"
"I told her that I wanted to fight for my sister. luckily for me,she accepted and offer to help. We went to the police station to file a case against you,but it didn't turn out well for us. At first the police men promise to help us but later onwards, we were told to close the case if we really want to live,we were told that you're the Governor son and if we truly want to live we shouldn't come to their place again if not they will take actions on us. You're from a very influential family and I'm not. You killed my sister and because of this my mom died too,no one ever tried to listen to me,no one! Why? Because I'm not born with a silver spoon,and you're. Nobody was willing to help me then because they were all afraid of your Dad.  The woman later died few month later and her daughter kicked me out of the house. I went to the orphanage home,fortunately for me I met a very wonderful woman who accommodated me,she was the one who pays for my school fees till I graduated from school"
Already Maryam was crying by hearing Safeenah's sad story. So this is what she went through? And she thought she was a witch who doesn't have a heart when in fact it was all her husband's fault
"Sa..safeenah" Maryam called out her name as she allows the tears flow down her cheek freely
"Don't dare call my name Maryam,and you don't have to feel pity for me. I only said all this because I wanted you to know the real person you got married to,he was a monster,and you don't deserve to be with him. He's a killer! So don't feel sorry for me" she also replied her wiping her tears away with her left palm,though she held a gun on her right palm
"Safeenah you're mistaken " Kareem blurt out after been mute for the past minutes. He can't believe that the woman he once love was this,she misunderstood him and she had been aiming for revenge all this while and he didn't even noticed about it
"I'm mistaken?! Like seriously Kareem? Did you just say in mistaken? OK tell me how? On what way am I been mistaken? The fact that I saw you with my two eyes when you hit my sis with your car and ran away? Or the fact that it was because of you my mom died? Or the fact that it was because of you I started hawking in the street which I was molested three times!!! Tell me!!! Tell me is that a mistake!!"
"No!! No! That wasn't what I meant! I'm innocent safeenah! I'm walahi! I didn't hit your sister! I didn't!"
"You dare lie to my face Kareem! You killed her and-"
"Shut up and lemme talk!" Kareem yell angrily at her making her jolt in fear. To Safeenah, this is the first time she will witness Kareem angry side,and for a moment it scares the hell out of her
"I didn't kill your sister OK? I didn't! Mansur did! Mansur killed Yasira,I did not!"
"What?" She asked and with shaky hands the gun on her hand fell on the floor as another hot tears flow down her cheek