Zakia - Episode 12

Seconds accumulated into minutes, minutes morphed into hours, hours became even more hours, today slowly turned into tomorrow.. and yet, I remained locked up in the dark room with the Baytu-Naheem girls. 

They seemed used to it already, after all, they'd spent three years living behind closed doors. However, it was all new to me, as adapting to a situation like that only became more unlikely by the second. 

"Ya Zakia (Oh you Zakia) relax," one of them whispered to me. (I think her name is Fa'idah). 

Nonetheless, I still wouldn't stop pacing back and forth in an inevitable state of anxiousness. They say the greatest fear is the fear of the unknown, and it was true, because the fact that I had no idea what the Amir (leader) could possibly do to me was driving me crazy. 

And suddenly, I wished I'd listened to Iman. I wished I'd just let things remained the way they were. Since the whole incident occurred, I hadn't laid eyes on Iman, and for some weird reason, I felt sad about it. I felt like he'd given up already on trying to keep me safe.

It was difficult to surrender myself to sleep that night, it was difficult to close my eyes when I was so sure that danger lurked somewhere outside the dark room, and it was only when my eyes slowly flung open later that morning that I realised I'd eventually slept anyway.

"You're awake.." Riskiya's voice trailed off. 

"Salaam (May the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon you," they all chorused. 

"May the peace and blessings of Allaah be Upon you all too," I'd returned tiredly. 

However, saying those very words was like forgetting the mere fact that we were stuck in Younous's Empire,- In Younous' s Empire, there was nothing like peace, only chaos. And it all became very clear at that very point.

The moment I started to perceive the sounds of footsteps, I immediately knew I was doomed

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/zakia

. The moment the person in question started to screw in the keys into the knob-hole, I knew I was done for. The moment the guy I recognised to be one of the troops of the Amir's army, stepped into the room, I knew he had come for me. 

"Usaynah, get up!" He barked, dragging me together with my extremely long hijab. 

"Please don't hurt her.."

"Just leave her alone.." The Baytu-Naheem girls wouldn't stop begging on my behalf. And it's either the burly man didn't hear, or he just didn't care. Locking the door as usual, together with the girls in there, he dragged me carelessly until we'd reached the common room (where I'd first been initiated into the Al-jihad sect).

There was no one in there apart from... Iman, and bowing his head slightly at Iman, the burly man immediately exited the room. 

"Iman.." I whispered in relief. 

But Iman didn't look pleased. "Why did you do that Zakia? Whatever happened to letting things remain the way they were?" He asked impatiently.

I was in tears already, but I still managed to say. "I remembered him Iman, okay. I remembered that he was the same monster who killed every single one of my family!" I defended weakly. 

"Zakia.." Iman's voice trailed off. "You know, now the Amir knows you probably got your memory back. It really didn't take long for him to figure things out.." He explained, pausing for a bit. "Zakia, he asked me to bring you to him.."

"What?" I yelled, suddenly getting daunted by a pang of apprehensiveness. "Iman, please don't take me to him. He's going to hurt me, and you know it!" I begged in tears. It was difficult to tell what it was that Iman felt exactly at that moment; however, judging by his expression, he seemed to be stuck in an intense dilemma. 

"..Zakia, you and I both know there's nothing I can do. How could I possibly help you. How..?" 

Frankly, I was disappointed by this remark, but the genuine expression Iman wore at that point was enough for me to pardon him, because really, what exactly did I expect him to do? I dug my own pit, and I think it was only fair that I faced the consequences alone, without dragging Iman along. 

"Take me to him," I murmured with all the mental strength I could muster. At this, Iman looked shocked, but he didn't say anything. Grabbing me by the arm, he pulled me along with him into the Amir's room. 

The Amir (leader) was sat majestically on his bed by the time we arrived, and on sighting me, his expression morphed into nothing short of angry, and disgusted. 

"Get out Iman!" He barked, refusing to shift his mean gaze from me. 

"But father-," Iman wanted to say. 

"I said get out!" The Amir (leader) insisted. Thus, Iman had been left with no other choice but to follow his father's orders.

Now, I was alone with the Amir. And my heart wouldn't stop beating so fast. 

A resounding slap was the first thing I received across my face.

Read " After Grad " by the same author ( Ishola Ubaydah )

. Nonetheless, the pain was nothing compared to what I knew I'd still suffer from. 

"What's your real name?" He harshly demanded. "Are you deaf? I said what's your real name?" He wouldn't stop yelling. 

"Zakia," I found myself yelling back. "My name is Zakia, okay!"

He laughed devilishly. "You had the audacity to shoot Kabir! My own brother!" He yelled. 

"Your brother?" I repeated. So Kabir was the Amir's brother? 

"You're going to regret ever pulling that trigger! I'm going to make sure of that!"

And I guess it was safe to say that I didn't fully understand the very essence of those words, until the Amir (leader) started to undress. 

"No.. No.. please.." I begged, but it was difficult to try to escape when he already had my legs trapped in his strong hold. 

"Don't touch me..! Get your hands off me..!" I wailed defenselessly. 

But the Amir wouldn't listen. He was angry, his demeanor said it all, and he most definitely wanted me to suffer, he wanted me to feel pain, for killing his brother. I'd honestly almost given up at that point, I thought I was going to feel pain, I thought I was going to get raped. 

But then suddenly, the sound of a single gunshot had erupted, as the fiery bullet went straight to the Amir's chest. 

Instinctively, I pulled away from him, and turned back to see who pulled the trigger. And it was... Iman. 

Iman killed his own biological father, and it was all because of me.