Fourteen

".Juwairiyyah in a contrite motion said; “Yaa Arfaat please don’t do this to me, tears gushing out of her large eye balls. She looked all remorseful.

      "You want me to lie Juwai? Do you want me to accept the pregnancy I know nothing of?"

"Noo Yaa Arfaat, you know everything about it, how can you deny your fatherhood?"

     "Fatherhood??? Juwairiyyah you must be insane to think am going to accept that pregnancy, that baby is not mine and I am reluctant to accept what is not mine. Tell your parents the truth, am out of here!" 

      "Arfaat! Come back here, you can't leave without explaining things to me". Alhaji Abbas commanded in a bitter tone.

"There is nothing left for me to explain to you Sir, I am not the father of juwai's baby. You can ask her that."

      "Juwairiyyah, tell me the truth please, kar kisa zuciyata ta buga (Please don't stop my heart). Is Arfaat really not the father to that baby carrying?". Alhaji Abbas said tears rolling down his cheeks.

    Juwairiyyah only stood there in tears, shocked at what is happening now. She was razzmatazz of what Arfaat just did. She felt her heart aching___ trying to burst because of too much sadness. Was this the way Arfaat felt when she accused him of raping her? If that’s the case, then he's really hurt!

    "Yaa Arfaat, ka taimakeni please (Help me please), say this is your baby I beg of you."

Two hot and sharp slaps landed on Juwai's face, from her dad. One of the best being she has ever had, slapping her today means that he's more than angry.

    "Arfaat must be right then, the baby is not his. Had it been  that child was his, I suppose he wouldn't deny being the  dad. He accepted it when he raped you  there is no way he'll deny that baby if its his."

"Dad...da...."

    "Shut up Juwairiyyah! Just shut up! And get out of my sight before I beat the hell out of you, you spoiled brat!. Juwairyyah kin kasheni da raina, you've killed me juwai". Alhaji Abbas said crying.

        "Its okay Alhaji, I promise you that I'll take care of the baby like I am the father. I'll show the world that Arfaat is the father of that baby. Just stop those tears Alhaji."

"How am I gonna repay you Arfaat? Thank you so very much. I appreciate the love."

*

    "Mama, I have some good news for you". Arfaat said smiling and sitting down beside mai kunu who was grinding crayfish.

Seeing that she didn't even care to notice about his presence made arfaat sad. His mom is surely angry with him, all because of Juwairiyyah! That bitch!

        "Am going to be a father."

"What did I hear you say dan mama? You are going to be a father? Does that mean I'll soon be a  grandma?"

"Yes mama, that's it". Arfaat said happily seeing how happy his mom is.

    Tears of happiness started rolling from mai kunu's eyes

     "Allah nagode ma daka nuna mun wannan ranar (Thank you Lord for showing me this day), Arfaat you see why I was angry when you divorced your wife. That baby is going to grow up without both parent." 

     "That's Allah's will mama, stop crying please."

"Dan mama, please ku mayar da aurenku (You two should remarry again, I don't want that baby to grow up without both of its parents". Mai kunu said in tears.

      "Ki mana addu'a(Pray for us) mama, may God choose what's best for us all."

*

   "Juwai maman baby, you look more cute and sweet this days". Arfaat said smiling.

        "Why did you do it? Why did you do it Arfaat? Tell me please."

"Revenge Juwairiyyah, you think I'll ever forget what you did to me? Noo! Not at all!"

       "I thought after taking away my pride as a woman everything will be settled?" 

"No Juwai, this is just the beginning". Arfaat said wickedly.

     What hurt juwairiyyah the most is that she is madly in love with Arfaat now, especially after knowing he is the romantic type. That kills juwairiyyah the most. She wants her husband back, her world, her Mr.right. Yes she's in love with arfaat and she'll try everything possible to see that she gets him back and teach him how to love her. That's when she'll pay him back before forgetting everything.

      "Yaa Arfaat, what if the baby looks exactly like you?". Juwairiyyah asked.

   "Then you confess what you did to me and I'll confess too. I missed you juwai, though we don't love each other and we keep hurting each other. I still miss those moments we shared together. Do you feel thesame?" Arfaat asked.

   Juwairiyyah felt her heart beat increasing, is Arfaat really sure of what he is saying? Did he just say he missed their moment together?. Does that means he feel the way she is feeling?

       "You missed the moment we shared together or you missed torturing me yaa Arfaat?"

"I missed the moment we shared together, but I miss you more juwai. Especially those lips, though you were always reluctant to let me kiss them the way they deserved to be kissed". Arfaat said smiling, and that very moment feeling like he should grab her and kiss her like a wild animal. He really meant what he said, yes! He's missing her and he's still missing her, missing every single thing about her.

    "Why did you start it Juwai? Why did you start the game? How could you have accused me of a thing like that? Me raping you? Juwai lemme be frank here, you've hurt me a lot with that word. And I don't even know when am gonna forgive you."

     "You started the game Yaa Arfaat, you were the first person to slap me since the day I was born. You disgraced me in front of those filty poor people. I took revenge for that slap."

     "Juwai kenan. I see you're still a kid, had it been you know what I have in mind for you now, you wouldn't have start that game. Am deeply hurt!"

"And so am I” You denied your fatherhood and that hurts more than anything. Dad doesn't even wanna see my face or talk to me. I only have some peace of mind when I am with mom, thou she's also angry but she also pity my condition."

    "And our grandma?"

"Hajiya is the Best grandma on earth! Both withstanding that we always fight, she's still by my side. Yaa arfaat, pity me dan Allah. Go now and tell them the truth, tell them that the baby is yours please". Juwairiyyah said crying.

      "O come on baby, don't give up so easily, let’s play the game to its end. This is just the beginning."

    Life for Juwairiyyah has took a new dimension. Her dad doesn't talk nor answer her greetings, sometimes he even try beating or slapping her. The juwairiyyah who is popularly known for her lack of respects for elders and poor people, now turned out to be cool and sympathetic.

Arfaat took her for her anti-natal every week, and by that time juwairiyyah is damn very sure she's in love with Arfaat, a type of love even she can't explain how or why!

       For Arfaat, it seems like he doesn't even seem to care about what she's going through, the only thing that is bothering him is his relationship with his mom, which is still not stable. He has tried all what he can but to no avail, mai kunu is still standing on her point of view. Juwairiyyah must go back to her matrimonial home before everything is settled. 

      *9 months later*

  Juwairiyyah's Tommy bulged, she looks big and swells all over. Some even thought or wondered if the babies she's carrying are twins or triplets.

  "How you feeling Juwai?". Arfaat asked looking at her with a lot of sympathy in his eyes.

"Yaa Arfaat, I feel like am going to die. I've swollen up everywhere. Look how big I look". Said Juwairiyyah tears rolling down her cheeks.

   "Hey! Look at me Juwai, come on lily don't talk that way. You'll live a very long and healthy life in shaa Allah."

"Am going to vindicate what I did to you Yaa Arfaat, I have a bad feeling about this. I don't want to die without clearing the mess I've started". Juwairiyyah said still crying.

       "Look at me Juwai, look into my eyes and tell me what you see."

Juwairiyyah couldn't move an inch, and didn't also look up at arfaat. Her heartbeat increases and she feels as if she started loving Arfaat that very instant. 

"Juwai, won't you look up at me?"

    "Yaa Arfaat, its been a gr......" Juwairiyyah couldn't complete the sentence she started, because of the sharp pain that pinched her.

 "Yaaa Rabbi! I told you am dying Yaa Arfaat!". Juwairiyyah screamed in pain.

*

     "Pass me the syringe". Said the doctor.

"Here you go sir."

  Blood  gushed from Juwairiyyah's body. The doctor are trying their very best in stopping it, but to no avail. Blood kept gushing fast.

"Clean the baby Rita! What are you still doing there holding it without washing it". Said the doctor again. This time around referring to the nurse who is holding the baby.

     "Call my parents in, call in Yaa Arfaat. I don't want to die without seeing them". Juwairiyyah said in pain, crying so hard.

"Shhhhh.....keep quite and keep calm Lily, am right here with you. Nothing is gonna happen to you in shaa Allah". Arfaat said tears running down his cheeks.

     "A...a..am..m..m so...sor..sorry...y..yaa..a...arr..faat. F.or...give m..y stu...pidity. Am g..lad yo..u are st..ill by my side. Thank y..ou."

"Juwai, keep quite, you are too weak to talk, am right here with you."

    "I..i..yaa..". She suddenly started gasping for breath, gasping so hard!

"How is she doctor?". Alhaji Abbas said coming into the room.

 No one cared to ask about the baby, they all focused their attention on juwai. And I really don't think she's gonna make it! It is cantankerous at this instance.