AFTER 168 HOURS [BOOK 2,168 HOURS SERIES]

Chapter 35: Mystery

Days Later...

The morning started with when Mrs. Maikuddi. She came into Zainab's room that day and handed her a boundle of Naira notes.

"Take this my dear. I've asked Hannatu to go along with you as well. So late today, both of you would go to the hair stylist to make your hair. Hakimi, the other driver would drive you girls whenever you're ready. Okay?"

"Okay Mummy." Zainab smiled and hugged her softly.

"Be a good girl and please, don't mind anything Khalid says. He's been avoiding me since Friday and today's Monday morning. I'll have to let him a bit before I leave for office. I'm having an executive meeting at 7:30 a.m so, I'll try my best what ever way."

"Okay Mummy. I'll try to make amendment with him too. I hope he listens." Zainab smiled.

"Yes, sure." Mrs Maikuddi replied her with a smile and gently placed a kiss on Zainab's forehead."He would."

"I'll be going now." She grabbed her bag

"Okay Mummy. Take care of yourself too."

"Bye, Aliyah." Mrs. Maikuddi muttered as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

"Bye mummy."

Zainab couldn't help but to smile. Everything about Mrs. Maikuddi is lovely.

She takes care of me as if she's my own mother. Sometimes, I forget I've even forgotten anything unlike Khalid that always reminds me that I'm not part of this family, Always makes me feel like an outcast." Zainab hissed to the thought and took a new novel from her shelf, 'Conflicted, Betrayal series 1 written by Wendy Opurum.'

She picked up the novel outside the mall the last time she visited with Mrs. Maikuddi. So that morning, she decided to keep herself busy by reading at least. Reading from the first chapter grabbed her attention... It seems Zainab is a lover of Nigerian teen fiction anyway.

***

On the other hand, a call came in from Barrister Edward.

"Hello Humaira! How is everything? Aren't you coming to office today? There's a new case on ground for you."

"I'm so sorry sir, but I can't come. I'm in a lot of pain right now and I have a lot of things to figure out. I don't think I can stand against anyone in court."

"Are you alright? What's wrong now, talk to m_"

Humaira hang up the phone call, breaking down in tears.

'It's only Zainab left for me. How can I even mourn my own so when I didn't even see his body? What kind of mother would have the strength to work after the death of her son. I don't even know if I should look for him now or not. My head is so blank right now, it's as if I'm going crazy. About to enter her room, she saw Alhaji Musa on the television. The newscast announced that he had won the election would thousands of votes. They did a short questioning with him and he looked very happy. Of course, he should. He just won an election... Senetor Alhaji Musa Adamu.'

'Too bad, before... I used to say the rich gets richer while the poor gets poorer. But now, I've come to realize that the wicked gets their way with whoever they want. I'm so tired of living, What's the reason for living when my Hadee is gone? Who knows where Zainab is. It's exactly one month now and nothing! No news, no phone call, no single trace. I've called the police officer and the investigation officer working on Zainab's case but they keep saying be patient, be patient! What if I'm tired of waiting?!' Humaira started crying again.

She went to her room to cry out her eyes. After a while, she stopped crying... It was as if something popped into her mind.

'Why killing my self like this when I could actually kill my self. I'll end my life right now and no one would have to worry about anything. Maybe I'll have rest then. I'll reunite with my family in heaven... Maybe I'll be happy again.' She stands up swiftly and went into the kitchen, looking for something to take her own life.

***

An Hour Later...

Zainab was already feeling lonely so she decided to go out that morning. Just within the compound to see how beautiful the environment is. She'd always been staring out of her window and from the balcony just to take a look. Today, she wanted to take a walk inside the very quiet compound. At the back of the house was a blue swimming pool. Well, she haven't seen our before except on television, newspapers and magazines. It looks so beautiful anyways. I wish I can swim. I wonder how it feels. Maybe I should tell mum about it. She said to herself, happily. Squatting beside the pool to get a better view brought so much joy to Zainab until something pushed her inside the water. It was Khalid.

Khalid was about to go for his morning stroll when he caught her staring at the water. He had been watching her for while and wondered what village girl she must be. It annoyed him so much that he walked closer to her. Deep in thought, Zainab didn't know grumpy-eyes khalid was behind her. The only thing she noticed wast a hand that pushed her into the pool. Zainab fell as the splash covered her whole body. Khalid wore a mischievous grin and walked away as if he knew nothing.

"Help me! Help me!! Who's there?!" Zainab struggled for her breath as she tried to gain her balance in the water.

"You'll have to swim out yourself," Khalid grinned as he walked towards the gate.

Zainab tired to breathe but her body went down into the blue pool, like a brick. She struggled untill she suddenly fell weak.

Just then, everything went silent. He turned back to look at her but Zainab wasn't there. "Where could she be?" He turned back and ran towards the pool. Getting there, Khalid met her floating on the water like a dead leaf.

"Aliyah! Aliyah!!" He jumped into the pool to help her out but she wasn't breathing.

"Oh no! She couldn't swim?" He muttered, lying her flat on the ground and pressing her chest with a little force. Hoping she would wake back to life but she didn't.

Khalid became so scared. Mum talked to me this morning. If she find out about this, she would hate me even more..." Muttering these out, tears gathered in his eyes. And for the first time in forever, he wanted Zainab to stay.

As fast as a cheetah, Khalid ran upstairs into his room to grab his car keys.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Hannatu asked him but he couldn't even reply her. She ran after him like a tail but couldn't get any answer from him.

Hakimi, the cook and the security officer too came to watch. They watched with scared faces.

"Hope she's still alive?" Hakimi asked.

"I'll be right back! Don't tell my mum about this, okay!" Khalid warned as he carried Zainab's lifeless body into the car. About a million butterflies pierched in his stomach just that minute. Nothing bad must happen else, he would be in big trouble with his mum and he won't be able to get the mouth to explain things to her.

Like a troubled rat, khalid zoomed off his benz to the hospital, hoping she would still make it.

***

That same minute, Humaira's eye caught a bottle of snipper. She also took a rope and tied it to middle the ceiling. Drinking the snipper wasn't easy, yet commiting sucide felt like the most difficult thing to do. But what Humaira wanted and craved for... Is death. She poured the bottle of sniper down her throat and also, climbed up on a stool to reach for the rope.

I hope with these, Alhaji Musa would me so fulfilled. I hope he finds happiness in life with his new position. I'm sure he's very happy wherever he is right now and he has thousands of lovers and voters. Who am I to ever go against him, go close to him. I'll just Kate my life and end it all. God knows I tried my best... She closed her eyes as tears lingered down her cheeks.

Putting the rope around her neck and letting go from the stool. Humaira felt her body swinging as she struggled with the rope. It got a good grip of her neck but she didn't struggle so much since she really wanted to die. The whole body shared trembling to the tightness in her neck as it chocked her. Letting out deep coughs and painful moans until everything suddenly went quite.