JANNAH

21: FACT-FINDING

I'm sincerely sorry🙈 I will make it up to you guys I promise.

On a lighter note, it's Friday today. Don't forget to read suratul kahf and send a lot of salawat on the prophet, SAW.

As sheikh and Mukhtar sat opposite each other beside the swimming pool in porto golf hotels, their dark sunglasses in place, Sheikh couldn't help but notice how beautiful the morning was. He felt like it was the first time in a week that the sun properly came out behind the clouds. It had been really gloomy, these last few days, and dark, very dark!

After awhile, Mukhtar closed the diary on the table between them and puffed out his cheeks.

Sheikh waited for him to speak, but Mukhtar just stayed quiet, staring ahead. He realized the words, the narration had brutally hit him too just like it did to him yesterday, and he was giving himself a moment to let everything sink in.

Finally, Mukhtar shifted in his seat, and let out a heavy sigh, "That's shitty."

"And utterly fishy." Sheikh said, "I have so many evidences against Khaleel, this diary being one of them but anyone who looked at it closely and from Khaleel's point of view, would know there had been something like a frame-up."

Mukhtar nodded vigorously, "That's right, absolutely right. But what's your theory?"

"In a nutshell? I think someone drugged Khaleel, kidnapped Amatullah and took her to a house, raped her then planted Khaleel there beside her on the bed..."

"So that the moment she woke up and saw him, she would automatically assume he was the rapist." Mukhtar completed the theory, easily.

Sheikh nodded. His hand was itching to take his phone and give Adda mama a quick buzz, tell her she actually did him a wonderful favor for choosing Mukhtar as their brother's lawyer. He was amazingly easygoing and all this unraveling wouldn't have been possible if it was entirely another person sitting across from him.

But they needed to keep this to themselves strictly, as it was completely unethical to do what there were doing. It could cost them their jobs.

"Who do you think is the actual rapist?" Mukhtar asked.

"From what I made out, probably Shamsudeen, shamo. I remember a few months back when i met him and Khaleel attacking each other because of a girl. Definitely Amatullah. So he must also have some sort of connection with her."

Mukhtar nodded his head, "That's who i think too. We should meet him personally, what do you think? Even better if you can question him yourself. I will call a friend of mine, a police, to come along."

"Okay, I think we should. Tomorrow?"

"Yes, around 2pm."

"Alright, until then!"

***

Eight Fridays from now she would become Dr. Khalifah's wife. She almost cringed a nervous cringe at the mere thought of it. But Jannah had never been so eager for something, she would drag those weeks if she could.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she let her pencil stoke her sketch book, one of the few things that kept her from running mad. Jannah wasn't sure what she was exactly sketching but she was so looking forward to the end result.

A knock came on the door, interrupting her. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, knowing she needed that break after sitting in one position on her very uncomfortable chair for more than an hour.