Leeyana stood up and headed toward the sink to finish the dishes she had started washing.

But when she reached there, her hand was hurting so badly that she felt she wouldn’t be able to complete the work.

She took the medicine she had been given and left the kitchen area.

She returned to her bedroom, took the medicine she had brought with her, broke two tablets from each pack, and swallowed them with the water she had.

She sat on the royal sofa in her bedroom and leaned back slightly.

Almost immediately, sleep carried her away.

---

TURAB

Turab was sitting on his bed, busy searching through something on his computer system.

Meanwhile, a phone was ringing from the side, indicating an incoming call. He picked it up and placed it to his ear.

“Hello, Zafaran.”

I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but it seemed they were speaking because Turab stayed quiet, listening.

“Okay, no problem. In sha Allah I’ll call Fahad and tell him so we can prepare for the trip. I’m already planning to travel next week.”

I still couldn’t hear what was being said on the phone, but Turab continued:

“I’m going to Kuwait. They called me last week regarding some soldiers who were shot. Four of them were injured. Only one person’s life was saved, but the others haven’t shown any improvement. So they followed my page and contacted me. Apparently the doctors in Kuwait couldn’t handle the situation. I think I’ll have to go soon because the work is urgent. If I don’t go quickly, they might lose some of them.”

“Okay, no problem. If the trip is arranged early, I’ll go with you, In sha Allah. Honestly this injury has really troubled me, my friend.”

“Alright then, talk later.”

Turab said this as he ended the call.

He continued his work when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

“Yes,” he said in his husky voice.

Khulud entered the room.

“Yaya Turab, Mum said I should come and clean your room.”

“That’s because you’re careless and you weren’t taught to greet properly.”

“But Yaya, I knocked.”

“Knocking and greeting are not the same, Khulud. Why do you behave like a little child? Honestly, you people give me headaches with all your talking. That’s why I don’t even enjoy staying in this house. Go now, I’m working. Come back later and clean the room.”

While he was talking, Khulud was glaring at him from the corner of her eyes. By the time he finished speaking, she felt like hitting him just to release the anger she felt.

“What are you still standing there for? Didn’t I tell you I’m working?”

She hissed quietly and turned away, leaving the parlor.

Turab lowered his head and continued his work.

“Khulud,” he called her in a voice he knew she could hear.

She came back into the room, but still didn’t greet him since it wasn’t something she was used to doing.

“Go to the kitchen and wash the dishes.”

“Wash the dishes? Again?” she said, twisting her face in disgust.

“I don’t think you have hearing problems, so why do you need repetition?”

“Where is Leeyana? Why can’t she come and do it? Why must it be me?”

“Leeyana won’t do it. You will.”

“But she’s the one who usually washes the dishes, Yaya. Why should I do it in our own house while she’s living here on charity? Without us she would probably be picking trash on the streets.”

Suddenly Turab shouted angrily:

“I swear by Allah, if I finish this work and come out and find you haven’t done what I told you, you will regret it. If you want to disobey me, go ahead and see what happens. Now get out of here!”

Khulud ran out of the bedroom crying loudly. She sat in the main parlor and cried for a while before finally getting up and going to the kitchen.

---

LEEYANA

Since she lay down, she hadn’t even turned once until the call to the afternoon (Zuhr) prayer.

She stood up, but now she was even feeling feverish. It wasn’t just her hand hurting anymore.

Weakly, like a sick person, she went into the bathroom, performed ablution, and came out. Anyone watching her walk could tell she wasn’t well.

She struggled to perform the prayer. After finishing, she didn’t even have the strength to make supplication. She simply lay down again.

Around 2:30 PM, Mum was sitting in the dining area with Khulud and Turab.

“Khulud, go and call Leeya. I haven’t seen her since earlier, and when I called her phone she didn’t answer.”

Khulud pouted but quickly stood up when she remembered Turab was there.

She went to Leeya’s room. As soon as she opened the door she saw her lying down on the prayer mat, sleeping.

She simply clicked her tongue and closed the door again.

She returned to the dining area without saying anything to Leeya.

“Mum, Leeya isn’t hungry.”

“What do you mean she isn’t hungry?”

“Yes Mum, I found her sleeping.”

“So because she’s sleeping you assume she isn’t hungry?”

“Yes Mum. Anyone who’s hungry can’t sleep.”

“Go wake her up.”

“Oh Mum, how can I wake someone who’s sleeping? That’s not good. Please let her rest. You know she works a lot. Maybe she’s tired. Sleep is a big excuse—someone sleeping shouldn’t even be woken up, even for prayer unless they wake up themselves.”

Mum stared at Khulud in surprise as she spoke like a preacher.

Turab, however, silently thanked God in his heart, thinking she might be improving. But he didn’t even look at her face.

“Sit and eat your food. When she wakes up, she can eat hers.”

“Okay Mum, thank you,” Khulud said with a smile as if she had received a gift.

Inside, she felt happy because Leeya was sleeping hungry while she herself was eating.

“Now it’s even,” she thought to herself, smiling.

---

Later, Turab said he wanted to travel to Abuja to arrange a flight booking because he planned to travel the next day to Kuwait for the urgent medical work.

Khulud was secretly happy because she felt Turab was too strict with her.

---

Later in the evening in Suleja, Nigeria, Leeyana was still lying down, unable to move properly because the fever had become very strong.

Khulud went into the kitchen, took some very cold water, went into Leeya’s room, and suddenly splashed the water on her.

Leeyana gasped painfully and started crying weakly.

“Get up, you hypocrite! You came here and found a place to lie down like it’s your father’s house…”

Before Khulud could finish her sentence, SMACK! SMACK!

She was slapped twice.

Turab, filled with anger, shouted:

“Khulud! When did you become like this? When did you become this heartless? You know this girl is sick, and yet you come here just to—”