The sound of rain mixed with wind woke her up abruptly. She huddled at the edge of the bed, letting out a deep sigh. The terrible nightmare she had resurfaced vividly, like how a mirror reflects one’s true image. She burst into laughter, remembering their plan, but quickly swallowed it as she heard the door to her room being opened. 

"Ninaah! Why are you laughing like that? Wait a minute! Why didn't you close the door with all this rain pouring?" 

"Umma, I fell asleep right after prayer, but I'll close it now," she said, looking guilty, her mother’s accusing gaze making her uneasy. Realizing her mother might start probing, she quickly changed the topic. "Umma, has Abba returned?"

"No, he's still waiting for you," Umma replied as she left the room.

Ninaah smiled again, picked up her phone, and stealthily moved. Hearing her mother retreat to her room gave her the chance to enter her father's room, where he kept money. She took the amount she needed. 

The sound of a message on her phone startled her, and she quickly checked the screen. "Time is ticking, make sure you are ready," the message read. She laughed, hugged her phone, and quietly returned to her room, starting to pack her things while humming Umar M Sharif's song "Gamu Nan Dai."

Calmly, she lowered the phone from her ear, looking at the window that the wind had flung open. A flash of lightning made her duck in fear, whispering her mother's name. She stayed down for a few seconds before rising, anxious, as she was terribly afraid of rain. Ninaah's call came through, and she answered hurriedly. 

"I'm ready now, but this rain is delaying me. You know we can’t leave until Hajiya is asleep," Ninaah said.

"I don’t understand, what do you mean we can’t leave until they are asleep?" Her mother’s voice cut in, finishing the question as she entered the room, fixing Zainabu (as she called her) with a piercing stare.

Zuzuuh, as her friends called her, stammered, "Hajiya, I was just about to check if you were asleep."

"Don’t treat me like a fool. Where were you planning to go that made you say we need to sleep first?" Hajiya asked, her face stern.

"I... I just meant to tell you that we are attending a friend’s wedding tomorrow morning, so I thought I should inform you now since you were asleep," Zuzuuh said, her voice wavering. Hajiya wasn’t convinced and gave her a skeptical look before leaving the room.

"Come on, Hajiya! By the time morning comes, you'll realize I was lying," Zuzuuh muttered, opening her box of clothes. Scattered money was among the things she had managed to take from her mother’s room. 

The notification of a message drew her attention. "Come out now, we're waiting," it read. She glanced at the door, saw that the rain was subsiding, grabbed her suitcase, and sneaked out of the house without anyone noticing.