Ridayya felt her heartache return full force, a tangled storm of anxiety overwhelming every corner of her chest, intensifying her love for Zameer with each passing day.

“Don’t try to kill me while I’m alive, Amma. Don’t say you’ll punish me through my heart — my body and soul cannot bear it.”

Seeing that Amma refused to look at her, Ridayya let go and turned to face Zameer, who stood there with tears welling in his eyes. She said,

“Your words drop into my chest like heavy stones. But separating me from my husband feels like the very announcement of my death. I swear, in this whole world, there’s no one I love more than Zameer — except for Mami. After my worship of God, I feel in my soul that He created me to live with Meer’s love. Why are you trying to kill me while I’m still breathing? You see me telling you I love him — what profit do you gain if you tear me from him?”

Ridayya ended her words, gasping for breath, her entire being frozen in stillness like soldiers in the middle of a parade.

Junaid gave a bitter, pained smile. Despite forcing his heart not to be angry at Ridayya’s madness inside the hospital, he finally snapped.

“Blind in love, huh? Ridayya, are you even sane? Do you realize the words coming out of your mouth? Or did you drink millet beer and spit it all out here? The pit you’ve dug, you’re this close to falling into it — but you’ve buried yourself under the dust that’s sealed your heart shut, wallahi.”

He spoke in a frenzy, as if he might strike her for her blindness.

Ridayya opened her mouth, trying to explain the depth of Zameer’s love for her, but they had stuffed their ears with thick wool — unwilling to hear her cries, let alone her words, which they dismissed as delirium.

“Yaa Junaid, I swea—”

A harsh slap landed across Ridayya’s face, from the left hand that hadn’t struck in a long time.

Mami was speechless. Truly, any word she might utter about Ridayya would not be right. It would bring no good, only harm. She did not want to curse her daughter, for a mother’s sharp tongue only worsens her child’s ruin.

“Ridayya!!”

But instead of finishing her thought, she stormed out of the room with the force of thunder racing through clouds.

She turned only once, to glance at Baba Ƙarami, who was quietly studying Bilal — whose heart had been pierced by Ridayya’s words, carrying secrets so tightly hidden that no one could read them until now. Baba Ƙarami, with patient insight, was piecing together the truth like bricks laid one by one.

“Ridayya, accept that the death of your marriage will break your heart and kill you. I swear, Zameer will divorce you this instant…”

“Assha! Don’t swear! I beg you, I’ll fast as expiation for you,” Amma cut him off, kneeling humbly.

“Forgive me, don’t stop me from saving Ridayya from the dark well she’s fallen into. Let me end this bond between them.”

Baba Ƙarami shook his head slowly, sank into a chair, and thought. He knew too well that giving in to Amma’s wishes would only multiply disasters.

Bilal, wiping sweat from his brow, felt his heart beating with a strange, fierce rhythm he had never known. Ridayya’s name alone could make the hair on his skin rise, his chest pound so hard he could barely breathe. Even now, he was fighting himself not to turn and look at her tears, because he knew — he wouldn’t endure it.

Just as he turned to leave the hospital ward, dizziness seizing him, Baba Ƙarami’s voice stopped him.

“Big man,” he called.

“Come back and sit down.”

Bilal resisted — he hated the eyes and whispers of others crushing his willpower. He quietly stood aside, leaning on the wall, while Junaid stayed close to him.

Baba Ƙarami looked at sobbing Ridayya.

“Auta, return to your mat.”

She rose quickly. Zameer stepped forward, gently holding her hand to show his love openly.

“Sorry, amour. I’m with you. I love you,” he whispered in her ear. “I want you in my home. A house without a woman is just walls.”

Peace washed over Ridayya’s heart. She knew — if her marriage was broken, Zameer could never live with another woman after her.

When everyone was seated — Amma, Mami, Balkisu, Zuhura, Meer’s relatives Mama, Karimatu, and Khairy (whose eyes were fixed on Bilal) — Baba Ƙarami declared,

“We have no grounds to end a marriage without cause. To force it would be a crime.”

Amma tried to speak, but he silenced her.

“Let me question Ridayya. Her answers will be the proof.”

He turned to her.

“Auta, fear God and tell me the truth. If you lie, God is watching.”

Her whole body trembled like a hen after laying an egg. She nodded.

“Ridayya, do you eat meals in Zameer’s house? Morning, noon, night?”

Boom! Boom! Her heart thundered like an exploding tire. She hadn’t eaten three meals a day since her honeymoon. Even when she had food, she gave it to Zameer and drank water. The stomach pains had become a chronic illness.

“Ridayya!”

“Yes, Abba.”

“I don’t have time to wait. Answer me.”

Zameer opened his mouth to speak, but Baba Ƙarami cut him off.

“Silence.”

Ridayya swallowed the truth she had lived for years. She knew if she said “no,” her marriage would end instantly.

“Abba, Zameer never denied me food. He only complains I don’t like to eat. Before long, he leaves me something.”

Zameer shifted uncomfortably. In his heart, he called her a liar. I never saved even a grain of rice for her.

But Baba Ƙarami believed her. She had never come begging for food or money. And Bilal — he would cover for her, never expose her. Every week, he quietly deposited money in her account.

“Where are your belongings? And why are you working as a petty trader?”

“Abba, there was a fire — my things burned. I survived with a few. And trading? I love the work, that’s why.”

“Lies,” Bilkisu cut in. “Your room is untouched — no fire touched it.”

“Yes,” Zuhura added. “Her room is neat. The fire was elsewhere.”

Ridayya raised her head. “I sold them. I didn’t need them.”

“Did you sell them — or did your husband?” Zuhura pressed.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Tears streamed. She saw no reason to forcefully cut apart her lawful marriage.

“Enough. Last question: what about poison? Not by accident — you deliberately drank it to kill yourself. Was it all for love?”

She fell silent, nearly out of her senses.

Meanwhile, Zameer noticed Khairy’s eyes fixed on Bilal. It unsettled him. And Junaid noticed Zameer watching her.

“Abba,” Ridayya finally spoke. “The poison bottle had my medicine. After eating, I mistakenly drank it. Please, don’t ask which medicine. Why do you all hate me just because I love my husband? Will you hate me too, Abba?”

Zuhura moved to strike her, but Zameer quickly shielded Ridayya.

“Hit me if you must! What has she done to you? Just because she is my wife? Because she doesn’t want the man you want? I know — Bilal loves her, and that’s your excuse to tear us apart.”

Baba Ƙarami said firmly,

“Divorce her. Let her sit. The doctor is coming. Everything will be settled today. If Bilal truly loves her, good — but love won’t wait forever. He already divorced her. If his love is true, then I’ll marry her to him immediately.”

Ridayya shrieked, almost insane.

“I swear, I don’t love him! I’ll kill him if you force me! Even if my husband cut my flesh and ate it, I’d stay with him till death. I’ll leave all of you — Zameer is enough for me. No food, no clothes, no medicine, I don’t care. If the ground is my food, if the whip is my daily bread, so be it. I’ll stay with Zameer. But I will never, ever love Bilal!”