The next day, Sadik went to the mosque and didn't return until dawn. He entered Khadija's room and didn't find her in the sitting area, so he moved to the bedroom. She was lying on the bed, wearing a red nightgown that left half her thighs exposed. The gown clung to her body, highlighting her curves. Without realizing it, he approached the bed and climbed on, placing his hand on her buttocks and gently stroking them.

Half asleep, she felt someone touching her. Slowly, she opened her sleep-filled eyes, as she hadn't slept well the previous night. She turned and smiled at him. He returned her smile, noticing her slightly swollen eyes. He asked, "What kept you awake?" She responded, "Nothing." "Tell me," he insisted, caressing her body. "Honestly, I just couldn't sleep," she replied. "Hmm, maybe you missed me," he whispered in her ear. She laughed and said, "Not at all."

He tried to slip his hand inside her gown, but she quickly grabbed it and said, "Your other wife is in the next room." "And what about you?" he asked. "Well, it's not my turn to cook. Please stop; I don't want us to wrong her," she pleaded. "What did I say I was going to do?" he asked. "I need to sleep," she said. He climbed off the bed, irritated by her words, and left the room.

She watched him leave, then adjusted her position and continued sleeping.

Sadik went to Balkisu's room next. She was also sleeping soundly, even though it was her turn to cook. He returned to the living room and lay down on the couch. After lying there for a while, he got up, fetched some water, took a bath, got dressed, greeted his mother, and left the house.

When Balkisu woke up, she didn't see him and didn't hear any noise in the house. She prepared breakfast and served everyone. Khadija took a bath and wore some revealing clothes. When Balkisu saw this, she also dressed similarly, knowing that Sadik would cling to Khadija if she dressed that way.

When Balkisu emerged, Khadija couldn't help but laugh. The clothes didn't suit Balkisu at all; her bony neck was exposed, and as she walked, she tried to sway her body, but it wouldn't move gracefully.

Khadija couldn't contain her laughter and said, "Let's see if blowing on the fire will cook the beans." Balkisu heard her but ignored the comment.

When Sadik returned and saw Balkisu, he burst into uncontrollable laughter and made her change out of the clothes.

Like the previous day, the potion had no effect, and Balkisu was consumed with worry, especially thinking about the debt she had taken. She had promised to repay it yesterday, but still had no money. She sat by her room door, deep in thought, when she heard a voice greeting her,

which made her stomach churn.

She quickly got up to go inside, but the woman said, "Stop, stop," and came closer. "What’s happening here? You people came to my house, wrapped me in a black blanket of sweet words, and I gave you my money. I even told you my situation, and you promised to pay it back. I’ve been looking for you since yesterday, but nothing. Apparently, you don’t understand responsibility. If you don’t come to me, I will come to you to collect my money," the woman said, extending her hand.

Balkisu started scratching her head and said, "Please, come inside so we can talk." "You! You!" the woman exclaimed, raising her voice. "Look me in the eyes. I have no patience when it comes to money. Before you came, you didn't ask who I was. Now, I don’t care about anything but my money," she said.

"For the love of God, please have mercy on me and let’s talk inside. I don’t want my co-wife to know what’s going on," Balkisu pleaded. "Oh, so you’re not afraid of shame when you take a loan, but you’re afraid now? I don’t care about that. Do you have the money or not?" "No," Balkisu shook her head.

"Then I will stay here until I get my money. I will go into your room and take something equivalent to my money," the woman declared. "Please don’t," Balkisu started to say, but the woman pushed her aside and entered the room.

### Continuation:

Upon entering the room, the woman began to search through Balkisu’s belongings. She rifled through drawers, opened cupboards, and looked under the bed. Balkisu watched in distress, unable to stop her. The woman found a piece of jewelry and some clothes, picking them up.

"These will do for now. If you want them back, bring me my money," she said sternly. Balkisu, on the verge of tears, begged her, "Please, don’t take them. I promise I’ll find the money and pay you back soon."

"You had your chance," the woman retorted. "I gave you my trust, and you betrayed it. Next time, think before you borrow money you can’t repay."

With that, the woman left, leaving Balkisu devastated. She slumped to the floor, holding her head in her hands, wondering how she would recover from this shame and repay the debt.

Meanwhile, Khadija, who had overheard the commotion, entered the room and sat beside Balkisu. "What happened?" she asked gently. Balkisu explained everything, tears streaming down her face.

"We’ll find a way," Khadija assured her. "We’ll talk to Sadik together and figure out how to resolve this."

Balkisu nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. With Khadija’s support, she felt she could face the challenges ahead and work towards repaying her debt. Together, they would navigate the difficulties and maintain their dignity in the household.