My Priceless Jewel

Five

Juwairiyyah couldn't stop grinning. Yes, she now has Arfaat in her hands! The fool thought she was sincere. Lol, he's definitely going to pity himself. She thought. "Arfaat you're going to pay sweetheart, it's a promise!". She hits the wall.

*****

Later around 9:12pm, Arfaat called Juwairiyyah. Deep inside he knew things weren't right with the way she nicely treated him but, he ought to go with her flow to see where she'd definitely be heading to.

"How are you doing, Lilynah?" His deep voice boomed through Juwairiyyah's ear as soon as she picked the call.

"Doing great Yaa Arfaat". She responded. "How are my siblings doing over there?".

"All good, how was school?".

"Tedious, how I wish I don't have to go to classes" She said laughing.

"You can't be serious, what course are you studying?".

"Geography". She replied.

"Wow, that's great lily. All the very best".

The two spent almost 30 minutes talking with eachother. Unknown to Juwairiyyah was her eavesdropping grandmother. The old woman stood astounded by the doorway. Could her granddaughter be in love? She wondered. As soon as she heard Juwairiyyah bidding the person she was talking to goodnight, she barged into the room.

"Yar jikalleta (Dearest Granddaughter), how are you doing this night?" She asked sitting closed to the astonished girl.

"Hmm, granny what do you want this time around? You don't call me that name unless you want to make my life a living hell".

The old woman laughed. "Who were you talking to on phone dear?". She asked.

"I knew it! You had something in mind when you called me that name. He's not important" Juwairiyyah replied absentmindedly.

"See this foolish girl, didn't I heard you saying he's nice few minutes ago?".

"Yes, and what's your own? Please just go back to your room I'm feeling sleepy."

"Why am I even bothering myself with silly stuffs like this? Who will even love a spoilt child like you?".

"Yes... yes, just leave please".

The old woman huffed and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

*****

The relationship between Arfaat and Juwairiyyah kept getting stronger with each passing day. The latter had visited the former's family once and was crazily in love with each and everyone of them, especially Khadeejah the loquacious. While Arfaat on the other hand had become a constant visitor in Juwairiyyah's house, the fact that he worked in the family company made him to be even more closer to everyone. Juwairiyyah's grandmother liked the boy alot, simply because he was easy going. She'd sometimes ask him how they got along with Juwairiyyah that much. To her surprise, Arfaat always praise Juwairiyyah.

It was a Saturday evening, Arfaat and Juwairiyyah sat together in the living room having fun. One funny thing was that whenever Arfaat is around Juwairiyyah respects people a lot. Moments later, Arfaat told Juwairiyyah that he was having an appointment with Yousuf, hence he had to leave. Juwairiyyah wasn't happy with that but what could she do? She went out with him to see him off. As soon as he stopped a cab and was about hopping in, Juwairiyyah blurted out. "Yaa Arfaat, will you be less busy tomorrow? I want you to take me out".

"Ehm, I'm not really sure lily but will call you when I'm less busy. Do take care okay?"

"I will, you too please! And my regards to sister Fatymah, Khadeejah and Mama".

"Okey bye Lily". He hopped in and the taxi drove off.

*****

The following day, while Juwairiyyah had already dressed and had told everyone in the house that Arfaat and her would be going for an outing, she drove out enroute to Sophie's house. Sophie was a divorcee, and her only true friend. "Today is the right day to teach Arfaat a lesson" Juwairiyyah said to herself as she drive. Forgetting her policy of not calling or receiving a call while driving, she dialed Arfaat's number and told him she would be travelling to Bajoga with her grandmother, so he shouldn't bother checking on her. "I will call you when we are back".

"Okay lily, regards to everyone at home. I'm really gonna miss you dear".

"I'll miss you more bro". Said Juwairiyyah while smiling evilly. Thus, she ended the call. You sure are gonna miss me baby, if only you know what I have in store for you. She thought.

*****

"Tell me the plan please na" Sophie implored after listening to Juwairiyyah's story.

"I'll off my phone for the next three hours, then you will call my home and ask after me claiming you couldn't reach me today". Juwairiyyah gulped and continued. "After making them all worried for at least an hour, I'll go back home and you will..." She explained everything to her and, thus, smiled evilly. "You grab?".

"Wow, my girl you're really smart. I grab it dear, I grab it!" Sophie said as they both bursted into a scornful laughter.

"I am already pitying the poor man, next time he will surely think twice before slapping a woman!".

"Exactly girl, exactly!".

Minutes later, Juwairiyyah switched off her phone for the next planned hours while Sophie called her family asking for her whereabouts.

"But she said she's going outing with Arfaat. I believe that wherever they are the boy will take care of her" Alhaji Abbas said thoughtfully after trying Arfaat's number for the umpteenth time without him getting through. But how could Arfaat's phone be unreachable?

*****

Juwairiyyah's cloth was scissored by Sophie as planned, thus a quantity of blood was poured on it for everything to look like a real incident. It was Sophie who bought the blood bag from a hospital kilometers away. Minutes later, Sophie drove Juwairiyyah back home just after placing a call to Arfaat claiming that Juwairiyyah had an accident. Juwairiyyah had changed the way she walked, hence like a real victim. Sophie helped her into their house. Both her parents and her grandmother were in the living room waiting for her return. On seeing their daughter been held by Sophie so disheveled, they stood astounded.

"Princess!" Her father exclaimed as he made his way towards her. "What happened to you? Did you got involved in an accident? What happened to her Sophie? Tell me!".

Sophie couldn't say a word to him, rather, started feigning crying. Juwairiyyah went down on her knees crying so hard too.

"Can't you all speak!?" Her father was already angry. He needed to know what happened.

"She was... ehm, please Juwairiyyah just tell them by yourself". Sophie sniffed, wiping the tears she successfully forced out of her eyes.

Juwairiyyah was still silent, now in her grandmother's embrace. Her both parents, however, stood astounded infront of her.

"Juwairiyyah please tell them". Sophie recapitulated.

"Yaa... Yaa Arfaat" Juwairiyyah stuttered.

"What happened to him? Did you two had an accident? What happened?" Her mother asked.

"He r***d her." Sophie chimed in.