Chapter 80: Rescued Girls

She chuckled lightly, "What if they're for you? Will you do something to stop them from coming down?" She wished she would be able to stare right into his face, but there was a barrier of the car he was inside and she could barely point out the expression on his face. Just that his voice sounded so low.
"I wish I could do just what Na'im is doing to Maryam, so I could console you, Princess. I'm sorry that I can't." Slowly, Saima turned and looked at them. Na'im was holding her so close that he was whispering sweet nothings into her ears. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her forehead. "There, exactly what I would have done to you if I was able."
She broke into the tears she had been trying to stop herself from, "Then stop saying you will when we both know that you can't do it." Hafiz watched her cried as bitterly as she felt the pain in her heart. She wiped at her tears countless times before she was able to stop them from cascading down her cheeks. "The best you'd have done is cajole me with your words, but all you're doing right now is have your eyes staring at me through that goddamn glass of the car."
Hafiz chuckled humorlessly, "I'm sorry, but my silence would be best for both our hearts, Princess."
"Call my name then, I'd know that you want to cajole me." She said stubbornly, trying to catch his eyes through the barrier they had.
"I'm going to miss your stubbornness, Saima. And I promise to be back alive and healthy, inshallah."
Na'im was aware of them, but he took his eyes off Saima that had just smiled. "Take care of the baby, okay? You can't cry even if I exceed five days, Mairam. It's not good for the baby and make sure you eat. Bilkisu is there to take a very good care of you, Saima too will be here, Mammi and even Abba. You won't even realize I'm not home." They were walking towards the car with their hands entwined and Saima used that chance to follow Na'im.
She hugged him lightly before she wished them safety and through the opening of the door, she caught Hafiz's eyes and they spoke with no words, felt with no touch and slowly took their eyes off each other. Na'im bade Maryam goodbye and she just stood there, staring at him as if it was unbelievable that he was really leaving her alone now.
Their car took off and they just stood there, having different thoughts going through their minds before they both sighed and when they stared into each other's eyes, they broke into tears before they laughed. "Why are you crying? I thought you said he wasn't even your friend, Gimbiya." Maryam asked as they walked back into the chamber, going directly to her apartment because she couldn't afford staying in Na'im's apartment and not go crazy over his absence.
"I'm not crying because of his soldier friend, I'm crying because of Yarima. Because I'm going to miss him so much that I don't even know what else to do with my life." She said and closed her eyes for a brisk moment. She was glad of that single eye contact they had shared, it was all she needed and even more and all she would be able to cherish that for the time they were going to be away from each other.
"Sounds like someone is in love. But what do I know?" Maryam opened the door for them with a chuckle because of the groan that had escaped her lips. "Feel free, I wish Mammi will let you come back here even if it's until he comes back. But she won't, right?"
Saima was glad about the change of subject and she was happy. She slumped on the sofa and smiled at the aroma that came from the kitchen. Bilkisu was a very good cook, that was something undeniable. "Mammi is even secretly wishing that Umma forgives me but she still asks me to continue staying with her. And is it okay if I say I want to continue staying with her too? She's a good woman and without doubt, she would have made a good mother."
"I heard she has never had a child, right?" Maryam asked casually as she tried to turn the TV for them, anything to take her mind off them would be welcomed.
"She did, once. But the child hadn't even been born, she had a miscarriage. But like I heard from the older maids of her chamber, it was Umma that caused the miscarriage." Saima finished with a low voice. It was always so hard to admit to the crimes and sins of her beloved mother, but she guessed having her as a mother was the only nemesis she would have in life and if she tried to different between the good and the bad, she might be able to come out of everything unscathed.
Maryam sat beside her as she placed the pack of biscuit beside them, "I'm sorry. Everything must've been so hard on you, Gimbiya. I could imagine the fear of not being accepted even among your family because they all have something to hate you for." Saima felt tears rolling down her cheeks, which she hadn't even planned to feel but she couldn't stop herself from nodding her head at Maryam. "But you're a good person, Saima. A very lovely one we're all proud to have in our lives and I'm glad that your siblings and even Mammi didn't hate you for what was entirely not your mistake."
Saima broke into tears, it felt like being stung by something that pained her all over her body and she just had to cry. "Is it okay if I say that I miss them both? He might not be a very good brother and likewise her, but I miss having them in my life. And something I curse myself for still loving these terrible people but there's nothing I can do, Maryam. I love them, but yet have to side with the truth because they're always wrong."
Maryam leaned in and offered her the hug she knew was much needed by her and Saima clung to her while she broke into even more painful tears. "You're not being a bad person by missing and still loving them. Whatever they do or happen between you two, you can't change the fact that you're their blood and you can do nothing to erase that love that has been created along with you for them. So, love them as much as you can, if you miss them, go and see them even if they would likely not listen to you. Do whatever you can and relieve yourself of your duty as her daughter and his sister. Most importantly, keep on praying for them to be guided on the right path, okay?"
She nodded her head, for the pain was too much for her brittle heart to take and hugged Maryam even tighter. Who had offered her comfort and love and peace. And each day, she was glad that she had chosen what was right over the wrongness and bitterness of her mother. Even though it had costed her a great deal, which was her mother and brother, Saima was still glad and happy about the people that had brought to her and most especially the emotions her heart had been graced to feel because of her choice for the truth.
?
It had already been a week but they were no where to be found. Saima and Bilkisu were even tired of asking around and they had no one to call to check in on them. They had just had lunch and even though Maryam was forced by Bilkisu and Saima to eat, she felt full and glad that she did. Not because of herself, but for the baby she had promised him to take care of.
"What do you think about going to Alan Gubro? He will surely have some sort of news about them if something had gone wrong, Saima," Maryam suggested but Saima shook her head before she immediately stood up, she had an idea.
"I don't know which among Giwa and Maimalari barracks, which one they are, but we can check both the barracks and see if we can find some clue." Maryam stood up as well, even though now everyone knew about her and their marriage, she was still wary of going out without him. And she knew that Captain Bolori was locked somewhere in the royal prison, but she still couldn't help herself being afraid of something happening to her, especially now that there was no Na'im to save her if it did.
"Do you think that's a good idea, Saima? I don't think I should leave because he hasn't told me it's safe to leave the palace without him." She said with a wavering voice even though in her heart, Maryam wanted to go and check to see with her own eyes. She wanted to know if they were fine, if he was safe and even alive.
"I can go alone then, we could use Mammi's driver to go there. But if you're not sure that you can leave, then I'll leave alone and call you if I hear something." Maryam immediately shook her head and went into her room to get her hijab.
"We will be safe, don't you think?" She asked and when Bilkisu came out of her room, Maryam looked at her with a worried look on her face, "We're going to the barrack to check up on them, Bilkisu. Will you want to join us? I'm scared but I can't stay at home without doing anything either."
"I know if I asked you not to leave, you still will. So, I will join you." In the end, they all walked out of the apartment and Bilkisu carefully locked the door before they began to walk to Mammi's chamber. They were lucky to have one of her driver's there and Saima told her that they'd be using him to go somewhere in town because she knew if she had told her where they planned to go, she would never have agreed.
Maryam kept praying on their way to Giwa barracks after they had been told that was their barrack. She prayed that nothing happened to them, that they would safely come back home to them and in a short period of time. It was hard, but they were only allowed into the barrack because they said they were from the palace.
Someone was speaking to them about how the troop they had sent which Na'im and Hafiz was among had lost their signal with the barrack and they weren't able to reach them when they heard the siren of cars roaring into the barrack and all their attentions were turned to the gate. They were the army vans, pulling over into the barrack in such a high speed that made their intestines churned.
Maryam held Saima's hand as they moved back to give way to these cars that seemed to have no patience. The soldiers began to thump out of the vans, making a thumping sound and causing the ground to shake a bit. They watched, keenly as a truck filled with girls parked and they began to come out, looking nearly crippled with the agony they must've gone through and then her eyes caught his, as he was being saluted while he came out of the van. She had never seen him looking this tired and exhausted until today. He looked so worn out, dirty, and sun burned to the point that if she hadn't known him so well, she wouldn't have been able to recognize the handsome, fancy prince in him.
She was about to run to him when he shook his head at her, his eyes tightened and that made her stop. She knew it might not be safe for her to do that even if she was dying to. She stayed rooted to her ground, Bilkisu coming over close to her as they watched how the soldiers helped the girls out of the truck. A rescue team, they were. Just like he had saved her that day, today he had saved other girls and she couldn't have been more proud of him.