chapter fifty three

Khair's POV

I was dumbstruck as the time seem to slow down.

Maya?! It can't be. I was now sure that I need correct glasses.

"Why and how did you became this violent? That's so unlike you." Maya's lookalike said scrunching her face.

See who's talking. Being violent is so unlike me,what of her? Even tho I don't still believe it was her.

"I didn't want to show you myself now but you made me to. Now I have to explain everything to you. Ughhh,that's a long story." Maya's lookalike continued saying.

"Pls seat." She smiled.

I couldn't move at all and I didn't know when Smith gently settled me down on the seat I was already use to. The one I was usually tied on.

"I need to sit also. Let me go and get a chair." She said walking towards the door.

"Just wait. I will call Beth to bring it here." Smith offered and immediately brought out his phone to call the Beth. They spoke in a language I don't understand and in less than a minute, a teenage girl brought in two deckchairs.

Maya's lookalike and smith sat on each. I couldn't take my eyes off the girl who claimed to be Maya.

Beth went out and came back in with three glass cups and three bottles of water. She kept a cup and a glass of water close to me. I wonder what the hell I will use it for.

"Khair,Beth's asking you if you will need anything." Maya laughed.

"You were just staring at me as if you have never seen me." Maya added and sipped the cold water in her glass.

'I have seen you,but not this version of you.' I replied in my mind.

"Leave." Smith said and Beth scrambled away.

"OK how am I gonna start?" Maya asked herself.

"Why don't you tell her about yourself. Start from your full name." Smith joked and only he and Maya found humor in it.

"As you know already but in case you forget, I'm Sumayya aka Maya and you're my friend,best friend actually an....." She started and I hissed.

Is she okay?! Best friend? Like this? In the messed up situation?

"Abeg,stop there. Smith." I called and faced him.

"Huh...yeah?" He answered.

"I know you're a genius and can make literally anything but I wonder why you made Maya's clone. Its okay you made it but why bad one?"

Before Smith get to answer me,Maya scoffed and said "seriously?! Maya's clone? I'm me as you're seeing me. No one can make a clone of me cos....." And once again, I interrupted her.

"Hey. Keep quiet robot. I'm not talking to you." I said annoyed and turned my attention back to Smith.

"Answer me immediat....." I received a slap that made me stopped talking. A slap from dear Maya.

"You don't interrupt me when I'm talk...." And I interrupted her furious talk with my own special slap.

Before you can say 'hi' we have start fighting like mother hens.

Blows after blows,slaps after slaps and nobody could stop us. Uncle Haroon must be biting his tongue in desperation and anger now.

"Give me the carisoprodol Smith." Maya shouted out to Smith. I didn't care what they were giving each other, all I know was that I was beating the shit out of the Maya.

She stopped my punch coming at her face and replace it with hers.

I instantly felt dizzy. She has been punching and slapping me but it only pumped adrenaline into me but this single punch made me weak just the way a single punch from smith does. I realised it was that carisoprodol Smith always used that she collected and used it against me.

I refused to black out no matter what until I was sure one part of her body was bleeding.

"Get off my body you bloody bitch. Just know that I ain't taking any shit from you and I'm not the same girl you use to be friends with. Stupid girl." She yelled and pushed my half conscious body from her.

I almost gave her one last slap but darkness betrayed me.

......

I woke up with a groan cos of the body pain.

"Oh God." I exclaimed and before I could say another thing,someone slapped me. My eyes opened and I saw Maya gritting her teeth at me. I tried getting up but I was once again tied down.

"You're so stupid for trying to fight with me." She sneered.

"Trying?" I scoffed. "I wasn't trying,I fought you." I added eyeing her.

"And who won?" She smirked.

"If you haven't cheated then your dead body might probably be on its way to Nigeria now." I rolled my eyes at her.

"That wasn't cheating,it..." Maya started but Smith's groan made her stop.

"I thought you're gonna give her the story. You two are both acting childish." He whined and we both hissed at him at the same time. We looked at each other, glared and hissed again.

Assuming it was the old days,we would've laughed our heads off cos of the jinx but today....wonder shall never end sha.

"I can't waste my time glaring at you. Be a good girl an listen. Oh my God I'm so excited." And her enthusiasm returned.

"Sooo where did I stopped?" She asked pretending to be in thought.

"Your name. You were telling her your name." Smith reminded her.

"Oh yes. You're a good listener unlike....that one over there." Maya commented and they both laughed.

"Well anyway, let me just get to the point. I won't beat around the bush this time." She started in all seriousness.

"You are my friend as you know right and you got everything you want but when I saw Ahmad with you,I was like whaaat?! It will be too much for you. I started liking him. I thought I liked him because of you but whenever I saw you both together I will feel somehow then I realised I love him so much. I don't even knew how that happened." She sighed and I rolled my eyes.

"How will you know when you don't have sense?" I said loudly. Maya shut her eyes and opened them.

"Do you want me to temporary shut her mouth?" Smith suggested.

"No." She replied.

"You should've said yes." I interfered and she ignored me.

"I want to be hearing her thoughts about it." Maya said.

"So Khair,do you have something to say?" Maya asked me.

"You mustn't ask me that. I've got lot of things to say and ask you. The first day Ahmad drove into our school remember?" I asked her and she nodded. "Good." I continued. "Stephanie wanted to go and meet him and you followed her to stop whatever she was going to do. I didn't care about what you two were doing so I headed to the cafeteria then later on you two joined me. You were both looking pissed or angry and I vividly remembered you saying 'Okay Stephanie, the guy is for Khair so leave him ALONE' and you emphasized on alone. Why? Why did you said that to Stephanie when YOU can't leave him alone?"

"At first,I thought Ahmad was just too handsome and that's all. Well...ya know. Everyone has his dream girl or guy and mine was Ahmad. He is calm,reserved,respectful,kind,handsome, rich and generous. Just all the things you will want in a guy and he was the perfect one. He was one of a kind and I wanted him so I was determined to have him and I am close to having him." She dreamily explained.

"So were you like...jealous?" I asked her.

"Hmm yeah. Kinda." She shrugged.

"Jealous bitch." I snorted.

"Don't." She warned

"What if I do?" I smiled.

"Then I'm gonna do this." She yelled and slapped me. It hurt but I refused to show her that,instead, I smiled.

"Is that all you got bozo?" I smirked.

"Calm down girl." Smith patted her back and she breathed out slowly.

"You almost made me lose my temper." She said to me. "And you know I don't like being angry." She added.

"Said who was just fuming a minute ago." I retorted.

"Mind what you're saying girl." She warned for like...the seventieth times today?

"Okay nincompoop."

"You just didn't call me that." She started fuming again.

"I did and whatcha gonna do about it?"

"You..." Just like a mad chicken,she approached me and started brutalizing my life. I was just laughing not giving her the satisfaction she wanted.

She got tired of sending punches and slaps my way so she stopped catching her breath in the process.

The abused me was just still smiling although, my body hurts like hell.

"And wanted to surprise you tomorrow but I will just do that today. I or rather,Smith and I planned to feed you to tiger and his pups cos we can't probably release you after you've known our identities right? You will go straight to the cops,we know that for sure so we will just kill you. But since you pushed me to the edge,I'm happy to announce that you got an hour to live. I would've said five minutes but I want to give you time to say your prayers and your last will. I promise I will deliver it. So get ready,we are coming back in an hour with tiger." She said angrily while my heart almost stopped beating.

Was I hearing her right? Feed me to tiger? So this was what she has been planning for me. The girl I considered as my bestie.

"Pls let's go to McDonald's and grab a pizza." Maya said grumpily to smith and left.

"Bye." Smith said and went out after Maya shutting the door loudly the same time my thoughts shut.

I just felt tears cascading down my bruised face. So this was how I will die?

"Khair." Uncle Haroon called and hugged me.

"Can you believe that was Maya?" I cried.

"Believing it or not, she's Maya. I don't even know what to say." He sighed.

"But she sounds very serious when she said she was bringing in tiger." Uncle Haroon confirmed.

"And judging by the way she hates me,she will definitely do that." I affirmed myself.

"What did you think we should do?" I asked him.

"We should just wait for our destiny." Uncle Haroon's shoulder slumped down.

"The hell? You meant I should just wait for my destiny cos I will be the only victim. They didn't know you're here."

"So what did you think we should do?" He asked and I looked at him unbelievably.

"That's just exactly what I asked you."

"Oh." Uncle Haroon said and from that, nobody said a thing again for twenty minutes.

"Uncle Haroon." I called.

"Hm."

"What if we use your plan 'A'?" I suggested having hopes again.

"Plan what?" He asked scrunching his face.

"You remembered when I came back from the toilet and you asked how the outer world was right?" I paused and he nodded. "The you said you asked me that to ensure that there was a way out if otherwise, then you have to use plan 'b' which was climbing the window. You remembered plan 'a' yourself now right? Then let's carry one of them out."

"Aren't you the one who said my plans were dumb?" He eyed me.

"I told you I was joking. See how your plan is about to benefit us so its not dumb. I'm sorry." I apologized again.

"Never mind." "About the plans." Uncle Haroon started and took in fresh breath.

"The window is pretty high so it would be safer for us to use the normal door but the problem is that, Maya and that guy might be spying at us you know?" Uncle Haroon said in one breath.

"Remember she said they're going to McDonald's." I reminded.

"Oh yes. But what if they didn't?"

"Stop saying the negatives." I pouted.

"It will be good to look at the situation from the good and bad side to make better choices." Once again,he was right.

"Ughhh." I groaned in frustration.

"I know right. Ughhh." He repeated and we both smiled.

So if we don't succeed now, that will be how we will both die? Oh Lord, I pray otherwise.

"The door is always locked. We need something to unlock it." Uncle Haroon started planning the plan.

"I got hairpin. And a scissors." I blurted out.

"Scissors? For what?" He asked and I shrugged.

"Let's try the hairpin." He said and stretched out his hand to me. I immediately removed the pin from my hair and handed it to him.

"I talked to Ahmad." Uncle Haroon said as he was struggling to open the door with the hairpin.

"Yes I know." I casually replied.

"Wait you what?!"

"I talked to Ahmad." He repeated.

"When? What did you say? What did he said?" I rushed out.

"When you both were acting loud drama with Maya. I called him and he picked. He heard some things from she slapped you immediately you woke up. I told him to just go straight to the cops and come here with them."

"I hope he knew I didn't meant all what I said." I guiltily said.

"Of course he did. I mean,who wouldn't? He sounded super worried when he was hearing Maya talking about feeding you to tiger. I told him to come with cops exactly an hour after our call." He explained

"So he's like on his way here?" I asked.

"Yeah. Probably." He shrugged and twisted the pin in the door one last time and it opened.

"Yes!" We cheered.

"Shh." We both exclaimed again.

"Let's go." He whispered and I quietly followed him. He closed the door as I waited for him.

"Its so dark in here." He whispered and as soon as he finished saying that,the lights flickered on.

"Oh shit." He cursed his eyes widening.

"What?" I asked.

"Wait, who turned on the lights?" He asked.

"Me of course. Who did you think? Maya?" I laughed.

"That was exactly my thoughts. Now off them." He ordered

"How can you see the road in this darkness? I on it so that you will know where to pass after I off it." I told him.

"Just off them. I will use my phone's light." He said and I did just what he told me to. I turned off the lights while he turned on his phone's light.

"Now what will we do?" I asked him,not whispering again. I believed nobody will hear us as long as they weren't in the garage room.

"We will wait for both of them to get here,cos its obvious that the garage door cannot be opened from the inside so if they open it and go inside that small room with tiger,then we both can escaped from the door they opened for us themselves. How did you see that?"

"Very good." I smiled. He held my hand and we both walked to the far end of the garage. We sat on the floor and waited for out destiny.

What I assumed was forty minutes passed and nothing happened.

"I'm very tired." I whined clinging unto uncle Haroon's arm.

"I know sis." He patted my head.

"Is like she changed her mind on bringing tiger here if not....." Before I finished what I was saying,we heard shuffling at the door. My grip on his arm tightened.

"Just don't move or a say a thing." He warned in a very low voice.

I nodded and kept my eyes at the door. The door was slides opened by Smith producing bright light in the room. I saw Maya, Smith and...no tiger. Thank God..... Wait or maybe she had other plans. Sweet God!

Maya and Smith both headed to the door we came out from. How furious will she be when learnt that I wasn't in the room anymore?

"WHAT THE F**CK?!!" Maya yelled loudly her voice echoing in the room.

"Where is Khair?" She yelled again.

"She can't escape right?" She asked smith.

"I'm certainly sure she can't. I locked the garage door properly, besides the lock is on the outside so she definitely didn't escape through the garage door. The window is pretty high to climb and the walls are smooth so I don't know how she did it. Its not like she used the boxes as a support. The boxes are all in place unless she used magic or so." Smith's sharp mouth and head started talking sense into Maya.

"Yes you're right. She will still be in this building right? Let's look for her before she escapes." The determined Maya said through gritted teeth. I was watching all her movement cos she was already out of the room she kept me in and stood in the garage room.

"Let's go." I whispered to Uncle Haroon.

"Are you okay? Any move we made now is risky. They're both putting scrutinizing eyes in this garage. Just keep shut." Uncle Haroon whispered also.

"Khair, where are you? Don't allow me to spend my precious time looking for you so its better for you to come out yourself if not,if you allow me to get you myself,hmm it will never be good for you." Maya threatened and I started sweating.

She started moving down the aisles. Footsteps and the thumping of my heart were just what I was hearing.

"Khair you're trying my patience. If I get hold of you I will put a bullet right through your head. Don't think that it will be a joke." She said and continued walking.

"If I say move right then do so quietly." Uncle Haroon said in a low voice.

Footsteps got closer and closer to us the same time my heart beat got louder and louder. I was sure it was my heart beat that attracted them to us.

"Move right. She has a real gun. If I tell you to run,then summon all your energy and rum through that door. Don't stop and I will be right behind you." Uncle Haroon said ever so quietly and I shifted right.

I thank God and the car that was in front of us,hiding us from the enemies.

The movement stopped and my eyes widened. She has seen us.

"Huh...what? How many? What?!" Smith's voice was what was booming in the room.

"What happened?" Maya's voice which was dangerously close to us said. She turned her heels and walked back to Smith and I released the breath I was holding.

My throat was badly itching me. I wanted to cough but I couldn't and unintentional tears started rolling down my face.

Any situation where you're asked not to move and talk, that's when devil will be pinching you everywhere.

"The securities detected the police cars heading straight to this house. In less then five minutes,they would be here." Smith worriedly said.

"What?!" Maya panicked and I sighed in relief. Ahmad has done his job already.

Someone's phone started ringing loudly close to me. It should either be Maya's or Smith's. But why was I hearing it closely?

"Innalilahi." Uncle Haroon whispered. I looked at him and saw him fiddling with his phone to keep it mute.

E don happen!

Immediately he shut down his phone,everywhere became pin drop silent.

"Goodness. So you were there all these while? But how the hell did you hide a phone without us knowing?" Smith said.

"Khair you can't hide forever. Come out now if not I will start shooting anyhow." Maya threatened again. "Before I count to three." She added. I wanted to lift myself up but uncle Haroon held me down. He shook his head negatively at me.

"One, two and three." She finished her counting and true to her words,she started shooting. If not for the car protecting us,we would have been pieced with bullets now.

"Stop pls." I finally shouted when I saw a bullet moved pass me. I wasn't even sure it was a bullet but I'm sure as hell that I can't risk my life.

"Show yourself." She said and I carefully stood up.

"Who are you with?" She asked eyeing me up and down but I kept quiet.

"Well,let's do it like this. Anyone who's hiding there with Khair should do as she did if he or she loves Khair. I will shoot her if you don't do so." Maya said.

"Don't." I said to Uncle Haroon.

"I have to." He replied and Maya shot the wall behind me.

"Next time, it's going right through her skull." Maya smirked and uncle Haroon immediately stood up hearing how damn serious she sounded.

"What the? Uncle Haroon?" Maya couldn't hide her surprise.

"How? Well never mind cos it will sure be interesting when I shoot Khair in front of you." She continued smirking and that time,the police siren could be heard faintly.

"Maya we don't have time. They're here. Shoot her already." Smith rushed out when we all heard the wailing of the siren. Judging by how loud it was, the cops should already be at the gate.

"I'm sorry bestie." Maya sighed and pulled the trigger. My heart stopped so as my thinking capacity. Uncle Haroon was telling me to run but I couldn't do a thing.

I was waiting for pain to envelope but I got none. Okay maybe she shot the wall again.

Maya's widened eyes that I saw moving to the floor made me look at the floor also. Uncle Haroon was lying down helplessly gripping his own chest. Blood was gushing out of his chest as he coughed in pain.

He took the bullet for me!

When I returned back to reality,I was seeing black and blue. If I don't wound someone here,then I should be called a bastard.

"I killed a soul." Maya's shaky voice blurted out as she let go of the gun in fear.

I ran towards her removing the scissors from my hair.

"WHY?!" I yelled piercing the scissors in her shoulder. She shouted in pain and started fighting her way out of my grip but I didn't let go of her,instead I removed the scissors from her shoulder and Use it to make a mark on her chin.

"Khair what is this!" Smith panicked trying to hold me back. I stopped my attack on Maya and aimed at him like a mad woman I was that moment.

Smith yelped as the scissors met his right arm. I left it on his arm as I punched him several times releasing my anger on him. He was the cause of everything. I don't care if he died in my hand and the cops arrests me.

"Maya help me. This girl is out of control." Smith shouted. From the corner of my eye,I saw Maya picking up a backpack which was by the door. She was painfully gripping her wounded shoulder as she dragged herself out of the garage room not caring about smith a bit.

"Damn you Khair." Smith yelled and blew something on my face then pushed me away from him and I loosed my balance. I stumbled backward and fell down with a loud thud.

"Uncle Haroon." I called his name forcefully while crawling towards him.

"Pls stay alive." I cried shaking his body which was unconscious.

"Pls." I whispered one last time feeling all dizzy at once. I saw figures of people approaching us before I slipped into the world uncle Haroon slipped into.

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