<p>Lawal sighed in relief. “Aishana, I want to officially introduce myself to your family. But before that, I think you should know me better.”</p><p>She hesitated but eventually agreed. “Alright. You can come tomorrow evening.”</p><p>Lawal was overjoyed. “Thank you! But what if you see me and find me ugly? Will you run away from me?”</p><p>She chuckled. “I don’t care about looks, money, or status. My love for you is true. No matter what, I will never run away from you.”</p><p>He smiled. “Aishana, I believe in your love. I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children. You are my everything. I will never leave you, no matter what.”</p><p>They spent a long time on the phone, expressing their deep affection.</p><p>After the call, Bety realized it was already time for prayer. She performed ablution, prayed, and then got ready to visit Faruk’s house.</p><p>By now, she had become very close to Inna. She even saw Inna as a mother figure.</p><p>Inna, too, adored Bety. The second time Bety visited, she had apologized for what Al’amin did in the past, but Bety reassured her it was all in the past.</p><p>However, she rarely encountered Al’amin at the house. Occasionally, she would see Lawal in his shop or greet him at Inna’s place.</p><p>One afternoon, she arrived and found Inna braiding someone’s hair. She sat beside her and said, “Wow, Inna, I didn’t know you could braid hair!”</p><p>Inna chuckled. “Of course, I can, Humaira. What brings you here?”</p><p>"I missed you!" Bety said with a smile. “I’ve been busy with school these past two days. How’s my little Faruk?”</p><p>Inna sighed. “He went to his father’s house. He’ll be back the day after tomorrow.”</p><p>Bety pouted. “Aww, I wanted to see him.”</p><p>The woman getting her hair braided admired Bety. “Inna, where did you find such a beautiful daughter?”</p><p>Inna laughed. “She’s mine!”</p><p>“If she’s single, I have a handsome brother who would love her.”</p><p>Inna teased, “What do you say, dear? My son is just as handsome as you.”</p><p>Bety only responded with a shy "Uhm" before getting up and heading to Inna’s bedroom.</p><p>She loved Inna’s room—it was always so clean and cozy.</p><p>After chatting for hours, she bid Inna farewell and headed to a supermarket in Malali for some shopping.</p><p>As she stepped out, she noticed a beggar—a young woman, possibly in her early thirties, carrying a baby with another child by her side.</p><p>Bety’s heart ached. "Sister, why are you begging when you’re still strong and capable?" she asked kindly.</p><p>The woman looked down, her voice trembling. “It’s not by choice, madam. I grew up an orphan. My uncle’s wife mistreated me. I got married, and though we were poor, we were happy. But then, my husband died suddenly, leaving me with ten children. I had no choice but to beg.”</p><p>Tears filled Bety’s eyes. She entered her car and said, “Come, I’ll take you home.”</p><p>The woman hesitated. “Are you sure?”</p><p>"Trust me," Bety reassured her.</p><p>After dropping the woman at her house, Bety handed her a large sum of money. The woman broke down in gratitude.</p><p>That night, Bety shared her thoughts with her aunt. “I want to help Inna’s family, but they refuse to accept gifts. I also want to enroll Faruk in school. How do I convince them?”</p><p>Her aunt smiled warmly. “You have a beautiful heart, Bety. Let me help you find a way.”</p><p>The next day, a truck full of food supplies parked outside Lawal’s shop. Two people stepped out, claiming to be from a charity distributing food.</p><p>Lawal, unaware, helped them distribute supplies. He was overjoyed when they gave extra to his family and Inna’s.</p><p>That night, Al’amin frowned. “Lawal, don’t you find it strange that our share was bigger than everyone else’s?”</p><p>Lawal scoffed. “You think too much! Just be grateful.”</p><p>But Al’amin wasn’t convinced. There’s something more to this…</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
