<p> </p><p>They continued their conversation, and Namijin Duniya got up, headed to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and entered his bedroom. Sitting on the edge of his luxurious Italian bed, he reached for the box near the bed, pulled out his medication, and swallowed the pills. He returned the box and lay down, closing his eyes.</p><p>Overwhelmed by deep pity for himself, hot tears began to roll down his cheeks. Using a handkerchief, he wiped them away as he felt the weight of his predicament. Thinking about the affliction that plagued him, he got up, entered the bathroom to perform ablution, and began praying, pouring his heart out to Allah, asking for relief from his suffering.</p><p>The Next Day</p><p>By 7 a.m., Inteesar and Hauwa had already arrived at Namijin Duniya’s company. However, it wasn’t until evening that Hauwa was attended to. When it was finally Inteesar’s turn, Adam looked at her and said, “Madam, we’ve closed for the day. Come back early tomorrow.”</p><p>Without sparing him a glance, Inteesar, visibly upset, said, “Hauwa, let’s go.”</p><p>“Thank you, sir,” Hauwa said politely.</p><p>Hauwa didn’t realize what was happening until she saw Inteesar storm out of the office like a whirlwind. Everyone started exchanging glances. Ahmad remarked, “Step two is next. It seems this part went well.”</p><p>“But Ahmad, don’t you think this girl’s stubbornness might make her refuse to return tomorrow?”</p><p>“Hmph. She’ll come back, Adam. These girls depend on this job to survive. She has no choice.”</p><p>“True. But this one is bold; she knows how to stand her ground.”</p><p>Namijin Duniya didn’t comment but watched as they all dispersed.</p><p>On the Road</p><p>Hauwa found Inteesar standing by the roadside, fuming. Hauwa smiled and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Inteesar brushed her hand off, saying, “I’m not going back there. Why should I subject myself to such humiliation? God has not humiliated me, so why should I let some uncultured fool treat me like trash?”</p><p>“But, Inteesar, you know you have to go. If not, do you want Abbah to punish you? Everyone faces challenges in life, but patience and perseverance are key. Between today and tomorrow, things might improve. Let’s just go tomorrow, so we don’t bring shame to Ummah.”</p><p>“Fine, I’ll think about it. But I can’t tolerate being humiliated by that mannerless man.”</p><p>As they talked, they boarded a tricycle and headed to Suleja.</p><p>At Home</p><p>When Inteesar arrived, she ran into Bilki, who was talking to someone. As Inteesar passed by, Bilki clicked her tongue and glared at her. “Every day, it’s the same thing—roaming from one place to another. You’ve become a wandering prostitute, and now you think you can compete with Bashir? Dream on!”</p><p>Inteesar simply smiled and walked past without responding. When she got inside, she narrated everything to her mother, who encouraged her to be patient and go back the next day as instructed. After doing house chores till late, Inteesar finally bathed at 9 p.m., and as usual, her stepmother served them a small portion of food. They ate quietly and went to bed.</p><p>The Following Morning</p><p>Early in the morning, they arrived at Namijin Duniya’s company. They entered the hall where the interviews were being conducted, only to find it empty. As they were about to leave, the secretary approached them, looking displeased, and asked, “Which one of you is Inteesar?”</p><p>“That’s me,” Inteesar replied.</p><p>The secretary gave her a condescending look, thinking, What’s a girl like this doing in the boss’s office? Out loud, she said, “Follow me to the boss’s office.”</p><p>Inteesar’s heart skipped a beat, and sweat began to form on her forehead. Mustering her courage, she replied, “Let’s go.”</p><p>As they walked, Hauwa noticed Inteesar hesitating and said, “Are you coming?”</p><p>“Yes,” Inteesar replied, borrowing strength from within.</p><p>When they reached the door to the spacious office, the secretary turned to her and said, “You can go in.”</p><p>“Let’s go, Hauwa.”</p><p>“No, only you. He specifically asked for you.”</p><p>Inteesar’s heart dropped, and everything around her seemed to freeze. Her thoughts raced: Why does he want to see me alone? Is something sinister planned? Why me?</p><p>A voice in her head reminded her to pray and reassured her that nothing bad would happen. With a deep breath, she said, “I’ll be back, Hauwa.”</p><p>“Good luck. May Allah make it easy for you.”</p><p>“Ameen.”</p><p>She pressed the button to open the door. As it swung open, her heart pounded in her chest. Fear gripped her, but she kept her gaze low and walked inside.</p><p>They were sitting in the living room, chatting. Ahmad said, “My man, stop stressing yourself over this babe. She’s already in our trap. Now she’ll realize her mistake.”</p><p>He opened his eyes and smirked, thinking to himself, I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget—one that will stop you from ever treating another person the way you treated me.</p><p>Adam laughed and added, “Because of this babe, I’m seeing the great Namijin Duniya deep in thought. We need to handle her in a way that just hearing your name will make her faint.”</p><p>“Exactly. She’ll start understanding her mistake now.”</p><p> </p>
