UNFURLING FATE.

Yasmen El-nafaty.

Sixteen years ago.

Previously.

Daddy and Aadil had gone back home a week after the inspector had announced to them that the suspect was behind bars and the case was going to trial. Because case had the power of the villa backing it, it didn't take too long for it to go forward and eventually, for justice to be served.

Aadil had waited a week for yasmen after their return, he knew she was kidnapped but he hadn't even processed it yet. All he knew was that she'd been back home for a while, that she knew he was back as well, and she hadn't come to see him yet, which drew him to the only possible conclusion.. something was terribly wrong.

He resembled a ghost as he walked out of the house and sat behind the wheel, images of bullets piercing through the windshield flashed in his head as he crushed his chest with pain, that was the first time Muhammad Aadil would have a panic attack.

Daddy would call over a doctor who would advise him to start counseling, Aadil would only stare at the wall blankly and not say a word. At night, when he tossed and turned aimlessly, he got up and walked to the front door and out of the house, he walked to the gate where he told the guards that he was only taking a walk.. only one of them trailed behind him.

They walked and walked and walked as Aadil had flashes of when him and Ami had first moved back to Nigeria, the change was so abrupt and sudden for him, but soon he realized that it wasn't the country or the building that was his home, his home was his mother. All the feelings of warmth he could imagine a home to bring resided in her, without her, he was forever lost.

Aadil came to a stop about ten minutes later by a pond, near the property. It was also close to yasmens house, so he took his cell and sent her a text,

Are you awake? By the duck pond.

He sat on the grass as he let his slippers covered feet dip slightly in the chill water, his guard stayed a notable distance away from him, letting him have his space while keeping an eye. For the life of him, he didn't know why he texted her, all he knew was that he needed something of Ami, something even remotely close, something she loved, and he needed to protect it like he couldn't protect her.

It was a while before he heard light footsteps from behind him, followed by a faint scent of honey and lemon, an even stronger smell of strawberry.

"I came back a week ago." He spoke his first sentence in forever, even when the doctor had appeared he'd refused to say a word.

When yasmens voice cracked, he finally turned to look at her, there was something so eerily different about her, it sent a zap of nerves down his spine, "I'm sorry," she'd said to him in her crackly voice that had him feeling something stronger than despair and heartache.

"What happened yas? What did they do to you?" He dreaded the answer like he dreaded reading her eyes.

Her stiffened posture and how far away she sat from him, the broken, fixed look in her eyes, how she cowered away in fear and clung on to herself,

Yasmen burst out crying, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you Aadil, they killed me too." Her head bowed into her knees as she remained in a fetal position, clinging onto her arms tightly. She was clad in a bulky blue hijab, he could confidently say that he'd never seen yasmen in a hijab, until today.

"Yas.." he reached out his hands to hold her or hug her or just do anything to make her feel better, but her flinch was so sudden and it was all the confirmation he needed..