Nadia scurried to get the door when she heard the doorbell ding, "Aaima" Nadia embraced her tightly,

Aaima returned the embrace confusedly. She didn't understand why Nadia pleaded with her to see her urgently, and in another house which wasn't her matrimonial home

at that. Luckily, when Nadia called Aaima, Aaima was in Abuja, so she didn't go through a lot of trouble before she found the house.

"come in" Nadia opened the door widely for Aaima. She stepped inside, offering her salams before following Nadia's lead as they ambled into the house. Aaima felt some unsettling feeling at the pit of her stomach as she trailed behind Nadia.

"she's here" Nadia muttered, causing Idris and Alhaji Umar to turn towards their direction. Aaima didn't know what to feel again. She dropped the shoulder bag she was holding on the floor when she spotted the person who took half of her when he died,

"Aaima salam alaykum" Alhaji Umar greeted, causing Aaima to snap out of her trance,

"walaykum salam" she muttered awkwardly as she crouched down to pick her fallen bag from the floor, Aaima averted her gaze from Idris before going over to the seat Nadia pointed out for her. She didn't know how to calm her racing heart, she was scared that the sound of her violently thumping heart would get to the ears of others because of how silent the room was. "Maybe Allah answered her prayers" she thought to herself because she couldn't still understand how Idris is sitting in this room with her, Nadia really had a lot of explanation to do.

Nadia fiddled with her finger before she started the conversation with Aaima, she prayed internally for it to go as they planned. Idris, who was seating close to Nadia, nudged her to begin, "Aaima the killer has been found... the killer of my family" she declared facing Aaima who was seating on the sofa adjacent to hers,

"really wow, that's great news Alhamdulillah" Aaima beamed happily, "has the person been arrested?" she asked,

"No... the thing is" Nadia scratched her neck as she spoke, "Aaima the thing is..."

"Nadia talk already" Aaima chuckled rolling her eyes,

"Aaima the killer is your dad" Nadia's confession created a wave of silence. Idris ducked his head down, Alhaji Umar placed his hand on his cheek, pondering. Nadia watched Aaima with pleading eyes as she awaited her reply, Aaima had a lopsided grin on, she couldn't believe what just came out of Nadia mouth,

"Nadia this isn't a joke, why are you playing pranks on me?" Aaima released a nervous chuckle,

"I'm not joking Aaima, I'm very serious" Nadia said with a straight face. Aaima stared at Nadia, that was when she realized truth be spoken she wasn't joking, but how can her father do such, she knows him well, he can never hurt anyone,

"but... but... how is that possible?" Aaima asked in dismay,

"that's the truth Aaima, I'm sorry" Nadia said not able to met her gaze any more,

"What evidences do you have against him?" Aaima asked with tears almost falling from her eyes. Nadia knew Aaima so well, that's why she suggested they prepared evidences before she arrived. Nadia picked the recordings tapped from Alhaji Ahmad's phone and the threat letter from the table close to them, she passed it over Aaima.

Aaima read the letter with trembling hands. It was undeniably her father's handwriting, tears dropped continuously from her eyes creating a patch on the paper. She pressed the button on the recorder to hear its content,

"I've killed them already, we can finally win" the recorder fell from her hand breaking into tiny pieces when Aaima heard her father's voice. Her whole world shattered before her, she couldn't even look into Nadia's eyes, how can she?, When her father took her best friend's happiness away.

"Aaima we need your help to catch your father, we need you to-"

"I can't do it" Aaima said cutting Nadia off, "I'm sorry I can't do it" she picked up her bag from her laps before standing, "I'm sorry Nadia I've to go, bye uncle" she cleaned her tears, she turned to Idris who had his head facing downward, she didn't utter a word to him as she turned to leave,

"Aaima" Idris called out causing her to stop in her tracks, but she still didn't turn her back, "I know this a very hard situation for you, but..." he sighed before he continued, "but you can't conceal the truth, sooner or later, he'll still be caught, it isn't your fault, that's just how it has been destined" Idris said,

Aaima let Idris's words sink through her, she knows what he said is true, but she just couldn't accept the fact because she was wallowing in disbelief. She cleaned her tears before walking towards the door, ignoring them.

"I've lost my best friend" Nadia sobbed placing her head on her laps when Aaima left, Idris gently patted her back to console her,

"don't worry, she'll be back" Idris muttered, he didn't know why he was also feeling bad for Aaima. He knew how bad it was to be in her shoes, he understood her perfectly.

The room was quiet, with only Nadia's whimpers sounding. They all had different thoughts running through their minds. Idris was thinking of another way to catch Yunus when someone spoke,

"I'll do it" Aaima said causing all of them to jerk their head up, "what's the plan?" she asked approaching Nadia with a puffy red eye.

"Aaima" Nadia jumped on her, "I'm sorry" Nadia sobbed behind her back,

"I'm sorry also, I'm sorry Nadia, I'm sorry everyone on behalf of my dad" she cried as she spoke when she broke out of the hug.

"It's okay daughter, it isn't your fault you didn't do it" Alhaji Umar said,

She nodded before turning to Nadia

"What's the plan?" she asked when she sat on the couch she sat before,

"okay it's like this..." Nadia adjusted her seating position to face Aaima properly, "you have to find a way to bring your dad where he can be caught easily". Aaima ransacked her brain thoroughly,

"I think I know what to do" she muttered, Aaima felt bad internally, she was feeling like a bad daughter, she just prayed she wasn't making a wrong choice.

****

Aaima got fake admission into a hospital to trick her father into the environment. The police were arranged in different corners of the hospital disguised, so they won't be easily noticeable. Aaima made them promise her that she won't set her eyes on her father before they caught him because she couldn't bring herself to look at him or else she'll break down completely, even if he was a murderer, he was still and will still be her father.

Yunus rushed over to the hospital when he heard his daughter was involved in an accident, he swerved his car into the compound swiftly, not taking note of his environment.

"Copy copy, he's here" The policeman who sat on a chair in the parking lot said into his walkie-talkie to inform the others.

Alhaji yunus ran towards the hospital, but he was suddenly blocked by four sturdy men. He wanted following their sides, but another two men blocked him from both sides. Yunus raised his hands when he suddenly felt an iron with a hollow centre pressed to the back of his head,

"you're under arrest for the murder of Suleiman Modibbo, his wife and daughter" Idris declared removing the handcuff hanging in his pocket with his other hand that wasn't holding a gun. He brought yunus Hands back ward before cuffing it, "you better be silent because any word you said will be used against you in the court of law",

"please let me see my daughter, and make sure she's fine, I don't care if I die after then" he pleaded. Idris turned yunus to face him,

"she's fine" he said curtly. Yunus eyes widened when he saw Idris standing in front of him, all the bad deed he has done dawned on him. He now believed that what you do, whether good or bad will always come back to you, surely what goes around comes around.

"Take him away!" Idris instructed, causing the trained police men to drag yunus into their car.

****

Nadia stood in front of the cell room waiting for Abdallah to be brought out. When they found out he was innocent, he bacame entitled to bailing, which Nadia did as fast as she could. Nadia already had different scenarios of how she'll hug Abdallah tightly all planned out in her head, she smiled as she thought of how perfectly it played in her head.

"Mrs Abdallah" someone called, jerking Nadia out of her reverie. She turned her head in the direction to find Abdallah standing a bit far from her, All the events she planned out evaporated from her mind. Looking at Abdallah from a distance, she didn't know she'll feel this emotional. She stood rooted to her position as Abdallah took long strides towards her,

"it seems like you have a lot of tears to waste for nothing" he said when he stood in front of her,

"Abdallah" Nadia jumped on him sobbing, Abdallah patted her head lovingly until she stopped,

"I love you too, my love" Abdallah replied to Nadia's previous confession smiling,

"I know" Nadia laughed as their relationship journey played in her mind. Even though they were not the best of couple in the beginning, they worked it out with Allah's help and their resilience. The both of them can't imagine living away from each other again, they prayed internally to Allah to make this the last time they'd be separated from each other forcefully.

"You got your revenge, right?" Abdallah smirked when he broke out of the hug,

"I told you I will" she gave him a toothy grin,

He came closer to her before placing a long kiss on her forehead, "let's go" he held her hand lovingly. They laughed and joked as they walked to their car.

****

Nadia, Abdallah and Idris sat side to side on a long wooden chair in the courtroom as they waited for the verdict to be pronounced on Alhaji Ahmad and Yunus,

"Yunus tukur is found guilty of the murder of Suleiman Modibbo, his wife Asiya modibbo and his daughter Noor Modibbo" The judge announced which made the courtroom turn silent.

Since the incident where she had to trick her dad, Aaima has been distant from everyone, she didn't respond to Nadia's numerous calls, she wanted to be alone. She was present in the courtroom also, but she seated at the last seat with a large veil covering the sides of her face, she also wore sunglasses to prevent herself from being recognized. She wanted to hear what judgement would be passed on her dad, even if she sadly, has an idea of what it would be.

"Ahmad Aminu is found guilty for aiding murder and domestic assault" the judge continued reading from the white sheet of paper he was holding, "Ahmad aminu is hereby sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour" he announced, murmurs broke out in the court when Alhaji Ahmad's judgement was announced. Nadia intertwined her fingers with Abdallah's when she noticed his discomfort. Abdallah was sad, No matter the bad his dad did, he was still the man who gave birth to him.

"Yunus tukur is hereby sentenced to death by hanging" the judge declared hitting his wooden hammer on his table, "the court is hereby dismissed". Aaima left the room sobbing when she heard the judgement, she prayed Allah eased her pains and return her life back to normal even if it seems impossible.

Idris left the court with a heavy heart, he has finally found the justice he always wanted. He knew It might take sometimes for him to finally be happy, but he knew it won't be that long because he most importantly had Allah and peace of mind, Though he still felt worried about one person.

Nadia and Abdallah left the courtroom holding each other hands. They finally found solace in each other, even though it took a long time. Nadia was about to enter the car when Abdallah stopped her, "let's take a walk before going home" he said, she smiled before concurring. They walked hand in hand under the cool breeze with a massive smile on both of their faces. We might get derailed in different things in life; it could be love, religion or happiness, the most important thing is to get yourself on the right track before it's too late.

THE END.

WOW, derailed has finally come to an end🎉🎉🎉🎉.

It was a journey that wouldn't have been completed without your encouragements and motivations, I want to thank you all for not giving up on this book. Jazakallahi khairan. I love you guys❤️🥺.

Question bank: did you enjoy this story, if yes, what lesson did you learn and who was your favourite character.

PS there might be an epilogue.♥️♥️♥️

Don't forget to comment,vote and share.💜💜

@zinat Abdulkadir ✍️.