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Behind A Smile 024
"Eat some more, Zynah," Hafsa prodded. Ramlah had been extremely quiet the whole time, picking her food and stealing glances at Zynah. "What do you even know? You're so dumb to even realize what is going on in this family, but I'm not. Well, enjoy living in the shadow of a stranger." Rashida's sharp words kept repeating themself in her head like a mantra. She shook her head to get rid of it, but it only got louder. "Are you alright?" Hafsa asked, snapping her out of her trance. "Why are you zoned out?" "I am fine," Ramlah lied, avoiding her mother's gaze. Zynah offered a smile. She knew Ramlah wasn't telling the truth. It seemed to Zynah that Rashida's words were getting into her head. All the while they were eating, Ramlah hadn't utter any word to her, which was unlike her. Her body language proved Zynah's hunch right. "Where is ya Rashida?" Zynah suddenly asked, breaking the tension that settled in the air. "Hmm..." Hafsa hummed, then trailed off, seemingly sea
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Behind A Smile 025
Regaining consciousness, Zynah's eyes opened to Hafsa and Ramlah sitting beside her on the bed, and surprisingly, Mr. Aliyu sitting on a chair at the extreme of Ramlah's room. "Zynah! Alhamdulillah, Zynah, you're awake." Hafsa squeaked, relief flooding her features as she embraced her tightly. "I was so worried." "Ya Zynah, are you alright now?" Ramlah asked, her voice laced with concern. Zynah managed a weak nod, her gaze fixated on no one else, but Mr. Aliyu. "Why didn't you tell us you are pregnant?" Hafsa asked with furrowed brows. "Why didn't you?" Realizing they had already found out about her pregnancy, she hung her head in shame. She really didn't want them to find out, especially since she wasn't going to be living with them. She didn't see the need to add to their burdens. "I'm sorry," Zynah mumbled, her voice barely audible."It's alright, dear. It must have slipped your mind," She smiled, reassuringly. "Why don't you stay the night here? You can leave in the morni—"
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Behind A Smile 026
"I still can't find her!" Bilal roared, pacing to and fro in his bedroom. "Why didn't you do everything in your power to stop her? Dammit!" He balled his fists, his brows tightly furrowed and eyes, bloodshot. Nazmeera, perched on a sofa across the room, flinched at his outburst. "Like I said earlier; I tried to stop her, but failed." She defended herself. "Besides, someone else was here to help her. How could I have won a fight against two people?" Bilal stopped pacing, his gaze suddenly fixated on Nazmeera. "Who was it?" He demanded, venom dripping off his tone. In that moment, he didn't care whoever the person was. He was determined to make them pay dearly for interfering in his marriage. "And why didn't you tell me sooner!" "I didn't tell you sooner because you didn't care to listen. I tried to but you kept on dismissing me. What could I have done?" Nazmeera finished with a dramatic eye roll. "Who was it?" He demanded again, this time, his voice deadlier than before. Nazm
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Behind A Smile 027
"How... How did you find out?" Hafsa's voice broke. "Were you eavesdropping on our conversat—" "No," Zynah answered, shaking her head. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to overhear your conversation." She fiddled with her fingers, avoiding Hafsa's gaze. "I'm sorry." "Zy...nah..." Hafsa trailed off, lost of words. "Why... are you apologizing?" "I'm an ingrate. Out of the goodness in your hearts, you... Adopted me, yet I disobeyed you two," a humorless smile curved its way on her face. She blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. "What are you saying?" Hafsa's voice rose a notch. "You're not adopted, okay? You. Are. Our. Child." She enunciated each word in a soft, yet firm voice. "There is nothing they can change that. You're my daughter." "I still can't believe this," Ramlah shook her head aggressively. "How did this even happen? Please tell me it's just a lie, mum. Ya Zynah is my sister, right? Ya Rashida was just saying those things because she—" "Are you deaf?" Hafsa
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Behind A Smile 028
Six months. Half a year had passed since Zynah vanished from Bilal's life. He had tried looking for her in every nook and corners of the city, but his efforts were futile. Days bled into nights. He'd drown himself in memories, gazing at her pictures. Her absence was making him slowly lose his mind. Why wouldn't she just return to him? Her smile haunted him. He still remembered every detail of it. No matter how dark his day was, it took a single smile from her to brighten it. Her laugh was like music to his ears. Her voice, ever so gentle and angelic. Her touch, a phantom of warmth which could heal his every wound. Her unspoken words which conveyed thousands of emotions he'd pretended to be oblivious of. He missed her terribly. All of her. The old adage echoed; You don't know what you have until you lose it. He had taken her for granted. He treated her worse than a master would treat his slave. Now, the silence was deafening. Life without Zynah felt like an empty canvas, devoi
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Behind A Smile 029
"What do you mean?" Hafsa asked, puzzled. "I don't want that baby, mum. Please just take him away from me. Give him away to anyone you want, I don't care, but I can't keep that baby with me," Zynah's voice cracked with a raw emotion that sent shivers down Hafsa's spine. "Do you even know what you're saying?" Hafsa boomed, startling the poor baby who instantly began to wail. "This is your child, Zynah!" "He. Is. Not. My. Baby," Zynah enunciated, each word hitting Hafsa like a wave. Hafsa looked at Zynah in absolute disbelief. In her arms was the tiny baby, crying for his mother's comfort, yet Zynah's gaze remained remained distant. "You must be out of your mind. Instead of thanking God for this blessing, you're here denying him. Are you alright at all?" "I'm perfectly fine," Zynah replied, her voice a monotone. "But I won't be if I keep seeing that baby. I'm pleading with you, please, mum, take him away. I need to sleep and he is just...disturbing me." Hafsa was taken
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Behind A Smile 030
Hafsa stormed into the room, her face flushed with frustration. "Aliyu, will you please talk to Zynah? This madness needs to stop!" Mr. Aliyu barely looked up from his newspaper. "What has she done this time?" He mumbled, flipping through the pages of the newspaper and showing total disinterest in what his wife had to say. "Ever since Zynah was discharged from the hospital, she has refused to look at the baby, let alone breastfeed him. I thought all these was going to stop the moment she holds the baby for the first time, but it seems to have gotten worse. I'm beginning to get seriously worried for the poor child. He has been crying for hours now and Zynah has refused to soothe him no matter what I do." Finally raising his head from the newspaper, he lowered it on his laps. "What do you want me to do about it? She has the right to do whatever she wants." Being shocked by her husband's reply was an understatement. Hafsa's jaw clenched. "She has the right to do whatever she w
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Behind A Smile 031
Storming out of the house, Bilal furiously got into his car and sped straight to Zynah's house. Ignoring decorum, he parked in front of the house and stalked towards the gate with the intention of barging into the house and looking everywhere for his wife. Unfortunately for him, Hafsa emerged. She let out an involuntarily gasp, but quickly composed herself. "What do you want?" Her voice was flat. "My wife," he replied. "I came to take back my wife Wherever you're hiding her, bring her out. The game of hide and seek is finally over." Hafsa's breath hitched. After everything he did to Zynah, he had the effrontery to appear in front of their house. Indeed the man before her was a beast cloaked in human skin. "She isn't here," Hafsa lied, her voice quivering. Bilaal chuckled humorlessly. "And what makes you think I will believe you? Don't insult me with lies!""Leave!" Hafsa yelled, disgust dripping off her tone. "You're trespassing.""Of course I will, but not until I have taken ba
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
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Behind A Smile Author's note
I'd like to start by thanking every single one of you for being with me throughout this journey. Thank you for the love and support. The comments 🥺, the gemssss 🥺, the gifts 🥺. I don't take it for granted at all 💞 This book has come to an end, so I'd like to hear your thoughts about it. Did you enjoy it? Did you cry at any point? Did you laugh? Were you disappointed at certain turn of events? I bet it was an emotional rollercoaster for you. Please leave a review and rate this book :) Support me more by sharing and recommend the books to your friends and family. Thank you once again, and expect more interesting stories from me ❤️❤️💕💞🥰😌🫠 deey_jah
Behind A Smile 197
Zynah rolled her eyes. Just who would prefer to be lied to? "Yes," she replied, her voice a soft whisper. "It's true," he replied, his voice deepening. "I came for some work, and..." He drawled. "To make use of the opportunity to meet your family." "To meet my family?" She asked, surprised and totally oblivious to the fact that her mother was still sitting in the same room as her, listening to her conversation. "The kids," He clarified, his voice filled with amusement. "They are your family, aren't they?" "Oh! Okay," Zynah replied, recoiling a little. "Where are you right now? I will send you the address or have someone show you the way." "I don't really know. I will ask around and text it to you," With that, he ended the call, leaving her heart racing as usual. Zynah's lips stretch into an unknowing smile. Realizing what she was doing, she slapped herself on the face. "Who was that?" Mrs. Hafsa asked so suddenly, her voice sharp, catching Zynah off guard. "And why
Behind A Smile 196
When Mrs. Hafsa opened the door, she did not expect to see her daughter and grandchildren. Her lips spread into a smile and she hugged Zynah first, her arms wrapping tightly around her daughter. Then, she crouched and showering many tender kisses on Adnan's face then picked Bilal Jr, showering just as many kisses on his face, he had to pull away, slightly disgusted. "What a pleasant surprise," Mrs. Hafsa exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "Why didn't you inform me that you were coming? Come in. Come in, my babies." Mrs. Hafsa ushered. "The kids must be exhausted. And you too." Zynah smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "If I had told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it? I didn't want to ruin the surprise. I wanted to make it a special moment." "I'm so excited!" Mrs. Hafsa said. "Rashida and her family are also coming to Nigeria to spend the Eid with us." "Really?" Zynah asked surprised and excited at the same time. "It's about to be a full ho
Behind A Smile 195
Adnan!" Zynah hollered, her tone a mix of exasperation and impatience. "Where are you? Hurry up, otherwise, it's going to get dark before we get to Kaduna." Zynah could not stop glancing at her wristwatch. "Yipee! We're going to see granny and grandpa!" Bilal Jr jumped up and down, excitedly. "Yes, sweetie," Zynah replied, her voice softening. She smiled, reaching down to caress his chubby cheeks. Her mother, Mrs. Hafsa had been requesting to see them for a while now, she figured it would be a good idea to surprise them a day before Eid al-Adha celebrations. "Are you excited? You're also going to see your cousin, your aunties and uncle Muslim too." "Yes, Mommy!" He squealed, his laughter infectious. "I'm going to see all of them." "Yes, you are," Zynah said, kissing his forehead. Then, she stood upright. "Adnan!" She called, her voice rising again. "What on earth are you doing in your room? I'm going to leave you behind, and I mean it." She threatened. "You're the one we're w
Behind A Smile 194
Khalid waved a hand over her face, snapping her from her reverie. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Are you okay?" In that moment, Zynah wanted to speak to him, to tell him what his sister in law came to discuss with her, and most importantly, to tell him that she didn't feel the same way about him if at all he had any feelings for her. But something held her back. What it was? She had no idea. "Why would I be?" She asked, finding her voice. "What do you want?" "Easy!" He said, lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not here to fight with you." Realizing that she had indeed been rude for no reason, Zynah swallowed. Then, she face palmed. "I'm sorry about that. I just... Woke up," she lied. "It wasn't my intention to be rude." "Alright," he replied simply, his voice laced with understanding. "Are the kids inside?" A surge of protectiveness swept over Zynah. "Yes, why? Where else would they be if not at home?" "School?" Khalid questioned, his brows furrowing. "The
Behind A Smile 193
As soon as Aysha left, Zynah walked back into the house, her heart heavy. She picked up her phone, her fingers hovering over Ramlah's number. As if sending her intention, Ramlah's call came through. Zynah heaved a sigh of relief before answering. "Hello, Ramlah, how are you doing? I was just about to call you." "Really? That is to say we're thinking about each other. I'm fine. How about you? How are the kids?" "They are both fine, Alhamdulillah. How's my little princess doing? I'm sure she's as impatient as we all are to see our little prince." Ramlah chuckled. "I also can't wait to hold him in my arms, ya Zynah. It's taking too long." "Three more weeks and your wish will come true," Zynah said, a smile spreading across her face. "You're right. Thank you for always lifting my spirit with your words. I want to visit Mom and Dad soon. How about we go together, with the kids?" "That's a good idea. The kids haven't seen one another for a while now," Zynah reasoned. "It'd be fun."
Behind A Smile 192
Zynah's tears escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks. All she could imagine, was the pain she must have gone through before she finally gave up the ghost, how hard she must have fought to save her unborn baby. "Ho...how did it happen? Was she the one driving?" Aysha nodded in affirmation. "She was returning from the hospital, after finding out the gender of their baby. I guess she must have been overly excited," Hajara wiped the corner of her eyes and took a moment of silence, before continuing. "She called Khalid to inform him of the news. That was when...when she ran into a trunk. It was terrible. I wasn't there at the time it happened. I had not even met his brother then, but when he told me this story, for a whole day, I cried. I felt affected. It was like I had known her my whole life. I have seen pictures of her, heard only good things about her. I sincerely pity Khalid. Since her death, he prefers to be in seclusion. We've all done everything in our power to make him move o
Behind A Smile 191
Zynah's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. She knew Adnan liked Khalid a lot but that was the last thing she expected him to say. She couldn't even imagine herself being with anyone else. Bilal still resided in her heart. She couldn't see anyone replacing him anytime soon. "No!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Why are you even asking me that? Where did that come from, Adnan?" "Are you mad?" Adnan asked, his voice quivering a little. "I didn't mean to make you mad, Mommy." Zynah breathed, trying to calm her racing heart. "I'm not mad at you, Adnan," she reassured. "I just want to know why you asked me that. Do you feel I'm not enough for you? What have I not been doing right?" Zynah asked, a pang piercing through her heart. What if it was the case? She would understand, but it wouldn't reduce the pain. Deep down, she thought they were doing just fine, but apparently, Adnan wanted a father. He wasn't okay having only a mother. Adnan lowered his he
Behind A Smile 190
While Bilal Jr was busy playing with other kids his age, Adnan walked up to where his mother was seated on a bench, and sat beside her. He always did that whenever he sensed she was deep in thoughts or worried about something. The little boy had slowly become her confidante, her best friend. "Mommy," he called softly, his gaze fixed intently on her. "Are you fine?" He asked, his voice filled with worry. Zynah reached for his delicate hands and caressed them gently. "Of course, darling," she smiled, and placed a lingering kiss on him on the temple. "I'm fine. What makes you think I'm not?" "Because," he began, his gaze still on her. "You've been sitting quietly over here for a while now. It's unlike you. You didn't even notice when Jr fell off the swing." Zynah's heart jumped, her eyes widening in apprehension. "What? He fell? When?" she stood up, ready to rush to his aid, but Adnan was quick to stop her. "How didn't I notice?" "...wait, Mommy. He is not hurt at all," Adn
