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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
Behind 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—"
Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind 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
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