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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
Last Updated : 2024-06-02Behind 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 : 2024-06-03Behind A Smile 032
Hafsa had just finished feeding the baby with formula and was settling him in his cot, when she heard the doorbell ring. "I'm coming. Just wait a second." She boomed, heading towards the door in a steady pace. But before she got there, Mr. Aliyu had already ushered the visitors in. Hafsa's brows furrowed as she watched the visitors walk in. She was bewildered to see a lady dressed in a nurse's uniform and some other people she had never seen in her home. She couldn't help but wonder what they wanted or whom they visited. Her unasked questions were answered when Zynah appeared and greeted them warmly. "Mr. Aliyu called us earlier," the lead lady explained. "About a newborn you're finding hard to take care of and would like us to take to the orphanage with us. Is that correct?" Hafsa gasped. She was totally taken aback. It seemed almost as if her ears were deceiving her. Zynah, she knew, disliked the baby, but this inviting social workers to take the baby? That was simply uncall
Last Updated : 2024-06-04Behind A Smile 033
Three years had spun by, leaving their mark on the Aliyu household. Almost everything and everyone had changed. Mr. Idris had retired from work and allowed his children to take over. He entrusted his company overseas to Zynah as she now lived there and the one in the country to Ramlah. Hafsa, however, remained the same. A loving housewife and a mother. With Ramlah busy with work, and Rashida married, she singlehandedly raised Zynah's son, Adnan — a name she had chosen for him with so much love. She made sure to provide him with everything he needed, both material things and affection. She treated him more like a son, than a grandson and he grew up believing she was indeed his mother. Rashida, now a married woman, remained estranged. After her marriage to Omar, she had moved to Lebanon with him. Her wish to live faraway from her mother had been granted. She still held a grudge against her Hafsa and Ramlah for taking Zynah's side during the argument that led to her leaving the h
Last Updated : 2024-06-05Behind A Smile 034
Zynah cleared her throat awkwardly, then averted her gaze back to the papers on her desk. For some inexplicable reason, she felt this strange feeling surge into her whenever he gazed at her like that. It made her feel uncomfortable. She hated the feeling because it lessened her level of confidence. "Fine," She mumbled. "You can sit over there." She added, gesturing towards the couch across the room. As he walked towards the couch, a wave of relief washed over her. She let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and forced her attention back to the paperwork on her desk. Why was she suddenly feeling uncomfortable? • Approximately three hours later, Zynah was finally done with her work for the day. Her gaze darted to Ibrahim who was sprawled on the office couch, asleep. Pity prickled at her conscience. He was sleeping in the most uncomfortable position imaginable. Definitely, his body would ache later. Closing the folder in front of her, she crept close
Last Updated : 2024-06-06Behind A Smile 035
Taking a last look at her reflection in the mirror, Zynah smiled. She was clad in a sky blue abaya and a white hijab wrapped around her head. She looked breathtakingly beautiful. Satisfied at the image staring back at her, she took her handbag from the bed and ambled out of the house. To her utmost surprise, Ibrahim was standing just outside her gate, with a bouquet of flowers in his left hand. Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. She raised her hand, taking a swift look at her wrist watch. "What are you doing here?" She whisper yelled. "So early?" "Good morning to you too," He replied sarcastically, a smirk playing on his lips. "I hope you had a good sleep." Zynah rolled her eyes. "Don't you have somewhere more important to be? The office for example?" "You keep asking me this," He scoffed. "To answer your question, nope," He shook his head. "I don't have anywhere more important to be. I took a day off yesterday." Zynah rolled her eyes. "Okay, why are you
Last Updated : 2024-06-06Behind A Smile 036
A light-skinned, average-height young lady of barely twenty three was in a mall — in the men's section — shopping, alongside a man whose back was turned on her as she searched through the ranks for a shirt. "I think this shirt will look good on you, baby. We should totally get it," She said, showing the emerald colored shirt to him. Without even taking a look at the shirt, a nonchalant shrug was his response before he muttered. "Okay." His back still turned on her, and his focus remained on his phone. Undeterred, she switched tactics, picking up a blue shirt, her voice high-pitched. "Baby, how about this? Do you like it?" "Yes." He gave yet another nonchalant reply. "Come on, baby!" She whined, stretching the words into an annoying singsong. "Just take a look at it for even a second and tell me what you think. Pleaseeee?" "I will be fine with anything you choose," he said dismissively. "No. This won't do! Why did you bring me along then if you knew you were going to
Last Updated : 2024-06-07Behind A Smile 037
"Oh my God!" Zaahida shrieked, her voice laced with panic. "Did you just kill a child?" Her eyes widened and her mouth hung slightly open in disbelief. Bilal shot her a glare before averting his gaze to the little boy lying on his toes. He was pretty sure he didn't hit him with his car, then why did he suddenly pass out? A knot of worry tightened in his stomach. Staring intently at the little boy, he couldn't pinpoint why he looked exactly like him as a kid and that wasn't all, at the same time, he looked like Zynah as well. To get rid of the ridiculous notion, he shook his head vigorously. Missing Zynah this much couldn't be causing him to hallucinate, could it? Yet an inexplicable feeling lingered. "These people will take care of him, let's leave, baby." She placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke in her annoying squeaky voice. "Before someone accuses you of hitting him." Bilal peeled her hand off his shoulder with a grimace, and crouched beside the boy, gently placing a
Last Updated : 2024-06-08
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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."
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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
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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
