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Behind 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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"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
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Hafsa stumbled through the doorway in tears. She had tried all she could to look for Adnan, but her efforts were all in vain. She didn't know where he was or in what condition he was in. Every passing moment felt like an eternity. "Please calm down, mum. We will find Adnan in sha Allah," Ramlah reassured, fighting back her own tears. She was trying her best not to break down in front of her mother, but inwardly, she was also losing hope. "Why Ramlah? I shouldn't have left him alone with you!" Hafsa pointed a finger at her accusingly. "Why did you let him out of your sight?" Ramlah's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, mum. It wasn't intentional," She allowed the tears that brimmed up in her eyes to finally fall. "I didn't want this to happen either." "Poor Adnan!" Hafsa sobbed. "How are we ever going to find him now? He's still so little." "Should I tell Zynah about thi—" "Don't," Hafsa yelled, cutting her off. "She's not related to him, so why should she be disturbed? Ju
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"People are just so uncivilised these days," Bilal voiced, shaking his head in disappointment..He was just about to get into his car, when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Without caring to take a look at the caller ID, he fished the phone out and placed his index finger on the fingerprint sensor. "Hello." "Please where are you baby?" Came Zaahida's high-pitched voice that Bilal found extremely annoying. "I'm stranded. I don't even know where I am!" Bilal puffed out air from his mouth. "And?" "I don't know how I'm supposed to come home. I'm scared, baby," She cried. "Please come back." "Alright," Bilal finally obliged. "Stay right where you are. I will be there in few minutes.""Thank you so much, baby. I knew you'd come back for me. I love y-" he didn't wait for her to finish her statement before ending the call. Getting into his car, he sped off. •"My baby," Hafsa knelt in front of Adnan and engulfed him in a bone crushing hug. Tears streamed down her face uncontro
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