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Behind A Smile 064
As soon as they left, Bilal walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Please tell me it's true!" Disgusted by his touch, Zynah pushed him away with all of the strength she could muster. She took a few steps away from him, her chest heaving. "Don't you dare," she pointed a finger at him, warningly. "Touch me again." His touch brought back hurtful memories. Memories she didn't want to be reminded of. "What do you want to talk about? Say it quickly. I also have a lot to say to you. I'm even glad you came here. We can settle this once and for all." "You and I both know what I'm here for," He said, his voice flat. "So, let's stop beating about the bush. It would do us both no good. What you did is unforgivable, you know that, don't you?" Zynah resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his delusion. She remained quiet, allowing him to continue. "Good," He added, taking her silence for concurrences. "But because I still love you, I'm willing to forgive you for that. Let's go
Last Updated : 2024-06-26Behind A Smile 065
Instead of flaring up like Zynah had anticipated, Bilal chuckled. He actually chuckled. She gazed at him as if he had lost his mind. Did he not hear what had said? "Divorce me?" He chuckled again. "I don't want to believe you're serious right now," His expression hardened. "If this is a joke, you better not repeat it because it's not funny anymore. It was for a second though." "I'm not here to joke around with you, Bilal," Zynah's gaze bored into his. "I wouldn't have agreed to even see you otherwise. After everything you've done to me, the best thing you can do, is to allow me move on with my life. I deserve that at least." The sides of Bilal's lips lifted in a humorless smile. "That's never happening, Zynah. No one is moving on. We're going to be together again because we're destined to be. You're mine, and it'll remain like that forever." Zynah huffed, disbelief written all over her face. His effrontery was second to none. "I have given you a reply. I won't repeat mysel
Last Updated : 2024-06-27Behind A Smile 066
"Where is my son?" He asked, clenching and unclenching his hand. He was visibly shaking from anger, or was it anxiety? Zynah turned back around, her eyes failing to hide the fear in them, and the stutter making it even more pronounced. "What did you just...say?" "He is my son, right?" He questioned. His gaze didn't waver from hers even for a split second. "Bring him to me." Unsure of what to tell him, Zynah swallowed a ball of nerves that sudden got stuck in her throat. "You can leave now. Like I said, I'm done talking to you!" She had started walking away again, when she felt Bilal's hand around her arm. The feel of his hand on her skin felt like being electrocuted. Gritting her teeth, she yanked her hand back. "I have warned you not to touch me. Do it again and see what happens." "But we weren't done talking," he rasped in the authoritative voice Zynah had gotten accustomed to. "You can't just walk away in the middle of that important conversation. I need answers! I w
Last Updated : 2024-06-27Behind A Smile 067
Due to the commotion that happened, Ramlah had completely forgotten that she was supposed to meet up with Dr. Muslim today. She fumbled around for her phone, but couldn't find it. After searching for a few more minutes, she finally found it in a drawer. She checked her phone for missed calls. Her breath hitched when she saw twelve missed calls. Nine from Dr. Muslim and three from her two of her friends. She quickly dialed his number first and waited impatiently for him to pick up. "Assalamu' alaykum!" She greeted as soon as he picked up. "Wa' alaykumussalaam," he replied, then remained silent. "I'm so so sorry," Ramlah apologized, bitting her lower lip. "I missed your calls and I couldn't even return them earlier. Something came up at our house, so our meeting skipped my mind." "I was beginning to think you purposely ignored the calls, because you changed your mind about meeting up with me." "If that was the case, I would have bluntly said that to you yesterday. I
Last Updated : 2024-06-29Behind A Smile 068
"What?" Ramlah shook her head in disbelief. "Telp me this is a joke!" After breakfast, Zynah had broken the news of her decision to introduce Adnan to his father to the whole family. And as expected, they weren't so pleased to hear it. Zynah figured it was the best time to have the discussion with them as Adnan had already been dropped off at school. She didn't want him overheating their conversation, and possibly witnessing the argument that'd indisputably happen. "Are you out of your mind?" Mr. Aliyu bellowed, rising to his feet. "Did I hear you well?" You're introducing Adnan to him? "Dad..." Rashida called, her voice low-pitched. "Please don't do this. He is still the boy's father. He deserves to be in his life. I understand Zynah, and I believe it's the right thing to do." Hafsa cleared her throat, diverting all attention to her. Zynah closed her eyes, a silent prayer for Hafsa to support her too. "I really don't know the right thing to say at this moment," Haf
Last Updated : 2024-07-01Behind A Smile 069
Ramlah slammed the door to her room, and collapsed on the bed on her back. She hit her head repeatedly acting so rashly. She didn't know what suddenly got into her. She was angry, that was certain, but she didn't mean all she said. She just wanted to make her point clear to Zynah. She got frustrated when she wasn't succeeding, and out of frustration, she decided to say hurtful things to her to get her to understand how wrong she was. She had said those things because she deeply cared about Zynah, and didn't want her to invite Bilal back into her life. In the past, she had supported and encouraged Zynah to be with whom her heart had chosen. But after finding out how he had turned out, she felt guilty for she was the reason Zynah agreed to elope with Bilal in the past. if she didn't get any support from her, she wouldn't have done it. As a way to rectify her mistake, she had promised herself to do everything in her power to keep the two apart. By introducing Adnan to Bilal, Ramlah
Last Updated : 2024-07-01Behind A Smile 070
Zynah lifted her hand to take a glimpse at the time on her wrist watch. She had been seated in the ice cream parlor alongside Adnan for over two hours, and Bilal hadn't shown up yet. She didn't want to believe he stood her up because that was his chance to be in his son's life and not showing up, would automatically translate into him not caring. And she just might reconsider her decision. Maybe, just maybe Mr. Aliyu and Ramlah were right after all. "Let's go home!" Adnan whined, his face scrunched up. "Soon, Adnan," Zynah assured, caressing his cheek. "We're just waiting for your daddy to show up. Don't you want to meet him anymore?" "I'm sleepy," He complained, rubbing his eyes with the back of his palms. "I just want to go home." Zynah understood he needed to rest, after all it was Saturday. "Let's wait a little longer, okay? Do you want me to buy you more ice cream?" Adnan offered a toothy grin, his mood lightening up a little. Zynah took that as a yes. She becko
Last Updated : 2024-07-02Behind A Smile 071
Watching them, Zynah knew she didn't make a mistake by letting Bilal know about his son. The love that shimmered in his eyes for the little boy was like none Zynah had ever seen. Not even when he claimed to be madly in love with her. The amount of tears he had she'd in such a short span of time was more than she had ever seen. Bilal was the type to never allow his emotions rule over his sanity. He always had that toxic masculinity all over him. He believed crying as a man was a sign of weakness. The day he saw them at the marketplace, she had seen tears in his eyes, but he still managed to keep his emotions under control. But this time, he wasn't even trying to suppress his feelings. He laid his heart bare, letting his vulnerable side show. Maybe. Just maybe, he'd make a good father to their son after all. "Adnan, sweetheart," Zynah called, also crouching to his level. She gently pulled him from Bilal's embrace and turned him around to face her. She wanted to ask him how he knew
Last Updated : 2024-07-02
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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
