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Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind A Smile 001
"Who the hell were you speaking to, on phone just now?!" He asked, his voice laced with fury and distrust. She flinched at the tone of his voice, the phone clattering to the floor. Her lips quivered in a violent manner and her body began to tremble tremendously, like someone drenched in rain and had caught a cold. "I... I'm -" she attempted to explain herself, but was caught off by a resounding slap on her left cheek. Pain surged into her body from the impact of the monstrous contact against her cheek. Even without seeing it, she knew his palm would have definitely left its ugly print on her.She mustered all the patience she could and stopped herself from retaliating or even shedding a tear in his presence. He was not worth her tears at all, but in another viewpoint, she couldn't blame him for the way he was currently treating her. It was all her fault. She caused everything upon herself. If only she knew the type of a person he was...If only she could turn back the hands of tim
Behind A Smile 002
Consciousness flickered back, a slow tide pushing against the darkness. She was still lying where she had passed out. Wincing, Zynah pushed herself upright, her whole body aching. As she began to maneuver to their room—their room? Why was she even sharing a room with the monster? Why couldn't she muster the courage to escape from the house and his life for good? A butter laugh escaped her lips. The answer was simple — she had nowhere else to go. As cruel as he was to her, he was the only person who considered her family in the whole world. She had no one else to run to for help. With a shaky hand, Zynah grasped the doorknob and twisted it as gently as she could, revealing her supposed husband in bed. The brightness of his phone screen shone on his face. He didn't look up from his phone, oblivious of her return. She heaved a small sigh of relief for it was exactly what she wanted and needed— invisibility. This way, she wouldn't have to deal with his condescension, even if it would be
Behind A Smile 003
The day broke faster than Zynah had anticipated. She was awakened by the relentless call to prayer. Stretching, she rose, her whole body still aching. The bathroom offered her a moment of solace as she performed her ablution. . Emerging from the bathroom, her gaze landed on Bilal who was still comfortably sleeping in the bed and snoring lightly. Waking him for prayer was a gamble. She dared not for she knew what the outcome of her action would be and she wasn't prepared to face it yet — the day had only just begun. Bilal was the type of person who didn't like his sleep to be disturbed. He would probably get up like a wounded lion ready to pounce on his prey. Breathing profoundly, Zynah retrieved her prayer mat from the top of her bookshelf, where she always put it. Facing the Qibla, she spread it neatly on the floor and began her Fajr prayer. Each movement, each whispered supplication, was a plea for strength, for guidance. After she had finished praying, she remained on the mat, pou
Behind A Smile 004
Zynah flinched at the tone of his voice, but within a split second, she regained her composure. "The neighbor was here." She replied, curtly. Bilal didn't move, his gaze a dark storm cloud gathering above her. "The neighbor!" He echoed, anger dripping off his tone. "Did you just say that?" He questioned, taking a menacing step forward and invading her space. Zynah swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. "I said the neighbor was-" The sentence died on her lips as his callus palm struck her left cheek mercilessly. "How dare you! After giving you an order, you defy me?" He jabbed a finger towards his chest, his whole body taut with anger. She remained silent and it only infuriated him further. His brows furrowed and he gnashed his teeth in exasperation. "No one! I repeat, no one can ever come into this house henceforth, without my permission. You cannot go out either." He spat; his voice laced with venom. "Is that perfectly understood?" All Zynah could manage was a small, almost im
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