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Behind A Smile 089
Zynah tried to swallow the painful lump that stuck in her throat, but failed woefully. She couldn't breathe properly as she continued to speak. "I was so excited when I found out." Her lips lifted in another smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I couldn't wait to tell you. I knew you'd be happy... That was why I kept asking you when you'd return. I didn't want to deliver the good news to you over the phone. I wanted to see your reaction, the excitement on your face when I'd break the news to you. I was surprised when you suddenly showed up at the door a few hours after our phone call. Do you want to know how I found out?" Bilal couldn't respond. He couldn't move. He could do nothing. "I was always alone at home, the neighbor, was the only visitor I used to have. She had visited me just a few minutes before you showed up at the door unexpectedly. Even without saying a word to her, she could tell that I was pregnant, so she advised me to go to a hospital and confirmed it. I was just a
Last Updated : 2024-07-15Behind A Smile 090
Zynah's breath hitched in her throat, her hand flying over her mouth involuntarily. "How? When..." They had their differences, but she would never wish bad upon him. Especially since he was her son's father. "He isn't in a critical condition." The man gave her the reply to her unasked question. "But he is hurt. We've been asking him questions, but he doesn't seem to talk." Zynah heaved a sigh of relief. "Please who are you?" she inquired. "And where are you?" "I'm a vigilante," He responded. "We were busy in our nightly duty routine when we saw his car collide with the roundabout concrete." "Alright, Sir... Kindly take him to a nearby hospital." It was the most she could do for him. She couldn't leave Adnan all by himself even if she wanted to. "He doesn't want us to help," the man's voice dripped with a mix of anger and frustration. Zynah heaved another sigh. How could he be stubborn even in that situation? "Where exactly did the accident happen, please?" "Cl
Last Updated : 2024-07-16Behind A Smile 091
"Who the heck is this?" Zaahida's face scrunched up in confusion. "I'm sorry for picking—" "I asked you a question!" Zynah swallowed. "Bilal got into an accident. It's already too late and he won't be able to drive back home today. I just wanted to inform you." "What!" She exclaimed. "Oh no! How did my husband get into an accident? Where is he right now?" Her voice as laced with extreme worry. "Is he alright? I want to speak to him, please." "Don't worry," Zynah replied. "He isn't badly hurt. He will go home tomorrow by Allah's grace." "And who are you to tell me when 'my husband' is going to be coming home?" Zaahida scoffed. "Who are you?!" Zynah was about to reply, but before she could, Bilal beat her to it. "Give me the phone, Zynah." Hearing his voice, Zaahida's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. She couldn't believe her eyes. Zynah? Bilal? That late? In the same house? "I will be back tomorrow," Was all Bilal said to her before ending the call.
Last Updated : 2024-07-16Behind A Smile 092
Zynah was still in the living room, pondering over the things Bilal had disclosed to her the previous night, when she heard the sound of the gate opening. "Why is he back?" She hissed and went to the window to take a peep. To her surprise, it wasn't Bilal's car. It was Mrs. Hafsa's. "Why are they back so early?" She wondered as she walked out of the house to welcome them. Immediately after Mrs. Hafsa and Ramlah hopped out of the car, Zynah moved forward, ready to approach them, but stopped abruptly in her tracks when the back door swung open, and Rashida came into view, her usual composed demeanor etched with grief. A tide of heat flooded her face, her eyes narrowing. Zynah's hands balled into fists as she looked at her. In that moment, she didn't pity her anymore. The pity had vanished a while ago. All she felt was fury. Standing before her was the person she considered her sister who'd gone behind her back to destroy her life. Why? Simply because she was a bitter and jealous per
Last Updated : 2024-07-17Behind A Smile 093
In the midst of packing her stuff, Ramlah rushed into the room, standing in front of her, her face etched with concern. "Please, just take a minute to think this over, sis. Hasty decisions are always dangerous." Zynah shook her head. "I will have to leave sooner or later, so it doesn't matter when I do." She gently pushed her out of her way and continued folding her clothes into her suitcase. "Don't worry about me, Ramlah." "What did Ya Rashida do to you? Please tell me, sis." Ramlah beseeched, her voice trembling. "She told horrible lies to Bilal about me - that I was cheating on him, and a bunch of contemptible lies." Ramlah's hand flew over her mouth. "Are you sure? Who told you?" Zynah scoffed, ignoring Ramlah's questions. "Do you want to know the exact 'contemptible lies' she told him about me?" she hummed. "She told him that I aborted a child. Can you imagine? What have I ever done to her to deserve such treatment from her? I loved her like a big sister, and even t
Last Updated : 2024-07-18Behind A Smile 094
Zynah couldn't believe her ears - Adnan wouldn't be going with her? She couldn't imagine herself going anywhere without him. It wasn't even possible. She had left him before and up till that moment, she was still regretting her action. Leaving him once again was something she promised herself never to do again. "I'm sorry, Mum, but I don't understand what you're saying. I'm not leaving with my son?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Mum, please don't do this," Ramlah intervened, placing a hand on Zynah's shoulder in a silent show of support. "Adnan, go to your room." Mrs Hafsa ordered. Then, she averted her gaze from him to Zynah. "You can leave now if you want, but I won't allow you take Adnan." Adnan, sensing the tension, wrapped his tiny arms around Zynah's leg, refusing to move an inch. "Are you traveling again?" He asked, looking up at her with his big, brown eyes filled with confusion and sadness. "Please take me with you." Zynah swallowed a lump in her
Last Updated : 2024-07-18Behind A Smile 095
Without wasting much time, Bilal changed into a white jallabiya and hurried out of the room. He walked past Zaahida's room, but suddenly halted in his tracks. His gaze lingered on her door for seconds, a strange mix of emotions swirling in him. He didn't want Zynah to be angry by her presence, and at the same time, he wanted to inform Zaahida. For her to be prepared to welcome Zynah with open arms. Finally, he knocked on the door. Almost immediately he did, the door creaked open, and a sad Zaahida came into view. Due to how red and puffy her eyes looked, Bilal could tell she had been crying. He instantly felt a little bad for the way he had been treating her. She'd been trying her best to be on his good sides. She didn't deserve to suffer. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, the words heavy on his tongue. For the second time in less than twenty four hours, he'd apologized to her. Zaahida's lips curved into a smile and her eyes shimmered with joy. "Are you going to have breakfast now?" Sh
Last Updated : 2024-07-19Behind A Smile 096
Angrily, Ramlah stormed into Rashida's room with the intention of confronting her for the terrible thing she did to their sister. But on getting into the room, she met Rashida seated on the floor - at the foot of the bed crying. She cleared her throat, making her presence known. Immediately after Rashida felt her presence above her figure, she wiped her tears and raised her gaze. "Please leave the room, Ramlah. I want to be alone." "I came here to talk to you regarding what you did to Ya Zynah. That was very wrong of you and believe me, if she curses you, it's definitely going to affect you, because she has been oppressed by you. Why would you do something like that to her? What has she ever done to you, apart from being nice?" She questioned, her voice laced with anger. "It's none of your business, so kindly stay out of this." She wiped a lone tear that suddenly escaped her right eye. "You're both my sisters - my older sisters, so I have the right to interfere. I respec
Last Updated : 2024-07-20
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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
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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
