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Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind A Smile 097
Bilal's jaw dropped as he stepped inside. Zaahida had rearranged the house. It was sparkling. "Please make yourself comfortable in our home," Zaahida ushered them in, a smile plastered on her face. Without a doubt, Bilal knew she had something up her sleeves. Zynah's lips curved into an awkward smile. "Thank you," She said, taking a seat on the couch, and patting the space next to her—a silent invitation for Adnan to sit close to her. Zaahida smiled. "Don't mention it." Then, her gaze then averted to Bilal's grip on the suitcases. She quickly collected the small one from him. "I will help you take this to the unoccupied room." "No, it's okay. I can do it," Bilal said, reaching for the suitcase. Zaahida moved back a little and pursed her lips. "Billy! I get you're worried about me, but this isn't even heavy." Blankly, Zynah stared at them. Bilal had indeed change. In all the years she had lived with him, she didn't recall him ever trying to help. He was never a consi
Behind A Smile 098
"As salamu' alaykum," Bilal mumbled as he pushed open the door, gently with one hand, the other one, holding a small tray. "Wa' alaykum salaam," Zynah responded as he walked in. His gaze darted to Adnan who was lying quietly nestled in Zynah's arms. "Is he alright?" He asked, his voice laced with worry. "I guess he is missing home already," She responded. Bilal set the table down and crouched down in front of Zynah. "Superman," he called playfully, but got no response. Bilal looked up at Zynah seemingly asking for her help. Zynah only shrugged. "I think he is mad at me instead," Bilal said, then looked at Adnan again. "Are you mad at me? Do you still want to go to the park?" "Yes!" Adnan shrieked, jumping off Zynah's laps. "Careful," Zynah cautioned, a smile playing on her lips. "Let's go, daddy!" Adnan said, excitedly, tugging at Bilal's trouser. "We will, but before that, you will have to have breakfast." "Okay, daddy!" Adnan replied, his enthusiasm bub
Behind A Smile 099
"No," Zaahida said, shaking her head firmly. "You got it all wrong. I'm not deliberately telling you all these, because I want you to leave. If that was the case, I would have told you upfront. I don't really like beating about the bush." She defended herself. "Alright..." Zynah trailed off, unconvinced by her defence. "You seem like a good person," Zaahida continued. " I'm just concerned for you. I don't want you to suffer more here. I'm a girl's girl." "I appreciate your concern," Zynah smiled. "it's just that I don't feel comfortable talking about these stuff, especially with...with strangers. I'd really appreciate if you stopped meddling in my affairs." Zynah offered a smile, strained at the edges. "Noted. I'm sorry. I should leave you to rest." She stood up, and without glancing at her, ambled out of the room. Zynah gaze trailed behind her. She sighed and rubbed her temple. "Was I too rude to her?" She face palmed. "Maybe she was only trying to start a conversati
Behind A Smile 100
Bilal's stomach lurched. He knew his father would never take the news of Zynah's return well. The thought of facing his anger, especially in front of Adnan filled him with dread. Just as Bilal drove out of the compound, his phone, which was in Adnan's hands, rang again. Bilal didn't have to check, he already knew who it was. He instinctively reached for the phone, but Adnan was faster. With a mischievous grin, he received the call and placed it on his ear. "Hello?" Bilal quickly pulled over and collected the phone from Adnan. "Dad." "Who was that?" Mr. Idris demanded. "I'm almost there. I will explain things to you when I get there," Bilal replied, his voice tight. He ended the call and averted his gaze to Adnan. "Who permitted you to receive my call?" He didn't want his voice to emerge stern, but judging by how tears instantly welled up in his eyes, he realized it had. "Hey! I'm not angry. It was just a question. Next time, don't do that again, okay?" He stated, trying to
Behind A Smile 101
Zynah couldn't put her mind to rest. It had been more than three hours since Bilal took Adnan to the park, and they hadn't returned. She had tried calling him severally, but her calls weren't going through. "Please be fine, Adnan," She muttered underneath her breath. Right on cue, she heard the screech of car tires coming a halt outside the house. Relief washed over her as she bolted from the room, her heart thumping hard in her chest. "Mummy!" Adnan's voice could be heard even before he burst through the doorway. "Mummy!" he lurched himself into Zynah's waiting arms. A smile graced Zynah's lips as she held him. "My baby," She whispered, smothering his face with kisses. "I've missed you so much. Where did daddy take you?" Before he could answer, Bilal walked in, two leather bag in his hands. "I just saw your calls earlier. I'm sorry I missed them." "I was just calling to know if Adnan was alright," She informed. "Nothing else." "Yeah, I know," He responded. "I didn't
Behind A Smile 102
Early the next morning - not long after dawn prayer, Omar arrived in Nigeria. Ramlah's eyes widened when she opened the door and saw her brother in law. They had expected him, yes, but not so soon. "Assalamu'alaykum. Good morning." He greeted, his voice cutting through her surprise. "Wa' alaykum salaam. Good morning, ya Omar." She returned the greeting. "We had no idea your flight would be landing this early." "I couldn't bear staying away even for a minute more. Where is Rashida?" He inquired, his voice laced with worry. Ramlah managed a small smile. Despite everything, her sister had found a man who loved her immensely and unconditionally. "She is in the room." "How... How is she holding up?" Omar asked, his voice quivering a bit. "I tried calling her sever times but she didn't answer any of my calls." "It's been really tough for her, but I believe she's beginning to accept what happened," Ramlah replied. "Mum and dad, are they around?" "Dad hasn't been i
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