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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
Last Updated : 2024-07-23Behind A Smile 103
Zaahida tossed and turned throughout the night, haunted by the image of Bilal leaving Zynah's room late at night. Dawn finally arrived and her anger still hadn't lessened. "That bitch!" She hissed, gnashing her teeth. The facade of friendship was already beginning to suffocate her. She was tired of playing miss goody two shoes. She wanted nothing more than to be able to teach her a good lesson for deciding to come back into Bilal's life just after he had moved on. She heaved a sigh of exasperation. The only person she could think of for an advice was Nazmeera, so she dialed her number. On the second ring, Nazmeera picked up. "Hello, sister-in-law!" Zaahida rolled her eyes. "I'm frustrated. I need your help, please." "What is it this time?" Nazmeera asked, the exasperation in her voice glaring. "That homewrecker is currently living with us!" Zaahida exploded. "Bilal brought her back here! Can you believe that?" "What!" Nazmeera exclaimed. "When? How did that happen?
Last Updated : 2024-07-24Behind A Smile 104
Adnan tugged insistently at Zynah's hijab, pulling her out of her reverie. "Mummy! Mummy!!" "Are you alright?" Bilal asked her, his voice laced with worry. Not wanting her gaze to meet his, she looked everywhere, but his direction. "I'm fine." "You don't seem like it," He countered, his gaze holding hers. Zynah resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I said I'm fine. What are you talking about?" Bilal hummed thoughtfully. "For what happened yesterday, I —" Zynah cut him off abruptly. "There's nothing to explain. You took advantage of the situation and... And..." She heaved a sigh. "Never mind. We've passed that. Don't bring it back." "Do you genuinely think that was what I did? I took advantage of what situation? We have our problems, Zynah, but I'm still your husband." "Not for long," She reminded, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. They were so engrossed in their conversation, they had totally forgotten Adnan's presence in the room until he spoke up. "Da
Last Updated : 2024-07-24Behind A Smile 105
Dr. Muslim leaned casually against his sleek, black car, his posture exuding an air of confidence. He took out his phone from his breast pocket and dialed Ramlah's number. She picked up almost immediately. "I'm already in front of the address you gave me," he informed. "Alright," Ramlah replied. "I'll be out in a few minutes." She ended the call immediately, and a minute later, she emerged from the gate, her black abaya matching with his car. A shy smile tugged at her lips as their eyes met. She quickened her pace, her heart beating faster in her chest. "Assalam 'alaykum," She greeted him softly, her gaze lowered. "Wa' alaykum salam," he replied, his voice gentle. "I have been waiting for quite a while. I hope you have good news for me." A blush crept up Ramlah's face as she continued to avoid his gaze. "That's not true. I came here as soon as I got your call." He chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Don't mind me, I was only trying to ease the ten
Last Updated : 2024-07-25Behind A Smile 106
Zynah watched the entire ordeal, her heart heavy with pity. She wanted to intervene, but she didn't know how. After Zaahida had swallowed the morsel, she fixed her gaze on Bilal. "I hope that's proof enough." With a swift movement, she turned and stormed out of the room. Zynah shook her head and sighed deeply. She felt extremely bad for Zaahida. All she was trying to do, was be nice, but ended up getting humiliated for it. "I don't intend to meddle, but I think you should apologize and stop her from leaving," she pleaded, her voice gentle yet firm. "You humiliated her badly." Bilal's face hardened. "She was just putting up an act. She may be innocent in this, but trust me, she's capable of doing anything and everything just to get what she wants. And for leaving, trust me, she's going nowhere and she knows." Zynah's brows furrowed. "What could she possibly gain from hurting me?" "She wants you out of the picture," Bilal replied bluntly. "Be careful around her. She's not
Last Updated : 2024-07-25Behind A Smile 107
A wave of nausea washed over Bilal as he stumbled out of his room, making him hold onto the wall for support. His vision blurred and his breath emerged in ragged pants. His attempts to steady his breath was futile. Zynah's gentle voice pierced through the fog of his distress."Are you alright?" she asked, her brows furrowed in concern. Bilal's smile was strained. "Yes," he managed to croak out. "I'm perfectly fine, don't worry." Zynah hummed, obviously not convinced by his words. "Are you sure?" she asked, her skeptical gaze lingering on him for a few more seconds. Wordlessly, Bilal nodded. Then, he retreated into his room and shut the door behind him. Alone, Bilal sank onto the bed, his body trembling uncontrollably. For some inexplicable reason, Zynah felt something was wrong with him. He didn't seem quite fine. He looked and sounded very weak. She reached for the handle, but stopped abruptly, her hand hovering over it. She was only concerned about him, because of
Last Updated : 2024-07-26Behind A Smile 108
"You're such a homewrecker! Bilal is mine and mine alone. If you think you can come into my home and destroy it, then you're terribly mistaken!" Zaahida fumed. Zynah yanked Zaahida's hands off her shoulders. "Get your hands off me," she warned. "While I'm still being nice, I'm advising you run as far as possible. You don't know what I'm capable of doing to you," she threatened. "Most especially that son of yours." Zynah's heart thumped faster against her chest - Zaahida had hit her most sensitive spot. Her weakness. It was the last straw. She would be able to bear anything against her, but for the sake of her son, she would go to any and every extent to ensure his safety. "Don't drag my son in this!" Zynah's voice was laced with venom. "If you have a problem with me, let's deal with it. Face me! Don't involve my son." "This atmosphere reeks of..." She trailed off, placing a finger against her chin as if in thought. "Of fear. Tell me, sweetie," She derided. "Are you scare
Last Updated : 2024-07-26Behind A Smile 109
"Please have something to eat. You haven't eaten for days now," Omar beseeched, bring the spoonful of jollof rice to Rashida's lips. Rashida turned her head to the other side. "I'm not hungry," she replied, adamantly. "Please leave me alone. Stop forcing me to eat. I don't have an appetite." "You're not going to heal this way," Omar tried to reason with her, his voice calm. "Have at least a little to eat so that you take your medicines. Please? Do it for me." "I said I'm not hungry!" she snapped. "Is it so hard to leave me alone? Please get out!" She yelled. "Please." "I'm going nowhere," Omar said, shaking his head. "Also, you're going to eat," he stated, his voice laced with finality. "Open your mouth." With glassy eyes, Rashida continued to stare at him. "Rashida," He called gently. 'Open up." "Omar, let's go home, please." She begged. "I don't want to stay here any longer." "You haven't healed completely, so we can't go home now. The doctor also advised we wa
Last Updated : 2024-07-29
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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."
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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
