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Behind 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 : 2024-07-29Behind A Smile 110
In less than a minute, Zaahida, as well as Nazmeera came barging into the room. Zaahida's hand flew over her mouth in shock. Nazmeera pushed Zynah out of her way and rushed towards her motionless brother. "What happened to him?" She asked in a high pitched voice. "Bilal! Please wake up! It's Nazmeera!" Due to the situation at hand, Zynah didn't react to being pushed. She simply stepped aside. Stunned, Zaahida watched the scene. Her lips trembled, unable to form words, her body frozen in place. "What the heck did you do to him?" Nazmeera pointed a finger at Zynah, accusingly. Zynah shook her head in disbelief - while trying to help, she was being accused? Thinking about it rationally now, she came to the conclusion that Bilal was poisoned by Zaahida. "If you care so much, why don't you ask Zaahida? You poisoned him, didn't y—" she abruptly cut herself off. "Oh! You two are even allies. Well, Nazmeera, you should know that she," she pointed to Zaahida. "Probably pois
Last Updated : 2024-07-30Behind A Smile 111
"Ibrahim..." Zynah's voice trailed. "How have you and Adnan been?" He inquired, his voice carrying the familiar warmth. "Surviving," She responded. "We have been fine, I guess. How are things over there?" "I had been expecting you'd call to check up on me, but you didn't," he voiced, his tone laced with disappointment. "I guess you've been extremely busy to do that." "I..." Momentarily, Zynah trailed off, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry about that, I have been preoccupied with things. It wasn't intentional at all." "I know," he said. "But at least you should have called to check on me. We're supposed to have each other's back, you know." He added, then paused for a while. "By the way, I want to know how the divorce process is going." Zynah heaved a sigh. "I haven't even spent a month here yet. Quite some time left before the divorce is finalized." Ibrahim's response was a low grunt. Then, a bombshell. "What if I told you that you don't have to wait for that
Last Updated : 2024-07-31Behind A Smile 112
Immediately Zynah had the sound of a car screeching to a halt in front of the house, the rate of her heartbeat increased. She couldn't help, but be worried about Bilal's health. Just as she walked into the living room, Bilal, Nazmeera and Zaahida walked him. Zynah's gaze fixed on Bilal - he had bags underneath his eyes and he looked pale. She wondered why he was discharged so soon. He looked far from recovered. "How..." She trailed off. "How are you?" "I'm—" Before Bilal could reply, Adnan raced into the living room, his arms outstretched. "Daddy!" Bilal scooped him up, a tender smile stretching his lips. Zaahida rolled her eyes and retreated to a corner. "Daddy, Mummy said you are sick and the doctor is going to give you an injection but if I pray for you, then the doctor is not going give you an injection anymore, so I prayed for you. Did you get an injection?" Bilal's gaze drifted to Zynah, his eyes conveying his silent gratitude before averting back to Adnan.
Last Updated : 2024-08-01Behind A Smile 113
Bilal pulled over in front of the house and alighted the car to get the door for Adnan, but before he could, Zynah had already done that. His gaze lingered on her for a little too long. He didn't fail to notice her foul mood. The urge to ask her about it was a huge one, but caution held him back. He didn't want her to feel like he was crossing a boundary. His lips parted, then closed, the unspoken question dying on his tongue. "When you're done, please give me a call, I'll come get you both," he began, his voice gentle. "Or...I could wait for you to get done and..." He trailed off as he sought the right words. Zynah could only hum in response. Her eyes filled with an emotion that couldn't quite be deciphered. Her eyes held his captive for a fleeting moment before she turned away, taking Adnan's hand. "Let's go Adnan." Instantly, Adnan wriggled out of Zynah's grasp and sprinted towards his father, his small hands wrapping around Bilal's legs. "Please don't go, Daddy," he ple
Last Updated : 2024-08-01Behind A Smile 114
"Ya Zynah!!!" Ramlah emerged from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist, and threw her arms around Zynah. "Why didn't you inform me you were coming?" She disentangled her arms from around her and crouched down to Adnan's level. "I missed you so much, Adnan," She embraced him tightly. "How have you been? You've been taking care of mummy, like promised, rig-" abruptly, she cut herself off, as her gaze darted to Bilal who was standing behind Zynah. "I missed you too, Aunty Ramlah." Adnan replied, drawing back her attention. "Daddy brought a lot of toys for me at the mall. Where is granny?" "Aww! Adnan has really grown," Ramlah pointed out, her voice laced with amusement. "He talks very well now." "Of course." Zynah replied with a small smile, playing on her lips. "He's a big boy now. He's going to be four in less than a month." Ramlah's gaze darted to Bilal again, her eyes narrowed. "What's that man doing in our house?" she spat, her voice dripping with disapproval. "
Last Updated : 2024-08-02
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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
