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Behind 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
Behind 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
Behind 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.
Behind 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
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"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. "
Behind A Smile 115
"Zy...Zynah." Rashida's voice broke as she approached Zynah. Her eyes always filled with arrogance and disdain, were now replaced with remorse. Omar appeared from behind Rashida, extending his hand to Bilal for a handshake. "Assalamu'alaykum." "Wa' alaykum salam," Bilal answered, taking his outstretched hand. "We were just about to go to your house," Omar said, his gaze shifting between Zynah and Bilal. "I'll just go straight to the point," he cleared his throat before continuing. "In life, we make mistakes, sometimes big ones that cannot be overlooked, while most of the times, small ones that are not even noticeable by humans. Rashida made a terrible mistake - a mistake she regrets deeply. She wishes to seek your forgiveness. Please find it in your hearts to forgive her." Bilal lowered his head, his eyes cast downward. "Frankly speaking," he began, his voice low. "I don't believe I deserve an apology. The mistake wasn't hers alone. In fact, it's more of my mistake than h
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"Bilal!" Zynah shrilled, darting towards him. "Are you Alright? Is your stoma-" Bilal quickly replied, cutting her off. "I'm alright, Zynah." "Are you sure? I mean, you just..." She trailed off, searching for the right words to express her concern. "Are you sure you're fine?" He forced a smile. "I am. Don't worry." "If you're sick, you should go to a hospital," Hafsa chimed in. "I'm not," he denied, standing up from his seat and moving towards Hafsa. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I know I haven't asked for your forgiveness yet, for what I did to your daughter." He lowered his head in submission, his voice filled with genuine remorse. "I'm sorry, please find it in your heart to forgive me. I truly regret my actions." Hafsa's gaze lingered on Bilal, before darting to Zynah, her expression unreadable. Finally, she spoke, her voice stern. "I can't say I'm disappointed in you, because I never trusted you from the beginning." Her words were like daggers in Bilal
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Zynah's lips spread into a broad smile. "For real? Oh my God! This is great news. It's the best I've gotten all day! Who is he? Tell me who the lucky man is!" Ramlah blushed, burying her face in her folded palms. "You know him already." "I do?" Zynah asked, tilting her head to the side as she tried to piece together the puzzle. "I don't think so. Who's he?" "It's Doctor Muslim," Ramlah replied, freeing her from her thoughts. Zynah's eyes widened in disbelief. "Doctor Muslim? Adnan's doctor?" Ramlah nodded, a shy smile gracing her lips. "Yes, Adnan's doctor." Zynah's expression shifted, a thoughtful frown replaced her initial surprise and excitement. "He seems like a good man, but..." She hesitated, her voice filled with concern. "How well do you know this man to have agreed to get married already, Ramlah?" "He's a good man, sis," Ramlah's voice held confidence. "I know it in my heart. He's never given me any reason to doubt his intentions towards. me. What do yo
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