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Behind A Smile 120
Throughout the night, Zynah couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning. Her mind had been constantly railing over Bilal's words. What did he mean by making the statement: let's make unforgettable memories? She swallowed as a wave of paranoia washed over her. The ethereal call to dawn prayer broke her out of her trance. Her gaze softened as it landed on Adnan, who was peacefully sleeping beside her on the bed. She planted a tender kiss on the forehead, before getting out of bed and sauntering to the bathroom to perform her ablution. Emerging from the bathroom, she put on her hijab, spread the prayer mat and began to offer her prayers. With the prayer completed, she took the holy Qur'an and began to recite suratul yasin. As the final verse echoed in the room, she lifted her hands in supplication. Her heart poured out in earnest prayers for the prophet, peace and blessings upon him, for her family, including Bilal, then finally, for the ummah at large. • Bilal returned fro
Behind A Smile 121
"Zaahida..." Bilal's voice trailed. He couldn't bring himself to form a coherent sentence.The scene before him was terrifying. Another cruel smirk twisted Zaahida's lips as she tightened her grip on the knife. "Too bad you're going to witness 'the love of your life' die." She emphasized, her voice as sharp as the knife she was holding. Tears rolled down the sides of Zynah's face - Zaahida was acting like a total psychopath. It scared her, but she was even more scared for Adnan. She silently prayed for him to remain sleeping in the room. "Zaahida..." Bilal called again. "Let's talk about this, okay? You're acting like a lunatic right now. Drop that knife, let's talk!" "There's nothing to talk about," She boomed, her voice echoing across the room. "You've already made my stand in your life clear to me, all because of this nuisance! I'm going to kill her today. You can kill me afterwards, I don't care. In fact, I'll be happy that none of us will have you. Since she's decided
Behind A Smile 122
Disbelief washed over Zaahida. "No...no...no." She frantically shook her head as if to dispel a nightmare. This couldn't be real. She had to be hallucinating. "In the next thirty minutes, I want you out of this house. Do make me drag you out," He spat, then turned and walked out of the kitchen. Zynah's heart ached for Zaahida. The sight of her distress was almost unbearable. She knew that wasn't supposed to feel sorry for the person who wanted to take her life, but thinking about it rationally, she realized that Zaahida did everything out of the enormous love she had for Bilal. She only wanted to be loved in return. She felt it was extremely unfair of Bilal to divorce her. A part of her wanted to comfort Zaahida, to tell her that it was for the best, but she knew it'd be futile. Zaahida would only see her as an excited rival who'd finally gotten her longtime wish. Zaahida glared at Zynah, her eyes red and puffy from crying so much. "This is all your fault, you witch!" she
Behind A Smile 123
With shaky hands, Zaahida brought the phone to her ear. "Naz...Nazmeera." Her voice cracked mid sentence. "Oh my God!" Nazmeera exclaimed. "What's wrong, Zaahida? Why do you sound like you've been crying?" "Bilal..Bilal," she managed to choke out. Nazmeera's voice sharpened. "What happened to him? What the hell have you done to my brother?" Because Zaahida wasn't in the right frame of mind, she chose to ignore Nazmeera's accusation. "He... He divorced me, Nazmeera, Bilal has divorced me," She said, bursting into sobs. "What?" Nazmeera's voice was laced with shock. "Please calm down and explain to me in a way I will understand. Why did he divorce you? You must have done something extreme that triggered him to do it. What did you do?" "It's all that witch's fault!" Zaahida cried. "But this isn't the end, Nazmeera. She hasn't seen the worst of me yet. I'll destroy her life in ways she will never be able to comprehend. I will make her question her existence. I will—"
Behind A Smile 124
Zynah sat tensely in the living room, her gaze fixed on the front door, awaiting Bilal's arrival for their hospital visit. The silence was shattered when Zaahida dashed out of the house with nothing, but car keys clutched in her hand. Zynah was surprised. She had anticipated a dramatic exit, but not this abrupt departure. Not after she had sworn not to leave the house without putting on a fight. She shrugged her shoulders, spurning the thought from her mind. Bilal entered, clad in a white jallabiya, with Adnan trailing behind. "Are you sure you want to come along?" He asked for the umpteenth time. Zynah simply nodded in response, her determination unwavering. "Alright then," he heaved a deep sigh. "Let's go?" She nodded again. "Are we going to granny's?" Adnan suddenly asked. "No, son," Bilal replied and paused for some seconds, thinking of what to tell him. "We're going for a drive," a reassuring smile accompanied his words. "Really, Daddy?" "Yes, champ." He
Behind A Smile 125
Bilal maneuvered to where his car was parked. He fumbled for the handle, his movement jerky. Once inside, he slumped into the driver's seat, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. His palms were slick with sweat and his heart continued to race in his chest. Up until the moment, he still couldn't bring himself to believe that his father would actually go ahead with his threat to disown him. Bilal had always thought he always only used it as a weapon to get him to do whatever he wanted, but apparently not. Mr. idris hadn't exactly been a good father to Bilal by only providing him with material things. What he needed ever since he was just a child was his father's undivided attention and unconditional love. Bilal had yearned to get the love of a mother, who he wasn't opportune to meet, in his father. He has always wanted someone he could go to for advice but Mr. Idris had never been available. Although he hadn't been the ideal father to him, Bilal was contented with the fact that he
Behind A Smile 126
"As salam 'alaykum wa rahmatulah wa barakatuh!" (Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you). The deep, familiar voice echoed through the living room. Ramlah's heart skipped as she recognized the voice. It was Mr. Aliyu. Her father was finally back! With a surge of excitement, she leapt from the couch and raced towards the door. "Dad?" She jumped up and raced towards the door and opened it. "Dad!" She threw her arms around him tightly. "Welcome home! I have missed you terribly." Mr. Aliyu chuckled, returning the embrace warmly. "I missed you too, but I missed my beautiful wife even more. How have you been? How's You look taller and plumber. What have you been eating?" "Dad," She giggled. "That's impossible. I haven't gained any weight." "If you say so," he replied settling onto the couch. "Where is your mother?" "She went to see the neighbors. She will be back soon," Ramlah responded. "Alright. Call Rashida and Omar. I want to speak to them." "They have alread
Behind A Smile 127
"End stage renal disease is a severe, irreversible condition where the kidneys have completely stopped functioning." Zynah couldn't believe her ears. A tear slipped out of her eyes without her even knowing. "What...what do you mean by end...end stage?" she stammered. "It's the last stage of kidney failure," the doctor explained further. "If this condition had been detected earlier, medications may have slowed down the progression. Unfortunately, we've reached the final stage." Zynah's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Are you saying he is not going to get better now? Is there no hope?" "Of course not," The doctor shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying. His life can be prolonged if he is put on dialysis or preferably, undergoes a kidney transplant. I have had this discussion with him before, and the transplant needs to be done as soon as possible." "Kidney transplant?" She asked, swallowing a lump that suddenly formed in her throat. She couldn't help but remember
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