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Behind A Smile 130
A week passed by in what seemed like a blink of an eye. Dr. Muslim had invited his parents over and the date of the wedding had been fixed to take place in the next four months. Without a doubt, Ramlah was excited for her upcoming wedding, but she couldn't help, but feel sad for her sister. In two months, all ties with Bilal would be severed. She would finally regain her freedom. But she couldn't imagine what would become of Zynah then. She would be all alone again. Would she consider getting married to someone else? Would she give love a another chance? Ramlah knew the answer was a big no. They had talked about it before and Zynah bluntly told her that she would never remarry. Ramlah was still lost in her thoughts, when her phone began to ring. She snapped out of her trance, and picked it up. A small smile curled up her lips when she saw the caller ID. "Speak of the devil!" she mumbled before receiving the call. "As salam alaikum, sis!" "Wa 'alaykum salam, Ramlah," Zynah r
Behind A Smile 131
Immediately the doorbell rang, Zynah was already there to get the door. With a warm smile, she welcomed Ramlah. "Thank you so much for coming. Please come in," she ushered Ramlah into the living room. Zynah disappeared into the kitchen to get Ramlah a glass of water. She returned shortly after and served it to her. "I'm sorry for making you cancel your plans," she apologized, her voice filled with genuine regret. "I hope he's not angry." Ramlah shook her head. "It's fine. Really," she assured Zynah. "He understood when I explained to him. By the way, where is my baby Adnan?" "His father took him out," Zynah replied. A flicker of concern passed over Ramlah's face. "Oh! Just the two of them?" "Yes," Zynah confirmed, gazing sagaciously at her. "Is there a problem with that?" Ramlah but her lower lip, her gaze darting away. "I'm just worried he might...you know? Try to take him away." "Be rest assured he will do no such thing," Zynah's reply was almost immediate.
Behind A Smile 132
"What have I done! What have I done!" Zaahida panicked, her breaths emerging in ragged pants, and her whole body trembled visibly. Her heart thumped harder against her chest at the sight of blood splattered all over her windshield.• For some inexplicable reason, Zynah suddenly felt uneasy. The pandemonium outside only made the feeling worse. She dashed out of the house, and her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her. "Adnan!" She screamed. "Adnaaaaaaan!" She screamed even louder. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She shook her head in denial. It couldn't be what she was thinking. "Zynah!" Bilal rushed to her aid just before her legs could give out. "Ad...Adnan.. Bilal, our son," She stuttered, tears brimming up in her eyes, as she pointed to the scene in front of her. "Zynah," Bilal called, tapping her cheek lightly with the sole aim of bringing her back to reality. "Put yourself together! Look over there, Adnan is safe. Our son is alright." With glossy e
Behind A Smile 133
"You said you wanted to be alone, didn't you?" Zynah rolled her eyes. "Let go of me, please. I don't want to do this with you in front of Adnan." "Zynah..." His voice trailed. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you. I...I didn't mean what I said. I always want you to be wherever I am. You know this. I need you always. I'm just..." he heaved a deep sigh. "I'm so worried for Nazmeera. I don't want her to die, Zynah." Zynah turned around and her lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. "I understand... I just didn't expect you to snap at me like that. I wouldn't have even be here with you if I didn't care. I also want her to be alright." Bilal nodded in agreement. "Thank you so much, Zynah." His gaze then darted to Adnan. He crouched down in front of him and cupped his face, his fingers caressing his cheeks affectionately. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" He nodded, showing him his bandaged elbow and bruised knee. Bilal cringed. "Does it hurt a lot? show me." "Yes,"
Behind A Smile 134
"So he's coming back?" Bilal asked, ignoring her question deliberately. "Yes," Zynah replied, unperturbed. "He just called to inform me." "I didn't know that you still keep in touch with him," he said, leaning against the counter. "You must be very happy that he's returning." Zynah gazed incredulously at him. His words were accusatory. "I do talk to him. Sometimes," She added the last part to make the issue seem less complicated. "You must be happy he is returning," He repeated, meeting her gaze. "He is the reason you want to be divorced, right?" Zynah heaved a deep sigh. "To be honest with you, I don't know how to reply this." It was obvious Bilal wanted to argue again but she was not in the mood for a fight. "There's nothing between the both of us. I..." She trailed off, heaving another sigh. "Can we please not talk about this now?" "Fine then," He shrugged. "Where's Adnan?" "I guess he is in his room." She responded. Then, she remembered Nazmeera. "How...how is
Behind A Smile 135
Bilal was seated in his room, in deep thoughts, when Zynah walked in. She took a seat beside him on the bed and handed him some tablets and a glass of water. "It's time for your medicines," she said, her voice soft as always. Bilal took the pills from her, his fingers brushing hers in the process. "Thank you," He said. Then, with a swift movement, he put the pills in his mouth and pushed them down with a gulp of water. "You're welcome," Zynah replied with a smile. "How is Nazmeera doing? Any improvement?" "No,"He shook his head, his voice heavy. "She's still unconscious." "May Allah grant her a quick recovery," Zynah prayed, her voice filled with sincerity. She still felt extremely grateful to Nazmeera for saving her child. "Ameen," He responded, his voice barely audible. Without warning, he reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers in hers. Gently, he began to caress her skin. "I know Nazmeera has done a lot of bad things to us in the past," he began, his
Behind A Smile 136
"Zaahida has been caught!" Bilal announced, his voice laced with gratification. "Really?" Zynah asked, releasing a long breath. "This is good news! I have been so scared, thinking she would come for Adnan. When did they catch her? I mean...where did they find her?" Bilal shrugged. "At their house. Apparently, her mother was hiding her. She was also taken into custody as an accomplice. Anyway, I came to inform you that I'm going to the station to see and make sure she gets punished for her crimes." Zynah came forward. "I will go with you," She declared. Bilal shook his head. "Adnan will be all alone here. It's not really safe. You should stay home," He suggested. "What are you going to do there anyway?" "No," Zynah, too, shook her head, adamantly. "I also have lots of questions for Zaahida. She'll have to answer to them. Adnan is asleep right now. We will be back before he wakes up." Bilal, knowing there was nothing he could do to change Zynah's mind, yielded. "Okay, y
Behind A Smile 137
"You're—" "Let me," Mrs. Habiba intervened, cutting her daughter off. "So, Bilal, you don't have any regards left for me. You brought your wife here, so that the both of you can insult my daughter in front of me?" she asked, her voice dripping with disbelief. "After divorcing my daughter without any valid reason, you have the effrontery to show yourself to me. We entrusted our daughter to you, because we thought you were going to take good care of her, but what did you do? You disregarded her and made our family a laughing stock in the neighborhood. Is this how you repay us for all the goodness we've shown you and your family?" "I didn't ask for anything from your family!" Bilal hissed. "I never wanted to marry your daughter, and you know it! Don't act shocked. You probably saw this coming. Whatever is happening to her, you played a huge role in it. Sometimes, I feel bad that she has someone like you for a mother!" "How dare you!" Mrs. Habiba yelled, her voice trembling. "Y
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