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Behind A Smile 176
As soon as Nazmeera heard the good news, she couldn't contain her excitement. She rushed to the house to congratulate her. Zynah, having just finished eating her food, was peacefully resting in her room when Nazmeera arrived. She knocked on the door and immediately she was permitted to enter, she did. "Congratulations, Zynah!" Nazmeera beamed, her voice filled with exuberance. "I rushed here immediately Ramlah informed me. Congratulations. I'm glad that you and the baby are fine." Zynah's eyes sparkled with gratitude. "Thank you, Nazmeera." "How are you feeling?" Nazmeera asked, her voice filled with care. "I hope you're not in any pain." "I'm feeling alright," Zynah replied, a small smile on her lips. It actually felt surreal to her that Nazmeera, whom had hated her for the time she had known her was now caring towards her. Nazmeera smiled in response, her excitement continuing to bubble. "Ramlah also told me it's a boy. Can I hold him?" She eagerly requested. "W
Last Updated : 2024-09-15Behind A Smile 177
Nazmeera's face lit up. "Really? His name is Bilal?" Zynah nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "His name is Bilal," she confirmed. Ramlah hummed, her gaze fixed on her sister as if she wanted to say something to her but was holding back because Nazmeera was there. "It's a surprise," she finally spoke, her gaze still fixated on Zynah. "When did you decide to name him after his father?" Judging by Ramlah facial expression, Zynah knew she wasn't exactly pleased by her decision to make her baby after his late father, but it didn't matter to her. She had made her decision, and she'd stand by it. "Since I found out I was having a boy," Zynah replied. "I don't know what to say," Nazmeera said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Zynah. This makes me feel less sad about, you know..." Zynah understood perfectly Nazmeera's emotions because she was feeling exactly the same. It felt like Bilal had returned through their son. It helped lessened the pain of loss. Nazmeera spent
Last Updated : 2024-09-16Behind A Smile 178
Languidly, Zynah stood by the kitchen's door; her gaze scanning her now messed up kitchen - the floor was decorated with grains of rice, mixed with vegetable oil. On the counter, were broken eggs, with shells hanging around. Horrifically, her eyes widened and her hand flew over her agape mouth, when she realized the cooker was turned on and a pan, covered by an oversized lid was placed over it, the acrid smell of burnt food filling the air. Beside the counter, were two stools - one placed on the other. Zynah quickly walked over to the cooker and turned it off. Without thinking, she placed a hand over the lid in an attempt to lift it, but immediately her hand touched the overheated cover, intuitively, she pulled away, a little too vigorously as her skin sizzled, pushing the pot off the cooker, accidentally and making the concoction splatter all over the place. Zynah heaved an exasperated sigh and shook her head in disbelief. She knew the children were mischievous, but she ne
Last Updated : 2024-09-17Behind A Smile 179
Zynah sat down on her perfectly made bed and massaged her temples, with a hand. In all the years she had had to take care of her children alone, she had never gotten that angry at them for a mistake before, but today, inexplicably, she had lost her temper, and even threatened to hit Adnan. "Is this paranoia, like Ramlah said?" In an attempt to get rid of the thought from her head, she shook her head and picked up her phone from the nightstand and stared at her screensaver - a cherished photograph of Bilal and Adnan she had captured, while they were sleeping. It was certainly one of her favorite pictures of all time. Each time she was stressed out, a glance at the picture, was all it took for her to calm down. It made her feel her late husband's presence - as if he was assuring her that she wasn't alone. That he was with her in spirit. "Would things have been much easier with you here?" she whispered, her voice filled with longing. Years had passed, yet the void in her heart rema
Last Updated : 2024-09-17Behind A Smile 180
Zynah raced to the gate, her heart thumping fast in her chest. She found the lazy gatekeeper sprawled out on his bench, as usual. His eyes were closed, but it didn't seem he was asleep; he had an earpiece in his ears and was humming a tune. Zynah called out his name, but due to the obvious reasons, he didn't respond. Frustrated, she kicked the bench, startling him, and causing him to almost fall off the bench. He quickly removed the earpiece from his ear and sprang up. Then, he apologized; "I'm sorry, ma. I didn't hear you calling." Zynah suppressed the urge to roll her eyes him. "How would you, when you had stuff in your ears. Is this what I paid you to do for me? It seems you're beginning to forget your purpose here." "I'm so—" Zynah held up a hand, silencing him. "Keep your apology to yourself. I don't need it. It doesn't even matter now. Where are my children? Did they leave the house?" "Yes," he replied, his voice flat. Zynah couldn't believe her ears. It sou
Last Updated : 2024-09-18Behind A Smile 181
"How could you allow two children - two little children out of your sight and later claim to care about them? What sort of a careless mother are you! Had it been I'm a kidnapper or a ritualist, have you thought of what the repercussions would be? Did you think of what would have happened to these innocent kids? You're lucky. Lucky to have been blessed with kids, but instead of taking care of them, like you should, you take them for granted." He lectured, his brows tightly furrowed. "That little boy over there," he pointed to Jr. "Has been crying for his mother. It took a while, before I could calm him down and this boy, right here," He remarked, referring to Adnan. "He looked so sad and when I asked him what was wrong, he told me he doesn't want to return home. Only Allah knows what torture you and your husband put these innocent kids through. Careless people, such as yourselves, don't deserve to be parents!" The man's words, like sharp knives, tore through Zynah's heart. She felt
Last Updated : 2024-09-19Behind A Smile 182
Zynah's eyes narrowed as she took in the unexpected visitor. The sight of him just standing casually in front of her door sent a shiver down her spine. "What are you doing here?" Zynah questioned, her gaze trailing to the huge clock, hanging on the wall. "At this time of the day too. Don't tell me you actually fo—" an involuntary gasp, escaped her mouth. "What do you want, mister?" "Good evening, madam,' He greeted, with a hardened demeanor. "I didn't know you live here, otherwise, I wouldn't have come. After the last encounter we had, believe me, seeing you again is not on my bucket list," he said, his tone flat. Zynah huffed, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at the stranger. "Then can you kindly explain to me why you're here? At this time? Who even let you in?" "Obviously the gateman," He deadpanned. Zynah shook her head in disdain and gnashed her teeth. She made a mental note to fire him the next day. She was done with him. "What do you want?" she asked again. "To j
Last Updated : 2024-09-20Behind A Smile 183
The morning sun was hot, extremely hot. The ray of light from the sun, penetrated through the window and shone on Zynah's face. Her brows arched and intuitively, she raised a hand to block the invasion. Her eyes slowly opened, then widened in the next second. She sprung to a sitting position and fumbled around for her phone on the nightstand. Zynah's eyes widened even more, when she saw what the time was. She had gone back to sleep, after fajr prayer. Her head snapped to the side and she discovered Bilal Jr was not lying there anymore. Unlike Adnan, he preferred to stay close to his mother. He was so used to her company, he couldn't stay away, for more than an hour. He was such a clingy little soul. Zynah wasn't complaining though. She loved the attention too. The first thought that crossed her mind, was the possibility of them up to another mischief again, but on a second thought, she believed it was not the case. Not after what happened the previous day. She shook her head. Sh
Last Updated : 2024-09-22
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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
