187.

For the umpteenth time, Zynah's gaze flickered between the the clock hanging on the wall and the door.

She had given Adnan the permission to go to Khalid's house but the agreement has been clear. He was to stay there for only two hours. Adnan wouldn't stop begging, she had to give in. The time had passed and he still hadn't returned. Zynah's heart raced, a mix of anxiety and anger swirling within her. After waiting for a few more minutes, she finally decided to go there and fetch him herself.

Draped in a long, flowing brown hijab, Zynah paused before the mirror. She took the opportunity to look at her reflection in the mirror. Something she barely did anymore. Since Bilal's death, she had stopped caring about how she looked and all that, but today, for some inexplicable reason, she wanted to look good. She wanted to get a glimpse of the old Zynah. The Zynah who was so vibrant and full of life before she got married.

With a careful precision, she adjusted the hijab, and added a