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Behind A Smile 071
Watching them, Zynah knew she didn't make a mistake by letting Bilal know about his son. The love that shimmered in his eyes for the little boy was like none Zynah had ever seen. Not even when he claimed to be madly in love with her. The amount of tears he had she'd in such a short span of time was more than she had ever seen. Bilal was the type to never allow his emotions rule over his sanity. He always had that toxic masculinity all over him. He believed crying as a man was a sign of weakness. The day he saw them at the marketplace, she had seen tears in his eyes, but he still managed to keep his emotions under control. But this time, he wasn't even trying to suppress his feelings. He laid his heart bare, letting his vulnerable side show. Maybe. Just maybe, he'd make a good father to their son after all. "Adnan, sweetheart," Zynah called, also crouching to his level. She gently pulled him from Bilal's embrace and turned him around to face her. She wanted to ask him how he knew
Behind A Smile 072
Zaahida took a look at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were all red and puffy for crying too much. "This is all that bit**'s fault! I'm going to make her pay for this." Dashing to where her handbag was on the bed, she fumbled for her phone. She dialed Mr. Idris's number, but before it could ring, she ended it. She didn't want him to disturb him with such little matters. Instead, she opted for Nazmeera. Since Nazmeera was on her side, she'd advise her on what to do next. She had seen how serious Bilal was when he told her to leave the house. "Hello, Naz," she started as soon as the call was accepted, her voice laced with urgency. "I really need your help right now." "Calm down, Zaahida and tell me what's wrong. Why do you sound out of breath?" Nazmeera asked. "It's Bilal! He—" Nazmeera heavy breath filled Zaahida's ear. "Again?" "He told me to leave the house." She continued, fidgeting with her fingers. "What?" Nazmeera exclaimed. "What did you do this time,
Behind A Smile 073
Short of words, Zynah gazed at him. He got married to someone else? Good! Why did he feel the need to let her know? Certainly, he didn't expect her to be envious of the same life she ran away from. She shrugged, her demeanor nonchalant. She didn't expect him to not move on after four years. It was his life. He could do as he pleased with it. "Why are you telling me this? It's none of my business, or," she scoffed. "Do you want a congratulations from me?" "I'm telling you because I don't want to hide anything from you. I wanted to be the one to tell you before you hear it elsewhere. This concerns you, Zynah, because we're still married. I'm still your husband." "Not for long," Zynah mumbled. Bilal seemingly didn't hear her because he didn't reply. "I'm not asking you to be honest with me," Bilal continued, searching her eyes. "But I want you to be honest with yourself that you're not affected by this. That you are not hurt by this and that you feel absolutely nothing hearin
Behind A Smile 074
After Bilal had driven off, Zynah walked into the house with a sleeping Adnan on her shoulder. Her face scrunched up in anger. The ultimatum Bilal had given her left her completely stressed. She definitely didn't want to breath the same air with him, talk more of sharing a house with him for three while months. She wasn't ready to go back to her previous life even though it'd be temporary. Heaving a sigh of exasperation, she walked into the house. Rashida was curled up in the couch, a fashion magazine in her hands. "Assalamu'alaykum," Zynah greeted, making Rashida shift her attention to her. "Wa'alaykum salaam," She replied, averting her attention back to the magazine in front of her. Zynah smiled. She wasn't a tad surprised by her cold behavior because she was already used to it. Rashida had never liked her no matter how she tried. She had given up trying a long time ago. Just as Zynah was about to walk past her, Rashida spoke, making her stop in her tracks. She turned
Behind A Smile 075
Since Ramlah got back from her meeting with Dr. Muslim, she had been pondering over his proposal. She had expected it, but not so soon. She heaved a sigh. Did she love him? She had no idea, so she decided to pray istikhara for Allah to show her the right decision to make. "Ramlah! Are you in there?" Rashida suddenly called from the other side of the door. "Yes, Ya Rashida, the door is unlocked," she replied. "Mom wants to talk to us. Meet us in the room," she said and right after, Ramlah heated the sound of her footsteps retreating. Ramlah heaved a sigh. "What now? The problems never seem to end! • When everyone had gathered in the room, Mr. Aliyu began. "Rashida has told us about the condition he gave you," He stated, putting emphasis on the word 'He' Mr. Aliyu seemed too irritated to even utter his name. "Have you made a decision already?" Zynah had thought long and hard about what she wanted. She nodded. "I'm not going to accept his condition." Her voice was shaky,
Behind A Smile 076
"Adnan! Adnan!!" Zynah yelled, racing down the stairs. She couldn't bring herself to calm down even for a split second. Her thoughts kept drifting to many possibilities. What if Bilal had taken him to get back at her? She checked every nook and corners of the living room, but couldn't find him. She climbed up the stairs again and headed to the room she used to share with Ramlah and Rashida. Without knocking, she pushed open the door and barged in, startling Rashida who was seated on a stool in front of the mirror. "Are you out of your mind?" Rashida yelled, placing a protective hand on her bump. "What was that for? Is it your plan to harm my baby?" Breathlessly, she asked. "Where is Adnan?" "Adnan is missing?" Ramlah asked, emerging from the bathroom. "Are you sure? Have you checked the room properly? He might be there somewhere." "He's not! I have checked the room thoroughly, he isn't there. If he isn't here as well, someone must have taken him!" "So you're insinuati
Behind A Smile 001
"Who the hell were you speaking to, on phone just now?!" He asked, his voice laced with fury and distrust. She flinched at the tone of his voice, the phone clattering to the floor. Her lips quivered in a violent manner and her body began to tremble tremendously, like someone drenched in rain and had caught a cold. "I... I'm -" she attempted to explain herself, but was caught off by a resounding slap on her left cheek. Pain surged into her body from the impact of the monstrous contact against her cheek. Even without seeing it, she knew his palm would have definitely left its ugly print on her.She mustered all the patience she could and stopped herself from retaliating or even shedding a tear in his presence. He was not worth her tears at all, but in another viewpoint, she couldn't blame him for the way he was currently treating her. It was all her fault. She caused everything upon herself. If only she knew the type of a person he was...If only she could turn back the hands of tim
Behind A Smile 002
Consciousness flickered back, a slow tide pushing against the darkness. She was still lying where she had passed out. Wincing, Zynah pushed herself upright, her whole body aching. As she began to maneuver to their room—their room? Why was she even sharing a room with the monster? Why couldn't she muster the courage to escape from the house and his life for good? A butter laugh escaped her lips. The answer was simple — she had nowhere else to go. As cruel as he was to her, he was the only person who considered her family in the whole world. She had no one else to run to for help. With a shaky hand, Zynah grasped the doorknob and twisted it as gently as she could, revealing her supposed husband in bed. The brightness of his phone screen shone on his face. He didn't look up from his phone, oblivious of her return. She heaved a small sigh of relief for it was exactly what she wanted and needed— invisibility. This way, she wouldn't have to deal with his condescension, even if it would be
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