Behind A Smile
Khadijah Sidi Aliyu (deey_jah)
Chapter eight

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Unlocking the door, Zynah turned the doorknob. "I told you to b- Nazmeera?" Her eyes widened in horror. Was she hallucinating? It can't be! It can't be!! - the words kept on chanting in her mind like a mantra.

"Yes." She rolled her eyes. "Nazmeera."

Zynah's chest fell and her heartbeat accelerated - Nazmeera at their doorstep? Things were definitely going to get uglier for her now. She could recall just how much she was hated by her. How much she made life a living hell for her, the last time she visited. If possible, she was worse than her brother, Bilal.

"Are you going to let me into my brother's house or keep me stranded by the doorstep?" She queried.

Wordlessly, Zynah moved aside, giving way for her to go in. The way she left her luggage by the door for her to carry in, did not go unnoticed by her. She never stopped at nothing to make her life difficult and this time was not going to be an exception - she knew this all too well...

And just like suspected, she spoke; "take my luggage to my room and be very careful with them as I have breakable things in them." Not waiting for her reply, she roughly pushed her aside and ambled into the house.

Zynah fought back the urge to cry. Why should she cry? She was stronger than this! If she could bear the torture from her own husband, then who was Nazmeera that she couldn't bear her torture? - she was no one. Absolutely no one important to her and the best she could do was avoid her in all possible ways. She had come for nothing, but trouble.

Gathering the luggage and dragging them into the house, she met Nazmeera seated on one of the sofas with her leg crossed over the other. Immediately their gazes met, Zynah averted hers and continued walking towards the guest room, when she got startled by the tone in which Nazmeera used in calling her.

"Hey you!"

Turning around hesitatingly, she spoke with a confident voice. "What do you need?"

She narrowed her eyes at her. "What can I possibly need from a worthless person such as yourself?"

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Zynah smiled. "I can see you need nothing from me. I suppose I can take my leave now."

"Is this the way your good for nothing mother told you to receive visitors?"

Mustering all of the patience in her, she ignored the insult.

"I'm just coming from a long journey. Aren't you supposed to have served me some food and refreshment? I don't blame you though, you obviously lack home training."

"I'm giving you your respect because you're like a mother to Bilal, but that does not mean you get to say whatever comes your mind. Everything should have its limit." She spoke in a dangerous low voice. Ever since Bilal was birthed, he had considered Nazmeera as his mother, for his mother had passed away while giving birth to him. He respected her a lot and had made it clear to her from the beginning to always respect her as well, if she wanted peace between them. At first, she did not have a problem with that at all. In fact, she always tried to win her love, by spending time with her and buying gifts for her, but all her efforts to make her love her was futile. She did not know the reason, but she hated her from the very beginning. Even before Bilal started to show his true colours. Zynah could not help, but think she had a hand in his sudden change of behavior towards her...

"Is it me you're talking to in this manner?" She seethed.

"What would you like to take?" She smiled, ignoring her question purposely, to irk her.

"Never mind." She scoffed. "I will get it myself. Where is Bilal?"

"He's sleeping in his room." She replied and walked to where the luggage was kept and proceeded towards the guest room.

Unlocking the door and keeping the luggage at the corner of the room, Zynah could not help thinking about Nazmeera and the lies she must probably be feeding Bilal at the moment. She would not be surprised, in fact, she was expecting Bilal to rush out of the room, like a raging bull, calling out her name in disdain - it was not a new thing after all.

Spurning the though from her mind, she changed the bedsheets on the bed with a new one from the closet, then she dusted the room, before taking a broom and sweeping the floor.

After about thirty minutes of making the room more conducive for living, she exited the room for hers and Bilal's to call him as well as his sister down for breakfast.

"Assalamu'alaykum." She muttered under her breath and when she got no reply, she proceeded in nonetheless. Bilal was already awake and was conversing so heartily with his sister - something he had stopped doing with her. He never talked to her anymore and when he did, it was either to scold her or lure her into bed. Overall, he had stopped caring for her. He treated her worse than a slave in the confinement that was supposed to be her marital home. He spoke to her disrespectfully. More disrespectfully than she had ever seen him speak to someone else. In spite of all these, he had refused to divorce her. Never had she asked for a divorce from him despite all he did and was still doing to her, but it was what she wanted deep within. What her heart yearned for. She wanted her freedom once again. She wanted to be able to do the things she liked. She wanted to be herself. To be able to laugh genuinely again - she was tired of being an eccentesiast!

His gaze darted to her disdainfully. "Why haven't you served her anything yet?" He questioned, pointing to his sister.

Here it goes again - she thought. "I was busy cleaning up her room."

"That is not an excuse! Had it been your mother in her place, would you have ignored her the way you ignored my sister?"

Instantly, Zynah felt daggers penetrating her heart. Whenever any of her parent's were mentioned, the pain and regret of what she did to then surged back into her in full force. She knew what he was doing - he mentioned her mother on purpose, because he wanted to add salt in her injury. He knew very well his much she got pained whenever her parents were mentioned.

"Just let it go already." Nazmeera smirked. "She was probably busy as she said."

"No. I won't let it go." He deadpanned.

Through the corner of her eye, Zynah could see her smiling contentedly.

"She will have to rectify her mistake. I can see she is beginning to take me for granted." He continued.

"Just forgive her, please." She instigated.

"No. Please let me take care of this, sis. I am the man of this house and my rules stand. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from her. Not anymore." He said through gnashed teeth. "Look here! You're going to go into that kitchen and prepare something for my sister."

"I have already cooked." She replied curtly.

"It doesn't matter! You're going to prepare something entirely different all over again. Sis?" He averted his gaze to her. "What would you like to eat? Mention anything at all and I will have my wife prepare it for you."

Obliviously, tears welled up in her eyes, but she fought so hard to prevent it from falling and she did what she knew best - she smiled.

"Because I don't want her to stress her much, I will simply like her to make me some samosas." She replied.

"You heard her. Get to work right away and after you're done, I want you to bring my breakfast here." He ordered.

Wordlessly, she turned around and left the room for the kitchen. Sighing heavily, she muttered to herself; "you can do this, Zy." She called herself by the name her father was fond of calling her in the past. "Of course you can." That was the encouragement she needed to start bringing out the ingredients she needed to prepare the snack.

Not long later, Nazmeera walked into the kitchen, laughing heinously.

Not acknowledging her presence in the room, Zynah continued with what she was doing.

"This is just the beginning." She smirked. "I will make life so hard for you that you will prefer taking your own life. I swear."

Rolling her eyes, Zynah sighed dramatically and continued with what she was doing.

"I don't even know why my brother hasn't divorced you yet. I will make sure he does that as soon as possible." She continued.

Please do. I will be forever grateful to you - she said inaudibly.

"I mean, what have you given him for all the time you've been married? Nothing!" She seethed. "You've not even given him a child! The earlier Bilal realises you're incapable of giving him a child, the better it would be for all of us. I can't wait for the day he kicks you out of this mansion."

They had been married for almost three years and she still had not given birth, but it did not bother her much. Perhaps it was for the best. She wouldn't want her future baby to have a cruel person as a father...

"I'm talking you!" She yelled.

Zynah smiled - she was getting her exactly where she wanted. It was her aim to irk and exasperate her, till she could talk no more and leave her alone.

"For the way you spoke to me earlier, I'm going to make you pay right now."

Before Zynah could comprehend what she meant by that statement, she had already picked a knife and cut herself on the arm.

Zynah was taken aback by the vile act on her own self - she gasped. Nazmeera was a bad person - she knew, but she never imagined she would be able to hurt herself in order to make it seem like she did it. "Innalillahi"

Nazmeera smirked, before screaming for help. "Heeeeeelppppp! Please save me, Bilal. This woman is a witch. She wants to kill me. Please save me!!!"

~~~~~~~~

So after many weeks, I'm back with many more dramas for this book!!

If you like this story and would like me to continue, please let me know!!!

Tag 3 - 5 people on Wattpad to read this book 🙏🙏🙏

What will happen next?

Will Bilal believe his sister?

Let's anticipate the next chapter 💃💃💃

deey_jah
Xoxo