Affairs Of The Hearts |✅

46| Hitched...

Abuja, Nigeria.

Jalal whispered the taslim, completing the final salah of the countless nawafil he'd prayed. Gently, he took the holy Qur'an from its rehal and began reading from where he last left off in Suratul Nisa. He had only just started when his phone rang, interrupting the silence. Glancing at the caller ID, he realized it was one of the officers.

"Good day, Mr. Jalal," the officer began.

"Is there any good news?" Jalal asked directly, wasting no time.

The officer hesitated. "I don't know how to say this, Mr. Jalal, but I need you to stay calm and listen carefully." Jalal's heart sank, but he gathered his courage and urged the officer to continue.

"We found a dead body matching the description of Mrs. Jalilah Marshall around Suleja."

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. This can't be true! No! My Jalilah isn't dead... No! No!"

"Please, Mr. Jalal, calm down. We haven't confirmed anything yet; we haven't even seen the face. So, we're not sure."

"She isn't the one! My Jalilah is still alive—I can feel it. Don't ever call with such news again!" Jalal hissed, ending the call in frustration.

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Ya Allah, please let it not be her. Keep my Jalilah safe, wherever she is," he prayed, dropping to his knees in anguish.

After steadying himself, Jalal redialed the officer's number. This time, the officer's words were different. "We've confirmed, Mr. Marshall. She's not the one."

A sigh of relief escaped Jalal before he could even realize it. "Alhamdulillah," he whispered, clutching his Qur'an before heading outside to the garden. These days, the garden was his haven, a place that held memories of Jalilah. He could almost hear her laughter as she playfully splashed him with water, only to gasp in fright when she realized it was him and not Nabeel.

A sad smile tugged at his lips. "May Allah be with you, wherever you are, my Jalilah. I miss you so much and can't wait to be reunited."

Upon hearing the news about Jalilah, Hajiya pressured Alhaji Abdurrahman to book them a flight from Kano to Abuja. They were just beginning to process their turmoil when Aunty Fadeela arrived, storming in with her own accusations.

"My biggest regret was letting you take custody of Jalilah sixteen years ago!" Fadeela shouted, glaring at Alhaji Abdurrahman.

"Fadeela, please! This is not the time for this!"

"Why her? Why my Jalilah? Why didn't they kidnap one of your children, huh? You were all so careless because she isn't your biological child, right?"

"Enough! That's enough, Fadeela!" Alhaji Abdurrahman raised his voice, visibly irritated. "You, of all people, know we've never treated Jalilah any differently from our own. We've loved her, cared for her—enough that she never once wished for her late parents. Jalilah is as precious to us as our own!"

"When Jalilah and Banina were only two, I would often find Banina crying, but I couldn't console her because Jalilah was in my lap," Hajiya Khadijah added tearfully. "Ask me why? Because I had so much sympathy for Jalilah, who lost her parents so young. I tried to give them both equal love, but Jalilah always held a special place in my heart. I feel guilty every time I look into Banina's eyes because of the extra attention Jalilah received. And with all of this, you still say we didn't love her enough?"

"Bakiyi mun adalci ba in kika fadi haka, Fadeela. (You've wronged me by saying that)," she said, bursting into tears.

"Whatever! I don't care what you say or do—just make sure you find my niece, safe and sound!" With that, Fadeela stormed out, bumping into Jalal and throwing him a venomous glare before getting into her car. Once inside, she let out a low, sinister laugh and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Dumb people," she muttered to herself, hitting her head against the steering wheel. "No one knows where Jalilah is... except me. And they won't be seeing her anytime soon. Now, they'll feel the pain I felt when they took her away from me sixteen years ago." She clenched the steering wheel and started the engine with a defiant glare.

***

The room was dim—dark, cold, and filled with the soothing scent of bakhoor. The only light in the room was the glow from a phone screen in the hands of a lady seated on a couch at the far end. On the king-sized bed lay a young woman with an oxygen mask on her face and a drip in her arm. She was unconscious; that young woman was none other than Jalilah.

"Isn't she awake yet?" A woman's voice asked over the phone. It was Aunty Fadeela.

"No, she hasn't, but the doctor says she could wake up anytime," the lady, Safiyya, replied.

"Alright, please call me as soon as she wakes up. I'm dying to hear her voice," Fadeela said before hanging up.

Almost as if on cue, Jalilah let out a soft moan. Safiyya looked over and saw her beginning to stir.

"Ya Allah... Where am I?" Jalilah whispered, unaware of Safiyya's presence. Her voice was weak, and her vision blurred as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Jalilah, are you okay?" Safiyya hurried over to her.

"Who... who are you? I can't see you... Where's my Ya Jalal?" Jalilah's voice quivered as she tried to piece together what was happening, but the memories eluded her.

Safiyya pressed a remote, filling the room with soft light. Jalilah blinked, adjusting her vision, and looked at Safiyya, who was now seated beside her on the bed. Confused, she noted Safiyya's elegant appearance—so unlike the plain maid she once was.

"Safiyya... where am I? What happened?" she asked, bewildered.

"Nothing bad has happened, Jalilah... Relax, okay?" Safiyya reassured her with a gentle smile.

"Where's Ya Jalal? Where's my mother?" Jalilah asked, her eyes searching Safiyya's face.

Safiyya was silent.

"Why aren't you answering? Where are they?"

"I'm sorry, Jalilah... but you won't be able to see them anytime soon."

"Why? Why can't I see my Ya Jalal? Have they gone somewhere?"

"No."

"Then why can't I see them? Why won't I be able to see any of my family?"

"Well, that's because you're not in Nigeria, sweetheart," a feminine voice said, stepping into the room.

Jalilah's breath hitched, and she gasped, clutching Safiyya tightly. Was this a dream? The resemblance was too overwhelming.

"W...who are you?" she managed to croak out.

"Janaan."

"Janaan Abdulmalik Marshall, eldest daughter of the late Fatima and Abdulmalik Marshall, and your one and only blood sister in the entire universe."

***

I'm sure it wasn't only Jalilah's breath that hitched—yours too, readers! Quite the shocking revelation, right? 😌 Could this be the secret the Marshalls have been hiding from Jalilah for sixteen years?

I'm looking forward to many comments on this chapter! Please share your thoughts—it's encouraging to know how you feel. No comments, no update! 🙂

Written on: 21.9.21 
Edited on: 8.9.23🖤