Affairs Of The Hearts |✅

53| Her Weakness

Abuja, Nigeria.

"Janaan," Hajiya Khadijah whispered.

"Surprised to see me?" Janaan smirked, raising a brow.

"Jay! Who is she? She looks exactly like you," Banina and Nabeel whispered to Jalilah.

"She's my sister," Jalilah whispered back.

"Your sister? But how?!! But damn! She's a pretty and sexy lady! I love her already," Banina gushed, earning a laugh from Jalilah.

"Are you really the one, Janaan, or are my eyes deceiving me?" Alhaji Abdurrahman uttered, utterly shocked.

"As you can see, oldie," she rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh my, come here, my baby... you have no idea how much I've missed you all these years." Hajiya moved to hug Janaan, but Janaan abruptly stepped back, leaving the old woman disheartened.

"How dare you, oldie? Don't you dare try to touch me with those disgusting hands of yours! Those hands were the same ones that physically assaulted me thirteen years ago! Those hands were the same ones that yanked me away when I pleaded to stay on that lonely, rainy night! Those hands pointed at the door, forcing me out into the rain with nowhere to go thirteen years ago, and now you're trying to touch me with them? I'd rather hug a pig than let those hands touch me!" Janaan spat, her words laced with venom.

Hajiya Zainab broke down in tears, overtaken by regret. How could she have been so heartless? Why had she let her anger and need to assert authority blind her? Now, she was reaping the consequences of her actions.

"I'm so sorry, Janaan. Please forgive me, my Janaan. Forgive this grandmother of yours so she can die in peace," Hajiya cried.

"Don't you ever call yourself my grandmother again! I'm not your granddaughter! A true grandmother would never do what you did to me!"

"Janaan, my daughter, where have you been all these years? Wallahil azeem, I began searching for you the very next day you left, but I couldn't find you. We know we failed you, Janaan. We weren't fair to you. Wallahi, those thirteen years without you were not easy for us. Do you know I see you in Jalilah's face every day? Whenever I look at Jalilah, it feels as if I'm staring at my own mistake—the mistake of failing to care for the amaana my brother entrusted to me. Please, Janaan, find it in your heart to forgive us," Alhaji Abdurrahman pleaded.

"Point of correction, Mr. Marshall. I'm not your daughter. I'm my parents' daughter—may their souls rest in peace. So don't ever call me your daughter again," Janaan said, rolling her eyes in disgust.

"My Janaan, please hear our pleas. We're truly sorry. We know 'sorry' isn't enough, but please, Janaan, please find it in your heart to forgive us, daughter..." Hajiya Khadijah's voice broke as an angry Janaan cut her off with a thunderous shout.

"Don't you dare call me your daughter! I'm not your daughter, and I will never be your daughter!"

"If there's anyone I despise in this entire world, it's you, Khadijah! You were the cause of everything!" She pointed an accusing finger at Hajiya Khadijah.

The children looked on in confusion, watching the stranger who had just arrived and their remorseful parents. What exactly had happened?

"Excuse me, you can't just come in here and start speaking to my parents like that! I don't care who you are, but that's not how things are done!" Maheera said, disgusted by Janaan's behavior.

Janaan, who hadn't noticed the children's presence until now, fixed her gaze on Maheera, studying each of the children before lingering on Maheera.

"Maheera?! Who asked you to interfere? Why are you all even here? Go back to your rooms. Now!" Alhaji Abdurrahman ordered.