Sadiya |REWRITING

Chapter Twenty-Seven

***

ABUJA, NIGERIA.

"Come on, Amal. I need you to push on the count of three, okay?" Doctor Nora said while Nurse Maryam grabbed the screaming lady's hands. She nodded, tears streaming down her reddened face. "Okay, you can do this, alright? In three, two, one. Now give me a strong push!"

The death grip she had on her was enough to have the nurse gritting her teeth, although it was the most regular occurrence in her career, it had her comfortingly rubbing Amal's arm. She was already crowning, few more to go and her little one would be in her arms. Amal's screams hit their aching chests, yet they continued to offer her words of support. Sadiya's mind couldn't help drifting off to her private bubble, she could not imagine herself laid on a hospital bed, dripping with sweat whilst gripping the arm of a faceless man as she pushed out a human being out of her.

It left off an uneasy sentiment within her, but she did well in concealing her fear.

Just an imagination. Just an imagination. She said to herself, thinking about how someone sane would even like, or court her, not to bring about the topic of marriage.

Sadiya imagined herself single, with grey hairs as a retired doctor, with of course, her twenty cats surrounding her as she knitted socks on a rocking chair. She shook out the ridiculous images in her mind. It was not her wish to remain single, neither was it her wish to be a burden to someone's son. "One more. Come on, Amal. Just one more and it'll all be over." The OB-GYN, Doctor Nora, pulled her out of her pensiveness. Sadiya was only a gynie, thus, her job had nothing to do with childbirth nor labor, but there she was on Rita's order.

As she thought, the woman abhorred her.

An hour later and Amal was in a deep sleep while her baby was in its grandmother's arms. The father was nowhere in sight; therefore, necessary documents were signed by Amal's older brother. But what arose more worriment from the doctors was the namelessness of the neonate; it had only been registered under the mother's cognomen. Understanding replaced their worry when they heard the maternal grandmother's words. "His father's away for business." They had transferred Amal to Zahmal on short notice, whilst her husband was still in Abuja.

She was still asleep when few relatives of theirs began trooping into the private suite, the baby boy hadn't been named just yet, because they were awaiting his mother's consciousness.

She decided to keep the crucial information to herself; it was hers and her husband's secret and she respected that even as he was away for some time. Sadiya had nothing much doing, the day was a less busy one on her schedule, just consultations and rounds. Her mind, per usual, was not calm. Mahreen's words had not put her at rest. How could she? When news of her brother had been dropped at her two feet. She was restless. A part of her wanted him to find her more than anything. And the other part, not as much.

Sadiya just wasn't ready to see...meet Rayan after the rough years they'd left in the past – its trauma shadowing her while she choked on the cluster of emotions. Was she even ready to look back to her past? No, she wasn't.

That was one thing she knew, but what she didn't know, was in the following hours to come, her life was going to take a drastic change that determined her present, and future. For good.

***

Adam Hameed, Amal's brother, held the newborn in his arms as he admired the features of the tiny being.

Sadiya was not one to stare for more than a minute, but the sight was just worth a five-minute stare. She could not help the apathy that pressured her heart. At thirty-one, she had no one. No mother to cry to, no sibling or friend to vent the pent-up emotions to, and no father to turn to in her times of mental need. Life was harsh to her, she believed, and another fear she tried pushing to the back of her mind was ending up with nobody. Alone. As much as devoid was like her middle name, she didn't want to keep living in dullsville for the days to come.

His eyes met hers, something undeniably familiar mirrored them. Emptiness. Then, the emotions adoring his eyes whilst he held his nephew were almost non-existent. Sadiya quickly redirected her gaze to the blinds by the far-end of the room, the impassiveness in Adam's eyes shook something in her. Like that of hers. And its vertex of familiarity made her realize something.

She was truly broken beyond repair. Her father damaged her – he broke her. And nothing she'd do, would ever change that. Nobody wanted her and would ever want her. She was a broken record, and if Rayan chose to come after her, she'd have him taste the hell his father put her and their mother through. She didn't care. She had no feelings anymore. She didn't feel. Sadiya felt a brooding presence beside her. She turned to the man who loomed over her, dominance rolling off of him in strict waves.

"May I help you?" She caught on her words so as not to come off rude, just for the sake of her job. Adam's calculative eyes only ran over her facial features, detail after detail. But he remained silent. If only his family was not just a few feet from them, she'd have wondered if he was another 'brother' of hers. The brief event with Imran, still fresh in her mind. How could she forget that?

"Sir?" That seemed to do the trick as he blinked twice in realization.

"Oh! I apologize for the..." He chose his words. "...stare. You just looked familiar to someone I happen to know..."

Yet, he continued the act, it strangely did not make her uncomfortable, but inquisitive. "It's uhm, it's fine. I get that a lot." She awkwardly laughed it off.

As a public servant, she truly got what he meant by his words. Silence ensued until she caught sight of Nurse Safeenah through the blinds. "If you'd excuse me. Oh, and the nurse will check in on your sister in a few minutes," she made sure to tell Adam. "Congrats, by the way." She sidestepped him and escaped his and his sister's questioning gaze. Sadiya's phone began buzzing in her pocket. She pulled it out as she approached Nurse Safeenah by the reception desk and wasn't surprised by the familiar name displayed on the screen.

"Sadiya!"

"Hey, how are you?"

"Sadiya, there's a problem," Mahreen said lowly, ignoring the question. Sadiya's steps slowed. "What is it? Are you alright?" An unsettling feeling harbored her, and she grew worried. Something was clearly not right.

"It's Rayan and your father, again—"

"Look, Mahreen—"

"Just listen!" She continued. "Something bad happened between both. I don't know what, but I hear it's nothing pleasing."

Mahreen lowered her tone even more. "Your father was found unconscious in the house while with your brother. Something only they know, happened...Rayan is nowhere in sight, but per my assumption, he might already be on his way to you."

Her heart dropped. What did she mean by the last part?

"I do not know why, but I have a bad feeling about all of this. Something is about to happen, and—"

His eyes met hers.

^-^

In which we meet my next book's male lead...

I'm actually not feeling too good y'all. Had a medical issue with my dentist that had him removing some things on my tooth. I kind of hate him rn 'cause I have a feeling he cut a vein (an exaggeration but whatever...let's just go with the flow). My mouth feels so sore and am in pain but dropped a chapter for the love I have for my readers.

What do you think is Adam's future babe's name? Hint: Name doesn't start from an S, but K.

Let's keep the votes coming!

- ♥