Hidden bonds of love

44.

Mrs. Fatima was taken aback when she noticed the reddened hue in Khalid's eyes. "You should have allowed me to break the news to her personally; I'm aware she harbors resentment towards me now."

Khalid, his gaze still fixed on her, countered, "And when do you plan to do that?"

There was a moment of silence, and just as Mrs. Fatima began to speak, Khalid interrupted, his tone firm. "Save your words. Tomorrow marks Ahmad's 40th-day prayer. Prepare yourself, it's time to face reality and stop evading it."

With those words, he exited the room, leaving Mrs. Fatima to sit there, overwhelmed by a wave of sadness and hurt.

🔆🔆🔆

It was morning, the day of Ahmad's 40th-day memorial prayer. Originally, they had planned to hold the service in Kano, but due to Ahmad's passing in Abuja, they decided to conduct it there. The house was filled with a multitude of people, including relatives, Ahmad's friends, and coworkers.

Following the 40-day prayer, emotions ran high. Maryam and Mustabshira shed tears profusely. Maryam lamented Ahmad's untimely demise, regretting the unspoken conversations they could have had. She came to a realization: she didn't love Ahmad romantically; their bond was that of siblings. She had only reciprocated his feelings due to confusion, understanding now that her love for him was purely platonic. Nevertheless, she was willing to maintain a close relationship with him because she knew he would care for and protect her.

Later that day, the family gathered in a small room, joined by Mrs. Fatima, Khalid, Alamin, Maryam, mustanshira, and Sajida. Mrs. Fatima expressed her condolences and offered her sincere apologies for everything. When she had arrived earlier, she had embraced Maryam tightly, filled with happiness. However, Maryam had a condition for forgiveness, stating that the only way she could forgive her was if she revealed the whole truth.

Uthman cleared his throat, his voice gentle but filled with curiosity. "Fatima, I would like to understand how you came to have Maryam."

Alamin, who had been patiently waiting, chimed in with his own questions. "I'm also curious about the circumstances surrounding my wife Farida's passing."

Maryam, her voice quivering, added her query, "I want to know the truth about Khalid's parentage as well."

Mrs. Fatima wiped away the tears that had started to roll down her cheeks, collecting herself to share her painful past.

"I deeply regret everything, and I'm so sorry," she began. "Maryam is not my biological daughter, and I'm aware that Alamin and Sajida already know this. But I kept it hidden from you, Uthman, and Mommy Beauty."

She took a deep breath, continuing with a heavy heart, "It all began when I met Nasir, Alamin's older brother, during my time in Korea. We fell in love deeply, but my parents strongly disapproved of our relationship. Our hearts were shattered, and we couldn't bear to be apart. I suggested that we elope, but Nasir, a good, religious man, insisted that I obey my parents and stay with them. I chose a different path."

Tears welled in her eyes as she continued, "I seduced Nasir, placing pills in his drink to be with him. After our affair, he discovered my deception and grew furious."

"I believed that if I could become pregnant with his child, my parents might allow us to marry. I was young and naive, blinded by love," she confessed.

"Nasir was devastated by my actions. He was a genuinely kind and religious man who loved me deeply. However, he found it incredibly difficult to forgive me. In his anger, he left Korea and returned to Nigeria."

Mrs. Fatima paused, taking a moment to regain her composure. "When I learned that Nasir had left, I pleaded with my father to let me go to Nigeria, but he refused. Unable to bear the separation any longer, I withdrew a significant sum of money from my father's account and ran away to Nigeria. My father soon discovered the missing funds and was furious with me."

"As I arrived in Nigeria, our plane landed in Abuja. I embarked on a search for Nasir but couldn't locate him until I traced his Instagram account, which revealed a location and address. I went to that address and, Alamin, you were the one who opened the gate for me. I understand you may not remember, as we only met briefly. You were much younger then."

She paused briefly, her voice quivering. "Alamin called Nasir, and he came outside the gate, surprised to see me. He asked me to return to Korea, but I insisted we fight for our love."

"He took me to an empty house, and we discussed our future. Nasir agreed to introduce me to his parents, who, to my surprise, accepted me wholeheartedly. They even offered to go to Korea with me and speak to my parents."

"But before we could leave, I fell ill, and the hospital visit revealed that I was pregnant. Nasir was willing to accept the child, but his family had a different plan. After bathing the child, they instructed me to stay away from Nasir and his family, keeping the truth from him."

Tears flowed freely as she recounted the painful memories. "I cried endlessly, and Nasir tried to persuade his parents to let us marry, but they refused. We planned to marry secretly, but they discovered our intentions and separated me from Nasir after I bathed Khalid. They told me never to show my face again, despite my desperate pleas."

"I found a place to rent and started a business with the money Nasir had sent me. One day, I met Nasir again, and he was happy to see me. He was with Khalid and informed me that he had named him Khalid, the name we had agreed on for our future son."

"Nasir urged me to return to him and get married, but I refused. I thanked him for the financial support he had given me and told him about my business. He didn't inquire about why I had left."

"Afterward, I returned to Korea to my parents, who were overjoyed to see me. However, they insisted I marry Uthman as a condition for forgiveness. I refused, and they told me to go back to Nigeria if I wouldn't marry him. That's how I ended up marrying Uthman, and we returned to Kano. I kept the truth about Khalid hidden from everyone, even my parents."

She concluded, her voice heavy with the weight of her confession. "I started another business in Kano and avoided having a child with Uthman, fearing they would take the child away after bathing. I took medication to prevent pregnancy and repeatedly lied to Uthman, claiming it wasn't the right time for us to have a child. Eventually, he grew tired of waiting and married Khadija, Mommy Beauty."