Echoes of Agony

Chapter Seventeen

On Monday morning, AbdulJalal was going through his emails when he received a message on his phone, causing his eyes to darken with anger.

The message read: "We finally found Laminu's personal phone number."

Without wasting a single moment, he dialed the number and waited for Laminu to pick up.

"Pray to God that you will never end up in my hands, Laminu." AbdulJalal's voice was stern and filled with anger as he warned.

"Look who's calling me. That anger in your voice makes me so scared," Laminu replied with an amusing tone, which only infuriated him more.

"Laugh, Laminu, laugh because I will make you pay for every bruise you left on Lubna's body." AbdulJalal threatened him.

"AbdulJalal Sani, you are so dumb, aren't you? This makes me question your ability to manage your family's businesses with a mind like yours. Believing that woman is the worst thing you're doing right now. If I were you, I will dump her sorry self and pay attention to Zaytun. But here you are, still chasing after a married woman." This only added fuel to AbdulJalal's anger, and he hung up the call without waiting for Laminu's reply.

At his friend's party on Saturday, Lubna had confided in AbdulJalal about how Laminu had threatened to take her son and fly with him to another country. She was terrified, and he had to calm her down multiple times, promising that he would find Laminu.

AbdulJalal was frustrated by the man's ability to deny his actions and disappear for months before returning to do the same thing all over again. Laminu was a skilled man and leader, and even AbdulJalal's most competent hacker could not find him until now. With Laminu's private phone number in his possession, he was determined to track down the man.

AbdulJalal had a clear goal in mind—to capture Laminu and fulfill the promise he made to Lubna. She had been a constant source of support for him during the most difficult times of his life, and he felt indebted to her. He believed that capturing Laminu would be the least he could do for Lubna. Once he accomplished this task, he was confident that he would finally be at peace.

~

"We have a lot to prepare, so I want to start by saying STOP ARGUING WITH ME. WE ARE GOING TO GO FOR A PINK AND BLUE."

"ARE YOU FOR REAL? THIS ISN'T A DISNEY WEDDING. WE ARE ADULTS, SO WE ARE GOING FOR A MATURE DECOR."

Zaytun was helping Habeebah and Asma plan Sadeeq's wedding to Nana, which was months away. However, Habeebah and Asma couldn't seem to agree on anything, and their arguments were causing stress for everyone involved. Zaytun had initially planned to take charge of the concept, but Asma had begged to do it herself, so she was given the task.

As they were arguing, Sadeeq came looking nervous. He then told them that Nana was on her way. When Nana arrived, she sat with Sadeeq, chatting happily, while their friends were teasing them.

Zaytun stood off to the side, tears streaming down her face as she watched her friends. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. "Ya Allah, please bless them and give them a happy life together. They deserve all the love and joy in the world. Let them see the light at the end of the tunnel from day one, and may their love continue to grow stronger every day. I wish them a long, happy life together."

~

Tuesday was the busiest day for Zaytun at work. She had a hectic day full of meetings since the morning and couldn't find any time to prepare AbdulJalal's meals. So she decided to order take-out and went to meet her husband. Upon reaching the office, she was greeted by the secretary, who seemed nervous.

"CEO AbdulJalal—he—he's in a meeting, and he will not be out till later," the man stuttered.

"Is that so? Then I'll leave the meals in his office, and he will find them once he's back."