Echoes of Agony

Chapter Twenty Four

AbdulJalal froze when he heard Lubna's news. He looked at her, but his mind was focused on Zaytun. He knew this would be a huge obstacle in their relationship and didn't know how to handle it. He felt numb, unable to process his emotions.

"I decided to tell you because Laminu threatened me. He said he would find me and take Ja'afar. I am so scared. He was so angry," Lubna said, tears streaming down her face.

AbdulJalal let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The word "pregnant" kept ringing in his mind, and he realized he was seeing a future with Zaytun breaking. He knew he had to find a way to build a new future, one that included Lubna and their child.

"How many months along are you?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"Three months. I'm going for a check-up tomorrow, and I wish you could come with me," she said, placing his hand on her stomach.

He felt a strange mix of emotions. He didn't know how to feel or what to say, but he knew he had to ask some tough questions.

"How did you get pregnant, Lubna? That baby isn't mine; either you are dreaming, or you need to go meet your real baby daddy," AbdulJalal said, his voice filled with doubt.

"What kind of question is that? Are you accusing me of something?" she asked, her voice rising in distress.

"No, I just want an explanation. It's either you're pregnant with another man's child or you are plainly stupid. Now the question is: how did you get pregnant?" he insisted.

"I'm not sure what you're insinuating, AJ. I've never cheated on you, and I've never been with anyone," Lubna said, tears streaming down her face.

"That's not the point, Lubna. I need to know how this happened," AbdulJalal said, frustration evident in his voice.

"You're accusing me of something, and I can't believe those words are coming out of your mouth," she said, getting up from the couch and walking out of the room.

AbdulJalal was visibly upset as he got up from the couch, his hands flying around in frustration. He turned to face Lubna, his good friend whom he trusted, and expressed his displeasure with the current situation. "Listen, Lubna, you know damn well I don't like children yet you allowed this to happen. How can I trust what you're saying right now?" he had said, his voice trembling with anger.

Lubna knew his dislike for children and had tried to reason with him. "I- I know but m-"

"But what, Lubna? What? I'm losing my mind here," he interrupted, his frustration growing by the minute.

"AbdulJalal, I know that, but now I'm pregnant. I can't just hide this from you. Look, now that I'm pregnant, it will not be difficult to get Zaytun out of your life. Even though we have that marriage certificate, your father will surely let me into the family, and we will get married. Isn't this wonderful? Think of the positive side," she said, trying to calm him down.

However, he was unwilling to accept it. He pushed her hands away when she tried to hold his face between them. "You're dumb if you think that fake marriage certificate still exists. You're more dumb if you think my father will accept you just because you're pregnant, even though you clearly know that the baby isn't mine. You're more than dumb if you think being pregnant will change something, Lubna. You were always a good friend to me, and I owe you that. But here's the thing, Lubna. I don't feel the same anymore," AbdulJalal said, his voice firm.

"What do you mean?" Lubna asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"I'm not planning to divorce Zaytun. I'm not planning to get her out of my life. She's staying, and this time, I want to make things work between us no matter what. I will keep my promise to you. I'll find Laminu and make him pay for what he did to you. We can stay friends, or we cannot; you decide. If you choose to keep the baby, I will be honest - I will take the child even if it isn't mine. I will be the father that the baby needs. Aside from that, I'm not doing anything more," he said, his voice calm and collected.