A man like khalid

25

How did her life come to this? What had she done to deserve all this pain? These thoughts circled endlessly in Nadeen's mind as she sat in her room, staring at nothing. Coming to Nigeria had been a colossal mistake, she thought. If only she had told her parents what Ishaq had done before marrying Khalid. But it was too late for regret now.

When she finally confided in her parents, she told them everything, leaving no detail hidden. The words felt like jagged stones in her throat as she spoke, each one carrying the weight of her shame and pain. Her parents' faces darkened with sadness, and she braced herself for their response.

Her father, Ibrahim, sighed deeply, his voice heavy with disappointment but laced with love. "You should have told us earlier. But you're not without fault, Nadeen. What has Nigeria done to you? The daughter I know was brave, always knew the right thing to do." His words were soft as he cupped her tear-streaked face, and the kindness in his eyes broke her.

"I'm sorry, dad," she whispered, voice trembling. "At that moment, everything in my mind vanished. I lost myself. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to ruin Zeenat's marriage. I know how much she loves Ishaq." Tears streamed down her face, each drop carrying the weight of the guilt she had buried for so long. Yet now, with her parents' support, she felt a sliver of relief. They believed her. Despite everything, they were still there, still her anchor in this storm.

Her mother, Maimuna, who had been silent until now, wiped the tears from her own eyes. "I'm sorry for slapping you. I was just so angry. Go to your room and rest. You've been through enough." Her voice cracked, but the embrace that followed was warm, like the comfort of home Nadeen had longed for.

Amina and Emily, her childhood friends who had stood by her side through thick and thin, followed her to her room. They sat on her bed, Hanif peacefully asleep beside them. Amina took her hand, squeezing it gently. "We're so sorry all of this happened to you, Nadeen. You should have told us. We could have helped."

Nadeen shook her head, her face crumpling. "I'm sorry you had to hear all this. I feel so ashamed." She broke down, tears flowing freely now. "I miss Khalid. I miss him so much. I don't think I can survive without him. I need him. I shouldn't have left when he begged me to stay." Each word was soaked in regret, her heart aching with the loss of the man who had become her pillar in all the chaos.

"Maybe you should call him," Emily suggested, gently patting Nadeen's shoulder.

"I can't," Nadeen sniffled. "I already took out the SIM card. I put my London number back in, and he doesn't have it. Maybe it's better this way. He's done enough for me. For Hanif." But as she said the words, her heart screamed the opposite. How could she forget him? How could she let him go?

Despite her resolution to focus on herself and Hanif, the question gnawed at her: could she really move on without Khalid? No. She knew deep down she couldn't. She would have to call him, tell him where she was, and thank him for everything. He deserved that much, didn't he?

♧
A month had passed, and Khalid still wasn't answering her calls or replying her massage. She had tried reaching Farhana too, but there was no response. The silence was deafening, and each unanswered ring echoed like a reminder that her life was crumbling.

One morning, she went downstairs, hoping for some distraction from the endless torment of her thoughts. "Oh! Darling, a letter came for you this morning," her mother called from the dining room, sorting through the day's mail.

"Who's it from?" Nadeen asked as she descended the stairs, her heart already racing with an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

"I don't know, but maybe if you open it, you'll find out," her mother replied, handing her a small envelope.

Nadeen took it with trembling hands, turning it over. There was no return address, no indication of who had sent it. She stepped toward the window, the sunlight filtering through, highlighting the stark white of the paper. Her fingers hesitated before tearing it open.

The words blurred for a moment, but then they hit her with the force of a thousand knives.

I, Khalid Ismail, have divorced my wife Nadeen Ibrahim with one talaq.

Her heart stopped. She could hear it pounding in her ears, louder and faster with each passing second.

Nadeen, you should know I love you and will always love you and Hanif. You will always be in my heart. I'm sorry for divorcing you. You should move on and be happy. Take care of yourself and Hanif.

The letter fell from her hands as her knees buckled. The world tilted, and the floor rushed up to meet her. Everything went black.

Two months had passed since that day, but the wound was still fresh, still raw. She had decided to move on, to focus on her studies. Emily and Amina had convinced her to enroll in the same university they were attending. It was a fresh start, or at least she hoped it would be.

But today, Hanif was sick. His fever had worsened, so she took him to the hospital. As she sat in the cold, sterile room, watching the doctor examine him, her mind wandered to Khalid. If only he were here. He would have been the one to check Hanif, smiling as he gently played with him, easing both their fears.

The doctor finished, and she stood to pick up Hanif, but a wave of dizziness washed over her. The room spun, and before she knew it, everything went dark again.

When she woke up, she was on a hospital bed. Hanif was in the arms of a nurse, his tiny hands resting on the nurse's cheek as he babbled happily as if he wasn't the one who was sick. "Look, your mama is awake," the nurse cooed, turning to Nadeen with a smile.

Nadeen's heart swelled with relief as Hanif reached for her. "Thank you," she whispered, taking him into her arms. He looked so healthy now, so full of life. The fever was gone as if it had never been there.
"What happend?" she asked "How long was I unconscious?"

"For about 2 hours." the nurse handed her a slip of paper, and the world shifted again.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant," the nurse said with a bright smile.

Nadeen blinked, her mind reeling. "Pregnant?" she echoed her voice barely a whisper.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, ma'am. You seemed surprised." the nurse was wondering if that was good news or bad news for Nadeen.

Surprised wasn't the word. She was shocked, confused, devastated. How...? It's too soon. I just gave birth to Hanif. She thought Her mind raced, piecing together the fragments of her memory. She and Khalid had only been intimate once. Could that have been enough?

"Ma'am, it's possible," the nurse replied gently, as if reading her thoughts.

As she left the hospital and returned home, the weight of everything pressed down on her. How had her life turned into this nightmare? She placed her hand on her stomach, feeling the stirrings of a new life, but instead of joy, she felt an overwhelming sadness.

Two children, no father. How was she going to do this alone? She was just a 19-year-old girl.

She sat down on the couch, staring at the pregnancy test results. Her mother entered the room, her face etched with concern. "You're back," she said softly.

"Yes." Nadeen handed her the paper. "I'm pregnant."

Her mother's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at her daughter with a mixture of sympathy and sorrow. "Is it Khalid's?"

Nadeen nodded, her face a mask of pain. "Yes."

"Then you should let him know," her mother said, her voice gentle.

"No, Mom. Just let him be. I'll take care of the baby on my own. I want to start over... without him. He's probably moved on, and I want to move on too." Her voice was steady, but the agony was written all over her face. She wasn't crying, but the pain was there, deep and real.

Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her as if to shield her from the storm that raged inside her. And as Nadeen watched Hanif crawl around the room, the future seemed unbearably uncertain.

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