Life Under the Hijab | ✔

{20} Secrets, Secrets, and More Secrets

Zaynub Khalid

She pushes, pulls, tugs,

Yet she is still trapped,

She searches for an escape,

She is at lost,

Doors close in,

Her heart pumps loudly,

Taunting voices in her head,

She cries in agony,

Poison in her heart,

Lies break her apart,

Darkness surrounds her,

But a bright light approaches,

Warmth fills her,

She stands back up,

And slowly pieces the broken heart together,

Yet the pain continues,

And she becomes stronger,

She fights through it all,

They tried to break her,

But they only made her more determined,

To fight back.

I finished. I started writing this poem for one of my classes. As a child my favorite classes were science and english. Writing was just something that took me out of this world. It kept me busy.

Anyway, Zakir left early today for work. He didn't even wake me up to tell me he was going. He just left. Usually, Zakir pecked me on the cheek and said his salaams before he left for work. However, lately he just stopped. It all started happening since the day I got back.

I glanced at the clock. It was currently seven in the afternoon. Zakir should have been home by now. Where was he? I finally decided to call him. The phone rang five times before someone answered. It wasn't Zakir.

"Hello," a high pitched voice spoke.

Why did a female just answer his phone?

"Um... hello. May I talk to Zakir Khan?"

"Oh, he's not here at the moment. Can I take a message?"

"If you don't mind me asking, do you know where he is?"

"Uhh... he... um... is...  a little busy at the moment."

"Tell him his wife called."

"His wife?"

"Yes."

"Sure no problem." Then the line went dead.

Why was she stuttering when I asked her about Zakir? Most importantly who was that woman? I started to feel a strange bolt that boiled my blood. Jealousy? I was never the type of girls who overreacted when being jealous. When I was little Baba taught me to control my emotions so I didn't let them take control of me. I was forever grateful to Allah for giving me such a wonderful father.

Anyway, I decided to just sit and wait until he got home. He had some serious explaining to do. I trusted Zakir, but at the same time my mind can't help but wonder why a girl answered his phone.

* * * *

I sat and read a book. Everyone went to sleep. It was currently ten in the evening. Zakir was three hours late so far. Did something happen? Right at that moment Zakir walked into the house. I jumped up, startled. Zakir didn't seem to notice me and just went up to our room. I followed closely behind him.