Grandpa's Choice |✔️

12

"I heard you are going on a business trip tomorrow?" Baba asked looking at him. He nodded and said, "yes baba."

"How long would it last?"
"About a month or two if necessary." Zayd replied. He wanted to know where baba was going with this.

"You are taking hanan along with you." baba said more like ordered. "And try something stupid again and you shall face my wrath." Zayd just nodded "insha Allah."

"Hanan!!" Salma, farha and meema squealed causing attention to divert to them. Hanan has just woken up. They all circled her.

"How are you feeling my dear?" Umm zayd asked. "Better Alhamdulillah." She smiled and tried to sit up. Aunt meema quickly propped a pillow behind her and helped her up.

" Ina wuni." She greeted looking down. "Ina gajiya." They chorused. All this while zayd was watching her standing by the end of the bed.

"You don't feel any sort of pain do you?" Hajiya yasmin asked. "Yes, I'm fine." Hanan answered looking at all the faces in the room. She smiled.

"Now hanan, do you think you have done justice to yourself? You hid the fact that Zayd bai taba zuwa wurin kiba ko sau daya and you stopped farha from telling us, I know that it's a good thing for a wife to hide her husband's secret but this is different you are doing injustice to your self." Baba said. "Yanzun If meema did not tell us, that was how you  planned to continue living your life?"

Zayd's head snapped up, he was surprised. So she didn't tell on him and he shouted at her for something she didn't do.

Hanan started crying as she remembered all the hardship she went through the past few months. The pain is indescribable. Salma pulled her into a hug comforting her.

"Enough with all this now, Hanan you have to eat something." Salma said serving her a delicious looking minestrone soup with orange juice that umm zayd had brought for her.

Hanan made a face and shook her head, "noo..I'm not hungry,"

"You would have to eat something." Umm   interrupted. She quietly started eating.

Baba wished her a quick recovery and walked out of the room. She ate a little portion of the soup, and pushed the bowl away saying, "I'm full." "That's impossible hanan eat some more." Umm insisted.

"Allah i'm really full umm." Hanan replied smiling. "Ok but you have to drink up the juice." Hanan didn't want to argue with her mom in law so she just took the cup from her and gulped it all down.

Zayd went out to get hanan's prescription from the chemist at that same time umm and farha went to buy hanan some fruits.

H a n a n

I don't feel so alone and lonely anymore, i'm so happy i have my mom-in-law, farha, kaka, farha and salma with me at least. "Salma, can you please lend me your phone, i want to call mama." I asked. Salma looked around her before saying, "I'm sorry hanan, my phone is in farha's handbag and its with her."

Right that instant, zayd salamed and walked in. I still can't get used to his presence so I just ignored him.

"But why don't you ask zayd." Salma said and purposely entered the toilet.

"Here's your prescription." He kept my prescription on the bed. "I'll take you home when the when the drip finishes." And he walked out without as much as a simple sorry.

"He isn't even going to apologize." I quickly wiped the tears that fell on my cheek, and put on a fake smile when salma walked out.

                     ———————

Zayd drove her to her house, and asked her to get ready. They were leaving around 12 tomorrow. She has been frowning ever since she entered the car. "I'm not going." She retorted and grabbed her medicine. She opened the door and stepped out. "I'm not exactly asking you, i'm telling you. So get ready. I will come pick you up by 11:30 insha Allah." He rolled his eyes.

Hanan groaned, and closed the door with a loud bang. He gave her one last look before driving away. She entered her house and went directly to her room because she was so tired. She took a quick bath, donned a sleeping dress and went to bed.

                         ———————

Hanan's alarm woke her at exactly 7:00am. She reached and shut it off, reciting the waking up supplication. "Ya rabb." She muttered, rubbing her eyes. Her head was still slightly paining. She rubbed her temple, put on her slippers and headed to the bathroom.

She performed ablution and prayed.

She grabbed her phone from her bedside drawer, and dialled mama's number. She picked up after two rings, "hello mamana." Mama beamed. "Hello ina kwana mama." Hanan chimed smiling. She tucked the bedsheets whilst talking to her.

"Ina gajiya, how are you?"
"I'm good mama, how is yusrah?"
"They are all fine, how is my son-in law?" 
"He is fine alhamdulillah, mama we are traveling to the UK with zayd today insha Allah." She said, trying hard to grab her luggage from her wardrope top.

" Dan Allah?" She beamed, "toh Allah ya kaiku lafiya ya kuma dawo da ku lafiya." She prayed.

"Ameen, thank you mama."
"Let me leave you then."
"Toh bye mama, love you."
"Love you more."

                                   ——

"Malika, I'm leaving now. Please take care of yourself and afnan for me. And have this." Zayd said keeping a cheque on malika's bedside drawer. She came and stood beside him.

"Babe, you can't do this to me. How can you take that filthy woman with you and leave me all alone at home for a whole month. That's Impossible." Malika ranted arms akimbo frowning at him. He  ignored her and walked out and headed to his room. "If you like you can go and spend some time at your parents house."

He threaded carefully to the bed where afnan was sound asleep. "Bye baby girl, I'm surely going to miss you." He pecked both her cheeks. 

"And I will most surely miss you more." he muttered and stretched out his arms for her to come. She came and wrapped her arms around him tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I love you babe." She whispered. "I love you more." He pulled out of the hug, gently pecked her forehead saying, "I have to go."

She quickly grabbed him and sealed their lips.

🖤

So what do you think about this chapter, is this going to be the beginning of zayd and Hanan's love story?

-Fatima🥀