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 shrugged. Why was baba interested in his work life all of a sudden?!

"You are taking hanan along with you." baba asserted. "And try something stupid again and you shall face my wrath."

Zayd stared at him in shock, of course he just asked him to do that. Even though he's shocked that he did, in a way he is not surprised.

"Didn't you hear me?" Baba asked, staring him down. Zayd just nodded, "insha Allah."

                                .             .              .

"Hanan!" Salma, farha and meema squealed causing attention to divert to them. Hanan had just woken up. In a matter of seconds, they had 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. "No, I'm fine." Hanan answered, looking at all the faces in the room. She smiled nervously.

"Now hanan, do you think you have done justice to yourself? You hid the fact that Zayd has never visited you, not even once and you even stopped farha from telling us, I know its commendable for a wife to protect her husband's secret, but this is different. You are doing an injustice to your self." Baba said. "Yanzun If meema had not told us, is this how you planned to live your life?"

Zayd's head snapped up, eyes wide. He was beyond surprised. So she didn't tell on me? Now he had shouted at her for something she didn't even do. Oh my God. He massaged his neck, almost feeling nauseous.

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

"Enough with all this now. Hanan, you have to eat something." Salma extended her hand and collected the bowl of a delicious looking minestrone soup and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice that umm zayd had brought for Hanan.

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

"You have to eat something." Umm Zayd interrupted, clearly not having it. Hanan looked at her and nodded. Her hand felt heavy under the weight of the stare of everyone in the room, she managed to pick up the spoon and quietly began to eat.

Baba noticed that she was not comfortable, he ushered some people out of the room and also walked out, wishing her a quick recovery.

She ate a little portion of the soup, and kept the bowl on a table 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, though she was not a huge fan of orange juice, she 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, and Salma with me atleast.

"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 it's with her."

Right at that instant, Zayd walked in after giving his salam. 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 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 had 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🥀