Affairs Of The Hearts |✅

14| Breakdown.

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Abuja, Nigeria.

The parlor was dead silent, the only sound the soft hum and occasional split of the standing air conditioner.

"Why is nobody saying anything? Mummy, Daddy, Hajiya, I need answers." Jalilah, though her face remained emotionless, forced herself to speak through the ache in her chest.

She remembered her shock—how she was rooted to the spot until Banina held her arm after Jalal dropped the bombshell. Jalal wasn't one to lie, especially not to a stranger. So it was true. She was his wife all along. She'd caught a glimpse of regret in his eyes the moment he uttered those words. The ride back home was graveyard silent, and now they were here in the parlor, where Jalilah needed answers.

"We're sorry, my dear," Hajiya Khadijah whispered. She'd known this moment would come, which was why she had never liked the idea of the marriage. She knew the girl would be hurt.

"Sorry for what, Mummy? Please don't tell me this is true." Jalilah's voice cracked, and she shut her eyes tight as tears began to gather. A flicker of hope lingered that maybe, just maybe, Jalal's words back at the mall were a lie, said only to scare off that man.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. You and Jalal tied the knot last Saturday," Hajiya said, her voice as steady and dominant as ever. Everyone gasped, except Jalilah, who collapsed to her knees.

Hajiya Khadijah rushed forward, but Jalilah raised a hand, signaling her to stop. This explained everything—why she'd been told to cut ties with Aslam, why she'd felt so watched at school, why Hajiya Khadijah randomly checked her phone. This was the reason?

"Why? Just... why?" she sobbed, breaking down entirely. Had anyone considered her feelings? How could they marry her to someone she'd always seen as a brother, even if he wasn't her biological sibling? Why would they choose their own happiness over hers? Surely, Jalal didn't want this either! Why had they been so selfish as to arrange this without informing her? And what about Aslam, the one she truly loved?

She looked up, her eyes locking onto Alhaji Abdurrahman, who looked back at her with sympathy. Crawling to him, she clung to his legs.

"Why did you do this, Daddy? Why? I thought you valued my happiness above all else," she cried.

"My Jalilah, we did this for you both..."

"No!" she interrupted, pushing herself up. "You didn't do this for me; you did it for yourselves! Ya Jalal is my brother, even if not by blood. How do you expect us to live as husband and wife?"

"Jalilah, control yourself," Hajiya reprimanded.

"No, I won't! I knew this was your idea! Just let me speak for once!" Jalilah protested.

"Jalilah!" Hajiya Khadijah cautioned.

"What, Mummy? I know this was all Hajiya's idea! So please, don't tell me to stay silent. I thought you loved me, Mummy! Why would you let this happen to me?" She let out a heart-wrenching sob.

"Ya Allah, Jalilah." Maheera and Banina whispered, moving to comfort her, but she pushed them away.

"Ya Jalal, I know you don't want this marriage either. Please, tell them to annul it. Just say the talaq, please." She sobbed, holding his knees. "I love Aslam! No one else!" She stood up, speaking with finality.

"If you won't annul this marriage, then fine! I may be married, but know this—my heart will never stop loving Aslam, and I will never accept this marriage!" Jalal, feeling a pang of pain, left the parlor. Any man in his position would feel hurt, hearing his wife confess her love for someone else.

"Jalilah!" Hajiya snapped. "I didn't know how crazy you were until today."

"Yes, I'm crazy, Hajiya! I'm crazy, because anyone in my place would be acting just as I am now." She sniffled as new tears streamed down her cheeks. "If my parents were alive, they would never have let this injustice happen to me."

"Jalilah!" Hajiya admonished, her voice stern.

But Jalilah only scoffed and ran out of the parlor, her heart breaking into fresh sobs.

"Ya Allah, Jalilah is really hurt to be saying all this," Hajiya Khadijah whispered, wiping her own tears.

"I know, Khadijah, and she has every right to feel this way. Let's give her some time to come to terms with it. I believe, with time, she'll understand that this was the best decision for her, In Sha Allah," Alhaji Abdurrahman said, a sad smile tugging at his lips as he walked out of the room, memories of fifteen years ago flooding his mind.

Jalilah, meanwhile, cried herself to sleep, and for the first time in her sixteen years, she wished her parents were alive.

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15 Years Ago

It was a chilly afternoon, though the sun offered a gentle warmth. In a quiet garden, two men sat around a small table with a tray of fruits, each taking bites as they conversed and soaked in the peacefulness of the moment. Nearby, a one-year-old girl, dressed in a pink ball gown, was running and laughing, occasionally looking back at a boy of thirteen who was chasing her with a water gun.

"Jalilah, you better stop running! I'm going to catch you!" the boy laughed.

She giggled, muttering something only she could understand, before pausing to catch her breath. He reached her, scooped her up, and twirled her around.

"Yay! I caught you!" he said, laughing. She giggled in return.

"I love you, Jalilah," he said, holding her close before they headed back inside to where the other children in the house were waiting.

The two men in the garden watched, each with a fond smile.

"Yaya," the first man called.

"Yes?" the second man responded.

"Let's have Jalal and Jalilah marry someday," the first man suggested.

"Hm, that's a wonderful idea, Abdulmalik," the second man replied with a thoughtful nod.

"This isn't what I'm hoping for, but... what if they don't love each other?"

"They will, In Sha Allah, Yaya. After all, they're family."

"In Sha Allah," Alhaji Abdurrahman said, smiling.

"But I don't know why... I have a feeling I may not get to see that day," Alhaji Abdulmalik murmured with a sad smile.

"Don't say that, Abdulmalik. In Sha Allah, we'll both live to witness that day," Alhaji Abdurrahman replied, voice filled with hope.

"In Sha Allah. But promise me one thing, Yaya," Alhaji Abdulmalik said solemnly.

"What is it, Abdulmalik?"

"Promise me that you'll get them married, even if I'm not here," he urged.

"Please, Abdul..." Yaya started, but Alhaji Abdulmalik cut him off.

"Promise me, please."

"I promise you, Abdulmalik," Alhaji Abdurrahman said, his voice filled with a quiet conviction.

With a sad but determined smile, Alhaji Abdurrahman left the parlor, memories of his late brother in his heart. Smiling softly, he made his way to Jalilah's room.

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Written on 25.12.20.
Edited on 30.10.22🖤.