Jamal
As the world continues to be basked in the warm rays of the sun, the dark wind that had blown over the Ziyad family had taken away our share of that sunny feeling, leaving behind a long trail of disappointments and regret. The gloom had settled for days, and despite the cheery greetings the month of March brings, the ghosts of February had engraved itself deep in our hearts and memories.
No one had expected that Qaseem's wedding would turn out the way it did, and we'd all reacted the same way; with shock and confusion as to how to deal with the aftermath of what Sola had caused.
Looking across the room to the dining table where she's curled up on a chair with a book nestled in her arms, I wonder if that gloom had managed to seep into my home as well, robbing Nadia of her usual cheery disposition.
She'd receded back into her quiet shell since the day of the wedding, and I have a feeling something must have happened when she'd been alone afterwards. So far, I've been content with letting her be, waiting for when she'll be comfortable to tell me about her problems. But I can only tolerate her silence for so long, and sooner or later, I'll have to broach the topic myself.
Sola's revelation had unearthed secrets we never knew we'd ever encounter, and certain truths that we were forced to accept. Like how Qaseem isn't really related to us by blood, and that Usman is Sola's step brother... Which in a way, still makes us a family.
Sighing, I push the thought away, wanting nothing to do with the man who's been a threat to my wife. I'd gone to the police station a day after the wedding to lodge a complaint, and they promised to take up the case if a similar situation should occur. It'd barely settled my nerves, but I have no other choice but to pray that Sola stays far away from Nadia as possible.
Unlocking my phone, I place a call to dad, driven by the need to know the details of how things are at aunt Safiyyah's.
I finally got to know the cause of Usman's troubles after what Sola had done. It turns out that he'd already found out the truth about Qaseem two years ago when he'd stumbled across his brother's birth certificate, bearing a different mother's name from aunt Safiyyah. It'd hit him hard then, everything he'd grown up to believe turned out to be a lie, and it made him understand why his brother hated him so much.
Qaseem had been jealous of the fact that while Usman got to be with his birth mother, his had left him with his father, never once caring for Qaseem. It drove him to seek all the love and attention from aunt Safy, doing everything to be seen as the perfect son, with Usman receiving little care. And being the perfectionist aunt Safiyyah is, I can imagine how hard Usman must have tried to gain her attention, craving the same love she has for Qaseem till he'd finally given up on ever being accepted.
"Salamualaikum son," dad's calm voice drifts through the speaker, bringing me back to the present.
"Wa alaikum salam, how are you doing dad? And aunt Safy?" I enquire.
"Alhamdulilah, we're fine, except for your mom, she's still upset about it." He pauses for a beat, "And Safiyyah, well, I really don't know what's going on in my sister's head anymore, she's been silent on the issue."
His voice fills with sympathy, "It's Usman who's having a hard time dealing with it, I fear the relationship between mother and son is getting worse."
I consider his words, picking out the undertone of regret. "Did you know about Qaseem too? That his mom was uncle Suleiman's first wife?"
A brief silence ensues, and I wonder if he's debating how much he can divulge to me. It leaves me with a slight doubt that there may be more to this story, and they're keeping it from us.
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Our Stormy Ride
Spiritual#1 Ar-Rahma Series Their names were written down together long before the universe had been created. Life throws them at each other. They collide. An arranged marriage. Their Stormy Ride. For Nadia Ali, life was just as ordinary as a plain white cl...
