On the wet sand beside the seashore, the strong, tall man was laying with a cigarette in his hand. His bike parked a few feet away from him. The environment there was serene and noiseless as no one was allowed then on the beach that he owned. It was...
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Habiba walked inside the room leaving the handbag on the couch she moved towards the babysitter standing by the rear door rocking a crying toddler in her arms. Untieing the hijab while walking she kept the cotton brown veil on the single couch beside the rear door. Her wavy dark locks slid on her waist with the short curls kissed her cheeks as soon as they were freed from the several hours of penned-up.
"What happened?" she stated making her presence known to the babysitter who turned behind hearing her voice.
"Oh, Habiba." She breathed out. Relief crossed over her feature as her body relaxed visibly.
Habiba gave her an apologetic smile and took the extended baby in her arms who curled inside his mother's arm feeling peace and tranquility finally.
"Habiba, he has been crying for half an hour now. You know how fussy he becomes when you come late. Why don't you tell your boss that you've a son to take care of so that he lets you depart early," Maria (the babysitter) scolded Habiba who was more like a daughter to her.
Habiba pouted and cursed her kingpin boss in mind who was the villain of her lovely life with her son.
"I tried to come at the time but I got caught up in the work," she explained running her hand through her son's curls soothing his hiccup in the process.
"Whatever, I don't know about you and your work. I just don't want him to cry very often for his mother's lateness. It's been so late already, I'll take my leave now." She collected all of her belongings and moved towards the door but stopped once she reached the door and looked behind at her.
"Oh accha, he didn't have supper yet," Maria said with a sorrow-filled tone.
"Oh, it's ok. I'll feed him something. Don't worry, khala." Habiba waved away her worries.
"Ok, Allah Hafiz. Take care of him and yourself though I know you are already in big trouble. May Allah have mercy on you. Ameen," Maria said dramatically.
They both chuckled at Maria's words and Habiba bid her goodbye and stood until she saw her reached her home safely which was a few houses away from her.
Maria was a sweet middle-aged woman from a small village in Bangladesh but shifted to London with her husband thirty years ago. She was 18 then when she was married and her husband took her away from her country to London as the so-called narrow-minded society used to torment her just because she was from a very poor background and her husband was the son of the landlord of her village. She was blessed with a lovely son who studied in Chelsea and her husband was a pilot in London airlines.
Habiba was having a hard time taking care of her son and her job as she was a newbie in the both field. Every day was becoming harder for her since she had no one to help her taking care of her son. She was a new mother who didn't know how to take care of a newborn until then when her lovely new neighbor came forward and extended a helping hand towards her.
