THE FARHAN'S

~~~~~16

Haunting Shadows

Amal sat quietly on the verenda outside her home lost in thought. The cool breeze brushed against her face as her mother stood up to leave.

"Toh zan tafi, sai ki kiyaye," (Alright, I'm leaving, take care of yourself,) her mother said.

"Insha Allah, Mama," Amal replied, watching as her mother walked away. As the figure of her mother disappeared, memories flooded her mind, pulling her back into a past she had tried so hard to forget.

Amal's childhood was strange, lonely even. From a young age, she never had a boyfriend or felt any real connection with the boys around her. By the time she reached her second year in university, her mother had grown concerned. At every visit to the mallams (religious scholars), they would say the same thing—jinnu al-'aashiq, (a spiritual entity in love with her), aljanun ne suka yi mata yawa. (Jinns had overwhelmed her.)

Her mother was relentless in searching for a cure. From one mallami to another, they tried every remedy, but nothing seemed to change. It felt like a hopeless situation until Farhan came into the picture.

It started on farhans wedding day with fathiya . Amal had noticed Farhan watching her—his eyes followed her in a way that made her believe, at first, that she was imagining it. But later, she realized it wasn't her imagination; he was truly drawn to her.

Some months after the wedding, Amal ran into Farhan at a store. He greeted her warmly, and in casual conversation, he asked for her number. Amal had given it without hesitation, thinking maybe he wanted to surprise Fathiya with something. But to her shock, Farhan contacted her with something entirely different in mind—marriage.

At first, Amal was skeptical. How could Farhan, her friend's husband, want to marry her? She confided in her mother, who took the matter to the mallams. They all said the same thing: a marriage with Farhan could work, but her spiritual condition would be a challenge. The aljanu wouldn't let her settle, and they warned her to be prepared for spiritual battles.

Amal's mother shared the news with her daughter,she advised her to accept since she doesn't have anyone and he was the only one out , and together they used the prescribed solutions. Still, deep down, Amal knew Fathiya would find out one day. The fear of that moment lingered constantly in her thoughts.

Just as Amal was lost in her past, Farhan's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Lafiya kuwa, Amal?" (Are you okay, Amal?) he asked, concerned by her distant expression.

"Ah ah, lafiya ƙalau, baby," (No, I'm fine, baby,) she answered quickly.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"Eh mana," (Yes, of course,) she replied, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Farhan looked at her closely, pulling her cheeks playfully. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Amal nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. She forced herself to focus as she went to fetch his food, leaving him in his thoughts.

At the same time, Fathiya sat in her room, her mind swirling with memories of Farhan. Her thoughts went back to their sweet moments, and the recent encounter in the office that had sparked emotions she wasn't ready to confront.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and saw a text from an unknown number.

"Hi, hope kin isa gida lafiya," (Hope you got home safely,) the message read.

Then another followed: "This is Rayan."

Fathiya smiled despite herself and replied, Yes, Alhamdulillah.
You?

Rayan quickly responded, Oh yes, since my house is just down the street.

Fathiya's smile widened. Ohhh okay.

Rayan continued, I was wondering, what keeps you busy on weekends? And more so, when can I come for my dress? He added a playful emoji.

Fathiya laughed. What would you do with a woman's dress?

I'd use it to imagine the stunning woman who owns it, Rayan replied.

Well, thank you, she responded, still smiling.

Fair enough, he typed back, at least you won't be wondering what I'll use it for.

His next message caught her by surprise. I was actually staring at you from inside the mall today.

Ohh, Fathiya typed back, unsure how to respond.

Rayan continued, In my head, I thought, 'It's a good Saturday,' and I was curious to know more about you.

And so they continued chatting, the conversation flowing naturally. Fathiya found herself smiling more than she had in days, momentarily forgetting the weight of her marriage to Farhan. Time slipped away until she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion. Only then did she realize how much she had lost herself in the moment, and more troublingly, how easily she had let go of her reality.

~~~
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And Amal eyya