A man like khalid

Chapter 18

The airport buzzed with activity—families reunited with hugs and tears, travelers moved hurriedly through the terminal, pulling suitcases behind them. The PA system announced boarding calls, and the scent of coffee from a nearby café wafted through the air. Nadeen stood at the departure gate, cradling Hanif in her arms, the baby contentedly resting against her chest. Khalid was beside her, his gaze fixed on Hanif, who seemed oblivious to the world around him.

Nadeen's heart felt heavy as she watched Khalid kiss Hanif's forehead repeatedly. Each kiss felt like a silent promise, a reminder of the bond that had grown between them over the past few months. She knew she would miss these moments more than anything else. The airport's cold, impersonal environment made the reality of their impending separation all the more painful.

They both stood there, silently soaking in each other's presence, neither of them ready to say the final goodbye. The words they longed to speak hung between them, heavy and unspoken.

"I will miss you," Khalid finally said, his voice thick with emotion. His eyes held hers, filled with so much love and affection that it made her chest ache. "I really wish I could come with you."

Nadeen's breath caught in her throat. She had never seen Khalid look at her like this before—like she was his whole world. She felt a sudden urge to stay, to abandon her plans and just follow him back home. But instead, she forced a smile and said, "We will miss you too, especially Hanif." Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the turmoil inside her.

Khalid reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair back under her veil. "You should go," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Take care of yourself and Hanif." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, lingering for a moment as if he could imprint the feel of her skin into his memory.

Nadeen's eyes flickered around, taking in the scene—the other travelers walking past them, each engrossed in their own lives, oblivious to the emotional goodbye unfolding between them. She wanted to hold onto this moment, to make it last just a little longer.

As she began to walk away, her steps felt heavy, as if each one took her farther from the life she had grown to cherish. But something inside her made her stop. She couldn't leave, not just yet. Turning back, she saw the confusion in Khalid's eyes as she approached him once more.

"You look beautiful in that blue abaya," he blurted out, his voice laced with something more profound than just admiration. He had wanted to say it since they left home but had kept it to himself until now. The words came out awkwardly, not what he had meant to say at all, but they hung between them, charged with an intensity neither could ignore.

Nadeen blushed, adjusting her veil as if trying to shield herself from the vulnerability his words had exposed. She hesitated, struggling to find the courage to say what she really wanted to. "Khalid," she began, her voice barely a whisper, "thank you for everything you've done for me and Hanif." She bit her lower lip, her eyes locking onto his. "I love you so much," she added in a rush, the words tumbling out before she could stop herself. Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest.

Khalid stood frozen, his heart racing as he replayed her words in his mind. Did she really mean what she said? "She loves me," he whispered to himself, disbelief and joy mingling in his voice. The longing to chase after her, to tell her he felt the same way, consumed him, but he was rooted to the spot, overwhelmed by the emotions coursing through him.

He pulled out his phone, his hands trembling slightly as he typed out a message: "I love you too. I will miss you so much. Take care." He hit send and stared at the screen, hoping she would see it before her flight took off.

Meanwhile, Nadeen was on the plane, her heart still racing from what she had just confessed. She held Hanif close, trying to calm herself. When her phone buzzed with a notification, she saw Khalid's message. Reading it, a wave of relief and happiness washed over her, but it was quickly followed by tears she couldn't control. She kissed Hanif's tiny fingers, the reality of their separation hitting her all over again.

A flight attendant noticed her tears and approached with concern, but Nadeen quickly wiped her eyes and smiled, assuring the attendant she was fine. But deep down, she wasn't sure if she would be fine without Khalid by her side.

Hours later, the plane touched down in Yola State. Nadeen spotted her cousin, Amira, waiting for her near the baggage claim. As they embraced, a flood of emotions overwhelmed her, and she clung to Amira a little longer than usual.

Back home, the house was filled with laughter and excitement as everyone gathered to greet her and Hanif. Nadeen's mother, Maimuna, was the happiest of all, her joy evident in the way she fussed over Hanif, refusing to let anyone else hold him.

Later that evening, after the excitement had died down, Nadeen found herself alone with her mother. Maimuna had just finished her Isha prayers and was sitting on her prayer mat, while Nadeen perched on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly folding a blanket.

"Sometimes I really wish I had gone to school here in Yola instead of Kano," Nadeen said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. "And sometimes, I wonder why you wanted me to stay with Addah Zeenat and study in Kano."

Maimuna looked up at her daughter with a gentle smile. "I suggested you stay with Zeenat because I trust her, and I know she loves you very much. Even if you two weren't that close, I figured you'd feel comfortable with her."

Nadeen was taken aback by her mother's words. She thought of how Zeenat had chosen to believe her husband over her, and it stung to hear her mother say she trusted Zeenat so much. If only she knew, Nadeen thought bitterly.

"I noticed you and Zeenat were distant at the naming ceremony," Maimuna continued, her voice filled with concern. "I didn't ask because I knew you both were mature enough to sort it out."

Nadeen shifted uncomfortably, pretending not to understand what her mother was implying. "Distant? No, we didn't fight," she said, trying to sound casual.

Maimuna wasn't convinced, but before she could press further, Nadeen's phone rang, and she saw Khalid's name on the screen. Relieved for the distraction, she excused herself and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Hi, how are you?" Nadeen asked, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she collected Hanif from Ummi's hand who just brought him to her. She sat at the chair outside as She tended to Hanif, who was starting to fuss.

"I'm fine, just tired. We had a long surgery, but Alhamdulillah, it went well," Khalid replied, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

"And the patient? Are they okay?" Nadeen asked, her voice softening with concern.

"Alhamdulillah, they're fine," Khalid assured her. He paused, and Nadeen could hear the sound of him shifting in his seat. "How's Hanif? I can hear him."

"He's fine, just a bit hungry," she said, starting to breastfeed Hanif. The baby immediately calmed down, his small hand resting against her as he fed.

"Hi Hanif, it's Daddy ," Khalid cooed through the phone, his voice warm and loving. Hanif paused his feeding and stared at the phone, his tiny eyes wide with recognition.

Nadeen laughed, the sound light and filled with affection. "He's looking at the phone like he knows it's you."

"Of course he knows it's me. He's a daddy's boy," Khalid said, a note of pride in his voice.

The conversation lulled into a comfortable silence, both of them lost in their thoughts. Khalid was debating whether to bring up what Nadeen had said earlier at the airport. Did she really mean it? Should he tell her how he felt?

"I miss you," Nadeen said suddenly, her voice small and shy, as if she were confessing a secret.

"I miss you too," Khalid replied, his voice thick with emotion. Without thinking, he added, "I really wish I had kissed you on your soft lips before you left."

"Khalid..." Nadeen's voice trailed off, her cheeks burning with a blush. She wasn't sure how to respond, but her heart swelled with warmth at his words. She had never imagined that he could be so open, so vulnerable with her.

Khalid chuckled softly, realizing what he had said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay," Nadeen whispered, a smile playing on her lips as she looked down at Hanif, who was now asleep in her arms. "I just... I wish you had kissed me too."

The admission hung between them, tender and fragile, a promise of something more waiting to be explored when they were together again.

♧♧♧

Zeenat sat in front of Hajiya Sakina, her heart racing with a mix of anxiety and satisfaction. She carefully picked up the glass of juice in front of her, trying to appear calm even though her insides churned with excitement. She was finally going to say it, finally going to expose Nadeen and ruin her marriage to Khalid. The thought brought a twisted sense of joy to her heart. She had waited for this moment, and now it was here.

Taking a small sip to steady her nerves, Zeenat leaned forward slightly, her eyes locked onto Hajiya Sakina's. "Hajiya, you were right," she began, her voice trembling with a barely contained glee. "I did my research, and the test results are out." She reached into her bag and pulled out the envelope that contained the truth that would shatter everything. "Here it is," she said, handing it over, her voice tinged with a cruel excitement. "Hanif is not Khalid's son."

Hajiya Sakina's hand trembled as she took the envelope from Zeenat, her heart pounding in her chest. "Subhanallah..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she fumbled to open the envelope, her mind spinning with a mix of dread and disbelief.

Zeenat watched as Hajiya Sakina's face paled, a slow smile spreading across her own face as she crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, savoring the moment. She had spent countless nights imagining this, and now she could see the cracks beginning to form in Hajiya Sakina's composure. "Don't worry, Hajiya," Zeenat continued, her tone falsely reassuring but with an underlying venom that couldn't be missed. "Khalid knows about it. That was the main reason he married Nadeen."

Hajiya Sakina's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at Zeenat, confusion and anger swirling in her eyes. "What are you saying, Zeenat? What are you trying to imply?"

Zeenat let out a small, mocking laugh. "Oh, Hajiya, you don't know the half of it. Nadeen tricked Khalid into marrying her after she got pregnant by someone else. She lied to him, said it was Ishaq's child, that Ishaq r***d her and got her pregnant. But it was all a lie. She was desperate, didn't know what to do, and then she fed Khalid some story that he believed, out of pity, not love, and that's why he married her."

Hajiya Sakina's hands clenched around the envelope, the paper crinkling under her grip as anger surged through her. "Are you saying Khalid knows all of this?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

Zeenat nodded, her eyes glinting with malice as she relished the fury building in Hajiya Sakina. "Yes, he knows. Didn't you ever wonder why they suddenly became 'lovers' and how quickly he insisted on marrying her? Nadeen isn't the innocent girl you think she is, Hajiya. She's a manipulator, a liar."

Hajiya Sakina felt her world spinning out of control. The room seemed to close in around her as she struggled to make sense of what Zeenat was saying. Her son, her dear Khalid, had been deceived, trapped into a marriage based on lies. Her heart ached with a deep, agonizing pain as she stared at Zeenat, who was now lounging on the couch with an air of triumph.

Zeenat's eyes flickered with satisfaction as she saw the devastation in Hajiya Sakina's eyes. She had vowed to ruin Nadeen's marriage, and now she could see that her plan was working. But beneath her smug exterior, there was a flicker of fear—fear that Hajiya Sakina might see through her, might question the truth of her words. But that fear was quickly drowned out by the overwhelming desire to see Nadeen suffer, to see her life crumble just as Zeenat's own life had felt like it was falling apart ever since she realized how much Khalid had begun to care for Nadeen.

Hajiya Sakina finally looked down at the envelope again, her hands trembling. Could this be true? Could Nadeen, the girl she had come to care for, be so deceitful? But Zeenat's words had planted seeds of doubt in her heart, and those seeds were quickly taking root, filling her with a cold, hard fury. She would confront Nadeen, and if this was true, if she had indeed tricked Khalid into this marriage, there would be consequences—severe consequences.

Zeenat watched Hajiya Sakina, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for her reaction. Would Hajiya believe her? Would she take action against Nadeen? The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating, as the two women sat in silence, each consumed by their own thoughts and emotions.

Finally, Hajiya Sakina took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she faced the overwhelming storm of betrayal and anger. "I need to speak with Khalid," she said, her voice firm, though it trembled slightly. "This... this cannot go unaddressed."

Zeenat nodded, satisfied with the turmoil she had sown. She had taken the first step in her plan, and now all she had to do was wait and watch as the pieces fell into place. But even as she smiled, a small part of her couldn't help but wonder if she had gone too far—if the truth, once revealed, would destroy more than just Nadeen's marriage.

But there was no turning back now. The game had begun, and Zeenat was determined to see it through to the bitter end.

What the hell Zeenat 😳

This is too much 💔