BY ZEE ASLAM
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Farida suddenly felt a coldness sweep through her body. She endured the burn in her throat as she held onto the door knob and turned it, silently she opened the door and walked in.
The faces of those she saw in the sitting room made her shiver a bit but she hid her emotions and asked, “why are my belongings lying outside”?
“Because you are leaving this house today” Husna replied rudely.
Farida stared at her disgusting face and turned to face Bello.
“Babe what is going on here”? She asked him curiously.
Before he could speak, mama threw her eyes at him.
“Mama do you have to go this far”? He asked her with a shaky voice.
“You either do as I say or look for another mother” Mama replied adjusting her veil. Bello was scared and at the same time devastated
“This woman must leave this house today or you pay me for the breast milk I fed you”. She said hitting her chest.
Farida wasn’t moved at all, only if they knew what she know.
“Babe am sorry” he said with his head down.
“It’s fine, just obey your mother”. She cautioned him.
“See am not ready for this emotional blackmail, it’s either me or her” mama yelled.
Husna was just smiling. She was loving the atmosphere there.
Bello glanced at mama then turned his face to Farida, he could see the calmness in her eyes.
She had always been a submissive wife and don’t deserve to be paid back this way but he had no other choice.
He placed his hand on his forehead as he spoke slowly, ‘babe I divorce you’.
After those words left his mouth, a drop of tear fell off his left eye.
Farida was stunned for a moment, she felt like she was being struck by lightning and her heart was just pierced by a spear.
Her face turned pale, her eyesight was tampered with. Something got stuck in her throat and she started swallowing nervously, meanwhile her arms couldn’t help but tremble.
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Mama smiled and patted her son’s back. He has fulfilled her wish. However never would she have imagined, she ended up giving Farida a courage to voice out.
Farida tightened her hands into a fist as she held back her emotions, careful not to let out a sound.
Bello’s lips twitched over so slightly as he led out just a word “sorry”.
She tried her best to remain calm because she knew, all that she was enduring now would soon be turned on it’s head. Husna was going to suffer ten times more than what she was experiencing now.
A sweet smile appeared on her face and her eyes curved like two crescent moons. At this moment, she brought out the result and gave it to Bello.
He blinked his eyes over and over again as he went through the report. He couldn’t believe he had been the one with the problem all this while.
He raised his reddened eyes to look at Farida.
She smiled at him, the corner of her lips curved high, her smiles seemed to contain a different meaning as she played the video and passed her phone over to him.
He passed the result over to mama and watched the video in disbelief. Mama looked at the report and raised her shoulder up asking, “what is written in there”?
“Mama I have a low sperm count making it difficult to get a woman pregnant” he replied calmly.
“Ahhhhh I am finished” mama shouted.
Never in her wildest dream has she thought her son would be the one with the problem. She moved closer to Farida and placed her hand on her shoulder.
“My daughter am sorry, please forgive me and stay with your husband”. Mama exclaimed.
Farida brushed her hands off and said to her, “Remember your son is no longer my husband or do you need a quick recap”.
After hearing this, Husna began trembling, she suddenly felt shame sweep through her limbs. It was not until now that she finally experienced the feeling of fear.
Bello’s eyes were red but contained an undeniable guilt and regret.
Mama’s mind went blank. All the satisfaction she was experiencing just a moment ago had now turned into retribution. Infact it was double the retribution.
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Bello furiously approached Husna. A loud “PA” sound followed.
He then pointed at her and yelled ferociously. “You sure are brave, how dare you scheme up this act, what were you thinking, that anyone could easily fall for this cheap acts right”?
Husna was stunned by the slap as a handprint slowly appeared on her right cheek. It seemed he used too much force because his hands also felt the pain.
Immediately her eyes became swollen to the size of a walnut.
If only mama wasn’t an elderly woman, Farida would have pounced on her tearing her to shreds with the way she glared at her.
Now it was mama’s turn. She glared at Husna with an icy anger. Husna covered her cheek and tried to say something but nothing came out.
“PA” without waiting for her to say anything, mana threw another slap on her left cheek making her fall to the floor.
The fall was hard that she started to bleed. Bello quickly called an ambulance.
At their arrival, they put her on a stretcher and carried her out. She was sent to the hospital from there.
