The other woman's DAUGHTER

Chapter 32

Tanzeel and Tahir hid behind a car and watched thier father halt his movements, he had fished out his phone from his pocket. After a few grumpy replies, he headed to his car and zoomed off. Tahir turned to his sister in utter shock.
"What did we just witnessed?" He had asked staring at the spot his father's car had been moments ago. Tanzeel was already dialing her older siblings phone number. Before Tahir could snatch the phone away, she was already yapping about it.

Tahir knew going in to see Noorie would turn out awkward, so he decided they go back home so they could deal with the issue once and for all.

Meanwhile, Maryam's mother was on her way home, with the thought of what her mother had done that night. She got home in lesser amount of time than expected ofcourse, she blasted the car horn making Baba Maigadi run to the gate yelling profanities.

He pushed the gate open quickly when he saw that it was his employer.  She did not return the greeting, before she stormed into the living room. The conversation would definitely not be amicable at this point.

When Maryam's grandmother relayed her ordeal that night, Maryam's mother became speechless for some time. Initially, she was going to reason with her mother, but  the moment Maryam's grandmother had said she did it for her, Maryam's mother lost her cool.

"What does that even mean?" She had asked her mother who was fidgeting on the couch.

"I did it for you, it was the best and only option I could come up with" her mother had said making Maryam's mother burst into a humourless laughter. Mama had been around to listen to the story too. She refused to say a word, scared things might get rowdy.

"How did you even know my child would die?" Maryam's mother asked staring at her mother in disbelief.

"I did not know okay. When it happened, I spoke to a nurse. And she snuck out a twin of some unconscious woman who apparently was traveling when the labour persisted....."

"It was so convenient for you, wasn't it?" Maryam's mother interrupted making her mother gasp in disbelief.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way, I did everything for you. Don't lecture me on right and wrong. I had sleepless nights because of what I did, but it was worth it because you turned out to love her more than your own children" Maryam's grandmother jabbed making Maryam's mother's face contour in disgust and anger.

Alhaji Matazu came in almost immediately she had said so. His gaze moved from wife to her mother. He knew everything was far from being well. Had the reckless driver not bump another man's car, he would have been around in time to hear the story. Soon afterwards, Tahir and Tanzeel arrived too. They stood by the door, thinking the meeting was a hush one. Not when they heard Maryam's mother's voice, booming through the walls did they confirm that this is far from a secret meeting. So they entered and saw Aliyah and the other younger ones around.

"How can you do this to me?" Maryam's mother screamed at the top of her voice, standing up from the sofa. She could not absorb what she had just listened to. "How can you do this to me for Allah's sake?" Her daughter Aliyah had held her in place, but both were staggering because Aliyah is no match for her mother. "How can you turn my life to a script, a script you can alter whenever you wish. How can you do that to me?" She screamed again making the rest of the household hear.

Mama shifted from her place of standing towards the angry woman, but her husband shook his head sideways, indicating she stays out of it. The last time Mama had attempted to intervene, Maryam had ended up with a concussion. He is man enough to yank her off her mother is she tries as much as attacking the woman who birthed her.

"I felt you would be devastated after his death. I felt you might never come out of it if you were told you lost the child. I did what every mother would do" Maryam's grandmother defended sternly, not minding her daughter's furious look.