The Twins, Chapter 16
Since returning from the hospital, Zara had already packed her belongings. The only thing left was for Lukman to return home so she could finalize her decision. She sat quietly in her room, her suitcases stacked neatly by the door, waiting for what felt like the inevitable confrontation.
Her mind drifted back to their conversation at the hospital. When she'd boldly told him she wanted a divorce, his reaction—or lack of one—had left her confused.
He hadn't argued, hadn't tried to dissuade her. Instead, he had ignored her plea entirely.
"The doctor say you've been stressed lately? You need to be taken care of properly," Lukman had told her, his voice calm but distant.
Her response had been sharp, fueled by pent-up frustration. "Who else stresses me if not you?" she'd asked, her voice trembling with emotion.
Lukman hadn't replied to that. He'd simply stood there, watching her with a look that she couldn't quite decipher.
"Sleep, Zara. Don't stress yourself again," he'd said, his tone quiet, almost as if he were brushing her concerns aside. Then, without another word, he had left the hospital room.
The next morning, Zara woke up with her mind set on bringing up the topic of divorce again. However, when she asked Lukman about it, he completely ignored her, just as he had the night before. His silence only fueled her frustration, but she was determined to hold her ground.
Later, when the doctor came to discharge her, he assured them that Zara's condition was nothing serious and that she simply needed rest and less stress. As Lukman drove them back, Zara seized the opportunity to make her request.
"Take me to my brother's house," Zara said firmly.
Lukman glanced at her briefly before responding, his tone calm but resolute. "Zara, like the doctor said, don't stress yourself. And besides, I can't return you home like this."
Zara's heart sank. Is this his plan? To use my health as an excuse to keep me here, to keep me trapped in this prison of a marriage? she thought bitterly.
As the car moved closer to their home, Zara tried to protest again, her voice growing louder with each repetition. "I'm feeling perfectly fine! Just take me home, Lukman. I don't want to go back to your house. I want out of this marriage!"
But Lukman didn't budge. His jaw was set, his hands steady on the steering wheel, and his silence screamed louder than any words could. Despite her protests, he brought her back to their house.
When they arrived, Zara refused to enter the house. She stood outside, arms crossed, her determination etched on her face. Lukman, however, had other plans. Without saying a word, he stepped out of the car, walked over to her, and scooped her up effortlessly.
"Lukman, put me down!" Zara yelled, her fists lightly hitting his chest in protest.
But he carried her into the house, ignoring her attempts to wriggle free. He brought her to her room and gently placed her on the bed, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he stood there, gazing at her as if deciding what to say, but instead, he turned and walked out, leaving her seething in frustration.
Zara was still caught in the storm of her emotions when her phone rang. Seeing Zainab's name on the screen, she hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Zara, why didn't you come to school today? I hope you're doing well," Zainab's concerned voice came through.
Zara took a deep breath, forcing herself to sound normal. "I'm fine, just a little occupied," she replied, not wanting to burden her sister with her troubles.
"We have a group project and presentation coming up," Zainab informed her. "It's compulsory, and missing it might affect your grade."
Zara exhaled, briefly. The last thing she needed right now was to jeopardize her academics for lukman sakes.
"Okay, fine. I'm coming now," she said before ending the call.
Maybe stepping out of the house would help clear her mind, give her space to think properly. Staying here only suffocated her.
Without wasting time, she got up and dressed for school. As she packed her bag, a thought settled in her mind—she had no intention of returning to this house again.
As the lecture progressed, the professor instructed the students to form groups for the upcoming project. Given their small class size, they were divided into groups of four, four each.
Zara, lost in her thoughts, barely paid attention to the formation of teams. Her mind was elsewhere, weighed down by the turmoil in her life.
Zainab, noticing her sister's distracted state, intended to include Zara in her team. However, before she could, someone else had already chosen her.
It was Sulaiman Abubakar, a well-respected student in their department, known for his intellect and composed nature. He was in his mid-twenties and the only student who matched Zara's near-perfect academic record.
When it was his turn to select his group members, he picked Zara along with two other female students.
With the project scheduled for presentation the following day, each group immediately began working on their assigned topics, discussing key points and distributing tasks efficiently.
As their group discussion came to an end, Zara gathered her belongings, preparing to leave and find Zainab and her friends. Just as she turned to go, Sulaiman fell into step beside her, his expression neutral yet observant.
"Fatima," he called, making her pause. Most of her coursemates called her by that name, apart from her friends.
She turned to face him, waiting for him to speak.
"I was curious about the person who shares the top rank with me," Sulaiman admitted. "Now that I know, I can see why. You're brilliant. It was a pleasure working with you."
Zara offered a polite nod. "Thank you. I can say the same about you."
A small smile played on his lips. "I appreciate that."
They continued walking in silence, neither feeling the need to fill the quiet with unnecessary words.
Zara pulled out her phone to check for Zainab's location, but her screen lit up with Lukman's name instead. She frowned and immediately declined the call.
Before she could dial Zainab's number, her phone rang again. Lukman.
Irritation flared within her, and without a second thought, she declined the call once more. When it rang yet again, frustration overwhelmed her. She switched off her phone entirely, letting out a quiet sigh.
Sulaiman, who had been watching her closely, finally spoke. "Fatima, is everything okay?" as he observed the way she gripped her phone, as if resisting the urge to throw it.
Zara forced a small smile, tucking the phone into her bag. "Yes, everything is fine."
But deep down, she knew that was far from the truth.
"I should get going now," Zara said to Sulaiman, shifting her bag onto her shoulder. She wanted to end the conversation before it strayed beyond their studies—she was married.
Sulaiman hesitated for a moment before offering, "Can I drop you off?"
"No, that won't be necessary," Zara replied firmly. "My husband is coming to pick me up." She made sure her tone was clear, hoping he understood that there was no room for anything beyond their academic interactions.
Sulaiman's expression shifted slightly—surprise, perhaps even embarrassment. "Oh… I see. My apologies," he said before quickly excusing himself and walking away.
Zara sighed, relieved that the conversation had ended without any further misunderstanding. She turned, scanning the school premises for Zainab, when suddenly, Lukman appeared directly in her path.
Her breath caught in her throat. His presence was so abrupt, so intense, that she instinctively took a step back. His dark eyes were locked onto hers, and the tension radiating from him was unmistakable.
Before she could fully compose herself, she forced herself to look away and attempted to walk past him, but he caught her wrist, stopping her in place.
Zara stiffened, instinctively wanting to pull away, but noticing the students walking by, she chose not to cause a scene.
"What do you want?" she asked, turning to face him, her voice steady despite the rapid beating of her heart.
Lukman released her wrist but didn't move back. His gaze burned into her as he asked, "Who was that guy you were talking to?"
Lukman's jaw tightened at her words, but Zara stood firm, refusing to waver under his gaze.
"Does it even matter?" she challenged.
"Yes, it does," he shot back, his tone sharp. "Is talking to him more important than answering my calls?"
Zara exhaled in frustration. He was impossible—bringing this up in the middle of campus, where anyone could see them. It wasn't fair. But she refused to let him control the conversation. She had one goal, and she wasn't about to let him derail it.
"What matters right now is my divorce papers," she said, cutting straight to the point. "Did you bring them?"
As expected, he said nothing. He always ignored her when she brought up divorce, as if avoiding the topic would make it disappear. But it wouldn't. His initial anger seemed to fade, replaced by something else—something unreadable.
"Zara, let's go home and talk," he said instead.
"No," she responded immediately. "There's nothing to talk about. And besides, I have other important things to do at school."
Lukman narrowed his eyes. "What other important things? I know your lectures are over for the day."
Zara stilled. He was right—but how did he know that? Had he been keeping track of her schedule?
She folded her arms, tilting her head as she looked at him. "I see," she said slowly. "You're more of a spy than a husband."
"Lukman, I'm going to my brother's house from here," she stated firmly.
She didn't wait for his response. She simply turned on her heels and walked away, determined to put distance between them. But despite her resolve, emotions swirled inside her—anger, exhaustion, and something she wasn't ready to name.
At the school café, she reunited with her friends, forcing a smile as she sat down beside them.
Barely thirty minutes had passed when her phone rang. Seeing her brother Yusuf's name on the screen made her heart race.
She answered quickly, but before she could even greet him, his voice came through, firm and commanding.
"Zara, I'm at your house. Come right away."
Her breath caught in her throat. Something was wrong.