Taif - Part 3: The Wounds of Silence

That night, Taif lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to shake the image of Zayn’s quiet suffering from her mind.

Diaa, her husband, lay beside her, scrolling through his phone, but he could sense her unrest.

"You’re thinking about that boy, aren’t you?" he asked without looking up.

She sighed. "I can’t stop."

Diaa finally put his phone down and turned to face her. "Taif, you’ve always had a soft heart. But you can’t save every child."

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with determination. "I can try."

Diaa studied her for a moment before sighing. "I know that look. You’re not going to let this go, are you?"

"No," she said firmly.

He shook his head with a small smile. "Then just… be careful, alright? Not everyone in that school is going to like you interfering."

Taif swallowed hard. She knew he was right.

The next morning

She arrived at school earlier than usual, eager to check on Zayn. As she made her way to the classroom, she noticed a small group of children gathered near the playground, whispering among themselves.

One girl—whom Taif recognized from the previous day—glanced at her before quickly looking away.

Something felt… off.

When she entered her classroom, she was met with an unusual sight.

Zayn was in his usual seat—but he wouldn’t look at her. His head was down, his body stiff.

More concerningly, his uniform was soaked.

Taif’s breath caught. He had wet himself.

She felt a sharp pang in her chest. What happened?

She approached slowly, crouching beside him. "Zayn?" she called softly.

He flinched but didn’t respond.

Taif bit her lip, fighting the anger rising in her chest. She turned toward the other students, scanning their faces.

Some looked guilty. Others avoided her gaze altogether.

Then, her eyes landed on the girl from before—the one who had confronted her on her first day.

"Do you know what happened?" Taif asked gently.

The girl hesitated before shrugging. "Maybe he did it on purpose," she muttered.

Taif narrowed her eyes. She’s lying.

But before she could press further, the classroom door slammed open.

Miss Abeer stormed in, eyes blazing.

"What is going on here?" she snapped. Her gaze landed on Zayn, and a look of disgust crossed her face. "Not again!"

Taif instinctively stepped in front of Zayn, shielding him from the woman’s glare.

"Enough," she said firmly.

Miss Abeer blinked, surprised at Taif’s tone.

"This child is not an inconvenience," Taif continued. "And he is certainly not your punching bag."

A muscle in Miss Abeer’s jaw twitched. "You’re new here, so I’ll forgive your ignorance. But let me make something very clear—you don’t tell me how to handle my class."

Taif clenched her fists. "If handling your class means humiliating a child, then yes, I do."

The older teacher scoffed. "You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, dear."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out.

The room was silent.

Taif took a deep breath before turning back to Zayn.

"Come with me," she murmured.

She gently took his hand and led him out of the classroom, ignoring the stares of the other students.

She wouldn’t let him suffer alone.

In the caretaker’s office

Umm Ayman sighed as she handed Taif a small towel. "It keeps happening, doesn’t it?"

Taif nodded. "I need to know why."

The older woman hesitated before lowering her voice. "It’s not just the teachers, Taif. The children here… they learn to be cruel, too."

Taif stiffened.

"They pick on the weakest one," Umm Ayman continued. "And Zayn… well, he’s been the weakest one for a long time."

Taif’s heart twisted.

"Who’s been bothering him?" she demanded.

Umm Ayman hesitated before murmuring, "The girl, Noor."

Taif’s brows furrowed. Noor? The same girl who questioned her on her first day?

"Why would she target Zayn?"

Umm Ayman sighed. "She’s jealous."

The pieces clicked together.

Noor felt replaced.

Taif exhaled slowly, realizing the delicate situation she was in. She needed to reach both children—not just Zayn.

She turned back to the boy, who was sitting quietly, eyes still downcast.

Taif crouched before him, gently lifting his chin so he would meet her gaze.

"Zayn," she said softly. "Did someone tell you something?"

The boy hesitated before nodding—barely.

Taif’s grip on his hands tightened slightly. "Did Noor say something to you?"

A single tear slipped down Zayn’s cheek.

That was all the answer she needed.

Later that day

Taif found Noor sitting alone in the courtyard.

The little girl glanced up as she approached but quickly looked away.

"May I sit with you?" Taif asked gently.

Noor shrugged. "You’re the teacher. You can do whatever you want."

Taif smiled faintly. "That’s not true. Teachers can’t just do whatever they want. We have rules, too."

Noor scoffed. "Not Miss Abeer."

Taif’s smile faded. "You’re right," she admitted. "But that’s why we have to be different."

The girl frowned. "Why do you care so much about him?"

"Because he deserves kindness," Taif answered simply.

Noor picked at the hem of her shirt. "I didn’t mean to hurt him," she mumbled.

Taif watched her carefully. "I believe you. But Zayn thinks you don’t like him."

Noor flinched.

She hesitated before whispering, "I just… I didn’t want you to forget about me."

Taif’s chest tightened.

"Oh, Noor," she murmured, reaching out to gently brush the girl’s hair back. "I could never forget about you."

Noor’s eyes filled with tears.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, slowly, Noor nodded.

"I’ll tell him I’m sorry," she whispered.

Taif smiled softly, pulling her into a warm embrace.

Maybe, just maybe, things would start to change.