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She remained silent for a long while, her face buried against his body, before he softly uttered, “Thank you, my love! I thank the LORD who blessed me with you as my wife. I also thank Big Brother (Babban Yaya), Uncle Rafeeq, and Ajwaad, who were at the forefront of ensuring you became mine forever. I really wished you had been handed over to me today, or even since yesterday, but it’s no problem. I will be patient until you complete your exams. Perhaps the way I kept teasing Auta has caught up with me too.”
Najma let out a laugh. Keeping her face hidden, she said, “Well, that’s exactly why teasing isn’t good! Look at him—he has been given his own, while you are about to start your own long wait.”
He laughed along with her, replying, “Oh, so that’s how you’re going to play it? No problem, I will get my revenge, young lady. And as for him, I won’t let him off the hook either. Earlier, Abah told me that you all would be leaving today because your exams start tomorrow.”
She nodded in agreement. “Yes, I am leaving with Nah-nah and the others. We will take the train to Kaduna. Abba will pick us up because he is already in Kaduna and said he would wait for us.”
“But to think I wouldn't have even seen you today if I hadn't come by, only to hear later that you had left! Seriously, if that happened, I would have definitely punished you. Be careful—I don’t want things handled like that, do you hear me? I want to be the very first to know about anything that concerns my wife, before anyone else, including our parents. I forgive you this time because it’s the first time and you didn't know.”
“Thank you, Yaya. In sha Allah, I won't do it again, and please forgive me. I was just feeling incredibly shy. Everything came so unexpectedly. Honestly, when I heard our marriage was solemnized yesterday, I didn't even know how to describe what I felt.”
A broad smile spread across his face as he gazed at her, feeling as though he could just swallow her up and rest. He could feel a sudden shift in his body's desires, but he controlled himself. He took her phone to do what he needed to do, then deposited a large sum of money into her account before embracing her tightly once more and kissing her lips.
In a tender, gentle tone, he said, “Once you all are ready, call me, because I will personally drive my bride to the station.”
“Thank you, Yaya,” she whispered, snuggling even closer into his chest…
The sudden banging of the door and someone bursting inside shattered his train of thought. He slowly opened his closed eyes and rested them on Nibras, who looked completely disheveled. Today, she hadn’t even bathed, let alone eaten anything. She was panting with sheer fury. Purely to spite her and fuel her anger, he simply closed his eyes again, pretending he hadn't even seen her…
Maanal had been thoroughly pampered at Hajiya Shuwa's place, though she had also wept heavily. However, by Allah, her body felt immensely relieved because Hajiya Shuwa had even massaged her entire body with a hot towel, treating her with the delicate care usually reserved for a nursing mother. The poor girl could do nothing but let out continuous sighs of relief.
After they came out, Hajiya Shuwa had her sit over a traditional body and floor incense (*turaren wuta*), as well as hair incense, thoroughly drying and steaming her hair until she was fully refreshed and fragrant, despite Maanal's constant shy protests. Afterward, she helped her dress in a lightweight Dubai-style abaya. She lightly touched up her face, and the room was tidied up and filled with a beautiful fragrance.
At that moment, Oum returned with food for them, accompanied by Meeno, whom she had brought along. Meeno greeted Maanal with deep affection, as the young girl loved Maanal dearly; she even insisted that she wouldn't return to Kano but would stay with her instead. Maanal smiled and promised her that, *in sha Allah*, she would ask for permission to let her stay, as she loved the girl too—perhaps because Meeno shared that same dark skin tone as AA, or simply because she resembled him so much. Then again, the entire Darma family bore an incredibly striking resemblance to one another.
Oum felt a deep sense of joy seeing how beautiful and refreshed Maanal looked, save for her eyes, which were still visibly swollen because the older women had made her cry so much. To help disguise it, Hajiya Shuwa had applied kohl (*kwalli*) to her eyes. Oum didn't stay long; she left with Hajiya Shuwa, and they also ushered Meeno out with them. This was because RK had just informed Oum that she was on her way in, and that AA was deeply anxious and eager to come check on his wife. Hearing this, Oum decided to just leave the food for them to share together, rather than having a separate plate brought to his quarters.
Sure enough, barely three minutes after they left, Maanal was lying down with her phone in hand, about to call Didi after noticing missed calls from her and Ammie, when the door opened. She slowly raised her eyes to look toward the door when she noticed that no one had spoken or walked fully into the room.
Her eyes met AA’s. Slowly, she closed her eyes and laid her head back down. He, too, closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them, gently shutting the door behind him as he stepped further into the room. He was dressed in casual clothes that fit him perfectly. One look at him and you would see a brand-new groom fresh out of the box—his forehead practically radiant. His lips had turned a deep shade of pink, a clear sign of the intense affection shared the night before. His eyes were crystal clear, looking as bright as though milk and oil had been gently poured into them.
He stood over her for a short moment, thoroughly taking her in, before gently sitting down right beside her. Maanal quickly tried to shift away, but he slowly reached out and held her back, preventing her from moving. She averted her face to the side. For the first time, a smooth, beautiful smile broke across his face. He leaned over to look at her face, but she quickly turned the other way again. He leaned to the other side to catch her gaze, so she simply pulled a pillow and placed it over her face.
This time, he let out a soft, warm laugh. Leaning down over her, he gently pulled the pillow away. She quickly pulled the veil of her abaya to cover her face instead. He smiled again, lifted the veil, and slipped his own face underneath it with her.
Their noses brushed against each other. His hooded eyes gazed deeply into hers, which were tightly shut. He slowly moved his mouth closer to her eyes and gently blew a soft breath over them. A smile threatened to escape her lips, but she fought desperately to suppress it.
In a deep, whispering undertone, he said, “I won’t ask you about anything else except your health, my Besty. When you smile, my HEART finds peace; your happiness makes me forget every obstacle and conflict in this world. *Your smile lights up my world, please let me see it again, MY HEART.*”
Slowly, Maanal let out the smile she had been trying so hard to hide. AA felt as though his heart was melting entirely at the sight of that smile. He softly closed his eyes and opened them again, gazing at her. Lowering his voice to an even deeper whisper, he said, “Open your eyes so I can see the light I crave. Look at your husband, and see the tenderness and boundless apologies packed inside his eyes.”
As if being controlled by a remote, she slowly began to open her eyes. They locked eyes in a profound gaze that pierced straight through the heart and bones, melting the very marrow. Then, Maanal's eyes began to fill with tears.
“I’m sorry! I seek your forgiveness, I won't ever do it again, Besty. I am so sorry! I am so sorry. Please forgive me; my heart is filled with deep remorse. Definite whatever punishment you see fit, anything that matches what I put you through last night. Just...”
“Shush!!!” Maanal whispered softly, placing her finger gently over his soft lips.
Their eyes remained locked, their faces still hidden beneath the veil. He fell completely silent, gazing at her just as she gazed back at him with her swollen eyes. Yet, her gaze was filled with softness and warmth, while his was packed with apologies and deep concern for the state he had put her in—especially since RK had explained everything to him. Her voice, still raspy from crying so much, took on a pleading tone as though she might burst into tears again.
“Besty! Before today, I looked at you as if you were a destiny already written in the pages of my book of fate. But today, I realize that you yourself are the entire book of my destiny. You are like that one night that is longed for, desperately needed, and hoped to be witnessed just once in a lifetime...”
Deeply moved, AA asked, “What night is that, my Besty?”
“The night of *Laylatul Qadr* (The Night of Decree). It is that singular night that every servant hopes and yearns to encounter, working tirelessly for it just to attain success in this world, let alone the hereafter which we pray for. In my world, you are just like that night. If women were given the chance to choose a man a thousand times in their lifetime, I would undoubtedly choose you a billion times over as my friend, my brother, and my HUSBAND. From last night until today, you have completely transformed me, elevating my dignity and honor—qualities I had completely given up on ever finding in a man. For the longest time, I dreaded a night like last night, knowing I would inevitably face it if I remained alive, even if it had to happen by force. I spent so long wondering how that first day would be filled with bitterness, pain, and burning regret, even if I saw no change from my husband. But you changed all of that for me. You turned it into a fragrant, pure, and protective shelter. A shelter of dignity, mercy, and absolute peace. Thank you, Besty! Thank you for this gift. What was a *TRUST IN THE DARK* has now become a radiant, bright trust to me...”
A powerful sob escaped her, and she wrapped her arms around him entirely, holding him so tightly it felt as though she might choke. It was as if she was crying out years of suppressed, frozen pain that had been tightly packed in her chest. She let out this cry as though his chest was the exact place she had been waiting for all this time just to lay down and weep. She wept as she remembered the torturous life she, her siblings, and Ammie had endured in Giro all because of that single, agonizing word: rape…
And what was AA doing? Let me tell you—he was shedding tears. He was weeping just like her, an expression of grief you would rarely ever see in his eyes throughout his life. Anything that could make Ajwaad Aliyu Abubakar Darma cry must truly be something of monumental weight and value. AA only ever shed tears for Oum—her alone. In fact, Maanal herself could swear she had never seen Ajwaad cry since their childhood; at most, his eyes would change color, but never shed tears. Even the mother who gave birth to him, Mamy, had never seen his tears since he grew up. Yet today, he was crying, tears streaming down his face. Maanal's words were completely piercing his heart.
He felt that he was the one who truly owed her gratitude. He felt he should kneel before her and beg for her forgiveness, cherish her, carry her on his back around the world, and declare to everyone that she was his entire LIFE. She had shown him immense loyalty, and her family had shown them immense honor—especially her mother and her two siblings. It wasn’t just Maanal he loved; by Allah, he loved Ammie with a devotion akin to a son's love for his own mother. He loved Shahidah and Amaal just like he loved Big Brother and Fawzan. He felt they were of his own flesh and blood, because there was nothing in the world he could compare to what this family meant to him.
They remained in that deeply emotional embrace for a long time. Eventually, he lifted his head and began wiping away her tears. She slowly opened her closed eyes, and seeing tears on his face as well, her eyes widened in shock. She quickly slapped her hand over her mouth.
In a voice still thick from crying, she exclaimed, “Oh my, are you crying?!”
He couldn't help but laugh at how genuinely shocked she looked. A massive smile spread across his face, baring his teeth, before he turned his head aside and wiped his face completely clean. Turning back to look at her, he gently pinched her nose and whispered, “I’m not crying at all; the bride's tears just rubbed off on me. You know everything about a bride is completely distinct and special.”
Maanal burst into a genuine laugh. She pinched his nose back, saying, “Well, everything about a groom is completely distinct too!”
Pouting his lips slightly and widening his eyes, he teased, “Oh really? Like what and what, for example?”
She pouted her lips back in imitation of him and said, “I won’t tell you until you pay up.”
Before she could even finish her sentence, he kissed her lips, her nose, and her eyes, asking, “Is this enough?”
“Uhm-uhm, that's way too little, honestly.”
He bit his lip playfully, raising an eyebrow at her, while she turned her head away laughing. He gently cupped her face and pulled it back, locking their lips together as he began to kiss her deeply. To his utter amazement, she began to cooperate, passionately responding to his touch. At that moment, AA’s mind felt like it was spinning out of control, and his primal instincts completely took over…
Maanal, who had also completely lost herself in the moment, only realized how intensely the passion was shifting when she felt him breathing heavily. She began gently tapping his back to bring him back to his senses. As he slowly released her lips, she turned her back to him. He didn't say a word; he simply wrapped his arms around her from behind, and they lay together in total silence.
They remained like that for over five minutes before he gently whispered an “I'm sorry” into her ear. A small smile touched her lips as a wave of intense emotion washed over her. Without turning around, she simply reached back and gently caressed his face. He caught her hand and kissed it. He was feeling an overwhelming rush of emotion himself; by Allah, he felt as though his heart might burst. He had never felt this strongly about anyone in his entire life. If he tried to vocalize exactly what he felt for Maanal, people would literally think he had lost his mind.
The call for the Asr prayer finally prompted him to sit up. He gently helped her up as well, but she let out a sharp, tiny wince from the sharp pain she felt. He quickly laid her back down, his heart aching as he asked anxiously, “What happened?”
She pouted her lips at him, saying in a thoroughly spoiled, complaining tone, “It hurts! The place is really sore, I can’t sit down properly.”
A profound wave of pity rushed through him, clearly reflecting in the depths of his eyes. Softly, he said, “Forgive me.”
She simply nodded her head. He pulled her into a brief embrace against his chest, before whispering into her ear, “Should I check and see?”
Hiding her face against his chest, she blushed. “I feel too shy around you!”
He let out a soft smile, biting the side of his lip, and joked, “Shyness is officially over, Oum’s baby! My Besty-Besty, Yaya F and Big Brother’s Lilly, and her Abah’s darling girl—the one whose father keeps her husband away from his own wife!”
The playful titles made Maanal burst into a hearty laugh. She gently tugged at his short beard—which he always kept trimmed short and never allowed to grow long—and said, “You are just way too clever, honestly, Besty!”
AA let out a rare, hearty laugh. He stood up, lifting her gently in his arms as they heard the congregation preparing to start the prayer, and carried her into the bathroom. They performed their ablutions (*alwala*), and he carried her back out. He personally laid down the prayer mats and led them in a joint congregational prayer.
As soon as they finished, she stood up because she couldn't sit comfortably for long. Even when she walked, she moved slowly due to the soreness. Deep sympathy filled his heart. Controlling his emotions, they sat down to eat. They completely took out the frustration of their hunger on a dish of specially prepared meat.
Once they had eaten to their fill, with him constantly teasing her and her hiding her face in modesty, he gave her medicine to take, and took his own as well. He knew he needed to go out and greet the family, but he felt incredibly shy, and at the same time, he hated the thought of leaving her alone. Around five o'clock, Amaal, Shahidah, and Sakina arrived at the house. He was still resting with her in his arms, reading a novel to her, when Oum called him to inform him that Shahidah and the others had been around since four o'clock and were coming over to check on Maanal. Oum had assumed he would come down after the Asr prayer, which was why she hadn't sent them in sooner.
A wave of intense shyness washed over him. By Allah, today he felt deeply shy around Oum. He didn't even want to cross paths with Yaya Fawzan because of his relentless, merciless teasing. Earlier, Rafeeq had given him a thorough grilling, though AA had simply ignored him. So imagine having to face Big Brother and Abah now! He had completely assumed that all the wedding guests had departed by now…
Meanwhile, on Aunt Shahidah’s end, she was anxiously waiting for Big Brother to return, as he had locked his apartment door. However, the poor guy hadn't returned after the Dhuhr prayer. It wasn’t until about half an hour after the Asr prayer concluded that he finally drove into the compound; it turned out he had gone out.
At that exact moment, Ameerah was coming out of Mamy’s section alongside Shahidah and the others after going to check on her. They had grown quite close to Ameerah now, having spent so much time working together on the wedding preparations. Big Brother pulled to a stop, staring intensely at Shahidah and Ameerah standing side by side. Both of them were smiling and chatting warmly, while Amaal and Sakina followed closely behind them.
He let out a slow breath, completely averting his gaze from Shahidah and fixing it entirely on Ameerah. Seeing the bright, radiant smile she flashed, he found himself involuntarily letting out a similar smile. He reached up, lightly stroked his sideburns, and closed his eyes before opening them.
Aloud, he muttered to himself, “Fadeel, are you completely losing it?”
Just then, Amaal and the others headed toward Oum's section, while Ameerah turned toward the main gate to head home. Raising her soft voice slightly so they could hear, she called out, “Didi, please, I'm waiting for you all!”
Shahidah replied, “Just go on ahead and get ready to receive us!”
Ameerah laughed, walking backward as she kept talking. Big Brother opened his car door and stepped out. He bent his head slightly, slipping his car keys into his pocket, when he suddenly felt her crash right into him. She spun around quickly, and as he looked up, their eyes locked in a direct, intense gaze. Her eyes widened in shock. Stepping back quickly with her head lowered, she stammered, “I’m sorry, Babban Yaya.”
He remained silent, not answering her for several seconds. Then, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Ameerah kept her head bowed low, her heart pounding furiously against her chest. Entirely out of nowhere, he leaned down close to her ear and murmured, “The other day you ran into me and said sorry. Today, it’s the exact same thing. I wonder what you’ll do to me tomorrow, only to end it by telling me sorry.”
Ameerah felt as though her entire body was about to melt on the spot. She looked up rapidly, her eyes wide with astonishme
