Deen Marshall Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

As she stepped down from the building, she headed toward the gate to leave and take a taxi. Usually, Abaas was the one who picked her up from home and took her back when they were done. But whenever they were quarreling, she took a taxi instead. In fact, she preferred taxis, which was why she even had a particular taxi driver she called whenever she needed one.

There had been many days lately when things had not been going well between her and Abaas. Sometimes she felt as if her heart would fail because she could no longer continue being patient and swallowing Abaas’s behavior. There was hardly any compatibility between them that could make a marriage work.

How could she marry a man who did not know her worth, her dignity, or her value, and who did not respect their relationship?

She already knew that it was her extraordinary beauty that made Abaas want to marry her—so that she would simply become his ornament. What she did not know was whether his extreme temper and jealousy would even allow that beauty to grow old naturally.

The fear of marrying him had already begun to fill her heart because every one of his behaviors left her in shock.

She sighed deeply, quietly swallowing her worries the way she had become used to doing about the matter. Breaking off her engagement to Abaas would cause a serious problem between her and her mother, her grandmother, and especially the elderly man who was her mother’s husband—the same man who was also her late father’s close companion and who had married her mother after her father passed away.

If she broke off her marriage with Abaas, it would become the fourth or fifth time her marriage had been canceled.

“We have arrived, Hajiya,” the taxi driver said as he parked in front of the large gate of Marshal Alfa’s house, where four soldiers were sitting guard at the entrance.

She stepped out calmly and gracefully. Her education, sophistication, and natural class made everything about her movements composed and refined.

She opened her purse, took out one thousand naira, handed it to him, and said:

“Thank you, Malam Hafiz.”

She then turned toward the side of the house where there was another modest family building slightly set back from the main compound. The family compound was large, though most of the daughters of the house were already married.

The soldiers sitting at the gate, who saw her return, greeted her warmly.

“Welcome, Ms. Naj.”

She smiled lightly and replied while turning toward them:

“Thank you. Have a good shift.”

She then walked toward her family house, which stood a short distance from Marshal Alfa’s main house. It had no gate—just a simple door like that of a modest household.

At the front section lived the Elder (Dattijo), so she passed straight into the inner courtyard where she met Umma Habiba sitting at the entrance of her section on a chair. She was examining the small Ankara fabrics she sold, while talking on the phone. Her daughter Asmau sat beside her arranging the fabrics inside a large bag that had just been delivered.

Respectfully, Asmau lifted her head and said:

“Anty Naj, welcome back.”

“Thank you, Asmau. Greet Umma for me when she finishes her call.”

Umma Habiba only raised her hand slightly in acknowledgment while watching Najma with a disapproving look, clicking her tongue in annoyance because despite all the work Naj did, she still had not gotten married.

When Najma reached her mother’s section, she found her sitting in the courtyard counting the money from the incense perfumes she sold. The bottles of perfume were spread out in front of her, releasing a very strong fragrance.

Najma looked at her and headed toward her room while saying:

“Ummi, well done with the work.”

Without even lifting her head, her mother continued working and replied:

“Yes.

You came home early today—everything alright?”

As Najma entered her room she replied:

“Everything is fine. I just want to rest. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Her mother responded sharply:

“How would you sleep peacefully when you don’t even have a companion to talk with at home? Everyone else is in their husbands’ rooms. And besides, you’ve gotten yourself such a big job now…”

She finished the sentence while glancing toward Aunty Amina, who was sitting nearby explaining a school lesson to her eldest daughter Zainab.