Tit For Tat

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Hello everyone, i hope you are enjoying this book cause i am beginning to get bored by the whole getting you guys to get familiar with the characters first before delving into the real labari.Are you guys feeling it? Or you all are as bored as i am.

Please do not just read. Take note of the dates, because Mahmood and maimunas story are mostly flashbacks. Don't forget we are presently in 2020, Maimuna is already a married woman....

And also vote and comment...pleaaaaseeeee comment, i will love to hear from you guys don Allah. I am not used to the concept of writting a whole book, i am more into prose poetry. This is just me and my karanbani.

Thank youuuu all♥️
Yours:- Sweet darlin

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17/04/2017
news arrived that Adda Amarya had just given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Maimuna's joy knew no bounds as she couldn't help but feel a desire to hold and care for the newborn. The arrival of a baby brother filled a void that had existed in her life for so long, and she embraced the thought of having a sibling to play with, despite the significant age difference.

Mahmood and his cousins, who were Adda's blood sisters came for barka that evening. He looked impeccable in his dark blue kaftan, with his zanna bukar adding to the charm of his full curly hair. Adda's sisters were equally as beautiful as her, with fair complexions that sometimes led people mistake them Arabs. Maimuna often wondered how Mahmood inherited his Milo complexion, as his father, Alhaji Ahmad Bukarti Yusufari, was also fair-skinned.sometimes you will think the man is adda's real father because of their striking resemblance. Mahmood's late mother, whose photograph he had shown Maimuna, was also fair-skinned and hailed from Adamawa.

Seeing Mahmood made her heart warmed, but her mood soured when she noticed the girl next to him clinging onto him. Irritation welled up within her, and she couldn't help but feel the urge to push the girl away. Despite being cousins, Maimuna knew that in families like Mahmood's, cousin marriages were highly valued and common. This knowledge only added to her envy of Adda, as she wondered who would be there for her if she ever gave birth in the future. She had no one from her mother's side, except for Uncle Hashim, and certainly no support from her unknown and unspoken-of father's side.

Lost in her thought, Maimuna didn't realize it until one of Adda's sisters called out to her, saying, "Habba Maimunatun Adda Maryam, ba gaisuwa? Are you feeling shy?" The girl who was sticking close to Mahmood added with a mischievious smile "Adda Joda, Maimunatun Hamma Gidado dai" (Gidado is what Mahmood's family calls him, including Adda). Maimuna's face flushed with heat, unable to control her reaction because she definitely did not see this situation coming.

Adda further worsened the situation by mentioning that Mahmood and Maimuna now had a baby, insinuating that they could use this experience as a way to practice their parenting skills before own child arrived. Maimuna felt like disappearing into thin air, overwhelmed with embarrassment and discomfort., Mahmood took pleasure in the situation, relishing Maimuna shyness and her inability to even face his cousins. He boldly took the baby, positioning himself next to the visibly uncomfortable Maimuna, and asked his sisters to capture pictures of the newest parents in town.

As they left the hospital together, Maimuna feeling mortified, She couldn't help but ask, "I thought Fulanis were usually very shy people. How come you are different?"

Mahmood had offered to drive her home after she was asked to fetch some items from their house.

He let out a hearty laugh, and Maimuna couldn't help but notice how genuinely happy he seemed. She wondered why, and her mind wandered to the possibility that Mahmood's joy might be due to Adda finally having a child after five years of searching. Allah had answered Adda's prayers, and it was a cause for celebration. Maimuna also pondered how Hajiya Rabi'ah would react when she returned from Umrah and met Adda's new baby. She recalled a past argument where Hajiya Rabi'ah had called Adda barren, a hurtful remark that had left Adda in tears that night. If her own mother felt remorse for her words, she didn't show it.

Interrupting her thoughts, Mahmood turned to and asked, "So, what's with the jealous look you were giving Anisa back there in the room, huh?" as he adjusted his seatbelt.

"Hamma, I wasn't jealous," Maimuna replied "I just thought maybe you had another favorite besides me."

She could sense Mahmood's  surprise at the change in her tone. Just the night before, they had been speaking affectionately on the phone, and now she had switched to using a more casual name.

What happened to hayaaty? Humood and sweetheart

"Interesting," Mahmood responded with a playful tone.

Maimuna questioned, "What's interesting?"

"You, Mims. You are interesting," he said with a smile, causing her to break into a warm, heartwarming smile in return.

"How is 300 level?" Mahmood asked, attempting to initiate a conversation.

"We're starting exams on Tuesday, pray for me," Maimuna replied curtly, not wanting to discuss school with him. She yearned to talk about him, compliment his handsome looks, express how his voice had a grounding effect on her, and how his smile had the power to change her world.

However, Mahmood chose to remain silent, and he found solace in the stillness. Sitting together in quietude, just him and his beloved Maimuna, he felt content. He didn't mind the lack of conversation between them, even as they continued their journey home. Any more words from this beautiful soul might distract him to the point where he would have to park the car. He needed to concentrate on the road because her voice, her presence, affected him profoundly.

"Hamma?" Maimuna softly called out, almost like a whisper.

Mahmood pretended not to hear her, deliberately ignoring her words. In this moment of solitude, he found himself craving to be called Humood, as she did during their late-night phone calls. He couldn't understand why she insisted on using name "Hamma" instead.

She called out again, and this time, when he said nothing in response, Maimuna knew it was a deliberate act on his part.

"Why are you calling me 'Hamma'?" Mahmood asked, parking the car in the compound beneath the street lamp.

Maimuna felt a mixture of emotions as Mahmood's large and intense eyes caressed every inch of her face. A mischievous smile played at the corners of his lips, indicating that he was enjoying her reaction. The orange glow of the street lamp accentuated her skin, making Mahmood yearn to touch it.

Unable to find her voice, Maimuna stared at him, feeling flustered and overwhelmed. Her heart pounded in her chest, surpassing its normal limits, and she felt her breath becoming shallow. Mahmood held her gaze as if afraid she would vanish if he looked away. It took all of her willpower to break free from his captivating stare and exit the car, rushing into the house.

Once the safety of her room, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath. Her breathing was heavy, as if she had been chased by dogs. "Innalillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun," she whispered, seeking solace and wondering what was happening to her. She walked towards the mirror, examining her reflection, questioning whether she was still the same Maimuna she had always known.

***Flashback***
11/02/2016

For some time now, Mahmood had been noticing numerous changes in the way Maimuna interacted with him. It seemed as though she was determined to prove her maturity, regardless of whether her actions were legal or illegal. As he was in the middle of explaining how horses are tamed, she suddenly held his hands, pretending to examine his ring "How come I've never noticed this ring, Hamma?" she asked, bringing his hands closer to her face in an attempt to get a closer look........


Continuation is on the next chapter

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