The Face Behind The Veil✔

Chapter 1

     Hafsah woke up at exactly 4:00 am on that Monday. She walked to the bathroom where she performed ablution to pray two rakat nafilah before praying the compulsory morning prayers. After her morning prayers, she read some surahs from the holy Qur'an then made her way to the bathroom again to get ready for classes.

     Two weeks ago, she had received a letter from Ahmadu Bello University where she was offered provisional admission to study psychology. She was overjoyed when she got the letter. Finally, she would be able to achieve her dreams of becoming a therapist and be like the therapists that helped the delinquents in wattpad stories.

     After dressing up, she pulled a long hijab over her head and covered her face with a niqab. It wasn't like she always dressed like that. She heard stories about how perverted boys at college could be. She also did know all that already from the stories she read on wattpad.

     She applied eyeliner and mascara to her eyes which added more brightness to her already beautiful eyes. She lived at the famous Queen Amina Hall with seven other people in her room. It was a room for four but due to the accommodation problems at the college, illegal squatters had to stay in such rooms.

     Since she found it difficult to stay in a congested room, she asked her father to get her an off campus apartment. Spraying a dirham perfume, she picked up her bag and left for her 7:00am class. The lecturers were so mean that they made students go to classes around seven in the morning and sometimes kept them late until seven at night. She took one final glance at her reflection in the mirror close to the hostel's entrance.

     "I'm good to go." she muttered to herself and began brisk walking to the blue seat theatre to avoid sitting on the floor and getting locked out by the lecturer.

     Her best friend, Sameerah, had already gotten to class and kept a seat for her. Sameerah and Hafsah met during the registration and became best friends instantly.

     "Assalamu alaikum bestie." Hafsah greeted, taking a seat beside her best friend. "Wa alaikum mu salam Hafsah. How was your night?" Sameerah answered.

     "Same ol' same ol'. Mosquitoes kept singing in my ears and those cats wouldn't stop meowing." Hafsah sighed.

     "Haha. I told you to come stay with me at Ribadu Hall but you refused." Sameerah shrugged.

     "Please, I'll be moving offkay next week and I was wondering if you'd like to stay with me. Wait! That wasn't an option. You'll stay with me whether you like it or not." Hafsah told Sameerah.

     "Oh my! Yes girl, I can't wait. How much did you rent it though?" Sameerah asked her.

     "A hundred and twenty thousand for a year. The price is fair enough." Hafsah answered her.

     "Alright, I'll just tell my parents to transfer sixty thousand to your account." Sameerah said.

     "No no, it's fine. You can start paying from next year in shaa Allah. What are friends for?" Hafsah smiled at her friend.

     "Sure thanks, but I'm treating you to lunch at frizzlers today." Sameerah told her.

     "That's fine. Our lecturer is here." Hafsah replied and brought out her books.

     After an hour, the class was over. They didn't have another class until 10:00am so they decided to sit at a garden to talk before it was time for their next class.

     "So..." Sameerah started. "What?" Hafsah asked. She knew that tone so well.

     "There's this guy I met yesterday night after leaving you." Sameerah said. Hafsah gave a teasing nod and gestured for her to continue.

     "He's so cute and he asked for my number and I gave him because I couldn't say no and yes that's all." she rushed out.

     "Of course you wouldn't say no." Hafsah teased. "Oh my God Hafsah I'm being serious here and you're laughing at me." Sameerah frowned.

     "Okay okay sorry. Carry on." Hafsah replied in a mocking tone.

     "We've been chatting on and off and he wants to meet me tonight." she said, pushing back the veil that fell over her face.

     "Hmm, I see. But why tonight? You can meet him while we are having lunch at frizzlers. I'd love to know the guy that has made my best friend crazy." Hafsah teased.

     "Sure, I'll just call him or rather text him the plan." Sameerah said, bringing out her phone and typing swiftly on it.

     "Done." She locked her phone and stuffed it into her black messenger black.

     "It's 9:30am, we should go to class before it gets crowded. I wouldn't want to sit on the floor." Hafsah told her.

     "Alright, let's go." They walked to their second class which was ending by 12:00pm. They didn't have any more classes that day so they had all the time to chat with Farouq, Sameerah's crush.

     Two hours later, they walked out of the class and made their way to the social centre.

     "Honestly these guys look too much." Sameerah commented.

     "I know right! It's like they never attend classes. 24/7 they stay here playing pool." Hafsah added.

     Just as they were about to turn left towards frizzlers, they caught sight of a guy that looked to be bullying a fresher.

     "Seriously take a look at yourself in the mirror. Do you know what a comb is? You should use it. You look like you were drowned in a pile of ketchup." The dangerously handsome guy had told the other guy who pushed up his glasses and stammered.

     "I I I didn't do anything wrong to to you. W w why are you tr troubling me?"

     "Why why am I troubling you?" The guy mimicked the fresher and burst out laughing with his friends.

     Hafsah and Sameerah stood there watching the whole scene before Hafsah decided it was enough and walked over to them.

     "Why are you troubling him?" Hafsah asked the unknown guy angrily.

     "Why? Are you going to hit me? Are you going to report me to the school authority?" he asked, raising an eyebrow before bursting out laughing again.

     Hafsah shook her head before speaking. "You don't become a better person by laughing at others' shortcomings." She walked off with Sameerah into frizzlers. She had lost her appetite but she still had to meet Farouq.

     "Why did you get yourself involved with Zayden? That boy is nothing but trouble." Sameerah told Hafsah who just rolled her eyes.

     "Zayden? So that's his name? I wonder why that jerk has such a nice name." Hafsah replied with disgust.

     "Just be careful Hafsah." Sameerah advised. "Puh-leeeease! He wouldn't be able to recognize me. I wear a niqab remember?" Hafsah said and Sameerah smiled.

     "Uh... Farouq is here." Sameerah said shyly. "Oooh... he is?" Hafsah teased, causing Sameerah to groan.

     "Hey Meerah, hey... sister." Farouq said, taking a sit beside Sameerah.

     "Hey. I'm Hafsah by the way, not sister." Hafsah replied, making air quotations with her fingers. Sameerah on the other hand sat there blushing furiously.

     "Hey Hafsah, I've heard a lot about you." Farouq said.

     "A lot? I thought you only met Sameerah yesterday." Hafsah asked, confused.

     "Oh yeah! She couldn't stop talking about her awesome best friend." he replied.

     "Oooh! I've also heard a lot about you, probably more than you heard about me." Hafsah laughed.

     "I didn't say anything Hafsah, stop it!" Sameerah scolded.

     "Okay okay... I actually have a lot to do so I'll just leave you both alone. See you some other time Farouq." Hafsah said and left the two lovebirds to themselves.