Assalamu Alaikum.
It's indeed true that when a person discards mastering the art of writing, it threatens to leave him forever....
I started forgetting what Safaa is all about...😢😢
But it's not my fault sha.
Dearest readers Thank you so much for sticking to this story.
Thanks a lot.
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The weather had been chilly with an uproarious wind sending chills down the spine of the inhabitants of Katsina state. The sky was always marred with deep clouds and the world seems to be gloomy especially for those who had a grave problem like that of Safaa. She only found solace in her room filled with darkness where she buried herself deep into her ocean of thoughts and never raised the curtains. She avoided her Mama like a plague because the woman's anger towards her was still yet to dissipate.
Safaa smiled only when talking to her baby when it kicked, it has been more than two months now and none of the family tried to patch things up.
"You can stay in the room all your life Safaa, but you can never stop us from doing what we think is right" Her Mama made her jolt out of her reverie .
"Mama when did you come in?" Safaa sighed sitting up and resting her head on the headboard of her bed.
"You wouldn't know ai,Mtsss freshen up and come to the living room, your father summons you"
"Baba ?" Safaa internally winced in fear.
"Yes and you've got ten minutes to get ready" Mama ordered and ambled out of the room.
Safaa got up from the bed ignoring the fear she had been feeling since her Mama told her that Baba wanted to see her. Several thoughts kept flowing into her mind, maybe her Uncle had made Ahmad divorced her, or worst her Baba had taken Ahmad to court in order to get a divorce. She wiped away all of the thoughts, wore her hijab and trudged to the living room.
"Assalam..." Safaa could not finish because of the person sitting in her Baba's living room.
Her eyes became as wide as saucers and she had to grip the wall a bit because of the dizziness the impact of realising that she was not actually dreaming made her feel.
"Come in Safaa" Her father urged seeing the way she spent minutes standing by the entrance of the living room.
"Assalamu Alaikum" She mustered the courage to finish her Salam, and with her head downcast she walked and sat on the carpeted floor beneath her father.
She exchanged pleasantries with the woman sitting next to the man who was the genesis of all her problems before her father spoke.
"Moudu here came to apologise for all that he has done in the past,it is upto you to forgive him Safaa,
Moudu insisted that he wants to talk to you privately together with his wife hence I asked your mother to call you, I will leave you to talk with them but you should know that letting go will make you help him lift a burden that has been on him for long"
And with that her father left her all alone with a dry throat along with Moudu and his supposed wife. Safaa had been seething within since she saw him, wishing she could just strangle Moudu.
"Safaa I am Asiyah, Moudu's wife" Asiyah properly introduced herself.
Safaa raised her head up a bit and looked at Asiyah, a woman with a complexion that had an impeccable hue, a well sculptured figure and a smile that can make a person easily fall in love with her. Her curly eyelashes and doe-like eyes reminded Safaa of Shuwa Arab.
When Safaa realised the woman was uncomfortable under her piercing eyes, she lowered her gaze again thinking where on earth Moudu got a wife like Asiyah and how he managed to become a gentleman.
She managed to give Asiyah a small smile and the beautiful woman continued.
"Guilt has been eating up my wonderful husband because of what he did to you some years ago and I believe he can only have a clear conscience if he comes and explain things to you and ask for your forgiveness, it was Mama's last wish,I hope you will listen to him" Asiyah finished.
"It's okay" Safaa whispered trying to hold back her tears.
If only Asiyah could go through the hell she is experiencing, she would never ask her to forgive Moudu.
Clearing his voice Moudu solemnly began talking.
"I confessed to your father that I am the one responsible for that pictures merely because I hated you and I was driven by the forces of the drugs I was taking but I refused to tell him what exactly made me do something so cruel to you.
Safaa you were my only crush in Rigar Dala and for you I was willing to change but I disgusted you,
You saw me as a dirt and slowly that crush turned into hatred eventhough deep down I know I could not get rid of all the infatuation I had for you, the trigger to unleash my hatred towards you was when you decided to make harsh comments towards me whenever I try talking to you,
I was a rogue then I have to admit but my hatred towards you was so toxic that I agreed when the tycoon's wife gave me an offer of millions just to tarnish your image and make her son hate..."
"No no please don't tell me she's responsible, Don't" Safaa cut him off sobbing unto her palms uncontrollably.
Asiyah moved closer to her and kept patting her back tenderly to soothe her.
" I am so sorry Safaa, but she did pay me so much money and she gave my mother her own share too because she also helped with the conspiracy, We were so poor that we greedily collected the sum of money and made such a grievous sin, please forgive me, forgive us " Moudu goes on his knees and sobbed begging Safaa.
" Innalillahi wa inna ilaihir raji'un" Safaa kept reciting while crying.
"Safaa please forgive them, I know nothing can justify what they did to you but please forgive them" Asiyah also begged wiping tears cascading down her cheeks.
"Do you have any idea what it feels like to have your husband always doubting you? Do you know what it feels like when people see you around with a man and then go ahead to convince your husband you're having an affair with the man and your husband completely and agrees with it, without even bothering to ask if that person is your relative or someone you want to help?
Asiyah what your husband did is the reason for all of my marital problems,the trust issues between me and my husband, the reason why I am here and not in my husband's house, a lot happened because of that single deed of your husband, it has indeed tarnished my image, for it has created a breach of trust between my husband and I. Ya Allah..." Safaa sobbed, the impact of the truth unbottling all her caged emotions.
Moudu and his wife became silent unaware of what they can do to control Safaa.
"What is wrong with her?" Her mother who had been eavesdropping came to their rescue.
"Mama.I.cant.take.it.anymore" Safaa hugged her Mama and continued crying.
"Asiyah we should leave okay? We can come back and continue talking next time" Moudu whispered to his wife and they hurriedly bid Safaa's mother goodbye and left.
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Fadimatu had been pacing her room after calming her daughter, She had no idea what Moudu told Safaa that made her so emotional and distraught, because she overheard their conversation from when Safaa began asking them rhetorical questions, but what puzzled Fadimatu was the reason why Safaa had to tell them all that and then break down uncontrollably like that.
Her mind had not been in peace so she quickly walked back to Safaa's room.
She found her sitting on her bed,her head buried in between her knees while crying softly. Fadimatu sat next to her daughter and took her hands.
"Safaa what did Moudu and his wife tell you?" She asked looking into her swollen eyes.
"Maa he said..." Safaa hiccuped.
The mother took the bottle of water on Safaa's bedside drawer and poured its content in a cup, handing it to her daughter.
"Now tell me" Fadimatu urged her after making sure she had calm down a bit.
"The pictures Maa,Mama paid him to do that, She hates me so much, Maa how can she hate me this much? Why?" Safaa sniffed.
"You mean Hajiya Turai paid Moudu to do that to you?" Fadimatu gritted her teeth trying her best to maintain her calm.
"Yes she did Maa, She paid them together with his mother but why?" Safaa wept.
"Shush it's okay now,You should stop stressing yourself, You are carrying a child, Get some rest, We will talk better when you calm down okay?" Fadimatu said leaving the room.
But Safaa was far away from calming down, she stealthily left her room,took her car keys on the console and sneaked out of the house.
She had to talk to Hajiya Turai.
Driving in full speed, she headed to her Uncle's house. After parking her car she ran to Hajiya Turai's apartment.
Safaa did not want to break down until she was done with what brought her so she avoided going to Mommy's side first.
"Assalamu Alaikum" She salaamed going inside the empty living room.
She waited for some minutes and when nobody came out, she strode to Hajiya Turai's room.
Hajiya Turai had been on the phone with one of her friend but seeing the way Safaa came in to her room, not minding to scoot and greet her, Turai ended the call and sent a deathly glare Safaa's way, Safaa also glared at her resting a bit on the wall to catch her breath.
"What sort of nonsense is this eh? Are you mad?" Hajiya Turai fired.
"This will be the last time you will talk to me this way Hajiya Turai" Safaa fired back.
"What?" Hajiya Turai gasped.
"Yes you heard me right, So you paid Moudu to take those pictures didn't you? How dare you? Who do you think you are that you can do such a thing to a human being? You can get what you want anytime because you're filthy rich huh? And it was so unfortunate that your son fell in love with a poor young lady back then, well guess what? My family has always been rich at heart, we are content with what Allah has given us and now we have enough Alhamdulillah,
You disgust me Hajiya Turai, And I wish you're not my mother inlaw, a grandmother to the child am carrying, Ya Salaam how I wish I could rewind time, I swear I wouldn't have let love blind me, I wouldn't have married your son,
You have humiliated me enough Hajiya Turai, You can have your son all to yourself because by Allah I don't want you back as my inlaw ever again, He is your puppet right? And I a pest? Start celebrating because I am done with this family, You can order him to divorce me because am old enough not to suck in all your hatred just because of love, I will move on without Yaya Ahmad, Do you think he will have any respect left for you when he knows that you're behind those pictures?" Safaa stopped to catch her breath and then continued.
"Why are you so quite? Kiyi magana mana Hajiya, Do not worry, I am never informing your son about it but I swear you will regret doing all what you did to me, Allah will punish you for everything in shaa Allah, Mark my words" Safaa finished and left a shocked Hajiya Turai in the room.
With a hazy view Safaa walked to Mommy's apartment and on reaching the living room, she sat on one of the sofa and cried her heart out.
That was it, she was done with Hajiya Turai and her son, eventhough she should not have made that decision without considering Yaya Ahmad, Safaa knew deep within her that she could not go back to Yaya Ahmad's house, not after all the hatred.
"Subhanallah, Safaa? Is that you?" Mommy panicked rushing to her.
"It's me Mommy, Am so sorry I came in unannounced" Safaa croaked.
"Are you okay?" Mommy asked sitting next to her.
"I am Mommy, I just had a talk with my so called mother inlaw, I need to go now, Maa had no idea I left home"
"Hmm" Mommy hesitated knowing truly well that something new was eating Safaa up.
" I will call you when I reach home in shaa Allah" Safaa managed to smile getting up from the sofa.
"Alright, Take good care of yourself and my grandchild"
"I will Mommy, In shaa Allah " Safaa began walking but Mommy voice stopped her by the door.
"Safaa know that I will always be here for you in shaa Allah, when you need anything and you want to share what's bothering you, you're free to come to me, always" Mommy smiled, her words almost made Safaa broke down again.
"Bye Mommy" Safaa said with a shaky voice and left.
She was close to her car when Ahmad's tall figure blocked her way.He saw the pain she harbored within in her eyes and it made him embrace her petite figure, Safaa cried for some minutes in his arms, letting herself get calmed by his scent.
"Shush Habibtee,it's okay"
"No it is not Yaya Ahmad" She quickly remembered that she must not let her love for him swerve her motive.
" Why were you crying?" He asked wiping her tear-stained face gently.
" I want you let me go" She dropped the bomb not meeting his gaze.
Her baby kicked as if it understood what she just told it's father and it took Ahmad's brain seconds to register what she said and he let go of her immediately, his eyes red with unshed tears and his heart threatening to burst out of his ribcage.
"What did you just say?" He asked her slowly his piercing gaze making her shiver.
"I said..."
"No don't dare tell me that again Safaa" He cut her off.
"You think it's easy for me? Yaya Ahmad I don't know but I think we are not just meant for each other,maybe..."
"Shut up" He bellowed making her baby kick harder than the previous one.
"I don't care, shout at me, do anything but I have made my decision" She said and like a breeze left him broken,standing at the parking lot.
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With vehement prayers Safaa got to let go of some of her pains and a week after she had that encounter with Hajiya Turai and her son, she decided to leave Katsina, maybe a change of environment would be good to her.Her father had consented to the idea after her Mama kept bugging him.
"But you know that Ahmad is still yet to give her a divorce right? She's still his wife" Mommy told Safaa's mother while they were talking on the phone.
"I know Ummu Abidah, but Safaa wants to go, call me a selfish mother but I want my daughter to move on, life doesn't end with her leaving Ahmad you know"
"Fadimatu am, I don't think letting her go is a good idea, the kids love each other, don't let Safaa go, can't we do something different?"
"I know they love each other Ummu Abidah but their parents' pride won't let them be together? What do you want me to do eh?" Safaa's Mama answered.
"You don't know how stubborn Ahmad is, He will never let go of Safaa but since you both are hell bent on sending her away from him then it's okay" Mommy gave up.
"All will be well in shaa Allah, He would come to terms with it and let her go"
"Barin je Kitchen Fadimatu, Goodbye" Mommy ended the call leaving Fadimatu to her thoughts.
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Safaa had been praying to her Rabb about her decision to leave her home, she had no idea what she would tell her unborn child but she knew the only way to go away from Hajiya Turai's hatred was leaving, maybe when she's far away no one would try to make her go back to Ahmad's house, not when Zarah was still in it and not with a mother inlaw that would never stop hating on her.
She was on her prayer mat as usual, her selected Surahs in hand when Abidah walked into her room.
"Abidah" Safaa smiled.
"Oh I see, You are okay breaking my brother's heart" Abidah hissed.
"Abidah why are you telling me that? You know how much I love your brother, but what can I do? When your father and his mother hate the mere sight of me? Why must I live like a that in my own husband's house, why should I live in a place where am happy and the next minute I would be sad?"
" But Safaa how could you just tell him that? I know you okay, I know the love you two have for each other, our Baba and your own father's fight did not make you ask Yaya to let you go, why now? All of a sudden?" Abidah asked sitting next to Safaa.
"Hajiya Turai was behind the pictures on the two memory cards I flushed away on my wedding night, Don't you think she might someday bring thugs to kill me?" Safaa confessed.
"She did what?" Abidah gasped.
"Yes Moudu was here some days ago"
"Why didn't you tell Yaya Ahmad then?" Abidah reasoned.
"So he could hate his Mama? I can't tell him Abidah, I just want to go away from here, I want to go away from Hajiya Turai"
"That's not an excuse okay? Look we could talk to grandpa, We could tell him to talk some sense into his two sons, please Safaa don't just leave my brother" Abidah begged.
"He has Zarah and she's giving him a child too, He would move on Abidah, In sha Allah"
"Just shut up, You're just too stubborn" Abidah sniffed.
"Okay I am done crying because of my problems so please young woman don't make me" Safaa chuckled softly.
"You don't know what it feels like to see you two like this, Oh my Allah I can't imagine what you guys are feeling" Abidah hugged Safaa whilst crying.
"We will be okay" Safaa tried blinking back her tears while silently whispering.
"We will be okay, In shaa Allah"
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My fav chappy so far, so who's with me?
How have you been guys?
Was I missed?
I missed you a lot.
NB: Fadimatu is the name of Safaa's Mama. I hope it did not confuse you guys.
Who likes Safaa's decision?
Where are team Yaya Ahmad?
And where are #Team Safaa needs self respect#
The second one doesn't even rhyme aswear.
So anyhowwwww vote,comment and share.
Me is grateful, thank you beri much😘😘😘😘