Bafullatanan Ruga Part 2 By Maman Teddy

The Proposal and the Deception

Just as she was sitting down, her phone began to ring. Her heart leaped, thinking it was him—but it wasn’t. It was a completely different man calling: a wealthy individual named Alhaji Aminu.
They had originally crossed paths during Saudat’s wedding preparations, where her striking beauty had completely captured his attention. He spoke to her with deep earnestness, begging her to give him a chance. He explained that he lived and worked in Abuja, was completely single, and was approaching her with strictly honorable intentions of marriage. He added that he was currently in Kano but was scheduled to return to Abuja the very next day, making him desperate to see her before his departure.

Note on Sailubah's Motivations: As you already know, dear reader, Sailubah had an absolute weakness for elite men from Abuja because of their immense wealth. The moment she heard his incredibly smooth, sophisticated voice, she was instantly charmed.

However, wanting to test his patience and play hard to get, she adopted a cold tone. "Hmm, I really don't think it's possible for you to see me today. I am completely exhausted from running around. Let's make it tomorrow."
He began to plead with her so desperately he sounded on the verge of tears, begging her to grant him just a brief moments of her time.
Relenting slightly, she sighed. "Fine, you may come over. But you must know that I am giving you exactly five minutes. Not a single second more."
He replied joyfully, "Your wish is my command, my queen!"

The Confrontation and the Trap

Following her Isha prayers, Sailubah spent an immense amount of time applying heavy, flawless makeup and dressing up elegantly. Walking into the room, Ramadan scanned her glamorous appearance. "My Auntie, what is the occasion for this heavy makeup?"
Having completely forgotten about the heated argument they had earlier in the day, she walked up to him smoothly, took his hand, and planted a soft kiss right on his cheek. "Today, my grandest dream is finally beginning to manifest! I have officially caught the attention of an elite suitor from Abuja, and he is on his way to see me right now."
Ramadan’s eyes widened in sudden alarm and distress. In a strained, intense voice, he pleaded, "Please, my Auntie... I beg you in the name of Allah, do not allow yourself to love this man."
She immediately slapped his hand away, locking her eyes onto him with a fierce, burning glare. Pulling her lips into a hard pout, she snapped, "I swear by Allah, I am absolutely going to love him! Furthermore, I am swearing an oath to you right now: if you dare use your usual manipulative games to chase this man away from me, I will beat you mercilessly!"
He offered her a smooth, perfectly calm smile. "I was only teasing you, my Auntie. I won't do anything to chase him away."

   [ Sailubah's Dialectic ] -> Suspicious of Ramadan's easy compliance.
   [ The Action taken ]     -> Lures him into his private quarters.
   [ The Trap Sprung ]      -> Locks the door from the outside, seizing control.

Sailubah did not trust that peaceful smile for a single fraction of a second. She knew his calculating nature all too well; she knew that her screaming and throwing massive tantrums never actually stopped him from systematically ruining her relationships behind her back.
Adopting a smooth facade, she said, "Follow me to your room; there is something highly important I need to discuss with you."
He followed her directly to his private wing. The very moment they stepped inside the room, she swiftly snatched his door key from the lock, darted out into the hallway with lightning speed, and slammed the door shut, locking him securely from the outside!
"Aha! I finally found the absolute cure for your interference!" she shouted triumphantly.
Running over to his open window, she peered inside and burst into a loud, mocking laugh. "The moment he leaves, I will come back and unlock you!" Leaving him completely trapped, she turned around and vanished down the corridor.
Ramadan stood completely still in the center of his locked room, sinking deep into thought. He had to admit that she had completely blindsided and outsmarted him this time. He had fully intended to go outside and terrify the suitor into leaving before she could even catch a glimpse of him, but she had anticipated his strategy perfectly.
He let out a low, dark hiss, his eyes narrowing with unyielding determination. "You and I are bound together for eternity, my Auntie. Nothing will ever change that."

The First Meeting and the Fortune

The moment Sailubah returned to her compound, Alhaji Aminu’s luxury vehicle pulled up. Intentionally playing power games, she made him wait inside his car for fifteen whole minutes before she finally graced him with her presence.
Upon her arrival, he looked at her with pure adoration. "How are you doing this evening, my radiant star that completely dims the light of all other stars?"
She smiled smoothly. "I am doing perfectly well. I hope your journey here was safe?"
"It was exceptionally safe, thank you."
"Excellent."
He then proceeded to introduce himself in elaborate detail. He explained that he was a highly successful merchant who dealt in premium gold earrings, bridal sets, and luxury jewelry in the heart of Abuja. His parents were originally from Kano, but his expansive business interests had permanently relocated him to the capital city.
Sailubah was completely swept off her feet. He was remarkably handsome, highly sophisticated, and the sheer luxury radiating from his high-end vehicle completely validated his status. She immediately gave him her full romantic consent.
Overjoyed by her quick acceptance, his face lit up. He stated that he wanted to dispatch his parents to formally request her hand in marriage the very next day, emphasizing that he had absolutely zero interest in casual dating or deceiving women. He wanted everything finalized as fast as possible.
Sailubah lowered her gaze respectfully. "I must discuss everything thoroughly with my father first and inform him of your intentions."
He insisted, "Please do. Regardless, I will have my family contact him tomorrow morning."
As he prepared to leave, he reached over and opened a small, premium briefcase sitting between the seats. It was filled to the absolute brim with tight bundles of brand-new one-thousand-Naira notes. He pushed it toward her. "Please, take as much money as your heart desires."
Sailubah’s breath caught completely in her throat, her stomach churning at the sight of such an staggering amount of liquid cash. Trying to maintain her composure, she murmured, "No, please keep it. Thank you so much."
"Absolutely not," he pushed gently. "I desperately want you to accept it. Let this money bring me good fortune and blessings through your hands. Please, do it for me."
"No, really, it's fine. Please keep it."
Without another word of argument, he pulled out a premium gift bag and systematically loaded ten massive bundles of cash into it—amounting to exactly One Million Naira given on a mere first date!
He placed the heavy bag directly onto her lap. "I am fully aware of your extraordinarily generous, compassionate reputation. I know you will likely distribute all of this to the less fortunate, but I beg you in the name of Allah: even if it is a mere five Naira, ensure you spend some of it strictly on yourself. It will bring immense joy to my heart. Additionally, take this document; it contains a comprehensive background profile of my family and business. Hand it directly to your Abba; I am highly confident he will recognize my father's name."
Sailubah sat in stunned, breathless silence. She slowly stepped out of the vehicle, clutching the heavy bag of money tightly in her hands. She stood frozen, watching his luxury car smoothly drive out of the compound as he waved at her.
The moment his car vanished from sight, she bolted inside the house, sprinted directly into her bedroom, and dumped the massive stacks of cash all over her bed. Shaking with pure, ecstatic joy, she began throwing the bundles high into the air, letting the money rain down on her as she laughed hysterively.

The Clash Over the Wealth

Suddenly, she remembered Ramadan.
Clutching his room key, she bolted out of her house and sprinted across the compound toward his family’s private wing. In her absolute frantic haste, she hadn't even thrown on a proper veil; she wore only a basic headscarf draped loosely over her head and shoulders.
She unlocked his door with a loud click, grabbed Ramadan firmly by his hand, and aggressively dragged him out of his room and straight across the compound into her bedroom. Slamming the door behind them, she pointed dramatically at her bed. "Look at my bed!"
Ramadan’s eyes widened in sudden horror and shock. "My Auntie... where on earth did all this money come from?"
She burst into a wild laugh, climbing onto the mattress and tossing the cash bundles into the air again. "This is the magnificent work of Alhaji Aminu!" She stepped down, standing directly in front of him, her face flushed with pride. "Can't you see that my grandest ambitions are finally manifesting? I am going to become the wife of an incredibly powerful, wealthy elite. I will possess unimaginable wealth! I will visit orphanages and provide massive financial support, and I will tour hospitals to cure the sick and alleviate their suffering..."
"Enough!" Ramadan roared, cutting her off completely. "In the name of Allah, you will pack up every single Naira of this filthy money and return it to him immediately!"
Sailubah froze dead in her tracks, her triumphant smile instantly shattering.

The Argument and the Strategic Retreat

"What did you just say...?" she whispered, her voice dangerously low. "I have clearly noticed that you harbor nothing but pure, unadulterated jealousy toward my happiness! I swear by Allah, even if you collapse and die right before my eyes, I will never return a single cent of this money!"

   [ Ramadan's Perspective ] -> She loves the money, not the man. Deception.
   [ Sailubah's Perspective ] -> It's a means to an end. Love will follow wealth.

"Why on earth should I return his money to him? Give me one logical reason!" she demanded, crossing her arms tightly.
Ramadan took a deep, steadying breath, trying to regain his composure. "Because you do not love this man. You are completely in love with his wealth, not his person. Is it morally right for you to systematically deceive him like this?"
She scoffed loudly. "Please! That is exactly how life works. Who knows? Perhaps once the marriage is finalized and I am living in luxury, I will naturally develop deep feelings for him."
He offered her a cold, empty, deeply calculated smile. "Very well then. May Allah make it a source of blessing for you."
"Ameen!" she snapped. "Furthermore, you need to drop this bitter attitude right now. Tomorrow morning, I want you to drive me to the orphanages and the various gathering areas of the Almajiri children so I can distribute charity."
The sheer audacity of her words made his hand twitch; he felt a powerful urge to slap her across the face. Controlling his rage, he spoke coldly, "I swear by Allah, I will never drive you anywhere to handle this dirty, unearned money. Count me out completely."
"Fine! You don't have to carry me anywhere!" she yelled back. "I am on the absolute verge of purchasing my own luxury vehicle anyway, so I will soon be driving myself wherever I please without begging for your favors. You can leave now, thank you very much!"
Fixing her with a dark, burning look of absolute fury, Ramadan turned on his heel and stormed out of her room, his heart blazing with rage. Sailubah glared heavily at his retreating back, packed her massive fortune securely away, and immediately dialed Zee's number.

The Puppeteer's Schemes

Back in his private quarters, Ramadan tossed and turned violently across his large bed, his mind completely stripped of any peace. He stood up, pacing back and forth across the floor like a caged animal, desperately calculating a strategy to handle his "Auntie."
He recognized that she had crossed a major boundary this time. If he acted too aggressively, he would completely alienate her. He needed to handle this with extreme caution and delicate manipulation.
While he was deeply entangled in his thoughts, his friends Fawas and Khamis walked unannounced into his room. Fawas stopped, observing his friend's frantic pacing. "What is wrong with you? Why do you look so incredibly distressed?"
Ramadan sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "It’s my Auntie. She has thrown me into a complete state of anxiety. You both know how utterly obsessed she is with wealth. Now, some vile suitor from Abuja has entered the picture and completely blinded her. My sole focus right now is finding out exactly who this man is."
Fawas shrugged. "Why does this concern you so deeply? You’ve known about her grand materialistic ambitions since we were children."
Khamis offered a relaxed smile. "Hmm, that's our Auntie Luvah for you. To be absolutely honest, I highly admire her personality. She has a massive ambition to acquire immense wealth, yet her core motivation is to heavily fund charities and help the helpless. That unique combination deeply fascinates me."
Fawas nodded in agreement. "Exactly. So why are you losing your mind over it when you know it's her lifelong dream?"
Ramadan clenched his jaw, muttering under his breath, "You both are completely blind to the bigger picture. You will understand everything clearly in due time." He buried his face in his hands for several minutes, letting a heavy silence fill the room.
Suddenly, a brilliant, cold, ruthless plot formed in his mind. A manipulative smirk slowly spread across his face as he realized that if he executed this specific plan, it would completely shatter her relationship with Alhaji Aminu and force her to abandon him permanently.
To divert his friends' attention from his sudden change in mood, he looked directly at Khamis. "Anyway, let's change the subject. How are things progressing with Auntie Zee?"
Khamis burst into a proud, triumphant laugh. "Man, she is completely at my mercy right now! I have successfully turned her mind upside down, completely reciprocating the emotional chaos she tried to inflict on me. I swear by Allah, Ramadan, there is not a single woman on earth occupying my thoughts right now besides Auntie Zee. I am just waiting to see how things unfold when her sheer pride prevents her from confessing her love to me."
Fawas and Ramadan exchanged a knowing look and smiled. "Man, she is an absolute premium, sophisticated woman," Fawas chimed in. "It makes perfect sense that you've fallen for her; she is flawless in every aspect. But please, handle her with care. Don't break her brain completely; I know how easy it is for you to totally dismantle a girl's psychological stability."
Khamis laughed out loud. "Oh, her brain is already completely fried! I swear by Allah, I have made a firm vow to completely strip away her sleep tonight. Right now, she is likely drowning in deep emotional distress because of the psychological traps I left her in."
Ramadan cautioned, "Alright, that's enough playing around. Please, do not put her through too much emotional torture. I absolutely do not want her falling into a state of distress that causes her to take her frustrations out on my Auntie."
Khamis stood up, teasingly pointing a finger at him. "Aha! There it is again—Auntie Luvah is your one and only true concern in this universe! Don't worry, my friend, I won't let my mischievous heart break my woman's spirit, so your precious Auntie won't be affected."
Fawas checked his watch. "The time is moving. Shall we head out?"
Khamis shook his head excitedly. "Where to? Absolutely no casual outings or clubbing for me tonight! This entire night belongs strictly to Auntie Zee. I am heading straight home to lock myself in my room and craft the most beautiful, poetic romantic lines for her. Take care, boys!" With a joyful stride, he exited the room.
Turning to Fawas, Ramadan noted, "I know you're desperately wishing you were on your way to see Aymana right now."
Fawas offered a dry smile. "Man, you can read my mind. I am feeling a massive pull toward her, even though I rarely visit her."
Ramadan smiled knowingly. "So you're finally developing real feelings for her, despite your constant claims?"
"Hmm, here's the honest truth, Ramadan: I am deeply attracted to Aymana, but I have absolutely no intention of ever marrying her. Yet, remarkably, she remains permanently stuck in my mind like grease on a fabric."
Ramadan shook his head. "So you are still fiercely holding onto that bizarre dream of yours?"
"Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt. My only real crisis right now is finding out exactly where on earth I am going to locate a pure, unexposed village girl."
Ramadan stood up, grabbing his car keys. "Alright, let's go. I'll accompany you to go see Aymana. But I am warning you in the name of Allah: stop manipulating these young women and breaking their hearts. Remember that the exact same emotional damage you inflict on someone else's daughter will inevitably be visited upon your own future daughters."
Fawas shrugged dismissively. "You've been preaching that exact same line to us for years. If this were a university course, I'd easily graduate first in class. Let's just go, and please, keep the lectures to a minimum."
Ramadan rolled his eyes. "May Allah grant you all clarity and guidance..."

The Confession and the Burning Jealousy

"My closest friend, I have officially entered the elite league of wealth! Glory be to God, money is an exceptionally beautiful thing! I have officially secured an Abuja Alhaji who completely overwhelmed my senses tonight by handing me a whopping One Million Naira cash on our very first meeting!"
Zee was currently sprawled across her bed, enduring an absolute agonizing battle with her own heart. Her mind was completely consumed by intense thoughts of Khamis, which had thoroughly stripped away her peace of mind.
The moment she heard Sailubah’s ecstatic announcement, she literally leaped straight off her mattress. "What?! One Million Naira cash?!"
Sailubah giggled with immense satisfaction. "Aha! It completely blew your mind too, didn't it? Well, don't let the shock overwhelm you, because the grand game has only just begun. I want you to come over to my house tomorrow morning at exactly nine o'clock so you can witness it with your own eyes. And make sure you bring that small designer handbag of yours so you can collect your own generous share of the fortune."
Zee rejoiced sincerely. "Subhanallah! I always held an absolute conviction that your grand dreams of wealth would manifest. I will be at your house at exactly nine o'clock sharp tomorrow morning—the only reason I'm not running over right now is because the night has fallen too deep."
Sailubah laughed loudly. "Aha, look at you, Zee! The mere mention of liquid cash has your eyes wide open. Tomorrow, you will thoroughly wash your eyes with pristine currency notes."
"You know it, my friend! As long as I am standing right by your side, there is absolutely no way my hands will ever lack money."
Sailubah then shifted her tone, drawing a deep breath. "Anyway, let's change the subject. How are things going with your little boy, Khamis?"
Zee let out a heavy, miserable sigh. "Hmm... I am fully aware of his games, which is exactly why I avoided calling you earlier. Sailubah, he has completely turned my internal world upside down. I swear by Allah three times over: I am in a state of absolute, burning, insane love with Khamis! What on earth am I supposed to do?" She then proceeded to detail every single detail of her interactions with him to her best friend.
Sailubah burst into a highly condescending, mocking laugh. "Listen to me carefully, and do not dare ruin this. Do not make a single attempt to confess your feelings to him. Maintain a completely detached front until he is driven to his absolute knees, begging for your guidance and affection. I am guaranteeing you right now: if you surrender too easily, that clever boy will subject you to severe emotional manipulation and run you ragged."
Zee groaned. "Look at that... speaking of the devil, his call is currently coming through on my second phone line. It's almost as if he possesses a supernatural awareness that we are discussing him."
Sailubah ordered, "Perfect. I know how easily you lose your composure. Calm your nerves completely, maintain your dignity, and do not allow him to look down on you under any circumstances. Understand?"
Zee whispered, "Hmm, that's easy for you to say, Sailubah. You have absolutely no idea how violently my entire body shivers the moment his voice hits my ears."
Sailubah clicked her tongue in deep frustration. "Honestly, Zee, your complete lack of emotional control is deeply pathetic and frustrating."
Zee offered a weak laugh. "Hmm, I pray that Allah tests your arrogant heart with an intense passion for a younger boy one day, just so you can experience a torment far worse than what I am enduring right now..."
"May Allah forbid such an evil prayer, you wretched girl!" Sailubah snapped furiously.
Interrupting her with a quick goodnight, Zee promptly disconnected the call to answer her waiting line. Sailubah clicked her tongue again, muttering to herself, "May Allah permanently shield my heart from ever falling in love with a mere boy..."

The Psychological Trap

Zee collapsed back onto her bed, desperately trying to gather her shattered composure. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as she picked up Khamis’s call, just a second before it would have disconnected for the second time.
In a soft, breathless voice, she spoke: "Hello?"
"I have been calling your line repeatedly, my Auntie," he spoke smoothly, his voice dripping with a calculated, vulnerable charm. "I pray to Allah that it was nothing but pure joy, excellent health, and absolute peace of mind that kept you from answering me."
She offered a tender smile. "To be honest, I am completely flooded with excellent health and peace of mind right now, Khamis... especially at this very moment."
"Glory be to Allah. Well, the primary reason I called you tonight was regarding..." He abruptly cut himself off, letting a heavy silence hang over the line.
In a soft, encouraging tone, Zee prompted, "Regarding providing you with guidance on how to approach your new luxury crush, correct?"
"Yes, my Auntie," he murmured. "I pray to Allah that I am not causing you undue stress. I swear by Allah, my heart is completely driven to go to her right now, but the moment I arrive, I am utterly clueless as to what romantic words to speak to her."
Zee went completely silent, an intense, suffocating wave of pure jealousy instantly clawing at her heart.
"How I desperately wish I were standing right there beside you at this very moment," Khamis spoke into the receiver, his voice dropping into a mesmerizing, low register. "I would gently stroke the side of your face and pull you back from whatever deep, dark thoughts you have just fallen into."
Zee drew a sharp, shaky breath. "Hmm... I haven't fallen into any dark thoughts, it's just..."
"Do not dare deny it to me, Auntie," he interrupted smoothly. "I desperately need to know exactly what has thrown your mind into such a deep silence."
Unable to contain her raging jealousy for another second, she burst out, her voice trembling: "I am silent because I am thinking that if I explicitly command you right now not to go to her, you will completely disobey my orders. Yet, for reasons I cannot comprehend, I feel an absolute aversion to you going near her. I swear by Allah, the mere thought of you with her makes me want to burst into tears. That is exactly why I went silent... and I will never reveal the true reason behind it to you."
Khamis closed his eyes in absolute romantic triumph, shifting his position on his bed. A single glance at his face would tell you he was in a state of pure euphoria, fully aware that she was completely ensnared in his web of love.
"I want you to adjust your position and lie down comfortably right now, Auntie," he murmured softly.
"I am listening," she whispered, adjusting herself.
"Aunty, how could you ever harbor a belief that I would violate your command? Forget about her completely. I swear by Allah, I am abandoning her permanently; I am dropping her right now. I would far rather abandon her for eternity than cause you a single second of sorrow, because I know deep in my soul that your tears would inflict a far greater torment on my heart than any romance could ever cure."
Zee tightly clutched the phone against her ear, her eyes tearing up from pure emotion. In an incredibly vulnerable voice, she whispered, "I love you deeply, my little brother... If you truly abandon her completely for my sake, I will officially become the happiest woman alive on this earth."
He smiled to himself, deeply amused by how perfectly his psychological game was working, even as his own heart raced at her intense declaration of affection. "Oh... strictly speaking, I am terrified of uttering my next words, Auntie."
In a rush of pure excitement, she pushed, "Please, say it! Do not worry at all!" She was desperate to hear a formal declaration of love from his lips.
"Grant me exactly two minutes to perform a quick prayer of guidance before I say it," he replied smoothly. "Keep your eyes on your screen; you will receive a text message from me shortly."
"Alright, I am waiting. Please, do not dare exceed the two minutes!"
"Your wish is my command, Auntie..."
Zee lay perfectly still, her mind racing as she began fervently praying to Allah to grant her Khamis as her permanent husband. He checked every single box on her standard of perfection. She tossed and turned across her bed in pure anticipation.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Khamis let out a triumphant laugh. "Yes! My absolute love, Allah has clearly destined you to be my wife!" He quickly composed a text message:

The Ultimatum: I will completely and permanently abandon her for eternity on one absolute condition: that you step forward and completely fill her vacancy. My deepest desire is for you to become my wedded wife, to live with me forever, and to give birth to beautiful children who carry your exact, flawless reflection.

He hit send.
The moment the text alert chimed on Zee’s phone, she flew open the message. Upon reading the words, she let out a loud, uncontained shriek of pure, ecstatic joy, bursting into a loud fit of laughter.
Her mother violently slammed her bedroom door open, her face pale with panic. "In the name of Allah, what on earth happened, Zainab?!"
Zee lunged forward and tightly wrapped her arms around her mother, burying her face in her shoulder. "Oh, Mama! Tonight, I am going to have the most beautiful sleep of my entire life! I have officially secured a man who is a million times superior to Surajo!"
Her mother aggressively pushed her away, clicking her tongue in deep irritation. "To Allah we belong! I rushed in here thinking a real emergency had occurred!" Turning on her heel, she walked out, muttering, "May Allah restore your sanity."
Zee collapsed back onto her bed, reading his text message over and over again, letting the words wash over her heart before she finally turned off her phone for the night.

The Silent Treatment and the Voluntary Prayers

At exactly 11:30 PM, Sailubah prepared to sleep. However, an intense restlessness gripped her; she suddenly realized she hadn't checked whether her younger brother had eaten his dinner.
She picked up her phone to dial his number, but abruptly paused as she remembered the bitter, explosive argument they had earlier. She clicked her tongue in frustration, trying to put the phone down, but her deep-rooted habits completely overrode her pride. She knew from years of experience that if she did not hear his voice, her mind would remain in a state of absolute chaos all night.
At that exact moment, Ramadan had just returned from accompanying Fawas. He had just laid down on his bed when his phone illuminated with her incoming call.
A knowing smile spread across his face; he knew exactly what she was calling to inquire about. He intentionally chose to ignore the line, letting it ring out completely. She dialed a second time, and then a third. Ultimately, he powered down his phone completely, turned over, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Sailubah let out a sharp hiss, tossing her phone across the bed. "I swear by Allah, if you want to throw a massive tantrum and go silent just because of Alhaji Aminu, you can go right ahead and starve!" She pulled her blanket over her head and tried to sleep.
However, sleep completely eluded her. She tossed and turned violently throughout the night. She knew all too well that whenever Ramadan was deeply furious with her, his absolute favorite weapon was emotional abandonment—he would completely isolate her for days on end. For Sailubah, this silent treatment was an absolute emotional torture that routinely caused her to fall physically ill from anxiety.
Realizing that sleep was an absolute impossibility, she threw off her blanket, performed her ablutions, and spent the remaining hours of the night standing in deep, voluntary prayers (nafilah), trying to find solace, while Ramadan slept soundly through the night.

The Father's Approval and the Financial Distribution

The next morning, while having breakfast with her father, Sailubah meticulously detailed her encounter with Alhaji Aminu. She smoothly presented the comprehensive family document the suitor had handed her.
Her Abba accepted the papers, scanning the text. Suddenly, his eyes widened in immense surprise and delight. He looked up at her. "Subhanallah! This young man is the biological son of Malam Saluhu! Glory be to Allah... I had absolutely no idea that his son had achieved such staggering wealth and success. When on earth did his fortunes multiply to this extent? Truly, Allah is all-powerful!"
Sailubah asked curiously, "Abba, who exactly is his father?"
"You are far too young to know him," her father replied warmly. "But back in the days when I possessed immense wealth, Malam Saluhu was an exceptionally loyal, honest, and dedicated man who worked directly under my management. He is a man of pristine character. I am profoundly happy that you have finally honored my wishes and brought home an honorable suitor from a respected lineage. Do not worry about a single thing; I will personally contact his father today so we can finalize the arrangements."
Sailubah bowed her head. "Thank you, Abba."
The very moment her father left the compound, Sailubah stood up, determined to head over to Ramadan's house to smooth things over. Before she could step out, her stepmother (Umma) approached her, adopting a deeply polite, subdued tone. "Sailubah, please, I am begging you in the name of Allah: can I secure a mere one thousand Naira from you? I have an important outing today, but my hands are completely empty of cash."
Sailubah smiled grandly. "Of course you can. In fact, I completely forgot to inform you: I received a massive financial gift from Alhaji Aminu last night. I am going to give you exactly Two Hundred Thousand Naira cash right now. But you must swear an oath to me: do not breathe a single word of this to Abba."
Her stepmother’s jaw dropped in absolute shock. She lunged forward, tightly hugging Sailubah. "May Allah rain infinite blessings upon your life! I swear by the Almighty, not a single soul will ever hear a whisper of this!"
"Ameen," Sailubah replied, walking to her room to count out the heavy bundles and hand them over.
Next, she approached her elderly grandmother, Kakah. "Kakah, I have brought you a substantial financial gift. It was given to me by a very wealthy suitor named Alhaji Aminu."
The elderly woman shook her head, pushing her hands away. "Absolutely not, my child. Keep your money and use it for your own needs. Look at me—I am an old woman on the absolute brink of the grave; what on earth am I going to do with cash?"
Sailubah gently took her grandmother’s hands. "Please, Kakah, do not worry at all. He gave me an astronomical amount of money. I set aside exactly Twenty Thousand Naira strictly for you. If I hand this money over to Abba, he will get furious, lecture me, and command me to return the entire fortune to the suitor. Furthermore, you know it is culturally taboo and bad luck to reject a pure gift. Please, accept it for my sake."
Kakah’s eyes widened in astonishment. "Twenty Thousand Naira?! Truly, this is far too much money for an old woman! Please, promise me you won't make a habit of accepting such massive sums from him."
"I promise, Kakah," Sailubah lied smoothly, handing over the cash.

The Obsession Scales Up

The moment Zee woke up, she completely bypassed breakfast. She frantically powered on her phone, desperate to re-read Khamis’s romantic text message for the hundredth time.
Before she could even open her inbox, Khamis’s name illuminated her screen. Her heart leaped into her throat, and without a single second of hesitation, she answered breathlessly: "Hello?"
"You completely robbed me of my sleep last night, my Auntie," he spoke into the receiver, his voice carrying a soft, highly vulnerable, exhausting tone that instantly melted her heart. "The emotional chaos is completely breaking me down right now. To make matters worse, I am currently scheduled for two major university lectures, but I am in absolutely no condition to attend B.U.K. today. My brain is completely filled to the brim with thoughts of you, and an intense anxiety is gripping my chest. I love you deeply, Zee. I adore you with every fiber of my being. Will you truly marry me?"
Zee’s face lit up with a radiant smile. "Yes, Khamis. I will absolutely marry you, and I will bear you beautiful children who carry my exact reflection. I love you deeply, Khamis."
He let out a long, heavy sigh of pure, unadulterated relief. "My soul is finally at absolute peace, my queen. I am going to close my eyes and take a brief nap right now. I pray to Allah that I see you in my dreams before I come over to see you in person."
She beamed. "I am fervently hoping that I dominate your dreams completely."
"My brain contains absolutely nothing else besides your image," he replied smoothly. "A dream of you is the only thing my mind deserves right now."
In a state of pure, ecstatic infatuation, she whispered, "Oh my goodness... what on earth am I supposed to say to such beautiful words?"
He offered a soft laugh. "The joy has completely overwhelmed you, my love. Go ahead and rest; I will see you very soon."

The Cold War and the Breakdown

Sailubah walked swiftly across the compound toward Ramadan’s private wing, her heart heavy with anxiety. The moment she arrived at his front entrance, she froze dead in her tracks.
The heavy security door was firmly locked from the inside. There was an absolute, dead silence radiating from his quarters—a clear, chilling signal that his psychological warfare and cold shoulder punishment had officially commenced.
Her heart instantly dropped into her stomach, a cold sweat of pure panic breaking out across her skin. The familiar dread of his emotional abandonment began to grip her. Tears instantly filled her eyes as she turned around, sprinted across the main compound, and burst into his mother’s (Momy’s) living room, weeping openly.
"Momy, please... where on earth is Ramadan?" she sobbed.
Momy looked up from her seat, a gentle, knowing smile spreading across her face. "Subhanallah, Sailubah. What on earth did you do to him this time to provoke such behavior?"
"I swear by Allah, Momy, it wasn't anything serious at all!" Sailubah cried, wiping her face frantically. "But he is intentionally executing his usual cruel punishment on me! He knows exactly how much it tortures my mind, and he is trying to make me physically ill again!"
Khairat, Ramadan’s younger sister, burst into a loud giggle. "Oh my goodness, Auntie Luvah! When on earth are you and Brother Ramadan ever going to stop these endless, dramatic wars? He enjoys driving your mind crazy, and you always end up crying like a baby."
Sailubah fixed her with a sharp glare, turning back to his mother. "Please, Momy, tell me where he went."
Momy smiled gently, shaking her head. "To be honest, Sailubah, I have absolutely no idea where he vanished to. He stormed in here earlier looking completely starved. I had to literally beg and coddle him for a long time before he finally agreed to eat a few bites of breakfast. The moment he finished, he picked up his keys and walked out."
Wiping her tears, Sailubah stood up. "Fine. I am going outside to search the streets; perhaps Allah will allow me to cross paths with him."
Momy chuckled. "Go ahead, I pray you find him."
Khairat jumped up. "I am heading out too, Auntie! Let's search together."
The two women walked out into the bright morning sun, systematically pacing up and down the alleyways of the Fage neighborhood. They searched every single familiar street corner, but there was absolutely no sign of Ramadan or his vehicle.
With a heart heavy with bitter frustration and deep anxiety, Sailubah dragged herself back to her bedroom. She knew him inside out—when he decided to vanish to punish her, he became an absolute ghost.
Not even two minutes after she sat down, Zee pushed her bedroom door open and walked in. The two best friends immediately shared an enthusiastic hug and clapped their hands together in greeting before collapsing onto the large bed.
However, Zee immediately noticed Sailubah’s pale, drawn, and completely distressed expression. "What on earth is wrong with you? Why do you look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?"
Sailubah drew a long, ragged breath, her voice cracking as if she were on the absolute verge of tears. "I swear by Allah, Zee... I have completely lost my internal stability. Ramadan is systematically breaking down my psychological health. He manipulates my emotions precisely how he sees fit—if I dare violate his commands, he completely strips away my peace of mind and leaves me rotting in anxiety."
Zee burst into a loud, amused laugh. "Please, you don't even need to explain further! The classic tale of the spider never goes beyond its web. I know the exact source of your crisis: he wants you to permanently abandon this new Abuja Alhaji who has completely stolen your heart, correct?"
"I swear by Allah, Zee, that is the absolute truth!" Sailubah cried desperately. "What am I supposed to do with him? Ramadan cannot stand the absolute sight of any male human being around me! He will utilize every dark, calculated trick in his possession to permanently sever me from any suitor. And the worst part is, if I attempt to assert my independence and tell him he has no authority over me, he completely cuts me off, goes dead silent, and leaves me to fall physically ill from his absence! I swear to you, Zee, dealing with someone's presence can become a dangerous addiction. Look at how frantic I was this morning—I literally searched every single square inch of this neighborhood and found absolutely nothing. I have never seen a boy as utterly ruthless and manipulative as Ramadan in my entire life!"
Zee laughed even louder. "Well, look at you! That means this time around, he is going to thoroughly punish you until you collapse into a full illness. Hmm... the toxic psychological warfare between you two deeply fascinates me. To be absolutely honest, there is not a single soul on this earth capable of controlling or subverting your fiery will besides Ramadan. He subjects you to whatever absolute madness he pleases, and yet you can never bring yourself to cut him off. He is the only human being who can look you in the eyes and say, 'My Auntie, drop this matter immediately or do this thing right now,' and you will instantly obey him without a single word of argument! He completely commands your universe. But from the looks of things right now, it seems he won't be able to easily win this battle regarding your new Alhaji."
Sailubah pulled her lips into a hard, defiant pout. She stood up from the bed, walked over to her secure wardrobe, pulled out the massive, heavy stacks of currency notes, and slammed them directly in front of Zee's face.
"Look at this!" she declared fiercely. "Given how utterly frantic and broken my mind is right now..."

2. Updated Character Index

3. Structural Summary of the Excerpt

• The Golden Bait: Sailubah receives an unexpected call from Alhaji Aminu, a wealthy Abuja jewelry tycoon. Driven by her love for Abuja wealth, she grants him a five-minute meeting, setting off a chain reaction of massive financial windfall.
• The Locked Room Maneuver: Anticipating that Ramadan will use his usual intimidation tactics to scare Aminu away, Sailubah tricks Ramadan into his private quarters and locks him in from the outside, securing temporary operational freedom.
• The Million-Naira Lap Drop: Aminu introduces his highly respectable background and delivers an astronomical first-date gift of 1 Million Naira cash, along with family documents, completely winning Sailubah's marital consent.
• The Bed of Cash & The Imperial Command: Sailubah wildly celebrates her fortune before dragging Ramadan to see her cash-covered bed. Ramadan reacts with absolute disgust and orders her to return it; her furious refusal sets off an intense emotional schism.
• The Psychological Counter-Attack: Ramadan alters his tactics from overt interference to calculated withdrawal. He shuts down his communication lines and disappears, unleashing an agonizing emotional silent treatment that leaves Sailubah in a state of frantic anxiety and sleeplessness.
• The Parallel Capture: In a parallel plotline, Khamis brilliantly manipulates Zee's emotions by fabricating a story about a luxury crush. The resulting burning jealousy forces Zee to completely discard her pride, confess her love, and accept a formal marriage proposal.
• The Generous Strategy & Royal Sanction: The next morning, Sailubah buys her stepmother's silence with 200,000 Naira and gives her grandmother 20,000 Naira. She presents the suitor's profile to her father, who instantly recognizes the lineage and gives his enthusiastic, official blessing for a swift wedding.

• The Breakdown: The segment closes with Sailubah weeping to Ramadan's mother over his absolute isolation of her, before collapsing in her room to vent to Zee about her severe, toxic emotional dependency on her younger brother.

  4. Analytical Breakdown

  The Weaponization of Absence (Silent Treatment as Power)

  A profound psychological dynamic in Hausa elite structural literature (Littattafan Soyayya) is highlighted here: the deliberate shifting of power via emotional withdrawal. Ramadan understands that Sailubah is immune to physical intimidation, verbal threats, or parental authority due to her fierce, brutally honest personality. However, her critical vulnerability is her extreme, almost addictive emotional dependency on his presence. By shifting from an active controller to an unreachable ghost, Ramadan successfully inflicts severe psychological trauma on her, rendering her physically ill and neutralizing her joy over a million-Naira fortune.

  The Double Mirror of Manipulation (Khamis & Ramadan)

  The narrative structurally links Ramadan and Khamis as birds of a feather regarding their hyper-intelligent, manipulative handling of older women (Zee and Sailubah are both 25, while the boys are 20).

• Khamis's Victory: He utilizes classic reverse psychology—creating a fictional rival to induce intense jealousy—which entirely dismantles Zee's defenses and forces her to propose her own submission.

• Ramadan's Strategy: He monitors Khamis's game with approval but notes a critical boundary: do not break her mind completely. This highlights that the boys view romantic pursuit not as passive courting, but as a highly calculated psychological chess game where the ultimate goal is absolute emotional domination.

  The Materialist-Philanthropist Paradox

  The author deepens Sailubah’s internal conflict through her dialogue with Ramadan and Zee. She throws cash bundles into the air in a display of pure vanity, yet her immediate vocalized internal map for the money is completely altruistic (funding orphanages, providing medical care for hospital patients). This establishes her materialism not as simple greed, but as a desperate quest for leverage and power to enact massive communal good—a striking contrast to her stepmother's small-minded consumption of the funds.

  Climax Mechanics & Looming Conflict

  The plot has now officially accelerated into a highly dangerous bottleneck:

1. The Institutional Endorsement: Alhaji Aminu is no longer a random suitor; he has acquired the highest level of patriarchal legitimacy because his father was a loyal servant to Abba. This makes it culturally and socially impossible for Sailubah to simply dismiss him without a massive family crisis.
2. The Accelerated Timeline: With Abba actively moving to finalize the wedding contract immediately, Ramadan's window for behind-the-scenes manipulation has permanently closed. He is now forced to launch his "ruthless plot" before Sailubah is legally bound to another man.