I stared at him as he spoke, and right there, I saw the raw depth of his love for me reflecting in the pupils of his eyes. He said, "You have been completely restless for a whole day! You have lost weight for absolutely no reason. Every servant of God has their own destined fate, and your fate was to marry an elder, Saddiku. You are completely in his hands now, because I cannot live my life without you." I retorted, "You will certainly never find the peace of mind you are looking for, since I do not love you. I only feel pity for you, and I honestly do not know how I could ever live a married life with you." He smiled before saying, "Well, since there is pity, I am certain love will follow. But let's see how things unfold, since that is what you have chosen to say." I turned my back to him and closed my eyes tightly! Suddenly, I felt him draw close to me, attempting to wrap his arms around me in an embrace! I pushed him away with all my strength, sat up abruptly, and retreated to the farthest corner of the bed! He stared at me for two solid minutes before asking, "You do know the divine consequence for a wife who isolates herself from her husband, don't you?" My heart skipped a beat upon hearing his words. With a trembling voice, I asked, "What exactly do you mean by that?" A thin smile formed on his lips as he replied, "I mean nothing but good. I will not claim my marital rights right now—not until your heart willingly accepts me. But for now, I want you to pay close attention to me, so I can continue unraveling the parts of my life story that you know nothing about. I want to tell you about my rise to success and the continuation of my marriage to my second wife." Hearing this, I looked at him and asked, "What was her name?" "Zinaru," he said, holding my gaze. I scoffed, turning up my mouth as I remarked, "I am hungry right now." He climbed off the bed and headed toward the exit without saying another word. I watched him leave, my mind racing with deep thoughts and reflections about myself and him. Before I could even utter a word, she emerged from where she had been lurking, standing tall and imposing over us. She pointed a finger aggressively at Hajiya and sneered, "Look at you, you gossiping old woman, heading to the afterlife with nothing but a bowl of porridge! I heard every single thing you just told him. You are only trying to slander me, and Allah will judge between us!" She spoke with a malicious, insolent sway of her body. My mind completely reeled! I looked at Hajiya, who sat there with her eyes pooling with tears from the sheer humiliation Zinaru was inflicting upon her. My heart swelled with pity for her. Looking back up at Zinaru, who still stood over us without a shred of respect or remorse, my anger boiled over. I stood up and delivered a stinging slap across her face. In sheer frustration and bitterness over her actions, I barked, "You have the audacity to call my Hajiya a gossip because you have absolutely no manners!" "Well, if she isn't a gossip, why would she sit you down just to fabricate stories about me? I swear, everything she told you is a blatant lie to slander me!" she shrieked, desperately trying to defend herself. I warned, "I swear by Allah, you better watch your mouth. If you want to continue living with me, you must respect my Hajiya completely. Otherwise, you and I will clash severely." "Oh, really? So what?" she snapped, slapping her thigh defiantly before continuing, "Let me tell you something, I swear by Allah, I will not stay here and let you trample all over me when I know very well that you are only boasting using my own brother's wealth! On what grounds should this old woman keep tracking my movements in this house, even going as far as telling you that I go out wandering? She is lying, she's nothing but a hypocrite!" My entire body shook with rage! I lunged to slap her again, but she dodged it and I missed. Hajiya quickly stood up and held me back, preventing me from beating her. Seeing this, Zinaru cast a disdainful look at us, let out a long, loud hiss of contempt, marched into her room, and slammed the door shut with terrifying force! I collapsed onto a chair, burying my head in my hands as my heart burned with sheer pain. Hajiya spent a long time calming me down until I finally found the composure to leave for the office. Even so, the bitterness ruined my entire day, to the point where my friend, Alhaji Faruk, noticed my distress. He pressed me so hard for answers that I eventually opened up and told him exactly what was happening at home. He said, "I am not at all surprised by this, because that girl has always lacked manners. The only advice I can give you is to be extremely vigilant and step up security measures within your house. You need to prevent her from contracting a disease out there and bringing it home to you, or worse, getting pregnant by another man and claiming it's yours." I replied, "My friend, I swear by Allah, I truly thought the girl had reformed and abandoned all her vile habits! That was the sole reason I let my guard down around her and intimately consummated our marriage. I had no idea she was merely playing me for a fool, betraying and deceiving me." "Be patient, my friend. Everyone is tested with their own destiny. I truly commiserate with you over your marriage to Zinaru, but I promise you, by God's grace, I will keep you in my prayers. May Allah grant you a way out." With a heavy heart, I weakly replied, "Ameen, thumma ameen, my friend." From that point on, I completely stopped interacting with her and strictly reinforced security around the house, all in an effort to protect the sanctity of my marriage. My sudden detachment plunged her into deep frustration. As it turned out, whenever I left for work, she would march straight to Hajiya’s room and insult her to her heart's content. One day, Shukura could no longer endure the abuse and fired back at her. By then, the girl was twelve years old and was beginning to understand how to defend herself and her family. Zinaru, who seemed to be waiting for just such an excuse, grabbed a heavy radio cord and began beating the young girl mercilessly, as if driven by a demonic frenzy. Hajiya tried desperately to tear the girl away from her grip but failed; in the end, Zinaru turned on Hajiya as well, striking both of them. She severely bruised the young girl's body with the radio cord. Yet, incredibly, the moment I returned home, she ran to me in tears, claiming, "Shukura was completely disrespectful to me and even insulted me!" When I pressed her for the specific reason behind the fight, she began faltering and making excuses. Seeing through her act, I told her to leave, promising that I would take disciplinary action regarding the matter. However, later on, while Hajiya was explaining the true account of what had transpired, Zinaru marched out and sat down. Every single word Hajiya uttered, she loudly disputed, shouting, "That's a lie! It didn't happen that way!" I glared at her in absolute fury and barked, "Zinaru, if I hear your voice drop one more word, you will deeply regret it!" She finally fell silent, though she kept shooting daggers at Hajiya with her eyes. Once Hajiya finished explaining the entire ordeal, I was overcome with immense rage, especially after seeing the raw welts from the cord stamped all over the young girl’s body for no justifiable reason whatsoever. I yelled, "I swear by Allah, Zinaru, the next time you lay a finger on this girl, I will personally retaliate on her behalf! She is not your slave for you to beat mercilessly whenever the urge strikes you. I want this to be the first and absolute last time this happens!" Opening her mouth insolently, she sneered, "Oh, please! As if that daughter of yours is even legitimate! There is practically no difference between her and a bastard. I know the full story about everything. Your ex-wife went wild over in Saudi Arabia, got knocked up with a bastard child, gave birth to her, and brought her to you. And because you are an absolute fool, you stepped right up and celebrated it! I know every dirty detail about this girl's background!" Hajiya burst into tears, crying out, "Fear Allah, Zinaru! Walk softly on this earth!" Zinaru merely hissed at us in disgust before spinning around and retreating into her room, leaving us marinating in deep sorrow and psychological torment. Hajiya and Shukura wept bitterly. As for me, I completely lost my ability to think straight. I knew without a doubt that Shukura was my biological blood, yet here she was, being branded an illegitimate child right before my eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes; there was no denying that Fatima had left a permanent, gaping wound in our lives. The entire household spent that night in a state of profound grief. Meanwhile, the instigator of our misery spent her night indulging in substance abuse. I confirmed this beyond a shadow of a doubt when I later went into her room to confront her about her horrific behavior. By Allah, I could barely breathe the moment I stepped inside due to the foul, toxic stench that filled the air. Pills, empty bottles of intoxicating substances, and used cigarette butts were scattered everywhere. She was sprawled out cold on the carpet, snoring heavily in a deep, drug-induced stupor. Deeply shaken, I went to the office the next day but could not achieve a single thing. Intense worry and anxiety had completely paralyzed my mind. So, Zinaru wasn't just sleeping around—she was a severe drug addict too? This realization weighed heavily on my mind, refusing to leave me. A fresh calamity erupted after I left for work. Fatima arrived at the house following her return from a business trip to Dubai, where she traded extensively. Whenever she found some free time, she made it a point to visit Hajiya and check up on Shukura. This time, she found them trapped in a cloud of misery. At that point, Fatima didn't even know I had remarried. Blinded by sheer fury and a protective maternal instinct, her eyes locked onto Hajiya, who was weeping as she recounted the horrific things happening in the house. Fatima examined Shukura's body and saw the painful welts covering her from head to toe. Flinging her veil aside, she marched straight into Zinaru's room to exact revenge. A violent shouting match and a barrage of insults erupted inside the room before the two women spilled out into the living room, where they continued to humiliate each other, hurling malicious insults back and forth. Zinaru was the first to escalate the fight by grabbing a weapon—a knife—vowing that she would slaughter Fatima and see who would dare stop her. Hajiya panicked completely. Fearing a bloodbath, she instructed Shukura to use her mother's phone to call me. The girl called me, weeping hysterically as she explained the chaos unfolding at home. It was solely by the intervention of Allah that I managed to rush back into the house just in time. When I burst through the door, I found Fatima pinning Zinaru down, beating her fiercely. By God's grace, Fatima had successfully managed to wrest the knife away from her and gain the upper hand. With great difficulty, I managed to pull Fatima away and turned around to scold her. Suddenly, I felt the sharp, agonizing plunge of a blade into my back. Zinaru had stabbed me. Instantly, blood soaked through my shirt and began dripping onto the floor. She immediately bolted back into her room and locked the door behind her! In a complete panic, Fatima and Hajiya held onto me, weeping frantically. I alone knew the sheer agony I was experiencing; the knife had cut deep into my flesh. We rushed to the hospital. The emergency medical team provided immediate, life-saving care. I was kept overnight for observation before being discharged the following day with a mountain of medications, my back tightly bound in heavy bandages. I couldn't bring myself to tell Alhaji Harazimi the truth about what happened. Instead, I lied and told him it was a freak accident—that a reckless motorcyclist had struck me just as I stepped out of my car. After his departure, my close friend, Alhaji Faruk, turned to me and said, "Honestly, you completely baffle me, Alhaji Saddiku. Why on earth would you cover up for her? Let me tell you plain and simple: if that girl had succeeded, she would have murdered you! Why do you insist on continuing to live with her when she has become a literal plague in your life? You need to inform her brother of the situation immediately—tell him that since the day you married this girl, you haven't known a single moment of peace." I shook my head firmly and replied, "I cannot tell Alhaji Harazimi about this matter. I gave him my solemn word that I would endure and be patient with his sister's behavioral issues. Furthermore, if you look at him, he is an old man who deserves to have tranquility and peace of mind at this stage in his life. He personally confessed to me that his only worry in this entire world is Zinaru; she is his single greatest source of pain. So why would I tell him something that could potentially trigger a heart attack or worse? I swear by Allah, even if this girl ends up killing me, I will never break his heart with this news. I will continue to give him the exact same answer every single time he asks: I will tell him that we are living together in perfect harmony." Faruk fell silent, nodding his head in solemn resignation. I knew he was marveled by my sheer fortitude—a level of endurance that very few human beings could ever master. Throughout the entire duration of my recovery, Zinaru never once muttered a word of sympathy or asked how I was doing. Instead, whenever she caught the sound of Fatima's voice in the house, she would storm out of her room looking for a fight. I always had to step in to restrain both her and Fatima. On those occasions, Zinaru would hurl brutal insults at her, boasting that Fatima could only admire me from afar because Saddiku was now far beyond her reach. Sometimes, Fatima would break down and weep out of pure frustration and heartbreak. For four solid weeks, I completely iced Zinaru out, casting her entirely to the side and focusing solely on my own business affairs. One afternoon, after I returned from the office, she cornered me in my bedroom, taking a seat and staring intently at me. I asked coldly, "Do you need something?" "Yes, I need to have a word with you," she said, locking her eyes onto mine. At that moment, I could read exactly what was frustrating her. With an entirely expressionless face, I said, "I am listening." "You do realize you didn't marry a literal stone and place it in your house, right?" I remained silent, keeping my eyes fixed on her. She pressed on, "For four weeks and several days now, you haven't touched me, let alone given me my marital rights. Honestly, I swear by Allah, I am completely fed up. If you are incapable of performing your duties, then divorce me so I can leave this house and find someone who will satisfy my desires!" I sat up to face her squarely and asked, "Zinaru, is it really my physical intimacy that you are demanding right now?" "What do you mean by that?" she asked, scoffing. I countered, "How many days did I spend bedridden, recovering from a stab wound that you inflicted upon me? You never checked up on me, let alone offered a single word of apology. Now that Allah has restored my health, you have the nerve to come in here and talk to me about this nonsense?" She fell dead silent, lowering her head. I continued, "You have done horrific things to me, yet I set them aside—not out of weakness, but because I am honoring a greater commitment. Do not ever mistake my patience for lack of power, or assume that fear prevents me from taking drastic measures against you. Not at all. I have a thousand ways I could deal with you, by Allah. I am only holding back for a specific reason; otherwise, you would have learned the hard way exactly who Saddiku really is." "Look, I didn't come here to start an argument," she snapped. "I was forced into marrying you in the first place, but I swear by Allah, I would much rather live my life on my own terms. If it's men I want, they come in every shape and size—I can have whoever I choose." Staring at her in absolute disgust, I warned, "Fear Allah, I swear by Him, and walk softly on this earth. If you don't, you will spend the rest of your life in deep regret. What is there to boast about in committing adultery? What is so glamorous about proud display of immorality? You think you can conquer the world just because you have a beautiful face and a stunning figure, don't you? Let me tell you, in a split second, the Almighty can disfigure your entire anatomy, turning you into an object of pure horror and disgust to the very men who chase you, until they flee from you in terror. There is zero glory in practicing what Allah has strictly forbidden, so you better tread very carefully." At that moment, her defiant posture melted, and she went completely still. It was clear that my sermon had finally pierced through her tough exterior and shaken her to the core. I drove the point home, adding, "And don't you ever dare call Shukura a bastard again. If you do, you and I will clash brutally, because she is the only child I have, and I am her father." She mumbled defensively, "Well, it was my close friend who told me that. She said she shared a room with Fatima in Saudi Arabia, and she swore to me that Fatima was a loose woman who slept around with men." Bitterness flooded my heart. I snapped, "Well, your friend is a blatant liar. When I separated from Fatima, she was already pregnant with my child. If you look closely, you can see the striking resemblance between Shukura and me. So I never want to hear that vile accusation come out of your mouth ever again." She sighed, "Fine, I hear you. But honestly, if you want us to live in peace, you need to resume giving me my marital rights. That lack is the sole reason my heart gets so volatile sometimes." I replied, "No problem. If that is all it takes, I will fulfill my marital obligations to you." Within a short time, her expression completely softened, and she even began chatting and sharing stories with me. I simply listened, marveling silently at her bizarre psychological shifts. Sometimes, I truly believed her brother’s theory: she was definitely dealing with possession by hidden spirits.
[1/12, 11:25 PM] Binta Umar Abbale: 82&83
Thus, I continued to live with Zinaru, tolerating her volatile shifts between good days and bad days, constantly overlooking her provocations just to avoid explosive arguments and chaos. The reality was that on any day I attempted to discipline her for her terrible behavior around the house, she would trigger a massive spiritual possession episode! She would spend the entire day and sometimes the whole night thrashing around, smashing household items, and rolling violently on the floor. She would grab whatever object was within arm's reach and launch it at me to strike me! Zinaru inflicted countless physical injuries upon my body over time. The persistent worry, dread, and psychological torment caused my chronic health condition to flare up constantly, forcing me to see my doctor almost every single week for medical checkups and specialized advice. Several of my business operations ground to a temporary halt due to the living nightmare I was trapped in. Yet, paradoxically, during this exact period, Allah unlocked massive doors of financial prosperity for me from every imaginable direction. In addition to the rice mill factory that Alhaji Harazimi had generously gifted me, by the divine decree of Allah, I successfully launched a brand-new cement manufacturing company. Furthermore, I purchased three large agricultural farmlands where I successfully cultivated beans, wheat, and millet. My business ventures expanded massively, and I amassed wealth far beyond my wildest dreams. During this time, my friend Alhaji Faruk would tease me, saying, "Zinaru is clearly your lucky charm! Your stars aligned perfectly; ever since you married her, your wealth and status have skyrocketed." I would simply offer a quiet smile, ensuring him that I did not subscribe to such superstitions. I firmly believed that the Almighty alone was showering His divine grace upon me—for He alone grants wealth and He alone restricts it—alongside the profound power of my late parents' blessings that continuously protected my life. Hajiya possessed an extraordinary level of patience to continue living under the same roof with Zinaru, because Zinaru subjected her to intense, unbridled disrespect! She showed absolutely no hesitation in insulting Hajiya to her face, constantly mocking our background with various forms of condescending remarks. On any day Shukura made the mistake of talking back to her, all peace would instantly vanish from the house; Zinaru would subject the young girl to a brutal beating until she drew blood. She possessed an unnatural, terrifying physical strength, which thoroughly convinced me that the dark spirits inhabiting her body were actively fueling her vicious actions. There were several terrifying nights where I woke up from a deep sleep only to find her standing dead over my head, clutching a knife! I would have to gather immense masculine courage just to slip out of the room safely. This horrifying pattern was the exact reason I completely stopped sleeping in her bedroom, unless on nights she felt a specific desire and brought herself over to my room. On a particular Saturday, I stayed home from work because I was feeling terribly unwell. While I was resting, the sudden outburst of a violent commotion shattered the quiet. I jolted awake in a panic, crying out the name of Allah. From the distance, I could clearly hear her voice hurling a barrage of profanities at Hajiya. Consumed by raw fury, I sprang out of bed and rushed into the main area, finding her standing over Hajiya, aggressively wagging a finger in her face while subjecting her to vile verbal abuse. Hajiya sat with her head bowed, quietly wiping away her flowing tears. My blood boiled instantly. I lunged forward and delivered a ferocious slap across Zinaru's face, simultaneously executing a powerful kick that sent her flying across the room! Hajiya immediately grabbed hold of me, desperately begging me to stop, even as I continued to strike at Zinaru with my feet. I felt a powerful urge to burst into tears out of sheer heartbreak and frustration; it was undeniable that my marriage to Zinaru had brought me nothing but absolute humiliation and ruin! Zinaru charged back at me, weeping hysterically. She clamped her hands tightly around the collar of my shirt and began screaming obscenities at me, demanding that I either divorce her immediately or she would murder me right then and there. I tried with everything I had to break free from her grip, but I failed entirely; her hold on my collar felt supernaturally strong, far beyond her normal physical capability. She cursed my parents brutally, her mouth suddenly foaming with a strange, thick white froth! At that sight, absolute terror gripped my heart. I immediately began reciting Ayat al-Kursi (The Verse of the Throne) aloud, spitting the protective invocations directly onto her face. The power of the verses immediately caused her grip on me to loosen. I forcefully wrenched myself free and bolted straight back into my bedroom. Before I could lock her out, she slammed through the bedroom door, shut it violently behind her, and lunged directly at me! A brutal physical struggle ensued between us. She pinned me down, dragging me from one corner of the room to another. I was utterly shocked by her supernatural strength, as I could not gain any physical upper hand over her. Desperate to de-escalate the violence, I used a soothing tone to calm her down, begging her to sit so we could talk rationally. She screamed back that she would never sit down until I wrote her a formal letter of divorce. I refused firmly, telling her that I would never divorce her because I had made a sacred promise to her older brother. At that, she looked me dead in the eye and vowed, "I swear by Allah, I will slaughter you if you do not separate from me!" Hearing her absolute certainty, a cold dread washed over my body. I looked at her and asked softly, "Could you really bring yourself to kill me, Zinaru?" She snapped, "Absolutely, unless you write out my divorce papers right now!" Recognizing the immediate danger, I placated her, saying, "Alright, fine. Please calm down. I will consider it; just grant me two days to make my decision." Hearing this concession, she finally released her grip on my collar and exited the room, panting heavily. I spent the entire night awake, plotting a way to permanently untie this knot. Zinaru was fully capable of murdering me; since the words had crossed her lips, the intent was undoubtedly alive in her heart. I decided the best course of action was to approach her brother directly so we could deliberate on a solution. Alhaji Harazimi was not the least bit surprised to hear this horrific update from me. He sighed, "Zinaru is capable of doing far worse than that. That is exactly why I told you before that sometimes, she isn't the one committing these atrocities—it is the spirits attached to her. However, I am going to ask one final favor of you. This is the absolute last time I will ask. If this next step fails, I am giving you full executive authority to divorce her immediately, because I will not sit by and watch her permanently harm or kill you." I asked, "Alhaji, what favor is this?" He replied, "We are going to bring in specialized Islamic scholars to perform an intense Ruqyah (spiritual exorcism) on her. If Allah grants us success and the spirits permanently detach from her, then our problem is solved. When I previously consulted a renowned scholar regarding her condition, he explicitly confirmed to me that the spirits possessing her would be incredibly difficult to banish because they are ancestral—inherited through our lineage. I swear by Allah, my blood ran cold ever since that day, because I can never forget that our late mother suffered from the exact same violent spiritual torments in her youth; it was only her deep devotion to faith and constant prayers that kept them from completely breaking her." Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, I replied, "Very well, Alhaji. We will proceed exactly as you have decreed. I pray to Allah that we find success, because I honestly feel deep pity for her. Both she and I are trapped in a state of absolute terror and profound distress." Consequently, three highly specialized spiritual scholars converged upon Zinaru. They began an intense, non-stop recitation, successfully completing the entire Holy Qur'an before launching into the specific verses of Ruqyah. The intensity of the exorcism cast her into a profound, comatose sleep that lasted for three consecutive days. The sheer scale of the phenomenon terrified me, until one of the leading scholars reassured me, saying, "Insha Allah, she will awaken safely." On the fourth morning, she finally opened her eyes. Her eyelids were heavily crusted, her face looked completely gaunt and sunken, and she was entirely disoriented and drained of life. Looking at her broken state filled my heart with deep compassion. I personally prepared warm bathwater for her, took her gently by the hand, led her into the bathroom, and carefully assisted her in washing herself. Once she was dressed, she lay completely motionless on the bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. I asked gently, "Are you feeling hungry?" She offered a weak nod of her head. I hurried out of the room and instructed Shukura to prepare a nourishing meal and bring it to her. Shukura and Hajiya entered the room together to check her vitals and examine her condition. When they emerged, both looked deeply shaken and sorrowful; anyone who saw Zinaru at that moment would have been moved to pure pity, seeing how drastically her entire physical frame had withered. Two weeks have passed since that intense spiritual ordeal. She has recovered significantly! We are currently living in absolute peace, as not a single conflict has erupted since then. Her relationship with Hajiya has also become completely smooth and free of tension. This profound shift has finally allowed my mind to find perfect tranquility, and I find myself continuously praising and thanking Allah as I successfully manage my flourishing business affairs.
Story Analysis & Context Summary
Narrative Shift and Core Context
There is a massive perspective and narrative shift in this excerpt compared to the previous text.
The Narrator: The story is now being told from a First-Person Male Perspective (Alhaji Saddiku). He is recounting the traumatic history of his marriage to his second wife, Zinaru, to his current or prospective wife (likely the terrified Shahida from the earlier chapters).
The Core Theme: The narrative centers around severe domestic abuse, substance abuse, and ancestral spiritual possession (Aljanu/Iskokai). Saddiku is depicted as an incredibly patient, wealthy, and resilient protagonist who endures horrific physical violence to honor a promise made to Zinaru's aging brother, Alhaji Harazimi.
Key Plot Milestones in this Narrative Flashback
The Toxic Household: Zinaru is introduced as a highly abusive, drug-addicted second wife who brutally abuses Saddiku’s mother (Hajiya) and his 12-year-old daughter (Shukura). She falsely brands Shukura a bastard child, claiming Saddiku's ex-wife (Fatima) conceived her through adultery in Saudi Arabia.
The Stabbing Incident: When Saddiku's ex-wife, Fatima, returns from a business trip to Dubai and sees the physical bruises on young Shukura, she attacks Zinaru. As Saddiku steps in to break up the female brawl, Zinaru pulls a knife and stabs him deeply in the back, landing him in the emergency room. Saddiku covers up the crime as a motorcycle accident to protect Zinaru's brother from heartbreak.
Supernatural Strength and the Divorce Threat: Zinaru demands a divorce so she can pursue her lifestyle of substance abuse and multiple men. When Saddiku refuses, she exhibits supernatural, demonic strength, foaming at the mouth and pinning him down. He only breaks her hold by blasting her face with recitations of Ayat al-Kursi.
The Ruqyah Exorcisim: Recognizing the genetic, ancestral nature of her possession (which also plagued their late mother), Alhaji Harazimi authorizes an intense Islamic exorcism. Three scholars recite the entire Qur'an over Zinaru, sending her into a 3-day coma. She awakens physically altered, humbled, and delivered from the spirits, restoring a fragile peace to the household.
I stared at him as he spoke, and right there, I saw the raw depth of his love for me reflecting in the pupils of his eyes.
He said, "You have been completely restless for a whole day! You have lost weight for absolutely no reason. Every servant of God has their own destined fate, and your fate was to marry an elder, Saddiku. You are completely in his hands now, because I cannot live my life without you."
I retorted, "You will certainly never find the peace of mind you are looking for, since I do not love you. I only feel pity for you, and I honestly do not know how I could ever live a married life with you."
He smiled before saying, "Well, since there is pity, I am certain love will follow. But let's see how things unfold, since that is what you have chosen to say."
I turned my back to him and closed my eyes tightly! Suddenly, I felt him draw close to me, attempting to wrap his arms around me in an embrace! I pushed him away with all my strength, sat up abruptly, and retreated to the farthest corner of the bed!
He stared at me for two solid minutes before asking, "You do know the divine consequence for a wife who isolates herself from her husband, don't you?"
My heart skipped a beat upon hearing his words.
With a trembling voice, I asked, "What exactly do you mean by that?"
A thin smile formed on his lips as he replied, "I mean nothing but good. I will not claim my marital rights right now—not until your heart willingly accepts me. But for now, I want you to pay close attention to me, so I can continue unraveling the parts of my life story that you know nothing about. I want to tell you about my rise to success and the continuation of my marriage to my second wife."
Hearing this, I looked at him and asked, "What was her name?"
"Zinaru," he said, holding my gaze. I scoffed, turning up my mouth as I remarked, "I am hungry right now." He climbed off the bed and headed toward the exit without saying another word. I watched him leave, my mind racing with deep thoughts and reflections about myself and him.
Before I could even utter a word, she emerged from where she had been lurking, standing tall and imposing over us. She pointed a finger aggressively at Hajiya and sneered, "Look at you, you gossiping old woman, heading to the afterlife with nothing but a bowl of porridge! I heard every single thing you just told him. You are only trying to slander me, and Allah will judge between us!" She spoke with a malicious, insolent sway of her body.
My mind completely reeled! I looked at Hajiya, who sat there with her eyes pooling with tears from the sheer humiliation Zinaru was inflicting upon her. My heart swelled with pity for her. Looking back up at Zinaru, who still stood over us without a shred of respect or remorse, my anger boiled over. I stood up and delivered a stinging slap across her face. In sheer frustration and bitterness over her actions, I barked, "You have the audacity to call my Hajiya a gossip because you have absolutely no manners!"
"Well, if she isn't a gossip, why would she sit you down just to fabricate stories about me? I swear, everything she told you is a blatant lie to slander me!" she shrieked, desperately trying to defend herself.
I warned, "I swear by Allah, you better watch your mouth. If you want to continue living with me, you must respect my Hajiya completely. Otherwise, you and I will clash severely."
"Oh, really? So what?" she snapped, slapping her thigh defiantly before continuing, "Let me tell you something, I swear by Allah, I will not stay here and let you trample all over me when I know very well that you are only boasting using my own brother's wealth! On what grounds should this old woman keep tracking my movements in this house, even going as far as telling you that I go out wandering? She is lying, she's nothing but a hypocrite!"
My entire body shook with rage! I lunged to slap her again, but she dodged it and I missed. Hajiya quickly stood up and held me back, preventing me from beating her. Seeing this, Zinaru cast a disdainful look at us, let out a long, loud hiss of contempt, marched into her room, and slammed the door shut with terrifying force!
I collapsed onto a chair, burying my head in my hands as my heart burned with sheer pain. Hajiya spent a long time calming me down until I finally found the composure to leave for the office. Even so, the bitterness ruined my entire day, to the point where my friend, Alhaji Faruk, noticed my distress. He pressed me so hard for answers that I eventually opened up and told him exactly what was happening at home.
He said, "I am not at all surprised by this, because that girl has always lacked manners. The only advice I can give you is to be extremely vigilant and step up security measures within your house. You need to prevent her from contracting a disease out there and bringing it home to you, or worse, getting pregnant by another man and claiming it's yours."
I replied, "My friend, I swear by Allah, I truly thought the girl had reformed and abandoned all her vile habits! That was the sole reason I let my guard down around her and intimately consummated our marriage. I had no idea she was merely playing me for a fool, betraying and deceiving me."
"Be patient, my friend. Everyone is tested with their own destiny. I truly commiserate with you over your marriage to Zinaru, but I promise you, by God's grace, I will keep you in my prayers. May Allah grant you a way out."
With a heavy heart, I weakly replied, "Ameen, thumma ameen, my friend."
From that point on, I completely stopped interacting with her and strictly reinforced security around the house, all in an effort to protect the sanctity of my marriage.
My sudden detachment plunged her into deep frustration. As it turned out, whenever I left for work, she would march straight to Hajiya’s room and insult her to her heart's content. One day, Shukura could no longer endure the abuse and fired back at her. By then, the girl was twelve years old and was beginning to understand how to defend herself and her family.
Zinaru, who seemed to be waiting for just such an excuse, grabbed a heavy radio cord and began beating the young girl mercilessly, as if driven by a demonic frenzy. Hajiya tried desperately to tear the girl away from her grip but failed; in the end, Zinaru turned on Hajiya as well, striking both of them.
She severely bruised the young girl's body with the radio cord. Yet, incredibly, the moment I returned home, she ran to me in tears, claiming, "Shukura was completely disrespectful to me and even insulted me!" When I pressed her for the specific reason behind the fight, she began faltering and making excuses. Seeing through her act, I told her to leave, promising that I would take disciplinary action regarding the matter.
However, later on, while Hajiya was explaining the true account of what had transpired, Zinaru marched out and sat down. Every single word Hajiya uttered, she loudly disputed, shouting, "That's a lie! It didn't happen that way!" I glared at her in absolute fury and barked, "Zinaru, if I hear your voice drop one more word, you will deeply regret it!" She finally fell silent, though she kept shooting daggers at Hajiya with her eyes.
Once Hajiya finished explaining the entire ordeal, I was overcome with immense rage, especially after seeing the raw welts from the cord stamped all over the young girl’s body for no justifiable reason whatsoever. I yelled, "I swear by Allah, Zinaru, the next time you lay a finger on this girl, I will personally retaliate on her behalf! She is not your slave for you to beat mercilessly whenever the urge strikes you. I want this to be the first and absolute last time this happens!"
Opening her mouth insolently, she sneered, "Oh, please! As if that daughter of yours is even legitimate! There is practically no difference between her and a bastard. I know the full story about everything. Your ex-wife went wild over in Saudi Arabia, got knocked up with a bastard child, gave birth to her, and brought her to you. And because you are an absolute fool, you stepped right up and celebrated it! I know every dirty detail about this girl's background!"
Hajiya burst into tears, crying out, "Fear Allah, Zinaru! Walk softly on this earth!"
Zinaru merely hissed at us in disgust before spinning around and retreating into her room, leaving us marinating in deep sorrow and psychological torment.
Hajiya and Shukura wept bitterly. As for me, I completely lost my ability to think straight. I knew without a doubt that Shukura was my biological blood, yet here she was, being branded an illegitimate child right before my eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes; there was no denying that Fatima had left a permanent, gaping wound in our lives.
The entire household spent that night in a state of profound grief. Meanwhile, the instigator of our misery spent her night indulging in substance abuse. I confirmed this beyond a shadow of a doubt when I later went into her room to confront her about her horrific behavior.
By Allah, I could barely breathe the moment I stepped inside due to the foul, toxic stench that filled the air. Pills, empty bottles of intoxicating substances, and used cigarette butts were scattered everywhere. She was sprawled out cold on the carpet, snoring heavily in a deep, drug-induced stupor.
Deeply shaken, I went to the office the next day but could not achieve a single thing. Intense worry and anxiety had completely paralyzed my mind. So, Zinaru wasn't just sleeping around—she was a severe drug addict too? This realization weighed heavily on my mind, refusing to leave me.
A fresh calamity erupted after I left for work. Fatima arrived at the house following her return from a business trip to Dubai, where she traded extensively. Whenever she found some free time, she made it a point to visit Hajiya and check up on Shukura. This time, she found them trapped in a cloud of misery. At that point, Fatima didn't even know I had remarried. Blinded by sheer fury and a protective maternal instinct, her eyes locked onto Hajiya, who was weeping as she recounted the horrific things happening in the house.
Fatima examined Shukura's body and saw the painful welts covering her from head to toe. Flinging her veil aside, she marched straight into Zinaru's room to exact revenge.
A violent shouting match and a barrage of insults erupted inside the room before the two women spilled out into the living room, where they continued to humiliate each other, hurling malicious insults back and forth.
Zinaru was the first to escalate the fight by grabbing a weapon—a knife—vowing that she would slaughter Fatima and see who would dare stop her.
Hajiya panicked completely. Fearing a bloodbath, she instructed Shukura to use her mother's phone to call me. The girl called me, weeping hysterically as she explained the chaos unfolding at home.
It was solely by the intervention of Allah that I managed to rush back into the house just in time. When I burst through the door, I found Fatima pinning Zinaru down, beating her fiercely. By God's grace, Fatima had successfully managed to wrest the knife away from her and gain the upper hand.
With great difficulty, I managed to pull Fatima away and turned around to scold her. Suddenly, I felt the sharp, agonizing plunge of a blade into my back. Zinaru had stabbed me. Instantly, blood soaked through my shirt and began dripping onto the floor. She immediately bolted back into her room and locked the door behind her!
In a complete panic, Fatima and Hajiya held onto me, weeping frantically. I alone knew the sheer agony I was experiencing; the knife had cut deep into my flesh.
We rushed to the hospital. The emergency medical team provided immediate, life-saving care. I was kept overnight for observation before being discharged the following day with a mountain of medications, my back tightly bound in heavy bandages.
I couldn't bring myself to tell Alhaji Harazimi the truth about what happened. Instead, I lied and told him it was a freak accident—that a reckless motorcyclist had struck me just as I stepped out of my car. After his departure, my close friend, Alhaji Faruk, turned to me and said, "Honestly, you completely baffle me, Alhaji Saddiku. Why on earth would you cover up for her? Let me tell you plain and simple: if that girl had succeeded, she would have murdered you! Why do you insist on continuing to live with her when she has become a literal plague in your life? You need to inform her brother of the situation immediately—tell him that since the day you married this girl, you haven't known a single moment of peace."
I shook my head firmly and replied, "I cannot tell Alhaji Harazimi about this matter. I gave him my solemn word that I would endure and be patient with his sister's behavioral issues. Furthermore, if you look at him, he is an old man who deserves to have tranquility and peace of mind at this stage in his life. He personally confessed to me that his only worry in this entire world is Zinaru; she is his single greatest source of pain. So why would I tell him something that could potentially trigger a heart attack or worse? I swear by Allah, even if this girl ends up killing me, I will never break his heart with this news. I will continue to give him the exact same answer every single time he asks: I will tell him that we are living together in perfect harmony."
Faruk fell silent, nodding his head in solemn resignation. I knew he was marveled by my sheer fortitude—a level of endurance that very few human beings could ever master.
Throughout the entire duration of my recovery, Zinaru never once muttered a word of sympathy or asked how I was doing. Instead, whenever she caught the sound of Fatima's voice in the house, she would storm out of her room looking for a fight. I always had to step in to restrain both her and Fatima. On those occasions, Zinaru would hurl brutal insults at her, boasting that Fatima could only admire me from afar because Saddiku was now far beyond her reach. Sometimes, Fatima would break down and weep out of pure frustration and heartbreak.
For four solid weeks, I completely iced Zinaru out, casting her entirely to the side and focusing solely on my own business affairs. One afternoon, after I returned from the office, she cornered me in my bedroom, taking a seat and staring intently at me.
I asked coldly, "Do you need something?"
"Yes, I need to have a word with you," she said, locking her eyes onto mine. At that moment, I could read exactly what was frustrating her.
With an entirely expressionless face, I said, "I am listening."
"You do realize you didn't marry a literal stone and place it in your house, right?"
I remained silent, keeping my eyes fixed on her. She pressed on, "For four weeks and several days now, you haven't touched me, let alone given me my marital rights. Honestly, I swear by Allah, I am completely fed up. If you are incapable of performing your duties, then divorce me so I can leave this house and find someone who will satisfy my desires!"
I sat up to face her squarely and asked, "Zinaru, is it really my physical intimacy that you are demanding right now?"
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, scoffing.
I countered, "How many days did I spend bedridden, recovering from a stab wound that you inflicted upon me? You never checked up on me, let alone offered a single word of apology. Now that Allah has restored my health, you have the nerve to come in here and talk to me about this nonsense?"
She fell dead silent, lowering her head.
I continued, "You have done horrific things to me, yet I set them aside—not out of weakness, but because I am honoring a greater commitment. Do not ever mistake my patience for lack of power, or assume that fear prevents me from taking drastic measures against you. Not at all. I have a thousand ways I could deal with you, by Allah. I am only holding back for a specific reason; otherwise, you would have learned the hard way exactly who Saddiku really is."
"Look, I didn't come here to start an argument," she snapped. "I was forced into marrying you in the first place, but I swear by Allah, I would much rather live my life on my own terms. If it's men I want, they come in every shape and size—I can have whoever I choose."
Staring at her in absolute disgust, I warned, "Fear Allah, I swear by Him, and walk softly on this earth. If you don't, you will spend the rest of your life in deep regret. What is there to boast about in committing adultery? What is so glamorous about proud display of immorality? You think you can conquer the world just because you have a beautiful face and a stunning figure, don't you? Let me tell you, in a split second, the Almighty can disfigure your entire anatomy, turning you into an object of pure horror and disgust to the very men who chase you, until they flee from you in terror. There is zero glory in practicing what Allah has strictly forbidden, so you better tread very carefully."
At that moment, her defiant posture melted, and she went completely still. It was clear that my sermon had finally pierced through her tough exterior and shaken her to the core.
I drove the point home, adding, "And don't you ever dare call Shukura a bastard again. If you do, you and I will clash brutally, because she is the only child I have, and I am her father."
She mumbled defensively, "Well, it was my close friend who told me that. She said she shared a room with Fatima in Saudi Arabia, and she swore to me that Fatima was a loose woman who slept around with men."
Bitterness flooded my heart. I snapped, "Well, your friend is a blatant liar. When I separated from Fatima, she was already pregnant with my child. If you look closely, you can see the striking resemblance between Shukura and me. So I never want to hear that vile accusation come out of your mouth ever again."
She sighed, "Fine, I hear you. But honestly, if you want us to live in peace, you need to resume giving me my marital rights. That lack is the sole reason my heart gets so volatile sometimes."
I replied, "No problem. If that is all it takes, I will fulfill my marital obligations to you." Within a short time, her expression completely softened, and she even began chatting and sharing stories with me. I simply listened, marveling silently at her bizarre psychological shifts. Sometimes, I truly believed her brother’s theory: she was definitely dealing with possession by hidden spirits.
[1/12, 11:25 PM] Binta Umar Abbale: 82&83
Thus, I continued to live with Zinaru, tolerating her volatile shifts between good days and bad days, constantly overlooking her provocations just to avoid explosive arguments and chaos. The reality was that on any day I attempted to discipline her for her terrible behavior around the house, she would trigger a massive spiritual possession episode! She would spend the entire day and sometimes the whole night thrashing around, smashing household items, and rolling violently on the floor. She would grab whatever object was within arm's reach and launch it at me to strike me! Zinaru inflicted countless physical injuries upon my body over time. The persistent worry, dread, and psychological torment caused my chronic health condition to flare up constantly, forcing me to see my doctor almost every single week for medical checkups and specialized advice. Several of my business operations ground to a temporary halt due to the living nightmare I was trapped in.
Yet, paradoxically, during this exact period, Allah unlocked massive doors of financial prosperity for me from every imaginable direction. In addition to the rice mill factory that Alhaji Harazimi had generously gifted me, by the divine decree of Allah, I successfully launched a brand-new cement manufacturing company. Furthermore, I purchased three large agricultural farmlands where I successfully cultivated beans, wheat, and millet. My business ventures expanded massively, and I amassed wealth far beyond my wildest dreams. During this time, my friend Alhaji Faruk would tease me, saying, "Zinaru is clearly your lucky charm! Your stars aligned perfectly; ever since you married her, your wealth and status have skyrocketed." I would simply offer a quiet smile, ensuring him that I did not subscribe to such superstitions. I firmly believed that the Almighty alone was showering His divine grace upon me—for He alone grants wealth and He alone restricts it—alongside the profound power of my late parents' blessings that continuously protected my life.
Hajiya possessed an extraordinary level of patience to continue living under the same roof with Zinaru, because Zinaru subjected her to intense, unbridled disrespect! She showed absolutely no hesitation in insulting Hajiya to her face, constantly mocking our background with various forms of condescending remarks. On any day Shukura made the mistake of talking back to her, all peace would instantly vanish from the house; Zinaru would subject the young girl to a brutal beating until she drew blood. She possessed an unnatural, terrifying physical strength, which thoroughly convinced me that the dark spirits inhabiting her body were actively fueling her vicious actions. There were several terrifying nights where I woke up from a deep sleep only to find her standing dead over my head, clutching a knife! I would have to gather immense masculine courage just to slip out of the room safely. This horrifying pattern was the exact reason I completely stopped sleeping in her bedroom, unless on nights she felt a specific desire and brought herself over to my room.
On a particular Saturday, I stayed home from work because I was feeling terribly unwell. While I was resting, the sudden outburst of a violent commotion shattered the quiet. I jolted awake in a panic, crying out the name of Allah. From the distance, I could clearly hear her voice hurling a barrage of profanities at Hajiya. Consumed by raw fury, I sprang out of bed and rushed into the main area, finding her standing over Hajiya, aggressively wagging a finger in her face while subjecting her to vile verbal abuse. Hajiya sat with her head bowed, quietly wiping away her flowing tears. My blood boiled instantly. I lunged forward and delivered a ferocious slap across Zinaru's face, simultaneously executing a powerful kick that sent her flying across the room! Hajiya immediately grabbed hold of me, desperately begging me to stop, even as I continued to strike at Zinaru with my feet. I felt a powerful urge to burst into tears out of sheer heartbreak and frustration; it was undeniable that my marriage to Zinaru had brought me nothing but absolute humiliation and ruin!
Zinaru charged back at me, weeping hysterically. She clamped her hands tightly around the collar of my shirt and began screaming obscenities at me, demanding that I either divorce her immediately or she would murder me right then and there.
I tried with everything I had to break free from her grip, but I failed entirely; her hold on my collar felt supernaturally strong, far beyond her normal physical capability. She cursed my parents brutally, her mouth suddenly foaming with a strange, thick white froth! At that sight, absolute terror gripped my heart. I immediately began reciting Ayat al-Kursi (The Verse of the Throne) aloud, spitting the protective invocations directly onto her face. The power of the verses immediately caused her grip on me to loosen. I forcefully wrenched myself free and bolted straight back into my bedroom.
Before I could lock her out, she slammed through the bedroom door, shut it violently behind her, and lunged directly at me! A brutal physical struggle ensued between us. She pinned me down, dragging me from one corner of the room to another. I was utterly shocked by her supernatural strength, as I could not gain any physical upper hand over her. Desperate to de-escalate the violence, I used a soothing tone to calm her down, begging her to sit so we could talk rationally. She screamed back that she would never sit down until I wrote her a formal letter of divorce. I refused firmly, telling her that I would never divorce her because I had made a sacred promise to her older brother. At that, she looked me dead in the eye and vowed, "I swear by Allah, I will slaughter you if you do not separate from me!" Hearing her absolute certainty, a cold dread washed over my body. I looked at her and asked softly, "Could you really bring yourself to kill me, Zinaru?" She snapped, "Absolutely, unless you write out my divorce papers right now!" Recognizing the immediate danger, I placated her, saying, "Alright, fine. Please calm down. I will consider it; just grant me two days to make my decision." Hearing this concession, she finally released her grip on my collar and exited the room, panting heavily.
I spent the entire night awake, plotting a way to permanently untie this knot. Zinaru was fully capable of murdering me; since the words had crossed her lips, the intent was undoubtedly alive in her heart. I decided the best course of action was to approach her brother directly so we could deliberate on a solution.
Alhaji Harazimi was not the least bit surprised to hear this horrific update from me. He sighed, "Zinaru is capable of doing far worse than that. That is exactly why I told you before that sometimes, she isn't the one committing these atrocities—it is the spirits attached to her. However, I am going to ask one final favor of you. This is the absolute last time I will ask. If this next step fails, I am giving you full executive authority to divorce her immediately, because I will not sit by and watch her permanently harm or kill you."
I asked, "Alhaji, what favor is this?" He replied, "We are going to bring in specialized Islamic scholars to perform an intense Ruqyah (spiritual exorcism) on her. If Allah grants us success and the spirits permanently detach from her, then our problem is solved. When I previously consulted a renowned scholar regarding her condition, he explicitly confirmed to me that the spirits possessing her would be incredibly difficult to banish because they are ancestral—inherited through our lineage. I swear by Allah, my blood ran cold ever since that day, because I can never forget that our late mother suffered from the exact same violent spiritual torments in her youth; it was only her deep devotion to faith and constant prayers that kept them from completely breaking her."
Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, I replied, "Very well, Alhaji. We will proceed exactly as you have decreed. I pray to Allah that we find success, because I honestly feel deep pity for her. Both she and I are trapped in a state of absolute terror and profound distress."
Consequently, three highly specialized spiritual scholars converged upon Zinaru. They began an intense, non-stop recitation, successfully completing the entire Holy Qur'an before launching into the specific verses of Ruqyah. The intensity of the exorcism cast her into a profound, comatose sleep that lasted for three consecutive days. The sheer scale of the phenomenon terrified me, until one of the leading scholars reassured me, saying, "Insha Allah, she will awaken safely."
On the fourth morning, she finally opened her eyes. Her eyelids were heavily crusted, her face looked completely gaunt and sunken, and she was entirely disoriented and drained of life. Looking at her broken state filled my heart with deep compassion. I personally prepared warm bathwater for her, took her gently by the hand, led her into the bathroom, and carefully assisted her in washing herself.
Once she was dressed, she lay completely motionless on the bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. I asked gently, "Are you feeling hungry?" She offered a weak nod of her head. I hurried out of the room and instructed Shukura to prepare a nourishing meal and bring it to her. Shukura and Hajiya entered the room together to check her vitals and examine her condition. When they emerged, both looked deeply shaken and sorrowful; anyone who saw Zinaru at that moment would have been moved to pure pity, seeing how drastically her entire physical frame had withered.
Two weeks have passed since that intense spiritual ordeal. She has recovered significantly! We are currently living in absolute peace, as not a single conflict has erupted since then. Her relationship with Hajiya has also become completely smooth and free of tension. This profound shift has finally allowed my mind to find perfect tranquility, and I find myself continuously praising and thanking Allah as I successfully manage my flourishing business affairs.
Story Analysis & Context Summary
Narrative Shift and Core Context
There is a massive perspective and narrative shift in this excerpt compared to the previous text.
The Core Theme: The narrative centers around severe domestic abuse, substance abuse, and ancestral spiritual possession (Aljanu/Iskokai). Saddiku is depicted as an incredibly patient, wealthy, and resilient protagonist who endures horrific physical violence to honor a promise made to Zinaru's aging brother, Alhaji Harazimi.
Key Plot Milestones in this Narrative Flashback