???? AUREN SHEHU ????(A Story of Love, Betrayal & Redemption)

STORY BY: KHADIJA SIDI

In the dead of night, Usman, a quiet and disciplined Fulani guard, lies on the grass outside Rugar Shehu, lost in thought. His deep connection to the stars and the silent night is broken by the sudden commotion of barking dogs.

He jumps up, gripping his wooden staff, and rushes toward the noise. His instincts tell him something is amiss.

Near the towering mango tree, he sees a figure struggling to untangle her hijab from a branch. Before he can react, she turns around, eyes wide with fear.

"Wayyo ni, Dady!" she gasps, her hands trembling.

For a moment, Usman is frozen. She is breathtaking. Even in the dim moonlight, her smooth, dark skin glows, her features delicate yet striking.

Before he can question her, she swiftly pulls down her hijab and disappears into the shadows.

The Secret Daughter

The next morning, Usman is summoned by Malam Abubakar Birma, the respected scholar he serves.

In the sitting room, surrounded by students and security staff, Malam introduces him to his daughter.

"This is my daughter, Zainab," Malam says.

Usman’s breath catches. Zainab? The same girl from last night?

His mind races. Why was the scholar’s daughter sneaking out in the middle of the night?

Zainab, on the other hand, is equally stunned. She recognizes Usman immediately. But she quickly regains her composure, pretending not to know him.

She greets him politely before excusing herself. But Usman knows something is not right.

The Double Life

By day, Zainab is the picture of a perfect daughter. She wears her hijab, prays on time, and recites the Qur’an beautifully.

But by night, she is a completely different person.

She sneaks out to clubs, drinks with friends, and posts daring pictures on social media.

Her mother, Ammy, remains clueless, believing her daughter to be a disciplined young woman. Only Halitta, Zainab’s younger sister, sees through her.

"Ki daina wannan rayuwar, Yakura," Halitta warns her one night. "Dady ya san ba kya da kunya?"

But Zainab scoffs. "Allah ya kiyaye, ni ba ‘yar Malam ba ce a social media."

She continues her double life, unaware that Usman is watching her closely.

The Guard’s Suspicion

Usman doesn’t like what he sees.

Every night, he notices Zainab slipping through the gate, meeting men in flashy cars.

One evening, he sees her return in the early hours, makeup smudged, smelling of perfume and cigarettes.

"Where have you been?" he asks, standing at the gate.

She glares at him. "None of your business, Mai Gadi!"

But Usman isn’t fooled. He knows her secret.

And he won’t keep it forever.

Caught in the Act

One night, Zainab’s luck runs out.

After sneaking back into the house at dawn, she bumps into Halitta.

"Daga ina?" Halitta demands.

Zainab rolls her eyes. "Dalla, ba ruwanki!"

But this time, Halitta refuses to stay silent.

She tells Ammy everything.

Zainab’s world crumbles.

The Wrath of Malam

Malam Abubakar returns home earlier than expected.

That evening, he calls Zainab to his study. His face is unreadable.

But when he speaks, his words are sharp. "Zainab, me kike yi da dare?"

She stammers. "Dady, ni... ni... wallahi ba wani abu."

But Malam knows better. He has seen pictures. He knows the truth.

"Ki shirya," he says finally. "Za a yi miki aure."

A Wedding Without Love

Zainab is horrified.

Her father has arranged her marriage—to Usman.

"Dady, ba zan iya auren Mai Gadi ba!" she screams.

But Malam is unmoved. "Shi ne zai gyara ki."

And just like that, Zainab, the party girl, becomes the wife of a Fulani man she despises.

The Battle Begins

Usman is a man of patience. He doesn’t expect Zainab to love him overnight.

But he does expect respect.

"Ina fata za ki gyara halayanki," he tells her after the wedding.

She laughs bitterly. "Sai dai kai ka gyaru."

She refuses to cook.

She refuses to wear hijab in his presence.

She treats him like a servant in his own home.

But Usman does not break.

A Woman Transformed

Days turn into months.

Zainab, slowly, starts to change.

She watches Usman’s kindness, his patience, his strength.

One night, she finds him reading the Qur’an, his voice soft and melodic.

For the first time, she feels ashamed.

She realizes she has been fighting a man who never tried to control her—only guide her.

And that realization shakes her to the core.

Love Where She Least Expected

One evening, Zainab finds herself watching Usman as he prays.

She feels something she never expected—admiration.

She sits beside him and whispers, "Ka yafe min?"

He looks at her, surprised. "Akan me?"

Her eyes glisten. "Akan komai."

For the first time, she sees him not as a guard, but as a man.

And that night, for the first time in her life, Zainab prays with sincerity.