Nakasa Ba Kasawa Bace Book 1

Description

Not just Ishmah, but even Tajuddeen felt a strange, suffocating heartbeat pulling at his thoughts. Abba, with utmost composure, continued speaking:

"Tajuddeen is a husband to you, someone who knows everything about you. He is now your husband, the one under whose feet your paradise lies—a husband who, if you obey him, will make me happy with you; a husband who, if you live well with him, will make me proud of you. I made this choice for you without asking for your permission, despite the fact that you are a divorcee and Sharia grants you the right to choose for yourself. Please bear with me and forgive me for not giving you that opportunity.

I didn't choose him because I was tired of you or because I don't love you; rather, it is because I feel deep down that this is the choice Allah made for you, A'isha. It wasn't me who chose for you; Allah is the one who chose for you. My only wish is that you show me obedience, obey your husband, live in peace with him, and treat his relatives as your own, and his parents as your parents."

Tears were already streaming down her eyes. She barely understood the world around her; Abba's words were sinking into her mind like memorized verses, piercing through the storage of her memory, echoing in her eardrums, and thumping against her heart. The state she saw Taj in was what unsettled her the most.

Slowly, she opened her tear-filled eyes, glancing through her eyelashes at his foot beside her—it was swollen and shiny where a bottle had cut it before he came home.

Abba turned his gaze back to Taj and said, "Taj, I entrust my 'Mamana' to you with the absolute belief that you will protect my trust in you, and believing that what you said is true. I hand my Mamana over to you, believing that you are a virtuous man. Therefore, my Mamana is a trust I am placing in your hands."

Taj only nodded his head, for he felt he could not speak. Abba had given him the most precious gift, and mere thanks were not enough; only prayers and treating his daughter well would suffice.

With relief, Abba said, "May Allah bless you both."

With great difficulty, Taj moved his lips and said, "Ameen."

Abba then stood up, walked out while praying for blessings upon them, and pulled the door shut.

Slowly, Taj looked to her right side where her phone lay, hearing it ring.

Bappa Kawu, he thought to himself. Out loud, however, he picked up the phone, answered the call, and exchanged greetings.

In a soft voice, Bappa Kawu asked, "Is that Taj?"

Softly, he replied, "No, this is Ma'eesha's husband!"

Bappa Kawu let out a gentle sigh and said, "Hmm, you mean the lucky one who managed to intercept our love story. The one with the glowing stars who succeeded in winning Ishmah."

With a slight easing of his jealousy, Taj said, "Well, it's because you people intruded into my space." He finished speaking while glancing at Ishmah out of the corner of his eye.

Ishmah, meanwhile, was gently sucking on her lower lip.

"Well, right now we have no right to speak since you've triumphed over us. I only called to wish her well, say goodbye, and ask for her forgiveness—if you agree, that is."

Taking a slight breath, Taj said, "I agree, even though I know you are only thinking of asking for my permission now."

Softly, he placed the phone against her ear. She closed her eyes upon hearing Bappa Kawu's voice saying:

"Aisha, I am one of those who witnessed the solemnization of your marriage to Tajuddeen—an exalted husband. I rejoice with you because Allah has chosen a husband for you who surpasses all my rivals and everyone else. Whatever patience you exercised, every time your marriage dissolved you turned everything over to Allah, maintaining ties with your family—see how Allah has rewarded you with an extraordinarily fortunate husband! I wish you well. May Allah grant you a peaceful marriage and righteous offspring. Obey your husband and practice patience in a husband's house. As for me, please forgive me for how our marriage talk turned out to be like deceit."

As soon as he began speaking, her tears started flowing freely. Softly, she said:

"No, you didn't do anything wrong to me, Mukhtar. It wasn't deceit; it was simply that Allah never destined us to be spouses. I have forgiven you; please forgive me too for the time we spent together."

With a trembling voice, he said, "I have forgiven you, A'ishah, and I will continue to maintain ties with Abba."

With that, he cut the call because of the tears spilling from his eyes.

As for Taj, he laid the phone down beside him, closed his eyes, and slowly...

(Publisher's promotional insert omitted for flow)

...Spjdd.

He squeezed her hand tightly within his own and clenched his eyes shut hard.

She also closed her eyes tightly with a thumping heart, and almost simultaneously, both of them drew in a deep, sigh-like breath without releasing it.

Inside the house, everyone in the parlor sat in total silence, listening to the recording of Taj's words that he had spoken in Abba's parlor before they left for the mosque—which Yah Abubakar, who had just come in, played for them.

Garkuwa smiled, nodding her head.

After they finished listening, Yah Abubakar switched it off, slipped his phone back into his pocket, and said:

"Alhamdulillah. Truly, the Hausa proverb says that some delays are a blessing in disguise. This delay turned out to be a divine gift for Ishmah to get a husband worth bragging about."

Garkuwa smiled with intense joy and fulfillment, saying:

"What I have been saying and hoping for has come true—or rather, what we've all been saying. I realized long ago that Sheikh Afif loves Ishmah, but she refused to see it, while his deep reserve stopped him from expressing it. From what I understood, Ishmah didn't even catch on, and his restraint kept him from speaking out openly. But I knew all along that their friendship was far beyond ordinary friendship or platonic bonds; it was true, powerful love."

Aunty Hauwa quickly chimed in, "That is what I kept telling Ishmah every day, but she failed to understand, failed to see it, and refused to believe it."

Laughing so hard she had to hold her stomach, Aunty Nana said, "Imagine! The poor man was letting love for her crush his heart inside, while she remained totally oblivious—failing to realize that if he kept burying those feelings, they would burst his heart and kill him! Look at him now, forced to come and spill his heart's secret right in front of Abba."

They all burst into laughter, turning to look at Aunty Maryam, who remarked:

"She was digging right beneath her nose! Honestly, even on the day we met him at the Abaya Mall in Saudi, I noticed he even gave her a niqab, and later added hand gloves. I said to myself, 'This man is in love with her!' But at the time, I refused to listen to my inner voice because I was afraid it might interfere with our relative, Barrister Kamal. Look where that got us!"

Rahma glared playfully as Rahma muttered, "And you snatched our Yah Abubakar for yourself!"

They all laughed merrily amidst lighthearted banter.

Adjusting her posture, Garkuwa said, "Taj was right to do that; otherwise, they would have played him for a fool!"

Yah Muhammad smiled, tears still streaming from his eyes with pure joy, and said:

"Wallahi, he forgot he was standing before Abba; he forgot he was standing before elders of great age. He completely lost track of where he was, just pouring out words about Ishmah like rain falling from the open sky!"

Yah Abubakar smiled, remembering the utter sincerity in Taj's voice as he spoke.

Yah Muhammad continued happily, "He was simply speaking his heart. I realized that if he hadn't been allowed to let those words out, his heart might have given out and burst. That's why Abba couldn't say a word—he just sat there smiling, watching him speak as if divine revelation were guiding his tongue."

Rahma smiled happily and said, "Ah, Alhamdulillah! Daddy's wish has finally been fulfilled even after her passing."

In unison, they all prayed, "May Allah shower His mercy upon her and grant her rest..."

Serenely, Garkuwa looked at Rahma and asked, "What are you going to do now, Rahma?"

Rahma shook her head and replied, "I'm not going to do anything, Aunty Garkuwa. I don't even know what to do with my life right now; I just feel pure joy."

Turning to Adam, Garkuwa instructed, "Alright Adam, take her to my house. I'm going to call Paulina; there is a package she needs to give you both to bring to me immediately. I'm waiting."

Rahma nodded, saying, "Alright," without even standing up.

Ur gently, Garkuwa urged, "I'm in a hurry! This blessing came upon us unexpectedly and at the very last minute, so we must also begin our preparations swiftly and eagerly!"

Aunty Hauwa smiled and said, "May Allah bless you, Garkuwa, and reward you. I love how this is turning out—you always earn rewards for helping couples build good homes. Rahma, get up quickly!"

Rahma stood up, and Adam told her, "Let's go."

She nodded, followed him, got into his car, and he drove off.

As soon as they left, Garkuwa pulled out her phone and called Ikraam, telling her to instruct her storekeeper, Paulina, to go into the stock room, tick off some special items she needed, and give them to Rahma to bring over.

Before Rahma and Adam even arrived, Paulina had already put the package together and handed it to Ikraam.

When Rahma walked in and they exchanged greetings, Ikraam handed her the nylon bag, saying, "Mommy said that when you arrived, I should hand this to you—it was already prepared before you got here."

Rahma accepted it and said, "Alright, thank you."

They turned and walked out. But instead of driving toward home, Rahma noticed Adam take the route toward Hajja Umma's house. Widening her eyes in surprise, she asked, "Yah Adam, where are we going?"

Smiling, she heard him say, "This is joyful news! I want to go and break the good news to Hajja myself, even though I know Uncle Naseer and Uncle Ali are over there where the wedding was solemnized. I'm just in a hurry so they don't beat me to it."

She nodded and said, "Alright then."

When they arrived and broke the news to Hajja Umma, overwhelming joy swept over her. Tears instantly began rolling down her cheeks, though she was still smiling. Two heavy emotions hit her at once: the marriage of her granddaughter, and the bittersweet memory of her own daughter, whom Allah did not spare to witness this wedding she had always dreamed of seeing. They didn't stay long before coming back outside and heading home...

Back at the house, almost all the relatives had gathered, calling one another as word spread. Ishmah's marriage had happened so unexpectedly; while everyone had been praying for Allah to reveal a righteous husband for her at a time when they least expected it, He dropped the blessing right into their laps.

Yah Muhammad, who until now was sitting quietly before Aunty Hauwa, turned to look at his fellow mothers and said softly:

"The ways of the Almighty are both astonishing and awe-inspiring."

He caught Aunty Hauwa saying, "Most certainly, Muhammad."

Pondering the greatness of the Creator in his heart, he thought, "The way this marriage happened and unfolded honestly scares me a bit."

Hajia Aisha, the eldest among Daddy's household, said, "It is nothing but goodness, in sha Allah."

He let out a sigh, saying, "I feel that way too, but a part of my heart feels a bit nervous about how rushed everything was."

Yah Abubakar, standing nearby, added, "By Allah's leave, it is strictly for good."

Yah Abubakar and Yah Muhammad stood up when Abba announced, "Let's go." They bid everyone farewell and stepped out.

Meanwhile, Aunty Hauwa, Garkuwa, and the rest continued to marvel at the divine decree that brought this marriage forth when no one anticipated it...

Over on Taj's side, ever since Abba placed Ishmah's hand in his, he hadn't let go, yet he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth and say a single word to her.

As for Ishmah, ever since she laid eyes on his injured, swollen foot, she couldn't pull her gaze away, and tears continued to stream from her eyes.

Hearing him let out a heavy, hot sigh that seemed to rise from the depths of his soul, she slowly raised her tear-drenched eyes to look at him.

He gently shook his head at her, a silent gesture telling her to stop crying. He wanted to open his mouth and tell her to dry her tears, but his tongue felt impossibly heavy. In what manner, under what condition, or with what words, whispers, or phrasing could he begin to express the intense love he had for her? How could he apologize for the wrong he had done by marrying her without her knowledge or consent? All these burdens had piled up so heavily in his heart that he felt utterly lost as to where to begin his apology.

Added to that was his overwhelming distress over three major issues: the anger of Yah Abana, the saga surrounding Laylah's pregnancy, and the mess of that wayward girl, Adaya, whom he had left behind in Ethiopia—burdens that completely sapped every ounce of energy from his spirit, leaving him with no choice but to simply stare at her.

Ishmah gazed back at him, taking in how severely he had wasted away. In just thirty-two days since he left, he had grown so thin that it frightened and deeply unsettled her. In those thirty-two days, there had even been one full week where he hadn't posted an update on TikTok, which had left her wondering why he stopped.

Her heart melted completely at the sight of his sunken face, his unkempt sideburns, and his bloodshot eyes that had lost their original color. With a fragile, trembling voice, she whispered:

"Tajjj..."

He looked at her, but said nothing, unable to answer her call.

Slowly, she drew her eyes away from his and cast them down at his foot—swollen, glossy, and bearing a deep gash across the sole and instep. Slowly, she reached her hand out toward his foot and pressed it gently against it, quickly squeezing her eyes shut as she felt how searing hot his foot was.

With a fragile heart and a racing pulse, she raised her eyes back to his and said, "Tajj..."

Then, she let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes, allowing her tears to flow freely once more.

Taj simply fixed his gaze on her, as if transfixed by a silent vision.

With a voice fragile with care, empathy, and tender mercy, she asked:

"Tajj, what is happening? What happened to you, Tajj? What is wrong with you?!"

He shook his head at her, utterly unable to utter a word.

Summary

In this emotionally charged chapter of Inda Rai, Ishmah and Tajuddeen's unexpected marriage unfolds under dramatic and poignant circumstances. Abba formally hands Ishmah over to Tajuddeen, emphasizing that this union is a divine choice meant to bring her peace, stability, and honor. Tajuddeen, paralyzed by overwhelming emotions, immense guilt, and heavy personal secrets (including family friction, a pregnancy scandal with Laylah, and an unresolved entanglement in Ethiopia), is physically and mentally exhausted, looking painfully thin and injured.

Meanwhile, back at the family home, relatives listen to the heartfelt recording of Taj's passionate declaration of love for Ishmah, celebrating a romance that blossomed silently for years. Garkuwa swiftly orchestrates bridal preparations, sending Rahma to collect special marital care packages. As family members marvel at the miraculous, sudden alignment of destiny, Ishmah sits beside her new husband. Overcome by grief and love upon seeing his swollen, injured foot and his wasted frame, she breaks down, pleading softly to understand the hidden pain consuming him, while Taj remains silently trapped behind walls of unexpressed remorse and grief.

Description

The chapter captures a whirlwind of contrasting emotional states: the profound solemnity of an arranged yet divinely sanctioned Islamic marriage, the bittersweet nostalgia of family elders, the playful banter of siblings discovering a hidden romance, and the crushing psychological weight carried by a guilt-ridden groom. The setting shifts fluidly from the intimate, tearful atmosphere of the marriage chamber where Abba imparts his final paternal blessings, to a lively family parlor filled with joyful disbelief and banter, and finally back to the poignant silence shared between the newlywed couple, punctuated by physical scars, tears, and unspoken confessions.

Analytics

• Pacing and Narrative Arc: The chapter employs parallel storytelling, shifting tension from the solemn formality of the wedding room to the lively, celebratory atmosphere of the family house, before pulling the reader back into the heavy, claustrophobic emotional tension between the protagonists.
• Character Psychology:
  • Tajuddeen represents the trope of the burdened protector—someone whose outward success or stoicism masks internal collapse. His silence stems not from a lack of love, but from psychological paralysis caused by intersecting crises (guilt over marrying Ishmah without consent, family backlash, and hidden scandals abroad).
  • Ishmah embodies empathy and emotional intelligence. Despite being kept in the dark, her immediate reaction shifts from shock to deep maternal and romantic concern upon noticing Tajuddeen's physical deterioration.
• Thematic Motifs: The chapter heavily emphasizes destiny (Qadar), patience (Hakuri), and unspoken sacrifice. The contrast between the joyous celebrations of the family and the quiet agony of the couple highlights the complex realities of traditional marriage dynamics fused with modern emotional stakes.

Comments

• Emotional Resonance: The author does an exceptional job of making physical details—such as Tajuddeen's swollen, injured foot and his dramatic weight loss—serve as external manifestations of his internal turmoil.
• Character Dynamics: Bappa Kawu’s phone call adds a layer of maturity and closure, gracefully easing old rivalries and validating Ishmah's worth. Furthermore, the lighthearted interlude with Garkuwa and the siblings provides much-needed comedic relief and warmth, balancing out the heavy melancholic atmosphere surrounding Tajuddeen.

Conclusions

This chapter marks a major turning point in Inda Rai, successfully transitioning Ishmah and Tajuddeen from a state of unresolved longing and misunderstanding into a legally bound marriage. However, the author expertly subverts a traditional "happily ever after" by shrouding Tajuddeen in deep secrecy and distress. The marriage is established, but the emotional healing process has only just begun. The stage is set for a dramatic exploration of trust, forgiveness, and redemption as Ishmah attempts to pierce through Tajuddeen's walls of silence to uncover the truths threatening to tear him apart.