Rayuwar Rayhana Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

Takai Town: A Story of Resilience and Hard Work
Takai is a local government area within Kano city. The majority of its inhabitants are Fulani and Hausa, both light-skinned and dark-skinned. Like in most places where the Hausa and Fulani reside, their primary occupations are farming and cattle rearing. Farmers and herders make up about eighty percent of the town’s population. Everyone knows that the people of Takai are known for their unity, mutual support, and strong work ethic. They dislike idleness and engage in various self-sustaining trades, especially buying and selling what they produce through farming or livestock rearing.
In Takai, everyone strives to earn a living; no one depends on another, not just men but also women, children, the elderly, young girls, and boys. It is rare to find anyone without a trade, as each person seeks to support themselves and their families.
Takai market is held every Tuesday. As on every Tuesday, Malam Rashidu had set up his stall near the market, displaying bowls filled with sweet potatoes. From ten in the morning until two in the afternoon, not a single customer had come his way. Malam Rashidu sat on his spread-out sack under the scorching sun, without even a shade. He rested his head on his knees, looking as if he was about to burst into tears. His eyes were sunken due to hunger and distress.
What troubled him most was not their lack of food for the day, but rather his inability to pay his daughter Rahane’s school fees, which had led to her being sent home the previous day. She was a bright student, but frequent expulsions due to unpaid fees disrupted her education, causing setbacks despite her dedication to learning.
By four o’clock in the afternoon, he was still there without making a single sale. He stood up to perform the Asr prayer on his sack. Just as he was finishing, a vehicle known as Akori-Kura parked beside him.
The driver, Ado, was a cattle transporter who traveled from Takai to the southern part of the country. He was also Malam Rashidu’s neighbor and had generously given him a house to stay in without charging rent. Because of this, Malam Rashidu deeply respected Ado, even though he was much older than him.
Ado stepped out of his vehicle and joined Malam Rashidu in prayer. After they finished, he looked at the pile of sweet potatoes before Rashidu and said, "Your sweet potatoes seem never to sell out."
Malam Rashidu sighed and replied, "What can I do? That’s just how the market is. We can only thank God."
Ado nodded and asked, "How much for all of them?"
Malam Rashidu answered, "It’s five hundred naira in total."
Ado immediately said, "Pour them all into sacks for me."
Malam Rashidu was astonished but quickly obeyed, packing the potatoes into two large sacks and tying them securely. Ado counted the money from his pocket and handed it to him.
As he lifted the sacks onto his Akori-Kura, Ado said, "I’ll take these home for my family. You should also head home and rest. If you want, you can ride with me to save yourself the trouble of walking."
Malam Rashidu, overwhelmed with gratitude, had tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Ado. May God bless you and protect your affairs."
Ado responded, "Come on now, Malam Rashidu. This isn’t charity—I bought your goods!"
Malam Rashidu placed his hand on the car door and said, "Even so, you have helped me, Ado. May God reward you and grant you prosperity."
"Amen," Ado replied as he started his noisy vehicle and drove off.
Malam Rashidu began packing up his belongings. He gathered his prayer mat, water bottle, and other items, carefully placing them on his bicycle. Then, he slowly wheeled his bicycle out of the market.
After riding for some distance, he stopped to buy half a measure of millet, half a measure of sorghum, a full measure of maize, and some condiments. He carefully secured them on his bicycle, keeping the remaining money safely tucked away, and then continued his journey home.
He arrived just as the call for Maghrib prayer was being made. He parked his bicycle against the fence and began unloading his purchases.
Hearing him arrive, Rahane rushed out from behind the house, where he always left his bicycle. She took the items from him with care and greeted him warmly. She was wearing an old, faded wax-print fabric that was so worn it looked like it would tear apart at any moment.
Rahane was neither particularly beautiful nor unattractive, but she was clearly growing into a tall and well-built young girl. Despite being raised in the village, she carried herself with a remarkable sense of composure, moving with a quiet grace that made her stand out from her peers. Unlike the other girls in the village, who assumed she was being prideful, Rahane’s demeanor was not due to arrogance but rather her lack of proper nutrition. She had grown up mostly on carbohydrates, with little access to proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Malam Rashidu was originally from Tsangaya, a small village under Albasu Local Government. He had come to Takai as an almajiri (student of Quranic studies). While learning the Quran, he also worked as a laborer in Takai market, saving whatever little he earned by buying and reselling agricultural produce such as groundnuts, onions, and sweet potatoes.
It was in Takai that he met and married Yalwati, a Fulani woman from the town. Since her family refused to allow her to move to Tsangaya, he settled in Takai, where he rented a small house with two rooms. When Yalwati gave birth to their daughter, she passed away immediately after childbirth, without even seeing the face of her newborn.
Her death shattered Malam Rashidu. He stopped bathing, interacting with people, and going to the market. He withdrew entirely, performing his prayers alone in his room. His mother, Iya Bilki, and his close friends tried everything to help him recover. Slowly, through their prayers and support, he started to regain himself and resume his daily activities.
Iya Bilki raised Rahane with love and dedication, feeding her fresh cow’s milk, soybeans, and porridge. Rahane grew up under her grandmother’s care, resembling her late mother in both looks and demeanor.
When it was time for Rahane to start school, she became more aware of her father’s indifference toward her. Instead of resenting him, she tried to win his heart by taking care of his needs—cleaning his room, washing his clothes, preparing his prayer water, and welcoming him warmly whenever he returned home.
Over time, Malam Rashidu’s heart softened. He enrolled her in a primary school, even though it was far from their home. Every morning, he carried her on the back of his bicycle to school. However, paying her fees was a struggle, and whenever he couldn’t, she was sent home until he managed to gather the money.
After nine years, Rashidu’s mother pressured him to remarry, believing Rahane needed a woman’s care. She arranged a marriage for him with Zinaru, Yalwati’s younger sister, who was a widow with four children. However, after two years, Zinaru left, unable to tolerate their poverty.
Since then, Rashidu and his mother stopped discussing marriage. Their focus was on raising Rahane properly. At eleven years old, she was in her fifth year of primary school.
Rahane’s grandmother was strict and fiercely protective of her. If young men tried to approach Rahane, she would chase them away with a stick. Because of this, no one dared to disturb her.
Iya Bilki often told Rahane, "Forget about these foolish boys and focus on your studies. I want you to become a nurse so you can help women in our village. You see how many young girls here suffer complications from early marriage?"
Malam Rashidu, however, wished to marry her off to a responsible man once she came of age. But seeing his mother’s determination, he chose to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Ado, the driver who had provided them with a home, had his own plans. He had stopped collecting rent for a reason yet unknown to Malam Rashidu.