Auren Shehu Book 1 Hausa Novel Complete.doc

He lay flat on his back on the grass, the type commonly referred to as "carpet grass." Both of his hands supported the back of his head as he gazed thoughtfully at the stars, which were neatly arranged and shining brightly across the sky. The garden was vast and divided into two sections: one part contained fruit-bearing trees such as mango, guava, and cashew, among others, while the other part had resting chairs. Except for the occasional chirping of birds, the night was silent, as it was already past midnight, around 2 AM.
He was dressed in a woven Fulani outfit, with a turban wrapped around his head, covering most of his face. As one of the night guards of the house, he often spent time in the garden lying down and reflecting, something that brought him great pleasure.
Beside him lay a large staff, known as "gora," which he originally used for herding cattle, even though it had been almost a year since he last visited their family settlement, "Rugar Shehu."
Suddenly, the sound of someone landing within the compound, accompanied by the agitated barking of guard dogs, jolted him upright. He immediately scanned the area where he suspected an intruder had entered. Hearing no further movements aside from the barking, he grabbed his staff and headed towards a tree near the garden’s fence, convinced that whatever had jumped in must be nearby.
Since the moment she landed, she had been struggling to free her veil, which had gotten caught on a tree branch she had used as a stepping stone. She tried with all her strength to pull it loose, but it wouldn’t budge. Fear gripped her—if she didn’t succeed in freeing herself and getting inside quickly, the guards would surely catch her, especially since the dogs were barking more than usual tonight.
Hearing footsteps behind her, she quickly turned around, only to see him raising his staff, ready to strike. She shut her eyes and screamed,
"Please, Daddy!"
He froze in place, his hands trembling from shock at the beauty of the person before him. He had seen many beautiful women back in his settlement, but none had ever unsettled him as much as this one did.
His eyes traced her features—her face, now exposed due to the missing veil, captivated him. She was dark-skinned, the kind of deep black that gleamed like polished ebony. Her nose was sharp, sitting just above her small lips, adding elegance to her long face.
Realizing she hadn’t been struck by his staff, she hesitantly opened her large eyes. The moment their gazes met, he instinctively stepped back, whispering praises to God. He was convinced that the being before him was not human.
She, too, stared at him in fear, particularly at his large frame—his broad shoulders and towering height. She had never seen someone like him before. His attire reminded her of the notorious men who terrorized Nigeria, or perhaps Fulani bandits known for kidnapping people. This thought, along with the approaching footsteps and louder barking of the dogs—an indication that the guards were nearing—made her quickly let go of her veil. She lifted her hijab slightly for better mobility and took advantage of his momentary distraction to dash toward the kitchen entrance.
With trembling hands, she searched for the small key hidden in the waistband of her trousers. She stumbled a few times while glancing back to ensure he wasn’t following her.
Luckily, the door opened. Since she was still new to sneaking out, she moved cautiously in the dark kitchen, which was only dimly lit by moonlight filtering through the window. She remained composed until she heard the voices of the guards outside the garden. Panic surged within her—was her secret about to be exposed? She hurried through the house, slipping into her room, her heart pounding.
She removed her hijab, exhaling deeply as she collapsed onto her bed.
Just then, the room suddenly brightened as the main power supply was restored. Alarmed, she bolted upright. When she saw who was leaning against the wall, her eyes widened as she exclaimed,
"Halitta, will you ever mind your own business? Why are you always interfering in my affairs?"
Halitta slowly scanned her from head to toe, taking in her outfit—a tight, short pair of bum shorts and a fitted red crop top that barely reached her navel. Her long hair was braided with expensive horsehair extensions, known as "Brazilian hair." Shaking her head, she muttered,
"Yakura…"
"Please, Halitta, not now. I'm too exhausted for your lectures!"
Yakura cut her off, waving her hand dismissively.
Just then, the bedroom door handle turned. In a panic, she grabbed a blanket to cover herself. Their mother, whom they called "Ammy," entered the room, yawning from sleep. Looking at them with concern, she asked,
"I knew you both would be awake. Was it the commotion outside that woke you?"
"Yes, Ammy," they responded in unison.
Halitta smirked in amusement as she observed her sister lying effortlessly. Yakura, on the other hand, feigned irritation, saying,
"I don't understand why they always let the dogs bark so much. They should ban them from entering the garden."
"You’re in your room, so how do you know the noise was from the garden?" Halitta asked pointedly. She was well aware of all her sister’s reckless behaviors.
Realizing she had slipped up, Yakura quickly changed the subject.
"Ammy, where exactly did the noise come from?"
"I suspect it was in the garden," their mother replied. "Even Malam went outside to check on them."
Yakura’s heart skipped a beat.
"God, please save me. Don’t let them find out," she silently prayed.
Halitta chuckled mischievously before adding,
"I hope Daddy finds out what caused all the commotion and deals with it. Anyway, goodnight."
She shot her sister a knowing look before walking away, her smirk deepening.
"Endure it, Yakura. One day, the truth will come out," she added playfully.
"Uhum," Yakura muttered, too scared to respond properly. She knew Halitta was just waiting for an opportunity to expose her.
Once Halitta left, Ammy turned to Yakura and said,
"Let me check on Falmata. She’s probably too scared to move."
As soon as they left, Yakura’s phone began ringing. Seeing the caller ID, she clicked her tongue in irritation before answering. Frustrated, she spoke,
"Bobo, what is it? I told you sneaking out at night while staying at home is risky! You insisted we go clubbing and refused to wait until we returned to school. Now, because of your deep sleep, you couldn’t even drop us off before dawn! I was almost caught by Daddy!"
She paused, listening to his response, then ended the call abruptly without another word.
Lying back down, she waited anxiously. When she heard no further disturbance, she knew she was safe for now. Relieved, she got up, went to the bathroom to shower, and performed ablution to make up for the three prayers she had missed—Asr, Maghrib, and Isha.
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Morning arrived.
It was a large bedroom, the kind suited for the children of the wealthy. The entire décor followed a blue-and-white theme. The room was free of unnecessary clutter, except for a massive luxury bed and a matching dresser with a mirror.