Anjane Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

Escape Through the Dark Forest
 
She was running wildly, completely out of her senses, through the thick forest whose darkness felt unnatural—even though it wasn’t night yet. The time wasn’t past four-thirty to five in the evening, but the forest was covered in a terrifying gloom. The sound of footsteps behind her confirmed that the men chasing her had not given up; in fact, they were getting closer. A deep cry escaped her lips as she ran, struggling to breathe. She didn’t know why wicked people had increased so much in the world. She didn’t know what wrong she or her children had done to her enemies for them to be so determined to wipe them out completely.
 
She had never had a single enemy from childhood up to adulthood—yet here she was, running to save her life and that of her children, without understanding why anyone wanted to kill them.
 
The cry of the child on her back made her realize the baby wasn’t a newborn; she was months old. The child in front also began crying. Only then did she fully notice that she had twins—one in front, one behind—and their cries made her panic even more. She broke into louder sobs as she continued running.
 
“Look, she’s over there! Hurry, let’s catch her before she escapes the forest. The part ahead is even darker; we might lose sight of her!”
 
Hearing what seemed like the voice of their leader made her run even faster. Her only goal was to get out of the forest alive with her children. But before she could, she felt a heavy blow from behind—a piece of wood struck the back of her neck. She didn’t know whether they threw it or it came from elsewhere.
 
She fell, but immediately caught herself with her hands so the babies wouldn’t get hurt. Hearing their footsteps closing in, she forced herself up despite the blood flowing from her neck and the dizziness clouding her vision. She searched frantically for a hiding place, but there seemed to be none. It was no longer her life she was fighting for—it was her children’s. She knew it was unlikely they would escape these wicked men, yet she prayed her children would survive even if she herself died.
 
Her babies were only three months old—they hadn’t lived life at all. She didn’t want their lives to end here. And she didn’t want her enemies to succeed. She knew they wanted her dead because of the children—so their father would have no hope or joy left in his life.
 
She didn’t know why the world was filled with heartless people. She pitied her husband—the father of her children—whose happiness rested on them alone. People were jealous of him and wanted him to lose everything, even if it meant killing her too. Her life was now soaked in a darkness she never imagined. Only today did all the things she had ignored begin returning to her mind. Her overly pure heart had made her believe everyone had a good soul—but now she knew she had been terribly wrong.
 
A faint light ahead gave her hope, and she ran toward it, praying it was her escape—even if it only meant her babies would survive. She accepted death for herself if only her children would live good lives and someday pray for her. The Prophet (SAW) said the prayer of righteous children for their parents is accepted. Children and charity are the only wealth one leaves behind on the Day of Judgment—and she had no share of charity, for she had never even thought of it.
 
A Schoolgirl’s Innocent Path
 
Like every normal school holiday, she was walking home on foot as usual, unlike other privileged children who were picked up by car, motorcycle, keke, or even a wheelbarrow. She walked all the way to her village—a four-hour and some-minutes journey on foot. She never felt tired of it because she loved school deeply. She knew that if she didn’t study, she would only be harming herself, because education was the only hope she had of changing her life.
 
She walked slowly now because she was exhausted. The village was only about thirty minutes away. She thought if she cut through the forest, she would get home faster. Without hesitation and without fear—because she was used to the forest—she entered. Her people gathered firewood, herbs, fruits, and even roamed in the forest regularly.
 
The sudden sound of rushing footsteps made her stop. It didn’t sound like one person. She quickly climbed a tall tree to see. She saw a woman carrying two babies—one in front, one behind—running desperately while armed men chased her. Fear took hold of the girl. Though she didn’t know the woman or what she had done, she understood enough to know nothing good made armed men chase someone into the forest.
 
Many wicked acts happened in this forest because the darkness hid criminals from the eyes of people. Something inside her told her she had to help this woman. She couldn’t let these wicked men overpower her.
 
She slid down from the tree quickly and ran toward the woman just as one of the men fired at her leg. She pulled the woman aside. There was a hollow in a tree, and she pushed the woman inside. She quickly snatched the baby on her back, seeing the child almost lifeless. The woman collapsed forward, and the girl caught her.
 
The woman was barely breathing. She couldn’t keep her eyes open, nor speak properly. The girl held her hand tightly. Struggling for breath, the woman finally whispered:
 
“S…save…them…please…let them…live…”
 
The girl’s heart pounded. She shook the woman, pleading:
 
“Please wake up, Aunty, let’s run. I don’t know where to take these babies!”
 
The woman couldn’t speak. She raised her ten fingers and pointed to the rings she wore—five in total. The girl quickly removed them, thinking they were hurting her. The woman pointed to her neck; the girl removed her necklace and earrings too.
 
The woman sighed deeply, opened her eyes wide, and fixed them on her children. In a clearer voice, she spoke:
 
“Take care of them for me, please. I left nothing in this world except them. They are the light of their father’s heart. Go with them. I give them to you as amanah. Raise them with good manners as true Hausa Muslims. Leave now—and protect them with the jewelry I gave you. If those people catch you, they will kill all of us. Go. Don’t speak any more words. My time is over. Even if they don’t kill me, I will die—I can feel my blood is gone. My only wish is that my children survive. Alhamdulillah Allah sent you to save them. Go. Go now. Here they are. Please…go.”