Halysaah Part 6 Complete Hausa Novel

Morning Silence and a Mother’s Message
 
The next day, even by eleven o’clock, Khaleesat was still in her room. She hadn’t come out despite how hungry she felt. She sat, lost in thought, because she honestly didn’t even understand what exactly was wrong with her. She picked up her phone after hearing a WhatsApp notification. She had been chatting through voice notes with her mother using their neighbour Sha’awa’s phone. When the messages stopped, she assumed Aunty Sha’awa had taken her phone back.
 
She opened the voice note and listened to her mother praying for her success in her studies. As usual, her mother reminded her to protect her dignity and take good care of herself. She ended by saying Sha’awa’s phone would be returned to her later because Sha’awa was going to the market.
 
Khaleesat exhaled deeply, set her phone down gently, got up, wore her prayer hijab, and left the room quietly. Hunger had defeated her attempt to continue punishing herself. She headed toward the kitchen, almost bumping into her new housemate who was coming out. He stepped back slightly and said, “Good morning.” She avoided eye contact and moved aside to let him pass. He walked away without looking back. Only then did she enter the kitchen.
 
She stood staring at the littered cups and plates he had used and left in the sink, along with a bowl of fruit salad he didn’t even finish. She stared at the kitchen door in confusion—who exactly did he expect to clean all this for him?
 
She stood there for over a minute with mixed thoughts. A part of her said she should simply do what brought her there and leave the dishes the way he left them. But she pulled the dishwashing liquid closer, squeezed the sponge, tightened her face, and washed everything anyway. After washing, she cleaned the entire kitchen, made tea, took some cookies, and went back to her room.
 
A Missed Call and Growing Worries
 
Around 3 p.m., Khaleesat came out of her room. After breakfast she had been reading, rising only for prayers. Everything was silent, and to be sure he wasn’t home, she tried opening the parlour door and found it locked. She fetched her key, opened it, and checked the garage—his car wasn’t there.
 
Returning inside, she locked the door and went to the kitchen. For two days she had wanted to cook rice and stew, but since he returned to the house, she hadn’t felt comfortable cooking. Now that he wasn’t around, she decided to prepare it.
 
After setting the rice on fire, she started preparing the stew using leftover chicken. She stepped into the parlour with a broom to sweep, placed the broom aside to first tidy the couch, and bent to pick up her housemate’s scattered documents. She ended up leaving them the way he dropped them. She swept the rug and picked up a key she found on the floor. Turning it around, it looked like a bedroom key.
 
Within forty minutes, she finished cooking and cleaning the whole house. She took her food to her room. After praying Asr, she checked her phone—and her heart dropped. Abdul had called. Her appetite instantly disappeared.
 
She sat on the bed for over ten minutes staring at her phone, worried. What would she even tell him? Finally, she gathered courage and called him back. It rang out. She tried again—he didn’t pick.
 
Though she was hungry, her mind wasn’t on the food anymore. She hated anything that made Abdul angry. She forced herself to eat, lay on her bed, and eventually fell asleep without realizing.
 
A knock on her door woke her. She sat up weakly, rubbing her eyes, wondering why someone would knock repeatedly. Could it be him? She checked the time—6:06 p.m. She didn’t think she had slept that long.
 
Another knock forced her up. She wore her hijab and asked, “What is that?”
He replied, “Oh, I think I misplaced my keys. Just wanted to know if you saw them while tidying the parlour?”
 
She then remembered the key she had found earlier. She walked to the door slowly and opened it. He had already left the corridor and was waiting in the parlour. He looked like he had just returned home.
 
Without looking at him, she went to where she kept the key, took it, and placed it on his documents. “Here,” she said.
“Ohk,” he replied.
 
She returned to her room feeling puzzled—just “Ohk”? Not even “Thank you”? She hissed, locked her door, and later tried calling Abdul again. Four calls—no answer. Now she assumed he must be asleep because it was late in his country. Even with that, she knew she was in trouble.
 
She picked her plate from earlier and stepped out. In the parlour, she saw her housemate gathering his documents while on a call. He said, “I am on my way now,” ended the call, grabbed his keys and papers, and stood up.
 
Their eyes met for the first time since he returned home. She looked away immediately and headed to the kitchen. He said, “I ate a little out of the food you cooked, and…” He pointed to a takeaway pack on the couch, “…I’m taking some to my friend too.”
 
He still didn’t look at her the entire time he spoke, while she stared at him in disbelief. He picked up the takeaway and rushed out. “Good night,” he said.
 
She watched him leave and lock the door from outside. She was too shocked to move. After a few seconds, she went to the kitchen and saw the plate he used, the cup, and the fruit salad bowl—all unwashed. The sight annoyed her deeply.
 
She checked the rice he left behind—barely two spoons worth—and he had littered the place while scooping. She poured the leftover rice into a small bowl and washed everything again. After cleaning the kitchen, she made tea and returned to her room.
 
A Friend’s Harsh Truths
 
She sat on her bed and dialed Safiyyah. Just before it rang out, Safiyyah picked up and said, “Honestly, you’re unbelievable, Khaleesah. Even if you didn’t call, I’ve reached Virginia safely.”
 
Khaleesat smiled lightly. “I already knew you’d arrive safely. I hope you’re okay?”
 
Safiyyah smacked her lips. “Hmm, that’s not your problem.”
 
Khaleesat asked, “Please, where did you tell Musty you were going?”
 
Safiyyah laughed. “Ah, stop joking. You know me. His hypocritical wife who doesn’t like me staying in their house convinced him again. They both think I’m in your house doing group reading with our coursemates.”
 
Khaleesat laughed. “Alright then. When are you coming back?”
 
“Tomorrow is the birthday, so I’ll return Monday, in sha Allah.”
 
“Okay. You know what?” Khaleesat asked.
 
“No,” Safiyyah replied.
 
Khaleesat sighed. “Honestly, it’s Abdallah. He called, and I missed his call. I’ve been calling him since then and he won’t pick. I know he’s extremely angry. And I…”
 
Safiyyah cut her off. “And you what? Does life end there?”
 
Khaleesat lowered her voice. “He warned me many times never to miss his calls. And I swear I was in the kitchen when he called. I didn’t miss it on purpose.”
 
Sounding irritated, Safiyyah said, “Why have you placed the fear of the world on yourself because of this guy, Khaleesat? How long will you continue like this? When will you show him that you’re also a human being? If you marry like this, he’ll turn you into a slave in his house because you’ve already shown him how scared you are of him! What kind of useless relationship is this? Honestly, I respect your patience. If it were me, I swear I wouldn’t take it!”