Ibtihal Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

She was beautiful; no matter how you looked at her, you would be compelled to steal another glance.
She had a slender nose that perfectly complemented the moderate shape of her face, and her medium-sized mouth could neither be described as small nor large.
She possessed large eyes adorned with long, sweeping eyelashes, and her lush, thick eyebrows further enhanced her exquisite beauty.
Oh Allah, I am at a total loss as to which tribe to attribute this creation of God to. She was neither a Fulani nor an Arab, nor was she an Indian or a Tuareg. Stating it plainly, she was best described as a Shuwa Arab, because her fair complexion was an exact match for theirs. The only difference was that her skin tone lacked an oily sheen. To be honest, I admired her skin color the most, as you would rarely find it—perhaps only in five out of every thousand people.
Without letting her phone finish ringing, she let out a long, heavy hiss in intense frustration. She pulled out the earpiece she was wearing, extracted the SIM card from the phone, and snapped it completely in half.
I was deeply astonished to see how she transformed in an instant, looking like someone who had never known what a smile was in her entire life.
She stood up and checked the clock, utterly surprised to see it was already 5:30 PM. She had indeed slept for a long time to shake off her exhaustion. Since she was currently excused from prayers, she simply took a bath and stepped out, filling the room with the sweet fragrance of the soaps she had used.
She merely sprayed some perfume without even looking in the mirror and dressed her body in a long Atamfa street gown. The dress fitted her slightly snugly, and it was only then I could fully appreciate her figure; she was tall with a well-proportioned body, blessed by God with curves that were neither too pronounced nor too subtle.
She tied the Atamfa headwrap in a simple knot, yet the way it turned out so incredibly beautiful on her made her look as though she was heading to a grand celebration. She looked stunning, and that was even without any makeup on her face—imagine if she actually dolled herself up.
The scream she suddenly heard from the parlor made her look toward the door. Before she could make any decisive move, the door was swung open, and someone rushed in, locking her in a tight embrace full of pure joy.
The intruder said, "Fav sis! What a surprise visit! I swear, I had absolutely no idea you were coming until a moment ago when Hajiya was telling Mommy. As soon as I got back from school, I didn't even sit down; I came straight here to see my sister. How is Japan?"
Softening her expression and letting go of her scowl, she let out a brief smile and replied, "Japan is fine, Alhamdulillah. Sis Safa, look how much weight you've gained, as if you aren't even studying!"
Releasing her from the hug and taking her hand, they headed toward the door leading to the parlor. Safa countered, "Well, why wouldn't I gain weight? That's a problem for you bookworms who deprive your eyes of sleep because of studies. Look, you need to halt this education for now. Since you've gotten a Degree, a Masters, and a PhD, that is quite enough!"
She finished speaking just as they stepped into the large, quiet parlor. It was furnished with two sets of beautiful, plush cushions, a massive plasma television, and various picture frames hanging around the room.
"Safa has told you nothing but the truth. Now you must come home, get married, and put an end to all this wandering around," a fair-skinned elderly woman, who sat with a hijab on and a rosary in her hand, interjected sternly.
The young woman pouted her lips, sat down, and scowled without saying a word.
"Hajiya is completely right, Sis Ibti. I swear, it's time for you to settle down and choose just one out of your thousands of suitors so we can celebrate a wedding. You know everyone has just been waiting for your return. For my part, I am still advocating for my brother, Ibtihal. Brother Yusuf truly loves you. His mother selected five different girls for him, but he rejected them all, solely because of you. Please, marry Brother Yusuf, for God's sake, Ibti. I swear, he will care for you more than you can ever imagine. He will make you forget every trial, hardship, and distress you went through in the past, and he will give you ultimate happiness...!"
"Enough, for God's sake, Safa! Don't ruin my mood the moment I arrive. I have told you never to bring up the topic of any man to me again, let alone matters of love. Did I tell you I need a life partner? Or did I tell you I need a marriage? Never approach me with talks of romance again. Am I the one who will live the married life? Well, I won't do it! Everyone is fixated on my marriage. By how many months am I older than you that you are being bothered about it? Or is Sajida, who is seven months ahead of me, being pestered this way, or is it just me?" she concluded in deep anguish, resentment vividly written across her face.
In an equally angry tone, Hajiya barked, "As for marriage, it is mandatory that you get married, whether you like it or not! Just because you see I've given you some space? You and the Sajida and Safa you are talking about are not the same, or do I have to spell it out explicitly for you to understand? Furthermore, I am well aware of them too, and I will deal with all of your parents. You all think you can do as you please just because I've been quiet. Besides, what kind of a hardened, unforgiving heart do you possess that you never let things go? I was simply waiting for you to finish your studies. As for that Bashir who keeps backing you up to do whatever you please, I will deal with him too. I am giving you exactly one month to select one person out of all the suitors who love you. If you don't, I will personally choose one for you, because I am not—"