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English Translation
"Son, son please wake up, don't leave your mother, I really need you, please Habeeb wake up!" Madame Hindu’s entire brain calculation was completely thrown into disarray; she lost all sense of where to throw herself, unaware of when she burst into a heavy, uncontrollable cry as she shook Habeeb hard. She felt as though Habeeb had died.
Neither she nor Bala had the capacity to comfort the other; neither could console anyone.
Just then, inspiration struck Bala. In a rush, he hurried to the small refrigerator placed in the room, opened it, and grabbed a bottle of cold water. He poured some over Habeeb. Within about five seconds of the water touching him, Habeeb let out a deep, heavy sigh of relief. Slowly, he opened his eyes until he fixed his gaze entirely on Madame Hindu’s face. He pulled her into a tight embrace and, in a hoarse, weak voice, said, "Sweetheart, my stomach, my head... please hold my head for me, it's splitting."
Madame Hindu grew even more frantic. Turning to Bala while shouting, she said, "Please, Bala, call Dr. Saleem immediately!"
With trembling hands, Bala dialed Dr. Saleem's number. Right around dawn, Dr. Saleem arrived. Through tears, Madame Hindu began pleading with him: "Please, Doctor, do something to save my son's life, I don't want to lose him!"
Dr. Saleem replied, "Calm down, Madam, insha Allah nothing will happen to your son."
Without wasting any time, Dr. Saleem began his treatment by setting up an IV drip and administering injections. Within a short while, sleep overtook Habeeb. Madame Hindu sat by his side, gently stroking his hair, before turning her gaze to Dr. Saleem and asking, "What's wrong with my son, Doctor?"
Dr. Saleem wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, breathed a small sigh, and then said, "I was quite surprised when I discovered the real cause of his illness. First, there is intense thinking on his part, which brought him to the verge of high blood pressure, combined with a lack of eating, which caused him to contract an ulcer."
Madame Hindu widened her eyes—shock was written all over her, compounded by a deep sense of wonder at Dr. Saleem's words. With a trembling voice, she repeated what the doctor had said: "Thinking and an ulcer?"
With full confidence, Dr. Saleem nodded and continued, "He definitely needs good care, especially regular meals. When he wakes up, try your best as his mother to pressure him into telling you what is bothering him. As a mother, you won't lack the means to help him. You must also make sure he takes his medicine on time, because I noticed that not a single one of the medications I brought for him earlier was used."
Madame Hindu wiped the tears from her face and said, "Thank you, Dr. Saleem."
"You're welcome, Madam," Dr. Saleem replied, packing up his medical kit and taking his leave, abandoning Madame Hindu to her deep worry and anxiety.
Madame Hindu let out a heavy sigh and turned to Bala, eager for more clarity regarding her son's illness. "Bala, how long has Habeeb been sick, and where is his wife who left you behind to nurse him? Since she is the one who ought to be taking care of him, not you—ever since I arrived in this house, though my mind has been unsettled, a feeling tells me something is going on between them."
Bala let out a breath, twisted his mouth, and began spilling the story to Madame Hindu. "Even before the Boss traveled, I realized something was bothering him. He completely stopped eating. On the day he returned, he collapsed twice from illness. Whenever I went to Haleesa's part of the house, I never met her. The last time I laid eyes on her was the morning after Imaan's school holiday started, when Hannah came to take her. I met them at the parking space, and Haleesa came out to see them off. We greeted each other, but from that day on, I haven't seen her again. It totally baffles me where she has been all this time while the Boss has been struggling with this illness," he finished, his tone reflecting genuine sorrow.
Madame Hindu stood up abruptly... Without saying a word to Bala, she strode toward Haleesa's quarters. Fortunately, as she turned the door handle, the door opened, and she pushed her way in. Before she even fully stepped into the parlor, she caught sight of Haleesa sitting on a two-seater sofa, her feet propped up on the furniture while she was busy trimming her toenails.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Haleesa lifted her head and locked eyes with Madame Hindu. Rass! Her heart skipped a beat. Quickly, she stood up, cast a stealthy glance at the wall clock hanging in the parlor—9:07\text{ AM}—and her body began to tremble. Fear was plastered clearly across her face. With great difficulty, she forced out the words, "Welcome, Mom."
Madame Hindu sat down before responding, her tone neither warm nor cold.
Instantly, Haleesa's body went cold, and her heart told her something was terribly wrong. Bending down respectfully, she whispered, "Good morning, Mom?"
"Fine, but not well."
Madame Hindu's response frightened Haleesa even more. With a tangled tongue, she asked, "What is going on, Mom?"
Haleesa's question further infuriated Madame Hindu, who lost control of her temper. In a rage, she lashed out at Haleesa: "What kind of human being are you, Haleesa?! Your husband has been sick for three days while you both live in the same house, and you claim you didn't know? What kind of foolishness is this?!"
She continued, "This proves beyond doubt that you do not know the meaning of the word 'husband,' let alone how to care for one. Because of this negligence of yours, my son has come down with a hunger ulcer! By Allah, if anything happens to my son, Haleesa, I will never stop holding your neglect and sins against you. Even if Habeeb did something to wrong you, it is not right for you to punish him with starvation!" She finished breathing heavily and huffing.
Ever since Madame Hindu started washing her down, Haleesa's eyes had been darting wildly. The sheer shock of Madame Hindu's scathing words left her completely speechless.
Haleesa fell silent, unable to find anything to say, and simply burst into tears. Madame Hindu shook her head, stood up angrily, and said, "This crying of yours is useless. I can even liken it to tears of joy, because if Habeeb dies, you lose nothing—I am the one who loses, because I am the one losing a son!" With that, Madame Hindu finished speaking and stormed out of the parlor, leaving Haleesa crying as if her soul was about to leave her body.
Anger and hatred toward Habeeb Lamido twisted her heart. The burning resentment in her chest made her feel like packing her bags and walking out of his house for good. He had always told her he only married her because of his mother; now, his mother despised her, blaming her for things she knew nothing about.
While she was in this miserable state, Hannah walked in and sat down beside her, speaking in a gentle voice. "Haleesa, Mom just called me on the phone and laid out everything that happened. I was utterly amazed at how Mom failed to see Yaya Habeeb's fault. I'm just waiting for Yaya Habeeb to recover so I can expose him in front of her, so she can judge between you two and see who is truly at fault."
Haleesa wiped the tears from her face and said, "Hannah, I don't want you to tell Mom everything about our marriage dynamics with Yaya Habeeb. Right now, my heart has hardened. I have made a solemn vow: I will flood your brother's soul with an intensely burning love, and I will use it to pay him back for every single humiliation he has put me through! I will show him that not every woman is meant to be mistreated—she is a master of rhythm and poetry!"
With great excitement, Hannah grabbed Haleesa's hands and said, "That is what I've been trying to show you from the beginning, Haleesa! If you had listened to me, things would have been completely different. Now, get up, let's go, and you will apologize to Mom. I know how much Mom loves you, she won't be able to stay angry with you for long. And as for all those bitter words Mom threw at you... write them down, every single one of them, and save them as a provision for her son!"
Haleesa widened her eyes. "Hannah, you are wicked, he is your brother, you know!"
"So what?" Hannah said, tossing her head and fluttering her eyelashes. "Don't forget, Haleesa, a woman's pain is a woman's pain! So whenever Yaya Habeeb falls into your hands, don't show him mercy. Make sure you beat that arrogance out of him that he's so proud of!"
Haleesa bit her lower lip, shook her head, and said, "Let's just see. Allah will bring the grass to the harvester."
"Ameen, sister! Let's go before Mom starts acting up again."
They went straight to Habeeb's bedroom. Mom was sitting close to him, resting her chin on her hand while Habeeb was fast asleep. Hannah nudged Haleesa's shoulder. Instantly, Haleesa put on a pitiful face, sank to her knees in front of Mom, grabbed Mom's hand, and whined in a pleading voice: "Please, Mom, forgive me. I know I made a mistake, but insha Allah you will never catch me doing anything even remotely close to this again."
She finished speaking in a tearful voice. Madame Hindu heaved a heavy sigh, pulled Haleesa up, and they moved to the parlor where she began advising her. "From today onwards, Haleesa, do not ever let your husband's food be left in the hands of the cook again. When Peter was explaining to me that ever since you came to this house, he has been the one cooking for Habeeb, you have no idea how angry I was! But now, everything is in the past. Get up, go into the kitchen, and prepare something for him to eat, because Dr. Saleem said he must eat as soon as he wakes up."
Haleesa hurried up and headed to her quarters, with Hannah trailing behind her.
15 minutes later...
Slowly, Habeeb opened his eyes until they were fully wide. He tried to sit up quickly, and Mom rushed to help him. He sat up as she placed a pillow behind his back for support. He had lost a lot of weight, looking gaunt and frail, with a thick growth of facial hair filling out his face.
"How are you feeling, Son?"
"A bit better, Mom. Right now, I just want to take a bath and make up for the prayers I missed."
Mom quickly stood up. "Let me go call Haleesa to help you." Without waiting for his reply, she walked out.
A strange wave of warmth washed through Habeeb's body, pouring into his heart. He closed his eyes, feeling as though he were floating in open skies, but his stubborn pride refused to let him outwardly display his happiness.
He twisted his face. "Whatever you decide."
The sound of the door opening made him quickly open his eyes and fix them on Haleesa's face. She flashed him a charming smile. "How are you, Yaya Habeeb? How is your body?"
He drew a breath, exhaled, and said, "Better. Help me draw some bathwater, I want to take a bath."
Without saying anything, she stepped into the bathroom and filled the bathtub with warm water. By the time she came out, he was still sitting just as she had left him. In a soft voice that pulled him out of his reverie, she said, "Yaya Habeeb, I've drawn the water."
From deep in his throat, he murmured, "Thank you." Leaning against the wall, he walked into the bathroom.
Haleesa watched him go. He filled her with profound pity—to think there was something that could make Yaya Habeeb soften up! She wore a wicked little smile, straightened his bed, and sprayed the room with air freshener. She stood waiting until he emerged from the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed, casting side-eye glances at her. A strange sensation coursed through his veins. He cleared his throat and then said...
(Note: "I'm sorry, readers, I know you'll say this page is too short. Wallahi, I typed a lot today, but I don't know how it all disappeared. It was with great difficulty that I managed to write this present part; my head is overheating and my heart is heavy." — Jeeddah Aliyu 🌹)
"Hey! Open the wardrobe and get me a white jallabiya," he finished speaking, his eyes half-closed.
Haleesa curled her lip. In her thoughts, she muttered, Huh... the moment he wakes up, he starts calling me by that name I hate. Instead of getting the white one as he commanded, she intentionally pulled out a black one. He refused to accept it, leaving her standing there holding the garment. Haleesa extended the clothes toward him again. "Yaya Habeeb, here it is, get up and pray, time is running out."
He screwed up his face and spoke very slowly: "I said get me a white one, not black."
"Umh... you said white, but in my view, white and black are both the same—their only purpose is to cover your body, right? What do you say?" She finished speaking, staring right into his face.
He sucked on his teeth, snatched the garment from her hand, and slipped it on while sitting down. As soon as Haleesa laid out his prayer mat and he began praying, she slipped out of the room. In the parlor, she found Madame Hindu and Hannah eating breakfast.
Mom asked, "Did you draw his bathwater?"
"Yes, Mom, he just came out of the bathroom. In fact, I left him praying. I'm going to get his food now."
"Very good, my good daughter, that is how a good wife should be."
Haleesa smiled and headed to the kitchen, carrying a large tray. She pushed open the door and stepped inside. Habeeb was sitting where he had prayed. He looked up quickly—he had grown so thin, his eyes looked larger, his face was hollow, and a heavy beard covered his jaw.
She set down the tray and sat in front of him, talking as she served him groundnut gruel (kunun gyad'a). "Start with this so your gut can settle," she finished, handing him a cup.
He stared at her unblinkingly without a single movement. Haleesa fluttered her eyelashes and put on a pleading face. "Please force yourself to drink at least a little bit."
With closed eyes, he reached out and took the cup from her hand. Slowly, he sipped the gruel until he finished every last drop. She took back the cup and opened the food flask. The aroma of sweet potato porridge hit Habeeb’s nose, and he swallowed hard. She served him, and our dear "guy" devoured all the porridge, setting the plate down with a scorted face.
Haleesa said, "Uhmm... your sickness is actually amusing, Yaya Habeeb, because it didn't stop you from eating Haleesa's junk food," she finished with a teasing smile.
Haleeb tightened his face. "Even you know I only ate what you prepared with your own hands because Mom is in the house."
Haleesa rolled her eyes. "Uhmm... typical Yaya Habeeb. Sometimes when you talk, you sound so serious, yet I catch you sneaking junk food all the time," she finished with a laugh.
Hardly had she finished when he yanked her forcefully toward him. She crashed onto his lap, and he gave her a sharp squeeze, eliciting a small yelp from her. Pressing his lips right against her earlobe, he whispered, "Hey! Who is a thief?"
"I... I didn't call you a thief!" she said in a trembling voice.
He lifted her face, locking eyes with her in a fierce gaze. Unable to endure it, she buried her face against his chest. Shivering all over, Habeeb pulled her into an even tighter embrace, resting his head on her neck as he breathed heavily.
From deep in her throat, Haleesa whispered, "Let me go before Mom comes in and sees us like this, wallahi I'll be so ashamed," she finished in a coquettish tone.
That statement cut through Habeeb's daze. Startled, he quickly shoved her away from his chest. Looking deeply embarrassed, he stood up and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. Haleesa didn't look at him again; she gathered the food flasks and walked out.
When she returned to the room, she found Mom and Hannah inside. Habeeb had his head resting on Mom's lap while she stroked his hair. Haleesa rolled her eyes and took a seat on one of the room's chairs.
In a soothing tone, Mom spoke to him: "Please, Son, tell me what is truly bothering you. You know very well you will never have peace of mind as long as you are under stress."
With his eyes half-closed, Habeeb replied, "C'mon sweetheart, I told you a hundred times, nothing is bothering me, so stop worrying yourself."
Madame Hindu shook her head. "Alright, Son, but please, eat your food. And from today onward, I forbid Peter from cooking for you. Your wife is right here; whatever you want, tell her and she will cook it for you."
Only then did he open his eyes and sit up. Madame Hindu turned to where Haleesa was sitting and said, "I am leaving, Haleesa. Make sure he eats properly and takes his medicine on time."
Haleesa nodded, though in her mind she muttered, Kai, this woman is something else! She even says I must give him his medicine like he's a little kid. Well, I'm going to stuff him with an overdose!
Madame Hindu walked out of the room ahead of Hannah. Hannah stepped close to Haleesa's ear and whispered, "Sister, don't you dare waste this opportunity you've been given! Didn't Dr. Saleem say he's suffering from an ulcer and high blood pressure? Make sure you add a heart-attack illness to his list!"
At the exact same moment, they burst into laughter and slapped each other's hands in high-five.
Habeeb widened his eyes. In his thoughts: Kai, these kids really look down on me! They must be gossiping about me. He twisted his face, glared at Hannah, and snapped, "Hey! What in the world are you waiting for that you haven't left yet? You're leaving Mom waiting for you!"
Hannah jutted out her chin. "Mom is with her driver, and I came in my own car."
"Whatever!" Habeeb barked in irritation.
With supreme mischievousness, Hannah whispered to Haleesa one last time, "Sister, don't let this scowling face of his scare you, or it will ruin your plan."
Haleesa smiled and whispered back to Hannah, "Don't worry, sister, just sit back and enjoy the show!"
They broke into laughter again. Hannah turned to Habeeb, laughing, and said, "Bros, I'm taking off. See you tomorrow when I come to drink pepper soup!"
Habeeb hissed. "That's your problem, you hypocrite."
Hannah looked at Haleesa and gave her a bold signal right under Habeeb's nose. Seeing this, Haleesa burst into laughter. Hannah opened the door and walked out.
Habeeb stiffened his face, staring defiantly at Haleesa, while she lowered her gaze. For three whole seconds, she kept her head bowed before looking up to steal a glance at Habeeb. His eyes were locked firmly onto hers. Before she knew it, she flashed him another smile.
He glared at her. "Hey, come here."
Her stomach flipped, but putting on a brave front as though she weren't terrified, she slowly stood up and walked over to him. Without warning, he grabbed her hand and began twisting her fingers hard.
Haleesa shrieked, "Ouch, my fingers! Yaya Habeeb, you're going to dislocate them!"
Only when he was satisfied did he let her go. She retreated to the corner, shaking out her hand, and thought maliciously, Wicked man! Remembering that he hadn't taken his medication yet, a wicked smile crept onto her face. I'll get my revenge right here. Right now, you're going to see my brand of wickedness.
She turned and looked at him; he was still staring at her. Pouting, she walked over to the bedside table, picked up the bag of medications, grabbed a bottle of water and a cup, and set them down on the dressing mirror. She began popping tablets out of their foil sheets until her hands were full—all while Habeeb watched her unblinkingly.
She made a face at him and held out her hand loaded with pills. He swiftly caught her wrist and said, "Hey, servant of Allah, it's medicine I'm supposed to take, not your hand."
He twisted his face and muttered from deep in his throat, "You mean I am supposed to swallow this entire mountain of medicine?"
"Of course! Or do you want me to call Mom?"
He hissed. "You know I hate medicine, don't you?"
She shrugged. "Oh well... I wouldn't know."
Full of irritation, he held out his hand, and she dropped the pills into it. Looking as though he were about to burst into tears, he said, "All these pills, and you expect me to swallow them all alone? You'd think I was a drug addict."
Haleesa was a hair's breadth away from bursting into laughter, but she swallowed it down. Habeeb squeezed his eyes shut and managed to swallow the medicine with great difficulty, while Haleesa watched him closely. He reminded her of the late Yaya Habeeb—he, too, utterly detested medicine, and whenever he was sick, she always had to fight a major battle with him before he would take anything.
In her thoughts, she whispered, Huh... so every single person named Habeeb hates medicine. Unknowingly, she had spoken the words out loud.
A wave of intense jealousy swept over Habeeb. In a flash of anger, he flung the remaining water from the cup right at her.
Startled, Haleesa jerked her head up to look at him, while he stared back with eyes that openly burned with displeasure.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Haleesa's mind. Swallowing her annoyance, she reached out, grabbed the bottle of water as if she was going to drink from it, unscrewed the cap, and dumped the entire contents over his body!
Before he could react, she spun around and bolted for the door. Just as she slipped outside, she poked her head back in, made a face at him (gwalo), slammed the door, and dashed straight into her own quarters.
She rushed into her bedroom, threw herself onto the bed, grabbed a pillow, and clutched it tightly to her chest. A wave of profound exhilaration washed over her—a feeling she hadn't experienced since her first Yaya Habeeb was alive. Closing her eyes, Habeeb Lamido's face danced before her mind's eye.
Meanwhile, on Habeeb's side, as soon as Haleesa bolted out, he stared fixedly at the door before slumping down on the bed. Half of his body was on the mattress while his legs hung off the edge. A strange, intoxicating current pulsed through his veins. He sank into a deep thought, asking himself a question that had no answer:
"Why... when that girl mentioned the name of her late lover, did a fierce wave of jealousy consume me?"
He sat up abruptly. A part of his mind reasoned, This has everything to do with the intense physical desire you harbor for her. He curled his lip, stood up, stripped off his wet shirt, and began plotting what punishment he would inflict upon Haleesa once he caught her.
8:30 PM
Habeeb was sitting in his parlor, his eyes fixed on the television screen, when Haleesa called out a greeting. Pausing teasingly, she asked, "Yaya Habeeb, should I come in or go back to where I came from?"
Habeeb smiled, stroked his sideburns, and drew in a breath. A wonderful sense of joy visited him; he felt as though he were floating in the upper atmosphere. However, his supreme stubborn pride would not allow him to show his happiness.
He twisted his face. "Whichever you choose."
Haleesa shrugged and finished stepping into the parlor. Stealthily, his eyes swept over her. She was wearing a lemon-green gown that reached her knees, her head wrapped in a small white veil, and her face touched with light makeup. A crushing wave of intense desire washed over him, weakening his limbs as he dropped his hot gaze...
Summary
In this excerpt, the narrative shifts from a domestic crisis to a playful yet tense power struggle. Habeeb collapses from a combination of severe stress, over-thinking, and neglected nutrition, leading to a medical emergency. Dr. Saleem diagnoses him with a hunger ulcer and dangerously high blood pressure driven by anxiety. Madame Hindu steps in, fiercely chewing out Haleesa for her supposed negligence as a wife, though Haleesa is privately aggrieved by Habeeb's tyrannical mistreatment.
Once Habeeb recovers consciousness and begins convalescing, a dynamic war of wits erupts between him and Haleesa. Under the watchful eye of Madame Hindu and Hannah, Haleesa is forced to nurse him back to health. She seizes the opportunity to playfully torture him—forcing him to swallow mountains of bitter medication and splashing water on him in retaliation for his arrogance. Despite their bickering and mutual taunts, intense physical attraction and romantic tension continue to simmer beneath the surface, culminating in a moment of burning jealousy from Habeeb when Haleesa accidentally invokes the memory of her late husband.
Description
- Setting: Habeeb's upscale master bedroom and private parlor, shifting from an atmosphere of medical panic and clinical intervention to intimate domestic warfare and psychological sparring.
- Tone: Dramatic, humorous, fiercely romantic, and emotionally volatile.
- Key Motifs: Medicine as a battlefield, water as a weapon of mischief, emotional regression, and the lingering shadow of the past clashing with the magnetic pull of the present.
Analytics
- Character Evolution:
- Habeeb Lamido: His invulnerability cracks significantly. His physical collapse humbles him slightly, but his ego remains intact. His violent spike of jealousy upon hearing about Haleesa's first husband proves that his emotional investment in her is far deeper than his arrogant persona admits.
- Haleesa: Transforms from a timid, tearful victim into an active, mischievous participant in their psychological warfare. She weaponizes her caregiving role, discovering a voice and a playful malice that proves she can match his stubbornness.
- Pacing and Structural Dynamics: The chapter uses medical crisis as a narrative reset button, forcing both characters into close, unavoidable proximity. The juxtaposition of high drama (the ulcer diagnosis, Madame Hindu's wrath) with slapstick domestic comedy (pounding pills, water-dousing) keeps the narrative rhythm engaging and dynamic.
