Tafe was driving his car, reflecting on his life and his relationship with Raheema.

She is his wife, and they had a true love story. From their time in school, she waited for him to finish so they could get married before he even got the military job he desired so much. Together, they struggled to build a life, and Allah blessed them with success.

Hafiz is a man who is focused on his own interests and doesn't concern himself much with the affairs of others. He is easygoing and kind to everyone around him. That’s why his siblings are fond of him.

Although his father had enough resources to manage, Hafiz always made efforts to improve the lives of his parents and siblings.

He and Raheema loved each other dearly and lived in peace, but the problem lay with Raheema. She placed too much importance on reading novels and other written materials.

She could always be found holding a novel or her phone, engrossed in reading Hausa literature. At first, this didn’t bother Hafiz, as sometimes she would sit with him and share the stories she had read.

Sometimes, she would lie on his lap reading the stories aloud.

Raheema is very particular about her personal hygiene, and she always smells good and takes care of herself both inside and out. However, her attention to the cleanliness of their home was lacking.

When they first got married and lived together, Hafiz didn’t realize this issue, but after she started traveling, he began to notice. It became more apparent after he got his military job and was often away from home, which led to a decline in her housekeeping. Hafiz, who valued cleanliness, found this hard to accept. He always wanted their living space to be clean and tidy.

He argued with her, advised her, and even pleaded with her, but nothing changed. Eventually, he just accepted it, though it wasn’t that she never made an effort—sometimes she did, but it was not consistent.

He once told her he didn’t see the benefit of her constant reading, as she didn’t seem to learn the lessons within those stories. She would just laugh and say, “You don’t understand.”

Then there was the issue of cooking. She often went a whole day without preparing a meal, relying instead on fruits, milk, snacks, and drinks. She wasn’t concerned about cooking, and he had to buy food for them.

She sometimes cooked, but it was rare.

As for prayer, if she ever attempted to pray, she would do so while reading. He would take her books away or hide her phone to stop her from being distracted. This made it difficult for her to focus during prayer.

Raheema went on trips, and her siblings eventually learned about the issues in Hafiz’s home. They reported this to their mother, which upset her deeply, as she too had witnessed Raheema’s behavior and had already warned her to change or face consequences.

At first, Raheema tried to change, but it was a difficult process for her, and she struggled to maintain the changes. Eventually, after the birth of their first child, things began to improve, though it was a slow process.

She had another child, but despite her deep love for her children, she didn’t give them the proper care they needed. This caused further tension between her and Hafiz.

Eventually, Hafiz’s siblings reported to their mother that things hadn’t improved, and their mother insisted that Hafiz should marry again.