Biyu Babu Book 4 By Fatima Tijjani Ahmad

Description

PAGE 4

The words Aisha spoke completely shattered my thoughts once again. I returned to feeling deep self-pity for my life and passed judgment on myself: neither Umar nor Yusuf for me. Aisha’s husband, whom she calls "Oga," showed me his concern. He comforted me and urged me to have patience, saying that whenever a situation becomes too intense, Allah is its remedy, and that I should accept this as a destiny Allah has placed upon me.
While I was inside Aisha’s house, a man called out a greeting and walked in. Aisha answered him, as her husband had already gone out with the people of his ethnicity whom I had seen in the living room when I first arrived.
The man found a place to sit. He and Aisha exchanged greetings, and she stood up to bring him water and juice. The man, whose name I did not know at the time, looked at me and said,
"Fatima, how is the town, and how are your studies?"
I slowly raised my head, looked at him, and said,
"Very well, thank you."
I lowered my head again, lost in thought over what was troubling me the most.
My phone interrupted my thoughts; it was ringing, indicating an incoming call. I picked it up and answered with a greeting, as the caller had started with one. We exchanged brief, hurried greetings, and I asked to know who it was.

PAGE 5

In a soft, calm voice, the caller said,
"My little sister, I am well aware that I once asked you a question, but I don't know if you could bear to grant me a bit of your time so I can ask it again?"
I replied, "No, I do not have time right now. When I am free, I will call you."
I turned off my phone completely.
At that moment, my eyes continued to shed tears as I felt self-pity for my life and the circumstances in which it found itself.
The visitor who had walked in, whose name was Aliyu, looked at me and said,
"Fatima, I have never known you to be quick-tempered, but it seems now you are adopting an argumentative attitude. How can someone call you, and you just shut the phone off on them? You shouldn't act that way; you know that speaking kind words is an act of charity."
I raised my head, looked at him, and said,
"Thank you. I will try to correct it."
He said, "That is what is expected of you."
When Aisha returned, she served him the water and juice, and then she asked me if she should bring me some food.

PAGE 6

I shook my head to signal no, but the truth was I was simply tired of sitting in the living room because that man sat directly across from me, staring at me as if he were watching a television.
I stood up and followed behind her until we reached the bedroom.
Aisha said, "Fatima, that man’s name is Aliyu. He is my husband's brother. He told me he loves you. Even though he was told about Umar, he refused to accept what we said. He even told us to drop that matter entirely, since no marriage has been solemnized between you two yet. We gave him examples of what had happened at the venue, but he said that does not concern him; he insisted he wanted to see you. Fatima, he is the man I mentioned I would tell you about earlier."
I picked up a plate of food, returned to the living room, and sat down. As soon as I sat, Aliyu said,
"Fatima, my name is Aliyu. I saw you at your friend's wedding and told her about it, even though she gave me a flawed, unconvincing explanation."
I smiled and said,
"Well, thank you."
He said, "I thank you too, but what I want is that even if you cannot love me, please consider me your younger or older brother, for God's sake."
I smiled and said,
"Alright, no problem, I will look into it."

PAGE 7

He said, "No, I do not agree to that; you must look into it right now."
I said, "Alright, no problem. Before I leave, you will hear everything through Aisha."
He said, "No, I must stay until I drive you home so that I can hear it with my own ears."
I let out a broad smile and said,
"Alright, thank you."
Aisha and I continued our conversation, and occasionally Aliyu would chime in.
I did not leave Aisha’s house until after the Maghrib prayer. She told me that she would come over to say goodbye before they departed for Lagos. When I stepped outside to leave and Aliyu was about to drive me home, Aisha’s husband—her Oga—stopped us, and we spoke regarding the photograph I had brought. He also informed me that he had spoken with Umar, who said he would come tomorrow.
I said, "Why did you speak to him? You should have just left him alone, because his coming is of no use to me. It would actually be easier for me if he didn't come at all."
With that, we parted ways. Aliyu picked me up and drove me toward home.
On our way home, Aliyu began asking me why I had suddenly changed my stance regarding Umar in such a short period.

PAGE 8

Hearing that question felt as though he had splashed scalding hot water on me. I tried to brace myself, but it was impossible; my tears began to flow again like a tap turned wide open. Immediately, Aliyu began pleading,
"For God's sake, please forgive me. If I had known this would upset you, I wouldn't have asked, Teema."
He then used a pet name on me—the very name Nazir used to call me whenever I upset him.
My tears continued to fall without interruption. He steered the car to the side of the road and stopped at the curb. Looking at me, he said,
"For God's sake, please forgive me, and from this day forward, I will never speak to you about anything like this again."
I raised my head, forcing a smile, and said,
"You did nothing wrong. Let's just go, it's nothing."
He said, "Thank you, but there is a favor I would really love you to grant me."
I asked, "What else can I do for you?"
He said, "Please bring yourself to give me your phone number, and please keep your phone turned on."
I paused for a moment, showing signs of hesitation regarding his request, and said:

PAGE 9

"To be honest, you have come with a new approach. But leave it until tomorrow evening; I will call you because I know I will change my SIM card by tomorrow afternoon."
He said, "Well, if that's the case, let me buy the SIM card for you."
I said, "No, let me not burden you with that trouble."
He said, "Don't worry about it, it's fine. After all, I volunteered myself."
We headed toward Jifatu [a shopping center]. He bought a phone along with a SIM card for me. Aliyu did not part ways with me until he had set up the phone, inserted his number, and told me to call him once I charged it.
I said, "Alright."
Aliyu drove me right up to the front gate of my house, told me to extend his greetings to the family, and said he would call me.
After going inside, I plugged the new phone Aliyu bought for me into the charger.
I took a bath, performed the Isha prayer, and intended to sleep. As I lay down, I heard Aliyu's call. I picked up the phone and asked,
"Have you reached home?"
He replied, "Yes, by Allah, safely. I only called to find out if your anger has subsided? Because I don't want you to keep troubling yourself."
I smiled and said,
"Thank you, Aliyu."

PAGE 10

We said our goodbyes until morning.
When morning came, I woke up early, took a bath, and went back to bed; I didn't even eat breakfast before falling back asleep. I did not wake up again until around eleven o'clock in the morning.
I stretched while invoking blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) aloud. As I uttered the blessings, I suddenly heard someone else complete them with me. I quickly sat up from the bedding and looked up; it was Umar, dressed in a long white shadda gown and a matching cap. He looked exceptionally handsome, by Allah, and my heart instantly skipped a beat. I quickly averted my gaze from him, picked up my veil to wrap it around myself, and got down from the bed intending to leave the room.
He grabbed my hand, as if he knew my intention, and said,
"If only you would endure to listen to me, so I can explain what happened that made me do what you hate—or should I say, what is threatening to shatter my chest."
I returned and sat down, trying to pull my hand forcefully out of his grasp, but it was futile; you know how a soldier acts when their spirit is deeply vexed.
I looked at him while his eyes were fixed on the floor. He began by saying,
"Fatima, I love you, and I cherish you. By Allah, Fatima, if I had known love felt this way, by Allah, I would never have stepped into it. Then again, I didn't place

PAGE 11

the love for you in my own heart; Allah placed it upon me, compounded by the constant things my father used to say about you."
He continued, saying,
"Fatima, after Nazir's death, not even for a single second did I feel that I loved you, let alone think about marrying you. In fact, there was a girl I had initially approached to marry, and before I went to her, I informed my father. But he told me to wait until he returned from his trip so he could investigate and verify the girl’s upbringing first."
"Before he could return from that journey, Allah took my best friend—the one friend in the entire world whom I held closest, and who knew my secrets like no other."
"Nazir’s death brought everything to a standstill. My thoughts shifted entirely to this house. I plunged into a deep sorrow, becoming unable to do anything except think about my friend."
"That was what kept driving me to visit you in Kano. Whenever I saw you, I felt a sense of comfort in my heart. At the time I was visiting you in Kano, I never told my parents; I was simply coming to maintain the bond of my late friend before you found a husband and everyone went their separate ways."
He still hadn't raised his head to look at me; his head remained lowered, but he held my hand tightly as he continued, saying:

PAGE 12

"Later on, my father began introducing the idea of you to me. The day my father approached me with the matter of marrying you, by Allah, Fatima, I never openly argued with him, but I immediately told him, 'No, I cannot go to her and tell her I love you.' He immediately began telling me that if I didn't marry you, I wouldn't be doing justice to my late friend, because now, anyone else who marries you might not treat you well, and in the end, you might fail to stay in the marriage due to your deep familiarity with my late friend. He said if I married you, I would treat you with compassion, since he knows I am gentle and patient."
"He said he wished for me to be with you, and he felt I was your ideal partner... By Allah, Fatima, even when he told me this in a gentle tone and saw that I didn't answer, he turned the matter into a direct command. Now you know the reason why I began to inject my heart with a serum to force it to love you."
"Not long after I began forcing it, I woke up one day deeply in love with you, feeling in my soul that I could do absolutely anything just to possess you."
"Fatima, right now I have tried to remove you from my heart, but I have failed. Fatima, I love you, I cherish you, but right now standing before you, if you say you do not love me, then by Allah, I yield. I will return to my father and tell him what is happening, despite the fact that I previously told him I had been accepted by you. But since I now realize

PAGE 13

that the situation is completely different, when I return home, I will tell my parents to remove you from their minds and find me whoever they deem suitable for me, and I will marry her even if I have never laid eyes on her before."
Only then did Umar release my hand. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his face, and continued, saying,
"Fatima, I thought I could purge you from my heart, but the task has proven impossible. Sometimes I place my hands on my head and cry out because of the distress my heart is in regarding what Nazir used to tell me during our time in the U.S.A. Nazir told me he was praying for me that Allah would deliver me from the malice of love, for love is agonizing; truly, love is agonizing if you do not find a matching partner who loves you back."
"Fatima, regarding what happened at my friend's wedding venue, I never imagined seeing you there, not even in a dream. Then I heard your voice sounding like a sweet flute when you greeted me through the microphone. Fatima, the moment I raised my head, I saw you—a sight of sheer wonder, a sight full of joy."
"When I opened my eyes and saw you, I told the friend sitting next to me, 'There is my wife, the one I spoke with on the phone; she is the one I said we would go see after leaving this

PAGE 14

wedding venue.' Since they didn't know me to have a wife, they doubted what I told them. Then, behind us, when you began speaking in that language that not everyone understands, I heard a man behind me swearing an oath that by any means necessary, he must possess you. I turned around, looked at him, and told him to find another woman, because this one is mine."
"The man replied that he didn't see it written on your forehead. Fatima, that man was the one who prompted the young men to spray money on you. That was why I wanted to pull you out of the hall. But by the time we tried to leave, people had surrounded you, crowded you, and were pinning money on you."
"Fatima, I am a possessive and protective man. By Allah, that was why I pulled you close to my body. After I brought you back home and returned to my lodging, I couldn't sleep because I kept asking myself: what possessed me to hold my body against yours? But I could not give myself an answer."
"Fatima, even now I am in deep regret for making physical contact with you. What you do not know is that the restlessness I experienced from that physical contact is what made me request that people be sent to initiate marriage talks, but you refused. The reason I did it was that if I sent emissaries and the marriage talk concluded, we would be wedded, and you see, I would have extracted you from all gossiping tongues. But you refused to accept my request because you hold no love for me in your heart."

PAGE 15

"Fatima, my final words are nothing short of asking for your forgiveness, because I have already tarnished your reputation, despite you being a woman of high standing in the eyes of people. I beg your pardon to forgive me, for I know I have left a scar on you that no one can erase except Allah."
He stood up, continuing to wipe his tears, and said,
"Insha Allah, today is the absolute last time I will ever come to your house under the guise of love, unless it is for some entirely different matter."
Umar turned his head and walked out of my room. I watched him leave; he did not look back even once until he exited our house completely.
As I sat there replaying Umar's words in my mind, Aliyu’s call came through. I answered, we greeted each other, and then we continued our chat. Aliyu realized something was bothering me, so he asked,
"Fatima, what is the matter?"
I replied, "It's nothing."
Since Aliyu is a humorous person, he teased me further for about two minutes and then said,
"I am outside your front gate, come out."
I said, "Alright, I am coming out right now."
When I stepped outside, I found him standing there. He said,
"Who upset you? Tell me so we can put on a show for onlookers right now!"

PAGE 16

He bent down, rolled up his trouser cuffs, and balled his hands into fists. I laughed and said,
"Oh Aliyu, you are truly something else, by Allah."
He said, "It's not a joke. Right now, whoever dares to upset you will taste the absolute limit of my strength."
I asked, "Really?"
He said, "By Allah, I am completely serious. I will lift him up, show him to the stars, smash him into the ground, and pin him down."
As for me, I couldn't do anything but laugh. Aliyu is full of humor, which is why we became close and comfortable with each other in such a short time.
Aliyu looked at me and said,
"I wish that from the moment you regained your sight we had met; I believe by now everything else would have just been history."
I let out a wide smile and said,
"Oh, Aliyu."
He said, "By Allah, I am telling the truth, I am not joking."
While we were chatting with Aliyu, I heard the sound of footsteps entering our house's entrance corridor. I quickly raised my head and looked toward the entrance; it was Yusuf. He walked in and stood rigidly like a wooden post. I looked at him and said,
"Welcome, Yusuf."
Aliyu stood up from the chair he was sitting on and welcomed Yusuf, saying, "Bismillah [Please, be seated]."

PAGE 17

Yusuf looked at Aliyu and said, "I didn't come here to sit down."
I said, "Please, have a seat."
He replied, "If I had come here to sit, I would have already found a place for myself, even if it meant sitting on the bare ground."
I focused my attention back on Yusuf and asked, "Is everything alright?"
He said, "It is what brought me here again, because wellness is what made me trek to where you are."
I kept quiet and listened closely to hear what he was going to say. However, even before Yusuf could state what brought him, my heart began to pound, and my soul felt deep self-pity once more.
Yusuf said, "Today again, I have come regarding a rumor I heard. What is the truth behind it?"
Before I could speak, he continued, saying,
"Fatima, who is Nazir, and what kind of relationship connected you to him to the extent that he gifted you a car and took you to Europe twice? Fatima, so all along you were a wolf in sheep's clothing? By Allah, you surprise me. If anyone else had told me this and not your relative, I would have fought them to the limit of my strength."
"By Allah, Fatima, you surprise me. Of all times, you chose now to disgrace yourself? I deeply regret ever coming back to you. I deeply regret

PAGE 18

refusing to marry while health and wellness were fully present with me..."
Aliyu cut him off, saying,
"Hold on, servant of God. You should not speak to her in this manner in front of a man whose identity you do not even know."
He continued, saying,
"Malam, right now you are aggressively scolding her with such harsh words; honestly, it is inappropriate. That is not how Islam teaches us to give counsel. If you came to offer counsel, do it properly. But if you came to insult her intelligence in front of me so that I might abandon my intentions, then listen to me closely: even if Fatima were living in a brothel, I love her, and I will never stop loving her. Furthermore, I assure you that if Fatima accepts me as her husband, by Allah, I am ready to marry her as early as tomorrow."
Aliyu looked at Yusuf again and asked,
"Malam, who do you think you are anyway? Have you ever heard of love by force?"
Yusuf stood frozen, listening to Aliyu continuously counter him with sharp, firm phrases.
As for me, being fragile, tears flowed from my eyes without stopping, running like a flowing stream.

PAGE 19

When Yusuf heard the words coming out of Aliyu's mouth, he turned his gaze back to me and asked,
"Fatima, who is this man again?"
I did not answer him. He asked me a second time, but I still said nothing to him.
Aliyu said, "As for me standing before you, my name is Aliyu Muhammad Garba. My father holds the traditional title of this town. Therefore, I advise you to leave this house immediately or face my wrath, because given how deeply I feel for Fatima in my heart, I could commit an atrocity against you right now. Get out and find your way before the night gets darker or the day breaks on you."
Yusuf turned his head and walked out.
I stood up intending to go inside the house, but Aliyu stopped me from entering and said,
"Fatima, sit down."
I hesitated as if I wouldn't sit, but I forced myself to sit down, though my eyes felt heavy.
Aliyu began by saying,
"Fatima, I do not know what is troubling you, but between yesterday and today, I have caught a glimpse of it. Fatima, this life you see contains nothing except what Allah has decreed. I realize your life is currently filled with confusion and panic, but what I want you to understand is that if you remain patient and hand over your affairs to the King,

PAGE 20

Allah, you will attain a quality life. Fatima, this life you see holds nothing except what Allah has decreed to happen to you. Everything you see happen is Allah’s design, not man’s, because no human being has the power to bring you ease or hardship except by the permission of Allah."
"Therefore, stop troubling yourself. What I want from you is to hand over your affairs to the King, Allah; He will remedy whatever is troubling you, no matter how heavy it may weigh."
I raised my head and looked at Aliyu while drawing a deep sigh. I said,
"Thank you, Aliyu. What I needed most was someone to remind me of what had become dark and confusing to me, and now I have found it. I thank Allah."
I paused for a moment and then said,
"Aliyu, I will go inside now, and we can speak on the phone."
He asked, "Is it a problem? Are you going inside right now?"
I replied, "I just want to lie down and rest for a bit, that's why."
He said, "Alright, please do not worry yourself, do you hear? I will call you later, and if I

PAGE 21

see it is feasible to return by Maghrib time, I will come back, Fatima. Have a good afternoon."
I said, "Thank you."
I went inside the house while he went his way. After I returned inside, my grandfather's wife mentioned that she thought she heard a commotion in the entrance corridor, though it felt distant to her. I had already anticipated she might notice, so I told her it was just a friend of his who came by and they were chatting loudly—you know how men's conversations can be. I then retreated to my room and went inside.
When Maghrib time approached, I prepared some hot tea and drank it, because lately I haven't been able to eat anything except tea. After drinking it, I performed the Maghrib prayer, the Isha prayer, and the Shafa'i and Wutiri prayers. I then lay down, but sleep eluded me. I began analyzing Yusuf’s words from the past up to his outbursts today. I realized I had indeed made a mistake; I shouldn't have complied with Umar when he embraced me in the midst of the wedding guests, where everyone was taking photos—some even using their phones to capture the moment.
To be honest, I felt a deep regret at a time when regret was useless. Now, who knows where those photos have spread? Only Allah knows where they will end up and the type of insults I will face if people say he was just my boyfriend and not my husband.
Truly, regret is like a shadow that trails behind; it never comes first.
I then shifted my thoughts toward Aliyu

PAGE 22

and said to myself: even with Aliyu now, if I accept his marriage proposal, will there come a day when either he or his relatives taunt me over what happened with the photograph?
Before the dawn prayer time, I reached a final decision: I would not marry any of them. It would be better for me to find an older, mature man (dattijo), as he would hold me with greater respect, protection, and fidelity.
I remembered the older gentleman who had given me his phone number on the day I was going to Aisha’s house, who had requested the favor that I call him whenever I found the time.
Even as I remembered him, my heart did not feel a passionate spark for him, but I told myself I would marry not for love, but to rescue my life from the scandalous confusion currently troubling it. I resolved that I would call the man who had given me his phone number and his name written on a piece of paper. His name was Alhaji Sani Zarafi.
When daylight came, around twelve o'clock in the afternoon, I called Alhaji Sani Zarafi and introduced myself to him. He was very pleased and said he would call me back, to which I agreed.
He called me back right after I hung up. We exchanged greetings, and he requested to visit our house. I told him to wait until next week, and he agreed, saying he would keep calling me so we could greet each other before he comes to visit the family at home. I agreed to his request.

PAGE 23

In the afternoon, a messenger sent by my father arrived. He said my father was asking what was wrong with my phone because he had been trying to reach me without success—is everything alright?
I said, "By Allah, everything is fine. The phone had a slight issue, but it will be brought back from the repair shop today."
The messenger added that the father said I should be told that Malam requested I call him on the phone.
I said alright, once it is brought back I will call my father, and then I will call Malam.
Close to Maghrib time, I called my father. He said,
"Zuhura, how is it that I haven't heard from you for a couple of days, neither on the phone nor have you visited? I hope all is well?"
I smiled and said,
"Father, I am perfectly fine."
He asked, "So when are you coming over? I want us to talk."
I replied, "Father, I can come as early as tomorrow."
He said, "Alright, may Allah bless you, and may He grant you child[ren]..."

Part 2: Story Summary

This excerpt from "BIYU BABU 4" captures a period of intense emotional distress and romantic confusion for the protagonist, Fatima (also addressed as Zuhura or Teema). Overwhelmed by recent events, she finds herself caught in a complicated web involving three distinct suitors, leading her to make a drastic choice about her future.

1. Umar's Confession and Departure: Umar, a soldier and the best friend of Fatima's late love, Nazir, confronts her in her room. He delivers a heartbreaking confession, explaining that his initial pursuit of her was driven by his father's commands to "do justice" to his late friend. However, he accidentally fell deeply in love with her. He expresses intense regret over an incident at a recent wedding where, driven by possessive jealousy over other men ogling her, he physically embraced her in public—a moment caught on camera by onlookers. Realizing Fatima does not love him, Umar tearfully yields, promises to let her go, and walks out of her life permanently.
2. Yusuf's Bitter Confrontation: Later, her former suitor Yusuf visits. Instead of comforting her, he aggressively insults her based on rumors regarding her past relationship with Nazir (who had gifted her a car and sponsored trips to Europe). Yusuf taunts her, calling her a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and shaming her for supposedly ruining her own reputation.
3. Aliyu's Intercession: Aliyu, the brother of Aisha's husband, is present during Yusuf's outburst. He steps in, fiercely defends Fatima, and declares that he loves her unconditionally—even if she lived in a brothel. He uses his family status to drive Yusuf away. Aliyu provides Fatima with a new phone and SIM card, comforting her with profound advice to hand her anxieties over to Allah.
4. The Ultimate Decision: Haunted by the fear that the wedding photographs will leak and ruin her reputation, and worried that Aliyu or his relatives might eventually taunt her about her past, Fatima decides to reject all her young suitors. Seeking security over romance, she remembers an older, affluent man (dattijo) named Alhaji Sani Zarafi, who had previously given her his contact information. She decides to marry him strictly to escape her scandals and stabilize her life. The text concludes with Fatima opening communications with Alhaji Sani and arranging a visit to her father to discuss her future.