FreeFreeDescription
Part 1
The author began by saying:
Long, long ago in the land of Kisra, there existed a small village named Himsarul Aswad, located in the western part of the city of Kisra. It was the border town that touched the city of Rum. The people of Himsarul Aswad were farmers who were blessed with fertile land, because among all the towns under the kingdom of Kisra, none possessed agricultural wealth quite like Himsarul Aswad.
Among these villagers lived a man named Hukairu. Originally, he was the younger brother of the village chief, but due to differences in their opinions and character, Hukairu decided to stop living with his brother the chief. He relocated to the wilderness, building his house near his farm, and continued his life there with his sole wife, Humaira.
The chief of Himsarul Aswad, named Barzuk, was a tyrant and an oppressor who trampled upon the rights of the common people, just like the King of Kisra of that era. That was why he had remained in power for a long time, doing whatever he pleased. Hukairu and Barzuk were like Hassan and Husaini; they looked so much alike it was as if they were carved from the same stick. Strangely, their wives were also sisters, mirroring Hassan and Husain, and Barzuk's wife was named Nuzaira.
Humaira and Nuzaira were deeply attached to each other and had never been separated right up until their marriages, as they always lived in the same household. When Hukairu and Humaira migrated out of the village of Himsarul Aswad, it was with great difficulty that Humaira and Nuzaira parted. They clung to each other and burst into bitter tears. At that moment, Hukairu was also weeping. When he tried to peel Humaira away from her sister Nuzaira's body, she looked up at him, her face soaked with tears, and said:
"Oh my husband, why must you separate me from my sister, seeing that we have never been separated since the day we were born? Truly, rather than parting us, it would be better if you left me to live right here in this house, even if I have to become their slave."
When Hukairu heard these words, a deep wave of pity for Humaira washed over him. He said:
"Oh my wife, know that it is not of my own desire that I separate you from your sister, but rather because of the wicked character of her husband—Nassey is speaking. Truly, I can no longer bear to watch the merciless cruelty he inflicts upon the common folk, knowing I have no power to stop him. In my entire life, I have never even slapped a person, let alone engaged in brawls. But this brother of mine thinks nothing of cutting off a man's hand or foot. Furthermore, he seizes people's wealth or wives and turns them into slaves. Remember that right now you are four months pregnant; how could I leave you in such a state when I want to personally take care of your health and see the child you will bear?"
When Hukairu reached this point in his speech, Humaira burst into even more bitter weeping. After struggling to calm herself, she said:
"Oh my husband, you must know that my sister Nuzaira is also currently carrying a pregnancy of four months, exactly the same as mine. Childbirth is a perilous matter; I could lose my life during delivery, and she too could lose hers. Therefore, I do not wish to be separated from my sister at this time—I would love to witness the day she gives birth. Thus, I beg you to let me stay with her until the day she delivers."
"Oh my sister, do not turn away from your husband because of me, for he too has no one else in the world except you. If you are not close by his side, he could fall into a terrible state. I want you to go with him; do not worry about me, I promise you that no matter how difficult things get, I will not give birth except in your presence."
Hearing these words, joy filled Humaira. She hugged Nuzaira tightly once more and wept. Thus, she resigned herself, and they said their farewells and parted.
Ever since Hukairu and Humaira moved to the wilderness, they had not seen a single human being from Himsarul Aswad because they lived about a seven-hour journey away from the town, though they occasionally saw passing caravans. By the power of Allah, Hukairu and Humaira had now spent four months in this wilderness, where he himself had built a massive house for them. It even included a livestock pen where they reared animals, and a granary for storing farm produce. Yet, not even once had bandits or raiders attacked them. The reason was a magical amulet given to him by a sorcerer, which he had buried in the very center of his courtyard. Any evil person who came to the house would be unable to see it, even in broad daylight.
On the day Humaira's pregnancy reached eight months, morning sickness hit her so severely that she could do nothing at all. She had no choice but to sit in the courtyard, watching Hukairu as he fed the animals in their pen. After watching them for a little while, her eyes filled with tears, and they began to flow. When Hukairu turned around and saw the condition she was in, his anxiety spiked. He left the livestock pen in a hurry, came over to her, squatted, held her hand, and asked:
"My wife, what is the cause of this weeping of yours? Is your body in pain, or have I done something wrong to you?"
When Humaira heard this question, she shook her head and said:
"Nothing bad has happened to make you see me shedding tears, except the thought that it is unlikely I will ever live to see the day I perform the wonderful task you are doing right now. I feel deep within me that it is improbable I will survive the danger of this pregnancy I am carrying."
Hearing this, Hukairu smiled and said:
"Stop thinking like that! Know that we came to this place upon the instruction of the sorcerer, because he assured me that if you give birth inside the town, we will lose the child you bear and everything we own. This is because the year of your delivery will bring a terrible drought and plagues upon the city, but we, being here, will be untouched by this calamity."
Upon hearing this, Humaira smiled bravely and said:
"If what you say is true—Nassey is speaking—then I hope my sister Nuzaira comes to give birth alongside me, so that the plague does not affect what she bears."
Hukairu sighed and said:
"I too hope that happens, even though I know the character of your sister—she is a woman of her word. Surely, she will come here and give birth with you under any circumstance."
From that day on, Hukairu continued to care for Humaira until her pregnancy was fully advanced and the day of her labor arrived. On that day, Hukairu's anxiety went through the roof because they had no neighbors from whom to procure a traditional birth attendant. But since he had received thorough instructions from an elderly woman before they left town, he quickly settled Humaira inside a room, laid her down on a mattress, and began to assist her.
At that exact moment, storm clouds gathered, lightning flashed, and thunder rolled. Before long, heavy rain poured down like water pouring from an upturned pot, and softly, Humaira began to cry out in pain from the contractions hitting her. Even though Humaira was suffering intensely, every time she cried out and then paused, she would call out the name of her sister, Nuzaira.
This greatly troubled Hukairu's mind because he feared that if Nuzaira failed to arrive before Humaira's delivery finished, Humaira might sink into a critical state that could lead to the loss of her sanity or her life.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, Hukairu heard the sound of galloping horses outside his fence, and precisely at that moment, the baby's head emerged from Humaira's body! Hukairu panicked, not knowing what to do: should he leave Humaira, run outside to see if Nuzaira had arrived, or stay until Humaira delivered safely?
While he was caught in this dilemma, he felt Humaira grip his hand with great difficulty. She said:
"Oh my husband, run quickly to the front gate, for I feel in my bones that my sister has arrived, and I am certain she has either given birth or is in the same condition I am in. Do not worry about me; I can manage the rest of the delivery by myself."
With extreme worry, Hukairu asked:
"What is the guarantee of that?"
Humaira shook her head and said:
"Have I ever lied to you?"
Hukairu shook his head and said:
"You never have, and I trust your word just as I trusted the word of my late mother."
As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up hastily and ran out. Upon stepping outside, he came across a horse-drawn carriage. Lying inside the carriage was Nuzaira, covered in the blood of childbirth, and beside her lay the infant she had delivered, completely motionless! She had also fallen into a deep faint.
In panic, Hukairu ran to her, picked up the baby, shook it, and held it to his ears, but it breathed no breath. Pity overwhelmed him. At that very moment, he heard the cries of babies coming from the room where he had left Humaira! Right then, Nuzaira opened her eyes, caught sight of the corpse of the baby she had given birth to, and saw Hukairu standing over her. She burst into bitter tears of grief, but when she heard the baby crying from Humaira's room, she burst into laughter.
In haste, both of them rushed back into the house. Upon entering the room where Humaira lay, they caught sight of her twin baby girls—two of them—crying loudly while Humaira herself was in perfect health, her face wreathed in smiles!
When Humaira saw Nuzaira with no pregnancy and nothing in her arms—Nassey is speaking—she tried to heave herself up to stand. Nuzaira hurried over to her, pressed her down, and said:
"Lie down and rest first, my sister, for you know you have shed a lot of blood from your body."
Before Nuzaira could close her mouth, Humaira cut her off and said:
"Where is the child you delivered?"
Nuzaira looked at Hukairu and was unable to say anything. Then Humaira smiled and said:
"Oh my sister, you have nothing to worry about since I gave birth to two children. Take one and leave one for me."
Hearing this, Nuzaira was filled with extreme astonishment. She looked at Hukairu, who also smiled and said:
"Your sister speaks the truth, for the child she delivered is yours as well. Even if there were only one, I would agree to let her give it to you so you can do everything for it just as she would do herself."
Nuzaira smiled, picked up one of the baby girls, sat down, and breastfed her.
After both of them had calmed down, Hukairu looked at Nuzaira with intense worry and said:
"How did you manage to leave your husband and come here without his knowledge? Are you certain he won't send people after you?"
Nuzaira shook her head and said:
"Even before the day arrived, I made careful preparations. I conspired with my maidservants, and they readily prepared that horse-drawn carriage I arrived in. Out at the outskirts of the town in the middle of the night, we sneaked out, slipped away, and left the town. I made sure none of the guards woke up, and as they placed me on the carriage, I instructed them to sweep away the tracks of the carriage so no trace would be found. Before leaving home, I left a note for my husband stating that I would not give birth inside his city during such a time, as the city had been in turmoil with these problems since last week. Therefore, I knew my husband would not pursue my tracks if he saw that note. I chose to spend the rest of my life with you here until the end of my days—Nassey is speaking."
When Nuzaira reached this point in her speech, Hukairu drew a deep breath, let it out, and said:
"Oh Nuzaira, know this: I know your husband better than anyone else in the world. Assuredly, he will come after your tracks, so your staying here is an extremely dangerous matter. In this world, there is nothing your husband desires more than obtaining an heir. His mind will never rest if he does not see the child you delivered. If he comes here and discovers that the child you bore has died, he could destroy me, my wife, and everything we have brought forth. It is imperative that you take this single infant, leave, and return to your husband. I believe that right now, he has already left the city to search for you. If you don't hurry and leave right now to intercept him on the road, he will surely come right here and find us, and the very thing I dread will come to pass."
Here we shall pause, but before that, I, Nasiru Muhammad Tijjani, say: stay close with me.
★JARUMA YAZILA★
Book One {1}
TYPE C
Nasiru Muhammad Tijjani
Part 3
The author continued by saying:
TRULY, HE WILL COME HERE AND FIND US, AND THE VERY THING I DREAD WILL COME TO PASS. Upon hearing this, Nuzaira burst into bitter tears at the thought of being separated from her sister once again.
With extreme distress, Humaira looked at Hukairu and said:
"Oh my husband, doesn't this house possess magic that prevents wicked people from seeing it? Even if your brother Barzuk comes here, he won't be able to see the house, right?"
Hukairu shook his head and said:
"He also possesses a similar form of magic to mine, and he has its antidote, because when we were children, the sorcerer Saibur gave it to us when our late father took us to him. Nuzaira, we do not have sufficient time, so you must get up, make urgent preparations, and return to the city."
Upon hearing this, Nuzaira and Humaira burst into agonizing tears as if they would never stop. Then Hukairu and Humaira accompanied Nuzaira to her horse carriage, providing her with food and fruits. Nuzaira strapped the infant given to her onto her back, embraced Humaira, and they once again burst into sorrowful tears, clinging to each other. With great difficulty, they parted.
Just as Nuzaira put one foot into the carriage, she turned back, looked at Hukairu, and asked:
"Oh my sister's husband, do you not think this drought and plague will affect this infant you gave me?"
Hukairu smiled and said:
"Do not worry, nothing will happen to her, and I assure you that in a few days this drought and plague will pass."
Nuzaira asked:
"What name shall I give this child?"
Quickly, Humaira replied:
"Name her YAZILA, and we will name ours DABIRA."
Right away, Nuzaira stepped into her carriage, flicked the reins with her voice, and drove forward.
Back in the city of Himsarul Aswad, as storm clouds gathered, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled, Barzuk went to Nuzaira's quarters to check on her condition, knowing her time of delivery had arrived and she could give birth at any moment. Upon entering Nuzaira's courtyard, Barzuk saw something astonishing: all her maidservants were lying fast asleep on the ground, even though it was not their sleeping time! Furthermore, a foul stench filled the entire place.
In panic, Barzuk covered his nose and rushed into Nuzaira's room, only to find the room completely empty—no Nuzaira and no trace of her. In extreme fury, he rushed out of the room and called out to his guards. Immediately, the guards rushed to him, and he told them:
"Quickly, go prepare your mounts; we are riding out to search for my wife! Someone has come and kidnapped her without wasting time."
Barzuk donned his magnificent, awe-inspiring battle gear. Inspiring terror, he mounted a massive white stallion and led a troop of two hundred warriors out of the city.
The greatest source of alarm for Barzuk and his men was that they could not find a single track left behind to tell them which path they ought to follow. Seeing this, Barzuk pulled his horse's reins and stopped dead; his warriors stopped behind him as well. Right then, Barzuk pulled out his mystical mirror and rubbed it with his hand. Instantly, Barzuk discovered the path he needed to take, but to his utter surprise, he could see no image in the mystical mirror except a plain road! This deeply astonished him, because to his knowledge, throughout the entire land of Kisra, apart from King Daksur, no one possessed stronger mystical mirror sorcery capable of rivaling him, except his brother Hukairu. But Hukairu had long since migrated far away from the city entirely. So what kind of sorcerer had come right into his city and kidnapped his wife?
With that, Barzuk flicked his horse's reins and rode forward, his warriors following close behind at a full gallop.
Barzuk and his men rode for about four hours before they spotted a horse carriage approaching them at a gallop. Surprised, Barzuk's men drew their swords and waited for the carriage to draw near. From a short distance away, Barzuk recognized the carriage as belonging to his wife, Nuzaira. His body went limp; he returned his sword to its scabbard, dismounted from his horse, and ran toward the carriage.
The carriage ground to a halt before him, and he came face to face with his wife Nuzaira, holding the reins of the horses, her face beaming with radiance, carrying an infant strapped to her back! This completely astounded him.
With overwhelming joy, Barzuk grabbed Nuzaira, helped her down from the carriage, hugged her, and took the baby from her back. He stared at it, laughing with joy, before turning a stern face toward Nuzaira and saying:
"Tell me your story, my wife! Who came and kidnapped you right out of my house, and when did you give birth to this exquisite baby girl who looks so much like me?"
When Nuzaira heard these words, she smiled and said:
"Oh my husband, know that I do not know what happened. While I was in my chambers, I felt my face covered and foul-smelling herbs forced into my nose. I only woke up to find myself in the middle of the open wilderness, with no one around me except some men dressed in black clothes, their faces completely covered except for their eyes, and holding wicked weapons. Their numbers reached a thousand. Only their leader wore red garments and rode a red horse. When I saw these men, I panicked, and that triggered the onset of my labor. Within a short time, I gave birth to this infant you hold in your hands inside the carriage. The leader of these men stepped close to me, stared at me, and burst into laughter. He said: 'Oh wife of my bitter enemy, know that you are extremely lucky to be carrying a pregnancy; otherwise, I would have executed you on the spot. But seeing that you are pregnant is why we stopped, because in this world, the only person I pity is a pregnant woman. I lost my wife during her childbirth labor, and she died leaving me with a son. To this day, I still pity my son because he has no mother. Based on this reason, I will spare you and let you return to your husband. This time you have escaped our trap, but you will not escape the next.' When he finished saying that, he struck one of the horses of my carriage, and they bolted, traveling with me until I caught sight of you on the road. That is the limit of what I can remember happening to me, my husband."
When Nuzaira reached this point in her speech, Barzuk was filled with profound shock, which quickly turned into immense joy. He said:
"Truly, our greatest enemy, King Raihan, sent men to kidnap you to take revenge for his sister whom I killed, but he failed! It is now imperative that I go and inform King Daksur of this matter so we can take immediate action, for I am amazed at how our enemy entered our country and kidnapped my wife without our knowledge. Oh my wife, know that today marks ten years of our marriage, yet we have never had children until now. Truly, I am in indescribable joy! Therefore, right from here we will proceed straight to the city of Kisra to show the King this beautiful daughter you bore me, and tell him about our enemy King Raihan."
Upon finishing these words, Barzuk climbed into the carriage, sat down next to Nuzaira, while one of his men mounted the front of the carriage, took charge of the horses, and they resumed their journey toward the city of Sin.
Ever since this journey began, Nuzaira's heart beat heavily because she knew that the moment they arrived before King Daksur, her secret would be exposed regarding the false story she fabricated for her husband—that King Raihan's men had kidnapped her. This was because King Daksur was a master sorcerer capable of seeing everything that happened even before they arrived at his palace.
As they entered Kisra, Nuzaira's mind was in turmoil and she had no peace. Noticing this, Barzuk looked at her and said:
"Oh my wife, are you well? I see you as if you are in distress! Ever since we started this journey, you haven't uttered a single word, and there is no cheerfulness or radiance on your face."
Hearing this, Nuzaira smiled and said:
"Oh my husband, you must know that I have never entered the palace of King Daksur in my life because when I was a little girl, my father took me there one day and I saw a man's head chopped off right before me. I panicked terribly and screamed aloud. Ever since that day, I constantly dreamed of that event and panicked in my sleep, until my father had to seek help from his sorcerer for me to stop having those bad nightmares. Now that you say we are going to King Daksur's palace, that nightmare rushed back into my mind. Therefore, I do not wish to enter King Daksur's palace; please find me lodgings in the town before we reach the palace."
When Nuzaira reached this point in her speech, Barzuk burst into laughter and said:
"Do not worry, my wife, I certainly will not go to the King's palace without you."
Just as Barzuk promised, so it happened: upon entering the city of Kisra, he took Nuzaira to a luxurious royal mansion equipped with every worldly comfort, complete with servants and maidservants to wait on them. This greatly astonished her, because she never saw when the rent money was paid, and upon arrival at the gates, she saw the guards prostrating on the ground to offer their greetings...
Summary
In the land of Kisra, a tyrant chief named Barzuk rules the village of Himsarul Aswad with cruelty. His estranged twin-like brother, Hukairu, rejects this tyranny and flees deep into the wilderness with his wife, Humaira, to live in self-imposed isolation protected by a sorcerer's defensive amulet.
Humaira and her sister Nuzaira (who is married to the tyrant Barzuk) are deeply attached. When Nuzaira becomes pregnant at the same time as Humaira, a series of fateful events unfold. Both women go into labor simultaneously. Nuzaira secretly escapes her abusive household in a carriage, experiences a stillbirth on the road just as she reaches Hukairu's sanctuary, while Humaira successfully delivers twin girls (Dabira and Yazila). To save Nuzaira from Barzuk's wrath and suspicion, Hukairu insists that Nuzaira take one of the twin babies back and concoct a false story about being kidnapped by their rival, King Raihan.
Nuzaira returns to Barzuk, who falls for the lie and becomes ecstatic over having an heir. Barzuk resolves to take Nuzaira and the baby to present them to King Daksur, leaving Nuzaira terrified that the King's powerful sorcery will uncover her deception.
Description
This excerpt is a dramatic, suspenseful narrative rooted in traditional fantasy and political intrigue set within a fictional realm reminiscent of ancient kingdoms (Kisra and Rum). It weaves together themes of:
- Familial Bonds & Loyalty: Highlighted by the unbreakable emotional connection between the twin-like sisters (Humaira and Nuzaira) and their husbands' contrasting moral paths.
- Tyranny vs. Righteousness: Contrasting the oppressive rule of Chief Barzuk against the peaceful, reclusive life of his brother Hukairu.
Mysticism & Fate: Featuring hidden forest sanctuaries protected by protective amulets, mystical tracking mirrors, and fateful coincidences during childbirth.
Analytics
- Genre/Style: Hausa Epic Fantasy / Romance / Melodrama (Littafin Hausa).
- Author: Nasiru Muhammad Tijjani (from the work Jaruma Yazila, Book 1).
- Narrative Structure:
- Divided into sections marked Type B and Type C.
- Utilizes dual plotting (the wilderness sanctuary vs. the political/domestic tension in Himsarul Aswad).
- Key Character Archetypes:
- The Tyrant: Barzuk (cruel, power-hungry, easily deceived by love/pride).
- The Righteous Exile: Hukairu (wise, protective, morally upright).
- The Devoted Sisters: Humaira and Nuzaira (symbols of deep emotional codependency and sacrifice).
- Central Conflict: The intersection of domestic survival, hidden identities, and political danger under a tyrannical regime equipped with its own brand of sorcery.
