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She was sitting on a mortar, staring blankly at a specific spot—only she knew what she was looking at. Just then, a beautiful woman who could not be more than 27 years old emerged from a room. She looked at the young woman sitting there staring into space, and tears immediately began to well up in her eyes. One would think she would be used to this by now, but it had been like this for almost three months since the girl woke up from a six-month coma.
"May Allah protect you, ABAR SO (My Beloved)."
That was all she said. Within less than nine seconds, she walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Without even turning around, the girl knew exactly who had touched her. She simply took a deep breath and turned her gaze toward the woman. Wow, do you know what I saw? I swear, that young woman was the epitome of beauty. Even though she wasn't exceptionally fair-skinned, her beauty surpassed everyone else's. She possessed large, striking anime-like eyes adorned with long, thick eyelashes, a perfectly heart-shaped pink mouth, and a slender, delicate nose... Let me just stop there. The older woman said to her:
"Our baby, your food is going to get cold."
To my surprise, the young woman merely nodded. Is she mute? That was the question I asked myself. She stood up and began to walk. My pen almost fell from my hand when I saw the stunning physique Allah had blessed her with. I was completely mesmerized by her gait; she moved with absolute poise and elegance, turning heads with every step. She walked into the kitchen, picked up her food, ate barely five spoons of it, covered the rest, and retreated into what I assumed was her bedroom.
Elsewhere, a handsome young man was lying on a bed, tossing and turning in nothing but his boxers, with no shirt on. A young woman, who could not be more than 25 years old, walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped tightly around her mid-thigh. She held another cloth in her hand, drying her hair as she approached the bed where the young man lay. She complained:
"Honestly, love, what kind of life is this? By Allah, I am getting exhausted. If I'm not mistaken, we just went five rounds, yet you still haven't found the sexual satisfaction or calm you need. Seriously, we have to go to the hospital for a check-up because we don't know if you have an underlying medical condition. Don't end up ruining my life for nothing. I am completely unready to die right now. If you are tired of living, you can die alone, because I still have important goals to achieve in life. I still want my life."
From the moment she began talking, he stared at her with his weak, dark eyes, completely astonished by her behavior. They had been married for almost three years now, and he had never found true satisfaction or peace with her. Yet, here she was, harshly berating him.
"Haba, Kursum. What happened to all the love you claimed to have for me? By Allah, to this day, I still don't believe you truly love me," he said in a soft, weary voice.
"I knew that's exactly what you would say, you insatiable man!" she snapped, walking out of the room while letting out a loud hiss.
Who is Kursum?
Ummul Kursum Muhammad Lawal is the only child of Alhaji Muhammad Lawal. She never got to know her mother, Hajiya Muneera, who had married her father out of deep love. Alhaji Muhammad loved Muneera like his own soul, but just two months after giving birth to Kursum, Allah took her life. When the news of his wife's death reached him, he nearly collapsed from the shock because his love for her was profound.
From that point on, Kursum's upbringing fell to her mother's elder sister, Halima, who had three children of her own—all boys: ABDULRASHEED, AL-AMIN, and the youngest, ABDULKADIR.
Hajiya Halima (Mami) completely spoiled Kursum, never seeing any fault in whatever she did. As Kursum grew up, she fell deeply in love with her cousin, AL-AMIN (Amin). Because of this, ever since she was in Junior Secondary School (JSS3), she resolved that she would marry him, and by Allah's grace, she succeeded. Kursum lacked manners entirely and never minded her language, which caused constant friction between her and her husband, Amin. She knew how to do absolutely nothing except handle fashion. She was exceptionally fair-skinned—so fair that her skin looked translucent—and she was on the shorter side.
Kursum had many friends with whom she studied in Turkey, and they only worsened her snobbish behavior. She was highly fastidious about personal hygiene, but she ultimately harbored two major life ambitions: first, to marry Amin (which she achieved), and second, to become a runway model. This second dream had yet to be fulfilled, even though most of her friends had already started their modeling careers. Kursum was also violently jealous; she despised seeing any other woman around her husband.
Back to the Story
Amin closed his eyes, deeply hurt by his wife's stinging words. After a moment, he let out a bitter smile and ran his fingers through his hair. His mind immediately flashed back to his ABAR SO (His Beloved), whom he had met four years ago. He would never forget how it all happened...
He was sitting near the window inside a three-seater row on an airplane. Suddenly, two beautiful young girls, who looked no older than 13, walked down the aisle. From behind him, he heard a voice say:
"Take care of yourselves."
One of the girls sat at the edge seat, while the other stood right over him. He was about to scold her because he absolutely detested people standing over him, but when his eyes looked down, he froze. Her toes were beautifully adorned with deep red henna. The sight completely captivated him; her feet looked so incredibly beautiful that he jokingly thought to himself that he could put them in his mouth and suck them.
When he looked up at her face, he was utterly stunned.
"Glory be to Allah," he whispered to himself.
Realizing that he was staring intently at her, the girl became irritated. She tapped his seat gently and said in a soft, quiet voice, "My seat," speaking as if she loathed talking. A laugh escaped his lips at the way her mouth moved, but seeing him laugh only fueled her anger. Visibly upset, she turned to the other girl, who was watching the scene play out like a television show.
"Do you see what you've caused me, NAFHI? When I told you we should hurry, you insisted on having ice cream! Now someone else is sitting in my window seat! I know you don't love me, because I never get to sit where I want!" she whined as she sat down next to him, burying her face in her lap and bursting into a heart-wrenching sob as if she had been beaten. He was utterly bewildered.
"You're crying just because I sat in the window seat?" he asked her.
She raised her head and glared at him fiercely with her anime-like eyes, which shone beautifully with unshed tears. She buried her face in her lap again and kept weeping. He softened and said, "Alright, get up and take the window seat."
He placed his hand gently on her shoulder to guide her, but she slapped his hand away. Opening her small mouth, she spat out:
"Take this filthy hand of yours off my shoulder!"
He was shocked. Usually, if he so much as touched someone, they leaned into it, yet this little girl—who was young enough to be his own child—was speaking to him so rudely. However, he felt a twinge of guilt, realizing that his initial laughter had triggered her tears, and he felt bad about it. He didn't know that this was just her natural temperament.
Barely ten minutes later, the other girl, whom she had called NAFHI, spoke up in a gentle voice:
"I am sorry on her behalf. I know that once she calms down, she will apologize to you herself."
He smiled and replied...
Amin smiled and said, "Haba, NAFHI, it's really no problem at all."
She looked at him in complete surprise, realizing he had already memorized her name. She corrected him:
"Don't call me NAFHI; my name is NAFHIRA. It’s only ABAR SO who calls me NAFHI, acting as if I'm her agemate, even though I am an hour older than her! I constantly tell her to stop, but she is incredibly stubborn. When she is in a good mood, I call her 'Our Baby'."
She let out a soft chuckle and added:
"Actually, even Momma, our Daddy, and our older sister call her that. But Momma prefers to call her ABAR SO, and that's the name she loves hearing the most."
"ABAR SO," Amin repeated beneath his breath. In his heart, he thought, You truly are a beloved, because with just one look, I have fallen deeply in love with you.
He carefully looked at them and realized they were twins. Although there were slight differences, it was easy to tell. Nafhira was exceptionally fair-skinned, but Abar So's beauty far surpassed hers by a mile.
"I am sorry, I realize I’ve overwhelmed you with my chatter. That's usually why Abar So and I argue, though I swear I'm not normally a talkative person," Nafhira said, pouting her lips.
Amin usually detested talkative people, but this time, he didn't want her to stop because he desperately wanted to learn more about Abar So. He smiled and said, "It's no problem at all, NAFHI."
Nafhira was thrilled to hear his pleasant voice, as she had feared he would judge her for talking too much. Just as she was about to speak again, Abar So leaned over and rested her head on her lap, completely fast asleep. Nafhira smiled warmly, placing her hand on her sister's head and stroking her hair gently.
Thirty minutes later...
Noticing her twin was stirring, Nafhira called out softly, "ABAR SO."
Her voice caught the attention of Al-Amin, who had been anxiously waiting for her to wake up. Abar So slowly opened her eyes and looked at her sister. She immediately wrapped her arms around her and cried:
"I am so sorry, my NAFHI. I will never speak to you in anger again. Please forgive me, my sister. I swear I won't do it again. I love you."
Nafhira pulled her up gently and replied, "Haba, our Abar So, our baby, stop apologizing. I should be the one asking for forgiveness because I always take the window seat from you. Insha Allah, I won't do it again either," she said, wiping her twin's tears.
"Say you love me too," Abar So insisted, looking deeply into Nafhira's eyes.
"I love you too," Nafhira replied. They both smiled warmly at each other. Then, Abar So turned toward Amin—the man she had been rude to earlier. Amin was staring intently at them, completely captivated by how sweet and endearing the two girls were.
"Please forgive me... I am so, so sorry for being so rude. Kindly find a place in your heart to forgive me," Abar So pleaded, clasping her hands together.
"It's no problem at all, I swear," Amin said, flashing a handsome smile. She returned his smile, rolling her beautiful anime eyes, which were heavily lined with kohl. Amin felt as though he had never seen a pair of eyes so profoundly beautiful in his entire life.
Abar So then noticed his deep dimples. Nafhira was the only one between the twins who had dimples, and Abar So had always been obsessed with them.
"May I touch your dimples, please?" she asked, making a pleading face. He nodded in consent. Without hesitation, she pressed her finger into his dimple, giggling with pure delight, while Nafhira joined in the laughter. Her touch was something else, Amin thought to himself, feeling his entire mood shift instantly. Looking down at her chest, he noticed her breasts hadn't even begun to develop yet.
She was too distracted playing with his dimple to notice. "Please, let's take a photo, but you must make sure your dimples show clearly!" she exclaimed, pulling out her tablet, which was filled with photos, as both twins were incredibly photogenic and loved taking pictures.
Amin was thrilled at the chance to take a picture with his Abar So. They took several photos together, and then she pulled Nafhira in so they could take a group picture. Looking at the results, she blushed and said, "Wow, you are really handsome." Shly, he replied, "You are very beautiful too." Nafhira chimed in, "Our baby's beauty is flawless enough to be published in a newspaper!" They all burst into laughter. They chatted happily until the plane finally landed. Upon arrival, the twins rushed off to meet their mother (Momma) and older sister at the arrival departure area. Amin walked away, but suddenly remembered something and quickly ran back. Seeing them still there, he let out a sigh of relief, walked up with an air of sophistication, and politely greeted their mother, who responded warmly.
Hearing his voice, the twins turned around. "Haba, my little sisters, are you really leaving without us exchanging contacts?" he asked playfully. Their mother and sister were preoccupied talking. "Oh, we don't have phone numbers yet!" Abar So replied. His heart sank, but he quickly teased, "Well, please at least bluetooth me the photos we took!" They laughed at his wit and transferred the photos to him. They separated; Amin left missing his Abar So and her sister deeply, while the young twins didn't think much of it.
Amin took a deep breath, picked up his phone from the bedside drawer, and pressed the power button. Instantly, the picture he had taken with Abar So appeared on his screen.
"I'm really missing you, sunshine. When will we meet again?" he whispered, wiping a tear from his eye as he got out of bed, set the phone down, and walked into the bathroom.
Who is Al-Amin?
Al-Amin Abubakar Sulaiman is the son of Alhaji Abubakar Sulaiman, a highly successful and famous businessman known throughout Nigeria. His father is a highly respectable, compassionate man who treats the poor with kindness, earning him massive public respect.
Al-Amin (called Amin by his friends) is exceptionally handsome, wealthy, sophisticated, and highly educated in both Western and Islamic knowledge. He studied Medicine at Cambridge University, holds a PhD, and works as a prestigious visiting medical consultant who is frequently invited to various cities. For four long years, he has been searching for Abar So, the girl from the plane. Aside from his mother, he never thought he could love another woman, but she had stolen his heart within seconds. However, he was forced into an arranged marriage with Ummul Kursum. Kursum had thrown a massive tantrum, threatening to run away and ruin her life if she wasn't married to Amin, which panicked his mother (Mumi) into forcing Amin to comply. Kursum was nothing like the woman Amin desired, but he endured it out of obedience to his mother. Noticing her son's unhappiness, his mother had promised him that the moment he found the woman of his choice, she would wholeheartedly support him in taking a second wife.
That was his situation.
Meanwhile, back at the twins' family home, the older sister called out to a young boy of about four years old who emerged from a room wearing his Islamic school uniform. "Salimunah, where is your older sister?" she asked. "Our baby is coming, Sister. I told her to put kohl in her eyes, which is why she went back inside," the boy replied, wiping a pair of shoes on the floor that clearly belonged to his sister. Just then, she walked out wearing a massive white khimar that reached all the way to the floor. The little boy placed the shoes right at his sister's feet.
She looked down at him, smiled gently, and took his hand. Their older sister watched them with pure adoration, though she secretly favored the young woman.
"Have a safe trip," the older sister said.
"May Allah accept it, Sister," the little boy replied, pulling his older sister along. The older sister walked them to the door, her heart aching with deep pity for the girl.
As soon as they stepped outside, all eyes in the neighborhood turned toward them, as it was an open area. The girl looked left and right as if she were preparing to cross the road, and spotted three young women dressed flashily as if entering a Miss World pageant. She shook her head, turning to survey the neighborhood as if she were seeing it for the very first time. Salim shook her hand gently, bringing her back to reality. He smiled and said:
"Our baby, let's go so I won't be late." Only then did she remember she had come out to escort him.
As they passed a group of idle young men loitering on the street, one of them remarked:
"Ever since I first saw this girl, I liked her. But I seriously think she has a mental illness."
"Honestly, Yusuf, I've noticed the same thing, because I have never once heard her speak," another youth agreed.
"I think she's just being arrogant and troublesome," a third named Khaleel scoffed. "Haven't you seen how she walks? She sways and acts so full of herself. By Allah, I can't stand her type. And she's always drowned in those massive khimars like a mallam's wife."
"Drop it, Khaleel. Who knows, she might be living a double life. We know girls like her. She's beautiful, looking just like an Indian girl..."
These were the insults she overheard them trading.
After dropping off the little boy, she was walking back when she crossed paths with the three flashy girls. As she drew near, one of the girls deliberately stuck out her foot, causing her to trip. She barely managed to regain her balance. As she tried to walk away, the girl grabbed her khimar tightly.
"What kind of an idiot are you? Are you blind? You almost stepped on me, yet you can't even apologize!" a girl named Ameera snapped.
The young woman rolled her large anime eyes, which were lined with kohl, looking at the three girls one by one. They were wearing cheap, tight-fitting traditional fabrics (atamfa roba roba) tailored in an indecent, revealing manner. The way she quietly examined them only infuriated them further.
"Who are you staring at like you've seen trash? We are going to teach you a lesson today!" a girl named Nana barked.
"This wretched, penniless bastard is actually glaring at us! Let me tell you, we are not your peers. We don't even eat local corn paste (tuwo); we only eat bread, and it goes straight to our chests to enhance our bodies!" a girl named Zainab sneered haughtily.
The girl simply stared at them as if trying to figure something out. Then, her face contorted in disgust, she aggressively yanked her khimar out of their grasp and continued walking. This deeply wounded their pride. To them, this was a massive public humiliation—how could a neighborhood girl completely ignore "big girls" like them in front of the local boys? They decided to teach her a lesson. Ameera rushed up behind her and slapped her hard across the face
