Fa'eza and Khairat are sitting outside at an open-air spot called "Runfar Bunu" with chairs, enjoying ice cream and cake.
Seeing Zarah arrive and park her car, Fa'eza exclaims, "Goodness gracious! They've even started teaching her how to drive! Oh wow, unbelievable."
Khairat runs over, hugs Momy, and shouts, "Yay, Momy!"
Just as Zarah steps out of the car, Fa'eza rolls her eyes and says, "Welcome, Momy." Momy replies, "Welcome back. Didn't you go to work today?"
"No, I'll go tomorrow," Fa'eza answers. Momy advises, "Well, you better start going. In a little while, Zarah will start going too."
Inside her mind, Fa'eza thinks, Every single place I go, she has to be there too? By God, this will not happen!
When SK returns to the parlor, Fa'eza is left outside muttering and plotting.
"Oh, look at me! I forgot we didn't go to the other house," SK says to Zarah. "Even though it's late afternoon, let's go."
"Okay," Zarah replies simply, and everyone heads to their rooms.
Later in the evening, SK goes to fetch the items Zarah requested, which include her phone. Secretly, Zarah goes upstairs to Musayyet's room, takes the book from earlier, hides it on her body, and comes back down before SK returns home.
Using directions, Naseer visits Aysha's family house. Aysha is extremely surprised to see him outside. SK (presumably a typo in the text for Naseer, or referring to him stopping) stands greeting her. Overwhelmed with shyness, she isn't wearing any elaborate makeup because she was busy doing chores. When she is called out, she comes out and sees him. As she tries to hurry back inside, he quickly blocks her path, pulls the door shut so she can't enter, locks it completely, and stares intently at her.
With her head down, he says, "Well, here I am today. I even found the house where visits are rationed. I hope you're doing well."
Blushing deeply, she greets him and says she will go get him some water. Inside, she pours water into a jug. Her mother asks, "Who are you taking water to?"
Smiling, she replies, "Umma, I have a visitor from Abuja. When I go back out, I'll tell you."
Her mother's eyes widen in shock. "Abuja? How on earth did you meet someone from there?"
Aysha rushes back outside, laughing softly.
From the moment she steps out, he watches her lovingly, a smile spreading across his face. She hands him the cup and says, "Here you are."
He takes it with a smile and says, "Thank you." If it weren't his beloved's house, he wouldn't normally be able to drink water like this—he's used to bottled water. But right now, he feels he could even drink ditch water just for his Aysha.
They chat for a long time, though Naseer does most of the talking while Aysha mostly responds with "Yes" or "No."
When it's time for him to leave, he gives her a lot of money, opens his car trunk, and pulls out about six large bags containing makeup, clothes, and snacks.
With great hesitation, she accepts them. He looks at her and says, "I am going to cure this shyness of yours, young lady. If you don't mind, may I go inside and greet your mother?"
Stammering, she says yes. They go in together. Her mother lays out a mat for him. He greets her respectfully with his head bowed. Her mother looks at him with that classic prospective-in-law gaze. He leaves a substantial amount of money for her mother, says goodbye, and her mother expresses deep gratitude while wondering in astonishment where Aysha managed to find such a fine young man.
When they get back to the front of the house, she thanks him. He protests, "No, I don't want that. Stop thanking me, Aysha. I love you so much. Will you marry me?"
She covers her face with her hands. Playfully, he says, "Ah, I'm in trouble then; you don't love me."
Hearing that, she opens her eyes and laughs. He laughs too and asks, "If I send my mother, will you accept?"
She smiles and says, "Yes, I love you too," and immediately runs off into the house.
Leaning against his car, Naseer laughs and thinks, Such a shy girl, nothing like the girls back home. Thank God. As soon as I get home, I'll tell my father everything.
That night, Aysha calls Naseer to make sure he got home safely. He says he's fine and asks, "How is my love treating your heart?"
She stays silent, tossing and turning on the bed, lowering her eyes. He shifts positions too, adjusts his blankets, and asks, "Will your family agree to let us get married in two months?"
Aysha bolts upright in bed, looking around frantically, praying her mother didn't overhear him—even though her mother isn't in the room.
"You're silent," he notes. In a pouting voice, she scolds, "Haba! As if I'm some kind of divorcee!"
Naseer bursts into laughter, sits up, unbuttons his shirt collar, and teases, "Oh, so only divorcees get married in two months?"
She smiles. He continues, "As for me, I'm tired of waiting. I want to get married right now," waiting to hear her response. Aysha stays silent, which makes him laugh because he knows she's just shy. So he urges her, "Please, tell your father that my people will come to ask in a week."
Aysha gasps, "Oh! So you've made up your mind all on your own?"
"Since when? We've been planning this for a long time." Soon after, they say their goodbyes. Aysha looks at her phone and mutters, "This guy has absolutely no shame!"
Zarah calls Aysha, and they greet each other with mutual excitement. Aysha says, "As for me, I've heard nothing yet—you still haven't started your driving lessons."
Zarah frowns and says, "I swear, if it weren't for... I almost cursed the driving instructor himself."
Aysha bursts into laughter and asks, "Forgive him, did you catch feelings?"
"No," Zarah replies. Aysha then shares, "By the way, I have a boyfriend named Naseer who wants us to get married in two months, like I'm some kind of divorcee."
Zarah laughs heartily and asks, "Where is he from?"
Aysha replies, "You'd laugh—he's right here in Abuja. I think your husband might know his father."
Zarah says, "You guys better get married so I can come celebrate. I'll spend three weeks in Kano when I come."
Aysha sighs, "Hmm, I love him so much, he's so handsome, you haven't seen him." Zarah holds back a tear and asks, "Is he just a boyfriend?"
Aysha quickly corrects herself, "Ah no, he's just a very sensible guy."
They chat for a long time, and Zarah eventually says, "Aysha, there's something I want to tell you, but please, promise not to tell anyone."
Aysha reassures her, "You must be joking—who else would ever hear our secrets?"
Zarah asks, "Do you remember the guy who kept calling my phone right before my wedding?"
Aysha says, "Yes! How could I forget? The guy with that sweet voice, right?"
Zarah wipes away a tear and says, "It was him."
Aysha sits straight up, presses her chest in shock, and gasps, "Zarah! Are you serious, please?"
Zarah bursts into tears and says, "I swear, Aysha! You have no idea the history we share. We ended up living in the exact same house, and turns out it's him! And I swear, I love him so much in my heart." She finishes the sentence sobbing.
Aysha says, "Innalillahi! Listen, stop crying. Are you guys living in the same house right now?"
Zarah replies, "He's out of town on a trip. By all indications, he loves me just as much; he even got sick over it."
Aysha comforts her: "Just be patient. That's destiny; it comes to everyone differently, and this is yours. But you know what? I keep having a recurring dream about you, Zarah."
"What kind of dream, Aysha? I swear, just the night before last, I dreamed you married a very handsome man and you were both so happy. I've had that dream three times! At first, I thought it was just a random dream and wouldn't come true since you already had your wedding, but the dream keeps lingering in my mind."
Zarah feels a rush of happiness and even laughs, saying, "Keep having those sweet dreams for me until you bring me real joy!"
Aysha asks, "How do you feel about him in your heart?"
Zarah answers, "Every time I see him, I feel like climbing inside his skin because of how much I love him. I can't control my heart."
Aysha laughs and asks, "What is his name?"
"Musayyet," Zarah replies. "Ah, what a lovely name. Just hearing it, you know he's fine."
They talk until around 10:30 PM before saying goodnight.
In the morning, after breakfast, Zarah and Momy sit in the parlor chatting. Khairat comes out dressed in her school uniform, throwing a tantrum because she insists that Zarah must be the one to take her to school.
Momy laughs and says, "Look at this drama queen! Zarah only just started driving yesterday."
Khairat starts crying, dropping her basket packed with juice, snacks, and a small food flask.
Zarah gets up and says, "Crying again? Oh no, don't cry. Come on, let's go, I'll take you, nobody else is coming with us." Momy laughs, "Ignore Khairat's tantrums, I'll take her."
Khairat crosses her arms stubbornly, refusing.
Just as they are about to leave, Fa'eza steps out, greets Momy, but completely ignores Zarah.
"Hey! Where are you going? Do you not see people here? Aren't you going to greet them?" Momy prompts.
Only then does Fa'eza force a smile and greet Zarah. Zarah responds, and Fa'eza storms off.
Momy says, "Let's go together. I'm scared to let you drive alone just after starting lessons."
Together, they drop Khairat off at school, and from there, Zarah takes over the driving and they head back home.
When Fa'eza arrives at work, she goes straight to Musayyet's department. She knocks, and a voice says, "Yes."
She walks in to find him turned away, apparently on the phone. She stands there huffing and puffing, glancing around angrily.
As soon as he finishes his call, he turns around. He is tall and handsome, with a sharp nose, expressive eyes, and a radiant, cheerful face.
With a smile, he says, "Have a seat."
She pouts and snaps, "Look here, Mister, where is my actual workstation? I came here for you to show me my desk, not to sit around chatting," glaring at him.
He smiles. "Oh? So Musayyet didn't show you where you're supposed to sit?"
She stomps right up to his desk, looks him dead in the eyes, and says, "Oh, so because you're acting like some big shot here, you think you can just talk down to people? Just because you rolled into town!"
Umar stands up, looks her over thoroughly, walking in a circle around her like he's inspecting merchandise. Then he smiles and says, "Acting like a big shot takes skill. Some people just have it."
Furious, she whirls around. "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, I am. So what?"
"You may be handsome, but you have the most arrogant, quarrelsome attitude."
Her body suddenly softens because deep down, she loves hearing someone tell her she is pretty. She grabs her handbag and storms out. Umar watches her go with a smile, muttering, "I've found my future wife."
She sits in another parlor watching Umar's office, still huffing. Everyone who passes by greets her, but she refuses to look at them, giving everyone haughty, dismissive looks.
She sits there until around 1 PM, which is when Umar steps out of his office. Their eyes lock instantly. She wrinkles her nose at him and looks away.
Amused, he walks right up to her, crouches down, brings his mouth close to her ear, and whispers, "Please, I won't do it again, I'm sorry."
A wave of warmth washes over her as she realizes he humbled himself before her. She turns her head and says, "I forgive you. You apologize too."
He smiles and says, "I'm the one who wronged you." She insists, "No, me too."
He asks, "I'm going to go pray. When I get back, will you accompany me to a restaurant?"
She looks at him closely and realizes for the first time that he is exceptionally handsome. Without hesitation, she says yes.
"Okay, thank you, my heart," he says as he walks away, giving her a playful wink.
Her jaw drops as she watches him leave. My heart?!
She smiles to herself, then heads into a private office room equipped with everything, including a small resting bed and a long couch. She enters the bathroom, performs ablution, comes out, spreads a prayer mat, and prays.
While praying, her mind drifts to Umar. Every time she thinks of him, she catches herself pouting, only to remember what just happened and smile.
When he returns, he looks for her, and they go out to eat. He chats away while she mostly listens silently, and soon they head back.
At closing time, he offers to drive her home. She reminds him she came with her own car, gets into her vehicle, and leaves him standing there with a smile.
Two days later, Musayyet tries to call Momy, but her phone is switched off because it's late at night—she always turns it off.
He starts worrying and wonders if he should call Zarah instead.
Zarah has just stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel when her phone starts ringing. Thinking it's Aysha, she answers eagerly without checking the caller ID.
Musayyet's voice hits her ears. The towel around her body slips, but she catches it just in time, dropping to a crouch as if he could see her, and lets out a deep sigh of relief.
He stays quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of her sigh. Lying down on his bed, he asks, "Mom, is she close?"
Still kneeling, she answers, "No. Did you land safely?"
"Safely," he replies. Zarah asks, "Is there anything you want?"
Closing his eyes tightly, he murmurs, "Even if I wanted something, what could I do since it's completely out of my reach?" As soon as he says that, he quickly hangs up the phone, pressing a hand over his aching chest.
Zarah bursts into tears, tries to stand up, collapses onto the bed, and weeps uncontrollably.
Slowly, Musayyet starts crying too. He feels he could never bring himself to marry any other woman. But to keep Momy happy, he decides he will marry Fa'eza, live with her for Momy's sake, and tell his parents to arrange the wedding so Fa'eza can join him. He simply cannot bear the agony of being near Zarah.
Two days later, Musayyet calls Momy to inform her that he has agreed to marry Fa'eza. When Momy hears the news, she pauses thoughtfully because she knows there is a deeper reason behind it.
She says, "Masha Allah, no problem. When your father returns, we will discuss it."
Three days into Dady's return, Momy approaches him with the news. He remains completely silent, finishes his meal, and walks out.
As for Umar, he visits Fa'eza's office every day to chat, though she keeps a guarded expression. Yet whenever he leaves or they part ways, Zarah spends the whole day lost in thoughts of him, unable to understand why.

Summary

In this chapter, family dynamics, secret romances, and emotional entanglements deepen. Aysha and Naseer’s relationship progresses swiftly as Naseer visits her home, charms her mother, and boldly talks about marriage within two months—leaving Aysha blushing, flustered, and secretly thrilled. Meanwhile, Zarah's past collides with her present when she discovers that the mystery man from her phone calls is actually Musayyet, the man living in the same house as her, whom she has fallen deeply in love with despite her marriage.
At work, Fa'eza's initial hostility toward Umar melts away after a playful confrontation where he humbles himself and calls her "my heart," sparking unexpected feelings in her. However, tension looms large: Musayyet, heartbroken and trying to distance himself from Zarah, abruptly agrees to marry Fa'eza for his mother's sake. When Momy breaks the news to Dady, he reacts in stony silence, setting the stage for major family conflicts.

Description

This chapter is a rich, emotionally charged installment of the Hausa romance novel "Auran Babban Mutum". It balances sweet, lighthearted romantic comedy (such as Naseer's cheeky courtship of Aysha and Umar's persistent charm offensive against Fa'eza's proud exterior) with heavy emotional turmoil and forbidden longing (highlighted by Zarah's agonizing realization about Musayyet and Musayyet's desperate decision to marry Fa'eza to escape his feelings for Zarah). The narrative effectively contrasts the budding, innocent happiness of secondary characters with the complicated, secret heartbreaks of the main leads.

Analytics

• Primary Themes: Forbidden love, secret identities, cultural courtship traditions, family pressure, and emotional sacrifice.
• Character Developments:
  • Aysha & Naseer: Their relationship moves rapidly from online/phone chats to a formal family introduction, highlighting traditional northern courtship dynamics (shyness, maternal approval, and swift marriage proposals).
  • Zarah & Musayyet: A tragic parallel of unrequited/forbidden proximity. Zarah is trapped in a house with the man she truly loves, while Musayyet chooses a loveless or sacrificial marriage to Fa'eza simply to escape the torture of loving Zarah.
  • Fa'eza & Umar: Enemies-to-lovers trope in motion. Umar's charm successfully penetrates Fa'eza's stubborn exterior, turning her disdain into secret infatuation.
• Narrative Tension: The chapter builds high dramatic irony. While Fa'eza is falling for Umar, Umar's brother/relative Musayyet is agreeing to marry Fa'eza out of heartbreak over Zarah, promising a massive collision of secrets once these truths come to light.