Description
While having dinner, eating pounded yam and the soup made by Hajiya, Tasleem's phone rang. Picking it up to see her new best friend calling, she smiled and said, "Mummy, my bestie is calling... she likes me a lot..." She told her mum before answering the call. Hajiya Binta watched her for a moment and continued eating while Tasleem chatted on the phone, gossiping about the soup they had cooked. Hajiya kept signaling her to lower her voice, but Tasleem ignored her as if it didn't concern her. After talking for nearly thirty minutes, they ended the call.
Hajiya looked at her and asked, "Baby, where did you find this one? You never get tired of snatching people, do you?" Tasleem pouted before replying, "Mummy, I've never had a friend who cares about me as much as she does... She's so cute and she's the type that pays attention to my discussions... Unlike Farida and the others who just laugh at me when I tell them stories." She said this in a spoiled tone.
"I said I don't want this indiscriminate friendship... Everyone is your friend... You have to be very careful now... And this talk has no boundaries, stop it. Am I clear?" she asked. Tasleem pouted and said, "Mummy, it's not snatching..." Before she could finish, Hajiya snapped, "I said, am I clear!" and yelled at her.
Bursting into tears, Tasleem stood up from the dining table, saying, "That's it, I'm not eating this food anymore! Wallahi, I won't eat!" She stormed off to her room.
Hajiya didn't bother checking on her until after the Maghrib prayer, when Alhaji called her to his quarters. After she sat down, he said, "I just wanted to inform you that tomorrow the wedding date will be set... Even though everything will be done in the palace, I want you to know..." Hajiya, keeping her gaze down, said, "Alhaji, but Tasleem needs to know the situation..." Before she could finish, he interrupted, "Isn't it obvious she has to know? Where does someone get married without knowing? If you can't inform her, send her to me." he said briefly.
"No, Alhaji... You know I'm the one with this girl and I know how she and Aliyu relate..." He cut her off again, saying, "Listen to yourself... So you're the one who knows how she and Aliyu relate? Your daughter is misbehaving and you won't make her stop? Is Aliyu her mate? I pray he beats her black and blue so she learns some sense!" he said, sounding angry.
"God forbid... Please don't tell her... Even Fulani said she shouldn't be told yet... Please..." she pleaded softly. "That's your problem... But in my opinion, the earlier she knows, the better. It doesn't make sense that every single thing a child wants is what they get. It's never done that way... That's why we are the parents and they are the children." he replied.
"I know, Alhaji... I know very well... But what do I do now? I have no other choice, so please don't tell her," she begged respectfully. "Aside from you, how can a wedding date be set in the royal family and she not know? She will definitely find out. It's better you inform her before she hears it from somewhere else." "I know what I do... I know this house will be full tomorrow, so I will send her to Maryam in Abuja," she told him.
Alhaji just shrugged and turned his head away, indicating that it was her problem, not his. She stood up, returned to her part of the house, took her phone, and called her younger sister in Abuja to brief her. Zainab (the sister) also advised that Tasleem should be told. Hajiya Zainab knew that if Tasleem found out she was getting married, all her rebellious habits would come to a halt. She knew Tasleem would throw massive tantrums, especially when she realized she would be placed in the same house with the person she called "Black Mamba." Ever since she was a little girl, she had never spoken about anyone with so much disgust except Aliyu. Since childhood, she had shown she hated him; whenever she went to play and he walked in with Mahboob, she would hide behind her mom.
"I didn't send you to tell her... I'll just tell her you called and want to take her shopping... You know how much she loves shopping... Please don't do otherwise," she begged her sister. "It's alright... You don't have to beg me. I won't tell her anything. If she hears it, it won't be from me," said her younger sister. "Maryama, don't play smart with me... Don't you dare let her find out!" "I won't tell her... But you know friends might call, or some relatives..." "Please... Don't let her find out... Even if she finds out, let her learn things gradually. You don't know Tasleem's stubbornness... She can cry for a whole month... Please don't let her know!" she begged. "Okay, I will try my best," she answered, and they said goodbye.
Hajiya put down her phone and went into Tasleem's room, finding her on the phone. She sat close to her, waiting for her to finish. Seeing that after nearly thirty minutes she wasn't done talking, she snatched the phone away, yelling, "What sort of stupid call are you on that you can't talk to me?" as she disconnected the call. Tasleem pouted and said, "Mummy, it's besty... Today it feels like you hate me..." she said, looking like she was about to cry. "Shut your mouth... I have good news for you," she announced. Quickly, Tasleem asked, "What is it?" with her eyes wide open. "We just finished talking with your Anty Maryam. She said you should come over so she can take you shopping..."
Before her mum could finish, Tasleem jumped onto the bed, leaping around and shouting, "Yay! Nothing beats a good Anty... I am so happy!" She jumped around energetically before slowing down to ask, "When am I going?" "She said first thing tomorrow morning. You see, tomorrow is Wednesday... You can come back by the weekend," she replied. "Okay, but what about Ummah's food? I don't want to miss my trip to India... And you know if I don't do what Ummah says, she won't take me with her," she whined. "Don't worry, you can come back on Friday. Is that okay by you?" "Yes, Mummy... Now I'll just be missing my lectures, that's all," she said, totally unbothered.
As her mum left, Tasleem picked up her phone and called Rashida to update her on the situation. They chatted happily for a long time before saying goodbye.
"More, please... More... I want more!" Yarima yelled while a beautiful girl was riding him so intensely that his breathing sounded like his life was leaving him. He was having the pleasure of a lifetime; he had never felt anything like it. The girl was on top of him, riding like she was on a horse. He couldn't help but cry out in a loud voice. If it were the small house, people would have gathered around Aliyu as he screamed, "Please do me more!"
The girl bent down slightly, bringing her breasts right to his mouth. As if waiting for it, he grabbed her breasts, sucking and lightly biting them with his teeth, which caused the girl to let out a captivating cry. With his mouth on her nipple and her waist moving up and down with fierce force, he pushed her down hard. He moved as if using all his enemies' energy just to lift her up and slam his joystick right at the tip of her core before pulling her down hard again. The girl herself was screaming out loud because of how intensely it felt like something was tearing inside her. Stopping her lifting, the girl continued rolling her waist on him, making him scream even more.
The next thing he knew, he started ejaculating. His loud cry made the girl place her hand over his mouth and kiss him. She got off him, removed her hand from his mouth as he continued groaning regally, and walked out through the parlor door.
Feeling a wetness on his body, he opened his eyes quickly, covered in heavy sweat. He was panting, staring at the closed parlor door. Even if he were to be killed, he wouldn't believe he was dreaming until he opened his eyes wide—it looked so real. He pulled back his blanket, only to find the wetness of his sperm. "Fuck..." he said, sounding in disbelief. "What a dream..." he muttered, clutching his lower abdomen. He had never dreamed of something he wished was true as much as this. He wished this dream would come true; the pleasure of the dream was unreal, and if he only knew who the woman was that gave him such a sex goddess-like experience, giving him something so exciting... though he never saw her face.
He relaxed, lifting the blanket slightly before pulling it back down with a smile. Assuming he knew how good a smile looked on his face, he would have done it more often. He was supposed to be sad today because today was the day his wedding date with Tasleem was to be set, but it didn't phase him at all; he dressed up and went to the office. One of his friends called, asking him what a dirty bad dream meant. His friend laughed and said, "I don't understand what you mean..." "Swear to God... I saw some girl riding me like a car... I would pay anything to be with such a darling..." he said joyfully. "Lallai you're out of your mind... You had sex with a jinn," his friend joked. With a loud hiss, he cut the call, saying, "Your father is the one who had sex with a jinn."
As for Tasleem, the very next morning her mum packed a small bag for her trip to Abuja. Acting like she didn't want to go, with their maid Hindu holding her bag, she pouted, leaned against her mum, and continued whining until she got into the car and left the house.
Around 4 PM, the wedding date was traditionally set. Being royalty, the house looked less like a simple date-setting ceremony and more like a massive grand festival. Today, the bride-price and luxurious gifts were presented. Everything was so elegant, and the wedding was scheduled for just three months away. Praise-singers were busy doing their work, and the wedding fabrics brought in were so numerous they looked like an entire shop had been emptied.
Congratulatory calls started pouring in for the prince. One thing about him was that he hadn't told his friends that this same girl was his childhood enemy—only those who knew, knew. But one thing he knew for sure was that he was going to pull her ears for the gossip she took to his mother.
Meanwhile, Tasleem received a call from a cousin sister who said, "Bride... You smell like a bride, we are trailing you with humra... May God prolong your reign..." She snapped, "Wrong number," and hung up. Before she could put the phone down, another call came in saying the same thing. She paused for a moment and then called her mum. She could hear a lot of noise in the background from those who brought the wedding gifts. Hajiya quickly jumped up like someone with a guilty conscience, hurried into a quiet room, and answered.
The first thing Tasleem told her was, "Mummy, what's going on?" "Besty, I don't understand what's going on..." she replied, her voice trembling like she wasn't talking to her own biological daughter. She behaved as if she were talking to someone who had total control over her. "Mummy, two people called me calling me a bride... That couldn't be a coincidence..." Before she could finish, Hajiya interrupted, "A bride? What do you mean a bride?" "I don't know what they mean either... I'm just surprised..." she said, looking at her phone screen which showed another incoming call from Rashida.
"Girl, aside from you, how could this happen without your knowledge? It's probably just normal play you guys are used to. Now let me tell you: don't you dare take any more family calls since they're just messing with your head," she said firmly. "Okay, Mummy... I won't answer them again. Let me take this call..." "Who is calling?" her mum asked. "It's new besty..." Before she could finish, her mum snapped, "My love, be careful... I really don't like the way she's intruding into your space as if you aren't fellow women. It's impossible for a girl you met out of nowhere to become someone who cares this much. Just be careful, you hear?" "Okay, Mummy," she replied carelessly. From the way she answered, you could tell she had no intention of being careful; she just said it to brush it off.
Hanging up on her mum, she answered Rashida, who had become a part of her life because of how she treated her. One thing about life is that the heart loves those who treat it well; no matter how much someone might dislike you underneath, if they are nice and attentive to you, you won't see that anger or hatred until it's too late. Rashida knew what she wanted and was crawling under Tasleem's skin without her noticing. This was compounded by Tasleem's lack of proper upbringing—as long as you could smile at her, she would consider you a friend. At times, even if you are smart, someone can act so well that you think they are a good person. You never can tell until the opportunity to expose their true colors arrives (May God expose any fake fellow in our lives... It's better to be a lone wolf than part of a pack of fake people).
"Besty, did you hear something annoying?" Tasleem asked Rashida. Rashida, who was with Amanda at the time, put the phone on speaker and asked, "What is it? What happened, my happiness?" she asked in a sweet tone. "Two people just called me calling me a bride..." Before she could finish, Rashida said, "That's the exact reason I'm calling you too... The whole town is buzzing that you're going to marry Prince Aliyu..."
Hearing Aliyu's name mentioned made her quickly spit out saliva as she exclaimed, "God forbid! Allah forbid! It can never happen, of course... You know that too!" she said with wide eyes while her heart beat furiously. Amanda and Rashida exchanged glances. "This is quite surprising... But the whole town is talking about nothing else except the wedding happening in three months... But maybe it's just a coincidence of names," Rashida suggested.
Tasleem let out a sigh of relief when she heard it might just be a coincidence of names. "My heart just skipped a beat... Maybe the names just matched, because not even my enemy would match me in marriage with that Black Mamba!" she said, relaxing. "Okay..." Rashida replied in a low voice filled with clear concern. Tasleem was about to open her mouth to speak when Rashida quickly cut in, "Besty, hold on, let me call you back," and disconnected the call without listening to another word.
Putting her hands on her head, Tasleem groaned, "What kind of waste of time is this? It seems I have been wasting my time with a lousy fool... I thought as much... There's no way this elegant guy would be matched in marriage with that useless girl," she said in extreme distress.
Amanda, watching her, grabbed her shoulders and said, "Please don't stress yourself... Maybe she's playing a game. All we need to do is investigate thoroughly and see... I have a feeling it's her." "What if it's not her? What if I'm wasting my time on someone who isn't the target while the real target is someone else? Wallahi, I love the Prince... I will do anything to get close to him..." she said, bursting into tears. "Please stay calm and investigate... Hear me out. Whoever it is, we will find them, and believe me, she will hand Prince Aliyu over to you on a platter of gold. Am I understood?" Amanda assured her with immense confidence.
Rashida, meanwhile, sat quietly, crying softly. "Just pray it's her, because it will make things easier for you. She hates him, and that will give you a quick victory. So stop crying," Amanda said, stroking Rashida gently. "Let's talk about something important... What if everything goes well and the Prince becomes yours? What will you give me in return?" Quickly, Tasleem replied, "Wallahi, once the Prince becomes mine, whatever you want, I will give you! I promise you that once the Prince belongs to me, whatever you want is yours..." she promised recklessly. "Then I promise you, he is yours... Even right now, because you don't have the opportunity to look him in the eye or feed him, that's why we are following this long process, otherwise it would have been done and dusted long ago," Amanda told her.
And so, Rashida kept investigating while Tasleem shopped in Abuja. Prince Aliyu kept wondering what life would be like after marrying a girl he couldn't even touch.
By Friday, Tasleem returned home. Before her return, Hajiya Zainab severely warned all of Tasleem's siblings not to dare mention the wedding to her. As soon as she got back, she headed straight to the kitchen to practice the dishes she wanted to make for Ummah. Hajiya Zainab had hidden everything, including the luxury gift boxes and the wedding fabrics; a few things were given out, but the rest were hidden so she wouldn't see them and start suspecting anything.
Early in the morning, Tasleem headed straight to the palace. Today, the greetings she received were different from the usual, but she didn't care as she walked into Ummah's quarters. Opening her arms, she threw herself into Ummah's embrace, saying, "My Princess, may God bless you... Today I even dreamed of the food you'll cook for me... What do you have for me today?" "Ummah, just wait and see!" she whined playfully. She took off her hijab, folded it, and placed it aside, saying, "Chef Tasleem going to the kitchen!"
Ummah blew her a kiss, saying, "I love you more than ever, my Princess... I'll be here waiting for my Princess's food," giving her more encouragement. She skipped out of the room and went into Ummah's kitchen to prepare cabbage rolls and watermelon lemonade.
While she was in the kitchen, about an hour and a half later, Prince Aliyu walked into his mother's room. All she called him was "Groom..." At first, he tried to hold a straight face, but soon he broke into a smile for about a second before trying to look stern again. Hajiya reached out and pinched his cheeks playfully, causing him to say, "Ummah, stop it..." as he flopped down laughing. When she finally let him go, he stood up, saying, "Ummah... I'm going to drop by the office and then head to His Majesty's garden..." "Fav, today is the weekend! What are you going to do at the office?" "Ummah, calls and visitors won't let me work... And most of those coming are friends. I have no choice," he pleaded with a puppy-dog face. "Alright. May God protect you for me." "Amen, my Ummah," he said, heading to the door.
Just as he opened the door, Tasleem was walking toward it carrying the watermelon lemonade, followed by a maid carrying the cabbage rolls on a luxury plate. The sudden opening of the door caused Tasleem to drop the jug on the tray she was holding.
Crash!
The jug fell, and its contents spilled and splashed all over the Prince's clothes. Prince Aliyu stared in shock as the drink splashed all over his outfit; he was completely speechless. As for Tasleem, knowing full well he was the one who caused her drink to spill by throwing the door open, she did what she did best: she gave a little hop and burst into loud wailing, shouting, "My lemonade...!" as she rolled dramatically on the floor.
Prince Aliyu's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. He was totally speechless. People always talked about women's wicked framing tactics, but he hadn't believed it until today—and this setup was even worse coming from a girl he hated so much.
"My lemonade... Wallahi, I won't accept this!" she yelled again, rolling her head on the floor and banging her legs like a spoiled baby. Quickly, Ummah rushed out, saying, "What is it, my Princess?" and headed toward the door.
Yarima stood with his arms folded, watching the most surprising event of his life. He was lost for words because he felt like stepping on her right where she lay. He knew that if it were just the two of them, she would have received a heavy beating today.
Ummah shoved Yarima aside to see what was happening. Tasleem had deliberately messed up her own hair to look distressed. "My Princess... Are you okay?" Ummah asked, rushing toward her. "My lemonade... I suffered so much making it... He... spilled it... He must pay for it!" she cried loudly, pointing a finger at Yarima, who had his face locked in a tight frown.
Note: The narrative text includes a promotional advertisement for a herbal supplement ("rainsoul") inserted near the end of the text by the original author/uploader, which has been preserved in the translation.
Summary
In this Hausa narrative, tensions rise around the royal household as a marriage is covertly arranged between Prince Aliyu and Tasleem—two childhood enemies who despise each other. Hajiya Binta and Alhaji decide to keep the wedding a secret from Tasleem to avoid her massive tantrums, sending her away to Abuja under the guise of a shopping trip. Meanwhile, Aliyu experiences a vivid, highly pleasurable dream about an unknown woman, completely unaware that his arranged bride is the very person he detests. When Tasleem returns to the palace, a clumsy collision in the doorway—where she spills a drink on Aliyu—triggers one of her trademark dramatic public tantrums, leaving the Prince utterly astounded by her theatrical scheming.
Description
- Characters Involved:
- Tasleem: A spoiled, dramatic, and rebellious young woman who hates Prince Aliyu and loves gossip and pampering.
- Prince Aliyu (Yarima): A royal prince who deeply dislikes Tasleem and is entirely unaware of the true identity of his dream woman.
- Hajiya Binta & Alhaji: Tasleem's parents, who maneuver behind the scenes to manage her explosive personality and push through the royal wedding plans.
- Rashida & Amanda: Tasleem's new "besties" and confidantes who are secretly entangled in plotting and investigating the royal marriage dynamics.
- Ummah: The Queen/Prince's mother, who dotes heavily on Tasleem despite her antics.
- Setting: A prestigious royal household spanning across Kano and Abuja, transitioning between opulent dining rooms, palace corridors, and private quarters.
Analytics
- Primary Conflict: The impending, secretive arranged marriage between two sworn enemies (Tasleem and Aliyu) and the elaborate deceit required by their parents to prevent household chaos.
- Character Archetypes:
- Tasleem: The hyper-emotional, spoiled ingenue prone to manipulation and dramatic outbursts.
- Aliyu: The stoic, exasperated royal victimized by unexpected domestic chaos and bizarre framing.
- Thematic Elements:
- Deception and concealment within high-society family structures.
- The danger of toxic, opportunistic friendships (the "fake besty" trope).
- Childhood enmity transforming into forced proximity (enemies-to-lovers setup).