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ZAKI BOOK 2 COMPLETE
She lay against his body like a supple cat, sleeping deeply and blissfully—Saddiqa and Aminu, the groom and bride who had just moved into their home the previous night. Amidst her sleep, she caught a foul, oppressive stench invading her nostrils. Unable to bear it, she began to toss and turn. Moments later, the smell intensified, as if her nose had been thrust directly into a room filled with a rotting corpse. Startled awake, the overwhelming odor completely made her forget that she was a newlywed bride lying right beside her husband.
Not yet fully alert, she assumed she was still at her family’s house where she shared a single mattress with her younger sister, Noor. She reached out and struck a heavy blow to the groom's back, entirely convinced it was Noor. The moment she delivered the strike, she quickly pulled back the blanket, scrambled off the bed, and bolted out of the room. The stench had completely churned her stomach, leaving a bitter taste in her throat. She was gagging, fighting off vomiting; as soon as she hit the floor and pulled back the blanket, she had suddenly remembered she was in her own home next to her husband. Shame for hitting her new groom washed over her, but the sheer intensity of the odor filling the room left her no choice, especially since the moment she struck him, he had released a resounding flatulence.
The groom, deep in sleep, felt a heavy blow to his back. The passing of gas he had just released coincided with him jolting awake. However, because the bride had already thrown off the blanket and fled, he found himself alone beneath the covers. Smelling the heavy, foul air that saturated the interior of the blanket, he pushed it aside and got up, gasping for the stagnant air of the bedroom, which had become entirely saturated with the odor.
Saddiqa finished dry-heaving—though she hadn’t actually vomited anything—and retreated to the living room, sitting on the couch while marveling at the sheer potency of that flatulence, completely unable to bring herself to re-enter the bedroom. As she sat there, Aminu emerged from the room. Ever since she fled, she had turned on the living room light. As he stepped out, he stood right in the center of the room, raising both arms upward in a massive stretch, his mouth wide open in a yawn, accompanying the yawn with praise to the Almighty.
"Baby!" she called out, looking at him.
Her address cut his yawn short. He turned toward her and said:
"Haba Saddiqa! How many times do you want me to repeat that I hate that name? Even before we got married, I told you I have no interest in these Western names. What is the logic behind it when I was given a proper Islamic name at my naming ceremony, yet people insist on calling me 'Baby' like an infant in diapers?" He spoke as he walked over and sat down right next to her. Without waiting for her to respond, he reached out to pull her into an embrace, but she slightly recoiled.
"Haba Saddiqa! Are you acting like I’m not your husband, dodging the hug I’m offering you?" he asked, looking at her with mild astonishment.
"Well now, Bab..."
"Didn't I just say I hate those non-Muslim names? Are you never going to stop saying it? Uhm, what's wrong with my name, Aminu, that you refuse to use it?" he asked, casting a cajoling, pleading glance at her.
"Now, because I call you a term of endearment, it becomes un-Islamic? Just from moving into your house yesterday, you're already starting to upset me? Is it true what people say—that marriage is just a matter of endurance? You hear people say the hardest part is getting married, and once the wedding is done, that's it. Some even say a marriage barely lasts two months before grief starts being packed into your life. And here I am, experiencing these concerning signs on literally day one of my marriage!" she finished, on the verge of tears.
He looked at her, then softened his voice, shedding the harsh tone he used a moment ago.
"I didn't mean anything serious by it. I just said I don't like that name, and you know even before we got married, I told you I dislike those kinds of names. Get up, let's go back to sleep. We were having such sweet sleep and you got up and left me, even hitting me in the back. Or do you not want me to sleep like a proper groom?" he asked, looking at her.
She forced a tight, awkward smile, wondering internally if he had any clue what he had just done to wake her up like that.
"Wallahi, Bab..." She trailed off, cutting herself off from uttering the banned name 'Baby'. She did it not necessarily out of complete submission, but because she was a woman who naturally craved romance and affection from her beloved.
"Some terrible odor woke me up; the whole room was warm and thick with a smell," she said evasively, not wanting to bluntly accuse him of passing gas.
"Could it be a dead rat?" he suggested, eyeing her.
She shook her head in disagreement.
"I think maybe I suffered from trapped wind (flatulence). I was asleep and didn't even realize it," he confessed with a light laugh, figuring out that she had clearly noticed his flatulence since she shook her head at his rat theory.
She raised her eyes and looked straight into his.
"Yesterday at home, they cooked porridge beans (faten wake), and I stuffed myself with it. You know how much I love bean porridge," he said.
She blinked slowly, closing and opening her eyes at him.
"A groom eating bean porridge on his wedding day," she said with a smile.
"You know what they say—the heart wants what it wants."
"True."
He reached out and took her hand in his. A wave of affection washed over her; truly, she loved Aminu deeply, which was why he had stood out above all her other suitors.
They got up, he switched off the living room light, and holding her hand, they returned to the bedroom. By then, the room's odor had mostly cleared out, save for a faint lingering trace. They went back to bed and resumed their honeymoon slumber.
At dawn, they headed into the en-suite bathroom to perform their hygiene routines. As she was making her ablution (wudhu), she noticed he was about to step out of the bathroom.
"Why are you leaving without making your ablution?" she asked, tossing the question his way. Even the previous night when they went to take their ritual bath, she had noticed he failed to perform ablution beforehand. He had started washing his head first, and only when she questioned him did he pretend to perform ablution the standard way. When she pointed out that for a full ritual bath (wusul), each body part should be washed thoroughly rather than performing the standard three-fold prayer ablution, he claimed he had forgotten because his head was throbbing from the wedding preparations. Furthermore, during the bath itself, he hadn't washed his right and left sides separately; he had just washed his entire body at once until she pointed it out, after which he claimed forgetfulness again before finally executing the proper ritual purification.
"Oh, right! I was planning to go dress up and then come back to do ablution when it's time for prayer."
"Just do it right now while you have your clothes off," she advised.
He answered with a compliant "Alright," turned back to perform his ablution, and then they emerged. He put on the same outfit he had worn the previous evening—the brocade (shadda) attire he wore in the afternoon when he went out with his friends for photos.
She didn't dwell on it. She put on a long flowing gown, spread out her prayer mat, and placed a Qur'an neatly beside the mat.
"Why did you only spread out one prayer mat?" he asked, turning to her in surprise.
"How many am I supposed to spread out?" she countered.
"What about me? You know a man and a woman don't stand side by side on the same single prayer mat for prayer, especially since I'm going to lead as the Imam."
"Wait, do you mean you're going to pray right here at home?"
"Where else would I pray?"
"Haba! You, a grown man, what has business got to do with you praying at home? Look outside, people are getting ready to go to the mosque. I heard the front gate open a little while ago, probably your older brothers stepping out." (The housing compound was divided into three sections: theirs, his older brother Shafi'u’s section where he lived with his wife Sumayya and daughter Ruma, and another older brother Sule’s section with his wife Amina and their two sons, Yusuf and Albani).
"Am I a groom or not?"
"Does being a groom mean you shouldn't pray in congregation? Are you going to miss out on congregational prayers just because you're a groom?"
His temper flared. He realized that if he didn't tighten his grip, Saddiqa was going to end up running things in this house. He decided to let this slide for the early days of their marriage, but soon enough, he would show her that south wasn't north.
He didn't say a single word; he turned around in a huff and walked out. What she didn't know was that he didn't care about religion in the least. He was a deeply untidy and ignorant person who cared nothing for acts of worship.
As soon as she finished her prayers and sat down to begin reading the Qur'an, she heard him return. He didn't even offer the Islamic greeting of peace. Judging by the timing, he must have bolted back the absolute second the mosque prayers concluded, without even performing post-prayer remembrance (adhkar), because she knew he was the very first to return—she hadn't heard the others come back yet.
She looked up at him, but he didn't even notice her gaze. He climbed straight onto the bed located in their bedroom, flopped down heavily, pulled the blanket up to cover his entire body except his head, and mumbled in a muffled voice:
"My bride, my groom—come on now, let's start earning some spiritual reward."
Without a word, she picked up the Qur'an—the multi-volume type split into ten-part sections (izoo), containing six volumes in total. She stood up and extended it toward him.
He stared at her in shock, slightly flustered, desperately hoping she wasn't asking him to recite aloud from memory, because if she was, she had bitten off more than she could chew.
"Take it and read at least two sections (izu biyu)," the echo of her voice cut through his thoughts. He locked eyes with her and said:
"Do you really need to force me to read, Saddiqa? Back when we were kids attending Islamiyya school, if I recall correctly, the very first Hadith taught to us was that all acts of worship are invalid without proper intention."
Seeing him launch into a defensive tirade, she calmly turned away with a cool heart, returned to her prayer mat, whispered the Basmala, and began reciting Surah Ya-Sin out loud.
Aminu, who had gone back to lie down under the blanket, realized her recitation was going to prevent him from sleeping. He propped himself up and said:
"Can't you just recite it silently in your heart?"
She didn't even turn around; she just lowered her voice slightly because she felt his behavior was crossing all acceptable boundaries—complaining even about the audible sound of the Qur'an.
"Close that Qur'an and come to bed," his voice cut her off.
Summary
The narrative follows Saddiqa and Aminu on the morning after their wedding. The newlywed bliss is comically interrupted when Saddiqa wakes up to an overpowering stench in the bedroom, caused by Aminu's flatulence. In a half-asleep panic, she strikes him thinking he is her younger sister, then flees the room in embarrassment. After clearing the air—literally, through humorous banter about bean porridge—they seemingly reconcile and prepare for the day. However, underlying tensions quickly surface. Saddiqa discovers major red flags regarding Aminu's lack of hygiene, his profound ignorance of and indifference toward religious obligations (such as ritual purification and congregational prayers), and his aversion to listening to the Qur'an. The story highlights the sudden, sobering clash between a romantic bride's expectations and the harsh reality of her husband's shortcomings on day one of their marriage.
Description
This is a contemporary Hausa romance-drama fiction excerpt (commonly categorized under modern Hausa littattafan soyayya). The prose vividly portrays domestic life, blending situational comedy—such as the awkward morning flatulence incident—with serious cultural and religious domestic conflicts. The setting is a multi-family compound in Northern Nigeria, capturing authentic local lifestyle details, marital dynamics, traditional naming conventions, religious expectations, and the stark contrast between romantic idealism and marital reality.
Analytics
- Character Dynamics: Aminu represents the flawed traditional archetype who expects immediate domestic compliance and authority ("showing her south isn't north"), yet lacks basic personal hygiene, religious discipline, and emotional intelligence. Saddiqa represents the romantic, pious, and emotionally expressive modern bride who values connection, faith, and mutual respect, but is abruptly forced to confront severe matrimonial incompatibilities.
- Thematic Contrast: The narrative uses sharp juxtaposition—shifting rapidly from lighthearted, intimate humor (the bean porridge flatulence joke) to heavy, sobering domestic tension (religious negligence and intellectual incompatibility).
- Cultural Realism: The text accurately embeds Northern Nigerian cultural nuances: compound living with extended family (brothers Shafi'u and Sule), traditional culinary staples (faten wake), Islamic practices regarding ritual baths (wusul) and congregational prayer, and marital communication patterns.
Comments
- Pacing & Realism: The transition from a deeply romantic and comedic opening to a serious exploration of marital incompatibility is swift. While the flatulence scene adds a human, humorous touch to break bridal nerves, the subsequent revelations about Aminu's religious apathy elevate the story from a simple comedy to a cautionary tale about rushing into marriage without vetting a partner's core values.
- Character Flaws: Aminu's resistance to congregational prayer and his annoyance at hearing the Qur'an recited aloud serve as major psychological red flags for Saddiqa, effectively foreshadowing a turbulent domestic future. His petulant rejection of the pet name "Baby" also establishes his rigid, control-oriented personality early on.
Conclusions
Day one of marriage shatters Saddiqa's romanticized illusions, proving that the real challenge of matrimony begins long after the wedding festivities end. The narrative skillfully uses domestic friction to expose deep-seated character flaws, leaving the reader anticipating how Saddiqa will navigate a life tied to a partner who is fundamentally misaligned with her spiritual, hygienic, and emotional standards.
DimensionContent / Analysis SummaryOn the morning after their wedding, Saddiqa wakes up to a foul odor caused by Aminu's flatulence, leading to a comedic escape and subsequent reconciliation over breakfast. However, marital friction immediately arises when Aminu shuns congregational prayers, displays poor ritual hygiene, and objects to hearing the Qur'an recited aloud, shattering Saddiqa's romantic expectations on day one. DescriptionA contemporary Hausa domestic fiction excerpt (littattafan soyayya) set in a Northern Nigerian family compound. It expertly blends situational comedy (such as the morning flatulence incident) with sobering cultural commentary, exploring the stark contrast between pre-marital romantic ideals and the challenging realities of traditional marital life. Analytics• Character Contrast: Aminu embodies an authoritarian yet undisciplined domestic archetype, whereas Saddiqa represents the pious, romantic, and emotionally expressive modern bride. • Psychological Foreshadowing: Aminu's aversion to congregational prayer and his annoyance at audible Qur'anic recitation serve as heavy red flags signaling future spiritual and domestic conflict. • Cultural Realism: Authentic embedding of Northern Nigerian compound structures, traditional foods like faten wake, and Islamic domestic purification rituals. Comments• Tone Shift: The narrative brilliantly transitions from lighthearted, humanizing comedy to severe domestic tension, turning what starts as a funny anecdote into a cautionary tale about partner compatibility. • Thematic Depth: The story emphasizes that the hardest part of marriage isn't just the wedding preparations, but discovering the hidden habits, hygiene standards, and core values of one's spouse.
