“What have I done to her? What did my wife and her unborn child ever do to you? What wrong has the baby, who has not even entered this world, done to you that you are claiming to want to kill him?”
He let out a hot sigh, leaned back into his chair, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them slowly again.
Like someone startled, he quickly stood up and began packing the small office items scattered on the table. When he finished, he pulled the office door shut and left.
The Princesses’ Conversations
Meanwhile, at Princess Aminatu’s section:
Hajia Mama had left in panic, and everyone watched her departure in shock.
Princess Saudatu stared intently at Shatu in deep surprise, shaking her head before leaving the room as well.
Shatu, unfazed, adjusted her sitting position as Princess Aminatu and Ummi came in. They greeted her and asked after her wellbeing. They all sat, talking lightly, but each woman had her own hidden thoughts.
Aminatu and Ummi kept silent about Hajia Mama’s strange exit, pretending not to notice so as not to alarm Shatu.
After some time chatting, Ummi noticed Shatu yawning repeatedly, her eyes heavy with sleep.
Since afternoon naps had become essential for her health, Shatu finally said:
“Ummi, let’s go. I need to sleep.”
Ummi agreed at once:
“Yes, let’s go, you’ve been yawning non-stop.”
They bade Aminatu farewell and returned to their part.
As soon as Shatu entered her bedroom, she fell onto the bed, and sleep quickly overtook her. Ummi also went to her own room.
Sheikh’s Secret Prayer Over Shatu
Later, Sheikh calmly parked his car and walked quietly, his lips moving in tasbih (remembrance of Allah).
In his family wing, silence reigned—everyone was asleep. He slipped quietly into Shatu’s section, entered her bedroom, and sat gently on the edge of her bed.
She lay there, deep in sweet sleep, breathing softly.
Slowly, he leaned closer, adjusted her dress slightly upward, and placed his palm gently on her pregnant belly. Together, they exhaled in rhythm.
In a low, tender voice he whispered:
“Ana Uhubbuk ya habibi. I love you, I love you. I fear anything that could harm you and your mother.”
Though awake, Shatu kept her eyes shut, pretending to remain asleep.
Sheikh bent down, kissed her stomach, then began reciting prayers, blowing softly onto her belly while rubbing it with his palm.
Peace and calm overwhelmed her, and she drifted into a deeper, serene sleep.
His supplication continued softly:
“O Allah, You are the Giver of life and the Taker of life. You grant and You withhold. You test Your servants with illness, and You alone grant healing. By the holiness of the Qur’an, the greatness of Your Throne, and the love of Your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), O Allah, grant this child life, health, and safety. Let him be born well, bless his life, and protect him and his mother.”
He sealed his prayer with another kiss on her stomach, tucked her in properly, and left quietly for his own section.
Hajia Mama and the Dark Plot
Elsewhere, Hajia Mama sat before a terrifying man, Boka Gilmau, whose appearance was dreadful and unsettling. His harsh voice echoed:
“I warned you to beware of that pregnancy. If you harm it, everything will collapse. The ancient secret hidden for many years will be exposed, and the world will see your true face.”
Furiously, she shouted:
“Didn’t I come to you for a solution? You yourself said if that bastard girl gives birth inside the Joda palace, everything will be ruined for me. How then can you now tell me to let her carry it to term? No! I must destroy it—whether by herbs, by sending Jahan to stab her belly, or by hiring thugs to slaughter every descendant of Aisha!”
Boka Gilmau laughed wickedly. The mountains and caves around them echoed the sinister sound until Hajia Mama shivered. Thick black smoke engulfed them.
She said coldly:
“Summon your demons. Let them suck the blood of that girl and kill the child. Whatever they demand, I’ll provide.”
With a change of tone, the sorcerer replied:
“Do not worry, Hajia Halima, your wish will be granted. But you must pay one million naira first.”
Quickly, she emptied her bag full of cash before him, far more than required.
“Here it is! Just kill the pregnancy and silence her. And make sure Jafar abandons his Qur’anic studies, for only then can I bury the old secret.”
The sorcerer laughed again as the smoke vanished.
“This is a war between truth and falsehood, between light and darkness,” he warned.
“Who are the liars and who are the people of light?” she asked.
“Those who hold firmly to Allah and His Messenger are truth and light. As for me, I wash my hands off. Whoever clings to Allah cannot be overcome, no matter how long the battle lasts.”
“I am satisfied!” she insisted, leaving the cave.
She trekked a long distance through the wilderness until she reached her car, exhausted from both the walk and her wicked schemes.
Later that night, around 10 p.m., Hajia Mama secretly met Sheikh disguised as Jahan. She informed him of the sorcerer’s promise to destroy Shatu’s pregnancy.
Though outwardly calm, Sheikh cursed her thoughts in his heart, trusting Allah’s protection. In disguise, he answered her in a rough voice:
“Every day is for the thief, but one day is for the owner.”
Believing she had secured Jahan’s support, Hajia Mama returned home. Sheikh, still disguised, slipped into his own quarters—only to be followed by Shatu, who mistook him for Jalal.
When she finally saw his masked face clearly, she gasped:
“Jahan!”
Quickly, Sheikh removed the mask, changed his clothes, and soothed her fears. She was trembling, so he embraced her, whispering:
“It’s me, your Sheikh.”
He convinced her to return to her room, where he prayed over her again, kissed her belly, and comforted her until she fell asleep.
Description
Sheikh’s Distress and Departure
In a state of anxiety, he continued speaking:
“What have I done to her? What did my wife and her unborn child ever do to you? What wrong has the baby, who has not even entered this world, done to you that you are claiming to want to kill him?”
He let out a hot sigh, leaned back into his chair, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them slowly again.
Like someone startled, he quickly stood up and began packing the small office items scattered on the table. When he finished, he pulled the office door shut and left.
The Princesses’ Conversations
Meanwhile, at Princess Aminatu’s section:
Hajia Mama had left in panic, and everyone watched her departure in shock.
Princess Saudatu stared intently at Shatu in deep surprise, shaking her head before leaving the room as well.
Shatu, unfazed, adjusted her sitting position as Princess Aminatu and Ummi came in. They greeted her and asked after her wellbeing. They all sat, talking lightly, but each woman had her own hidden thoughts.
Aminatu and Ummi kept silent about Hajia Mama’s strange exit, pretending not to notice so as not to alarm Shatu.
After some time chatting, Ummi noticed Shatu yawning repeatedly, her eyes heavy with sleep.
Since afternoon naps had become essential for her health, Shatu finally said:
“Ummi, let’s go. I need to sleep.”
Ummi agreed at once:
“Yes, let’s go, you’ve been yawning non-stop.”
They bade Aminatu farewell and returned to their part.
As soon as Shatu entered her bedroom, she fell onto the bed, and sleep quickly overtook her. Ummi also went to her own room.
Sheikh’s Secret Prayer Over Shatu
Later, Sheikh calmly parked his car and walked quietly, his lips moving in tasbih (remembrance of Allah).
In his family wing, silence reigned—everyone was asleep. He slipped quietly into Shatu’s section, entered her bedroom, and sat gently on the edge of her bed.
She lay there, deep in sweet sleep, breathing softly.
Slowly, he leaned closer, adjusted her dress slightly upward, and placed his palm gently on her pregnant belly. Together, they exhaled in rhythm.
In a low, tender voice he whispered:
“Ana Uhubbuk ya habibi. I love you, I love you. I fear anything that could harm you and your mother.”
Though awake, Shatu kept her eyes shut, pretending to remain asleep.
Sheikh bent down, kissed her stomach, then began reciting prayers, blowing softly onto her belly while rubbing it with his palm.
Peace and calm overwhelmed her, and she drifted into a deeper, serene sleep.
His supplication continued softly:
“O Allah, You are the Giver of life and the Taker of life. You grant and You withhold. You test Your servants with illness, and You alone grant healing. By the holiness of the Qur’an, the greatness of Your Throne, and the love of Your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), O Allah, grant this child life, health, and safety. Let him be born well, bless his life, and protect him and his mother.”
He sealed his prayer with another kiss on her stomach, tucked her in properly, and left quietly for his own section.
Hajia Mama and the Dark Plot
Elsewhere, Hajia Mama sat before a terrifying man, Boka Gilmau, whose appearance was dreadful and unsettling. His harsh voice echoed:
“I warned you to beware of that pregnancy. If you harm it, everything will collapse. The ancient secret hidden for many years will be exposed, and the world will see your true face.”
Furiously, she shouted:
“Didn’t I come to you for a solution? You yourself said if that bastard girl gives birth inside the Joda palace, everything will be ruined for me. How then can you now tell me to let her carry it to term? No! I must destroy it—whether by herbs, by sending Jahan to stab her belly, or by hiring thugs to slaughter every descendant of Aisha!”
Boka Gilmau laughed wickedly. The mountains and caves around them echoed the sinister sound until Hajia Mama shivered. Thick black smoke engulfed them.
She said coldly:
“Summon your demons. Let them suck the blood of that girl and kill the child. Whatever they demand, I’ll provide.”
With a change of tone, the sorcerer replied:
“Do not worry, Hajia Halima, your wish will be granted. But you must pay one million naira first.”
Quickly, she emptied her bag full of cash before him, far more than required.
“Here it is! Just kill the pregnancy and silence her. And make sure Jafar abandons his Qur’anic studies, for only then can I bury the old secret.”
The sorcerer laughed again as the smoke vanished.
“This is a war between truth and falsehood, between light and darkness,” he warned.
“Who are the liars and who are the people of light?” she asked.
“Those who hold firmly to Allah and His Messenger are truth and light. As for me, I wash my hands off. Whoever clings to Allah cannot be overcome, no matter how long the battle lasts.”
“I am satisfied!” she insisted, leaving the cave.
She trekked a long distance through the wilderness until she reached her car, exhausted from both the walk and her wicked schemes.
Later that night, around 10 p.m., Hajia Mama secretly met Sheikh disguised as Jahan. She informed him of the sorcerer’s promise to destroy Shatu’s pregnancy.
Though outwardly calm, Sheikh cursed her thoughts in his heart, trusting Allah’s protection. In disguise, he answered her in a rough voice:
“Every day is for the thief, but one day is for the owner.”
Believing she had secured Jahan’s support, Hajia Mama returned home. Sheikh, still disguised, slipped into his own quarters—only to be followed by Shatu, who mistook him for Jalal.
When she finally saw his masked face clearly, she gasped:
“Jahan!”
Quickly, Sheikh removed the mask, changed his clothes, and soothed her fears. She was trembling, so he embraced her, whispering:
“It’s me, your Sheikh.”
He convinced her to return to her room, where he prayed over her again, kissed her belly, and comforted her until she fell asleep.