Life Of Imani

chapter 21

Iman woke up the next day and did her usual routine. She still felt strange living in the big mansion, but she didn't have much choice. By around 1 p.m., Nassim came into her room without knocking (as usual) and in Hausa said, "Tashi ki shirya, zamuje gaishe da iyayena" (Stand up and get ready, we're going to greet my parents). His voice was cold, and he didn't even look at her properly.

She sighed but did what he said. Iman picked out her best atampa fabric that was sewn into a beautiful bubu. She tied her Helen headscarf, making sure it was perfect, and then put on a matching veil. She wanted to look presentable even if Nassim didn't care.

When she was ready, she walked into the living room where Nassim was sitting. He was lounging in a chair, dressed super casually in black sweatpants, a loose black shirt, and a p-cap. He didn't even look like he was going to visit his parents, but it didn't seem to matter to him.

"I'm ready," she said to him in Hausa, her voice soft.

Nassim didn't even acknowledge her. He just got up and walked out of the house like she wasn't even there. She felt a little frustrated but followed him anyway. When they got outside, she saw him already getting into a black G-Wagon. She quietly got into the passenger seat, and without a word, they drove off toward his parents' house.

The silence in the car was heavy, but Iman kept her thoughts to herself, knowing better than to expect any kindness from him.

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The visit to Nassim's parents' house began on a surprisingly warm note for Iman. As they arrived, the grand door to the house was opened by maids after Nassim rang the doorbell. Iman felt a little nervous as they stepped inside, but she was greeted kindly.

Nassim's mother, Khadija, smiled warmly at her. "Wow, you're even more beautiful in real life," she complimented, making Iman feel a bit more at ease. Khadija's words felt genuine, and for a moment, Iman thought that maybe this visit wouldn't be so bad.

They showed her to a room where she could rest. Everything seemed peaceful until later that afternoon when it was time for Asr prayer. Iman headed upstairs to find a quiet spot to pray. That's when she encountered Zainab, one of the girls living in the house.

Assalamualaikum Iman said under her breath Zainab didn't answer
Then Zainab started giving Iman an attitude like when she asked for the qibla, she told her to look for it by herself,Iman then hissed

Zainab gave Iman a rude, mocking look. "So, you think just because you're married to ya Nassim now, you're something special, huh?" Her tone was dripping with sarcasm, clearly trying to provoke Iman.

Iman chose not to respond. She stayed silent, refusing to feed into Zainab's rude remarks. But her silence only seemed to anger Zainab more. Before Iman knew it, Zainab shoved her hard, and Iman's head collided with the wall.

A sharp pain shot through Iman's skull, and everything went dark as she collapsed to the floor. A scream escaped her, and that brought everyone running-Nassim's parents, his older sibling Abdullah, and his wife samira. Nassim himself arrived just moments later.

There was blood oozing from Iman's head, and she lay unconscious on the floor. The sight sent shockwaves through the house.

"What happened here?" Nassim's father asked sternly in Hausa, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Zainab.

Zainab, clearly shaken, stammered, "I-I don't know."

Nassim's mother, her face twisted with disgust, spoke up. "Well, it looks like you hit her, ko?!" She turned to Nassim's sister, Khadija, who was already kneeling beside Iman, trying to help her up. Iman was still lying on the floor, her face pale, unconscious from the blow.