Chapter two

Bayan video call ɗin ya yanke, Colonel Junaid ya jingina a kujerarsa cikin office ɗinsa a Libya. A cikin dakin akwai siririyar iska mai sanyi da ke kaɗawa daga cikin AC, amma ba ta isa ta sanyaya zuciyarsa da ke cike da tunani ba.

Ya dube laptop ɗinsa da screen ɗin da ya sake zama bak’i, kamar yadda zuciyarsa ta fara duhu da nauyin abin da Baba ya ce.

Ya sauke numfashi da nauyi, yana kallon framed photo na family ɗin sa da ke gefe na table — hoton su gaba ɗaya a lokacin bikin Commander Hakeem.

“It’s not like I don’t want to get married…” ya faɗa a hankali, yana ma kansa magana. “Of course I do. I want to have a family. Children. A home of peace. But—”

Ya dafe kansa. “I’m a man of principles. I can’t just settle for less.”

He remembered the kind of woman he dreamed of:

A lady of values. One with dignity, Kamun kai, and purpose. Not one chasing materialism or trends. Not one lost in the noise of modern chaos.

“yawancin matayanzu...Ba abinda suka fi so kaman social media lives…Instagram marriage lifestyle…not real marriages,”  

But now, Baba had spoken. And when Baba speaks, there’s no room for back and forth.

“I don’t have a say anymore.”

“If I’m not going to do this for myself... I should do it for Baba. For the man lying sick, possibly dying...”

Ya ɗaga kai, idonsa ya ɗanyi ja. “He deserves to see me married. Even if it’s not the way I planned.”

Junaid ya miƙe a hankali, ya juya ya kalli window — inda fitilun sansanin soja ke walƙiya a cikin duhun Libya.

Zuciyarsa a cike da tambayoyi da fargaba. Wacece za su zaɓa masa?

Zata iya jure zaman aure da shi?

Zata fahimci rayuwar soja?

Zata iya girmama tsarin zama da shi da kaidojin shi?

But despite it all, he whispered to himself:

“In Allah I trust.”