THE SHAMELESS BRIDE

*ZAYD ARMAAN*

*CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE:75*

*THE SHAMELESS BRIDE*

*JIDDAAH BARKUM*

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Bintu ta fashe da wata dariya mai bala’in ƙarfi, har da hawaye, tana karɓar wayarta daga hannun Mama Sabuwa. Mama Sabuwa kuwa kawai ta ƙure ta da idanu tana kallonta, kamar wacce take jiran ta gama wannan abin dariyar shirmen nata.

Sai da Bintu ta tsagaita da dariyar, ta share hawayen da suka taru a gefen idonta, sannan ta girgiza kai tana kallon Mama Sabuwa, “Haba Mama! Gaskiya na yarda shekaru sun ja! Ki dubi wannan uban fantsamemen gidan! Kice wai nan kukaje jeren Raihana? Ai Raihana har rayuwarta ta kare ba zata taɓa bi ta street ɗin da gidan nan yake ba ma, bare kuma a ce wai nan ne gidanta!” Ta ɗan yi shiru, sannan ta sake kallon Mama Sabuwa da wani irin expression na disbelief, “Na yarda dai ta auri me rufin asiri, amma ba dai irin wannan rufin asirin ba kuma!”

Mama Sabuwa kamar wacce aka yi wa formatting a brain, ta zuba wa Bintu ido na wasu seconds, shiru, babu magana, babu motsi. Sai kuma ta buɗe baki a hankali, “Bintu, kalleni nan.” Ta ɗan matsa kusa da ita, tana kallonta kai tsaye, “Wallahi tallahi, wannan shine gidan da muka kai Raihana. Kuma idan baki yarda ba, kina iya zuwa ki tambayi Khausar ko Maryam. Amma tabbas wannan ne gidan.”

Bintu tayi still staring at Mama Sabuwa, fuskarta ta sauya a hankali, kamar wacce aka jefa mata wata magana da brain ɗinta ya ƙi processing. Sai tace, “Ina zuwa.” Nan take ta buɗe WhatsApp ɗinta a wajen, ta shiga inbox ɗin Khausar, ba tare da ɓata lokaci ba, ta yi mata forwarding video ɗin. Luckily for her, Khausar was online.

Nan da nan Bintu ta rubuta, “Dan Allah kinsan nan ina ne?” Ta tsaya tana kallon screen ɗin, yatsanta na tapping a hankali a gefen wayar, seconds suka wuce… sannan minutes. Daga ƙarshe sai reply ya shigo. Khausar: “Ehh, gidan Rayy ne. Wani abu ya faru ne?” Bintu bata tsaya wani dogon bayani ba, wayar ta zube a gabanta da wani mugun karfi har idanunta suka lumshe na ɗan lokaci, kamar zuciyarta ta kasa ɗaukar abinda ta gani.

Mama Sabuwa ta dubeta, “Me tace miki?” Amma Bintu ta kasa cewa ko uffan. Kawai ta zuba idanunta a waje guda, kamar tana neman wani explanation da zai gaya mata cewa abinda aka faɗa mata ba haka bane. Her face suddenly changed, wannan ba dariyar baya ba ce, ba mamaki kawai ba ne. A hankali, wani irin yanayi ya mamaye fuskarta, ciwon hassada da mamaki at the same time.

Mama Sabuwa ta sake kallonta, wannan karon ma da mamaki, “Bintu?” Amma Bintu har yanzu shiru, idanunta suna tsaye waje guda, zuciyarta kuma kamar tana tambayar kanta abu ɗaya kacal: ta yaya wnn ya zama gidan Raihana?!

Raihana kuwa ta kwanta tayi shiru, ta rufe har kanta da duvet, zuciyarta na wani irin bugawa tana ji kamar zata fito ta bakinta gabadaya. Ta rasa meke mata daɗi a duniya. Ta juya nan, ta sake juyawa, tana ƙoƙarin samun position din da zai sa zuciyarta ta lafa, amma ina? Gabadaya ta rasa bacci a idanunta. Ta ja wani dogon numfashi a hankali, ta sake lumshe idanunta, amma zuciyarta ta ƙi nutsuwa, kamar akwai wani abu mai nauyi da ya zauna mata a ƙirji, kuma batsan menene ba, wanda ita kanta ba ta san yadda zata cire shi ba.

Har Suhaila ta fito daga wanka, ta gama duk abinda zatayi, ta shirya, sannan ta hau kan gadon. Ba tare da ta lura da komai ba, ta kwanta a ɗaya gefen gadon, ta gyara pillow ɗinta sannan ta lulluɓe jikinta. Raihana ta ja dogon numfashi, ta sake rufe idanunta, tana neman bacci, amma bacci kuwa? Yace sammmm baisan hanyar datake ba. Duk lokacin da ta yi ƙoƙarin nutsuwa, wani sabon tunani sai ya taso mata, ta buɗe idanunta a hankali, ta zuba su cikin duhun ɗakin, sannan ta sake rufe su kamar wacce take ƙoƙarin guduwa daga tunanin da ke damunta.

Har wajen ƙarfe 11 na dare, Inno da Ummie na zaune a lounge ɗin. Lounge ɗin ya yi shiru sosai, hasken chandelier ɗin yana sauka a hankali a cikin falon, yayin da agogon bango ke ci gaba da ticking ɗinsa cikin wani irin yanayi mai ƙara bayyana tsawon daren. Har Inno ta fara ɗan gyangyadi, kanta na ɗan yin nauyi lokaci-lokaci, amma ita Ummie idanunta na kyam a kan agogo time to time, kuma tana ta kallon ƙofar falon da fatan ganin shigowarsa. Ta ɗan gyara zamanta, ta sake kallon agogon, 11:02, ta sauke numfashi a hankali, sai ta sake kallon ƙofar, nothing.

A daidai lokacin ne wayar Inno da ke gefenta a kan stool ta fara ringing. Inno wadda bacci ya fara ɗaukarta ta yi firgigit ta buɗe idanunta, ta ɗan kalleta kamar wadda aka tashe ta daga wani dogon tunani, kafin ta sauke su a kan wayar, Mommy Hauwa ce ke kira. Inno ta ɗauka, ta kai wayar kunnenta, ba tare da tace komai ba tayi shiru kawai tana sauraron ta, fuskarta babu wani expression.

Muryar Mommy Hauwa ta fara amsakuwwa a kunnuwan Inno cikin halin ko in kula, “Assalamu alaikum uwata, barka da dare. Kinga dai gamu mun kawo amarya, amma masu kawo ta ɗin ma su Sameer sun fi awa da tafiya amma ba ango babu dalili sa! Ga shi Daddy ya fara kirana ya ji shiru har past 10 ban dawo ba, shi ya sa na ce bari na kiraki na faɗa miki, inaga dai Zayd bai ji maganarki ba wallahi, dan yana ganin kamar dole kika masa yayi auren nan, shi ya sa ya barmu a watse a gidan nan!”

Inno tayi shiru, ba ta amsa nan take ba, ta zauna tana sauraron Mommy Hauwa har ta gama, fuskarta tana ƙara yin tsauri a hankali. Ummie wadda take zaune kusa da ita ta ɗan kalli Inno, tana son jin me ke faruwa. Sai daga karshe muryarta ta fito a kausashe, “Ku wuce ku barta a gidanta! Ai kina sane cewa har yanzu kwanan uwargidansa bai ƙare ba; yanzu ma ya fara, dan yau ne za ta yi kwananta na biyu. Saboda haka, sai Seeyama ta jira ya gama kwanakinsa bakwai tukunna ya dawo ɗakinta.” Muryarta ta fito cikin nutsuwa, amma strictly, ba kamar shawara take bayarwa ba, kamar hukunci take bayyanawa.

Bayan ta gama faɗar haka, Inno ta kashe wayar, ta bar Mommy Hauwa riƙe da waya a kunne, ta saki baki tana jin ikon Allah. A gefe guda, Seeyama ta kalli uwarta da idanun da suka yi ja, fuskarta ta nuna disbelief, kamar wadda ta ji wani abu da ko kaɗan bai yi mata daɗi ba, “Mommy, me tace? Yana hanya ne?” Mommy Hauwa ta sauke wayar daga kunnenta, ta ɗan tsaya tana kallon Seeyama, ta san yarinyar nan, Seeyama won’t take this lightly.

Ta sauke numfashi mai nauyi, sannan ta girgiza kai kaɗan, “Wai kwanan uwargidansa ne yau tana kwana na biyu ne, kuma sai ta kwana bakwai kafin ya zagayo naki. Inaga sai ki haƙura ki zauna kawai, idan yaso sai Rabi ta zo ta zauna dake zuwa kwanakin su kare.” Ai kuwa sai Seeyama ta miƙe tsaye kamar wadda aka zubawa garwashi a ƙarƙashin kafafunta, idanunta suka ƙara buɗewa, ta kalli Mommy Hauwa cikin disbelief, “Wai Mommy, ni kike son na zauna ni kaɗai a gidan nan? Ni ba mayya ba, ni ba wacce tayi wani abun kunya ba. Ita da shi kenan suna can?… Inaa!” Ta fara girgiza kai da ƙarfi, hannunta ɗaya tana nuna kanta kamar ba za ta iya yarda da abin da aka faɗa mata ba, “Wallahi ba zan zauna ba! Saidai dukkanmu mu tafi can gidan mu zauna, nima a bani ɗaki kamar yadda aka bawa this so-called wife ɗin tasa ɗaki. Wallahi ba zai yuwu ba!”

Ta juya da sauri, ta janyo handbag ɗinta daga inda ta ajiye shi, ta cigaba da magana, “Ni da na san ma ba zai zo ba, da lokacin da aka tafi da wannan shegiyar banzar Bintun za a maida ita gida, da tun lokacin nima na bar gidan nan. Kawai mu je yanzu, idan kuma gida ne zaki wuce, ni zan ɗauki mota na wuce can gidan!” Mommy Hauwa ta yi saurin miƙewa, ta kamo hannun Seeyama, tana ƙoƙarin kwantar mata da hankali, “Listen to me, sweetheart! Kiyi haƙuri, kiyi zamanki anan, nan da 5 days ne ai zai dawo kuma ba zai yuwu a ce a kwana biyar ɗin nan bai zo ya ganki ba, tunda dai shine ya ajiye ki. Ki yi haƙuri, ga Safina za ta kwana dake, idan yaso sai na aiko Rabi gobe da sassafe.”

Amma sai Seeyama ta fizge hannunta da ƙarfi daga na uwarta, ta kalli Mommy Hauwa da wani irin haushi, idanunta cike da frustration, “Wallahi Mommy ba zan zauna ba! Sai na je… kenan ma ni zan musu gadin gidan?” Ta ɗaga hannu tana nuna dakin kamar ba za ta yarda a bar ta a wajen ba. Daga nan bata sake sauraron kowa ba, dama daga Mommy sai Safina ne kaɗai suka rage, kowa ya riga ya tafi gida tun ɗazu.

Ta nufi ƙofar da sauri, tana tafiya da wani irin fushi da ya bayyana a kowanne step ɗinta, da sauri ta fito compound tana kwalawa driver kira kamar ba dare ba, “Driver!” Ta sake ƙwala kiran cikin tsawa, amma babu amsa. Ta tsaya, ta kalli ko’ina cikin compound ɗin, nothing. Sai gate-man ne ya taso da gudu ya risina, “Hajiya, babu driver fa! Dama dake ba kowa a gidan ba a dauki driver ba tukunna.” Seeyama ta juyo ta kalle shi, ta watsa masa wani shegen kallo kamar shine ya kárrrr zomon, “Then where the hell are the car keys? Ina keys ɗin motocin gidan toh?”

Gate-man ya haɗiye yawu, nan ma ya girgiza kai yana rawar jiki, “Wallahi ba ni da access da su, my only job shine na kula da masu shiga da masu fita.” Seeyama ta lumshe idanunta na ɗa second kamar wadda take ƙoƙarin controlling anger ɗinta, amma abin ya ƙara mata haushi, “Damn it! Get out of my way!” Ta faɗa tana zazzaro idanu. Gate-man ya yi saurin matsawa gefe.

Seeyama ta ɗauki wayarta, ta buɗe application ɗin Uber ba tare da wasting any time ba, finger ɗinta na sauri-sauri kan screen yayin da take ordering, “Come on…” Ta furta a ƙarƙashin numfashinta. After like 10 minutes, the nearest one da tayi ordered yayi parking a ƙofar gate ɗin, tuni Mommy da Safina sun riga sun fito compound ɗin. Mommy Hauwa ta kalli Seeyama na ɗan lokaci, kamar har yanzu tana ƙoƙarin fahimtar irin wannan stubbornness ɗin na ta, Safina kuwa ta yi shiru kawai, ba wanda ya sake cewa komai. Daga nan suka shiga motar, Seeyama ta zauna cikin fushi, handbag ɗinta a gefenta, fuskar nan tata cike da pure annoyance. Motar ta fara tafiya, ba su zarce ko ina ba sai ARMAAN MANSION!

Zayd bai shigo gidan ba sai around 11:30 PM. A lokacin komai na gidan ya yi shiru, banda kaɗan daga cikin kukan tsuntsayen dare da ke tashi a hankali daga nesa, suna ƙara wa daren wani irin deep, quiet atmosphere. Kai tsaye ya karasa parking lot, ya kashe motarsa, engine ɗin ya yi shiru. Zayd ya ɗan jingina da headrest ɗin motar yana lumshe idanunshi, fuskarsa a nutse, babu wata alamar gaggawa, babu wata alamar damuwa, kamar mutumin da yake so ya fara tattara hankalinsa kafin ya shiga cikin gidan. Ya kusan minti 10 a wajen bai motsa ba, hands ɗinsa suna resting a hankali, numfashinsa yana fita cikin nutsuwa. Sai dai duk da wannan calm ɗin nasa, akwai wani irin unspoken tension da ke cikin yanayinsa.

Ba zato ba tsammani, sai ya ji ƙarar horn a bakin gate ɗin gidan. Zayd ya buɗe idanunsa a hankali, ya ɗan ɗago kai yana kallon direction ɗin gate. After few minutes, ƙofar ta buɗe, wata motar ta shigo compound ɗin, amma maimakon a yi parking a inda ya ajiye tasa motar, sai aka wuce can kusa da ƙofar shiga babban falon gidan. Ya kalli motar na ɗan lokaci, ba a wani ɗauki lokaci ba, su Seeyama suka fito daga motar, direban Uber ɗin yayi reverse ya bar compound ɗin gaba ɗaya. Daga inda Zayd yake zaune a cikin motarsa, ya kalli wajen, amma bai gane su waye ba saboda akwai distance da tazara sosai tsakaninsu, sannan sunyi backing ɗin shi ne. Ya ɗan jingina kansa baya, he simply watched, ba tare da ɓata lokaci ba, su Seeyama suka murɗa ƙofar suka shige ciki.

A lokacin a falon, Inno da Ummie na zaune har lokacin, duk da Inno dai bata fasa gyangyadi ba kuma taki tashi ta wuce ɗaki. Da suka ji shigowarsu, suka ɗago kai, har Inno da qarar bude kofar da takunsu ya sa ta bude idanunta sosai, duk suka zuba musu idanu. Seeyama da Mommy Hauwa da Safina kuwa suka shigo cikin falon suka zaɓi mazauni, babu wanda yayi yunkurin yin magana, kawai aka tsaya ana kallon-kallo. Akwai wani irin awkward silence da ya mamaye falon, babu wanda ya san wanda zai fara magana. Ummie ta kalli Seeyama, Inno ta kalli Mommy Hauwa, Mommy Hauwa kuwa ta ɗan gyara zamanta, tana kallon Inno da wani irin expression mai cike da unspoken explanation. Seeyama kuwa ta zauna tana ƙoƙarin controlling fushinta, amma idanunta suna yawo cikin falon kamar tana jiran mutum ɗaya kawai ya bayyana a gabanta, kowa na ta sake-sake a zuciyarsa.

Sai kuma ƙofar falon ta sake motsawa, a daidai lokacin ne kuma Zayd ya shigo, ya shigo da wannan irin calm, controlled walk ɗin nasa, ba arrogance ba, ba gaggawa ba, just that quiet confidence ɗin mutumin da baya buƙatar ya yi magana domin a lura da shi. Hannunsa ɗaya zube cikin aljihun shaddarsa, fuskarsa expressionless, unreadable, amma wannan karon fuskarsa ta fi ɗaurewa fiye da ko yaushe, akwai wani irin cold composure a tare da shi wanda ya sa ko tafiyarsa kaɗai ta ishe shi wajen kawo tension cikin falon. Ko kaɗan bai bi ta kan kowa a falon ba, asalin ma niyyarsa ya wuce sama straight to his room, amma ganin Ummie na zaune a wajen ya sa ya gane ba zai iya wucewa haka kawai ba ba tare da ya karasa wajen ta ba, saboda haka, ya ɗan sauya direction ya nufi inda take.

Yayin da yake takawa, idanun kowa a falon suka dawo kansa, musamman Seeyama, zuciyarta ke wani irin mugun bugawa, ta kafe shi da idanu, tana jin tamkar ta tashi ta rungume shi, ta fada mishi how deep take jin bala’in son sa a ranta, she had waited for this moment, and now that he was finally standing in front of her… Sai dai Zayd bai kalle ta ba, not even once, kai tsaye ya karasa gaban Ummie, ya ɗan risina a hankali, ya kama hannunta ya sumbaci bayansa cike da girmamawa, sannan cikin muryarsa mai sanyi da nutsuwa, ya ce, “Good evening, Ummie na. Barka da dare.”

Ummie bata ma san lokacin da wani lallausan murmushi ya kwace mata ba, ta ɗan janye hannunta a hankali ta shafa kumatunsa, “Barka da dawowa, Habibie, ina ka shige ne tunsafe kuma?” Zayd ya ɗan lumshe idanunshi na seconds kaɗan kafin ya buɗe su, “I slept off somewhere, Ummie.” Ummie tace cikin tsananin so da kulawa, “Hope you ate something there?” Ya dan jinjina kai yana wani dan ƙaramin murmushi, “Yes, Ummie.” Ta sake shafa kanshi cike da kauna, “Okay, now go and rest, okay?” “Tohm,” ya amsa a taƙaice yana miƙewa tsaye.

Mutanen da ke falon suka zuba musu idanu cike da mamaki, suna ganin yadda yake nuna musu total disregard, kamar ma Allah bai halicce su a wajen ba, shi kam Zayd ko a jikinsa, he simply had that way of shutting everything else out. Lokacin da yake son abu, hankalinsa yana kan abin ne kawai.

Zayd ya ɗan kalli Inno ta gefen ido, Inno wacce ta saki baki tana kallonsu ta ɗan gyara zamanta, sannan a hankali ta sauke numfashi cike da ɗan takaicin watsar da ita da yayi, ya kalleta na ɗan second, sannan a hankali ya ce, “Barka da dare.” “Ashe dai kasan da ni a nan? Ai shikenan, sai ka wuce ka huta, da safe zamu yi maganar.” Bai amsa mata ba, simply, he was already done talking.

Ya juya kai tsaye zuwa ga Mommy Hauwa, “Barka da dare, Mommy.” Mommy Hauwa ta haɗiye wani yawu mai taushi da ƙyar, ta ɗan buɗe baki, tana shirin amsa gaisuwar, amma kafin ma ta sami damar amsa gaisuwar, Zayd ya riga ya dauke kansa, ya ci gaba da tafiya da wannan calm, classy walk ɗin nasa ya nufi stairs, ba sauri, ba jinkiri, just completely composed, kamar duk wata hayaniya da ke falon ba ta shafe shi ba.

Yayin da yake hawa stairs, dukkan idanun da ke falon suka bi shi da kallo, Seeyama ta ci gaba da kallonsa har ya kusan ɓacewa daga ganinta, idanunta cike da wani irin mixture na love, frustration and disbelief. Inno kuwa ta ɗan kalli Ummie, Mommy Hauwa ta sauke numfashi, Ummie ta yi shiru, kowa na sakawa da warwara a zuciyarsa, amma Zayd… ya ci gaba da hawa sama cikin nutsuwarsa, unperturbed, impassive, self-possessed, kamar babu wani abu a duniya da zai iya sa shi ya rasa ikon kansa.