Chapter Ten

 

Basu daɗe da zama a motan ba couple ɗin suka shiga cikin hall ɗin, saida Imaani ta tabbatar by then kowa ya zauna tukunna tabada go ahead ɗin fita. 

Kallon Samuel tayi tace mishi, “Bazamu kai 2 hours ba aciki zamu tafi.”

Yace, “Yes ma.” 

Cynthia ta sauka ta buɗe mata ƙofa, Imaani ta fito Siddiqa ma tabiyo bayanta. A bakin ƙofar aka buƙaci pass ɗinsu sai Cynthia ta nuna ma security personnel ɗin kafin ta shigar dasu ciki. 

Ɗaya daga cikin ushers takai su assigned table ɗinsu dake can gaba wurin VIP section kamar yadda aka buga jikin card ɗin. Table ɗin yana kusada wani dake wurin bango nan Cynthia ta tsaya ƙiƙam daga gefe fuskarnan a haɗe ba ƙamshin rahama. 

Tun Imaani bata saba ba haka ta haƙura tunda tasan Abbu baya negotiating akan safety ɗin ƴaƴanshi kuma yanada dalili. Gwara Asma'u wani zubin ita tana zille ma nata bodyguards ɗin duk bada sanin Abbu ba amma banda Imaani.  

Ahankali tafara gaining attention ɗin mutane barin ma Cynthia that wasn't trying to be conspicuous at all. Kasancewan ɗaiɗaikun mutane ne suka shigo da escort ciki. Siddiqa dai sai hoto takeyi da wayarta tana ma Imaani hira wacce ke amsata akai akai.

Kiran wayarta akayi taduba taga Hammanta ne sai ta ɗauka.

Daga cikin wayar Rafeeq yace, “Kuna ina ne?”

Imaani tace, “Muna wurin bamu daɗe da zuwa ba.”

Yace, “Okay, I'm on my way.” Kafin ya yanke kiran.

Kasancewan table of eight ne kuma sune farkon zuwa so akwai extra seats a wurin. Wata usher tayi ushering wata mata da ƴarta nan table ɗinsu, suka samu wuri suka zauna daga can gefensu Imaani. Imaani nason yimusu sallama dukda su sukazo suka sameta, sanin abunda zatayi kenan agaban Ammi ko bayan idonta, amma matar bata bada wannan fuskarba balantana ƴarta sai kawai ta share.

Biki ya kankama MC ya dage sai barkwanci yakeyi, unexpectedly taga mutum yazo ya zauna a gefenta na dama inda babu kowa awurin. Cynthia ta matso gaba kenan Imaani ta ɗaga mata yatsu, dama haka yakan faru idan taje wurin biki.

Girarshi ɗaya ya ɗaga mutumin, daga yanayinshi tagane irin abokan angonnan ne masu rawar kan tsiya.

Buɗe bakinshi yayi yace, “Na gaisheki ƴammata, the name's Sadiq.”

Banza dashi tayi bata amsashi ba, sai yayi ƙasa da murya yace, “Haba princess dake nakefa nasan kinji ni.”

Ɗan juyawa tayi ta kalleshi, shigarshi dai na mutunci ne ba laifi. Shiba fari ba ba baƙi ba, light brown skin kenan. Yanayinshi ga dai shinan ne, jiki duk a mummurɗe. Irin mutanen nan ne da zubin farko zakaji basu maka ba. 

Kauda kanta Imaani tayi tace, “Baka iya sallama bane?”

Murmushin gefen baki yayi kafin yace, “Ai bansan malama bace, salamu alaikum.”

A ciki ta amsa da, “Wa alaikas salam.” Already feeling done with the event.

Sai yace, “Tunda kika shigo naganki, nace bari nabari kiyi settling kafin nazo na gana da gimbiyar.” Sai yayi ɗan dariya as if he said something funny. 

Siddiqa datayi kamar bata a wurin sai faman danne dariyarta takeyi ganin yadda yake trying too hard. Sanin halin yayarta yasa tasan inda zancen zai kwana. Yarinyar gefensu kam sai wani abu takeyi dan taja attention ɗinshi tunda wacce yake mawa ko takanshi bata bi ba, hankalin mamanta na kan wata mata datayi joining ɗinsu a gefenta.

Dayaga flows ɗinshi bai zuwa ko ina sai ya canza salo yace, “Zan iya samun number.n ki inyaso sai mu gaisa da kyau a waya?”

Frankly Imaani tace, “No bazaka samu ba.”

Yanda ya ɗaga girarshi sama yasa tagane ba'a taɓa rejecting ɗinshi ba. Yace, “Meyasa?”

“Hakanan kawai.”

Sai ya rasa mai zaiyi, kuma ga Cynthia data kafeshi da idanu. Amma a zuciyarshi Imaani ta tafi dashi gaba ɗaya.

Kafin yakuma cewa wani abu yaji muryar wani daga bayanshi na cewa, “Excuse me.”

Ajiyar zuciya Imaani ta sauke jin muryar Rafeeq, shikuma Sadiq dukda yaga reaction ɗinta sai ya kalli Rafeeq yace, “Why? Naga akwai wani seat ɗin ko?”

Siddiqa ce tace, “Hamma har kazo.” Wai saboda Sadiq ɗin yayi taking hint. 

Imaani da batason jan anymore attention ta ɗaga ma Cynthia hannu discretely ganin Sadiq ɗin kaman bayida hankali. 

Kafin Cynthia ta iso Rafeeq yace, “Nagani, interaction ɗinka da ƙanwata ce na datse.”

Kafin yace wani abun Cynthia tace ma Rafeeq, “Is there a problem sir?”

Still yana kallon Sadiq yace, “No there isn't.”

Ran Sadiq a ɓace ya miƙe ganin anfi ƙarfinshi ya kaɗa kai irin this isn't the end kafin ya wuce. Cynthia kuma ta koma inda take tsaye.

Fashewa da dariya Siddiqa tayi bayan Rafeeq ya zauna tace, “That was the lamest conversation dana taɓa ji. And daga gani he can't handle rejection.”

Zama Rafeeq yayi yana dariya shima, Imaani kuma ta girgiza kanta kawai. Sai sannan aka kawo abinci, su Imaani basu ciba sai matan dake table ɗin suka fara serving kansu. 

Yarinyar nan kuwa ai tana ganin Rafeeq ta fara ɓarin jiki, shi kuwa baima san akwai mutum a wurin ba danna wayarshi kawai yakeyi. Tanaso tayi ma Siddiqa magana ganin kaman zatafi Imaani sauƙin kai amma ta kasa, sanin tunda suka zo basuma kowa magana ba.

Rafeeq yacema Imaani, “When are you leaving? Nafara jin bacci daga wurin aiki nake.”

Imaani tace, “Bamu wani daɗe da zuwa ba, nan da one hour haka.”

“Well, idan nagaji zan tafi na barku ne.”

Tura baki tayi tace, “Kai Hamma bafa daɗewa zamuyi ba.”

Ɗaga mata kafaɗa yayi kafin ya cigaba da danna wayarshi.

Few tables daga bayansu Kubra ce ke girgiza kai tana kaɗa ƙafa bayan tagama observing duk abunda ya faru a table ɗinsu Imaani. Tayi mamakin ganinta a wurin sanin bada yawunta aka gayyaci uwarta bama, dukda taga Hauwan a wurin Kamu jiya. Anya Hajara tasan zagayen ƙarƙashin ƙasar da ake ma ɗanta kuwa? Amma idan Hauwa tasan wata ai batasan wata ba.

***

The next day daya kama bikin gidan maman Hafsa harda Ammi za'a je dinner da daddare. Intentionally Ammi tayi declining tayinda akayi mata na kai Amarya Abuja sanin bada zuciya ɗaya akayi ba, anyi ne kawai sanin kusancin Abbu da Abba da kuma gudun ɓacin ransu idan sunji daga baya.

Ammi tacema Siddiqa da ta fara fama da cramps tun safe ta zauna a gida sai suje da Imaani kawai, dama dinnern na manyan mutane ne harda su Abbu tunda Baban Hafsa zaiyi hosting kuma za'a karramashi saboda bai daɗe da dira ƙasar ba bayan tsawon lokaci.

A Eli Amanta Event Centre dake Barnawa za'ayi bayan Isha’. Nan duk suka shirya, Abbu yasha light green kaftan na men lace, Ammi tayi complementing ɗinshi da turquoise Swiss Voile Lace ɗinkin manyan mata na doguwar riga sai walwali jewelries ɗin jikinta sukeyi.

Kaman haɗin baki Rafeeq da Imaani duk cikin black sukayi dressing. Inda shi yasa baƙin yadi, ita kuma baƙin Tulle lace ɗinkin riga da skirt tasa. Irin kayannan mai kama da fitted gown amma bashi ba. Sai ta ɗora black kimono mara nauyi da akayi designing da ash flower patterns with beads akai tareda gyalenshi. Abuɗe tabar kimono.n sai ta ɗora gyalen delicately akanta zuwa kafaɗunta bayan tayi ɗaurinta mai kyau na zara buhari. Simple zirconian jewellery tasanya daga Dienté sai baƙin jaka da takalmi daga ZA Collections.

Drivern Abbu David da Chaffuer ɗinshi Horace sai team ɗin Ammi Mike da Sandra sukayi escorting ɗinsu a SUV biyu daya ɗaukesu duka. Horace da Sandra har cikin event centern suka shigarda su sai suka tsaya tare da other fellow escorts na sauran guests that were situated discretely by the walls.

Anci ansha ankuma taya masu biki murna. Table ɗinsu Abbu daban da inda su Imaani da Rafeeq suke, basu daɗe da zama ba Sameer yazo ya samesu ya gaisa da Rafeeq kafin ya samu wuri ya zauna. 

Jin shuru yasa Rafeeq juyowa wurinda Imaani take, tura baki tafara yi taƙi kallon inda yake dan har yanzu bawai ta huce takaicin wahalar da Sameer ɗin ya sata bane. A taƙaice tace, “Ina wuni.”

Shikuma Sameer dukda yasan albarkacin abokinshi yasa akai mishi wannan gaisuwar, dan ya karramashi yasashi amsawa da, “Lafiya.”

Bata ƙara bi takanshi ba har yatashi ya tafi ta cigaba da kalle kallenta, wurin ya tsaru sosai kuma yanda ake tafiyar da programme ɗin in a matured way ne ba kamar na jiya ba.  

Bayan sungama cin abinci Imaani ta fara gajiya zuwa lokacin, dama ba ma'abociyar shiga cikin mutane bace. Neman Ammi ta farayi, can taganta a wani table cikin mata sai hira sukeyi. Abbu ma yasamu wani wuri tareda Alh. Mukhtar da wasu mutanen ana ganawan yaushe rabo.

Muryar Rafeeq taji yana cewa, “Excuse me Boɗɗo ina zuwa.” Kafin ya tashi da waya a hannu.

“Excused.” Ta amsa mishi sai ta fara danna wayarta to while away time.

Sai ya rage ita kaɗai ce kawai a table of four ɗin tun bayan da Sameer ya tashi ɗazu. Kaman ta kirawoshi kam saigashi ya tunkaro inda take, haɗa rai tayi kafin ta cigaba da scrolling a wayarta har yazo ya zauna a kusada ita daga ɗayan side ɗin da Rafeeq ya tashi.

Sanye yake da Ash coloured dakakken shadda, kanshi ba hula sai tarin baƙin sumarshi mai laushi da yasha gyara yana a saisaye.

Muryarshi taji yana faɗin, “How are your injuries?”

Ɗan shuru tayi kafin ta ɗaga kai ta kalleshi, sai tace, “Fine.” Reluctantly ta ƙara da, “Thank you,” kafin ta ɗauke kanta ganin ya wani kafeta da idanu.

“Meye sunanki?”

Speechless tazama jin tambayar shi, to wannan rainin wayau ne ko iskanci ne kawai? Banza dashi tayi.

Yace, “I asked you a question.” 

Kaɗan ya rage ta zabga mishi wata uwar harara kamar na ranannan. Ganin ba wurinda zata gudu yasata dannewa.

Shi kuwa jira yake yaji me zata ce dan har ga Allah he didn't see anything wrong with what he said. Dagaske bai san sunanta ba kuma he wanted to clear the air between them sanin tana riƙe dashi tun ranar data faɗi a Kitchen ɗin Rafeeq. Yasan akwai contribution ɗinshi albeit unintentionally. 

Hannu yakai wurinta kamar zai ja rigarta tayi saurin kallonshi, pointedly yace, “Your name? And I won't ask again.”

Buɗar bakinta sai tace, “Nima bansani ba.” Bayan ta sakar mishi hararar dai data keta faman dannewa tun ɗazu.

Sautin murmushinshi taji kafin yace, “Dagaske in kinada raini ba a gabana kawai zakiyi ba. Har gaban wanda kike taƙama dashi, Rafeeq kenan, zakiyi.”

Imaani kicin kicin da fuska tayi tace, “Ni banida raini.”

“You think? Toh bari Hammanki yazo sai ki maimaita kanki Boɗɗo.” Ya ƙarasa mockingly. 

Ƙara haɗa rai tayi gabanta na gudu gudu, kardai mutuminnan dagaske yake? Tasan Rafeeq baya ɗaukar raini ko kaɗan, ta inda suke saɓani dashi da Asma'u kenan idan Asma'un na ma Imaani rashin kunya a gabanshi ko in yaji labari daga baya, yayima Asma'un kaca kaca tunda bata isa tayi mishi ba sai Imaani datake ganinta kamar sa'arta.

Ahankali tace, “Imaani.”

Jin shuru yasata kalleshi, hannayenta yake kallo with an almost fascinated expression. Maida hannayen tayi ƙasan table sanin complicated patterns ɗin Vitiligo.n ta yake kallo.

Sai yace, “It's beautiful, you don't have to hide it.”

Sharply tace, “I'm not hiding anything, I just don't want you looking at it.”

Wani murmushi ya saki kafin yace, “I don't see how that's your problem tunda da idanuna nake kallo.”

***

Guy how far, hattara da property.n Zunnurain fa🥱