Mayraah Hausa Novel Complete
Usman walked beside Maheer and passed his room. Maheer turned to face her and said, “Who said you’re getting married? You’re just going on a short vacation and then coming back. We can’t survive without your cooking in this house.”
She slowly wiped her tears while looking at him. Maheer smiled and added, “But I noticed you brought this man to our house. Who else would’ve done it if not you?”
She glanced at the money in his hand and stood up, saying, “Hand it over so I can deposit it into my account. Don’t try anything funny—I don’t trust you with money.”
He opened his mouth in surprise, but before he could respond, she burst into laughter and quickly walked away. Shaking his head, he turned and went to his room.
Later, as she prepared for bed, her phone rang on the table beside her mirror. Picking it up, she glanced at the screen and saw who was calling. Placing the phone to her ear, she greeted softly, “Good evening, sir.”
In his calm voice, he replied, “Evening, Mayraah.” Hearing her name, she instinctively bowed her head as if he could see her through the phone.
“Have you finished your defense slides?” he asked.
“No,” she replied. “I want you to review them first before I continue.”
“That’s thoughtful of you,” he said.
There was a brief silence. Then he asked, “And Ammi?”
“They’re fine,” she answered.
“Maa sha Allah,” he said. “I’m traveling tomorrow, so I need to sleep early. Is there anything you want to tell me?”
She shook her head slowly, even though he couldn’t see her, and said, “No. May Allah grant us a safe morning.”
“Ameen. Good night,” he replied before ending the call.
She stared at her phone screen, reflecting on his words. Of course, he must have expected her to mention the money brought to her. Shaking her head, she placed the phone down, prayed, and tucked herself into bed.
The next morning, at eight o’clock, Mayraah entered the parlor to find Ya Usman seated alone at the dining table, eating breakfast. She stood behind one of the chairs and greeted him.
He glanced up and replied, “How was your night?”
“Alhamdulillah,” she said.
They sat in silence for a moment before she broke it, asking, “Why are you having breakfast so early when you don’t have court today?”
Without looking up, he replied, “I’m going for a walk.”
She nodded, then added with a faint smile, “You look cute.”
He looked up at her, his expression neutral, without any sign of flattery. She chuckled, “Yes, I mean it.”
Just then, Ammi emerged from the kitchen and asked, “Mayraah, don’t you have lectures today?”
“Ammi, it’s Saturday,” Mayraah replied, taking a seat at the dining table. She turned to Usman and said, “How about I join you?”
He pushed the flask of tea toward her without a word.
By mid-morning, villagers were already arriving at the house to give Ammi money for Mayraah’s wedding—their last daughter’s big day.
Despite his wealth, Alhaji Mahmud preferred staying in the area where he was born. He had grown up there after marrying Ammi and chose to remain even when his fortunes changed. It was here that Mayraah’s mother passed away when she was just two years old.
Years earlier, Alhaji Mahmud had struggled to provide for his family. They moved to Ammi’s hometown of Yola when times were tough. While Maheer and Usman stayed behind with their grandmother in Kano, Mayraah joined them in Yola. The family endured hardships until Alhaji Mahmud’s business exporting goods to Cameroon began to flourish.
Soon after, they returned to Kano, and Alhaji Mahmud built a grand home in his childhood neighborhood. He also installed five water pumps at his gate for the community to use, as the area faced a severe water shortage. Every Wednesday and Friday, he gave out charity, making the house a hub of activity as students, men, women, and children gathered to benefit from his generosity.
