Fansar Kauna Book Compeleted

Description

About the Book and Key Points

About the Book

"Fansar Ƙauna!" (which translates roughly to Redemption of Love or A Price Paid for Love) is a gripping contemporary Hausa romance and family drama written by popular author Hadiza D. Auta. Known for her emotionally charged storytelling and deep exploration of societal expectations, traditional marriages, and complex interpersonal betrayals, Auta crafts a harrowing narrative here. The story subverts traditional romance tropes by placing the protagonist, Minal, into an unexpected and emotionally devastating arranged/forced marital swap on her best friend's wedding day.

Key Points of the Excerpt

• The Sudden Betrayal and Twist: On the wedding day of her best friend, Nur, Minal discovers that Nur has mysteriously fled, and the groom, Jamal, has ended up married to Minal instead of Nur.
• Family Pressure and Ultimatums: Both Minal's mother (Innarmu) and Jamal's mother (Hajiya Mummy) strictly forbid Minal from leaving the marriage, treating it as an unchangeable decree of destiny (ƙaddara). Innarmu issues a severe warning, telling Minal she will incur divine wrath if she walks out on her husband.
• Jamal's Rage and Rejection: Jamal is furious, grief-stricken, and obsessed with finding Nur. Upon returning to the house, he explicitly tells his mother and Minal that he will never love Minal, view her as a wife, or look at her as anything other than a stranger sharing his roof.
• Minal's Inner Turmoil: Trapped between her own shock, her love for her friend Nur, her confusion over why Nur fled, and the cruel hostility of her new husband Jamal, Minal experiences intense psychological distress, contemplating flight or even self-harm before resigning herself to a sleepless, tearful night.
• Foreshadowing Past Clues: Minal reflects on Nur's strange behavior, tears, and cryptic words right before the wedding, realizing too late that Nur was harboring a heavy secret.

English Translation of the Excerpt

(Note: This translation faithfully captures the emotional depth, dialogue nuances, and dramatic tension of the original Hausa text provided.)

Part One

The moment they left the room caused Minal to burst into a deep, agonizing cry filled with mucus. Amna, who had been standing frozen in one spot like a planted tree while shedding tears, was moved by Minal's sobbing. She stepped closer to her with deep sympathy, tapping her shoulder gently without saying a word. Amna herself was completely bewildered and desperately needed an explanation, because she couldn't fathom why such a thing had happened directly. Yet, she held absolute certainty that Minal would never intentionally hurt Nur—just as Jamal had suspected Minal of being the reason Nur fled.

The ringing sound of Minal's phone interrupted the silence. Amna rushed over in trembling haste to pick it up, seeing that "Innarmu" (Our Mother) flashed across the screen, contrary to their fearful guess that Nur might be calling again. With a raspy, dampened voice, Amna said: "Take your phone, your mother is calling."

Minal snatched the phone hastily, pressed it to her ear, and fresh tears broke out of her eyes. This was due to the heartbreaking words her mother uttered right away, sounding like terrible news: "Have patience, Amina. That is your destiny; try your best to bear it."

Hastily wiping the tears from her face, Minal stared in shock at her mother’s words, never imagining that her mother already knew the mess Nur had cooked up. Gathering her inner strength, she swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke in a fragile, trembling voice: "What are you trying to tell me, Innarmu? Don't tell me you already heard about what Nur did...?"

"I've known since before now, Amina, and knowing the state you would fall into is why I called to issue a warning. But please, have patience, embrace your destiny and your marriage with both hands. Do not look at the challenges you will face from your husband. By God, you will do it, and your reward will come from..."

In a weeping tone, Minal cut her off: "I don't understand, Innarmu! My mind is completely boggled! How am I supposed to face what I am hearing from your mouth? Jamal, Nur's groom whose wedding ceremony we attended today with the whole world as a witness—is he the one you expect me to live with as my lawful husband?"

She finished speaking while wiping away the parade of tears marching across her face. Her entire body shivered uncontrollably like a reed in a storm, the sheer terror draining the last drops of energy from her frame.

Her mother let out a heavy sigh before uttering words that froze Minal's breath. Her statements pierced straight through Minal's heart, plunging her into a terrifying panic capable of driving someone insane: "Amina, Jamal married you, not A'isha (Nur). Therefore, I will never forgive you if you take a single step out of that house under the pretext of leaving, unless you follow the proper channels to reconcile with your husband."

Click. Her mother hung up the phone, leaving Minal holding the device to her ear with wide, unblinking eyes, before she let out a shriek, slammed the phone onto the floor, and emitted a scream so piercing that a little bit of urine slipped out of Amna due to sheer terror and fright.

The shock paralyzed Amna, leaving her unable to move except to stare wide-eyed at Minal, who was rolling back and forth on the middle of the floor, wailing aloud like someone struck by jinn. Realizing everything they had discussed, Amna's hands trembled as she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Jamal's mother, Hajiya Mummy.

Fortunately, Hajiya answered immediately, speaking in a panicked voice that showed she, too, was nearly losing her mind: "Ha... Hajiya Mumm... mummy, please come to Uncle J's house, something is terribly wrong!"

From the other end, Hajiya's voice came through strained and breathless: "Try to calm her down; I am already on my way to the house now. His friends informed me that he yanked open his car door and sped off, and we don't know what might happen to hi..." She finished speaking through sobs and hung up the call.

Amna’s body felt utterly limp. Summoning her remaining courage, she crawled over to Minal, who was still rolling on the floor and beginning to talk: "Have patience! I know you are bound to feel this way because of what happened. But remember, everything in this world has a beginning and an end. Embrace your destiny just as Innarmu said; perhaps this will turn out to be a blessing in disguise..."

"Now you want me to stand here and listen to you lecture me about how Jamal loves Nur and not me?! How can I possibly live with someone who hates me? Right in front of you, he just threatened to kill me! The man who wants to commit murder against my life is the one I am supposed to live with as husband and wife? It is impossible... and I am not even happy about his separation from Nur, because I know she loves him too!"

She finished speaking while sniffling back her mucus, a burning fury rising within her like smoke threatening to blind her. Kneeling before Amna on both knees, she spoke in a soft, pleading voice: "Please help me, help save Jamal's life in your capacity as his sister. Please, when Hajiya arrives, tell her to beg Innarmu to lift her curse (Allah Ya isarta) off me. Even if I have to wander the earth, I have sworn to leave Jamal's house. Even if I just step outside his gate, her curse will catch up to me and I will start going piecemeal..."

"Stop it, Minal! Do not let anger plunge you into the wrath of the Almighty. Have patience, let's see how this turns out, without you making a permanent decision that will ruin your life..."

Minal hastily jumped to her feet and began pacing back and forth across the room, shouting: "My life has no value anymore since this monstrous act was carried out behind my back. Therefore, I won't invoke Allah Ya isa on anyone, but I swear I will never forgive..."

"Minal!" Amna shouted her name sharply, gripped by a fresh wave of fear and anger upon hearing words that sounded like she was losing her sanity, despite all the consoling.

"Leave me alone! I have every right to say whatever I want since this atrocity was done to me without my consent. Even if it kills me, I can never live a married life with Jamal! And if you all push me, before he kills me, I will take my own life and send myself straight to the afterlife!"

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihirraji'un! What kind of catastrophe is this?!"

Those were the words of Hajiya Mummy as she burst into the room, stumbling over her own feet because Minal's desperate words had met her right at the door. "I know you were wronged because no one consulted you before carrying this out. But calm your heart; nothing will happen except goodness. I am Jamal's mother, and I repeat: I will never forgive him if he dares divorce you!"

A fresh wave of sobs broke from Minal as she slapped her hands against her head and wailed, feeling deep in her soul that her life had been utterly shattered. Just then, Hajiya's phone rang. Halting her attempt to comfort Minal, Hajiya picked up the call. After listening to what was being reported, she spoke with a stern, hard face: "Adamu, hand him the phone!"

One of the groom's friends had called, and without wasting time, they handed the phone to Jamal. His voice came through muffled and weary: "Hajiya Mummy, I am not coming back home unless it is with my wife. Tell everyone to go their separate ways and leave me alone; I will go find Nur myself..."

"I said come back! I am right inside your house, and you are the only one I am waiting for." She hung up the phone, her eyes fixed on Minal, who stood rooted to the spot like a planted tree, unable to make a proper movement. "Calm your hearts,, In sha Allah nothing will happen except goodness. The marriage has already been solemnized, and there is no separation (yaji), nor divorce (saki), except death do you part, by the grace of God."

Minal shot Hajiya Mummy a look before going back to biting her fingernails, plotting how she would escape the house in the middle of the night. She had sworn to herself to keep Jamal strictly forbidden until Nur returned to him.

With soothing words and coaxing, Hajiya finally managed to quiet Minal down. Amna sat nearby resting her chin in her hand, remembering certain things Nur had done during the wedding preparations—things whose true meanings and intentions she was only now beginning to understand.

The room fell silent, save for the hum of the AC and the chirping of birds outside in the trees. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, sinking into a heavy stillness as if bound by a vow of silence.

Hajiya Mummy broke the silence by checking her phone screen and dialing Jamal once more. With her temper flaring, she gave him a strict ultimatum to return home within five minutes flat, realizing that without a firm hand, his recklessness might break her heart—and inviting such a disaster would unleash fresh turmoil upon the family.

Shortly after ending the call, they heard the crunch of tires as a car pulled into the compound. Minal's heart hammered frantically (dam-dam), knowing that running into Jamal right now would feel like walking straight to her execution, especially remembering the brutal choking he had given her earlier while trying to attack her.

She bolted upright, darting wild glances around as heavy footsteps approached the room. The moment the door swung open, she scrambled frantically into the adjoining bathroom, driven by a blinding panic.

She slid down to the floor after locking the bathroom door behind her, her body trembling as she let out a soundless, orphan-like cry—shedding no tears, just deep, guttural groans born of utter frustration at the prison sentence handed to her life.

“Why did you do this to me, my best friend?” That was the question she hurled at her own heart, utterly unable to comprehend why Nur chose to run away and abandon Jamal despite her burning, deep love for him.

“Could Nur have seen something in me indicating that I secretly desired Jamal without my realizing it?” It was a self-accusation without proof, wondering if a simple misunderstanding drove Nur to stab her in the back.

“Go back to your lover, my friend. I never felt any love for him.” She muttered this aloud as if believing Nur could hear her, speaking in a soft, broken, heartbroken whisper.

Right at that moment, she began to hear Hajiya Mummy's raised voice scolding Jamal in the room outside. Her body shook, and a hot tear tracked down her cheek as she recalled every single word spoken and the response Jamal gave: "Your marriage to Minal was solemnized for a very weighty reason. Therefore, I will never forgive the breast of mine you suckled if you divorce her. And know this: A'isha is not your wife because no marriage was contracted with her. If you submit to the choice Allah has made for you, you will see its benefits ahead. But if you torment this innocent girl, she will leave you because she was pushed into this blindly..."

"Hajiya, I will never love her! I am telling you this so you know I can never look at her as a woman. There is nothing about her body I will ever care for during all our time in this house. The only difference between her and a man in my eyes is the clothes she wears..."

The harsh look Hajiya threw at him made him stagger back on dizzy feet as he retorted: "I am telling you the truth, because Nur is the one I planned my life around, and I will find her wherever she is on the face of this earth!"

(By D. Auta 👩🏻‍🦯)

Part Two

Minal remained locked inside the bathroom for a long time without moving even a finger, because her whole world had turned upside down. She was completely unable to figure out what the way forward was, what she should do, or how she should act.

A knock on the door pulled her back to reality, prompting her to let out a long, heavy sigh. She sprang up as if pricked by a needle, struggling to unlock the door while trying to steady her nerves.

"Do not let your heart be troubled by this problem, because In sha Allah, your union with him is blessed, and as long as I live, I will not let Jamal treat you however he pleases."

Those were Hajiya’s words when Minal opened the bathroom door. Hajiya grabbed her hand, led her to sit on the bed, and continued: "Have patience, because there is no better word than patience, even if it tastes bitter. We are leaving for home now. Goodnight, and may God spare our lives until tomorrow."

Hajiya stood up, massaging her head while showering her with prayers filled with genuine sympathy. She prayed blessings over the marriage—prayers that even in the deepest corners of her heart, Minal felt she could never say "Amen" to.

As Hajiya moved to leave, Minal hastily grabbed her hand, sank to her knees, and tried to suppress the sobs threatening to tear through her. Summoning her courage, she spoke in a subdued, fragile voice: "Please, if you know the real reason why Nur abandoned my marriage to him, tell me... because I will never forgive myself if I stepped between her and her groom. If it is true that she ran away and left me her lover on this day she had anticipated for so long, I will keep interrogating myself from today until the day I die. Tell me the truth, please Hajiya, because my heart will never find rest unless I know why Nur left Jamal for me."

"Hmmmmm!"

That was the sigh Hajiya let out before pulling Minal back to her feet and gently patting her back to comfort her. By then, tears had betrayed Hajiya as well, streaming silently down her cheeks.

"Whatever the reason was that made her leave him for you, leave it in the past from today. Accept your husband, and calm his nerves by finding a way for the two of you to mend things without anyone else knowing. Jamal has a fiery temper, but he is also easy to handle if approached the way he likes."

Hajiya paused, glancing to the side while Minal kept her head bowed, weeping softly. Desperate to steer the conversation further, Minal tried again: "The night is growing late, Amina. Forgive me, I forgot about the food in the car; Amna will bring it to you before we leave. Relax and eat; do not starve yourself. In sha Allah, everything will pass, and you will enjoy living with him once you both adjust."

Those words dashed any remaining hope she had of getting an answer to her questions. With her eyes trailing behind them, they walked out of the bedroom, their footsteps echoing down the stairs until the sound faded completely.

Minal stood motionless for a long time before dragging her feet over to sit heavily on the edge of the bed. Amna returned quickly, placed a thermos of food in front of her, and rushed out without uttering a single word.

Silence settled over the living room, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock. Curious, Minal glanced up to check the time, astonished by what the clock displayed: 1:10 AM. She couldn't believe it until she pulled out her small phone from her handbag, confirming that the clock spoke the absolute truth.

Instantly, a new wave of fear gripped her. She had no idea whether she was completely alone in the house or if others were still around. She hadn't imagined that the intense hatred Jamal displayed would actually lead him to stay the night elsewhere—though remembering the security guard outside gave her slight relief. Still, she knew her heart would never find peace unless she came face to face with Nur and got answers to the questions burning inside her.

This drove her to dial her phone numbers one by one, but none of them went through. She let out a heavy sigh, puffing out a stream of hot air from her mouth.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and rested her chin in both hands, having spent so long lost in thought that her legs had begun to swell. When she checked her phone's clock again, it read 2:30 AM. She had spent over an hour sitting there completely unaware of the time.

She let out a short hiss of disgust, cursing the circumstances, especially as she remembered Nur's actions when the bridal cars arrived and the panic that sent Nur dashing into their room's bathroom while friends teased her.

Minal's long delay in the bathroom had prompted her to bang on the door shouting: "Teacher, come out, everyone is waiting for you!" Nur had opened the bathroom door with a forced, awkward smile, though everything about her showed she had been crying inside. In a soft, strange voice, Nur had said: "You don't have to chase me out; I know today you will spend the night in absolute joy."

"What kind of person are you, wallahi? Now parting ways with you is what's supposed to make me spend the night in joy?" Minal had asked, glaring at her with irritation. "Just you wait, my dear. In sha Allah, from today onwards it will be a long time before you lay eyes on me again." "To each their own. Say whatever you want; from today we’ve offloaded your wahala onto someone else's shoulders." That remark from Minal had caused Nur to look back at her with a look carrying multiple layers of meaning. She looked like she wanted to say something, but abruptly zipped her lips tight, her face scrunched up as she left the room while women filled the space with ululations (guɗa).

That internal review took a while before Minal finally processed the reality of her situation. Sleep didn't claim her until the early hours of dawn (asuba). Because of the sweltering heat, she ended up sprawling directly on the tiled floor, falling into a deep, troubled sleep filled with fragmented dreams.

She did not wake up until 9:11 AM. A phone call startled her awake, and as she blinked open her eyes, dazed and disoriented, she remembered with a jolt that this wasn't her family home—and that none of this was a dream.

With a heavy, oppressed spirit, she headed straight for the bathroom because the call had cut off, and time had flown past without her performing the Subhi (dawn) prayer. In a rush, she grabbed a hijab from Nur's wardrobe, quickly offered two raka'at, and whispered prayers without even knowing what she was asking for. Thank God she had managed to pray Isha the previous night before things went sideways; otherwise, the chaos would have robbed her of the calm needed to pray at all.

She sat on the prayer mat resting her chin in her hands until another call buzzed on her small phone. Recognizing Hajiya's voice, she hurried to greet her, though she skipped the customary "How was your night?"—feeling that, as the elder, it was Hajiya who should be checking in on her.

Hausa Impact (Tasirin Labarin a Cikin Al'umma)

The excerpt from Fansar Ƙauna! highlights several powerful socio-cultural realities and emotional impacts prevalent in contemporary Hausa fiction and society:

1. The Trauma of Forced and Surprise Marriages: The narrative sheds light on the devastating psychological toll of cultural practices or familial manipulations where individuals (especially women) are thrust into marital contracts without prior consent or psychological preparation. Minal's panic attack, desire to flee, and suicidal ideation reflect the profound emotional violence of such acts.
2. The Weight of Parental Authority vs. Individual Rights: Both mothers (Innarmu and Hajiya Mummy) represent a traditional societal framework where parental decrees and religious/cultural preservation of marriage ("no divorce except death") supersede individual feelings, trauma, or personal consent. This creates a heartbreaking dilemma for the protagonist, who is torn between filial obedience and self-preservation.
3. Female Solidarity and Betrayal: The bond between friends (Minal and Nur) is shattered in a shocking twist. The psychological impact of betrayal by a trusted confidante—compounded by Minal's misplaced guilt over inheriting a life meant for her best friend—adds layers of complex grief.
4. Toxic Pride and Emotional Stagnation: Jamal’s reaction exemplifies toxic male stubbornness and misplaced anger. Rather than communicating or processing the systemic deception orchestrated by others, he projects his wrath entirely onto innocent Minal, vowing emotional starvation and rejection.

Reviews (Sharhin Masu Karatu)

Readers of Hadiza D. Auta's works, particularly Fansar Ƙauna!, typically offer enthusiastic and emotionally invested reviews:

• High Emotional Intensity: Fans frequently praise Auta for her uncanny ability to capture raw human pain, confusion, and despair. Reviewers note that Minal's claustrophobic terror inside the bathroom and her agonizing internal monologues make the reader feel physically trapped alongside her.
• Master of Suspenseful Twists: The "bride swap/fleeing bride" trope is given a fresh, dark, and dramatic twist here. Readers love how the author leaves breadcrumbs (Nur's cryptic remarks before fleeing) that force the audience to eagerly anticipate how the mystery of Nur's disappearance will unravel.
• Nuanced Character Portrayal: While Jamal is initially viewed with intense dislike for his harshness toward Minal, readers appreciate that the author avoids flat villains, setting up a complex dynamic where both main characters are victims of a larger family/societal conspiracy.

Conclusion

Fansar Ƙauna! by Hadiza D. Auta stands out as a compelling, high-stakes exploration of love, betrayal, and resilience. Through Minal's harrowing transition from an unsuspecting wedding guest to a trapped, rejected bride, the author exposes the fractures within traditional marriage expectations while hooking the reader's curiosity with an unfolding mystery. As Minal navigates the cold hostility of Jamal and the haunting memory of Nur's disappearance, the stage is set for an emotional rollercoaster of redemption, healing, and hard-won understanding.