Deen Marshall Complete Hausa Novel

Slowly, she raised her head, resting on her left palm, and looked at the door of her office as it was knocked on. Without moving, she removed her gaze from the door and took a deep, restrained breath that revealed her annoyance and her feelings toward ABBAS LAMIDO—because even without being told, she knew that if it was not him, then whoever it was, the matter somehow involved Abbas’s name.

The door was pushed open and someone entered. Even without lifting her head, the sound of footsteps made her realize it was Sarah. So she gently closed her eyes again, then slowly lifted her head, removing her hands from the work she was doing on her laptop and placing it aside. She adjusted her posture, reached for the water she had taken out of the fridge earlier to warm slightly from the cold, opened the bottle, drank almost half of it, set the rest aside, and said,

“Sarah, is there something?”

It was then that Sarah stepped forward and sat on the resting chair facing where NAJMA was seated, waiting for what she would say. Sarah first let out a small sigh, then spoke directly:

“Naj, earlier—before you arrived—Chairman Abbas came into this office, and I didn’t notice anything good in his condition. I can say his mood wasn’t normal.”

At that moment, NAJMA ABDULLAHI BELA raised her fair eyes, softened by fatigue and concern at what she had just heard. She looked at Sarah for a long moment before releasing her own breath and finally speaking in a gentle voice, trying to hide her worry:

“What is Abbas’s problem now?”

With care, Sarah looked at her and said,

“From what I can see, I think it has something to do with yesterday’s issue—when Dr. Sa’id came to see you. Because after his visit, people were saying that you went out together with Dr. Sa’id.”

That was when she remembered the doctor’s visit the previous day and how they had gone out together to attend a school event for his child at a nearby private school.

She slowly exhaled, picked up her phone, and tried to call him. This time too, he had made an effort not to return home since the previous night—doing what he was already used to.

The phone rang and rang until the call ended. He didn’t answer. She dialed again—still no response. She called him nearly three times without him picking up. She then ended the call, placed the phone beside her, turned to look at Sarah, and said,

“He didn’t answer. Isn’t he in his office?”

“I don’t think he’s gone out,” Sarah replied. “Because before I came in, I saw his secretary passing by on the way to his office.”

She turned her fair eyes back to her phone just as it rang again. Seeing Hanifa’s name on the screen, she gently closed her eyes, released a deep breath, and felt a sense of calm in her heart—because Hanifa Marshal Alfa never wasted time; no matter how small the issue, she always called her whenever she sensed something had happened to her.

She looked at Sarah with a questioning expression, as if to ask,

“Did you tell her about Abbas coming around looking for me earlier this morning?”

Sarah let out a small laugh, stood up, and headed toward the exit, saying,

“Sorry, ma’am—she called me herself to ask.”

She stepped out and closed the office door, a faint smile still on her face. But just outside the door, she almost collided with Abbas, who had arrived at the office dressed in an ash-colored suit that suited him perfectly—his wheat-brown complexion, complete handsomeness, and a blend of maturity, youthfulness, and charm.

Quickly, Sarah stepped aside, straightened her face, and said,

“Good morning, Chairman.”

Without even looking at her, he opened the office door bearing the name NAJMA BELA, entered, and shut it behind him.

Najma remained seated exactly where Sarah had left her and did not turn around, because she had already realized it was him who had entered. She merely closed her eyes slightly—a gesture that had become almost a habit for her.