بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I'm writing this on the 14th of August to keep tabs... 

I created this book because it has been looping in my head for the longest time. This is a love story that will definitely make you all feel giddy! The main characters are workout freaks (just like me) because why the hell not? The gym is literally my second home, guys. The mere thought of going makes me happy. 

I love the gym... the weights, the machines, and the discipline that comes with it. The protein bars, shakes, diets, creatine, pre-workout, and everything in between! I had no idea I was going to fall in love with the gym, even though I always wanted to join before I even understood its dynamics. But I'm glad I did. 

Guys, that place is my second home. No doubt about that. 

I just feel like using what I do daily to write you all a book. I think going there every day will motivate me to keep writing for you, so I don't know when I'll publish this, but fingers crossed before the year ends. (The year has ended o).

Adding this now... The year has already ended, so here we are. Maybe I underestimated the school I started last year. Anyway, this year, I'm bringing you this amazing duology... uh oops, did I say duo? Yeah, I think I did. Two books, both related to the gym. 

The first one (this one) is about a slim-built character trying to bulk up, and the next will be about a chubby character wanting to lean down. I thought I should use both body types to make you all feel good about yourselves! There's no room for insecurity here, guys. You are BEAUTIFUL and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Every size, every shade, every shape, and posture is perfect. There is nothing wrong with you, but there's also nothing wrong with wanting to look better for YOURSELF! It should never be for anybody else. No one deserves that power over you. 

And 'weights' in the title? It's both the gym weights and the weights of the heart. I mean, what would this book be if I didn't tie it back to the whole reason I'm writing it? Trust me, you're going to love it. 

And if you've been procrastinating on subscribing to a gym, you won't be after reading this book. Even if you don't want to go at first, you'll change your mind by the end. The gym is totally worth stepping out of your comfort zone for... if you really want to. And that's coming from someone who VALUES her comfort zone more than anything. 

I can't wait to explore gym life with you guys. People from my gym are going to appear here without even knowing it! 🤣 I love having the power to do that and some of them might even read this without realizing I'm talking about them. Gym life is crazyyyyyy entertaining, I'm telling you. 

I get motivated just by staring at random things, and suddenly, a whole scene unfolds in my head. Like I said, the gym might help me write even when I don't want to. 

The male lead is named Khalid because if you know me, you know I LOVE Khalid bin Walid! That Sahaba has my heart. I personally cannot choose between him and Umar bin Khattab but still, the Sword of Allah might win. It's 50-50 for now, though. Last year, I even joked about naming my son Khalid, and since I don't have a child yet 🤣 I have a character! So here we are. 

The main female character is Aisha, so you'll probably catch glimpses of me in her without even realizing it. I mean... I need to see myself somewhere, right? And no, I don't even have a gym crush. Unfortunately

Maybe by the end of this book, I'll relate to the oppression? 😭 Single life is tiring brrrrr, but we move! At least I have my characters loving me the way they should.

Btw I'm starting this book on Eid In Shaa Allah!

Aesthetics and Character introduction:

Khalid Muhammad Bugaje:

At thirty years old, Major Khalid Bugaje had already carved out a name for himself as silent, disciplined and unyielding. The son of a revered Army General, he had grown up under the shadow of greatness, molded by stories of honor and sacrifice. His life was built on routines and rules, leaving little room for anything as fleeting as emotions.

He once loved the gym and loved the burn in his muscles, the clarity that came with every rep. It was his refuge, a place where the noise in his head dimmed. But somewhere along the way, the passion faded. The weights no longer gave him peace and the machines felt more like shackles than an escape.

Khalid didn't have many attachments anymore, but the few he did were fiercely guarded his family, his principles, and the two Belgian Malinois dogs he'd taken in from the military after their service ended. They followed him everywhere, shadows as loyal as they were sharp.

His heart was a battlefield, constantly at war with itself. Whatever he felt for Aisha (if he felt anything) was buried under layers of resentment. He didn't trust her smiles, the way she carried herself. In his eyes, she was playing a role of someone trying too hard to fit into a world she didn't belong to.

But the heart was heavier than any weight he'd ever lifted, and no matter how much he tried to fight it, something about her made him feel... unsettled. And he hated that more than he hated her.

Aisha Aminu Babangida;

Aisha is a twenty three-year-old lady who had learned early in life that love could be taken away as easily as it was given.

She was five when her father threw her cat away. Her first real love, the only thing that had ever belonged to her. She never recovered from it. Maybe it was silly to hold on to something so small, but to Aisha, it was proof that everything she cherished would eventually be ripped away. That lesson followed her into adulthood, shaping the way she saw the world.

She never truly fit anywhere, not in her father's house, not in her own skin. Her stepmother made sure of that. Every comment, every glance, every carefully chosen insult chipped away at her until there was nothing left but doubt and self-loathing. But the worst of it? The one voice that echoed louder than all the rest belonged to him.

Khalid Bugaje.

She hadn't even meant to hear him that day, but the words had sunk their claws into her, wrapping around her ribs like chains. She had been fourteen, all awkward, unsure of herself and desperate for approval. And with a single careless comment, he had made her hate the body she lived in.

Pink became her refuge. It was soft, delicate, feminine, everything she never felt like she was. If she surrounded herself with it, maybe she could trick herself into believing she belonged, that she wasn't as out of place as she always felt. It became an obsession, a color she clung to like a lifeline.

Her world was a constant battle between wanting to disappear and wanting to be seen. Severe anxiety and depression became unwelcome but familiar companions, whispering doubts into her mind whenever she tried to push forward.

The gym was the only place where those voices quieted. It was where she could exist without expectations, where she could take up space without apology. And having her best friend (the gym's coach) made it even better. She even had a gym crush now, though she'd rather die than admit it.

But for someone who spent so much time in the gym, eating was her greatest enemy. A dietitian who couldn't cook, who had no love for food, who saw meals as obligations rather than pleasures... it was ironic, really.

Aisha had always been a contradiction. A Somali-Nigerian woman with a mother she never met, a father she never wanted to be around, and a heart full of stories she poured into the pages of books.

Because at the end of the day, writing was her real escape. The only place where she could rewrite herself into someone whole. Someone worthy. Someone enough.

Did I mention you guys are going to fall hopelessly in love with my characters? No??? Hehehehee! Buckle up because oppression go choke for this book. Better go find your man if you don't have and don't come complaining when you can't handle it🤭 my characters be giving green country!

Oh! It's enemies to lovers guys! That hasn't been something I've written about in a long time. Have I ever though? Yeah... Married to an Inferno. Well, this is a different kind of inferno!

And another oh! It's first person's pov...

Dedication:
To every soul that has ever felt unseen, unheard, or unworthy.

To the ones who have stood in front of a mirror and battled with their own reflection, who have questioned their worth because of numbers on a scale or words from careless lips.

To those who have carried the weight of expectations, of doubt, of self-criticism... this is for you.

May you find strength in your journey, courage in your growth, and love in the body that carries you through it all.

You are enough. You always have been. You always will be.

Ramadan Mubarak everyone! May Allah guide us to the best of deeds, accept our acts of worship and bring us closer to Him. Amin thumma Amin.
1st Ramadan 1446AH.
1st March 2024.