Maryam completed her work on time as always. She arrived home a quarter to five p.m (4:45), all she could think of is her daily routine that she does every day after work.

She stepped inside the living room, her eyes met with Hajiya Hauwa, her father's younger sister, and the mother of Yazid and Shukrah.

She scanned the room, and sitting on the other sofa is Kaka Zainaba, the sister of her grandma.

Maryam could feel it in her skin - there was going to be trouble, but she has to respect them being her father's relatives. "Assalamu Alaikum,".

Hajiya Hauwa rolled her eyes, despite the way she treated her, Maryam ignored her and squatted close to them. "Ina wunin ku (Good evening to you all)".

Hajiya Hauwa has always hated Maryam and Hajiya Binta, and she never misses a chance to show her hatred towards them.

"Lafiya... ya aiki? (Great, how's work?)". Kaka Zainaba asked with a small smile, that you wouldn't recognize if you don't fix your eyes on her deep set eyes, wrinkled face.

"Wani aiki, bar yar iska mana... Ba wani aika. Da kika ganta yawan iskanci da bariki take zuwa; ana so a rufa mata asiri a dan hada ta da Yazid. Kuma daga yau dan muzo bi za kiyi, ki gaishe mu daya bayan daya. Tafi ki bamu guri mara kunya kice wa uwarki ta zo kuma. (What work? She's just an indecent and immoral girl. She doesn't go to any work, but surely she goes and commits adultery. We want to help her, and protect her secret by getting her married to Yazid. And from today if we come greet us one by one. Get up and leave us disrespectful girl, and tell your mother to come),".

Maryam struggled to prevent the tears from trying to flow down her cheeks; she doesn't want her tears to fall in front of them.

She stood up and at a quick pace, she headed to the kitchen. Maryam knew that she was going to find her mother there; entering the kitchen, laying her eyes on her mother arranging food on a tray.

She reached to her and grabbed her in a tight hug, a flood of tears gushed down her cheeks. - she can always let out her feelings in the arms of her comfort zone.

Hajiya Binta started comforting her, knowing well what can happen and how Hajiya Hauwa could be. "Kiyi hakuri nasan Maman Yazid ce (I'm sorry, I know it's Yazid's mother),".

"Mummy, why are they here? What do they want? I don't love Yazid. It's Abaan that I love. And so we let them insult us, while we remain silent. Allow them to do whatever they want to do with us. Kaka Zainab doesn't protect us now,".

Kaka Zainaba used to stand up to Hajiya Hauwa's bad behaviour towards them, but as time goes on seeing she can't do it anymore; Yazid's mother is the type that never changes - Hajiya Zainaba ends up doing what Aunty Jidda wishes.

Hajiya Binta lifted her daughter's head and started wiping her tears. "Sorry, please stop crying. You see Abaan didn't tell you that he has feelings for you, he didn't declare he loves you. Is this how you are going to be without getting married?"

"I'm not going to marry any man except Abaan, I'll only marry Abaan," Maryam moved away from Hajiya Binta, her lips trembled as she cried. "If you get me married to another man, I'll die,".

Maryam ran out of the kitchen leaving her disturbed and worried mother.

"Yar Iska! Jaka! Wlhi baku isaba. Bayan na fadawa kowa akan biki. Kizo kiyi sim sim, Ki bada hakuri. Kice yar iskan yarki bata so - toh wallahi bata isa ba, sai ta auri Yazid, (Indecent woman! Donkey! Wallahi you are not enough to refuse a marriage proposal from us. After I told everyone about this wedding. You come and apologize - saying that your indecent girl doesn't want to marry my son. Wallahi she's not enough, she must marry Yazid),".

Hajiya Hauwa stood up and continued shouting at the top of her voice. ''Kuma wallahi koh ta auri Yazid, sai ta sha wahala, saboda wulankancin da akai mana, (and Wallahi if she marries Yazid, she's going to suffer because of how you humiliated us),".

Hearing the screams, Maryam strode to the living room as her mother stood up, her mother is an inch shorter than Hajiya Hauwa.

Hajiya Binta has always been quiet and obedient towards her husband's relatives. But she finds Hajiya Hauwa's behaviour tiring. There comes a point in every person's life when he has to say:

'Enough is enough.'

Especially now it concerns her daughter's life, the apple of her eye; she won't stand by and see her daughter suffer.

"Toh Wallahi my daughter won't marry your son, Maryam baza ta auri Yazid ba inde Ina nufashi - ba Wanda ya isa ya mata auren dolle, (Wallahi my daughter won't marry your son, Maryam will not marry Yazid as long as I live. No one will force my daughter to marry someone she doesn't like),"

"lallai kin rika, Ina fada, kina fada yaushe aka fara haka (I'm talking and you're talking back, when did this start?) Hajiya Hauwa said as she raised her hand to slap Hajiya Binta.

Maryam strode across the room towards them, held Hajiya Hauwa's hand and pushed it away. "Aunty Jidda, ina respecting inki, Ama bazan barki kizo har gidan mu, kice zaki mari mummy, koh ki mata rashin mutunci. Kuma nace banson Yazid in even though nasan Ya Yazid bai yi hallinki ba kamar shukrah yarki wada take yawon bariki. Yanzu inaso Dan Allah ki bar mana gida. Saboda da kika sa aka raba gado, gidan na mune ba naki ba (Aunty Jidda, I respect you. But I won't tolerate you coming to our house, raising your hand to my mother, or being disrespectful to her. I've said I don't love Yazid, even though I know he's not like you or your daughter Shukrah; who's going after men. I want you now to please - for the sake of Allah leave our house. Because when you request for the share of the inheritance this house is ours, not yours),".

Hajiya Hauwa shook her head in surprise, she couldn't believe what was happening, she couldn't believe that even Maryam could stand up to her now. "Ba shaka, gaskiya ne, abunda kika koya wa yarki kenan, toh bara naja muku kune Wallahi dan ba dana, Yazid ba toh ba wanda zaki aura. Yar iska kawai meh bin Titi. Ba mune yan uwan uban naki ba... Toh aure da yazid an gama ( No doubt, it's true, this is what you've taught your daughter, let me warn you, Wallahi your daughter will not marry anyone except my son, Yazid. Indecent and immoral girl. Are we not your father's relatives? Let me tell you, your marriage with Yazid is already done,"

Hajiya Hauwa held Hajiya Zainaba's hand and they walked out of the living room.

Maryam and her mother heard the car go out of the house, Hajiya Binta fall on the sofa as tears flow down her eyes, Maryam crouched in front of her holding her hand and crying too. "Mummy, please forgive me is all because of me you're being humiliated, please stop crying, is all my fault,".

Hajiya Binta lifted her head and held her chin, looking into her daughter's eyes. "It's not your fault, every good mother will not let her daughter get married in the kind of house they are in, because they will kill you,''.

"Now mummy, the solution is to find Hajiya Jamila or Uncle Yusuf, you see Hajiya Jamila is Abba's elder sister, we should talk to her, she's also older than aunty Jidda. She's the only one that can stop all this,".

"She hasn't come back from her trip, but once I heard she's back, I'll go and meet her,".

♥︎Here's an update♡

♣︎Assalamu Alaikum♣︎

As you know, the update will be once a week; every Sunday - I'm so busy nowadays

I know if you're reading the story so far, you love it just like I adore it: I love Abaan and Maryam.

How are you guys?

Me - right now, I just finished reading The sands of time by Sidney Sheldon (My favourite author, for now, 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 because I read five of his books in a row) I'm about to read another one if tomorrow comes

Maybe I love The sand of time because is based in Spain: I love Telemundo and other Spanish channels like telenovelas

I'm also currently writing another book

Working a part-time job

Taking care of my niece and nephew

Preparing for exams

Phh, a lot going on for me.

Which one is your favourite kdrama or cdrama?

Cdrama of course, I don't know why kdramas are exaggerated.

Don't forget to vote and comment to put a smile on my face