Mrs. Gbenga: So my son, tell me more about your wife?
Haneef: What else do you want to know about her? You can ask anything you wish to know when she gets here.
Mrs. Gbenga: Why are you always like this? Hmmm?
Haneef: Mum, you know from the beginning that I'm not the type of person who discloses his personal life to anyone.
Mrs. Gbenga: Oh! So now I'm "anyone"?
Haneef: You know I don't disclose my life to anyone, including my family — and you're part of my family. Even if I'm dying, I won't say anything unless you find out yourself. So don't even bother asking.
Mrs. Gbenga: So you won’t tell me anything?
Haneef: Exactly.
Mrs. Gbenga: Honestly, I don't know why you inherited your father's bad side. Every bad character, you stole it from him. Why?
Haneef: Well, I didn’t tell you to marry such a man in the first place. Besides, I came from you.
Mrs. Gbenga: Watch it!
Haneef: I'm sorry... Just stop interfering in my marital life. I'm a married man now.
Mrs. Gbenga: What’s taking this girl so long? Nusaybah!! Do you want to starve me to death?
Haneef: (shakes his head and concentrates on his phone)
Nusaybah: I'm sorry ma, I was warming the soup.
Mrs. Gbenga: Bring water for me to rinse my hand, now.
Nusaybah: Here it is, ma.
Haneef: Babe!
Nusaybah: Sir? (She turns to him) Do you need anything?
Haneef: Come, have a seat with me.
Mrs. Gbenga: As I was saying about your cousin's wedding — your wife must be present a day before the wedding because she is the new bride in our family. She must be very punctual. Don’t fall my hand in front of my senior wives, oh.
Nusaybah: I won’t disappoint you, ma.
Haneef: All I know is, don’t stress my wife. If she doesn’t show up, the wedding will still take place, and the guests will still eat.
Mrs. Gbenga: You know I wasn’t talking to you! This is between me and your wife. Let her speak for herself, because she’s been too quiet throughout.
Nusaybah: It’s not like that, ma. I'm sorry, ma.
Mrs. Gbenga: (enjoys the meal) I don’t think you and I will get along really well, because you’re not free with me. You’re just pretending.
Haneef: I guess you're done with the food.
Mrs. Gbenga: Yes oh. The food isn’t that sweet, but I had to manage it. I should be on my way then. Nusaybah, make sure you take good care of my son like a king. Allah will bless you with the fruit of the womb soon, in sha Allah.
Nusaybah: (smiles) Ameen, ma. Thank you, ma. (She takes her bag) Let me accompany you, ma.
Mrs. Gbenga: Don’t bother, oh.
Nusaybah: I insist, ma.
Mrs. Gbenga: Okay then, take my bag.
Haneef: (watching the drama)
Mrs. Gbenga: Oko mi, I'm going.
Haneef: My regards to your household.
Mrs. Gbenga: A lo baje — and I trained you, oh. You failed to receive the training. Anyway, ire o. (She exits the house while Nusaybah accompanies her out)
Few minutes later
Nusaybah: (she enters the house and finds him watching the TV) As-salamu alaykum. (She gently sits next to him)
Haneef: Wa alaykum salam. (Not smiling)
Nusaybah: Baby... (She gently rubs his arm) Thank you so much for what you did today.
Haneef: (weirdly staring at her) What are you doing?
Nusaybah: (notices his reaction) Nothing, just enjoying your presence.
Haneef: Remove those filthy hands from my chest.
Nusaybah: (surprised) Why? Weren’t you the one who kissed me earlier?
Haneef: Oh! I should’ve exposed your true identity to my mom, right? Don’t worry — I will expose you next time.
Nusaybah: Babe! Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to deserve this cruelty from you? For the past three days, I’ve been begging you to forgive me and let’s move on with our lives. We both made mistakes, and I’m sorry. How long will you continue to treat me this way? I’m your wife now.
Haneef: Oh! Are you? Tell me! (He yells angrily) Now that I’m your husband, sometimes I wonder why I even am.
Nusaybah: (gasps)
Haneef: Yes! Do you want to know my wish?
Nusaybah: (sadly bows her head)
Haneef: I wish I never married you. I wish I never met you... The only reason I’ll still keep you as my wife is if you give me peace. All I want is peace! Don’t stress me, don’t bother me. Just live in this house as my wife, but nothing will join us together — nothing! But if you can’t give me that, then I will file for a divorce right now!
Nusaybah: (she breaks down in tears and raises her head angrily) You are wicked! Yes, I repeat — you are heartless!
Haneef: (surprised) What did you just call me?
Nusaybah: Yes! You heard me…
Haneef: (he angrily stands up) Are you out of your mind? Instead of being grateful that I married an old lady like you — Nusaybah! You are testing me! Woman! Get out of my sight!
Nusaybah: I’m not leaving! Do your worst! I’m tired! Kilode?! Using my weakness against me all the time like I’m nobody… I have begged you over and over again. What else do you want me to do? You derive joy in my sadness — and you say you love me?
Haneef: (tightens his fist) I never loved you! In fact, I hate you so much… (He walks out on her and leaves the house)
Nusaybah: (she falls to her knees in tears) Ya Allah! This isn’t what I prayed for… Why is my marriage getting worse day by day? Why? It’s too early for me to be going through this… Please, have mercy on me. Enough of this pain!
---
During the night – 9:20 PM
Nusaybah: (the bed is covered with used tissues as she cries bitterly) What am I going to do? Why did I confront him earlier? What if he files for divorce tonight? Ahhh… I’m dead. What am I going to do?
Haneef: (he walks into the room and acts like she doesn’t exist) Where did I drop my charger again?
Nusaybah: (immediately she sees him, she jumps out of bed and falls at his feet) Oko mi, please forgive me for what happened earlier... Please, have mercy on me.
Haneef: Let go of my leg, Nusaybah! I’m tired and weak right now… Let go of me… You keep giving me pain day by day. Please, let go of my leg, please! (He pushes her away and walks out of the room) Eat the room yourself!
---
The next morning – 5:29 AM
Nusaybah: (stretching in bed) Alhamdulillahilladhi ahyana ba’dama amatana wa ilayhin-nushur... (She sits up and scans the room, but there’s no sight of him) I guess he didn’t sleep here. (She gets up and moves to the living room, still no sign of him) Then where could he be? (Her eyes are swollen from last night’s cries) He just wants to kill me before my time. (She picks up her phone and dials his number, but it isn’t reachable) Now I’m 100% sure he doesn’t love me. Since he got what he wanted from me, he now hates me. I guess he didn’t love me for Allah’s sake, but for my virginity. (She sadly heads back inside to perform ablution)
---
6:02 AM
Haneef: (enters the room and finds his wife reciting the Qur’an. He pauses for a moment and exhales softly)
Nusaybah: (she keeps her focus on the Qur’an even though she feels his presence)
Haneef: (he moves to the shower room)
Nusaybah: (she continues her recitation)
---
7:14 a.m.
(Nusaybah is in the kitchen, trying to set the dining table for breakfast. She’s fully dressed to go out.)
Nusaybah: I know he won't eat this food, but I just need to prepare it. It's just tea, bread, and eggs—simple and fast. If he rejects it, fine. If he eats it, fine as well.
(Haneef comes out of the room, heading straight for the exit door.)
Nusaybah: (She sights him) Baby, breakfast is ready.
Haneef: (He pauses and turns to her) Where are you going?
Nusaybah: To work.
Haneef: Why?
Nusaybah: Nothing, I’m just bored staying at home all day—since our honeymoon was cancelled.
Haneef: What’s that supposed to mean?
Nusaybah: Nothing, okay? Please don’t get me wrong again... I’m just not happy with everything, and I need to keep myself busy too.
Haneef: Oh really? Okay then. All the best. (He walks away.)
Nusaybah: What did I do now? Did I say anything wrong again?
(She quickly returns everything back to the kitchen and heads to her room to put on her jilbab and socks.)
Nusaybah: I guess I’m ready... (She picks up her bag.) I think I’m ready to go. Bismillahi tawakkaltu ‘alalLah. Wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
(She reaches the compound and sees her husband struggling to start his car.)
Nusaybah: (Thinking) Should I ask him what’s wrong? Or mind my own business? I don’t want any further argument. But if I ignore him, it might piss him off... Okay, here goes nothing.
(She stands next to his car.)
Nusaybah: Baby? What happened to your car?
Haneef: (Hisses)
Nusaybah: (Thinking) Just as expected... I should’ve minded my business.
(She moves to her car and drives away.)
Nusaybah: Since he wasn't peace, I shall give him peace.