Zainab Walks Quietly Towards School

A young woman walked calmly along the road without paying attention to anything around her.

Her eyes remained fixed on the ground as she carefully watched where she placed each foot.

She had already travelled a considerable distance when she suddenly heard another young woman calling loudly from behind.

“Abuh! Abuh!”

The moment she heard the voice, she immediately recognised the person calling her.

Even without being told, she knew that it was Halima.

Zainab stopped and waited silently. Approximately three minutes later, Halima finally reached where she was standing.

Halima Complains About Zainab’s Behaviour

Halima was visibly annoyed after struggling to catch up with her friend.

“Come on, Abuh,” she complained. “Why did you leave when you knew that I was waiting for you?”

She looked at Zainab with frustration.

“I swear that you have no consideration for anyone. You are not even feeling well, yet you insisted on going to school.”

Halima continued complaining, but the beautiful young woman she called Zainab did not respond.

From her behaviour alone, anyone could tell that Zainab was naturally reserved and exceptionally quiet.

After standing silently for almost two minutes, she resumed walking as though she had not heard anything Halima said.

However, she had heard every single word clearly.

When Halima realised that Zainab had no intention of replying or stopping again, she understood that her friend’s usual quiet and stubborn mood had returned.

She had no choice except to follow her.

The two young women continued walking together until they reached their school.

Zainab and Halima Arrive Late at School

Unfortunately, they arrived after the school’s official opening time.

Students who came late were already being punished near the entrance.

The sight immediately frightened Zainab because she was deeply afraid of being beaten.

She and Halima carefully approached the teacher responsible for dealing with the latecomers.

“Assalamu alaikum,” Zainab greeted respectfully.

Malam Rabi’u was the teacher administering the punishment that morning.

He looked at Zainab and instructed her to lower herself respectfully before him.

Zainab obeyed immediately.

She then spoke humbly in an exceptionally sweet and gentle voice.

Her voice sounded like a softly played flute. It was calm enough to send a strange sensation through anyone listening to her.

“Please, Malam, forgive me,” she pleaded.

The beauty of her voice immediately attracted attention.

Malam Rabi’u Questions Zainab

Malam Rabi’u looked at her sternly.

“Zainab, your lateness keeps becoming worse,” he said. “Yet you are more afraid of punishment than every other student.”

Zainab attempted to explain herself.

“I swear, Malam, we left home early,” she replied. “The problem is that we live far away, so it takes us a long time to reach the school.”

Malam Rabi’u was not convinced.

“Then why do you not come on a motorcycle?” he asked.

“You always arrive with a different excuse. You said the same thing yesterday, and I forgave you.”

He raised the cane in his hand.

“But today, I must punish you.”

Zainab continued pleading.

“Please, Malam, forgive me. In sha Allah, I will not arrive late tomorrow.”

Halima stared at her in surprise.

“So you can actually speak,” she teased.

“I was talking to you throughout our journey, but you ignored me. It appears that the fear of punishment has finally made you talk.”

Zainab Receives Ten Strokes

Malam Rabi’u ordered Zainab to prepare for the punishment.

“Stretch out your hand or lie down,” he instructed.

Zainab quietly extended her hand towards him.

He struck her palm ten times with the cane.

Although she felt the painful force of every stroke, she refused to cry or show any visible reaction.

She remained composed as though the punishment had not affected her.

However, the pain was severe, and her hand quickly became swollen.

Halima also received ten strokes.

Unlike Zainab, she screamed, protested and cried loudly until the final stroke was delivered.

A Mysterious Black Car Enters the School

Shortly after their punishment ended, a completely black and expensive-looking vehicle entered the school compound.

The arrival of the car immediately attracted the attention of most of the students.

Conversations stopped as everyone turned to watch it.

The polished vehicle moved slowly through the compound before stopping beneath a large tree.

All eyes remained fixed on the car as the students waited to see who would step out.

A foot wearing a clean white shoe appeared first.

The second foot followed, and then the passenger finally stepped completely out of the vehicle.

Halima released a deep breath.

“Ya Salam!” she exclaimed.

Zainab, however, did not immediately understand what was happening.

The pain from the punishment was still spreading through her swollen hand.

Halima Becomes Captivated by the Handsome Stranger

Zainab looked at Halima, who was staring in one direction as though she were watching television.

“Halima, are you all right?” Zainab asked.

“Why are you staring at one place? Did Malam’s punishment affect you?”

Halima raised her hand and pointed towards the person standing beside the black vehicle.

Zainab looked in that direction and saw a man near the car, but she did not immediately notice anything special about him.

Halima shook her impatiently and pointed again.

The man was exceptionally fair-skinned and very tall.

A single look at his body showed that he was physically strong, although he was not overweight.

He had a remarkably handsome face decorated with a carefully groomed, deep-black beard.

His beard lay smoothly against his face and appeared to shine.

He wore a modern white embroidered outfit consisting of a matching shirt and trousers.

The clothes suited him perfectly.

Zainab looked at Halima dismissively.

“What exactly is there to keep staring at?” she asked. “This is nothing but a waste of time.”

Halima refused to be discouraged.

“You can say whatever you like,” she replied. “I am a woman, and I must speak when I see something worth discussing.”

She continued admiring the stranger.

“May Allah make him our new teacher.”

Zainab immediately replied:

“I will not say amen to that.”

The Handsome Stranger Becomes Their New English Teacher

The school bell soon rang, instructing every student to enter their classroom.

Inside the Senior Secondary School One girls’ class, the students continued teasing one another and discussing the handsome visitor.

Only one student remained uninterested in the conversation.

Zainab focused entirely on her books and paid no attention to anyone around her.

After a short time, a male teacher entered the classroom.

The students stood and greeted him.

“Good morning, sir.”

“How are you, students? Sit down,” he replied.

The girls immediately recognised him as the handsome man who had stepped out of the black vehicle.

He looked around the classroom.

“I am your new English teacher,” he announced. “God willing, we will continue your lessons from where the previous teacher stopped. Everyone should bring out their books.”

Instead of obeying immediately, almost every student continued staring at him.

The teacher became irritated.

“Why are all of you simply looking at me?” he demanded, clicking his tongue impatiently.

Zainab raised her voice respectfully.

“Sir, please forgive me. I would like to tell you where we stopped.”

Only then did the teacher turn his full attention towards her.

“Where did you stop?” he asked.

Zainab explained the last topic their former teacher had taught them.

The new teacher immediately began the lesson from that point.

After completing his explanation, he asked whether anyone had failed to understand.

The students remained distracted and claimed that they had understood nothing.

He glared at them before leaving the classroom.

Halima Admits She Was Only Watching the Teacher

As soon as the teacher left, Halima turned towards Zainab.

“Honestly, if you had not answered him, nobody else in this class would have been able to respond,” she said.

Zainab reminded her of the prayer she had made earlier.

“You were the one who prayed that he would become our teacher,” she said. “Now that your prayer has been answered, you remained completely silent.”

Halima smiled dreamily.

“I swear that I was only looking at him,” she admitted.

“The teacher is extremely handsome. Look at his black beard and that beautiful nose.”

She sighed dramatically.

“Oh Allah, please make me his wife.”

She then looked playfully at Zainab.

“Or perhaps you will become his wife instead.”

Read Zainab Mai Ruwan Gaskiya Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel

This chapter of Zainab Mai Ruwan Gaskiya Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel introduces Zainab as a quiet, intelligent and disciplined student who refuses to be distracted by unnecessary gossip.

Despite feeling unwell and receiving ten painful strokes for arriving late, she remains composed and later becomes the only student capable of answering the new English teacher’s question.

Halima, meanwhile, is immediately captivated by the teacher’s handsome appearance and begins imagining a romantic future with him.

The teacher’s sudden arrival may soon change the lives of both friends, especially after his attention is drawn towards the reserved and academically focused Zainab.

Continue reading to discover the identity of the new teacher, whether Halima’s admiration will become serious and how his arrival will affect Zainab’s quiet school life.

Explore more complete Hausa novels, school romances, family stories and English translations on this website.