Another candidate for ‘d’akin baqi’

I gently knocked the door to my colleague’s office and seconds later opened it when I heard him say ‘Come in’.

‘ Are you all set to close Hajiya?’ He asked. ‘I forget that you ladies have another office to go to after this one, so you have to leave early.’

‘Yes Malam Isa, I have closed for the day and as you can see it’s already 5pm. But I decided to come and ask who that gorgeous young lady was, who just visited you.’ I replied, smiling.

‘Hajiya Bint, so you were spying on me? Who would have thought that a very busy person like you will have the time to engage in spy work.’ He replied jokingly.

‘Actually I wasn’t really spying. She first went to my office by mistake. I think she followed the wrong direction at the reception. As she stood in front of my office, unsure of what to do, I saw her and called her in. I asked who she was looking for and she said you. So I told her to knock the next door and she did. Now the only reason I’m here is not to know whether she found you because I’m sure that she did. The reason is to find out more about her. Her courtesy, not to talk of her beauty and shyness all made an impression on me. So I decided to find out if I can seek her out for my very eligible nephew or she’s all spoken for. I would have sought her out for my son but he’s a bit too young for her, being still an undergraduate. Meanwhile my nephew is a gainfully employed master’s degree holder.’ I explained.

‘So she mesmerised you too Hajiya Bint?’ Malam Isa asked, smiling. ‘Hasina has that effect on people. But believe me she’s bad news through and through. Don’t even waste your time asking about her. She’s not worth it.’ He added.

‘Haba Malam, how can you be so cruel in your assessment of her? At least tell me who she is and let me decide whether she’s worth our hot pursuit.’ I joked, walking in to sit on the visitors chair opposite him.

‘Well, she was the girl I wanted to marry before I met my wife.’ He answered.

‘Really? But she looks much too young. I even thought she was your niece and that was why I rushed to book her for my nephew before our other colleagues get the same idea.’ I replied.

‘No she’s not that young. She’s just lucky she’s got a baby face, in addition to everything else. About five years ago I was totally smitten by her as well. Hasina was my younger sister’s friend. In no time at all our courtship was accepted by both families and we started talking about marriage. But soon after beginning the formalities she ditched me. Just like that she said she wasn’t going to marry me. Nothing I or anyone else could say would make her change her mind. My sister came and told me that Hasina had found someone new and decided that she preferred him. By the time we found out who she jilted me for, we couldn’t believe it. It was a man with three wives and she going in as number 4. Of course he was very wealthy but he also had children around her age and even older. Yet Hasina didn’t think twice about marrying him.’ He concluded.

‘What about her parents, didn’t they intervene?’ I enquired.

‘I don’t think they cared enough about me to ask why she jilted me for someone almost twice my age. I believe that like her, all they could see was his networth. So they returned my bridal gifts and got her married to Mr Millions. About a year later she had their daughter. And within that same year I too decided that I wouldn’t waste my time pining over someone who didn’t deserve me in the first place. I soon met my wife and we got married six months later.

But Hasina soon fell on hard times. Apparently her husband is a serial divorcer. His three wives are all on their final divorce list, meaning that he had divorced them all twice, they are now hanging on the final rope. But because they all bore him several children he decided to keep them for the sake of the kids.

And that was when he created his ‘d’akin baqi’ (literally, the guest room) to cater for his insatiable lust for new wives.

Occupants of this room are the disposable wives. He marries and divorces them the moment another woman catches his fancy. And that was the trap Hasina fell into. When he met her and began to shower her with gifts, she thought she was someone special. She had no idea she was another d’akin baqi bride. He divorced her just two years later, having met a new victim.

Now, I don’t even know what made her think I’d look at her twice. I mean imagine what she did to me. But because she has such guts, she met my sister and asked where I work now. Then she drove her car and came to see me.

Of course she said she’s a business woman now, doing purchasing and supply contracts and that’s why she came to say hello because she came nearby to drop some things. I told her thanks but left her in no doubt that I wasn’t interested. Let another fool fall for her beauty. I am thoroughly cured and I sincerely hope you won’t consider such a scourge for your nephew.’ Isa cautioned.

‘No I won’t.’ I quickly replied ‘such a materialistic woman can’t be right for any decent young man.’ I added, rising to my feet to make my way out.