Imagine waking up on a cold morning, the kind where you just want to stay under your warm duvet forever because of the rain that fell all night. That is how the story starts for our main girl. She is enjoying her sleep so much until she checks the time and realizes it is already 6:30 am. You know that mini-heart attack you get when you realize you are late? She jumps out of bed, fixes her hair, and rushes to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast. She makes a sandwich and some tea, leaves it on the dining table, and runs upstairs to get ready for work. She thinks she is being smart by preparing everything early, but she has no idea what is waiting for her downstairs.
Then we see the husband. He is also in a hurry, which is rare for him. He goes to the kitchen looking for food and finds the sandwich she just made. Instead of waiting or asking, he just sits down and eats it all. When she comes down, dressed in a nice simple Abaya and ready for her day, she sees the empty plate. She is shocked! She asks him if he really just ate the breakfast she prepared for herself. This guy doesn't even look at her properly. He just says something that would make any wife annoyed. One part of the book says — "This is my house, and I will do as I please, so stop asking me whether I ate or not, I will do whatever I see fit." (translated from Hausa). Can you imagine? The nerve of this man! He acts like he owns everything, including her hard work in the kitchen, and he doesn't even say thank you.
The drama doesn't even stop there. As she is about to head out to her own car, he looks at her and gives her a hard time about her clothes. He tells her she is behaving like someone who isn't married and orders her to go back inside and change or put something else on. Even though she is running late, his look is so serious that she actually goes back and puts on a Hijab. This is the kind of tension Hauwa Jibrin Sulaiman writes so well. You can feel the power struggle between them. It is not just about the clothes or the food; it is about how they are trying to figure out their marriage while both being very stubborn people. If you like stories with this kind of heat, you should definitely download Hausa novels like this one to see how they end up.
Things get even more awkward when they get to the office. It turns out they work in the same place! Can you imagine seeing the person you just fought with at home every time you turn a corner at work? She is busy with her tasks, but she forgot to finish something from the day before because of the rain. Her boss, Oga Mahmud, comes in asking for it, and she has to scramble. This leads her straight into her husband’s office because she needs to use his system for a specific file. She doesn't even knock. She just walks in, and there he is, sipping tea and looking at her with big eyes. He asks her if she doesn't know how to knock or greet people. She just ignores him and starts working on his computer like she owns the place. It is so funny because she is basically paying him back for eating her sandwich earlier.
While they are having this silent war in the office, a man they call "Baba" walks in. He is a big deal in the company and seems to be a father figure to them. He is very kind to her, calling her "Daughter" and asking how she is doing. But he is a bit tough on the husband. He even tells her that he has a special assignment for her since her husband isn't paying enough attention to his work lately. You can tell the husband is feeling the pressure. This part of the book reminds me a bit of the vibes in SIRADIN RAYUWA where family and work life get all mixed up in a messy way. You start to wonder if Baba knows about the friction between them or if he is just trying to push them to be better.
The author, Hauwa Jibrin Sulaiman, who also goes by Jiddatul-khayr, really knows how to make you feel the frustration of the characters. She grew up in Maiduguri and lives in Bauchi, and you can see that she understands how to write about modern Nigerian life and the little things that happen in a home. After the office drama, it is time to go home. Our girl realizes her car has a flat tire. She sees her husband heading to his car and decides she is not going to call a taxi. She is going to follow him. She literally jumps into his front seat before he can even start the engine. He is so mad! He asks if she has lost her mind opening his car without permission. She just looks at him and says — "Why would I need permission when it is my husband’s car?" (translated from Hausa). She even tells him a little lie, saying that Baba told her not to take a Bolt and to just go with him. She knows he won't argue once she mentions Baba.
The ride home is just as tense as the morning. She puts on her Bluetooth headphones because she doesn't even want to hear his voice. He stops at an eatery on the way, goes inside, and comes out with only one takeaway bag. Just one! He doesn't even ask if she is hungry. It is like they are playing a game of who can be more cold-hearted. If you enjoy reading about couples who struggle but still have that "unspoken possessiveness" over each other, you will love finding more best Hausa novels on this site. This story is a bit like NIHAAD or even ZARAH because of the way the female characters have to stand their ground.
As they get back home, the cycle starts again. He goes to the dining table with his food, and she goes straight upstairs. You can just feel that there is so much more to their story. Why are they like this? Did they marry for love or was it arranged? There are so many questions. The way the author describes her soft feet and the way her hair falls when she takes off her nightcap shows that there is a lot of beauty and attraction there, even if they are fighting. It is like they are hiding their true feelings behind a veil of anger and pride. That is probably why the book is called Beyond the Veil. You have to look past the shouting and the cold looks to see what is really going on in their hearts.
If you have read HEEDAYAH, you know that these kinds of stories always have a twist that makes you cry or cheer for the couple. I spent the whole time reading this wanting to scream at the husband for being so mean, but also wanting to clap for the wife for not letting him push her around. She is strong but she also respects the marriage enough to put on that Hijab when he asks, even if she does it with a frown. It is a very real look at how two people try to live together when they both have big egos. You can find many more stories like this when you search for Hausa novels online.
This book is definitely going to be a long journey. The author mentioned that it is an ongoing story, and you can tell she is taking her time to build the characters. Every little interaction, from the sandwich to the office files, is building up to something big. Will they finally stop fighting and talk to each other? Or will Baba’s special assignment cause even more trouble between them? I also keep thinking about TAUFEEK and BARRISTER IBRAHIM KHALIL because those books also have that professional-meets-personal drama that keeps you turning the pages all night long. There is something about a workplace romance that is actually a "marriage in trouble" story that just hits differently.
One of my favorite moments so far is when she just took over his computer. The book says — "With lots of shock he was looking at her, he opened his mouth to speak angrily when the office door was opened." (translated from Hausa). It is those small moments where she catches him off guard that make the story so good. She isn't just a quiet housewife; she is a professional woman who knows how to do her job, maybe even better than he does. That dynamic is going to be so interesting to follow as the chapters go on. You can really see the talent of Hauwa Jibrin Sulaiman in how she handles these scenes.
If you want to read the rest of Beyond the Veil and see if this couple ever finds peace, you should head over to Taskar Novels. They have so many amazing stories there, and it is the best place to find your next favorite read. You can get this book and many other best Hausa novels to keep you entertained. Don't miss out on the drama, the love, and the tension in this story. Go check it out on Taskar Novels right now!
