I Was Created Like This

I Was Created Like This

Chapters: 86
Updated: 19 Dec 2024
Author: Aishatuh M
4.2

Synopsis

Hayfah Talhah Muhammad basks in the glory of her unadulterated beauty—until, that is, she opens her mouth. Born with a husky voice, she's verbally abused and harassed by her family and those around her, causing her to sink into silent despair and melancholy. She's all but given up on love when she meets him, a mysterious Fulani man by the name of Adyan Aliyu Ardo. She quickly falls head over heels for him. The only problem is her sister does too. Will this new rivalry destroy the already shaky bond Hayfa has with her sister? Can Hayfa walk this path of envy, hatred, and competition to find true love?

Billionaire Contemporary Romance Love Triangle First Love BxG

I Was Created Like This Free Chapters

Chapter 1 — Why? | I Was Created Like This

The girl who lay on a small bed peacefully sleeping looked nothing short of 18 summers. The room was quaint yet cosy. From the small bed, wooden closet, and cracked mirror hanging on the wall, it was obvious that the room belonged to a girl who had not been born with a silver spoon in her mouth. The wooden door, which gave the room a semblance of privacy, made a creaking sound and a woman who seemed to be in her mid-forties entered the room with her hands akimbo.

She furiously tapped the young lady, who was peacefully asleep. Hayfah groaned before turning her face in the opposite direction, yawning. Her mother yanked the bed sheets she used as a substitute for a duvet off her.

"Wake up. You ought to be at school by now, yet here you are, lazing around," the woman thundered in a voice that clearly expressed her annoyance.

Hayfah's attempt to greet her mother proved futile as she was cut short by the angry woman, "Don't you dare utter a word. I'm in no mood to listen to your foul voice. Just get off the bed this minute." That being said, the woman stomped out of the room.

Hayfah could not control the tears that threatened to fall. She was tired of her Umma’s negative attitude towards her.

'Why can't Umma understand that?’ she wondered. It was not the first nor would it be the last time her Umma criticized her.

She heaved a sigh before changing out of her nightgown. She wrapped a faded ankara wrapper round her dainty frame and made her way to the bathroom. Knowing she was already late for school, Hayfah wasted no time in taking her bath. On her way back to her room, she ran into her father, who was all set to leave for the marketplace where he sold groceries.

“Good morning Abba,” she greeted in a voice way too deep for a young and beautiful lady like her. Her father, a tall man just a few weeks shy of his 54th birthday, gazed at her with so much adoration. He was the only member of the family who was not ashamed of Hayfah’s flaws. Rather, he found them unique.

"Good morning Hayfah. Sleep well?" he asked, smiling lovingly at his daughter. The way her mother and the other members of their family and society treated her had made her his favourite. "Are your exams going well?" he further enquired.

"Yes Abba, Alhamdulillah."

He nodded and made his way out of the house.

Once in her room, she sat on the edge of her bed and carefully applied the well-known Baby and Mama petroleum jelly over her skin. It took a speck of powder, kohl, and a spritz of perfume to complete her look for the day. She smiled at her reflection on the mirror as she applied some lip balm on her lips.

Her eyes grew as big as saucers when she glanced over at the old wall clock. How could she have been so negligent? She had stayed up late to study for her exam and it had resulted in her waking up very late. She glanced over at her bed and stretched the wrinkled lines from the sheet before taking a deep breath and muttering a short supplication. She knew better than to annoy her mother, who was very engrossed in picking out chaffs from a bowl of uncooked beans.

***

Hayfah stood sceptically on the hall's veranda, fighting a mental battle as to whether or not to walk into the hall where the examination had already commenced, proctors roaming around to ensure silence and decorum as it went on. So lost in thought, Hayfah didn't notice when a tall man ambled towards her, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Hayfah took a step backward.

"Are you here for the exam?" he asked, the smile on his face deepening.

Hayfah muttered an 'Innalillahi' and gulped nervously. She knew nothing could stop her from being embarrassed this morning.

She nodded a yes, her eyes gazing at anything but him.

"What subject? Geography?" he asked, a bit eager to hear her speak. ‘I wonder how melodious her voice is if she’s this pretty,’ he thought.

Much to his disappointment, Hayfah shook her head.

“Economics then?” he pressed, and yet again, he was disappointed when she shook her head in answer. “I’m not deaf, so I don’t understand sign language. You’ll remain outside till you’re ready to speak.”

She looked at him with desperation in her eyes. Hayfah knew she could only resist the tears that were threatening to fall for a few more seconds.

"Geography, sir." No matter how hard she tried, her voice was never the type to come out low and soft. Something in his heart twitched. Was the girl standing in front of him really the one who had just spoken? Muffled giggles could be heard coming from the examination hall, and Hayfah knew the laughter was at her expense. Slowly, the tears cascaded down her cheeks, and she immediately used her hijab to shield them from the man standing in front of her; she did not want him to see her weakness.

"Adyan!” a voice bellowed, “What's happening over there? Why is she out here?" the proctor asked.

“Take this,” he said, focusing his attention on Hayfah. She hastily took both the question booklet and answer sheet from him. Hayfah sat down and ruefully smiled at her best friend, who was sitting by her side flashing her a melancholic look. She looked down at the words written on the paper and got to writing. She had always been passionate about her studies.

***

Hayfah and Fareeha were walking side by side towards the school gate. Both girls were so engrossed in their trains of thought. Hayfah was the first to snap out of her trance when her petite frame slammed into something solid—or someone solid. It wasn’t just any random person but the man she had encountered earlier that morning, the man called Adyan. Seeing as the man had no intention of stepping out of her friend’s way, Fareeha made up an excuse, leaving her best friend at the mercy of a stranger.

"Look...what can I say? You're the most beautiful lady I’ve ever seen."

Hayfah gasped, shocked at the man’s audacity. When their eyes locked, Adyan softly smiled at her, calming her tense nerves. She looked into his eyes and was baffled to see a sincerity she didn’t see in most men. She smiled back at him, and Adyan would've bet his whole life that when she did, the world fell away. It was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

Without saying a word, she turned to leave.

“I don’t live around here, and I’ll be leaving tomorrow,” Adyan blurted, making her stop in her tracks. “May I know your name?” he asked, suddenly dreading leaving the following day.

She gently shook her head, turning down his request. He brought his thumb and index finger together to show her how little telling him her name would cost her, but Hayfah still did not budge.

"I'm begging you, please. Should I kneel down so you can see how sincere I am?" His knees bent and were moving south when Hayfah let out a gasp; he stopped midway.

Hayfah gazed at him with tears welling in her eyes. This stranger standing before her was the first male, aside from those in her family, to ever listen to her manlike voice and still want to talk to her again, to gaze at her with adoration, to make her insides burst with so much pride. Indeed, his gesture boosted her sense of self-worth. For no apparent reason, Hayfah found her mind convincing her that the stranger before her was not like the other men who had approached her in the past. He had no intention of mocking her.

“Hayfah,’’ she stated reluctantly. “Hayfah Muhammad Talha,” she gave him her full name. Without waiting to hear his next words, Hayfah left, leaving Adyan dumbfounded.

It took him a while to snap out of his reverie. By God, he was captivated by this girl. She was the most enchanting human being he had ever come across.

Chapter 2 — Do You Love Me? | I Was Created Like This

Hayfah glumly trudged off the school premises. She took a bike and headed home, his face never leaving her mind. It was rounded with a long chiseled nose, sparkly eyes, purplish lips, trimmed side burns, and black curly hair, and it kept popping up in her noddle. His smile was really a sight to behold. She remembered his broad chest and how very tall and well-structured he was, just how she wanted her man to look.

She opened the metal door of their house and walked in, wiping away her tears, unable to figure out their source. She knew Umma was going to say something awful to her. Muttering an incoherent salaam, she walked into the house, where she almost bumped into someone. Looking up, her gaze fell on her tall and fair-skinned brother, who possessed a big mouth. Her facial expression suddenly turned into a grin. She loved her siblings.

"Hamma Tahir, when did you come back? I guess I must have been at school. How're you doing? How was work? I missed you so much,” her husky voice uttered as she leaned in to hug him, but he was quick to push her away, sneering at her.

"Don't hug me, please. I know it's not haram, but people might see us, which would be embarrassing as my voice is thinner and more melodious than yours," he said and maneuvered his way out of the house, leaving her in tears.

She was hurt beyond words, and she wondered if he loved her. She trudged inside their mid-sized house. It was a humble space, with a kitchen in the left corner, a bathroom in the right corner, a water well near the bathroom, and their three small bedrooms. One was for her and Amna, the second one belonged to Tahir, and Umma and Abba occupied the third one. She quickly fled to her room, hoping no one would see her.

As she was about to enter her room, a voice halted her, "Hayfah, have you forgotten how to greet someone properly? Does your husky voice cause you such humiliation that you must take it out on me?" Upon hearing her sister's voice, she quickly turned, a wide grin plastered to her lips. She scuttled to where she was sitting with Umma on a rubber mat. Wrappers, cosmetics, and undergarments were scattered across the mat. They both hugged, Hayfah letting out a hearty laugh; she had missed her one and only sister.

"Addah, I missed you!" She was taken aback when Amna pushed her away, wearing a look that reeked of disgust. "Do you want to destroy my eardrums? For heaven's sake! Can't you just keep your distance? I've heard, you missed me, and I missed you too."

Hayfah couldn’t control the tears that were trying to cascade down her cheeks.

"Umma, whose things are these?" she asked, holding up a peach and purple ankara, admiring the patterns on it.

Umma violently grabbed the ankara from her and placed it back in its spot "They're all your sister's. As you can see, she's very beautiful, with a nice thin voice, so her boyfriend gave her these gifts. She can contribute so much to this family, you see," Umma said, patting Amna's hair lovingly.

Hayfah couldn’t control her tears anymore. She wondered why her family treated her the way they did. She couldn't be the only lady born with a manly voice. ‘Do the others also face this discrimination?’ she wondered.

"You think I can't contribute? Why do you say such things? You gave birth to me Umma, do you even feel an ounce of love for me?” She burst into tears, her shoulders shaking. This was just too much.

Umma chuckled. How could she explain to Hayfah that she actually felt affection for her, but her greed and quest for worldly pleasures cast a barrier between them?

"What difference does that make? Whether or not I love you doesn’t change the fact that you’re useless to me, so please leave my sight. And mind you, you should entertain any guy that comes calling on you tonight. You might find someone that'll pity you."

Hayfah ran as fast as her legs could carry her to their room and flopped on her mattress, crying hysterically.

She vowed to herself not to entertain anyone just to irk Umma. Hayfah had experienced one too many negative encounters with men who came calling. Most of them left almost immediately after hearing her speak. Others taunted her. But the worst were those who made their lustful desire for her clear and tried enticing her with money and nice things.

Despite all that, to Hayfah, there was nothing more heartbreaking than the humiliation and discrimination she faced from her family. She had been broken at a tender age, and it made a huge impact on her social interactions with society; she was a loner.

With a heavy heart, she said her Zuhr and Asr prayers before eating lunch. Amna was trying to make small talk with her, but Hayfah snubbed her—not because she didn’t want to talk to her sister but because she feared being humiliated due to her voice. She knew how very thoroughly Amna had mastered the art of harassing her.

***

In the evening, a young boy was sent into their home to call on Hayfah.

"She's not around," Amna lied, much to the annoyance of Umma, who was in her room listening to the conversation. She rushed out and stopped the boy.

“Tell him she’ll be out in a bit,” she said, smiling at the little boy. “Dan ubanki fito. He might take pity on you and show some interest,” she yelled at Hayfah. “Rub some powder on yourself and spritz on some of your sister’s designer perfume. Maza fito kar ya sha jira.”

Afraid of incurring Umma’s wrath, Hayfah did as she was told before walking out the door. For no apparent reason, she found herself hoping it was Adyan. She still could not decipher why thoughts of this stranger lingered in her young and inexperienced heart.

As soon as she was out of the little door, their gazes met and the guy put on a grin. How so in love he was with her beauty. Her body was the first thing that had drawn him to her.

‘I’ll try my luck,’ he thought. ‘Today might be my lucky day.’ His eyes scrutinized her from head to toe. He was already envisioning his body moving in perfect sync with hers.

Hayfah pouted her lips, wondering why the most notorious thug in the area wanted to see her.

"What brings you here?" she asked with an expression that clearly communicated her lack of interest in him.

"I'm here because I love you, Hayfah. You're the most beautiful lady I've ever seen," he said with a naughty grin.

Hayfah noticed how he kept looking at his phone, like he was waiting for something. She shrugged it off.

"What's your name again?" she asked, trying to give him a chance. Maybe he meant it. He, after all, had heard her speak yet had chosen to stay.

His grin grew wider. “My name is Amir, Amir Usman," he answered, studying her curved body even though she was wearing a hijab.

She smiled, and they chatted for an hour. Maybe she had been mistaken in thinking him a bad person. The way he spoke, how he smiled at her warmly, everything about him was good. He was caramel in complexion, with a short nose and a mop of black Fulani hair. She instantly took a liking for him. 'He's handsome. Maybe I should give him a chance?' she thought.

***

Hayfah was sent to buy some sugar for tomorrow's breakfast. She was walking when she heard a familiar voice coming from a group of guys. They were laughing, and it seemed harmless, but something kept gnawing at her. She thought she heard her voice. She silently tiptoed to where they were sitting and spotted Amir in the middle, holding his phone. They were listening to something. It was her voice. He had recorded her voice.

Hayfah burst into a loud wail, which caught their attention. She tried muffling her sobs, but it was already too late as they had already seen her. Amir moved closer, rubbing the nape of his neck nervously. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she halted him with a hand gesture. She looked him from head to toe with so much disgust—and a glint of sadness and pain—in her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with my voice. I was created like this, and I believe it's a blessing in disguise. This isn’t the first time I’ve been humiliated, but I never thought it would come from you. It hurts because I trusted you. Is this what you wanted all along? Is this why you were being so nice? Get this straight: Someday, I’ll find true love. I’ll find someone who’ll love and appreciate me just the way I am. Someone who won’t see my flaws and will love me for who I truly am. And he'll love me more because of my voice!" she spat angrily and left.

Amna was busy talking to her boyfriend on phone when Hayfah entered their room and started talking. Amna ended the call immediately and shot a glare at Hayfah.

"What do you think you're doing? Now he’ll think I'm with another guy. Can you please stop talking while I'm on phone?" spat an angry Amna. Hayfah was in a frenzy; she stiffened in shock.

"Addah, do you love me?" she blurted, wiping away her tears. Amna glared at her, hissed, and dialled her boyfriend's number.