I kept jogging as I jogged across the street. It was early morning today and it has been a day till Tyran's mom went to the hospital. I haven't heard anything from there since then. But I was worried.

According to the law, if somebody was to be blame in the situation, it would be me. Especially, since I am an agent and I work with most of international cases, I should have been more careful. I looked at my wrist watch.

It was 7 am. The court probably heard about this case by now. Even though nobody knew that I was there when the gun shot happen, as an agent, I fulfilled my duty and let the law office and the court know about the situation. Reporting every details and information about our cases were  necessary. The only thing that was making me worry was that who knew what decision they were going to take. After all, we, agents, had to follow whatever was said from the court.

I jogged more as I reached towards our house where I saw a mail delivery car driving away.

I jogged to our house and took at the mail box. There were a few mail. I took out the mails and noticed that there was a mail for me from the court.

I sighed. It was probably a decision  about the case.

I took out my keys and unlocked the door. Eveybody was sleeping since eveybody slept late last night.

I went to my room and took out my hijab. Then I took the mail and opened the envelop and saw a letter. I opened the letter as I read:

I was shocked. I did expected the court to take action aganist me but I didn't expect them to have a fine on me for $25, 000.

Heck I didn't even get that much money as a payment!

How was I suppose to fill the fine?! That too my the week!

I sat on the bed. I didn't know what to do. Everything was in a mess.

"Allah, please guide me in the right path. Please help me to find
$25, 000 by his week or else the court might do something worse," I muttered out.

I looked a the paper again and sighed.

Suddenly my phone rang. I took my phone and received the phone call.

"Hello?" I said.

"Assalamualikum Jasmin," I heard. "I am Tyran."

Tyran?

Why was he giving me a phone call, that too, this early morning?

"Walikum Assalam, Tyran," I answered. "How are you?"I paused. "How is your mom?"

"I am good and mom . . ." he hesitated. "I . . . I want to meet you."

"Meet me?"

"Yes, if it is possible then right now," he said. "This is kind of urgent."

I nodded. "Okay sure. So, you want to meet in a resturant?"

"Sounds good to me," he said. "I will text you the address of the resturant. Allah Hafiz."

"Allah Hafiz, Tyran," I said as I pull down the phone.

Urgent, huh?

What could he have that he wanted to talk to me so urgently?

I got out of the bed and changed my outfit. I wore my jeens and long top with a cardigan. I wore my hijab and got out of the house.

I looked at the message that Tyran send me about the resrurnats address and took out my car and began to drive over there.

It took 20 minutes to reach for he resturant. It was a fancy resturant. I got out of the car and made my way towards the resturant. I went in the resturant and saw Tyran.

Tyran was seating on a table and was looking down on the table. His eyes were filled with hurt.

I had a feeling that it was because of his mom, but I hope that nothing worse happen.

I went near the table and pulled my chair as he looked at me.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hello," I smiled as I seat on the chair.

"Thanks," he said. "It was probably a bother for you to travel -"

"That's fine. What's wrong?" I asked. "You said it was an emergency."

"It is," he said.

His blue eyes were looking into mine.

"Is it about . . ." I hesitated. "About your mom?"

"Yes," he said as he looked at his fingers. "She is still in the hospital and . . ."

"What did the doctor say?"

"She is . . ." he looked at me. I could see his eyes becoming watery. "She is in coma."

WHAT?!

I was shocked.

"Yesterday, after the operation she was fine for a while. We even talked," he said.

My chest heaved.

Talked?

Did she told Tyran about my real identity?

I hope not.

"What did you talked about?" I asked.

"Well, about things, cooking, playing and then . . . we talked about marriage," he paused. "His eyes became more watery. She had a bullet shot on her, just a few inch beside her heart and she was suppose to be calm, but when she talked about marriage . . . I . . . I told her that I wasn't ready to get married yet."

My eyes searched his eyes. "Then what?"

"And then everything started," he said. "She told me about how dad has a mission in September and that he have to leave for the mission a week before September. My older siblings who are alredy married will live with my little sisters, Noor and Maidah. So, I will be home alone and be unguarded so dad's enemies could attack me. So she wanted me to marry so that I can atleast have somebody with me. Then I got angry and said that it was like I needed a babaysiter. It was as if she wanted me to marry a woman so that she could babysit me, but not for starting my own new life. We got into arguments and then she . . ."

I looked at Tyran. A tear slipped down his eyes and he whipped it quickly.

"She began to have breathing problem. She was still talking about my marrige so I promised her that I will get married in a week and she did calm down after that but then suddenly she fainted. The doctor said that she got a stroke because of the arguments and the stress that she was going through and that she is in coma now," another tear slipped from his eyes.

I was shocked. I didn't knew what to say. I was angry at myself for letting this happen. Even the court knows about it and if the court now knows about the patient's critical condition then . . .

I gasped.

If something worse happens to Tyran's mom then I might loose my job.

No! That can't be it.

I already have a loan of $25, 000 to pay the court as a fine. If I loose my job now then . . . I sighed and looked at Tyran.

Tyran was still talking.

"The problem is that, when I promised my mom, I did it so that we didn't had to argue more, but my family was there and everybody thinks that I already have a girl in my mind that I want to marry," he said. "That too that I will marry a girl by this week."

"Isn't that too soon?" I asked. Even my fine was due by this week.

"It is and that's why I came to you for help because atleast you think my ideas are logical," he said. "I have an offer for you," he took out a blank check from his pocket and put it in the table infront of me.

I looked at him confusingly.

"You can put any amount you want in the blank check," he said as he looked into mine.

Any amount?

Why was be giving me that much money?

It made me wonder what he was going to say next.

I took the glass of water that was in front of me and began to drink it.

"But in return," he paused as my curiosity arose. "Marry me."

Suddenly out of shock, I spit water out of my mouth to his shirt. I caughed again.

WHAT THE HECK DID TYRAN JUST SAY?!

I looked at him and noticed his shirt was wet.

"Here," he handed me a tissue.

I took the tissue from his hand and whipped my lips.

He took some tissue and began to clean his shirt.

"Sorry about it," I said.

"No worries," he said. "The way I asked you was shocking. so should have asked you after you finish drinking the water."

I nodded.

"So, what do you think about the offer?" he asked.

I looked at him. I honestly didn't knew.

I did needed the money but I couldn't exchange my marriage because of money. It was wrong.

"It won't be like usual marriages. I know that you don't want to marry, yet," he said. "So, just after we get married, that's the same day, dad will have his flight to another country and my siblings will have to probably go back to their own houses, so after everybody leave we will pack our suitcases and go to different appartment and live a new life there. I just want the marriage to be done so that my family don't make another fuss about this. I am sure you family is the same, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "My parnets and sister always trying to get me married, even when I don't believe in marriages."

"So, does that mean you accept the offer? We won't have any connection between us. We will live separetly," he said.

I nodded.

I didn't know what to do. I needed the money urgently and maybe if I get married with him, then, my family won't try to set me up with any other men.

Plus, it is not actual marriage. We just marry and then live apparently and mind our own business. That's it.

I looked at Tyran and noticed him waiting for an answer.

I took a deap breath and looked at him. "I . . .  I accept your offer."