#Chapter Twenty Five#

My heart began to beat faster at baba's words. 

Intensify the security system? Why did we need to do that? We already had a large amount of guards at home, not to mention the three to four guards who had to accompany each of us wherever we went, including Samir.

In fact, even our extended family each had their own set of guards who lived close by to them. 

We had top of the range equipment installed around our house and private investigators who worked behind the scenes to catch anyone who may be plotting against the government. 

Protection was always something baba had prioritised so the fact that he thought we needed to strengthen it, was a problem. 

For Gods sake, the only place I could go without wearing my scarf in this house was in my room. Everywhere else there was a camera with someone watching.

I plastered my ear closer to the door. "Has something happened Sir?" Salem asked, reading my thoughts. 

Something must've happened.

Something baba isn't telling us. 

"Sameena?" I heard Tariq's voice call out to me. I jumped away from the door just as he rounded the hallway corner. I managed a smile in an attempt to mask my worry and took slow steps towards him. Tariq, I had realised, was an expert at reading emotions. Maybe it was because of his job, or maybe it was just a trait he was born with. "There you are," he said. "I wanted to go down to the kitchen to grab some painkillers, but I wasn't sure if I could just walk down there?" 

"Of course you can!" I exclaimed with a wave of my hand. "I'll come with you." 

"Thanks." He stepped up so he was side by side with me and I didn't miss the little wince he gave as he started to walk. 

"Are you alright?" I asked worriedly, roaming my eyes across his face. 

"Yeah, I just have a little pain on the right side of my stomach." He was clutching the same side as he spoke. 

"What kind of pain?" I questioned.

"Sort of like a sharp throbbing."

"Does it hurt a lot?"

He shook his head. "It's not excruciating, but it is uncomfortable. It just started playing up tonight actually." 

"Aw, come on Doc, aren't you going to diagnose yourself?" I joked. He chuckled and winced again as we descended the last flight of stairs and headed into the kitchen.

"I'll take the painkillers first and if they don't work and the pain persists, then I'll have reason for concern." He swiped a lock of hair away from his forehead and smiled up at me, grey eyes kind and searching as always. Before I could get swept away in them, I moved towards the high cabinet where all our medicines were stored and pulled out two types of painkillers, holding each out to him. 

"I'll take this one," he said, taking the ibuprofen out of my hands. 

I grabbed a clear glass cup from a separate cupboard and filled it with some cold water, handing it to him after forcing him to sit down. Since it was night time, the kitchen hands had all left to their houses, leaving the place empty with only one light on in the middle of the room. As a result, I was acutely aware of the fact that Tariq and I were alone when we weren't supposed to be. 

It's not like we're not being watched right now...

"JazakAllahu khair," he said, taking the cup from my hands. He threw the two tablets in his mouth before sculling down the whole cup of water. I stood to the side, a little awkwardly, watching his adams apple in awe as it bobbed up and down whilst he drank. When he finished, he got up, I assumed to put the cup away but I was quick to take it from his hands. 

"I'll do that, you sit down," I instructed.

Tariq laughed. "Alhamdulillah my legs are still working Sameena...it's just a little pain." 

"Still," I trailed off, walking to the sink to wash the cup. 

"So what kind of high class treatment will I get once I'm really sick?" he questioned with an amused smile and I flushed, focusing back on the task at hand to avoid his stare. I heard him chuckle lowly behind me and I smiled, relishing in the sound of his deep rumble. "You know, I've never been down here," he said and I turned around to face him after placing the cup on the rack to dry. He was looking around the kitchen curiously, but he had a small smile on his face and it was somehow...nostalgic. 

"You should see this place during the day...it's bustling with workers." I sat on a stool across from him with a marble table dividing us.

He nodded his head. "I can imagine," he mumbled.

"Lia usually runs the place," I continued on. "You haven't met her yet, but insha'Allah you will be soon." 

"And this Lia...are you close to her?" 

"Very much so," I answered with a smile. "Lia's been a part of my life since I was born, but you know...after mama died, she sort of stepped up and ran the house exactly the way mama had. Whenever I needed to have a good cry about something or ask for womanly advice, Lia was the first person I'd go to and even though it wasn't the same as no one can ever replace your mother, it was nice to have someone there for not only me, but my brothers too. Baba was devastated after mama's death and well, we couldn't find comfort with him. So naturally, it was always Lia." 

Tariq let out a breath. "I can't even...I don't know what I'd do if mama was gone." He looked up at me then and we both stared at each other; his grey eyes reflecting the pain that I was feeling at the mention of mama. 

"You're a mama's boy," I said with an airy laugh, breaking the tense and depressing atmosphere that had suddenly formed around us. 

"I am not!" he voiced with surprise.

"You so are!" He crossed his arms over his chest, causing wrinkles to form in his leather jacket. "I've picked up on it and even Elisa agrees with me!" 

"Elisa will agree with anything that she thinks can humiliate me," he grumbled with a frown. 

"Why is it humiliating? I actually find it adorable...you know, the way your mum puts you food before herself or your dad, or the way she swipes your hair off your forehead." Tariq groaned loudly. "How she makes you a cup of tea after work and makes sure no one sits on your favourite couch!" 

I threw my head back and laughed when Tariq pretended to leave the room. "Now how can you deny that you've embarrassed me?" he exclaimed, slumping back down on the stool. "Is she really that bad?" he pondered, rubbing at his short beard. 

I held in another bout of laughter, for his sake. "Yes she is but I still find it cute. I'm not surprised, you're the only boy so of course you're going to be spoilt." 

"You make that sound like a bad thing." 

"Nah, it's only a bad thing when you're smothered and grow up ungrateful. At the education centre, I teach so many kids who expect to have everything their way because their parents give them whatever they want but don't teach them how to value what they have at the same time. You're not like that..." 

We shared a smile, before Tariq cleared his throat. "What's it like working with kids?" he asked, redirecting the conversation.

I perched my head on the palm of my hand and bit my lip in thought. There was so much to say. 

"It's one heck of a difficult job but I'll tell you what...it's the most rewarding job too. I teach students with special needs and even though the education centre caters for everyone, I personally like to focus on those who do need the help more. Growing up in a mainstream school, I always hated how children with learning difficulties were sort of neglected or swept under the rug, so to speak. I want to show kids that there are educators out there who care about their success just as much as they care about 'normal' students success." 

"Can I tell you something?" Tariq asked slowly, a bit suddenly.

"Of course..." 

"Once upon a time, I had Autism..." he announced, pausing to catch my reaction. I was beyond shocked; I mean, I would never in a hundred years have thought Tariq was an Autistic child. I knew my eyes had widened and my mouth was probably hanging open, when he began to speak again. "I grew out of it, as you might have already guessed but what you were explaining before...about the difficulties. It was something I went through on a daily basis and by God, it was the harshest period of my life." 

I nodded my head in understanding. "Of course it would've been."

"Sameena...what you're doing, helping other people who suffer the way I suffered. You don't know what it does to me," he whispered quietly. 

Despite the second blush that was forming on my face, I smiled and looked straight into his eyes. "May Allah SWT reward you for everything you had to go through Tariq. I mean it, from the bottom of my heart." 

"I don't doubt that it was from your heart Sameena," he said gently.

####

"Are you girls OK?" I asked softly, taking a seat on my bed and throwing my hair behind my shoulder. Houda continued to text on her phone, ignoring me, and Mira just stared out of the window with a solemn look on her face. "Mira, talk to me." 

"There's nothing to talk about Sameena," she said with an empty voice. 

"Ten years is a long time," I prodded. 

"Like I care..." she mumbled. I blew out a breath and stood up to stand next to her. I snaked a hand around her waist and leant my head against her shoulder. 

"He's your father Mira." 

I was trying to force Mira to open up and speak about her feelings. Usually, she would do that on her own but her father was a closed case. His court hearing was today and the judge had decided that ten years was the amount of time he was to serve for his crimes. Even though she put on a facade and pretended she didn't care, I knew her better than that.

"By blood but not by anything else," she said angrily, shrugging my hands off her and moving away from the window to stomp towards my bed. She roughly pulled the bed covers down and slid in, promptly mummifying herself with the blankets. "I'm going to nap if you care to join me." 

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's only two in the afternoon." 

"Perfect time to nap, methinks." She snuggled in closer and shut her eyes. 

I sighed and headed towards my desk.

Two hours later, I had had enough of studying and decided to head downstairs for some snacks. I wrapped on a scarf and pulled on a skirt over my pyjama pants before opening the door quietly as both Houda and Mira were asleep. 

Just as I was stepping down from the last step, I heard my name being called. "Sameena!" 

I turned to see Salem jogging his way towards me. "Hey Salem."

"How are you?" he asked as he halted just before me. 

"Good alhamdulillah. What're you doing?" 

"Not much, just on duty as usual..." he trailed off.

"Right." I tried not to let the smile that was playing on my lips appear. "Is there something I can help you with?" 

He scratched his head and shifted on the balls of his feet. I observed carefully as he swallowed and scratched his head a second time. "Erm..." 

"Ya Allah Salem it's just me!" I exclaimed after thirty seconds of watching him do the same thing. "Ask away!" 

"I'm trying OK?" He took in a deep breath. "How is she?"

"There...now that wasn't so hard was it?" 

He sent me a rough glare. "Just answer the question Sameena." 

"She'll be fine Salem."

"So she's not fine now?" he urged.

I exhaled slowly. "I think even though she expected what was to come, it still came as a shock. I know she's hurting inside, even though she's trying to hide it from all of us. But with anything, I'm sure she'll be OK in time." 

He nodded slowly. "So I shouldn't be worried?" 

I smiled. "No. Just try to cheer her up when you see her. Whenever she decides to emerge from my room, that is..." I ended with a frown. 

"OK..." He was still fidgeting. 

"How did you know Salem?" 

"Know what?" 

"That today was her dad's sentencing?" I crossed my arms and cocked an eyebrow.

"I...might've heard your dad mentioning it." 

"When?" I interrogated. "Baba just got home from a meeting."

Silence. 

"Awww!" I cooed loudly and Salem grimaced. "You heard baba and came running for her straight away!" 

He turned on his heels and ignored me. "I'm going back to work. Goodbye Sameena." 

"AWWW!" I yelled after him, knowing it would grate his nerves. 

His large form disappeared without another word and I smiled joyfully as I made my way down. In the kitchen, I found Sarah sitting on one of the stools, spoon-feeding Abir some custard. 

"Salam!" I gave Abir a very sloppy kiss and she whined in protest. Sarah took the opportunity and shovelled some more custard onto the spoon and shoved it into her mouth. "Is she still being difficult with eating?" 

Sarah gave me a tired look. "Yes. Ever since I stopped breastfeeding her because of her allergy, it's been hell trying to get her to eat baby food."

"Why are you being naughty?" I said to her as I took a seat next to Sarah. 

A ball of mixed spit and custard came flying towards me, landing right on my face. 

Sarah laughed. "I think she knows what the word naughty means."

"She's a smart one." I wiped the spit off my face. 

Once I had grabbed some junk food, including of course, strawberry cheesecake, I sat next to Sarah and kept her company whilst she finished feeding Abir. In the moments of silence however, my mind couldn't help but think about what I had heard last night from baba. 

####

I have a job interview tomorrow, so everyone please keep me in your dua!

Also my kitty who's got the flu :( :D