Spoiling the night walkers or early morning people.
Hope this made you smile.

I have a very important question.

WILL YOU READ ANOTHER BOOK OF MINE?

YES OR NO?

•••••

Kindness is a mark of faith. The most excellent action is to gladden the heart of a human being. May Allah Bless us with a kind heart.

Jumm'at Mubarak

••••••

“This is bribe,” Khadijah stated as her argument for not wanting to meet with Farhan.

“Bribe?” Fahad asked staring at her amusedly.

“Yes bribe, I mean…” she paused and he knows she doesn’t know what to say but he let her think for a few minutes and she came up empty. She let out a small huff before tipping the glass and finishing the last of the milk, she barely ate any of the cookies. She seriously stays away from sugary things unless it is jelly beans.

“Okay, so he is invited for dinner?” he didn’t give her space to reply. “Because I kind of already invited him.”

“Fahad!” he smiled sweetly and packed up the papers then shoved them back in the envelope, the first envelope that held good news in a while.

“Well, this is your cue to ask me to cook dinner.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“Then I’ll keep you company while you do it, or you don’t want me to?” she kept her eyes on him for a few beats before nodding in agreement. She had to admit his company is quite nice and though she hated people in the kitchen with her, he always kept her busy asking her questions about her childhood, happy things.

“Don’t be too hard on him, he is a big softy.” She laughed. “He would not appreciate you saying that about him.”

Fahad shrugged then got up and walked to the shelf by the left side of the room and kept a pile of papers she hadn’t noticed before.

“He wouldn’t but there is nothing he can do about it. He is groveling for our forgiveness.” That was the end of the conversation.

Khadijah watched him work while she talked on the phone with Layla after which she called Afnan whose wedding has been set to two months from then along with Kamla, they discussed her outfits and how she wanted them, at some point she called Victoria her former assistant now manager and asked how the inventory was going.

Fahad who was done with what he was doing sat back and watched her in her element, she didn’t look as laser focused as she did when she was sketching but there was a sureness in what she did and how she spoke.

She reminded him of the Khadijah he first met, Layla’s Dee then, she had captivated him and though he wasn’t not looking for a relationship, he didn’t even know why she interested him but she did and he just went along with it.

She kept him on his toes, he was sure she didn’t know but the first few months after he started knowing her and they talked, his brain worked faster trying to decipher her tone, her mood and everything about her. He wanted to know why she was that way, call it curiosity but he didn’t stop himself he wasn’t sure he could have stopped himself even if he wanted to.

He was supposed to take a break from work as per his mother’s order and the best way to make him do that is by forcing him away from the work environment, it didn’t work, not completely at least. When he was in Australia he was the definition of a workaholic, he was always working and he barely slept, rarely slept actually because he has always had a serious case of insomnia, he had to overly exert himself to get a few hours of sleep.

The doctors tried to get him on sleeping meds but he vehemently refused and chose that dwindling path according to his mother.

Talking to her everyday became a routine, he couldn’t say any conversation they had because she was mostly just humming or giving one word answers but he liked talking to her and it was a refreshing change from the screen and back to back meetings.

It all feels like it was a different lifetime ago when he looks at them now.

“I’ll call you later, I need to start up dinner.” He heard the drowned out voice from the phone, he didn’t need anyone to tell him it was Manal.

“Done for the day then?” she asked him noticing his attention was on her.

“More like for the week,”

“Do I even want to know what you do?” Khadijah’s brows creased in question when she realized she actually didn’t know his work, he worked but that was just all she knew to it.

“I run a mafia.” He winked and she rolled her eyes, laughing.

“Is mafia a second name for amusement park?” Fahad threw his head back and laughed seeing the serious look on her face.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked when he recovered.

“Exactly what I said. I’m sure you never even thought to be soldier when you were little,” he smoothened his eyebrows but didn’t say anything because she was actually right, he wasn’t going to admit it though.

Khadijah studied him before nodding to herself. “It is just not you, let’s see,” she leaned forward making his breath hitch in his throat when her perfume hit him.

Okay, the effect of her perfume when it is all around the room is different from when she is up close. Noted. He told himself, fighting the urge to run his hands through his hair and pull it.

“You’re more of a paediatrician, an ice cream man actually.” He paused looking at her in disbelief, the smile on her face putting him off. He couldn’t even feel insulted if he wanted to, he had a better idea and chose to turn it on her.

“If that is your way of saying I’m sweet then I take it wholeheartedly, I do have charm I’ve been told.” She rolled her eyes and stood up, then walked slowly to the shelf she had noticed since she walked in but didn’t pay much attention to it thinking it was just company certificates and trophies, Abubakar Barkindo is a legend she has heard.

“You are cocky that’s for sure.” When he replied, his voice was closer informing her he was no longer seated.

“That is something I haven’t heard before.” She gave him a sideways glance, her eyebrows raised. “Okay so maybe a few people, mostly Jawad but that doesn’t count.” She shrugged and turned back, running her hand over the name she saw on an award for student of the year.

He watched her freeze, then turn to him then back to the fine wood then back to him again.

“You studied medicine?” he could hear the awe and surprise in her voice.

“Why do you sound so surprised?” a lot of people react that way when they figure out what he actually studied but it was the first time he wanted to know what someone thought.

“I don’t even know really, you do seem doctor material.”

“Not an ice cream man anymore?” he folded his hands over his torso and crossed his legs in front of him.

He decided to keep a safe distance from her since one whiff of her perfume had his head swimming, in a good way but still better safe than sorry.

“A doctor ice cream man, that’s for sure.” She turned back to him again, then gave him a once over. “You don’t exactly look like one though, what branch of medicine?” she quickly added.

“Cardiology.” She turned so swiftly he was surprised she didn’t take a fall, her mouth was wide open and so were her eyes, a deadly and beautiful combination.

Fahad shook his head and told himself to act normal.

“So, you play around with people’s heart and even got an award for it. Am I safe?” she joked and he laughed, because well everything she did was interesting to him.

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” that eye roll again before she walked to the other side and started reading one of the awards.

“Why aren’t you practising? I definitely wouldn’t study for five years and not do that.” He shrugged though she wasn’t looking at him.

“I got over it by the time I finished so I didn’t do the housemanship, I didn’t see myself doing that for the rest of my life.” it wasn’t a lie.

The only reason he had studied that was because of Noor and when she died, it took a lot of effort to even finish the degree and when he was done he didn’t go for his residency and instead went into the business field.

“Wow,” she muttered and kept reading the title of the awards.

How could one person win so much things?

“So let me guess, Harvard business school after that?”

“No,” he chuckled. He saw her eyes on the certificate there. “That was a…” he paused looking for the right word to use. “Vocational school.” He heard her make a sound in question.

“It was just to keep my mind busy, I think that was when I was in Oxford actually. It looked nice and I thought why not?”

“Who in the world thinks to study because why not?” he pointed to himself and she nodded slowly, very slowly.

“Right.’ She drawled. “You are so weird.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to say it.”

“Before I go on, which of these did you do for fun?” he chuckled and ran his hand through his hair.

“You don’t want to know.”

“I actually do.”

“Only the one for cardiology was actually for school.”

Khadijah faced him this time, she opened her mouth but closed it because no words came out. She gave up after another try and sighed,

“I’m tempted to bake you chocolate cake because this is so sad, don’t you any have hobbies?”

“I’m inconsistent so I don’t do extracurricular activities but I once liked polo, it is the only one I can remember.” She looked sombre and he thought if it was a different person she would’ve given him a hug to make him feel better, she looked that way.

“I have to find you a hobby, and no not drawing a table. That is for first graders.” This time he rolled his eyes.

“I don’t need a hobby, unless you want me to be your assistant until I find something else.” She let out an exaggerated huff.

“This is why you’re always in your office, we need to fix this.” She looked determined now. She gave the shelf one last glance before shaking her head.

“Who in the world studies for fun?” she muttered to herself before walking back to the desk.

Fahad watched her amused as she tried to reach behind him for the tray he kept earlier, he didn’t need to turn to know there was no way she would get it because he was standing directly in front of desk, it was either he moved or she went around it.

“Let me help you with that.” She jumped a little then moved back, like she just realized he was standing there.

He took it in one hand and followed her out of the office, she kept mumbling things to herself that he couldn’t make out but he could hear a few words here and there. Mostly why and study and school so he knew it had to do with him.

The doorbell rang when they reached the landing of the stairs and without any words exchanged, though they seemed to have a silent agreement, he handed her the tray and they went opposite ways.

Since they weren’t called from the gate, it was someone they both knew and the security did too.

Sure enough, he saw Kamla, Manal and Afnan standing outside when he opened the door for them.

They greeted him before asking for their aunt, apparently Kamla was just given a car by their grandfather and they took it for a test drive and somehow ended up there, he didn’t ask any more questions after Manal volunteered that information.

He left them downstairs and went back to the room to perform ablution and leave for asr prayers when he found his phone ringing on the bed, he didn’t even want to know how many people must’ve called him. To be honest he had completely forgotten about it.

“Is she in a good mood and what type of flowers do you think she likes? Or should I just get her chocolates or her favourite jellybeans, maybe with potato chips she still likes it right?” Fahad rolled his eyes at his friend now brother in law before telling him to just bring himself.

“You are not helping, I should’ve just called Layla. Why did I even call you?” he considered telling him his fiancé was there but after that comment he decided to not do it. He smiled to himself, he was a bit evil too.

“Bye then, I’ll see you when you get here and try putting on something with pink, she likes it.”

“Okay, thank you.” He heard three beeps indicating the call ended before laughing.

“Now you’re laughing to yourself, Ya Allah.” He shut his eyes then turned to find Khadijah palming her forehead.

“It is good, I have been told I’m fabulous.”

“You sure it wasn’t spelled C. O. C. K. Y?”

“No, it was F. A. B.” she was waiting for him to finish when he smiled widely and added. “That is what my initials spell out, fabulous or you can say, fantastic, ama—“

“Bye, I wanted to ask if you wanted anything different for dinner but you can Fab your way into the kitchen and make it.” She turned and left, the sound of her laughter reaching him from the halls.

He sighed and sat on the bed, relishing the past few hours, past few days even.

If not that he was there he would’ve thought she was changed after she spoke to her parents that day, because she changed in so many ways, all very good ways.

Deciding he was going to be late if he sat there day dreaming, he got off the bed and headed to the ensuite.

*****

“Aunty Dee, every time I see your kitchen it makes me want to go on a cooking spree.” Manal stated like she does every single time they visit.

“You’re exaggerating, your mum’s own is almost as big as this.”

“Exactly, almost.” She added, raising her hands high.

Khadijah didn’t say anything already tired of telling her niece the same thing over and over again. She finished transferring the chicken to the dish bowl, she handed it to Manal so they can all get a few moments of peace.

“Now my brides to be, what is it going to be?” Khadijah asked after she hung the hand towel she had been using.

“Aunty Dee,” Kamla muttered looking away, the act made both Khadijah and Afnan laugh.

“I feel like the days are just flying past, subhanallah, I think I’m nervous.”

“It is okay to be nervous, I would be worried if you weren’t.” Afnan nodded and let out a sigh of relief.

Khadijah was the only one she felt like she could talk to about everything that she is feeling¸ she is older than her by far but she was one of her closest friends and sometimes she even forgets she is her mother’s sister because of how she treats her.

“Manal please open the door,” Khadijah called out to Manal whom she was sure was snapping the food at the table in the name of streaks, she was really tired of the girl’s antics so she stopped bothering herself.

“You’re staying for dinner, all three of you. I’ll call ya Baraka and umma so they won’t be worried.” They agreed immediately.

“I feel so left out.” Sadiya’s voice sounded from the door and she laughed at her sister.

She thought living so close by would make her always be on her way there but they go a week without visiting each other, though sometimes Fahad would suggest they stop by and say hi, which gives him time to see Farhana, his favourite human definitely. Huda said she doesn’t mind the competition because she is cute.

“I wanted to call you because I made biryani and we all know it is junior’s favourite.”

“I’ll take it to him when I decide to go back but now, I’m staying.” She clapped for herself and took the drink Khadijah handed her gratefully.

“I wanted to leave them with their dad but he didn’t want to suffer so we called his sister over and left.” Sadiya laughed heartily at both her and her husband. That was something they could—did more times than Khadijah cared to count.

Though on their free days, the brought the kids over. She looked forward to days like that.

“Where is he?”

“They met with Fahad and Farhan outside, I don’t know what those ones are planning but Farhan bought things like he is planning on opening a store in your house. Stop giving the guy a hard time.” Sadiya said, she munched on a boneless chicken and moaned, she gave Khadijah a thumbs up.

“God, this is so good, why don’t you ever bring me chicken tender Dee? I thought you loved me,”

“I didn’t know you liked them, I make them almost every day now.”

Sadiya handed Afnan who was on her way out her phone so she could plug it in for her and look out for it in case her sister in law called, the battery was drained and she didn’t want to stay and let it charge.

“Why? New craving?”

“No, you know I don’t really like chicken but Fahad likes it and he is not a meat person so I make it for him.” Sadiya nodded with a slight smile that she shook off when Khadijah gave her a look that said she shouldn’t even speak.

“I think I should oppress Layla, oh let me call her.” She wanted to see what Sadiya would do but decided to remind her she gave her phone to Afnan.

“Right, where’s yours?” she pointed to the counter. “You know where your phone is now? Wow, what did I miss?”

“Nothing.” Sadiya giggled like a schoolgirl in reply.

Khadijah almost never has password on her phone and even if she did it would be their father’s birthday as always, it was easy for her to open the phone and she handed it back to her with a teasing smile on her lips.

“Someone’s husband misses them.” She said in a sing song voice.

Khadijah refused to turn and meet her sister’s eyes because she was sure she would see a glint, said sister didn’t really care already walking towards her.

“You know I respect your privacy so much so I won’t read it. Here you go.” She took the phone, rolling her eyes knowingly when she saw she has already tapped on the message.

Unlike how she was making it sound like it was a big deal, he was just asking if she needed any help in the kitchen, his help to be precise and then informing her Farhan was around, nothing out of the usual for them.

She exited and instead face timed Layla who picked on the third ring.

“Yo yo yo, what’s up my fair lady?” was the first thing she heard when her best friend’s face came into view.

“Stop being weird,” Khadijah snickered. “Ya Sadiya wanted to oppress you apparently, I don’t know with what though.”

Layla groaned out Sadiya’s name. “This is so unfair, you’re literally having a party without me.”

“You don’t have to worry about any parties, I wanted to gossip with you.” They both hushed Khadijah who was telling them gossiping is not good.

“We are gossiping about you and you’re here, so it doesn’t count.” That was Sadiya.

“And we even told you in advance. All is forgiven, now tell me ya Sadiya, what do you have for me?” Sadiya laughed in a maniac way, that was the only way Khadijah would describe it.

She knew whatever they were going to say to each other wouldn’t be more than their usual idea of her love life, nothing has changed with those two. They have been like that since one of Sadiya’s classmate confessed his undying love to her when they were in JS2, she also had to deal with the same giggling and whispering from them when Nazir, Layla’s older brother had a crush on her.

In short, they would make up stories and be telling each other under the guise of ‘what they noticed or discovered’, she almost scoffed at them, discoverers.

She walked out of the kitchen to escape even having to hear what they were saying but Sadiya followed her much to her dismay, they went to the second living room that is beside the dining and found the others there, except the men who were in the main living room.

“Yay aunty Sadiya when did you get here?” Manal rushed and hugged her aunt then waved at Layla’s smiling face.

“At least you are excited to see me.”

They sat and switched the TV on mostly for background noise because they were not paying attention to it since they were talking about the upcoming wedding, Layla who was off work for the day joined in so she could at least feel like she wasn’t missing anything.

After maghrib they settled in for dinner, talking about everything and nothing at the table. Manal would say she was happy to be part of the grown-ups, although Afnan was only a few years older than her, she was still regarded as a child and she didn’t like that, so with sneaked snaps that she was going to send to Ja’afar later to keep him in the loop about his brother and her aunt’s relationship, she had to be the happiest.

The men left for isha while they ladies prayed in the house, except Khadijah who wasn’t praying still.

“You know since you went home three days ago, Farhan has been asking everyone how to earn your forgiveness,” Sadiya said sitting beside her younger sister. She was the first to pray and they were presently in Khadijah’s bedroom, by name only, to be fair.

“I’m not even mad at him anymore, I just don’t feel comfortable talking to him. I don’t know, it feels weird.”

“I understand, there was that one time in the hospital when you were sick and he held you and Abdul got upset because he isn’t allowed to touch you and all, at least he thought.” Khadijah turned giving Sadiya her full attention, she could remember the day she ran into him after meeting with Suleiman, she didn’t know what happened after but she knew she was with him that day.

“He told him you were his sister but we just thought it was because of his anger, so Abdul decided to do a little digging and we tried to find out what he meant. We didn’t believe though and just shoved it under the rug later on seeing how he kept his distance after that.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Tell you what Khadijah? There was nothing to be told, you are my sister and he is my brother, that is all there is to it.” Sadiya grasped both her hands in hers. “You wouldn’t have believed me, I didn’t believe it either but that shouldn’t be our concern, she loves you and he is worried about you, I think that is the most important. Please talk to him and just let him hold your hand or something so he knows you’re really here, he keeps saying he feels like it is a dream.”

Khadijah chuckled feeling the onset of tears.

She couldn’t believe how much she meant to people she has never even known, there was a time in her life that she felt alone and worthless, when she had let Suleiman and his mother’s vile words get to her, so hearing this much affirmation without asking for it was one of the best things she has experienced yet.

It always feels like her life has taken a new turn, she has been feeling that for a while now because only that would explain the things she was feeling, things that were foreign to her, she couldn’t put a name to them even if she wanted to.

“Take it from me though, having a big brother is so nice.” Sadiya said, drawing the nice out. “Now I can tell Abdul whenever he doesn’t get me anything that I’ll tell my brother to get it,” She squealed, literally squealed surprising even Khadijah who was used to her hyper self. “It feels so good.”

Before she could reply, Kamla walked into the room informing them that the men were back and Abdul was calling her.

Sadiya groaned before begrudgingly getting to her feet.

“I have cookies.” Khadijah said as though pacifying a child.

“I have bribe for the kids, you’re a life saver.” They were almost at the kitchen when she spoke again. “Since when do you keep cookies standby, thought it was always coffee with you?” she didn’t give her a chance before answering her own question.

“Oh let me guess, Fahad likes it.” Sadiya awed, even holding her cheeks. “You guys are the cutest.”

“Stop it,” of course it went ignored so she blocked her sister out and packaged the remaining cookies in a foil pack before getting the biryani for junior.

“We’ll just go with uncle Farhan aunty Dee,” Manal was the one that spoke when they came into view. She collected the things her aunt was holding and walked ahead of them to meet with Afnan and Kamla who were already outside.

“What of her car?” she asked but Manal was already gone.

“I’ll have the driver send it to her in the morning.” Fahad said from beside her.

Sadiya smiled brightly when she saw him.

“Thank you for dinner, great hosting as always.” He smiled before glancing at Khadijah who was sure her sister was up to something and wanting to know what it is.

“It was all Dee really, she didn’t even let me help her.” He gave her a pointed stare. “I’ll have my revenge by the way.”

“Oh make sure to call me, especially when there is chicken tenders. Goodnight.” She waved them off before getting to Abdulrahman that was staring at her in awe seeing the satisfied smile on her face. He knew he was going to hear every single detail of what he missed though he was only three feet away.

They were the first to drive out, leaving only Fahad, Khadijah and Farhan whom she only just noticed in the driveway.

“I would have said I would take you out to dinner but you’re a great cook and that wouldn’t really impress you.” Fahad gave her hand a gentle squeeze before stepping away.

With a resigned sigh, Khadijah faced Farhan who looked apologetic even before she said anything.

“You don’t have to apologize, I just need to be mature about this.”

He shook his head sideways. “I don’t want you to be mature about it that is my line. Just feel, get angry because you have the right to be. I was wrong and I know it but there is nothing I could’ve done.”

“Did you know?” she interrupted before he could say anything, he looked confused and she realized her question was incomplete.

“Did you know me the first time we met? Was it even a coincidence?” she folded her hands in front of her and faced him this time.

“No, I mean I knew you of course ammi has pictures and well, I may or may not have sneaked a few times to places I know you would be, mostly in school but no, that night was just a coincidence.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “But I’m glad I saw you and not anyone else.”

“The second time?”

“That too, I just came out of a barber’s shop when I saw your car and thought to wait for you, then I saw you like that and I—“he shrugged.

Khadijah breathed out, letting her hands fall to her sides.

“You don’t have to worry about me being some creepy stalker, I’m not.” She chuckled in agreement. “But I would still like to take you out, I want to know everything about your childhood. I hate that I missed out on all the things I looked forward to doing with you, though some were quite dangerous and wouldn’t have happened either way but you understand right.

“I was so angry at baba for twenty five years because it was his fault, I saw it that way at least. I have just accepted faith has a way of happening and we can’t force it to go our way, Allah sent me your way either and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

He stepped closer and pulled her into a hug, letting that tell her everything he has been wanting to tell her since he first met her.

“I love you so much Khadijah.”

It didn’t take much for her to wrap her arms around his torso, being hugged by him felt almost like her father and she didn’t want to let go of him. She didn’t like the fact that she could have had this, had him on her side far earlier than that but if there was one thing she has learned from Fahad then it was to accept destiny how it comes to us.

“I didn’t know how it was possible to miss someone I never really knew but I know that I missed you every day of my life, and I’m sorry I was not there for you on days you weren’t feeling it—“

“You’re going to have a problem with me if you make my wife cry.” Fahad’s teasing voice made her chuckle and wipe the tears that managed to slide down her face, she moved out of his hold but not completely still letting him hold her hands.

“You’re not the only one with a wife, please mind your business.”

“You won’t live down the fact that I got married before you.” Farhan groaned and called him cocky.

“I tell him that all the time.” Farhan pointed at him knowingly.

“We’ll talk tomorrow Insha Allah, it is really late I should take them home.” She stepped back the smile still on her face.

“Goodnight lonely man,” he flipped Fahad off then pecked Khadijah’s forehead, with one last hug he strode towards his car while Khadijah walked the few steps to where Fahad was standing.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and called out something to Farhan in Fulani she presumed, the latter groaned and flipped him off again before they finally drove out.

“What did you say?” Khadijah asked looking up at him accusingly.

“Nothing you should worry about, it is just a guys’ thing.” He smiled sweetly then steered her towards the house and opened the door for her.

“That is unfair, you know what?” he motioned for her to keep going. “I’m going to learn French and speak it with Huda, yes I am petty like that.”

“Who did you think was her first teacher?” he spoke with laughter in his voice.

Khadijah gave him the stink eye her hands on her waist. “Can I ever win with you?”

“You’re always winning, you just don’t know how to accept your wins.” He didn’t let her reply. “Want to play a puzzle game?”

“How hard is it?” she asked sitting and folding her legs in front of her. He wondered how she was able to do that on the couch comfortably.

“Not very.”

“Says the cardiologist with more than five other degrees, layman terms please.”

“Didn’t you graduate with first class?” she scratched her head trying so hard not to smile.

“Me? What? No.”

“I’ll go get the puzzle pieces.”

He returned with the box of thousand pieces which she gasped dramatically at and said she was feeling sleepy.

“You cannot be serious Dee.”

“No please, I hate puzzles. Someone should have told you that in your stalking, stalker.”

“I didn’t stalk you….that much.”

“Stalker ice cream man.” She laughed to herself at the ridiculous name.

“And here you said I come up with the worst nick names, now what is that?”

“You.” She shook her head and picked her phone that she found on the chair. “I would literally do anything than play puzzles. I have a better idea to make our lives fair since you stalked me.”

“Go on,” he encouraged when she paused.

“Tell me something about you,” he fixed his gaze on her quirking a single brow.

“What about me?”

“I don’t know anything, let’s say a fact about you. Wait can I look you up?” she was already typing on her phone, he only watched her amused.

“Wait,” she muttered her eyes still on her phone. “I can actually look you up.”

“Don’t believe what you read online.” She was obviously not paying attention to whatever he was saying.

“You were born in London, I think I know that. Your birthday is a few days from now?” she asked looking up at him.

“I guess, what month are we in anyways?” she rolled her eyes but went back to what she was doing. He got up and took the phone from her, that gained her attention.

“Stalk me when I’m not here.” She huffed and sat back in the chair.

“Well if you want to know about me you have to be specific, what do you want to know?”

“Since thanks to Ya Sadiya you know almost all my embarrassing childhood stories, tell me something from when you were little.”

“That is easy enough.” He exhaled a soft breath and thought for a few moments on where to start from, he smiled to himself when the perfect one came to his head.

“You know I’m barely two years older than Adnan right?” she nodded knowingly. “When they brought him home from the hospital I said I didn’t like him and they should take him back.”

“You did not?” Khadijah exclaimed laughing.

“I’m serious, I think there’s even a video. I was not impressed in the least bit, I wasn’t jealous I just thought he was too fair and tiny.”

“There’s a bit of jealousy in there.”

“No that didn’t start until he started playing with my toys, he was so annoying always crying and wanting attention.” He twisted his face in distaste which only made her laugh harder.

“At least you’re admitting it, tell me something else.”

“I actually liked Nabila, she wasn’t half as annoying as he was and she liked me better,” he boasted which made Khadijah roll her eyes.

“You brag too much.”

“That is the truth so I’m just talking.”

Somehow Khadijah ended up resting her head on his shoulder because she couldn’t find the perfect position, his hand was on her shoulder almost like it was when they were outside and he kept telling her about his childhood and what growing up between Australia and London was like, even letting up a few things about Layla.

What he was careful not to touch was Noor, he wasn’t sure he was ready for something like that.

Khadijah insisted on taking milk before bed, something he thought her but she did more than him, he volunteered to get it for her.

He returned with the glass a few minutes later which gave her time to change into her nightwear, she has finally dropped the hijab he was worried would suffocate her in her sleep.

As usual he found her on the bed, under the covers which wasn’t a surprise to him. She offered him a small smile and muttered thanks when he handed her the cup.

Fahad stopped by her side of the bed which gained her attention.

“Is something wrong?” her tone almost made him laugh because she sounded hesitant, like she didn’t want to know the answer to his question.

“No, are you sleepy?” he squinted and shook her head sideways slowly.

He gestured towards the couches and she got up without question this time.

Fahad could swear he was counting the beat of his heart to the steps Khadijah was taking, throughout their conversation he was careful not to let some things slips but after deliberating on it for the minutes since they left the living room, he felt she deserved the whole truth, at least one step at a time.

He didn’t think she would handle everything at once, he wasn’t even ready for that personally. The best thing would be to start from where he feels he is okay visiting and besides she deserved to know since her life was threatened.

“You know this is sort of like saying we need to talk, things go wrong when you hear that.” She joked lightly but he could hear the seriousness there.

“It is not the bad we need to talk, since you want to know about me I think I should start by clearing some things up. That video for example.” Khadijah paused then bobbed her head, sitting comfortably now.

She had a feeling she would need to brace herself, just thinking about the gruesome video she had seen made her feel nauseous.

“Her name was Nai’a,” Khadijah took note of the past tense, somehow she felt it was better for the girl because she couldn’t imagine recovering from that.

“She died a few hours after that video was taken, I think. I’m not sure really.” He cleared his throat which made her look up, he wasn’t looking at like her she half expected. His eyes seemed empty and he was just staring straight ahead.

~~~~~

Nai’a was twenty one when they met and although they met on school grounds, she wasn’t a student there. The first time he saw her, he was seated near an abandoned building which used to be his go to place when everything felt too much, she had walked over to him looking like she could be anywhere but there and asked him for the exit, he was surprised by the question because no one would say they didn’t know the exit, she looked lost though and he decided to help her.

He wasn’t in the mood to make friends so after he had dropped her off in his car, he didn’t bother asking her name before he left.

A week after that, he found her sitting there and was about to leave when she told him she could go if she was disturbing him, he didn’t know she saw him and after weighing his option which were to go back to where Umar and Zayn were arguing about something he couldn’t care less about or sit there with her, he asked if she was going to talk and after she said no, he took the seat opposite her.

It became their routine and his place became their place, they would come during the day and just sit quietly staring at nothing. Two disturbed souls, Zayn used to call them.

The reason he didn’t like her then was because he thought she was a bad influence on Fahad because they were trying to get him out of his downward spiral and she seemed to push him right back in, he was more quiet and lost in his thoughts. As an intervention to make sure he didn’t go back to how he was years ago, they decided to follow him one time and she had more or less ran after seeing them.

She didn’t go back to the place until two weeks later, Fahad apologized for what his three friends had done and she told him it wasn’t his fault. That was the first time he would say they actually spoke beyond the usual pleasantries, the only thing they had said to each other before that was their names.

That seemed to be the ice breaker because now whenever they met, they would ask each other how their day went or what they did.

The question had been on his mind but he didn’t ask until after a month, that was more than two months after they met. She wasn’t schooling there and had only gone to the place one time because she thought someone was following her and the best way to avoid someone is by joining a gathering, she ended up there the first time and he looked like he was nice so she asked him her way out, that was after the panic died down, she couldn’t find her way out.

He didn’t probe after that, he wasn’t in the position to help anyone at that moment, he was still trying to silence his own demons.

The second time he had asked her something personal was when his mother had called him when they were together, she had looked strange when she heard him speaking to his mother, he asked where her mother was and she told him she left them when she was two years old. He didn’t understand at first who ‘them’ was or that she left, the logical thing was to believe she had died. It wasn’t that he had learned after he got to know her more.

He only thought she was a strange person, the first time he had considered there was more to it than her just being socially awkward was when she head butted a man that got too close to her at her work place, a café close to the school.

He crossed her off as being aggressive but when she panicked again when she was alone with him then Jawad and Shaheed joined, he decided to ask why she was scared, they wouldn’t hurt her if that was what she was thinking.

She had laughed and said in a cold voice. “If it is one man, he can have half a brain and it can be easy to fight him off, when they become two then one is the devil’s advocate and he can convince the first to be on his team. I would rather not take the risk.”

He disregarded it as her riddles, she did never spoke straight to the point. When he heard of how her father died and how she ended up in London, he realized what she meant and half of what she used to say made sense to him.

Her father had been killed because he got mixed up with some bad people, he made her run before they got to him with the hope that he could escape them but she had gotten a picture of his bloodied form as a souvenir and was told that would be her if she didn’t comply.

He had given her a flash drive and a contact before she left, she was supposed to deliver it to that contact when she was in a safe place.

They got to her not even three days after she left, she thought they would just take it and leave but after she gave them the contact she was supposed to deliver the flash to which was what they asked, one of them had thought she was pretty and while the other two didn’t agree, saying they were only sent to get that and they’ve already gotten it so they should leave, he somehow convinced them. She couldn’t have fought all three of them off, her father had been an immigration officer and he taught her self defence but it was of no use, her neighbour had heard the screaming and called the police, in their rush to leave they forgot the file that was the reason they were sent.

The woman who was not much older than her had left the country with her the next day and they ended up in London. She didn’t have the luxury of speaking to a doctor or therapist or anything of the sort, the best cure she had for PTSD was avoiding them and working to keep her mind busy while also keeping one eye open because she knew they would come back, and they did.

She didn’t want to give them whatever was in the drive then and in her anger she had destroyed the address, the only person she trusted at that time was Fahad and she gave him the flash drive and told him if anything happened to her he should destroy it. He told her nothing would happen to her and had locked it in their family’s safe.

Hiding wasn’t very easy especially when she didn’t know who or what she was hiding from, the only person she knew was her neighbour and friend, Raudah then Fahad but he was the one she told everything to, somehow she trusted him more.

Before she had stopped going to work, three days to when she was killed. She saw them, not the guys that had followed her in Sicily but they were wearing the same black outfit as them, they always wore hand gloves and that was what she used to identify them, there was a drawing in the palm of the gloves. She would never forget the head of the serpent.

She didn’t go to the school after that or work, not wanting to lead them to Fahad, he only helped her. Whatever mess her father had gotten them into, it was theirs to bear.

Her hideout was a no go area so she chose the park, it was also crowded and they would be stupid to attack her in public. It went well for two days and she stopped seeing them but on the third day they followed her back home.

~~~~

Khadijah shivered knowing what came next wasn’t pretty. The room wasn’t any colder than it normally was but she was feeling chilly, Fahad noticed that and motioned for her to move closer she didn’t argue and let him wrap his arms around her. He does a lot, she had become used to it.

“Are you sure you want to hear the rest Dee?” his voice was soft, she lifted her head but barely and he sighed defeated.

~~~~

They had broken into her apartment which wasn’t all that hard, she wasn’t living in the best neighbourhood, they were there before she even got home and there was no way out.

The original tape had started from there and he had seen when she gave up, she had dropped the bag that was draped over her shoulder and walked into the room.

The man that seemed to be the one giving them the orders had smiled sweetly at her and told her to make herself at home.

Fahad didn’t like recalling what happened after that. In some way, the part that Khadijah had seen was human.

They’d tied her to a chair at first and started asking her questions which she refused to answer, she was going to die either way and she would much rather she died without them getting away. Even if she wanted to give them what they wanted, she didn’t have it, that had been why she gave him because she was scared in a moment of weakness she would succumb and give it to them.

He could have sworn torture only happened in movies but he watched them torture her, making sure she was bleeding from almost everywhere before they raped her, taking turns. She might’ve been dead before that, a part of him hoped she had died because it would be better that having to go through that again.

They had the mind to record it and were even joking like they didn’t just make someone’s last moments be pain.

Khadijah remembered that part, it was fleeting but she knew what she saw and recalling didn’t make it any better.

Fahad saw how pale she looked and she got off the couch and headed for the bathroom before he could get his bearings right, the sound of her retching had him rushing after her.

•••••

Assalamu alaikum, it is me again back with my middle of the night updates.

This was supposed to come like hours ago but I was feeling sick and couldn’t even type but I promised someone an update today and here it is.

I considered taking a break and finishing the final chapters then I saw comments and I just had to do this.

Can you guess how many chapters until the epilogue?

I’m still taking drafts of the questions which I’ll answer after the epilogue, what do you want to ask me?

So finally Nai’a’s story is out, do you think Fahad will be open to discussing Noor anytime soon?

Who would’ve thought he was a doctor? Hehehe.

I’m in an inquisitive mood so did you answer the question at the beginning of the chapter or do we have to take this to instagram, it would be easier but I’m not a social media person sadly. (if you didn’t, kindly go back and pick yes or no *bats eyelashes cutely*)

Anyways please vote, comment and share because I wrote 8k words, please leave a nice word or two, T for tenkssss.

Meester Konsestent on a roll

Amyrah