"Matt? Before writing about the final draft please check the records of September," I told Matt handing him couple of papers and typing down the detail on the emails.

It was a chaos going in the office right now, as closer as we were getting to the end of the year or more likely to the board meeting everyone was going wildly crazy. Matt, the director; Mr. Aaron Lewis and I were sitting in my cabin since last four hours, passing each other different files, figure sheets and details from different branches we had gathered and the way we three were arguing I am sure none of us is going to leave the building before eleven tonight, this part of the year have always been the most infuriating one and with the surgery date I have got I am sure by the end of this year I would take retirement and leave for Narnia.

Oh man! Those days!

The growl from my stomach made me keep my pencil down and look away from the sheet scattered on my table.

"We should head for lunch," I looked at the two man who had a sly grin on their face but were focusing on their work, "What? A man can be hungry!" I said trying not to smile, taking my coat from the back of my seat walked towards the door.

"Sure he can be." Matt looked at me and Aaron burst out laughing.

"You two are following me or what?" I ignored his remark and walked out.

Taking the lift and without waiting for them I finally got out of the office and started walking towards one of the small Chinese restaurant owned by a Turkish couple and without a doubt it's one of the best Chinese restaurant around. Entering the warm environment I made my way towards one of my usual booth and waited for Matt and Aaron to join me like we discussed earlier. There was still half an hour left for zuhr prayer so finally after four hours of continuously making my brain work I'll finally get almost an hour to relax my nerves, just the mere thought made me smile.

"What are you grinning at?" I looked up to Aaron who sat in front of me while Matt sat beside me.

"Oh! Nothing! Just that after being trapped in that office behind my desk and continuously letting my grey matter get destroyed by you two for hours I am finally getting a break, isn't that such a joyful thing?" I smirked and he rolled his eyes while Matt muttered something about my clots. I chose to ignore it.

After an hour when I walked back in the building with much fresher and relaxed mind, I found Megan nervously pacing in front of my cabin and I silently prayed to not listen about any emergency call from Boston branch or the head office, because if that's the matter I am surely in a deep trouble. As soon as her eyes fell on me she came running towards me, making me take few steps back.

"Whoa! Calm down, Megan!" I said looking at her nervous face.

"Oh sir! Thanks to the lord of heavens that you are back," she started walking with me, "Your mom," and I relaxed, "Sir, your mom have called for like ten time in past forty-five minutes! And she is in such a bad mood, why weren't you picking up your phone, sir?" She stopped once I opened the door to the cabin and turned to her.

"Thanks for telling, Megan!" with that I walked inside.

Walking back to my desk which was covered with papers of all sizes and three laptops and their chargers surrounding the floor, just by looking at the mess, my migrane was coming back.

"Your secretary was missing you." Aaron said to me without looking up from the papers in his hands and I scoffed.

"She was miss-" I looked at Matt, daring him to continue, he knows how uneasy I feel about this and he shrugged with a smirk.

Taking off my jacket, I picked up my phone and sat on the couch while dialing mom's number which she picked up after the fourth ring.

"Wali! Kaha thay tum?" (Wali! Where were you?) She asked in an irritated voice and I gulped.

Because always fear anger of two types of women; mother and wife.

I read that somewhere and personally aware of the first type.

"Asalam O Alikum, maa! I was gone out for namaz," technically I am not lying, "That's why my phone was switched off and as masjid is a bit far away," fifteen minutes drive to be exact, not lying there either. "Anyways, is everything okay?"

"Bahanay mut bunao!" (Don't make excuses) She replied in the same tone.

"But I wasn't making any bahanay (excuses)!" I replied running my hand through my hair.

"Khair! (Anyways) I want you to come earlier today-"

"Mom! Please not today! I swear to Allah I have so much work and believe me I am not lying here-"

"Wali, look Abdullah sahib is coming after Asr to discuss something important and I want you here." She said in a stern tone and my eyes got wide with the piece of information she gave me.

I almost forgot!

"Do you know why he is coming?" I asked keeping my voice calmer.

"No! But I want you here."

"Maa! I can't come earlier please! Try to understand! They'll fire me and I need the job! Everyone is busy working and I can't leave in the mid of it..."

Maa! Try to understand I don't have enough courage to face the refusal, I can't sit there with a neutral face when he'll be saying sorry or I can't easily spill the truth without losing control over myself.

I wanted to say this but I can't! Sometimes we humans are so helpless that the mind which we used to make big plans fails to tell a simple truth.

"Wali, I want you here by 5:00 pm sharp." And the line goes off.

"Maa? Mom?" I looked at the phone screen which showed that the call has been dropped.

Did my mother just abandon her own son?

Did my mother hung up on me?

"Did your mother hung up on you?" I looked up to Matt who was looking at me with amusement.

"Nah! We are silently video calling!" I sarcastically remarked getting up from the couch and joining them on the table, "Okay gentlemen! Let's get our heads together. We have approximately two and a half hour and I am too tired to tell you the total minutes we have to work together and we have to achieve some real goal in these couple of hours before Mrs. Barnes and Mr. Davis here," I pointed at Matt, "Kill each other during the meeting this Friday."

"CEOs of J.S.T branches are more nuts than the chairman himself." Aaron muttered and I suppress my laughter.

"Did I ever mention how impossibly supportive you two are?" Matt sarcastically remarked while we just shook our head without looking at him.

Two hours and forty minutes later when I got the first warning call from dad I got from my seat and hurriedly packed all my belonging while instructing Matt and Aaron of the files which are still left to be covered and the emails they have to send me after they finalize it and the figures I'll be sending them through email, seems like I am taking half of my office back home.

"Wali?" I turned back to Matt who was running towards me while half of my body was between the lift doors, "If they don't refuse so please don't push the proposal this time, you yourself know you need this." He said while patting my shoulders and hugging him with a sad smile I went inside the lift.

This isn't that easy.

------

Driving as fast as I can I finally reached to my building and rushing my car inside the parking lot I quickly killed the engine and hurried towards the lift, my phone buzzed in my hands for the third time and if I don't get there faster I am sure my mother would bury me alive.

As soon as I reached the entrance of my apartment, the door opened and I came face to face with my Dad shortly followed by Abdullah bhayi and my mother behind them.

"Oh finally!" Dad said smiling widely at me.

They are too happy than they should be, odd!

"Asalam O Alikum," I said to all three of them with a confused smile. Smiling nevertheless!

"Ub to yai agaya hay ub thori dair or ruk jayain, Abdullah." (Now he is here so at least stay here for a while, Abdullah.) Dad turned to Abdullah bhayi who hesitated for a minute then agreed and all of us went inside.

Where a part of me was confirming my thoughts, another part of me was denying it. As much as I wanted it to happen at the same time I want it to end too. My thoughts were more than conflicting.

"Wali, come in the kitchen please!" I heard my mother's beaming voice which brought me out of my disturbing thoughts and I stood up to join her.

Does the refusal mean more than their happiness?

No! Obviously not! But the life which is connecting to me does.

They would forget it in few days but if I married her and die, her life would be ruined if not completely but socially people will kill her.

"Wali! I am so happy today!" I looked up at mom, her eyes were turning slightly red because of the tears pooling in them. "This is the happiest day of my life well second happiest because your birthday is the happiest day of my life." Even her teary eyes were beaming with happiness and her excitement was contagious, despite my bizarre thoughts I couldn't help but smile and wrap my arms around her.

"I will finally see my son getting settled," my heart clenched inside my chest on the thought of the day when they'll know about surgery, "But you know she is saying to do nikah (Muslim marriage) as soon as possible, that's why Abdullah came today. Well we were waiting for you to decide what day is the most possible one." She said so casually but I was staring at her face with wide eyes.

Nikah.

They are deciding a date.

It's happening.

The fear was rising in my chest again.

"Chalo," (come) my mother took my hands and together we went in the living room.

Why is Khadija doing this to herself?

"Wali, I am sure your mother had told you almost everything," I looked up to dad who was still smiling while my mother laughed and my heart was just sinking.

Why am I being so ungrateful?

I should leave everything on Allah and accept what is coming forward but why am I so restless.

Ya Allah! I ask you to help me and make me accept whatever is in my qadr.(fate)

"Wali," this time Abdullah bhayi spoke and I looked at him, he was giving me a knowing smile as if telling me to calm down, "I know what you are thinking, this is all in a hurry but this is what Khadija wants, basically her mamu is leaving for Pakistan in mid November so she wants to have Nikah before they leave, as everything is happening so urgently it would be a simple ceremony with closest family and friends and In Sha Allah we'll definitely have a big function once everything get settled," he patted my hands. "And I looked at the e-mail you send me about the problem, beta, I think this step is the better one," He said with such calmness that my racing heart calmed inside my chest. "And yeah Khadija have sent you a letter, Bhabi has it." He said giving me a wide assuring smile and I skipped a heartbeat.

She had sent me a letter!

Did she really forgive me?!

Ya Allah! You really bestowed me with the best woman.

Am I really as fortunate as people tell me I am?

Suddenly the worry about my pain and fear of losing my life left my heart and I felt excitement rushing inside my body.

We are not even one together but the thought of having her with me in few days was more helpful than I could imagine.

Her same smiling face came into my mind and smiling at the thought; I turned and suggested some date appropriate for our nikah to be held.

I hope Khadija Badar that you are finally ready to become Khadija Wali.

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A.O.A

Well this chapter might be short but it's just a filler chapter so it must be a bit boring, I guess.

Anyhow... who's excited for the next one? I'll try to update it faster :')

AND well I wanna thank you all for getting this story on #146 in spiritual! I literally screamed so loud when I saw the ranking! LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE <3

Your precious feedback is needed, Vote and Comment XD

TC,

Zehra :)