"Are you going to the lunch room?" Kamila asked, a soft mature smile gracing her lips as she gaze down at Amirah. She looks taller than her now, or it might be the heels she is wearing. She won't be surprised if everyone looks way more presentable than she could ever be. Her stars hadn't shone in a long time, all cool or not, karma is biting harder on her ass.

"No, back to the floor I work. I have some work to do before I leave." She stuttered out, never raising her head to meet their gaze as her loafers clad feet are way more interesting than the mirrors in the elevator. The guilt is eating her intestines, eliciting a growl of hunger from her stomach. Darn it, she does not have money to eat from this luxurious place.

She feels like Kamilah is keeping herself away from talking much while Lateefah on the other hand would want nothing but to start spilling. Kamilah could keep her calm for a long time unlike Lateefah who can't keep quite for long, she wants to talk all the time and is always straight forward. Sometimes her words would hurt Amirah but knowing she is only saying the truth will have her keeping quite most of the time. And besides, the truth always hurts no matter how much someone tries sugarcoating it.

It's her straightforwardness that makes her intimidating, makes it hard for men to approach her. She wonder if she has a man now or married too?

"No, it's time for lunch so let's show you the way and we also have a lot to talk about." Lateefah grumbled, crossing her arms around her chest as she stare hard on Amirah who can't help hut squirm. Her heart dropped to her stomach with that last sentence, she knew what it means. They are going to try digging out their past.

If it were before, she would've glared right back at her but now, she feels like a stranger to them all again. She is not as comfortable as she was with them some years ago, some things have certainly changed which also happens to be her fault. She kept quite and gave a small nod which she is not sure if they'd seen or not. She really wants to run away from them that instant, they are not making matters easy with the awkward silence. None of them said a word even though she knows they want to say a lot, it makes her stomach churn in not so pleasant way.

She will have to talk too much today, how much surprises awaits her again?

They made their way to the lunchroom which is the real definition of highschool canteen except that it looks more orchestrated than that of highschool and there are no students wearing uniform here. There are few uniformed women and men walking around to give orders placed, waiters and waitresses dressed to impress. She bet their outfit is more expensive than hers. There are also lots of tables filled with people who are currently minding their business, their heads either on their phones, foods or laptops.

"Let's go over there." Kamilah pointed to the other end of the lunchroom where people are hardly seen, they really mean business now. Especially Lateefah, she is just watching and ready to pounce at any given space.

"I will just place the orders for us. I hope your taste for food hasn't changed now too, Amirah?" Lateefah asked with a raised brow, the woman will be hard nut to crack, she will be mad at her for forever now. Her eyes are in slit, she sees that only when Lateefah wants to pounce on someone.

"No, it hasn't, thank you." She doesn't know how to tell them she has no money to buy anything, she could only follow their words. Do they pay for food or is it for free since they work in the company? She does not know but her heart is already beating miles per second, that is far from her concern. Everyone is going to know about her financial instability too along with her wrecked past.

She kept moving around feeling Kamilah''s gaze on hers like she is scrutinizing her to see what has changed from the last time they met. She has changed a lot though, became more ugly and thin from whom she's been three years ago. Her face became more babyish due to hunger, all the cheekbones hollowing in, her eyes popping out, her lips thinning to a pout making her button nose stand out. She could feel the change in herself so who wouldn't see it? She is sure they are thinking about the famine she's been through.

Maybe that is why Imad decided that she is not worth reaping the past for huh? Because she is not his type anymore, he's been with an Afghanistan and many other different women from all around the world so why get stuck with her sorry ass? She felt the tears prickling her eyes at the thought, she don't even understand where those emotions are coming from. Just the day before, she was jealous of his wife and now she wants to cry because he doesn't like her? Whose fault is it again that everything happened?

She would've excused herself and run away from there to cry, that is all she felt like doing but she can't. God, when did she become a cry cry baby now? She hardly ever cried in those three years that passed by, she don't let her thoughts stray from the present and future but after Imad came back into the picture, she could think of nothing but the past. It kept haunting her around like the nightmares she had at the beginning of those three years. Why are they suddenly coming back as daymares?

A deep breath is what she took after seeing Lateefah coming back empty handed but her strides are determined and always attention seeking as always. The girl is now a lady, she has no baby fat left in her body except for the striking beauty it left at it's wake. She has this air of confidence that Amirah lost long before, Imad is always her confidant and without him, it evaporated too. She swallowed, Imad again and again! Darn it, she don't want to think about him all the time like this. He makes her so dependent on him that everything in her life revolves around him!

"So, Amirah, what have you been doing for the past three years after you closed us off like that? Anything productive or worth saying?" Lateefah rose her brow as soon as she sat down on the chair close to her. Amirah knew Lateefah won't beat around the bush, not her style at all.

"Uh, nothing." She fiddled with her fingers trying to push off their stares and the scrutinization of their gazes, it is too much for her.

She feels like she is being interviewed by some dangerous mafia in an underground in the middle of nowhere surrounded by Pacific ocean.

"Really? Three years and you have been doing nothing? C'mon, don't tell me that lame excuse and expect us to believe you. What have you been doing, Amirah?" Lateefah kept pushing, Kamilah didn't say a thing but only stare at the duo.

"I work in the palace to help my family, that is it." She breathed out in short stutters, this is the least she could do to them after the way she's pushed them away like they never meant anything to her. They were her closest friends, stood by her through thick and thin.

"Wait, you work in the palace now? No, let's backtrack from that and go back to why you are not married to Imad again?" Lateefah lean closer to hear the story behind it, that is what she has been wondering for the past three years. Not only her, the whole society wants to know what is the reason behind their divorce.

The question just wouldn't leave her head because if there is anyone out there that she thought will be able to strengthen her love for marriage is Imad and Amirah, they are the definition of perfect couple then all of a sudden they are not together anymore. That caused a havoc when the news got spread, social medias were all trying to fish information but neither Amirah nor Imad were active of any so no one found out what happened till date. Not even the royal family knew what has transpired between the couple.

Though most people are giving Amirah fault, they can't judge anything base on what people are saying and besides, Amirah is their friend. Lateefah was touched when Amirah clearly pushed them away and told them to never talk to her when all they were doing is trying to calm her down and be there for her during her tough time but she didn't want that so just imagine how she felt and still feels about this said person. She couldn't take it, she thought they were good friends or even best. But clearly, Amirah didn't trust them to be there for her and wanted to do it by herself.

So now that she is interviewing her, she wants to abstract every little thing then they can get back together. Amirah would never have told her a thing if she isn't acting so stern and mad at her, she knows that much about her friend so she will use that same thing against her now and in future.

"This is not something I wish to talk about. I can tell you everything but not this, please understand where I'm coming from. When the time comes, I will definitely tell you all." Amirah pleaded, her eyes are prickling out more tears at the mere thought of it, she don't want to remember such horrendous memory, not now nor ever.

"If you wish not to. How are you working in the palace though? Are they supposed to let you work there when you were once their daughter in-law?" Kamilah inclined her head, this is what she wants to know. She's been pushing her head back but it sounds interesting.

"I disguised myself as Ameena Aminu so they won't find out who I am. I also use heavy makeup that changed my whole appearance." She is back to fiddling with her fingers, she's never told anyone this and saying it out in the open doesn't sound soothing. It makes her feel more guilty, tired of everything.

"Whoa, you really are one smart young lady! You've never bumped into Imad? Not even once?" Lateefah has a wide grin now, this is way more interesting than she's thought. God, Amirah has always been what she is but this, this is perfect.

"I work as his chambermaid." She gulped hearing the pindrop silence that got interrupted by a waiter who placed three plates on their table. It got her more depressed, she won't be able to pay that ncie thing.

"Let me say this clearly to understand more. You mean to say, you work in his chamber for him and his so called new Afghanistan wife?" Of course they knew about the new wife, she rolled her eyes inwardly, news travel fast. Lateefah's eyes are as wide as a saucer, she can't believe what her ears are hearing, nah!

"Yes, I work for them both." Amirah confirmed her eyes staring at the chips, sandwich with ketchup, same old things they eat during highschool.

"Wow! You make me feel so boring with everything going on in your life Amirah. But how do you feel when you see them together?" Kamilah is also getting too into this, she can't help bubbling up with laughter getting a playful glare from Amirah.

"I don't feel anything. He is my master and she is my mistress, nothing at all." She shrugged picking up one chips with her right hand to shrug off the conversation like she did her shoulders.

Slowly the tension has disappeared and it is now way before those three years ago when they have fun together after school or bunk classes. She's missed those girls a lot, everything would've been easier if they were in her life, she knows that. She wanted to tell them everything but she can't, she wants to tackle all her problems by herself like a grown up woman, she is not that little girl enjoying sweet sixteen. This is new Amirah, the one striving for the independence she's lost before having in her possession.

"I don't agree with this but, let's drop it. Now, are you seeing anyone?" Lateefah popped many chips into her mouth after her question, she is enjoying this whole reunion more than any of them.

"No!" Came Amirah's instant reply, anyone? Hehe, that never even crossed her mind.

Another man other than Imad? No, that is so not done right from her ears down to her whole body but why not? She's never given anyone a chance and it's not like she has men hanging around her like ants to sugar, there hardly is anyone. Well, except the boys around that always want to have her number as she walks but nothing more, she's been living off working to even think about any person again. No one serious ever came to see her, she's always been all alone since her karma hates her.

She really needs to get a grip and move on right? Imad has already done that, he shouldn't but he did anyways so who is she to not do the same thing? But she can't, somewhere deep down inside her, there is this feeling of guilt that can't be shook away. Imad manage to occupy any space in her, there is no other place other than his but she is not as in love as she was.

Maybe it is only because of the guilt, who knows?!

"What about you, any other person now? Are you two married or still making sure men are on their toes?" She raised a brow when they chortled which means the latter is the right one, so bad.

"I am not and I'm still single. Babe, I want to marry so bad but men nowadays aren't like Imad, you know. I can hardly even talk to one for a week before I lost interest. I need someone to spice up my life." Lateefah sighed as she said the last part, Amirah remembered something but she let Kamilah talk first.

"There is this guy..." She was cut off by Lateefah's shriek, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but it's Abdul, I'm not even sure about him but these says, I think only about him. The problem is, he wants to complete his masters which is six months from now, I feel like that's a long time. I wanna marry." Kamilah pouted at the last part.

Amirah is only keeping the bitterness of marriage as they desperately try to do that. She got married all happy and excited only to get divorced the very next day? She won't want to tell her children this no matter what, she will just tell them she's never married anyone other than their father that is if she is ever going to get married. She don't have story to tell, she can't say that.

"Aren't you crushing on Salim before, Tifa?" Amirah wiggled her brows, she wanted to ask that since.

"Ugh, don't talk about that asshole please, that one is now a womanizer. He dates every woman just to get more Instagram likes and Twitter followers." She rolled her eyes, there clearly is something she is not saying about this crush.

"Hmm, I'll let this slide for now. And you, Milah, you should give yourself that time and think things through. Marriage is not something you can just jump into without so much thoughts and prayers or it might end up badly. He should make the formal introduction in your home then after the six months you can see where everything goes." Amirah advised like an older woman but she is speaking from experience.

"I forgot that you've been married before. I'll think about it, thanks Ami." And then they are back to being best friends again like they were before, life will be much more smoother than it was before.