21

Malik walked into his father’s office, each step a sluggish one. He was tired, mentally and physically.

He was also prepared to put an end to his father’s demands if that was the reason his father had called for this meeting so late at night.

“Abdulmalik,” his father said, looking up.

“You wanted to see me,” Malik said.

“Yes, sit down.”

Sit down? Malik looked at his father. Was the old man sick or getting dementia slowly? Because he had never asked Malik to sit down when he summoned him to his office, not once.

Still, Malik sat.

“Today, I called you for a very specific purpose,” his father began.

“That couldn’t wait till tomorrow morning?”

“It could and would have, but tomorrow is when you have to begin.”

Malik chuckled dryly.

“How typical of you. You make plans and then I have to follow them, like your little puppet. Do