FIVE

 HAYFA’S POV

 Today’s the party, everything’s set, and my dress fits perfectly. Mother took her time and did my makeup herself, she kept talking about Haidar and I was almost dizzy and nauseous from anxiety. Every step I took down the stairs which lead into the event hall felt like torture, every breath I took sort to choke me, my body trembled so bad I feared I would faint.

 The lights soon went dim and my heart almost leapt out of my chest when the limelight suddenly came on and settled upon me, silence traveled all over the hall like wind would, the only sound that could be heard were the clacking sounds of my heels against the marble floors. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, it felt as though I would melt under their scrutiny.

 My eyes darted around in search of nothing in particular, I didn’t know what I sort to find but as my gaze landed on a familiar face everything seemed to come a halt.

 ~~

 HAIDAR’S POV

 I glanced at my phone when it beeped for the hundredth time, I had received tons of calls from the family which I continued to ignore till now. Today I had woken up with my mind made up, I wasn’t going to attend the graduation party, I wasn’t going to subject myself to such torture.

 The event should have started by now and everyone should have been there, of course it wouldn’t be hard to notice my absence thus they had begun calling me, like I had done for the past hour. I had my secretary send the cat Zarah had selected to their house so I didn’t have to go.

 My phone beeped again signaling and incoming call, this time I picked it up and answered it.

 “What the hell is wrong with you?”. Came my father’s voice, it was low and thick with warning.

 “I’m not coming”. I said simply.

 He cursed underneath his breath.

 “I want you here this instance”. He said. “Do you hear me Haidar?”.

 I said nothing, just stared at my computer screen blankly.

 “It’s an order young man, do you hear me?”.

 When I said nothing still he said;

 “You have ten minutes, ten minutes”.

 With that, he disconnected the call leaving me to dwell on what he had said for the next thirty minutes, and then I was driving to the ABDULRAHMAN KASSEM’S residence. With every minute that passed I received countless calls from the family members which I nonchalantly ignored still.

 Soon enough I pulled over in the choked up parking lot of the Adulrahman Kassem’s resident, the amount of cars parked there being enough to tell you that you were late. I got out of my car, shut the door lazily and began making my way to the entrance; on getting there I was ushered to the hall.