Chapter 4

Abrar

"You have 10 seconds to decide. You want your job or not?", she looked at me.

   "I want but. You can't threaten me", I mumbled.

   "I can Abrar. Do I show you?", she smirked.

   "No", I urged. I couldn't lose my job. I needed to survive, to earn my livelihood. She threw me in the toughest situation of my life. I had helped her, in return, she was doing the worst things with me. 

   "Then do what I said", she uttered.

She grabbed my hand and locked her arm with mine while walking towards the hall. I was frozen. Within two hours, my life had taken a huge turn which I never imagined. Why did this happen to me? I was happy in my simple life. This kind of mess was not for me. She was talking to some of her guests while I wasn't in senses.

   "Status doesn't matter in love. No?", she said to one of the guests as they might be asking her about my status. I didn't hear them carefully. When she shook me I came out of my thoughts and listened to her. She was smiling as if nothing had happened. The guy she loved had ditched her and she was smiling here and acting cool with me.

   "Abrar will you please come with me for a second?", Mr Ali snapped there as Zoya left my hand. I looked at her.

   "Don't you dare to forget what I told you", she whispered in a husky voice. I nodded like a slave of her.

I went with Mr Ali. He brought me near the counter and held a glass of apple juice. Despite being a billionaire Mr Ali never went against his religion. I had never imagined my boss would offer me a drink or I would be drinking next to him. It still felt like a dream. Actually nightmare! How things change with just one relationship I understood that day. I was his son-in-law, according to him.

   

   "I don't know where to start Abrar", he mumbled. "I'm still in shock after whatever has happened. But one needs to accept the fact of life and move on. I wanted Zoya to marry Danish. But I believe in "Nikah" (wedding) I respect it. I don't want to disrespect it. It's the most beautiful procedure on earth", he explained as I felt guilty. 

I just shook my head in agreement. We shouldn't cheat him like this. Mr Ali had been always good to me. Whenever I needed help he offered to me. I felt really bad.

   "But I'm worried about Zoya. I don't have any problem with your status and bank balance. But the thing is Zoya isn't a girl who can compromise or adjust. She'll need everything that you can't afford. I don't want her to hurt you unknowingly. She'll behave very very rude if you're unable to fulfil her demands. I don't know when it all started between both of you. But there's a huge difference between dating and marriage", he continued and I was confused about what he wanted to say. I wasn't ready for another shock. I had had enough.

   "If you don't mind I wanted to change your position and promote you with a handsome salary and arrange a house for both you next to my office", he completed his statement.

I didn't know what to say or do. I didn't have the right to decide as Zoya was the one to create the scene. I didn't feel bad when he offered me that. It didn't hurt my self-respect as I was not his son-in-law. It would've hurt my dignity if I was his actual son-in-law. Before I could speak Zoya appeared there.

   "Not at all", she said in a blank tone and stood next to me. "You don't need to do this Dad. I'll be fine", she said.

   "I'm not doing this for you Zoya. I'm doing this for him because I know you. How much stubborn you are! And what you can do to get your work done", he shrugged.

I was not surprised as he was right. He knew his daughter well. Zoya could do anything to get her work done. I had seen her doing that. And the 5th thing I got to know about her that she is stubborn more than her father's thoughts.

   "There will be a difference between others and my husband no? I behave that way with you because I know you are capable of giving me that. But I'll not be the same with him. And if you haven't forgotten I'm going to be the owner of your whole property. Till then I can live in his home. Home is home. No matter how big or small it is", she said making me surprise.

I must admit she could act so well. How easily she said all this. I was not interested in her dramas at all. So I kept calm but the thought of taking her with me to my home was haunting me.

   "I'll see", Mr Ali said. "I'll keep my eyes on you"

He left from the counter as I and Zoya were left alone. 

   "So you're coming with me", I said in a blank voice.

   "Didn't you hear me? Of course", she said.

   "Why are you doing all this? Trust me it's not good. Mr Ali looks so happy. How will he feel when he gets to know the truth?", I told her.

   "He isn't your father. He is my father", she shrugged. "You don't need to worry about him"

She left my hand and moved towards the hall. I talked to a few of their guests but uttered less. After the party was over Zoya packed three luggage and came out of her room.

    "Take care of yourself", Mrs Ali said while hugging Zoya. Her eyes were moist but Zoya seemed to be normal. She wasn't feeling bad I guess. But I was not liking all this shit. I felt bad for her parents. Not having parents is a bad thing. And being like Zoya is the worst thing.

We came out of her residence. She denied taking a ride by her car and we hired a cab.

    "Cab?", I hesitated.

    "Don't worry. It's for my comfort so I'll pay the whole fare", she climbed inside and I too followed her.

The cab was driven towards my apartment while I was nervous about how I would keep her at my place. 

  

I opened the door of my tiny apartment and we both entered. She looked around to see the whole apartment in a glance. 

   

   "Do you live alone?", she asked me.

   "I told you that my parents are no more", I said while shifting the luggage inside. I was in no mood to talk to her. Anger had taken over my head but I couldn't vent it since she was my boss's daughter and my would-be boss.

   "I know but what about others?", she asked me again as she sat on the two coached sofa.

   "That's not your business. There's no one to see us. Therefore, you don't need to act and know about my family", I shrugged while looking at her angrily but she smirked.

   "I didn't know you can be an angry bird", she laughed. What the heck she thinks of herself? Taking birth in a rich family isn't a great talent. After messing up my life, she was laughing as nothing happened. I prefer to not answering her.

   "Where's your room, by the way?", she asked, making me surprise. Is she gonna stay in the same room with me? How could a girl share a room with a guy whom she hardly knew? I looked at her in disbelief.

   "Zoya, what are you saying? We can't share a room", I muttered.

   "Why? Don't you trust yourself?", she smirked. Oh, God! I just hated her smile, a lot. Her smile was annoying me too much. 

   "That's not the matter. But it's not a good idea to share a room with naamehram (stranger)", I uttered.

   "You seem to be exact the carbon copy of my dad. So religious", she giggled again. That moment I found the 6th characteristic of her. She was the illest mannered girl I had ever come across. How can she mock on someone's belief?

   "I have no time to waste on you. I'll clean my room for you. You can stay there?", I said.

  "Don't you have another room?", she asked.

  "Why would I stay in a double-room apartment when I'm alone?", I muttered.

  "Then where are you gonna stay?", she asked casually.

  "I'll clean up the storeroom for me. Though I haven't talked to the landlord yet, I know he will never say no to me", I said.

   "Great", she said and picked out her phone. I said nothing and went to my room. I arranged my belongings in a basket and called her.

   "You can sleep now", I said.

   "Sure", she said and walked towards the room. 

She slammed the door on my face. I cursed myself for helping her. Why did I do that? Why people say 'First impression is the last impression'? I couldn't figure out how ridiculous she was at our first meeting. She seemed to be a calm, quiet, innocent girl. However, she was not. She didn't offer help to me in cleaning. I had left my room for her while she didn't even thank me. Mr Ali was successful as a business but failed as a father, I wondered.

I went to my landlord and took the keys to the storeroom. I opened the door and cleaned the whole room which took 3 hours to be cleaned properly. It was nearly 4 am when I went to bed. Thankfully I got an old bed from my landlord there. I was too tired and fall asleep soon.

I woke up hearing a noise from the kitchen. Maybe some metals fall on the ground that made a huge noise. I immediately got up and rushed to the kitchen and I got shocked.