Choosing Him

Chapter 11

After their mothers intervention, Zayan had grudgingly agreed to let Areesha work. Her mother and brother kept a special check on her diet. If they weren't enough already, her boss made sure to remind her to take a lunch break as he didn't want another scene with her angry brother.

A few weeks passed and everything was going smoothly. Her mother woke up in the morning to see off her children as her brother had joined a law firm too. She tried to not be late to work, but occasionally she had to cross the speed limit and now had the entire glove box filled with over-speeding tickets and she had paid quite a few fines as well. She wouldn't be surprised to know that she spent a great portion of her salary because she was late evey other day.

Nevertheless, she tried to wake up earlier in the mornings. After her fajr prayer she always fell asleep even though she tried to stay up. Yes, she was praying regularly now. She would be late sometimes, actually a lot of times but she still tried to be on time. Her bed just had its charm and it would lull her in.

At night time however, it was a different story. In the darkness of her bedroom, she would lay wondering how would it be if her father died and Amir hadn't broken their engagement. She was still trying to get over him but would occasionally grab her phone to call him to meet her up somewhere only to realize that they weren't together anymore. Her mother had still not spoken to her about him but otherwise their relationship was better than before.

She had never really understood the meaning of the ayat in the Holy Quran that after every difficulty there comes ease but she was experiencing that ease now. Her brother made her realize that her engagement with Amir was not halal so it broke. Zayan had not liked Amir from the beginning when their parents had gotten her engaged to him before their father had died. He told her that the love Allah puts in the hearts of people after nikah is the real and everlasting love. She had accepted the fact that Amir was not destined to be for her, but that didn't stop those feelings of worthlessness and hurt.

It was a very ordinary Wednesday of her mundane life and she was working in her office as usual.

A young girl in a headscarf came up to her and demanded to meet Mr. Ali.

"Is Fawad in?" The girl had asked her. 

"Yes hes he is. Do you have an appointment?"

"I don't need an appointment to see him." She replied haughtily with a roll of her eyes. Areesha's eyebrow raised as she stared at her. Whoever was this rude girl, she thought.

"Well listen here whoever you are. Sir said that no one disturbs him unless its anything important. So please do me a favor and let me do my work in peace." She said in a bored voice and turned back to her laptop.

The girl raised an eyebrow at Areesha."Guess what? You're fired!" She said dramatically.

"Oh really? I'm so scared then!" Areesha said to the girl sarcastically. "but sadly that right lies with Mr. Ali who employed me."

"Watch me then."

She barged inside Mr. Alis office before Areesha could stop her.

"Salam! I've fired your secretary." Areesha heard her from outside.

"Walaikum Salam. And what's up with you and firing my secretaries? " she heard her boss say.

What? She was fired?  Oh! This girl must be someone important to him, Areesha thought. But how could she have known?

"I'll start packing sir, don't worry." She said as her boss and that unknown girl stepped out of the office right that instant. She didn't need any more embarrassment for the day.