Affianced By Force

CHAPTER ELEVEN - Deep into the Challenge

Faisal Walked upon a carefully sleeping Umamah. She had papers everywhere on the reading table and chair, and she had one in her hand.

He smiled at his stubborn and determined wife.

"Is this the point where you tell me to leave you alone as you watch over Sleeping Beauty?" At Farid's voice, Faisal scowled. He had forgotten the boy had been walking closely behind him.

"Yes! And No." He whispered back.

"I am not even going to ask which I am supposed to go with. I am here to get my stuff and run off.

"Shhh... You will wake your sister." Faisal shushed Farid.

"Yeah, yeah, pass the computer, please." Faisal obeyed the young man. He would do anything right now to get Farid out of the room.

Once he was alone with his wife, Faisal gathered the documents that had been blown to the floor by air and pilled them neatly at the table.

Just then she woke up. "Don't!" She jumped off the bed, startling him.

"You are not allowed to come sneaking around my work... Boss!" She said, moving to stand in between him and her table.

Faisal frowned. "I thought you were asleep."

"You know, I do not do deep sleep. Now, don't change the topic. What were you doing sneaking..."

"I wasn't sneaking!" Faisal said, stupefied that he had to defend his moving around his room, in his own house!

She squint an eyelid, as though gauging whether to believe him or not.

"Your papers were everywhere, I was just helping."

"Okay, I believe you." She said, and then smiling sheepishly, she said;

"Do you know that I am done with the proposal draft? As we speak, I sent it for proofreading and I will have the final draft ready by tonight, In Shaa Allah."

"You need some sleep Umamah. Plus, I know you are capable. All these... I didn't mean to take the challenge so far."

"But it did go this far." She said yawning.

"Yawning is from the Shaytaan, so, if any of you feels the urge to yawn, let him resist it as much as he can."

Umamah placed a hand over her mouth. By now, she knew he was sighting an authority for her. that has been it since the past week. When she did something wrong, she would hear an authority invalidating it.

"Qur'an or hadith?" She asked.

"Hadith. Muslim."

She nodded. "But how does one prevent themselves from yawning It's not like you can hold it in."

"O you can... by simply closing your mouth. It's discipline dear."

She blushed at his use of endearment but quickly nodded.

"I will try that from now on, In Shaa Allah."

"Your Proposal is timely. The board will be meeting on Friday, In Shaa Allah."

She looked at him, wide-eyed. "That's just in two days."

"Yes... But you will be ready by today."

She shook her head but held her tongue from concealing that She had four investors traveling from the US, UK, and Qatar.

"Can it be a little into next week? Preferably Wednesday?" That would give them the time to travel and settle in their lodges.

"Umamah, you know these things are not in my hands alone."