The princess of bloom

24. Build trust first.

Happy 100 reads to TPOB🥳 Alhamdulillah. Thank you for reading and voting. Keep showing love to Zahra and Abdul.❤️

It was past 9 o'clock and Fadilat was in the living room, alone with her laptop. Laila had gone home for the weekend and her son and daughter-in-law were still sleeping. Fadilat raised her head and glanced at the stairs. They have to come down for breakfast because it's getting late.

She stood up and headed for their room. Luckily the door was opened, she said her Salam quietly and met them sleeping soundly. The curtains were drawn over the window, making the room dark even though it was shining outside.

"None of them can be sensible. Ya Allah. Khaleef didn't even go out for subh," Fadilat mumbled and walked over to them. She found their legs and tapped them instantly.

The two woke up and searched for who woke them up only to see Fadilat.

"Mum?" They exclaimed and sat down quickly.

Fadilat harrumphed and held her hips.
"What's with this nonsense you two are trying to do? I understand that it's the weekend, but do you have to miss salat for that?!" She scolded.

"Mum. We prayed. I just missed my alarm." Abdul explained.

Fadilat eyed him and looked at Zahra who was avoiding her gaze. "And you Ameerah. I get that Khaleef works late but you don't. Why didn't you wake him up?"

Zahra bit her lips and she was sure that Abdul was snickering inwardly.
"Mum, it's not my fault. I was up late that's why. Khaleef just had to wake me up in the middle of the night for a stupid request." She pouted and answered pitifully.

Abdul immediately gasped.
"Stupid request? I am your husband Ameerah. So, I can ask for anything." He returned.

"Do you have to break my sleep?" She retorted.

"Next time, stay awake," Abdul said.

"Okay. Stop it!" Fadilat shouted. "I am not interested in knowing what kept you up all night and seeing you two fight like kids. Go take your bath and come downstairs for breakfast." She glared at them and walked out of the room.

"You are really a witch." Abdul shook his head at Zahra. She rolled her eyes and ignored him. He took his bath and went downstairs to meet his mother.

Without waiting, he dished out his food and sat in the living room with her.
"I haven't seen you eat for days now," Fadilat muttered, staring at him eat.
"I just took over the company, so it's still tough out there." Abdul shrugged.
She exhaled and asked, "What's going on with you and Ameerah?"

Abdul dropped his cup and looked at his mother. "Mum, you told me to get married so that my wife can assist me in my work life but Ameerah is clearly being irresponsible. I had to wake her up yesterday to help me."

"Oh, you only know how to do that yesterday." Fadilat chuckled.

"Mum, please don't support her. She's at fault here." Abdul pointed out.

Fadilat nodded and said seriously, "Ameerah has to fulfill her responsibilities as your wife but I would also love it if you try to understand her circumstances. First of all, she's still immature to know some things. You had a quick marriage without knowing each other much or having any feelings. Most importantly, your marriage had only been a week. Differences are sure to arise between newly married couples but it's best if you learn to understand and support each other. If Ameerah doesn't know about something, it's only right for you to teach her."

"I don't have time for that," Abdul said.

"Khaleef," Fadilat stared at him. "If you want something, you will have to groom it. And you are the eldest amongst you, so act like one. All that you see is your wife's 'bad' side but not the good one. Ameerah doesn't just sit at home doing nothing. Who do you think does your laundry these days?"

"Huh?" Abdul was speechless. Fadilat simply smiled and before he asked anything, Zahra came down from the stairs.

"Good morning mum," she greeted Fadilat with her head lowered.

"Good morning Ameerah. Forget about what happened earlier okay?" Fadilat smiled and Zahra nodded meekly.

Abdul felt like crying. Why won't his mum scold Zahra too? This was so unfair. His face darkened more when Fadilat told them to eat together.

Fadilat later told them to go outside for some fresh air. As expected, they sat down opposite each other, ignoring one another.

"Make sure that the team is ready before Monday. I will be coming later In Sha Allah." Abdul spoke and ended the call.

"You're going to work today? It's the weekend." Zahra said casually.

"I have work to do. How does that concern you?" He returned placidly.

Zahra held her fingers and stared at him.
"You know what, the cause of your fatigue and all this madness is because you are working too much for Allah's sake. Don't you have workers below you? Why do you have to go after everything in the company?"

"How would you know how it works in there?" He hissed and she raised an eyebrow. "I don't trust some people in that company anymore." He muttered.

Zahra sat up straight and watched him quietly.
"Ever since I took over the company, I have been seeing red flags. If I don't go after their activities, I'm afraid something will go wrong." He said.

"Are you a deity or what?" Zahra inquired and he gave her a quizzical look.

"You can't take care of everything Khaleef. " She explained. "If you want to build a company, the first thing you need is trust. I understand that you are feeling uneasy because of your uncle and all but these are the same people who your father trusted. You don't want to lose them but you can't put your trust in them? The reason they aren't fully loyal to you is because they don't trust you too."

"What do you mean by that?" Abdul frowned.

Zahra calmly explained,
"Think about it Khaleef. They have been working for your father since he wasn't as strong as KT. He left them and then suddenly, his son, who never once worked under them, took over the company. From what I know, you just finished studying and have a few working experiences. Are they trust machines to believe in you that easily?"

Abdul fell into thought. What she said was true. He can't trust them because he doesn't know of their ability and they can't trust him because they don't know him too.

"What you should do is to put your trust in them. Show them that you need support and that you believe in them. They are a part of KT and you need to be their new pillar. You want them to respect you but as you act as the boss, learn to show them respect too and be kind. If all the workers in the company trust and believe in their leader, everything will be smoother." Zahra added.

Abdul smirked and looked at her. "My wife is so smart. Isn't she?"

"Save that for someone else." She scoffed and stood up. "I'll take a walk in the orchard."

Abdul stood up and quickly went after her. She was startled when you suddenly grasped her hand.
"What are you doing?" She asked trying to pull her hand out.

"There are workers out there. It's the weekend." He shrugged. Zahra narrowed her eyes and let him hold her, as they toured through the orchard.