The CEO and her Employee | ✓

Chapter-31: "We have found, where he last was,"

Dedicated to ZarishaKhan and sidra_khan.

~~~

Noor's hatred for her father, couldn't only be, because of him, not treating girls and boys, fairly.

There had to be another reason, and there was!

She had just received her Mathematics result, for the first-term exams, she had given, in her Class 8.

She had failed!

She had done a lot of practice, but, she couldn't really concentrate. Math wasn't something she could do, on her own.

She had tried to persuade her father, to enroll her, into some tutoring lessons, but, he was too stingy. He wouldn't spend on his daughter.

When, she showed him, the result, he got really angry. He slapped her, called her names; his anger knew no bounds.

Her mother, Samia tried to calm him down, but, to know avail.

Uthman locked her in the room, and started to unbuckle his pants.

Noor knew that, her father was ruthless, but, she hadn't expected him, to do this.

She started calling for help. Her mother broke the door, open, and slapped Uthman, back to his senses.

Later, he had apologized. But, things between the daughter and father, never went back to normal.

Recalling these moments, made her strong, instead of making her weak.

She had survived, in the battle of ruthlessness and insanity. She had survived, in the battle, with men!

~~~

She admires the structure of the antique, cantaloupe - colored house, before her, which belonged to Safiya's family.

She walks up to a woman, on the porch, which, she assumes, is Safiya's mother.

"Asalamualikum," Noor greets Mrs. Ayesha Jameel.

"Walaikumasalam," She replies, with confusion. "Sorry, but, I didn't recognize you,"

"I am Safiya's boss, Noor Ahmed,"

"Acha," Ok.

"Should I call, Safiya?"

"No. I am here, to talk to you,"

"Me?" She raises an eyebrow, but, asks, no further questions.

Mrs. Jameel leads her, to a bustling parlour.

She tells the household helpers, to vacate the room. She gestures Noor, to sit.

"Safiya is a hard working employee, Mrs. Ayesha. Her marriage, with..."

"Abdul Razaq?"

"Her marriage, with Abdul Razaq is affecting her working abilities,"

"Fire her, then!"

"She is an excellent employee, Mrs. Ayesha. I don't want to do that. I want you to let her live her life, until she wants to get married,"

"And, who are you tell me, this?" Mrs. Ayesha quizzes, with an air of superiority.

Noor could handle men, but, she couldn't handle mothers.

"Noor, I want you to mind your own business. This is a family matter. We don't want, outsiders, prying in our household matter,"

She shows her, out of the house.

~~~

"Hello?"

"Good Afternoon, Ma'am,"

"Good Afternoon,"

"I am Charles, a Deputy Officer. After a thorough search, we have found Amir. Let me rephrase it, we have found where he last was,"

"And?" She listens, with rapt, attention.

"We have located his presence, with a tribal family, in , of Al Jazirah. Now, however, he isn't there,"

"Oh,"

"I have sent a sketch of his, to you, on your email, right now,"

"Thank you," She hangs up.

She opens the attachment, with shaky hands. It had been 14 years, since, she had seen her brother.

When her parents had died, Noor was sent to Saudi Arabia, while Amir was still in Sudan, since, he was handicapped.

He had a deformity, in his leg, because of which, he wasn't able to walk.

In the sketch, he looks just like her mother - big eyes , arched eyebrows, dense eyelashes; his jaw tight, like Uthman's and a small, long nose, ending to look, like a falcon's.

In the oddest way possible, Noor and Amir did look, quite similar.