In the Arms of an Angel..

4 Amazed

I know what Joe said is true. I know Stella and two of her sons. They always make me extremely uncomfortable. Stella is a vile woman. I have met her a handful of time and she has this nasty habit of making one feel dirty. She treated me really badly too. She spilt alcohol on me. Made me cook her pork once. And two of her sons are just like the mother. Not once but about five times, these two tried to bully me in to a corner. Luckily, in Joe's house one can never be harassed. As soon after the security saw them following me, he warned me. And I kept myself invisible after that.

Not even once during my time working for Joe had I or anyone I know encountered any harassments from him. So, it is easy to believe him. Mrs. John's , Joe's housekeeper always remind me, I was hired by Joe. Though she was not so found of me when I came in, she warmed up latter. So, I owe Joe a little bit of my independence.

"I think I can use the car tonight. But that car is also under the trust. So anytime I can be asked to return it"

Subhanallah. How people can fall at a blink of eye.

"Sir, I live in an apartment not so far from here. It's just walking distance. I can camp up with one of my friends. You can take my apartment until you figure out how you'd like to go about things"

I saw his eyes widen. Really widen as in surprise. He looked at me fiercely then as seeing if there is anything more to me. I can sense hesitation. But this man deserves the power to which he was born to. Men like him make the world a better place. And if I can help him, I will.

"It is a small studio. You can stay there as long as you need until I am sure you think of how to proceed. At the mean time, I have some cash savings. You can borrow them, but I insist you pay me back as they are my life time savings. I will stay with a friend"

"I cant do that for you" he said. He is not use to being helped or asking for help. I understand.

"Until you return to your former glory, I cant return to the penthouse to work if James and Tom are going to frequent it. So, I have my reasons to help you too"

"Have they imposed themselves on you?" he asked anger flaring in his eyes.

"No sir. They tried but the security was kind enough to warm me. My apartment I assure you is much better than sleeping in a car. When you give your mind it's rest, it will work much better"

"I will stay under two conditions" I really laughed.

"Seriously sir? As of last I heard your story, you are not in a position to put conditions. Just come on, don't be so stuck up. I know it's a poor setting but I assure you, it is much better" I said teasingly.

"You accuse me of being stuck up without even listening to my conditions? Oh, this is worse than losing all my money" he said with a mock sadness.

"Condition one, you stop calling me sir. I am Joe. Condition two, you stay in the apartment as well. I will not kick you out of your own house. If you agree, then I am sleepy"

I cant stay with a non-Mahram. Is he mad?

"No , No. I can stay with one of my girls. No problem at all" I told him quickly.

"Then I am not coming Zahra. Either you don't trust me or you think I am a man with little honor. I am neither. Though I would like to sleep under a roof tonight, I will use the car. I will call you on Sunday, and we will sort things out"

Damned. He doesn't have any money. How is he going to survive?

"You are a ruthless man. I thought you were a gentleman but no. I am trying to help you out and in this situation also you need to be the one to dictate terms?" I was really irritated.

"My mother taught me very few things in life. One of them is honor"

"Fine. Fine. Come with me to my apartment. I will stay" and he gave me his winning smile. Ruthless man.

"Then all means, introduce me to the lovely ladies there" he said pointing at all 3 of my friends who are point blank staring.

**************************************

I don't want to kick her out of the house so I can get a roof over my head. Asking help, being helped are not familiar feelings for me. It is money I lost, not my pride. So I insisted Zahra to stay with me. She has vivid expressions. She tried convincing me. When she failed she called me a "ruthless man" and gave me the expression generally one give for a difficult child, before agreeing to my conditions.

As we approached her friends, their jaws further dropped. Zahra was nervous too.

"What are you going to tell them?"

"The truth. They better hear from me rather than read it in tabloids tomorrow"

"Marry, Fathima and Neha please meet my boss Joe. Joe pleas meet my friends" oh so she called me Joe. A night of losing everything, a small win feels good.

"Ladies, it is a pleasure meeting you all. Now if you'd be kind enough I need to tell you something before the tabloids does"

And I narrated them the entire story. They listen while cursing at Stella at one time, then thrashing James and Tom the other time and then praising me rest of the time. These girls know how to boost a man's ego.

"Zahra, I already like your friends"

"Please hold on until you know them better to make such statement" she told me teasingly.

"I asked Joe to stay at my place. I wanted to stay with one of you girls. Please convince him"

"Zahra, I told you. If you want to give me a roof over my head, and if the roof is something you are paying for, you stay" I told her firmly.

Her friend Marry added to that " Zahra, he is right. Just be accommodative honey. we will come and see you tomorrow. come time to go home. Its almost 2 a.m"

"I need to park the car. Does your building has a parking slot or something I can use?" I want to park the car in an invisible place. If my dad could track my car, he will know where I am. I am not yet sure how far he will go to hurt Zahra, but he can buy the building she is staying and throw all of us out.

"Yes, there is underground parking. You can use my slot. I don't have a car anyway. I'll ride with you. Girls, see yourselves home then. Will call you tomorrow"

And off we went to the building. If anyone told me just yesterday I will be staying, let alone stepping inside a crumbling building like this one, I would have laughed at it. But now the fate had it's way with me, I must be content.

But as soon as I entered her studio, whatever reservations I had just vanished. I could live in this space forever. It's like stepping in to eco lodge. Only thing that is missing is a waterfall. So many plants and flowers creepers, climbers, tall trees, small plants..... this is breathtaking.

"It's beautiful. Wow. Really"