chapter 25

The next day, Farida woke up at five in the morning by her alarm, it was time to pray fajr. She managed to switch it off after a few attempts and remained in bed for a while, staring at her bedside table as she recalled what happened the other night.

"I should probably thank him for his kindness." She said to herself, referring to Fahad and his heroic action last night.

She took her phone from the bedside table and touched the fingerprint sensor to unlock it. Her wallpaper from the past one year was still on it, a picture of her twins and their grandmother.

After entering the message box and typing a few words under fahad's name,

"Thank you for the help you gave me last night, but don't expect anything in return."

She contemplated whether to send it or just act like it never happened so that he'd never call her again. At last she tapped on the send button and got out of bed to cleanse herself and did her morning prayer. She planned on going back to sleep after praying, it was a work free day. She had nothing to do in the office for the next two weeks, so she planned on going on a vacation with her whole family to Florida in the USA.

After praying, she did her morning azkhar and went back to sleep. It was a cold morning. Just a few minutes she fell asleep, she had a dream, more like a flashback.

The sky was dark and the rain showered down on her. She was happy, she was eager to give a good news. She ran towards a transparent glass door and opened it to reveals a group of angry people.

Soon, she didn't know how it happened, but she found herself right in the middle and scrutinizing gazes were casted on her.

A man held her hand and yanked her aside, causing her to fall and wound her lips. When she looked up at the man, it was none other than sudais. His eyes held fury, he yelled some words that were not audible to her but they made her cry. He threw some papers at her face and the whole world stood still.

Her body shook slightly and her eyes snapped open. For a moment, she could not understand what she saw in her dream. She got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She stared at herself in the mirror and thought about it, the plenty of mysteries in her life.

She finally put the pieces of the events and dreams together.

The time that Maryam did not want to her to be seen my aysha, her mother in-law. The time that afaan was begging her to leave the house before anyone saw her. The ugly things zaynerb said to her at sudais's house on the same day. She remembered what Afaan said about her parents protecting her. Why would they lie to her in-laws that she was dead.

Added to the dream she had, she concluded that her in-laws hated her since the very beginning, especially sudais.

She was interrupted when her phone rang loudly from her room. She dragged a towel from its hanger and went out of the bathroom, wiping her face with the towel. It was Mr Elliott calling, it made her wonder if something happened at work.

"Good morning sir." She greeted and he replied.

"Good morning dear, sorry to bother you so early."

"Do not worry sir, I was already up. But, I hope there isn't any problem with the reports." She said.

"No, no. I forgot to tell you to take the reports to f&f. The president called this morning, asking for it. Please come quickly." Mr Elliott said apologetically.

"Okay, I'll be there soon." She said and hung up.

In about twenty minutes, she went downstairs in professional cloths. The family were already preparing for breakfast. Ali was sitting on a one sitter chair with a newspaper at hand, seema was placing the food on the dining table with ajwad following right behind her, wining about something seema did not pay attention to and Maryam was braiding azrah's jet black hair, while azrah played with her shiny shoe.

The clicking of farida's black heels took the attentions and the all turned to look at her, except the two children who were now fighting on who should have azrah's shoe.

The three pairs of eyes stared at her curiously, they all knew that she had finished her work at the office and that she now had time for their vacation in Florida.

"Will you ever get a break, you're turning into a workaholic." Seema worried. Farida sighed and replied.

"I didn't submit my work to the f&f yesterday, so Mr Elliott called to make sure I do it today and very soon."

Seema nodded and Ali took off his glasses to reveal his blue curious eyes.

"Did you say f&f? I mean, the one and only f&f here in London?" Ali asked and shared a look with his wife.

"Yes, is something wrong?" She replied, sitting next to Maryam on the three sitter couch. Azrah smiled at the sight of her mother and jumped on her lap. Ajwad, who had a grumpy expression tried to push her off their mother's lap, he wasn't going to lose, since he couldn't have the shiny shoes. Maryam took azrah and distracted her with a Barbie doll, so they will not start fighting again.

"Is that my friend Jasmine's husband's company?" Seema asked Ali.

"Yes, but it belongs to his son now that he's no more." Ali said.

"Sadly, but Jasmine said he's handling the business even better than his father did." Seema said and called everyone to the dining after setting the table.

"So they owners are our family friend?" Farida asked as she took the first bite of hot waffle.

"Yes dear, you will get along well with their eldest son. Make sure to greet him when you go there." Seema said.

"Sure." Farida said and stood up to leave after eating one waffle, making seema frown.

"Come back Early, so you can eat more food."

"Yes mother." Farida said and hugged the children.

Ali called her name and threw his car keys at her direction and she caught it.

"Thanks dad." She said with a smile.

"I'll go and fix your car for you, okay." Ali said, Farida thanked him and left for work.

***

Fahad dressed for work and left after taking breakfast to his mother in her room.

He called their family mechanics and had farida's car fix. He was going to take it to her house, but he was called by his business partner, Mr Elliott. Fahad decided to attend to Mr Elliott before returning the car, they say time is money in business.

***

"I can't find your car keys, and I can't find your car on this road. Are you sure this is the location?" Ali asked Farida on video call. After searching her room for the keys for about thirty minutes and could not find it, Ali decided to check the place farida's car broke down but found the spot empty.

"Yes dad, I am certain about the location. Did you drive till the end of the road?" Farida asked, walking out of Elliott and sons. She had taken the documents and was heading to f&f to submit it to the CEO.

"Yes, I have. Dear, I think your car has been stolen. You probably dropped the keys in panic and someone found it." Ali said as he returned to his company car, where a group of younger mechanics waited for him.

"Ya Allah!" Farida exclaimed, earning some attentions from the by passers in front of Elliott and sons, where she parked her Father's car.

"Hey, calm down. I'll go to the police station and report it. And in sha Allah, we will find your car." Ali assured his daughter who was fuming at her carelessness.

"I really hope so Dad, I am so sorry." Farida said, now driving away from Elliott and sons, constantly pressing the horn to avoid getting late.

They ended the call and Farida prayed that it was not Fahad who had stolen her car.

"Oh, I will kill you." She said to herself and stepped on the accelerator.