Chapter 16
Abrar pov
I stirred up from my slumber, his mind still foggy with remnants of sleep. I quickly got up from bed realizing that I was no longer staying alone so I quickly went out of my room and went for my early morning jog as it helped clear my mind.
I walked past Zoya’s room to see the door was still open. She was a heavy sleepy from what I have observed. She hates waking up early.
I walked to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast, I cannot remember the last time my kitchen was this stocked although it was nice to have I did not want it to be a normal habit for Zoya it was my responsibility to provide food for her as she was a guest in my house.
I decided to make some eggs with the sausages when I decided that maybe I should ask her first what she wanted for breakfast before I went ahead and cooked what she did not want.
I knocked on her door but got no response. “Zoya?” I called but still no response.
“Was she still sleeping?” I asked myself as I pushed open the door to see the very scattered room with clothes everywhere and she was nowhere to be found.
“Zoya” I called for her, looking around but she was not in the room, the bed was empty, and the sheets were cold. Panic fluttered within my chest, my heart pounding fast.
“Zoya?” I called out as I walked out of the room but still got no response, as my voice echoed back at me.
My mind began to race, conjuring worst-case scenarios in rapid succession. Has she left? Was she in danger? A thousand questions but no answer to any of them.
Just as I was about to walk out the door to go and look for her I heard a ping on my phone. I grabbed it and saw that It was a message from Zoya.
With trembling hands, I picked up my phone and opened the text.
“I will be back later, Went to sweep my father” she texted. I sighed in relief as I leaned on the kitchen counter to regain my composure, as my muscles relaxed and the tension washed away.
My thoughts churned as I stared out the window, it was a windy day the weather seemed cool and the sky dull it seemed it might rain today.
I should have felt grateful for the quiet I had now that Zoya was not around but instead, he felt suffocated by the weight of my situation as my thoughts wandered to the day I first met Ziya never thought my life would become like this.
I glanced at the clock on the wall, soon realizing I was running late for work. With a sigh, I quickly finished my breakfast and then pushed himself away from the table and set about getting ready.
My workplace, which has been a place where I considered everyone in my family, has slowly become a place I did not long to go to. I was not happy with the way people address me now like I was a bossol or something just because they believe I am married to Zoya. Gosh, I can’t stop blaming her for forcing me into this situation.
I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, a stranger stared back at me with hollow eyes, filled with worry.
I could not recognize myself. I looked so drained and tired. How had I become trapped in a life that felt more like a prison than a home? How did I find myself in this position?
I pushed the lingering sense of unease and grabbed my suitcase as I headed for the door.
I walked into the office and just like any other day it was bustling as papers were flying and moving everywhere, this was not where I worked before I met Zoya ever since the marriage announcement I was promoted here I usually worked in the mechanic field in the hard labor department but now I was promoted to an office which had air conditional and I had a comfortable office and chair for me to seat on and work. It was a dream I thought I would never live to see. It broke my heart that I might have to give it all up, but I knew I did not get it in the right way so it bothered my conscience.
“Abrar” Kaif called as I sat down on my seat.
At least one thing I finally enjoy now is being able to work with my close friend in the same office.
“What’s up, man?” I greeted him with a smile and a powerful handshake followed by a pat on his back.
“good, looking exhausted, is married life that hard?” Kaif jokes.
“More than you can imagine” I replied.
“Well thank god, I am still single I don’t plan on getting married anytime soon,” he said.
“Did your mum not set you up for a blind date and what bout Lara, your girlfriend are you not going to marry her?” I asked him.
“I will maybe, I don’t know, I am just going with the flow man” he responded.
I could not help but shake my head at him, Kaif was such a playboy the day he decided to settle down. I am sure the earth and heavens are going to sing praises because even I don’t see that happening any time soon at all.
“Look at him, sitting in the same place with us and feeling he is among us, he is not one of us and can be one of us.” a group of men walked past I and kaif as they stared at me with distaste and disgust on their features.
“What are you looking at?” Kaif snapped at them.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, trying to calm Kaif down. Kaif was a no-nonsense person he did not know how to hide his feelings, he was one of the most honest people I have ever encountered. Sometimes his honesty are brutal but at least we all need that honest friend in our life.
“Those losers, do find them. They are just jealous. Although I am still mad at you for secretly getting married, at least I am happy that I am finally working in the same space as you” he said.
“Abrar” Kaiser called, he was the managing director of my department, basically my boss.All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.
“Sir” I replied.
Kaiser was very strict and according to what Kaif had told me about him he was a no-nonsense person and I am not looking at getting on his bad side.
“To my office” he ordered.
“Well, the boss is calling you,” Kaif jokes, as he walks back to his desk.
I tidied up my suit along with my tie before walking to his office which was located not too far from my office desk. I knocked on the door before his voice boomed loudly from inside. “Come in”
I pushed open the knob of the door and walked into the file and neatly decorated room. This was my first time entering Kaiser’s office.
“Have a seat’ he offered pointing to the seat opposite him.
“Well since you are still new with the whole work stuff especially working in an office I decided for you to be a helper for a few weeks but now you will have jobs assigned to you from now on,” he said and I nodded my head in understanding.
“I see you are close to Kaif you can ask him any questions you do not understand and here are some documents you are to take care of make sure you attend to them with precision and accuracy slow workers and lazy workers are not tolerated here this is not the labor department things are different here,” he said, but I could not help but sense maybe his words had a ting of malice attached to them like he was trying to downgrade me.
“I will work hard, sir,” I said in response.
“Okay that will be all of I need you for anything I will hotline you, do you have any questions?” He asked.
“No, I don’t,” I replied. “Okay then that will be all, get back to work,” he said dismissing me.
I could not shake off the unease that maybe my boss really did not like me.
“How was the meeting?” Kaif asked as soon as I arrived back at my desk.
“Well nothing much just gave me some documents to see through, but I think he might not like me” I replied.
“Don’t worry about it too much Kaiser is such a snub he had a thing for Zoya but everyone knew she was not into him, so of course he is also jealous, and oh, your father-in-law asked of you and Zoya just left the office” he said walking away.
Zoya was here? I had no idea she was coming to the office today and my father-in-law is looking for me.
I was still trying to get used to this whole father-in-law, son-in-law thing. It just felt so weird, especially knowing it is not real.
I walked towards Mr. Ali’s cabin and lightly knocked on his door. “Come in” his voice boomed from Inside the office.
I opened the door to see him seated majestically on his chair behind his magnificent desk.
“Oh Abrar” he called out standing up from his chair and offering me a seat on his meeting couch.
“Good day sir Ali” I greeted him, with my head bowed down.
“You don’t need to be so upright around me, I am your father-in-law after all,” he said with a smile, while I nodded my head in response.
“You asked for me sir” I said, sitting on the couch.
“Yes, I wanted to discuss something very important with you,” he said. “What is it, sir?” I asked curious as to why he wanted to see me so urgently.
“I know with this whole marriage situation, it’s been a little bit difficult for my family to accept, especially my wife. She has been taking it hard. I don’t blame you. I am sure Zoya is the one who forced you into all this” he said, as he offered me a glass of juice. I accepted it with a thank you.
“I am very sorry sir for my irresponsible actions” I apologized although I have done nothing for me to apologize for it was all Zoya’s fault she should be the one to apologize.
My heart was racing fast as I anticipated what he wanted to tell me.
“Oh you don’t have to apologize, you are a good boy, Abrar, I just feel like Zoya might be too hard-headed for you, how is she treating you?” He asked, looking a little bit concerned.
It was strange that Mr. Ali was concerned about me and not his daughter but he seemed he really know the kind of person his daughter was, she was a handful and not easy to handle.
“So I have given this a lot of thought and discussed it thoroughly with the family members and we have come to an agreement,” he said.
“An agreement?” I asked, confused.
“We have decided that since you and Zoya are already legally married, maybe it would be best to hold a small traditional marriage as this would please the whole family and my wife would finally be satisfied,” he said, smiling at me.
I stared at him with my eyes wide open and in disbelief.
“What did I just hear?” I thought to myself.
“You don’t need to worry about the cost, it is my parting gift for my daughter, it’s the least I can do,” he said.
I was still trying to process everything that was happening, this was not good. I did not want to marry Zoya. I did not want to have anything to do with her anymore and this was happening. I think we just dug out grave deeper.
This was not good.