Desperate Denial

December 05, 2020 The Muse Drop 5 Comments


 

 
 •Chapter 1•

Aliya Dindar rolled over and groaned in annoyance as her hand clumsily searched for her alarm. She probed herself to get out of bed. "Come on!" She muttered to herself. She stretched lazily before taking a deep breath and rubbing her eyes. As the brilliant sun poured into the room, she sighed to herself. She was starting her very first job today.
 
Graduating in Chartered Accountancy, Aliya had done pretty well during her final exams. She had landed an intern position in one of the most sought after corporate companies in the country, Rone. As a little girl, Aliya and her dad used to stare at the building in wonderment. With its fancy architecture and glass windows, it looked as if it was the office for a movie set. She hadn't always wanted to do something in corporate but it had just happened. As a little girl, Aliya wanted to be a firewoman. But life didn't turn out that way.
 
She made her way to the kitchen and grabbed the overnight oats that she had prepared the night before. She needed to be refreshed and ready for anything. As she polished off her oats, she wondered what awaited her.
 
After Aliya exited the shower, she glanced at the time. She had woken up extra early today because it was her first day and she was adamant on making a good impression. She slipped into a plain black pant suit and quickly ran a brush through her hair. She pulled her hair to the back of her head and clipped it up. With a dash of her favourite lipgloss and a little bit of her simple skincare, she was ready.
 
Aliya glanced at herself in the mirror and adjusted her collar. She was nervous and a little bit scared. Would she be able to get along with her colleagues? Would she fit in with the culture? She took a deep breath in order to calm down her nerves.
 
She made her way to the kitchen and pecked her mother on her cheek.
 
"Are you ready?" Her mother, Fatima, asked her.
 
Aliya smiled. "I hope so."
 
"Are you going to eat anything?"
 
"I woke up really early today and I had breakfast just after I woke up." Aliya responded before glancing at the time again.
 
"Okay honey, may Allah make it easy for you."
 
Aliya grabbed her car keys before heading out of the door. With each step, her nervousness increased. She drove at a leisurely pace towards the large office building, hoping that the drive would calm her nerves. As the light turned red, Aliya slowed down and casually glanced at the car next to her. Her heart did a little flip flop as the handsome stranger made eye contact with her. She quickly turned her gaze back to the road. The man driving next to her was the most handsome man she had ever laid her eyes upon. He seemed to be rather athletic. It was hard to miss the size of his arms through his formal shirt as well as his broad shoulders. Aliya couldn't really see the colour of his eyes but she could tell that they were intense. He wasn't clean shaven, his perfectly sculpted jaw held short stubble that looked like it had been neatened by a professional barber. His jet black hair was combed almost carelessly, giving him an almost care-free persona.
 
Aliya was so engrossed in her thoughts, she almost missed the turn she was supposed to take. She quickly manoeuvred her vehicle and made her way to the large parking lot of the building. She shook her head, trying hard to forget about the man she had just seen. She couldn't allow herself to get distracted on her first day of work.
 
Taking what felt like the thousandth deep breath that day, she got out of her car and grabbed her bag. Straightening her suit, she hoped that she looked confident. She made her way to the large elevator doors and pressed the button. It opened silently and she got in. Just as the doors almost closed, a hand snuck into the elevator, forcing it to open again. Aliya looked up from her phone and almost fainted. It was the same guy that she had seen on the road. He gave her a side smile. 
 
"Salaams." He greeted.
 
Aliya could barely respond. "Wa alaykum salaam." She finally croaked out.
 
He opened his mouth to speak again but the ringing of his cellphone cut him short. By the time the elevator reached the ground floor, Aliya's heart was pounding a mile a minute. She was rooted in her spot until the handsome man gestured for her to exit. She clumsily nodded and walked past him, almost dropping her handbag in the process. She needed a clear head but it was as if the universe was trying to sabotage her. She made her way to reception and practically fumbled over her words. So much for trying to make a good first impression.
 
By the time Aliya was settled in, it was already midday. She made her way to the prayer room that had been shown to her earlier with her childhood best friend, Zakiya. She had met a few other interns, all of whom had just graduated as well. Aliya loved that she and Zakiya had studied the same thing. It always made things much easier having her best friend by her side. And Zakiya just made the transition into corporate feel easier, even though she too was a newbie.
 
They waited for the elevator and as the doors slid open, Aliya saw him again. Her breath caught in her throat. There was no denying that she was attracted to him. Zakiya gave her a side glance. "Are you also crushing over Mr Handsome, over there?" She whispered after he had made his way past them.
 
"Who IS he?" Aliya asked. "I saw him on the way to work and I saw him in the elevator this morning."
 
Zakiya giggled almost childishly. "That's the dashing Mr Handsome. I don't know his name though. He's like one of the senior managers here. He's kind of a big deal and he is so so gorgeous. All the females in this place go crazy over him and guess what? He's still single! Can you imagine? He is such a catch and still, no one has snagged him. Maybe one of us will be the lucky ones!" Zakiya said with a wink.
 
Aliya laughed. "Don't hold your breath. We're the ’little children’ in this place. No one is going to give us a second look."
 
Zakiya shrugged. "I'm a dreamer, okay. You know that. And by the looks of things, someone seems to be crushing on him already."
 
The two girls made their way to the prayer room and performed their afternoon prayers. The prayer room was a lovely little room in one of the corners of the building. They had separate male and female facilities and clean bathrooms. Aliya found herself impressed by how organised it was. It was quiet and peaceful and Aliya found herself imagining how this would be her getaway on busy days.
 
*
 
Three weeks passed and the handsome stranger wasn't seen again. Aliya had gotten used to her surroundings and was beginning to feel more comfortable in the offices that had once been a little intimidating. She had recently been put onto a project and had been virtually consulting with the manager that had been in charge. Zakiya had been put on a different project so they didn't spend as much time together.
 
"Zakiya!" Aliya called out to her best friend. "How are you doing? I barely got a chance to speak to you this week."
 
"We've all been so busy," Zakiya responded, turning away from her laptop. "How's your project going?"
 
"It's okay. I haven't been doing much yet. How's yours?"
 
"Not too bad. My manager is a darling. Rose is so sweet and she's always there whenever I need clarity on something. Who's your manager?"
 
"Some Suhayl I have never met. He's a senior manager, I think. He's actually set up a meeting for us for later today."
 
"Is he nice?"
 
"I don't know yet. I've been trying to tell him I have an idea to do things a bit differently but he hasn't even acknowledged that. Maybe when I talk to him in person, he'll listen to me."
 
"Girl, we interns. No one listens to us."
 
"I know," Aliya said. "But we're the fresh new talent here. They should at least give us the time of day before shutting us down completely. Just because that's the way they've always been doing something, it doesn't mean that it's the only way!" She said with fervour.
 
"Woah, calm down. You're passionate about this, aren't you?" Zakiya asked.
 
"Yes. I believe that we should stand up for ourselves and make ourselves heard even if we're at the bottom of this corporate chain."
 
Zakiya grinned. "You've always been feisty when you're mad. It's refreshing. Because usually, you're quieter and more reserved. It's good to know that you won't allow anyone to walk all over you in the corporate world. Now I don't have to worry too much."
 
Aliya laughed. "You know me too well. Anyway, let me leave you to it and finish off what I need to do for my meeting."
 
Two hours passed by in no time. Aliya grabbed her notebook and laptop and made her way to the meeting room. It was still empty. She placed the contents on the table before making herself some coffee from the coffee machine that was perched in the corner. As she waited for the senior manager, she scrolled through her phone.
 
Just as she drained the last bit of coffee, the door opened. Aliya almost choked on the coffee that was making itself down her throat. It was him and he was walking right towards her.
 
•Chapter 2•
 
Aliya tried to smile but her face failed her. Instead, she was just staring at the handsome man. Why did he always have to catch her off guard?
 
"Aliya?" He said carefully.
 
Aliya almost choked again. How did he know her name?
 
He gave her a warm smile. "I'm Suhayl."
 
Aliya was sure that she was dreaming. This handsome man with whom she had been communicating this whole week was Mr Handsome or whatever Zakiya had referred to him as?
 
She must have been staring too hard because Suhayl waved his hand in front of her. "Are you Aliya?" He asked.
 
Aliya snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. She cleared her throat. "Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting you to be Suhayl."
 
"Who did you think I was?" Suhayl asked, an amused expression on his face.
 
"Someone older," Aliya said and then gasped when she realised what she had said. Her face turned pink and she began to wish that the ground would open up and swallow her.
 
Suhayl laughed. "Well, I'm glad that you don't consider me to be too old."
 
Aliya stared at him. He looked like he was somewhere in between his mid to late twenties. His eye colour that she had never seen up-close before, shone brightly in the florescent lights. His eyes were a deep shade of blue. It was so dark, it almost looked black. 
 
Suhayl was speaking and Aliya barely heard what he was saying. Realising that his voice was filling the room, she quickly diverted her attention from his face to her notebook so that she could actually listen to what he had to say.
 
He started to speak about the procedures he expected her to follow in order to complete the engagement. Aliya stared at the pen that he was absentmindedly twirling in his fingers as he spoke. She didn't agree with what he was saying at all. There was an easier way to do it. But why could she not say what she wanted to? She seemed to be too distracted by his arms. He had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt making him look even more appealing.
 
She tore her eyes away from his arms and stared at her laptop. He was still going on about the procedures she didn't agree with. Finally, she found her voice. "I don't agree," she said simply.
 
Suhayl looked at her. "I didn't ask if you agree or not. I asked if you understand."
 
"I know what you asked me. But I honestly believe that there is another way to do this."
 
Suhayl sighed. "We don't have the time to try to do something new. Just do what you have to do."
 
"We might save time," said Aliya stubbornly.
 
"Aliya, maybe you don't understand how things work here yet. No disrespect to you, but you're an intern. My experience clearly outweighs yours. I don't want to pull rank but you don't seem to be listening to me. Don't try to fix something that isn't broken."
 
"Do you think that companies can succeed if they decided to always follow the old school of thought? Sometimes we need change. And that change can lead to greatness."
 
"We don't have time for a revolution. We're on a very tight deadline. Do what you have to do and get it back to me as soon as you can."
 
"I'll do this but can I do it my way." Aliya tried again, her irritation becoming more prevalent.
 
Suhayl was becoming visibly frustrated. "No. Do it my way or tell me straight and I'll take you off this engagement."
 
Aliya glared at his handsome face. As gorgeous and distracting as he was, she couldn't ignore the underlying authority that had surfaced when he tried to make his point. Or was that authority just arrogance? She couldn't tell. She would have classified it as arrogance but it could have also been authority. There was a fine line between the two and she wondered if she could tell the difference in her new environment.
 
"Fine," Aliya replied coldly. "I'll do it your way." She was annoyed with him. 
 
Suhayl sighed. This was nothing new. There was always one intern who would insist on doing things their way. He had been through this countless times in the past. The only difference was that this time he was dealing with someone whom he found very beautiful. Also, she had made a very valid point and her case had been strong. But Suhayl couldn't falter just because he was attracted to her. He couldn't allow his attraction to her to come through in their communication. He knew what he had to do. He had to be cold towards her. He had to block his feelings by acting indifferent towards her. But what he failed to realise was that when he tried so hard, he ended up coming off as mildly arrogant, cold, and condescending.
 
He glanced at her again, she seemed irritated with him. “You may leave,” he said as he stared at his laptop.
 
Aliya got up in annoyance. She picked up her belongings and without bothering to greet him, she left the room. 
 
By the time she got back to her desk, she was visibly fuming. “Who the hell does he think he is?” she muttered to herself. “He didn’t have to shut me down like that!” 
 
“Who are you talking to?” Zakiya asked as she approached her. 
 
“My manager! He wouldn’t even grant me the courtesy of hearing me out. It’s either his way or the highway!”
 
“Woah girl, calm down. What happened?”
 
“He didn’t want to listen to my ideas on how to do things differently. He said we don’t have time and I must basically just shut up and do the work he tells me to do. Not in so many words, but he might as well have told me that!”
 
“I’m sorry. We just have to get through this internship and then things will be better.”
 
Aliya sighed in frustration. “If we’re here for that long. With that kind of treatment, I doubt I’d want to stay.”
 
“But we signed contracts. We can’t leave during our internship.”
 
“I know. You don’t have to remind me.”
 
Zakiya drummed her fingers on the desk. “It’s gonna be okay, you’ll see.”
 
“I hope so,” Aliya said in defeat.
 
“Anyway, let me get your mind off your meeting. You remember Mr Handsome? I found out his name is Suhayl Demir. Apparently, he’s from Turkish and Indian descent. That explains his good looks.”
 
Aliya glared at her friend. “Just because he looks good, it doesn’t mean he IS good.”
 
“What do you mean?” Zakiya asked in confusion.
 
“Suhayl is the manager I’m speaking about. He’s so arrogant.”
 
“Suhayl is Mr Handsome? That same guy we saw coming out of the elevator that day?”
 
Aliya nodded. “He may be fun to look at but he’s not fun to work with.”
 
“Wow... How did I not figure it out when you told me the manager’s name is Suhayl?” Zakiya mused.
 
Aliya shrugged. “I thought I was crushing on him but not anymore. With that attitude, he and his good looks can stuff it.”
 
Zakiya giggled. “He really annoyed you, didn’t he?”
 
“More than you know. He didn’t even greet me as I left the room. All he said was ‘you may leave’.” Aliya said, trying to imitate his tone.
 
Zakiya laughed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh but the way you said that was hilarious.”
 
Aliya glared at her. “I’m glad you find my irritation to be entertaining.”
 
“You know I still love you.”
 
•Chapter 3•
 
The next few days were torture for Aliya. Every time she saw Suhayl, her heart would skip a beat but at the same time, she would be irritated with him. It was the weirdest feeling and she couldn’t quite understand it. All her conversations with him would be through gritted teeth. He would speak to her in an almost condescending manner and it took everything in her not to snap at him. 
 
An email popped up on her screen and Aliya rolled her eyes when she saw that it was from Suhayl. “Now what does he want from me?” She muttered.
 
She opened the email. It read:
-See attached and complete.-
 
There was no greeting from him, no acknowledgement and no thank you. Angrily, Aliya opened up the document and had to stop herself from screaming. This is exactly what she had wanted to do from the beginning. Unable to control herself, Aliya called him.
 
“Hello?” His velvety voice answered.
 
Aliya had to stop herself from melting. She looked at his email and her anger came flooding back. “Suhayl, if you had given me the time of day during our first meeting, this would have been done and we wouldn’t have to waste time doing everything else we did.”
 
There was silence on the other end. “Wow, straight to the point I see. How are you doing, Aliya?” He asked.
 
Aliya glared at the phone in her hand before putting it back to her ear. What was wrong with this man? “Did you hear anything I said?”
 
“Yes. Yes, I did. But how do you expect to learn if you don’t follow instructions?”
 
“That’s now what this is about,” Aliya said, trying hard to keep the emotion out of her voice.
 
“So what’s this about?” He asked coldly.
 
“I may be an intern, but I deserve respect.”
 
“I agree. But you also need to learn that you’re not entitled to anything. You have to work to get to where I am.”
 
“I KNOW and I don’t pretend to be,” Aliya said hotly.
 
“Well, if that is the case, then you need to change your attitude.”
 
“To a yes-sir attitude?” The moment Aliya said that, she regretted it. It was rude and uncalled for.
 
“So that’s your problem,” Suhayl said, sounding irritated himself.
 
“What?” Aliya asked.
 
“You have a problem with authority.”
 
“No, I don’t. I respect authority. I just-“
 
“Aliya, we’re all adults here. Sometimes working under someone’s authority is not fun but we have to do what we have to do.”
 
“I-“
 
“You’ll learn as you grow in this place.”
 
“That’s not-“
 
“Salaams Aliya. I have another meeting to go to.” With that, Suhayl hung up the phone, leaving Aliya even more upset than before.
 
She knew that she shouldn’t have been acting that way, she may have blown things out of proportion during that first meeting. She knew she wasn’t completely innocent but neither was he.
 
As the weeks passed, the hostility between Aliya and Suhayl grew. It was as if the universe wanted to force them to solve their differences but neither of them would budge. They were equally stubborn and equally proud, both believing that the other was wrong. 
 
But the thing was, they were both wrong. Too stubborn to solve their differences, they concluded the project through their various cold encounters.
 
And when the project concluded, they silently vowed never to work with the other again. But as fate would have it, time and time again, Aliya was assigned to Suhayl's projects. As much as Suhayl disliked working with her, he was fair. Her work standard was exceptional and she always delivered on her promises.
 
Their meetings were cold and brief. They would rarely chat to one another, unless necessary. But their differences always seemed to get in the way.
 
"Where are those files?" Suhayl asked Aliya as she settled into his office.
 
Aliya had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "I sent you a link three days ago. I scanned everything so that we had a soft copy. It's a box of files and they were too heavy to carry."
 
Suhayl had to bite his tongue and stifle a groan. "I didn't ask you to do that."
 
"I know. But I had free time so I did."
 
"Why do you have to make our lives difficult?" Suhayl muttered.
 
"I'm not trying to make our lives difficult. I'm trying to make it easy." Aliya wanted to slap him. As handsome as he was, he annoyed her to such an extent, she was sure that she felt hatred towards him. But as much as she tried to deny it, she couldn't. She was attracted to him. Everything about him was attractive. From his broad shoulders, to his muscled arms, to his smooth voice, to his handsome face. And the more she seemed to stare at him, the more her attraction grew. It was annoying. And it was one of the other reasons that annoyed her so much. 
 
"That's what you think. Look, I'm not trying to stop you from taking initiative. But you're too stubborn to listen to what I have to say," Suhayl retorted.
 
"Suhayl, as much as I try to respect you, you make it difficult. I do the things I do so that it makes life easier for us."
 
"I understand that. I'm just saying-"
 
"Okay, fine. I'm sorry," Aliya muttered in disdain. "I'll try not to make our lives any easier."
 
Suhayl grunted in response and turned to his laptop. He could hear Aliya sighing in resentment. Was he pushing her away only because he was afraid to hand her his heart? He had gotten hurt in the past. And that hurt had made him close his heart and never open up to anyone again. It had been easy. He hadn't been attracted to anyone after his heart was broken - that was until Aliya stepped into his life. He found her beautiful. He wondered how she would feel against him, how her hair smelled, how she looked when she was sleeping. He quickly shook his head to get rid of those thoughts and glanced at Aliya from the corner of his eye. She was staring intently at her screen, her forehead creased in that cute way when she was concentrating on something. He knew he was probably being too hard on her but he couldn't help it. He could not allow her into his life. Not after what happened in his past. And the only way he would ensure that she stayed out of his heart was if he built up anger and hatred towards her.
 
It was easier to hate her, he reckoned with himself. It was so much easier to snap at her and to show her hostility. Because if he had to love her, he would get crushed again and he refused to ever allow his heart to be toyed like that again.
 
"Resend me the link to the file," Suhayl said eventually.
 
Aliya looked up and blinked. Without even bothering to reply, she turned to her laptop. "Done," she muttered more to herself than to him.
 
"Thanks," Suhayl responded nonchalantly. "I need you to complete the spreadsheet I sent you a few days ago."
 
"It's done. I sent it to you last night. Did you not see my email?"
 
Suhayl turned to his computer. "I must have missed it. I'll have a look at it now."
 
"You wouldn't be asking me this if you'd just read my emails. I don't know why you insist on ignoring me. As if you're so damn special." Aliya said loudly.
 
•Chapter 4•
 
Suhayl looked up. "Excuse me?"
 
Aliya clamped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that loudly." Her neck started to feel hot as a blush crept upon her face. She had been thinking that. She honestly didn't think she had said it aloud.
 
Suhayl narrowed his eyes. "If you hate working with me so much, why don't you blatantly refuse."
 
"I would if I could," Aliya responded, trying hard to keep calm. How did he always make her so angry? Was it only because she hated how attracted she was to him? "But you know that everyone else is busy and I'm the only one available when you have a project."
 
Suhayl rolled his eyes. "Then tell the project assigners that I'm a terrible manager."
 
Now it was Aliya's turn to narrow her eyes. "Are you trying to make it seem like I'm the worst employee in this place? You're a manager. You tell them you don't want to work with me."
 
"I didn't say you're a bad employee. I've never said that."
 
"Well, you always seem to imply that."
 
"I do not!"
 
The two seemed to be bickering like little kids. It was funny. They were grown adults. Whilst Aliya was in her early twenties, Suhayl was in his late twenties. Their arguments would be based on the silliest things. They seemed to find the most irrelevant things to fight about and it was only because their hearts were inclined to one another and they were each trying to fight it.
 
"I do not have to sit here and listen to you complain about me. I'm not stupid, Suhayl. Have I ever disappointed you when it comes to the work I deliver?"
 
"That has nothing to do with what we're speaking about."
 
"Yes, it does. Because you don't want to work with me."
 
"Don't pretend as if you're any better, Aliya. You don't want to work with me either. You've made that blatantly clear."
 
"It's people like you who make employees leave organisations," Aliya muttered angrily.
 
"You're the only one that thinks so. Everyone else thinks I'm a pleasure to work with."
 
"I know...and that's because you're pleasant with everyone but me."
 
"With your attitude, it's very difficult to be pleasant with you."
 
Aliya bit her tongue. She wanted to scream at him but she knew that wouldn't be professional. "I need some air," she eventually muttered.
 
Suhayl dropped his head in his hands as she left. He knew he was incredibly rude to her but he could barely help himself. He pulled his hair in frustration. "Why does she get to me?" He asked himself.
 
Just then, there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" He called.
 
"What's wrong?" Amanda, a manager, asked as she walked into his office. Amanda was beautiful and she knew it. She wanted Suhayl for a very long time but he just refused to make a move on her. They were good friends and much to Amanda's disappointment, it seemed like it would always stay that way. 
 
"Nothing," Suhayl said in exasperation, before looking up and flashing Amanda a gorgeous smile.
 
Amanda settled into a seat. "I haven't seen you in so long. I was wondering how you're doing."
 
"Well, thank you. I've been so busy on my various projects. In fact, I'm busy on one right now."
 
"Yeah, I heard so. Which intern have you been working with? Some of them are ridiculously slow. It drives me nuts," Amanda said.
 
"Yeah, I have Aliya."
 
"Aliya? Oh wow, I heard that girl is amazing! She's been making waves. Everyone wants to work with her! But she always seems to be on your projects."
 
Suhayl nodded. "She's good," he said, trying hard to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
 
"Rose also worked with her and she couldn't stop going on about how amazing she is. She's a real go-getter.'"
 
"Uh-huh."
 
Amanda looked at Suhayl in confusion. "What's up? Do you not agree?"
 
"No, I do. My mind is just somewhere else today."
 
Just as he said that, Aliya walked in. She glanced from Suhayl to Amanda and back to Suhayl again.
 
"This is Aliya," Suhayl said to Amanda. "Amanda, Aliya."
 
Amanda held out her hand. "So this is Aliya. Wow, you didn't tell me she's such a stunner, Suhayl."
 
Aliya blushed. "Hi, Amanda. It's nice to meet you."
 
"I've heard a lot about you."
 
Aliya had to stop herself from glaring at Suhayl and tried to flash a smile at Amanda. Did he complain about her to this beautiful woman that sat across from him? Who was she? She was gorgeous! 
 
Amanda stood up. "Well, let me leave you to it. I hope we can work together, Aliya. Turning to Suhayl, she said, "See you, Su. Call me later."
 
Aliya watched as she turned to leave. She had long legs which she showed off by wearing a short skirt. She looked like a model. As jealousy set into Aliya's heart, she began to wonder if Amanda and Suhayl had something going on between them. The way she had looked at Suhayl was clear; she wanted him. Any person would be able to see that. She quickly turned to look at Suhayl who was also staring at Amanda. There had to be something going on.
 
Absentmindedly, Suhayl watched as Amanda left. He couldn't understand why she had insisted on speaking about Aliya. He was trying not to think about her when she wasn't around. 
 
Aliya lowered herself in a seat. "Shall we get back to work?" She asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
 
Suhayl nodded. "I still need to review that spreadsheet. I was going to before Amanda came." 
 
Aliya was getting upset. Suhayl's mind was clearly on another planet and she was sure that he was thinking about Amanda and her long legs. "Who was that?" Aliya eventually asked.
 
"She's a manager."
 
"You two seem to be good friends."
 
Suhayl nodded as he stared at his screen . "Yes, you could say that."
 
Aliya so badly wanted to ask him if they were more than friends but she knew that she couldn't. It wasn't her business in any case.
 
For the rest of the afternoon, Suhayl worked quietly. He was too engrossed in his own thoughts and his own feelings about Aliya to really speak or bicker with her. And Aliya was growing more upset by the second. Unbeknown to her, the root of her current anger was based upon jealousy. But why was Aliya getting jealous? She and Suhayl barely got along. All their interactions always ended in an argument.
 
•Chapter 5•
 
As Aliya angrily slammed the trunk of her car, she muttered under her breath, "What a day!"
 
"Hey, stranger!" Zakiya greeted.
 
Aliya turned around. "Oh, salaams Zaks. I haven't seen you in a while."
 
"Yeah, we've all been busy," Zakiya said. "I've missed you."
 
"Same here. I'm working with Suhayl again so you can imagine how angry I always am."
 
Zakiya laughed. "Why do you always hate working with him? He is so much of fun to look at."
 
"Because he is rude and arrogant and entitled and-"
 
"-and hot." Zakiya completed. "Come on. Maybe you're not giving him a chance? I worked with him once and he's the best manager there is."
 
"Now see, I don't understand how anyone can say that. He is the worst."
 
"He really isn't. He lets you do things without micromanaging. He is kind, and caring and he always takes an interest in who you are as a person. And he is so handsome. What's not love about him?"
 
"He is not like that with me. Everything I do, he questions!"
 
"Maybe he's just harder on you because he knows what you can achieve."
 
"I would have agreed but he micromanages me."
 
"You're kidding. Are you sure we're still speaking about Suhayl?"
 
"Yes! Handsome Suhayl Demir? That guy is not as charming as he looks!"
 
"Are you kidding me, Aliya? Seriously, he IS charming. And charismatic. Everyone I know who has worked with him thinks so."
 
"Well, maybe he just doesn't like me," Aliya replied, her heart sinking. She was confused, why did she feel so sad at the thought of him not liking her? And it was weird because all this time she knew that they hated each other. But if he was so nice to everyone else, what was his problem with her and why did it bother her so much?
 
When Aliya got home that day, she saw her brother's car parked in the driveway. Ameer was seven years older than her and he was married to Naseeha, a lovely girl that the Dindar's loved. 
 
Aliya walked into the house, a shadow clouding her usually bright face.
 
"Assalaamualykum, little sister." Her brother, Ameer, greeted.
 
Aliya looked up. "Wa alaykum salaam," she replied. "I thought you'd be in the back." 
 
" I was. What's up? You look like you're ready to attack someone."
 
"Nothing. Just work and the people there. Some of them irritate me."
 
"Want to talk about it?" Ameer asked.
 
Aliya sighed. "No... Yes... I don't know."
 
Ameer followed Aliya to the kitchen. "Okay, speak. I can see you're not okay."
 
"Fine. There's this guy... My manager. And he's so nice to everyone but me. Suhayl is a pain."
 
"Suhayl?" Ameer asked. "I know of a Suhayl that works at Rone. Are you speaking about Suhayl Demir by any chance?"
 
Aliya turned to look at her brother. "You KNOW him?" She asked incredulously.
 
"Yeah, we were friends on campus. I haven't seen him in years. Is he married yet?"
 
"No, I don't think he is. Now wait, you know Suhayl?"
 
"Yes. The girls used to fall all over themselves when they used to see him back in the day."
 
"He's horrible."
 
"What? Not the Suhayl I knew. Everyone loved him. He was hard to dislike."
 
"Well, I don't like him at all."
 
"Are you sure we're speaking about the same Suhayl?" Ameer asked in confusion.
 
"Suhayl Demir. Apparently, he has Turkish and Indian blood. Studied CA..." Aliya said.
 
"Yes, same one. I doubt there's another Suhayl like that. And not another Suhayl I know that works at Rone."
 
Aliya groaned. "No one believes me when I say he is terrible to work for."
 
Ameer laughed. "Maybe you're just being dramatic. Like when you were a kid."
 
"I'm NOT being dramatic!" Aliya said hotly. "Everyone loves him because he's nice to them. He's only not nice to me and I don't know why. I can understand that we got off the wrong foot when we met each other but we've worked together so many times now and he's just gotten worse."
 
Ameer was about to reply when his wife, Naseeha, bounded into the kitchen. Naseeha was always so chirpy. "My darling, Aliya! How are you doing?" She asked as she pulled Aliya in for a hug.
 
Aliya couldn't help but smile. Naseeha was so pure-hearted and loveable. "I'm good, alhamdulillah. How are you doing? How's the little one?" Aliya asked as she rubbed her sister-in-law’s growing tummy.
 
"Oh, we're both doing well. I'm just so tired all the time," Naseeha said. "But I can't complain. How's work going?"
 
Aliya glowered. "Fine."
 
Ameer laughed. "My sister is very angry with her manager. You remember Suhayl Demir, don't you?"
 
Naseeha looked at her husband in confusion. "Who?"
 
"Suhayl Demir. The guy that's Turkish-Indian?"
 
"Oh, that good looking guy that my friend had a major crush on?"
 
Ameer laughed again. "Same one."
 
"But he seemed to be so nice."
 
"That's what I said. He was nice. I knew him well but my sister seems to hate him."
 
Naseeha turned to Aliya. "What did he do?"
 
"He's arrogant and-"
 
"Arrogant?" Okay, wait... Maybe we're not talking about the same person," Naseeha said.
 
"Wait, let me see if I can find him. I think I have him on one of my socials... Here we go. He works at Rone. Aliya, is it this guy?" Ameer showed Aliya his phone. Suhayl's perfect face stared back at her. 
 
"Yes. That's the same Suhayl."
 
"Suhayl was always so humble. He can't be arrogant all of a sudden," Ameer stated.
 
"Well, he is. To me, he is. Maybe he has a split personality or something."
 
Ameer shrugged. "Should I speak to him for you?"
 
Aliya shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no, no! He'll probably tell me that I get my brother to fight my battles."
 
Ameer laughed. "Suit yourself."
 
Aliya glared at her brother. "I'm going to lie down. I'm tired and after today, I need a nap."
 
As Aliya plonked herself down on to her bed, Suhayl's face shadowed her thoughts. Why did he have to be so handsome? Why did she have to be so attracted to him? And why did she ever have to meet him? If she wasn't working with him, she was thinking about him... It was as if he insisted on torturing Aliya by continuously playing on her mind. 
 
Aliya groaned and grabbed her phone. As she began to scroll through social media in an effort to rid her mind off Suhayl, she sighed. And just as she thought that he had left her mind, a friend suggestion popped up. Under people you may know, Suhayl's handsome face popped up. Aliya wanted to scream. How was it possible for someone to invade your thoughts to such an extent? Especially when you hated them so much?
 
Angrily, she tossed her phone away from her. She just needed to nap. Maybe then she would stop thinking about him.
 
But when she closed her eyes, Suhayl came into her dreams. But in her dreams, he was perfect, he was charming, he was everything she ever wanted. And in her dreams, he wanted her too.

•Chapter 6•
 
Aliya woke up and wiped the drool that had left her mouth. She was even angrier than before. Suhayl invaded her thoughts and now her dreams as well. "I hate you so much, Suhayl Demir," she whispered. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"
 
There was a soft knock at her door. "Come in!" Aliya muttered.
 
Naseeha gently opened the door and peered inside. "Are you okay?" She asked Aliya.
 
'Fine," Aliya muttered.
 
"You don't really look fine."
 
Aliya sighed. "Just the thought of Suhayl makes me so angry. I really hate that guy... I think I hate him with a passion. And everyday that I work with him, my hatred grows stronger."
 
"Don't you think hate is a strong word?" Naseeha asked.
 
Aliya shook her head. "No. I really hate him, Nas. He doesn't treat me the way he treats everyone else. I don't know if he thinks I'm stupid or I don't deliver on projects or what. And I know I deliver. He has given good feedback for my performance reviews but he treats me like I'm some sort of idiot."
 
"Maybe he sees the potential in you and he's trying to uncover it," Naseeha said.
 
Aliya scoffed. "I doubt that's the case. He would have given me more freedom if he thought that. He only seems to micromanage me!"
 
*
 
Suhayl parked his sleek car in the garage. He lived on his own, in a two-bedroom apartment. He had moved out of his parent's home a few years ago because the travelling was taking a toll on him. He missed his parents and his two younger sisters so much. 
 
As he entered his apartment, Aliya came to his mind for the millionth time that day. It was as if she refused to leave his mind. He was constantly thinking about her. He knew that he was being incredibly hard on her and he knew that he was doing something he had promised he would never do; he was micromanaging her. And the only reason he was doing that was because he so badly wanted to spend time with her, but at the same time, he didn't want to see her. He knew it was rather unprofessional. He had never done something so ridiculous before. He was always praised on his professionalism but with Aliya, all his rules went straight out the window.
 
He disliked her but he liked her at the same time. She angered him more than anyone else. Or was his anger based on his own unresolved feelings? Aliya was trying to do her best and he could see that. So then why did she make him so mad?
 
Suhayl ran his hands through his hair as he glanced at himself in the mirror. He looked exhausted. He had been trying to work late every single night, just so that he wouldn't have to confront the thoughts of Aliya. But it was difficult because he would end up reviewing her work or reading the emails she had sent him. He preferred thinking of her as a mere colleague and he refused to allow his mind to think of her in any other way. But she too, refused to cease from his dreams. She was constantly on his mind and he hated it. How could he run away from his own thoughts?
 
Suhayl walked to his kitchen and opened the fridge, He was too lazy to cook himself dinner. He picked up his phone and decided to video call his mother.
 
His mother's smiling face answered the phone. "Suhayl! How are you, my child?" She asked, clearly glad that he called.
 
"I'm okay, Mum. How's dad doing?" 
 
"He's okay. He was just asking about you." 
 
Suhayl missed his parents so much. His mother was a tiny woman, with a bubbly personality and his father was big and burly. His mother, Zainab, was an Indian and his father, Hasan, was Turkish. Their love story was actually really cute. His mother had gone to Turkey with her parents and his father had fallen in love with her from the moment he saw her at the airport. A few months later, the two were married, despite their cultural differences. Suhayl grew up learning about the two cultures and enjoying the foods from both cultures. 
 
"Suhayl!" Asma, his twenty-year-old sister squealed when she saw him on the screen. "Guess what we're having for dinner tonight?" She asked before her face appeared on the screen. 
 
Maryam's face appeared next to Asma's face. "We're having your favourite!" She said with a grin on her face. Maryam and Asma were identical twins.
 
"Lamb kofte and pide?" Suhayl asked. Lamb kofte was essentially lamb meatballs, and pide was a Turkish version of a pizza.
 
"Yip! And Kumpir!" Asma exclaimed, referring to the crispy baked potato dish filled with butter, cheese, meat and mushrooms.
 
Suhayl grinned. "You guys know how to get me to come home, don't you?"
 
His mother's face appeared on the screen again. "Yes! You need to come home. We miss you! And we need to find you a wife since you don't want to find yourself a wife. Do you know how many girls ask about you? And they all such lovely girls. I don't know why you're so stubborn!"
 
Asma groaned in the background. "Suhayl! Get married! I'm tired of all my friend's crushing over you. It's gross.”
 
Maryam laughed and echoed her sister's sentiments. "Yes! Please! I'm tired of all the questions people ask about you. And by people, I mean girls. And besides, I want to go to a family wedding. Take one for the team!"
 
Suhayl laughed. "You guys put too much pressure on me. I haven't found the right one yet."
 
"Because you're too fussy!" His mother exclaimed.
 
"Mum, some girls are too shallow for my liking. They only want me because they think I'm successful."
 
"Or they only want you because they can't stop drooling over you. Like ew!" Maryam said.
 
Suhayl rolled his eyes. "Okay, let me go before you continue nagging me to get married," he said to his sisters. "I love you all. Give dad my salaams."
 
Suhayl hung up and grinned. His crazy family knew how to make him happy. He thought about what they had said. They knew what had happened the last time and they knew how his heart had been broken... And they also knew that he was cautious now. So cautious that he didn't want to get married and allow someone into his heart.
 
His mind drifted to his past. How had he allowed a woman to break him the way she had? How had he allowed her to come into his life and strip away his walls? In a moment of weakness, he had opened his heart to her and she had crushed his soul. He'd be damned if he ever allowed that to happen again. He was finally in a good place. He had gotten over his once broken heart, he was healed. As he shook his head to clear his thoughts, Aliya entered his mind. He groaned. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Not that it was her fault that his mind refused to give up thinking about her.
 
Aliya was gorgeous. Her dark hair framed her diamond shaped face. She had high cheekbones and a straight nose. Her full lips framed her perfectly straight teeth and her eyes were strikingly beautiful -  as if the different hues of the autumn leaves were slowly sinking into a pool of honey. And those eyes were framed by thick, dark lashes. But she wasn't only beautiful, she also had an almost addictive personality. She was bubbly, she was passionate, she was strong-willed and she was daring. But around Suhayl, her bubbly personality was always dampened. Suhayl knew that he was probably the reason for her strong dislike towards him, but he couldn't help it.
 
*

•Chapter 7•
 
Suhayl got into the elevator and scrolled through his phone. He had his briefcase in his other hand so with his elbow, he pressed the button to the seventh floor. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Aliya slid in.
 
The elevator doors closed behind her as Suhayl looked up. She took one look at him and her welcoming face turned to disdain.
 
"Suhayl," she greeted, her voice laced with a certain degree of hostility.
 
"Aliya." He nodded in her direction. 
 
Aliya stood at the furthest end of the elevator and impatiently tapped her foot. Why did she have to be in the elevator with Suhayl at 07:30 in the morning? It was too early to deal with him. Suddenly, the elevator made a whirring sound and then jerked before coming to a halt. Suhayl glanced up and his eyes met Aliya's.
 
He slid his phone into his pocket and pressed the emergency button but it didn't seem to work. "I think the power went out," Suhayl muttered.
 
Aliya stifled a groan. "Isn't there a generator?"
 
"There is. It'll take a few minutes to kick in."
 
Aliya sighed and leaned against the railing. She remained silent as the seconds ticked by. Ten minutes later, she looked at her phone again. "Shouldn't the generator have kicked in by now?" She asked to no one in particular.
 
Suhayl nodded as his forehead creased in confusion. "I don't know what's happening." He took his phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. "I don't have signal. Do you?"
 
Aliya looked at her phone and shook her head. "No, I don't. Oh, wait... Here's one bar." As she handed her phone to Suhayl, their hands grazed each other. The jolt that ran through Aliya shocked her. Suhayl seemed to have felt it too because he looked startled. They held each other's gaze as if they were under a spell. Aliya shook her head. "Don't you want to call...?" She trailed off.
 
Suhayl cleared his throat nervously. "Oh yes. He dialled the number that was provided in the elevator. "Hi, yes. We're stuck in the elevator. What? Really? When can someone come? Sure we're in the - oh no! The call cut," Suhayl said in frustration. He looked up at Aliya. "Apparently the generators are giving problems. They're hoping to resolve this soon." He held out Aliya's phone.
 
As she reached for it, their hands grazed each other again. Aliya's heart began to beat faster. That jolt hit her again. She held Suhayl's gaze. 
 
He stared into her striking eyes. He wanted to pull her towards him. He wanted to shower her with kisses and embrace her. He wanted her so badly at that moment but Aliya was the first to break that beautiful moment.
 
"We have a lot of work to do. This is wasting our time," she muttered.
 
Suhayl forced himself to tear his eyes away from her face. "I know. Maybe we can start so long."
 
Aliya nodded. "The client is getting very frustrated with all of our requests."
 
"Why?" Suhayl asked.
 
"They said we're repeatedly sending them the same requests."
 
"Did you copy me in the mails?"
 
"Yes, Suhayl. I did," Aliya said, a hint of impatience laced in her words.
 
"Let me go through them quickly." He propped his briefcase against the railing and opened it up before pulling out his laptop.
 
Aliya could smell his cologne and it was almost intoxicating. As the silence stretched between them, she began to grow uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and waited for Suhayl to say something.
 
"I see what you're saying. Stop requesting anything from them. I'll deal with them."
 
"Do you think I can't handle it?" Aliya blurted out.
 
"No, Aliya. You probably can but the client is being difficult. I'll handle it."
 
"Why can't you just let me handle it, Suhayl? I am more than capable."
 
"I didn't say you're not."
 
Aliya's irritation began to grow. "So then why-"
 
"Why are you always so stubborn, Aliya? I said I'll handle it."
 
"I understand. I want to know why don't you trust me enough to handle this." Aliya's tone began to get colder and colder.
 
"For the last time. I didn't say you can't handle it." Suhayl's irritation was growing. Aliya was being incredibly stubborn and he was getting irritated.
 
Aliya glared at him and he glared back at her. The tension between them grew. They barely noticed that the elevator started to move. It came to a stop and the doors opened but neither of them made an effort to move. They continued to stare daggers at each other. "Um... Hello?" Someone snapped their fingers at the two. "Are you two lovebirds going to get out of the elevator?" It was Darren, another one of the managers.
 
Aliya and Suhayl both snapped out of their staring competition. Aliya flushed and stormed out of the elevator. Darren looked questioningly at Suhayl as he held his hand in front of the elevator door, preventing it from closing.
 
"Don't call us that," Suhayl said, his mind elsewhere.
 
"What?" Darren asked. "Lovebirds?"
 
Suhayl narrowed his eyes. "Yes."
 
"Well, what's going on between you two?"
 
"Nothing. That girl knows how to get to me," Suhayl muttered.
 
"What do you mean? She's a top performer."
 
Suhayl marched out of the elevator. "I KNOW," he growled before walking away.
 
He walked passed Aliya's desk and tried to avoid making eye contact with her but he failed miserably. As their eyes connected, she quickly looked away.
 
Zakiya stared at Suhayl's back as he walked away. She turned her questioning eyes to Aliya. "What was that about?" She asked.
 
"Nothing," Aliya muttered.
 
"I can tell that that wasn't nothing. What's going on?"
 
"Mr Hotshot or Mr Handsome over there was stuck with me in the elevator and obviously an argument ensued," Aliya said.
 
"Nothing new," Zakiya said with a grin. "Should I even ask about what?"
 
"No. He irritates me to my core. That man drives me crazy."
 
"He drives all the ladies crazy," Zakiya said.
 
"Who drives everyone crazy?" Natasha, one of the other interns asked as she joined the conversation."
 
Zakiya gestured towards Suhayl. "Him."
 
"Oh... Yes, he does. That man is FINE." Natasha said, staring at him.
 
"Every single female around here thinks so. Everyone except Aliya here."
 
Natasha turned her incredulous eyes to Aliya. "What? Why?"
 
"I don't like that man. That's all I have to say." Aliya said, trying hard to end the conversation. 
 
"Wow. I worked on one of his projects before. He's my favourite manager. He's awesome."
 
Aliya rolled her eyes. "Sure he is," she said sarcastically.
 
"Amanda is trying to get him for the longest time," Natasha began to say.
 
Aliya felt her irritation grow but she remained silent.
 
"How would you even know that?" Asked Zakiya.
 
"She told me. Apparently, he's not even showing the slightest bit of interest in her. And she's so gorgeous. I wonder why..."
 
"Maybe she just isn't his type," Aliya found herself saying.
 
"How would you know?" Natasha asked.
 
"I don't know. I'm just saying." Aliya shrugged nonchalantly and turned to her laptop. 
 
Natasha sighed wistfully. "I wish I could be on all of his projects. I'd probably just stare at him all day. That's what happened the last time."
 
Zakiya giggled. "That man really has the looks. And he is so charismatic. It's hard not fall in love with him," she said teasingly.
 
Natasha laughed. "Most definitely. Anyway, I've got to run. See you later."
 
*
 
•Chapter 8•
 
Aliya made her way to the prayer room. It was already Maghrib and she needed to pray. She had been working late today and she hadn't noticed the time. As Aliya entered the prayer room, she stopped short. The walls between the male and female section of the prayer rooms were very thin. You could hear everything from the males' section. A beautiful, melodious voice floated through the thin walls as the reciter prayed his maghrib salaah. Aliya sat down, eagerly listening to the words as they effortlessly rolled off the reciter's tongue. That voice was soothing, calming and it was just what she needed after such a stressful day. She quietly listened as the reciter concluded the prayer and she sighed in contentment. She got up and smiled to herself. She needed to complete her prayers now.
 
She concluded her prayers and got up. She needed to get home. It was so late. As she exited the prayer room, she almost bumped into someone. She looked up. It was Suhayl and another two men who had just walked out of the prayer room. For a brief second, she wondered if Suhayl was the reciter. But it couldn't be, she would have recognised his velvety voice. That voice was velvety though... Aliya shook her head. No, it wasn't Suhayl she told herself, trying hard to convince herself. Suhayl walked passed her without saying anything. As usual, they had been angry with each other all day. They tried to keep their interactions as brief as possible. 
 
Aliya straightened herself and walked towards her car. As she walked towards it, she noticed that she had left her lights on. "Oh no! No, no, no, no!" She cried as she hurriedly rushed to her car. She tried to start the car but it didn't start. The battery was completely dead. Aliya groaned. How did she forget to switch off the lights? She glanced around, the parking lot was practically empty. Who would help her now? She saw Suhayl's car in the distance but refused to ask him for help. Instead, she tried calling her mother. But her mother wasn't answering and neither was her brother or her father. Aliya groaned. She watched as Suhayl slowly backed out of the parking space and expertly manoeuvred the car through the parking lot. He slowed down as he approached Aliya.
 
"Who are you waiting for at this time?" Suhayl asked.
 
"No one," Aliya replied stubbornly. 
 
"So what are you still doing here? It's late, Aliya. You should go home."
 
Aliya sighed in frustration. She didn't want to ask him for help but she knew that she might have to. "My car battery is dead," she muttered.
 
Suhayl looked amused. "How did that happen?"
 
Aliya wished that the ground could open up and swallow her. She hated that she was so vulnerable right now. "I left the lights on," she said bleakly.
 
Suhayl laughed.
 
Aliya glared at him. "Are you going to laugh or are you going to say something constructive?"
 
Suhayl shook his head. "Sorry. Look, I don't have booster cables but I can drop you off at home. I'll bring my booster cables tomorrow and we can sort your car out."
 
"No, it's fine. I'll wait for someone to pick me up or I'll call an Uber."
 
"You might end up waiting a while. I'll drop you off, Aliya. Don't be so stubborn."
 
Aliya sighed. She really didn't want to wait any longer. She wanted to go home, she was exhausted. "It's out of your way," she said weakly.
 
"That's not a problem. Let me take you home. It's safer."
 
"Okay, fine... Thank you, Suhayl." She eventually relented.
 
"Jump in," Suhayl said.
 
Aliya obliged. His fancy two-door car was almost as beautiful as him. Aliya found herself wondering if he had bought it with his own money. It was a sleek black Porsche with a leather encased interior. She slid into the vehicle and was hit by Suhayl's intoxicating scent mixed with fresh leather.
 
Aliya glanced down. Her heart was betraying her. It was pounding so hard, she was sure Suhayl could hear it. She gave Suhayl the address and then lapsed into silence. They continued to drive in silence before Aliya's phone interrupted.
 
"Hello? Ameer?" She said into the phone. "No, my car battery tried... I tried calling mum but she wasn't picking up... No, don't worry. I'm on my way home... Yes, relax Ameer. I'm with a colleague... Okay... okay... thanks."
 
Suhayl, who had been silent the whole time, looked at Aliya. "Is your brother Ameer Dindar by any chance?"
 
Aliya nodded. "Yes. He knows you."
 
"Oh, wow! I remember Ameer. We do know each other. Very well, actually. I know that when I first saw your surname I wondered if you guys were related but then I forgot about it."
 
"Uh-huh," Aliya responded, staring outside. She didn't really want to speak at all. He heart was thudding and she was incredibly nervous and she didn't know why.
 
"How is Ameer?"
 
"He's fine."
 
"Is he married?"
 
"Yes," Aliya answered.
 
"Does he have any kids?"
 
"My sister-in-law is currently pregnant with their first child."
 
"Give him my salaams. Tell him I said we should meet up when we both have time."
 
Aliya turned to glare at Suhayl. She wanted to tell him no. She wanted to tell him that he was full of nonsense and that she despised him. But how could she say any of that when he had kindly offered to drop her off at home? Aliya sighed. "Okay. If I remember." She knew that she probably would remember because she was almost always thinking of Suhayl.
 
They fell into silence again. Suhayl's heart was also pounding. Being so close to Aliya was detrimental. He was nervous but he pretended to play it cool. He loosened his tie, trying hard not to look at Aliya.
 
Aliya watched him loosen his tie from the corner of her eye. How was this man getting more attractive by the second? She turned her attention to the road and with every ounce of willpower, refused to look at him again.
 
Suhayl rolled to a stop in front of Aliya's house. She cleared her throat. "Thank you," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sorry for the inconvenience."
 
"It wasn't an inconvenience at all. I'll bring a booster cable tomorrow and we'll sort out your car."
 
"No, don't worry-"
 
"Aliya, I'll pick you up at seven. We'll sort it out in the morning."
 
She wanted to argue but she was too exhausted. "Thanks." 
 
Aliya trudged into the house and was greeted by her mother. "I was so worried about you!" Her mother exclaimed. "I saw your call and I've been trying to call you ever since."
 
Aliya glanced at her phone. "My phone battery died," she gave a heavy sigh. "My car is still at work. The battery died."
 
"How did you come home?" He mother asked in concern.
 
"A colleague offered me a ride."
 
"I'm so sorry! I was praying when you called and my phone was on silent. I'm so sorry!"
 
Aliya smiled at her mother. "Mum, don't worry about it. I called Ameer as well."
 
"Why didn't you call your dad?"
 
"Call me about what?" Adam, Aliya's father, asked as he walked in.
 
"I did. No one answered."
 
Adam looked down at his phone. "My battery is dead. What happened?"
 
"My car battery died so a colleague gave me a ride home."
 
"Oh no. Let's get your car," Adam suggested to his daughter.
 
"Don't worry, Dad. My colleague will pick me up tomorrow and he'll bring booster cables so we can start my car. I'm sure you're tired as well."
 
"He?" Aliya's father asked as he peered over his glasses. "Who is this he?"
 
"Suhayl. He's my manager. Ameer said they used to be friends on campus."
 
Fatima looked at her daughter. "Is this boy married?"
 
Aliya sighed. She knew where this conversation was going. "No. And I'm not interested in him."
 
Fatima and Adam exchanged a look. "Well, you do need to start thinking about marriage," Fatima said.
 
"I know... I just... I don't know."
 
"Are you waiting for a prince charming?" Fatima asked.
 
Aliya blushed. She was waiting for her own prince charming. She was waiting for a man to sweep her off her feet. And as she thought about this, Suhayl came to her mind. She shook her head. How on earth could she ever think about Suhayl and marriage in the same sentence? She didn't want to marry Suhayl. She would never want to marry him. He was horrible. She hated him with every fibre in her being. He irritated her to her core. Just because he helped her out today, it didn't mean she would miraculously start liking him. But there was a voice in her head that told her that she really didn't hate him. It was another feeling. Aliya ignored that little voice. She hated him and she was certain about it.

•Chapter 9•
 
Suhayl was at Aliya's door at precisely seven in the morning. Aliya glanced out the window and took a deep breath. She needed the energy to deal with Suhayl.
 
"Salaams," she greeted as she opened the car door.
 
"Wa alaykum salaam," Suhayl replied. This morning he had on his sunglasses. He looked like he was posing for some sort of magazine. Aliya felt her breath hike and she quickly looked away.
 
"Umm...Did you remember the booster cables?" Aliya asked.
 
"I did."
 
"Thanks." They fell into silence. Aliya watched as his hand expertly changed gears. She wanted to grab his hand and feel it in her own.
 
"So what do you think?" Suhayl asked.
 
"Huh?" Aliya replied, snapping out of her reverie.
 
"Did you hear anything I said?" Suhayl asked.
 
"Oh, sorry. No, I didn't." 
 
"I was asking you what do you think about the general internal controls at the client's premises. You've been there before, right?
 
Aliya nodded. "I have. And I was shocked. They didn't even bother signing me in. I could have been someone trying to sabotage their business and they wouldn't have known.
 
Suhayl laughed. "Well, I hope you're not one of those people."
 
A smile came to Aliya's face. This was the first time they were having a semi-decent conversation. "You don't have to worry, I'm not."
 
They fell into silence again. After a while, Aliya spoke again. "I forgot to tell you that the client called me the other day."
 
"What did you tell them?"
 
"I just apologised and went through the documentation we requested from them. I told them to contact you and they said that they tried but you were busy."
 
"Didn't I tell you that I would deal with them?" Suhayl asked in annoyance.
 
Aliya sighed. "I know but they called me and you were in meetings all day. What was I supposed to say?"
 
"You were supposed to tell them to contact me again."
 
"Would you have left your meetings to entertain them?"
 
"Of course I would have! They're our client!"
 
"Yes Suhayl, but they needed answers at that moment. Was I supposed to pull you out of your meetings to deal with them?" Aliya asked in frustration.
 
"You should have told me," Suhayl said sternly.
 
"I don't see the problem. We received what we needed so why are you getting so irritated with me?"
 
"Because you don't ever listen to me!"
 
"I did listen to you! You were busy! We can't wait around until you're done with your meetings!"
 
Suhayl gripped his steering wheel tighter, visibly annoyed.
 
Aliya bit her tongue. She wanted to use words she had never used before. She wanted to swear the man next to her. 
 
They finally reached the offices and in silence, they got out of the car. 
 
"What time are you leaving today?" Suhayl asked without looking at her
 
"I'm not sure."
 
"Call me when you leave and we'll boost your car then."
 
Aliya nodded. "Thanks." She was still seething from their earlier conversation and it was visible with the way she stormed away. Suhayl sighed. Why did he have to be so difficult with her? He was acting up and he knew it. There was no reason for his ridiculous requests. He knew that Aliya could handle the client and she proved that she could. Maybe he should apologise.
 
"Aliya!" Zakiya called breathlessly as she ran across the parking lot. "Did I just see you get out of Suhayl's car?" She asked incredulously.
 
Aliya groaned and linked her arm through Zakiya's. "You don't even want to know."
 
"Yes, I do. I'm in shock." Aliya relayed the story to her and Zakiya laughed. "It's fate," she said.
 
"What is?" 
 
“You and Suhayl. Fate keeps bringing you together."
 
Aliya rolled her eyes. "Well, fate also wants us to hate each other. We got into another fight on the way here."
 
Zakiya guffawed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh but you have to admit, all this is so funny!"
 
Aliya smiled against her will. "Okay, fine. Now that I've said it aloud, it is funny. But it's not funny when I'm in that situation."
 
Zakiya swooned. "Suhayl is definitely your knight in shining armour.
 
Aliya choked. “What? Hell no!"
 
Zakiya grinned. "Okay, if that's what you say, I'll pretend to believe you. But you have to admit that he was there when you needed someone."
 
Aliya shook her head. "Let's speak about something else. If I'm not working with the man, I'm speaking about him and if I'm not speaking about him, he's 'saving me'." She made air quotes with her fingers.
 
*
 
Suhayl shook his head in annoyance. Aliya really knew how to make him upset. But as Suhayl thought about their earlier conversation, he realised that he was in the wrong. Aliya had actually done the right thing. If any other intern had done what she did, he would have praised their quick thinking. So why was he always so rude to Aliya? What was his problem?
 
Suhayl sighed. He knew for a fact that Aliya wasn't the problem. He was the problem. She was a great employee. In fact, she delivered better than any other intern he had worked with before. She took matters in her own hands and always got her work done. She knew how to communicate with clients, even the difficult ones. Her work ethic was exceptional and like most of the managers said, she was making waves.
 
He shook his head again. He needed to stop being so rude to her and he needed to appreciate the work she did. She was right when she had said it was managers like him that made employees leave. 
 
As Suhayl continued to self reflect, he began to realise just how wrong he had been. He was not being his true self. He was being a horrible manager, only because he was afraid of his own feelings. Well, enough was enough. Aliya did not deserve his rotten attitude. She deserved better and he would be damned if he would be the reason she would want to resign.
 
He glanced at the time. He had to rush for a meeting which was going to start in ten minutes. He'd speak to her later.
 
He made his way to the meeting room and glanced at the time. He still had a few minutes to spare but just as he was about to send Aliya a message, Amanda walked in.
 
"Hey there," she greeted before taking a seat right next to him.
 
"Hey Amanda," he greeted before turning back to his laptop.
 
"How are you?" She asked, trying hard to get his attention.
 
"Good thank you. How are you?" He asked politely.
 
"Fine... I was wondering if you would like to join me for a drink later."
 
"You know I don't drink, Amanda."
 
"Oh, right! I always seem to forget. Well, you can have a Coke or a water?"
 
Suhayl smiled politely. "I don't go to bars either."
 
"Right. Maybe we can do lunch later?" Amanda persisted. "We barely get a chance to even hang out."
 
Suhayl nodded. "That can work. I have to pray before lunch though."
 
"That's fine. I'll wait for you." She placed a hand on Suhayl's arm and came closer.
 
Suhayl could feel her warm breath on him, she was incredibly close. She often tried to get close to him and Suhayl tried hard to remove himself from such situations. He shifted uncomfortably and flashed her a smile. "Great," he said a little too loudly, hoping that she would just back off.
 
Amanda removed her hand from his arm and sat back in her seat. She smiled to herself. Maybe she was finally getting him to notice her. After months, he had agreed to a lunch. He usually was always too busy to entertain her ideas of hanging out.
 
Amanda rubbed Suhayl's leg with hers. When he looked at her questioningly, she quickly apologised. "Oh sorry, I didn't realise that was your leg."
 
Suhayl had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.
 
 
•Chapter 10•
 
The more Aliya thought about Suhayl helping her, the more grateful she felt. She vowed that she would try and be nicer to him. He was there when she needed it most and he took good care of her. But she also could not ignore his lousy attitude towards her. 
 
Later that day, Suhayl sent Aliya an instant message.
 
Suhayl: Come to my office, please.
Aliya: I'll be there in 5.
Suhayl: Cool. Thank you.
 
Aliya stared at her screen. Suhayl actually said please and thank you to her. He was usually much more abrupt. She made her way to his office slowly, wondering what he needed from her.
 
She knocked on his open door lightly. "Suhayl?"
 
He looked up and gave a hint of a smile. "Come in and close the door, please."
 
Aliya obliged and sat down, warily looking at him. "Did you need something from me? I didn't bring my laptop but I can quickly go and grab it."
 
"No, it's fine. I  actually...wanted to apologise for earlier.
 
Aliya, who had just taken a sip of water, began spluttering. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"
 
"It was uncalled for. I was rude and you actually did the right thing with the client. Thank you for taking the initiative."
 
Aliya stared at Suhayl, unsure as to what was happening.
 
"I know you didn't expect an apology from me, given our interactions but I have been hard on you and it isn't fair.”
 
Aliya continued to stare at him. She was extremely confused.
 
"Um... Are you going to say anything?" Suhayl asked after minutes of silence stretched between them.
 
Aliya took a deep breath. "I'm confused."
 
"About what?"
 
"You're apologising to me."
 
"Yes. You deserve an apology."
 
"But...this isn't normal. You never apologise to me."
 
Suhayl looked down. "I know and I'm wrong for never apologising to you for my rude behaviour. It is unacceptable and I'm surprised you still tolerate me. It's disrespectful and I need to respect you more. So I decided to start by owing you an apology."
 
After what felt like forever, a small grin came to Aliya's face. "Thank you, Suhayl. I appreciate that you respect me enough to apologise. And thank you so much for last night. I really do appreciate that you helped me out. I was internally freaking out until you offered to help me.”
 
Suhayl grinned at her and Aliya felt her heart skip a beat. It was the most genuine smile he had given her and it made her weak in the knees. She quickly looked away. 
 
"It's only my pleasure, Aliya. And thank you for all of your hard work. I know I make it seem like I don't notice, but I do. You really are an exceptional employee.”
 
Aliya smiled, her heart fluttering at the compliments. Just as she was about to reply, a knock interrupted them.
 
"Come in," Suhayl called, his gaze still on Aliya.
 
Amanda walked in and stopped short. Suhayl and Aliya were exchanging smiles and anyone could tell that those smiles meant more than a friendly smile. She shook her head, maybe she was imagining things.
 
She cleared her throat and Suhayl tore his eyes away from Aliya. "You busy?" Amanda asked.
 
"We were just finishing up." Aliya said as she got up to leave. She glanced at Suhayl again and flashed him another smile.
 
Amanda could feel the jealousy rising within her but she didn't say anything. There was no ways that Suhayl would ever look at Aliya. She was just an intern. 
 
Aliya watched the look that Amanda gave Suhayl. Either she was blind or Amanda was madly in love with Suhayl. It was hard to miss. She glanced at Suhayl who was still looking at her. He had barely given Amanda any acknowledgement. Suhayl was clearly oblivious to Amanda's feelings towards him.
 
As Aliya left, Amanda stood in front of Suhayl's desk. "Ready for lunch?" She asked as loudly as she could, hoping that Aliya would hear. She turned to look at Aliya's back but it didn't seem like she heard. She pointed to Aliya. "Did I interrupt something?"
 
Suhayl cleared his throat nervously. "Not at all," he said smoothly. "We were just talking about our client."
 
Amanda nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. So it had been her imagination. There was nothing going on between Aliya and Suhayl.
 
*
 
As the days passed, Suhayl and Aliya's relationship dramatically improved. Aliya no longer dreaded work. In fact, she looked forward to it. She loved working with Suhayl now that his attitude improved. She could finally understand why everyone loved him so much.
 
Aliya grinned at Suhayl. "Can I tell you something?" She confessed.
 
Suhayl looked up and gave her his full attention. "Sure."
 
"I used to hate working with you. I was always complaining about you."
 
Suhayl laughed. "I gave you every reason to hate me. I really am sorry."
 
Aliya shrugged. "Let's agree to leave the past in the past. If I have to start thinking about it again, I'll start hating you again,” she said teasingly.
 
Suhayl watched Aliya as she grinned. She had the ability to make everything around him disappear. His heart skipped a beat as she made eye contact with him. He shook his head and said, "Most definitely. The past is in the past. Let's move forward."
 
Aliya sighed happily. Things were finally getting better. "Okay, now let's get back to work. My manager doesn't like it when I waste time." 
 
Suhayl knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "But I'm-" He rolled his eyes as he realised that she was joking. "He sure doesn't. I heard he can be a real pain."
 
Aliya nodded. "You don't even want to know," she said with a giggle.
 
They glanced at each other shyly, exchanging looks of happiness when Amanda walked in. They barely noticed her. Suhayl's gaze was fixated on Aliya and she just looked away before glancing again at him and then flashing him another smile. Amanda could feel the electricity between them and she almost lost her cool.
 
"Am I interrupting something?" She asked, trying hard to keep the emotion out of her voice.
 
Suhayl cleared his throat as he painfully turned his gaze away from Aliya. "Um...no," he said weakly.
 
"Good." Amanda sat on his desk, blocking Aliya and Suhayl's views so that they could not look at each other. She leaned across the table and reached for a pen, purposely showing off her midriff as her top lifted up. Suhayl looked away.
 
Aliya got up. "I have to go," she said.
 
Amanda looked at her. "Yip, run along and go to your little friends," she said condescendingly. "The grown ups have to talk."
 
Aliya shifted uncomfortably before turning away. Amanda used to be so nice to her but lately she was being mean. What was up with the managers? If it wasn't one, it was the other!
 
*
 
Amanda was silently seething. How did that little intern make such a huge impact? She could see that Aliya was capturing Suhayl's interest. 
 
"What does she have that I don't?" She asked herself. "She's just a little intern. I'm probably more beautiful than her but Suhayl won't even give me a second look! It was better when the two of them hated each other!" She banged her steering wheel in frustration.
 
Suddenly, an idea began to form in her head. She needed to sabotage that relationship. She needed Suhayl to pay attention to her. The more friction there was between Aliya and Suhayl, the better her chances would be.
 
At first, Amanda tried to get Aliya off Suhayl's project but to no avail. There were limited interns available and everyone was well into their engagements. It wouldn't be feasible to swap Aliya with someone else.
 
Then she tried to interrupt every single meeting they had but that didn't always work either. Sometimes, Amanda would have a meeting at the same time.
 
When it seemed like everything had failed, Amanda realised what she needed to do. She needed to start a rumour and blame Aliya for it.
 
•Chapter 11•
 
"WHAT?" Suhayl asked, positively seething. "Where the hell did you hear that? That can destroy my career! It's based off senseless stories!"
 
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger," Amanda said slyly. "I'm just warning you. I believe you."
 
"Who told you this? Who started the rumour?"
 
Amanda looked away. "I...can't tell you. I don't want to cause problems."
 
Suhayl leaned against his desk, his hands clenched into tight fists. "Who. Told. You?" He asked again.
 
Amanda flinched. Maybe she hadn't thought this through. Suhayl looked dangerous. "Okay, calm down and promise that you won't say I told you."
 
Amanda had just told Suhayl that Aliya had started a rumour about him.
 
"Fine. Now tell me," Suhayl said extremely slowly, it actually sounded threatening. "Who. Told. You?"
 
"I overhead Aliya telling someone."
 
"WHAT?" Suhayl roared.
 
Amanda flinched again. "I'm just telling you what I heard."
 
"Who did she tell?"
 
"I don't know."
 
Suhayl glared at her before angrily hitting his desk. "ALIYA!" He practically yelled. 
 
He stomped out of his office and noticed how people were looking at him and whispering. He needed some fresh air before he spoke to Aliya.
 
After a few minutes, he went back inside and made his way to Aliya's desk. "My office. Now!" He said in a voice that jerked Aliya's attention.
 
Aliya looked up at him and felt like shrinking. He looked angry and his voice scared her. What did she do? Slowly, she followed him to his office. "Close the door!" He demanded when Aliya trailed into his office. The moment the door closed, he erupted. "HOW DARE YOU?"
 
Aliya looked at him in confusion. "What happened?"
 
"Don't pretend that you didn't know! My career can be destroyed!"
 
"What are you talking about?" Aliya asked. "I don't think I screwed up on my work."
 
"DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF THE MATTER?" Suhayl yelled. "I am NOT HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH THE CLIENT!"
 
"What?" Aliya asked again. "Who said that you are?"
 
"I have my sources and I've been told that you very happily spread this rumour about me-" His phone rang, cutting him off. "It's HR," he said, his voice sounding scarier than ever. "If my career is destroyed because of you, you will regret ever meeting me," Suhayl threatened, angrier than he had ever been. How could Aliya do this to him? He trusted her. He started to open up to her and this is what she did?
 
"Suhayl, I-"
 
"Save it. I need to do damage control because of you and your loose tongue!"
 
Aliya reeled from his harsh words, she felt sick to her stomach. She didn't even know what he was speaking about and he refused to listen to her. 
 
She listlessly made her way to her desk. She was so confused.
 
"Why do you look like you're in shock?" Zakiya asked after seeing her friend's face.
 
"I don't know what just happened," Aliya whispered, on the verge of tears.
 
Zakiya looked at her in concern. "Hey, what's wrong?"
 
"Suhayl just freaked out. He accused me of starting-"
 
Before she could continue, Natasha walked over and said, "Hey, is it true that Suhayl is having an affair with his client? I heard that he's being very lenient with them because he is madly in love with one of the female directors. And the director is married! Apparently, this is insider information that came from you."
 
Aliya looked like she was about to throw up. News spread like wildfire in this place. "Who told you that? I don't even know what you're talking about!"
 
All the interns are speaking about it. "Apparently, you're the one that found out about this," Natasha whispered.
 
"Excuse me," Aliya said, her voice cracking. She ran to the bathroom and locked herself into a stall before she started throwing up. She was so confused.
 
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. 
 
"Yes. Apparently, Aliya is the one who found out about Suhayl and the client." Aliya heard someone say.
 
"Wow! I would have never thought. Suhayl is so bright. He would never do something like that," another voice replied.
 
"And he is SO hot. Every single female in this office has a crush on him."
 
"I know. Maybe that's why Aliya spoke up about Suhayl's affair. Maybe she just wants him for herself."
 
Aliya turned around and threw up again. Why was her life so difficult at work? When one mess cleared up, another one started.
 
*
 
Suhayl returned from HR. They were going to perform an investigation in order to clarify the rumours. All dealings and communications with this specific client was suspended. Suhayl was seething. His anger made him somewhat irrational. 
 
But it wasn’t only about the person who had started the rumour, it was more about the basis of this horrible rumour.
 
Aliya had sent him various messages but he refused to read any of them. He knew he should get an explanation from her but his anger was too strong and it clouded his judgement.
 
Aliya felt physically sick. Everyone thought she had started the rumour and people were starting to become wary of her. There was only one person who believed her entirely and that was Zakiya.
 
"You need to confront Suhayl." Zakiya urged.
 
"He won't even speak to me so how am I going to confront him?"
 
Zakiya sighed. "Someone clearly hates you enough to drag your name in the mud. Who did you piss off?"
 
"No one. I swear. I thought I was getting along well with everyone."
 
Zakiya tapped her chin. "As far as I know, you're likeable... Why would anyone want to taint your name and Suhayl's name?"
 
Aliya looked down. "I wish I knew," she whispered.
 
*
 
After a few days, Suhayl was forced to speak to Aliya. "When can I expect the report?" He asked curtly.
 
Aliya sighed. "Tomorrow morning if that's okay."
 
"Fine." He didn't even bother to look at her. 
 
Aliya cleared her throat. "Can we please speak?"
 
"I have nothing to say to you."
 
"Suhayl... I don't-"
 
"Don't bother with your excuses. I will never believe anything you say."
 
Aliya sighed in defeat. There was no way he would even give her the time of day. She headed for the prayer room and begged Allah to remove her troubles. She didn't know what to do. People started calling her words like 'tattletale' and 'snitch'. Besides that, she would never ever make up a story about someone else. She wasn't a slanderer. 
 
"Oh, Allah. Please help me. If someone tried to do this to get me or Suhayl into trouble, expose them. Clear my name as the slanderer. Don't let me live with this dishonour. Don't make me leave this place with a taint against my name. Aisha (RA) was slandered so terribly and you cleared her name. If the mother of the believers was slandered, then who are we? Clear our name as you cleared her name. 
 
Oh, Allah, I know that I am not perfect. I know that I sin every single day. I know interacting with Suhayl is also a sin, especially because I am attracted to him. Please help me become a better Muslim. Please don't test me with tests that I cannot handle. I rely on you, my Allah. Help me."
 
As Aliya concluded her prayer, she felt somewhat lighter. Maybe all of this was just a test for her. As the Quraan clearly states, "Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe’, and will not be tested? And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make known, those who are true, and will certainly make known those who are liars.” (Quraan 29:1-3)
 
•Chapter 12•
 
Suhayl sighed before dropping down to his knees in defeat. He was in the prayer room and he felt so helpless. Maybe reciting some Quraan would help him. In this large corporate building, the only place he ever found true peace was in the prayer room. It was his breakaway from the crazy hustle and bustle outside these doors.
 
He reached for the Arabic-English Quraan and began reciting. And as he recited, he came across the verse, "Oh You who have attained to faith! If any iniquitous person comes to you with a [slanderous] tale, use your discernment (verify it), lest you hurt people unwittingly and afterwards be filled with remorse for what you have done." (Quraan 49:6)
 
Suhayl felt as if that verse was speaking to him. It was only because of Allah that he had even recited it. Maybe he needed to stop being so stubborn and listen to Aliya. But Suhayl just felt so tired and so defeated, he didn't think that he had the energy to even deal with her today.
 
*
 
Amanda watched the strain on Aliya and Suhayl's relationship and grinned. Aliya had just walked out of his office, promising that her report would be on his desk in the morning.
 
She knew what she had to do. And what she was about to do might very well ruin Aliya and Suhayl's career but that wasn't important. What was important was that this would completely destroy Aliya and Suhayl's relationship and there would be no way that they would ever be able to reconcile again.
 
She smiled to herself as the whisperings around her were only focused on Suhayl's alleged affair and Aliya's rumours. Soon, she would have Suhayl all to herself and no one would ever be able to take him away from her again.
 
*
 
The next day, Aliya got to the office bright and early. The office was rather quiet. Aliya wondered if Suhayl was even in. She made her way to her desk and completed the finishing touches on her report before she headed to the printers. 
 
Late last night, Suhayl had reminded her to print out the report so that he could hand over the hard copy to the client as it was their request.
 
She printed the report and headed towards Suhayl's office. The door was closed and the lights were off. He probably still wasn't in. She was about to call him when a message from him popped up on her phone.
 
Suhayl: 
My office is unlocked. 
Leave the report on my desk.
 
Aliya sighed as she opened the door. His conversations with her were so strained that it was becoming unbearable. She couldn't work in such a hostile environment.
 
She quickly flipped through the report again, making sure there were no last minute errors that she noticed. Neatly placing the report on Suhayl's desk, Aliya looked around Suhayl's office with interest. She had never really taken note of anything in his office before. Suhayl had a very neat office with shades of blue lightly decorating the place. She glanced at his coat hanger which held two blazers which were neatly placed on hangers. One wall held all of his degrees, achievements and accolades. Wow, Suhayl had been on the Forbes Africa thirty under thirty list last year. It was one of the most coveted and sought after awards in the corporate world. He was clearly greatly accomplished.
 
How did one man seem to have it all? He had the looks, he had the title, he had the achievements and he was successful. Aliya found herself even more impressed than before. It was funny how all of this had been right in her face but she hadn't actually noticed any of it.
 
She sighed. If only they could go back to being friends, she would ask him to be her mentor.
 
*
 
Amanda watched as Aliya placed her report on Suhayl's desk. She spent a few minutes in his office looking around and Amanda found herself growing irritated. Why couldn't she just put the report on his desk and leave his office? 
 
Impatiently, Amanda glanced at the time. If Aliya didn't leave soon, her whole plan would be ruined. 
 
After what felt like forever, Aliya finally left. Amanda waited for her to walk away completely before she silently slipped into Suhayl's office. She swapped the report and smiled to herself.
 
This was probably the best thing she had ever thought of. She hoped that it wouldn't ruin Suhayl's career but if it ruined Aliya's career, it would be great. And Amanda knew what she had to do. If Suhayl decided not to look at the report, she would casually get him to read it before he went to the client. She knew that he had already been through the electronic versions of the report so there was a high possibility that he would not bother looking at it before handing it to the client.
 
*
 
Suhayl got into the office and sure enough, the report was placed neatly in the centre of his desk. He vowed to sort out his differences with Aliya when he got back from the client. He sat down and switched on his laptop. He had a few minutes to catch up on emails before he would head to the client. 
 
As he waited for his computer to come to life, he began to sift through the report. And as he did, he noticed that the report was based on a completely different client. Suhayl could feel the anger build up inside him. What was Aliya's problem? Was she trying to sabotage him on purpose?
 
He clutched the report and as he left his office, he almost bumped into Aliya.
 
"Oh, sorry. I just wanted to see if you had gotten the report."
 
"What the hell is this?" Suhayl asked quietly, his voice laced with anger.
 
Aliya looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? It's the report you asked for."
 
"For which client?"
 
Aliya's brows were knitted together. "For Carlto Chemicals."
 
"Then why the hell does this contain sensitive information about IMX Chem?"
 
"What are you talking about?" Aliya asked.
 
"Do you have any idea how much of trouble we would have gotten into if I had handed this to Carlto Chemicals? Do you have any idea what kind of confidentiality breach that would be?"
 
"What?"
 
He angrily handed her the report. "See for yourself."
 
Aliya opened the report to the first page. This says it's for Carlto Chemicals... I don't see anything about-" Her words died in her mouth as she flipped through the pages. The first few pages were indeed correct but after that, the report was for IMX Chem. Aliya frowned in confusion. IMX hadn't even been their client. She had never seen the report before. And as she continued to page through the report, she noticed that it contained very sensitive information regarding the fraud instances that were uncovered during their audit. If this had to go to Carlto Chemicals, they would have gotten into deep trouble.
 
"Come into my office," Suhayl ordered.
 
Aliya numbly followed him into his office. He didn't turn to face her. He walked towards his desk and placed his clenched up fists on his desk. He looked unusually large and almost scary when he did that. "I'm going to ask you again," Suhayl said quietly, anger seeping into his words. "Why the hell is that in the report?"
 
Aliya felt her mouth turn dry. How was this possible? She had made sure that she had printed the correct report. Heck, she had even read through it just to make sure that everything was up to standard...or had she been dreaming?
 
"SPEAK, DAMMIT!" Suhayl exploded, punching his desk. The force of his fist sent papers flying off his desk.
 
Aliya jumped. "I...I don't know," she whispered.
 
Slowly, Suhayl turned around. "Do you understand what this means?"
 
Aliya nodded, trying hard to keep the tears at bay. "I know..."
 
"It means we both could have lost our jobs."
 
Aliya hung her head. What could she tell him? She was so confused herself. She needed to make sense of what was happening.
 
"Get out of my face. I need to decide whether it's worth giving you a final warning or whether your career is over," Suhayl said.
 
•Chapter 13•
 
With tears in her eyes, Aliya ran out of Suhayl's office. She ran straight to the bathroom and bumped into Zakiya.
 
"Aliya?" Zakiya asked in concern. "What's the matter?"
 
Aliya just shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.
 
"Come on." Zakiya led Aliya outside to a quiet corner. "Do you want to speak about it?"
 
Aliya didn't respond. Instead, she began to cry uncontrollably. Why did this keep on happening? Why was her work life so incredibly difficult? She was trying so hard but it all seemed to go in vain.
 
After about ten minutes of Zakiya trying to soothe Aliya, she began to speak. "I had to print out a report for Suhayl as per the client's orders. Because we had both been through the final draft yesterday, he didn't even have to look at the printed version but luckily he did. The first few pages were fine but the rest of the report was about another client. It could have been a confidentiality breach if he had handed it over to the client. As it is, that's a huge deal but it would have been an even bigger deal because the rest of the report is about one of our client’s biggest competitors. And the thing is, I don't know where that report came from. I had never seen it in my life. It's not even my client."
 
"Oh no," Zakiya whispered. "So what happened?"
 
"Suhayl looked through it and realised the mistake. Basically, he told me that I'm either getting a final warning or I'm going to lose my job. And after that whole rumour thing, he was already angry with me. This was the final nail in the coffin."
 
"But how did that happen?" Zakiya wondered out loud.
 
"I don't know. I was sure that everything in this report was perfect. Maybe I took someone else's documents from the printer?"
 
"Or maybe the same person who started the rumour is the same person who sabotaged your report?"
 
*
 
Suhayl called Aliya on her cellphone. 
 
"Hello?" Aliya asked cautiously.
 
"Come to my office now!" Suhayl said.
 
Aliya couldn't really place the tone in his voice so she couldn't make out what was going to happen. Was her career over before it even really began? Or was he going to give her a final warning?
 
She walked into his office, almost afraid of what he was going to tell her. He didn't even look at her as she entered the room.
 
"Sit," he ordered. 
 
She sat down and fiddled with the ring on her middle finger. 
 
He remained silent for a long time before he started speaking. "I don't know if it's your negligence," he said. "But this could have gone a million times worse. Thank Allah that I actually looked through it before I handed it over to the client. First, it was the rumours and just as I was getting ready to talk it out with you, this happened. From what I see at the moment, you've suddenly developed a don't-care attitude. It would be in everyone's best interest if you leave this place and start over somewhere else."
 
Aliya felt a single tear fall from her face. Where would she find another job? She wasn't that experienced and besides, every other company would be reluctant to hire someone who was forced to leave after just a few months in their first job. Apart from that, she would never get a decent motivational letter from Suhayl.
 
"But..." Suhayl continued. "I will give you a final warning. If you slip up again, even in the slightest, even by using the incorrect coloured pen to sign a form, you will be fired."
 
Aliya gasped. She didn't know if she was relieved or even more stressed than before. The tears left her eyes as she stared at her lap.
 
"What's your excuse?" Suhayl eventually asked.
 
"I...I don't know. I was so sure that I had printed the correct report. The only logical explanation I have is that there was this report already in the printer and when I collected my report, I mistakenly took this report as well. But even that cannot be...because I always check the printer. And I even paged through the report before placing it on your desk." A defeated sigh escaped her trembling lips. "Suhayl, the only thing I can say is sorry and I promise that I will never let this happen again."
 
Suhayl sighed. "The thing is, I will never be able to trust you again. I will never be able to rely on you again. You knew how important this was."
 
Aliya wiped the tears that were falling from her face. "I know..."
 
As Suhayl watched her brush the tears from her face, his heart felt like it was breaking. He wanted to hug her and console her, even though he was the reason for her tears. But he couldn't understand how she had done something so incredibly negligent. He was shocked. First the rumour, and now this. Was she trying to end his career?
 
She looked so sad and so defeated with her shoulders slumped. It was a weird feeling... It was as if he wanted to console her and tell her that everything would be okay but he was also really upset with her.
 
She barely looked at him and he tried not to look at her. Because the more he looked at her, the more his own heart broke. He couldn't stand the tears that were falling from her face. He wanted to wipe them away and promise her that he would never allow tears to escape her beautiful eyes again.
 
He couldn't bear to see her cry any longer so he dismissed her but his words came out cold and not as he intended.
 
"You may leave."
 
Aliya got up and made her way out. She needed to think clearly. She headed to the prayer room because at this moment, she felt that nothing would ever be able to calm her down. Luckily for her, the prayer room was empty. She performed ablution, hoping that the water would wash away her feelings too.
 
She felt refreshed as she stood up for prayer. She performed two rakaats of salaah and then begged Allah to help her.
 
She took a deep breath and as she tried sorting out her thoughts, she wondered how she could make things right again. But the more she thought about it, the more she realised that she hadn't placed her reliance in Allah. 
 
How can a human even breathe without placing his or her reliance in Allah? It is only Allah who allows us to breathe and yet, we forget about Him. Our human nature often makes us believe that we are self-sufficient - that we can do things on our own, without anyone else. Truth be told, we don't need anyone to help us get through life, but we do need Allah. For it is Allah who merely has to say 'Be' and it is.
 
After all, the Quraan makes mention of reliance in Allah multiple times:
 
"…And upon Allah rely, if you should be believers.” [Quraan 5: 23]
 
“…Rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” [Quraan 3: 159]
 
“…And whoever relies upon Allah — then He is sufficient for him.” [Quran 65: 3]"
 
“…So worship Him and rely upon Him.” [Quraan 11: 123]
 
These are just a few. What is reliance in Allah? It is having tawakkul... It is having complete and total trust in Allah. It is taking a leap of faith, no matter how dark and deep the pit seems to be and trusting that Allah will save you. It is the same kind of reliance Yusuf AS had when he was thrown into the well. It is the same kind of reliance that Yunus AS had when he was swallowed by a whale. It is the same kind of reliance Ebrahim AS had when he was ordered to sacrifice his son. It is the same kind of reliance that Nuh AS had when he was ordered to build an ark and it was the same kind of reliance Muhammed SAW had when he approached the enemy of a thousand oppressors with his three hundred men.
 
As these thoughts came to Aliya's mind, she slowly began to feel at ease. Why worry when Allah promises to take care of our affairs if we trust Him?
 
She took a deep breath, ready to face the world again when the beautiful recitation of the Quraan filtered through the thin walls and graced her ears. She sat down again and closed her eyes, allowing the melodious voice to calm her even further. Sometimes all it took for a calm heart was listening to the words of Allah.
 
And as the words washed over her, she felt herself getting calmer, more at peace. After all, the Quraan has the power to calm even the most stressed hearts.
 
•Chapter 14•
 
Aliya found the next few days in the office to be extremely difficult. It was as if there was a heavy burden that had taken residence on her fragile shoulders and she wondered how long it would take before that burden crushed her completely.
 
She felt as if she was on the brink of depression. She was unhappy, she was angry...but most of all, she felt as if she was completely helpless. 
 
Getting up every morning became the greatest chore ever. She was tempted to call in sick but she knew that there was work to be completed and if she didn't do it, no one would and then they would miss their deadlines.
 
As she made her way to the kitchen, her mother looked at her worriedly. "What's the matter?"
 
"I'm just stressed," Aliya said. It wasn't a lie because she was actually stressed.
 
Just then, Ameer walked through the front door.
 
Aliya looked at him quizzically. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
 
"I came to drop off some cookies that Naseeha made and then dad called me outside... Hey, are you okay?" Ameer asked after taking a proper look at Aliya.
 
"Fine," Aliya said.
 
Ameer looked at his mother with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on?" He asked.
 
"Good luck trying to get her to speak. She's been like this for the last few days and she keeps telling me that she's either stressed or tired. Maybe she'll speak to you."
 
Aliya managed to smile at her mother, hoping that she looked convincing. "I'm fine, really. And you guys are speaking about me like I'm not here."
 
Fatima turned to her daughter. "You know you can speak to us about anything, right?"
 
Aliya sighed. She knew her mother would worry if she told her. "Mum, really, I'm okay. Relax." She pecked her mother on the cheek before grabbing her handbag. "I need to go."
 
Ameer looked at his little sister. He knew something was not okay. "Wait, I'll leave with you." He hugged Fatima before trailing behind his sister.
 
"So do you think that I believed you in there?" He asked once they were outside.
 
Aliya sighed. "Okay fine, I'll tell you but don't tell mum. She'll just worry."
 
"Okay..." Ameer began. "But if it's something she needs to know, I'll have to tell her."
 
"She doesn't need to know."
 
"So what is it?"
 
"Your friend Suhayl seems to hate me more and more... And that's just after I started to think we were finally getting along."
 
"What happened?"
 
"There's a rumour going on that Suhayl had an affair with one of the client's director's - who is married. And then there was another rumour that I started that rumour. Now Suhayl is being investigated to make sure that there's no affair going on. And then somehow the report I printed for Suhayl to give to another client ended up being the wrong report. It was the competitor's report."
 
"Woah. Okay, let me get this straight. People think you started a rumour about Suhayl having an affair? I know you wouldn't do something like that and besides, Suhayl was always the most loyal person I knew. But I guess that’s a sensitive rumour," Ameer said, flabbergasted by his sister's news. "And you gave him the wrong report?"
 
“What do you mean by a sensitive rumour?”
 
“Nothing... Things happened but it’s not my place to say. Anyway, did you give him the wrong report?”
 
Aliya sighed. "That's the thing though. I know I checked it. It was almost impossible that I gave him the wrong report. Unless I was dreaming or I took someone else's stuff from the printer."
 
"That sounds rough."
 
"It is! So now Suhayl hates my guts and everyone knows me as the unreliable girl who is also a snitch."
 
"I'm sorry... Try talking to Suhayl. He's not unreasonable."
 
"That's the thing. He refuses to talk to me!"
 
"Why?"
 
Aliya sighed again. "He doesn't believe a word I say. I don't blame him though. It does seem like I'm out to get him after everything that has happened. Anyway, let me get going before I'm late. Otherwise Suhayl will have another excuse to hate me and yell at me."
 
*
 
As Aliya got to the office, she felt dejected and defeated. It was so early but she felt like it was already a long day. She didn't have the energy to face her colleagues and she didn't have the energy to deal with Suhayl. Speaking about everything with her brother just made her remember everything that had happened and it was exhausting.
 
She trudged to the elevators and gave a heavy sigh just as someone walked in. She looked up and wanted to run away when she saw Suhayl. Could this day get any worse?
 
Suhayl stiffened as he saw Aliya. He hoped that someone else would join them in the elevator. He didn't want to even acknowledge her existence. But as fate would have it, the elevator doors closed, leaving the two of them alone.
 
At first, Suhayl remained silent. He didn't have to speak to her. But he could feel anger building up in him. He had trusted her and she had broken his trust.
 
Eventually, he broke the silence. "Why, Aliya?"
 
Aliya looked at him in shock. "Why?" She repeated.
 
"I trusted you but you destroyed my trust. I was stupid to think that we were actually becoming friends. I was going to open up to you and tell you so much but then you started that rumour. Imagine if I gave you any ammunition... Would your rumours then actually be based on something that was true? Would you have told people all of my secrets? Why would you make up something so ridiculous? I barely even dealt with that client. You mostly dealt with them!" He could feel himself getting angrier with every word.
 
Aliya sighed and the elevator doors opened. "You won't even listen to me so what's the point?" She grumbled as she pushed past him.
 
Suhayl took a deep breath. Why was he allowing himself to be overcome by emotion? He was always one that could control his emotions but with Aliya it was different. And besides, it was that silly rumour that destroyed him.
 
But the thing was that Suhayl didn't understand that Aliya had the ability to break down his walls and broken walls would leave him vulnerable. And he didn't realise that she had already started breaking down his walls and he was exposed. He wasn't used to it and the only way to protect himself was through his anger. 
 
In the back of his mind, he knew that he wasn't thinking rationally but he really didn't care.
 
*
 
Suhayl groaned as he realised that he had a client meeting soon and Aliya was supposed to be joining him. He was tempted to tell her not to join but she had a few questions for the client so that wouldn't be feasible. More so, their budget was tight on this project so they would have to travel to the client together. Suhayl groaned again. Could the world really be against him to such an extent?
 
As he walked passed Aliya's desk, he muttered, "Client meeting, you're ready?"
 
Aliya got up and grabbed her handbag. "I'll take my own car," she said.
 
"We can't do that because we're on a very tight budget. We have to travel together."
 
"Fine. Then you can come with me," Aliya said. She didn't want it to seem like he was doing her any favours.
 
Suhayl sighed. "Can we just go in my car?" He asked in irritation.
 
In a moment of fury, Aliya hissed, "Are you embarrassed of my car or is it just your control issues?" 
 
Suhayl glared at her. "Fine."
 
They made their way to Aliya's car in stone-cold silence. It was as if they were struggling to even be in each other's presence. Aliya wanted to punch his gorgeous face because she was so annoyed with him. He clearly hated her.
 
The ride to the client was silent until Aliya said, "can you please listen to what I have to say?"
 
"No," Suhayl spat.
 
"Why not? Why are you being so damn difficult?"
 
"I don't want to hear it."
 
"I wasn't even the one that started the rumour! I honestly don't know who did. And I don't know how the wrong report got on your desk. Maybe if we ask IT-" Her words died when she saw that Suhayl wasn't listening. He had earphones in his ears and he was staring out the window.
 
Aliya sighed as a tear slipped out of her eye. What was the point?
 
•Chapter 15•
 
Later that evening, Suhayl struggled to fall asleep. Something was just not right. He couldn't believe that Aliya would be so negligent. In fact, nobody would be that negligent. There was a nagging feeling that persisted in the back of his head and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
 
He tossed and turned all night, unsure as to why he felt so uneasy. He was convinced that something was just not right but how would he figure it out when he didn't even know where to start?
 
He played the scene from earlier that week in his head, over and over again but to no avail.
 
As he lay wide awake, he thought about the rumour that Aliya had allegedly started. There was a part of him that didn't believe that she would do that. Why would she? She had no reason to start up such a stupid rumour. She would gain nothing out of it.
 
Suhayl sighed and looked at the time. It was useless trying to sleep. He needed to pray.
 
*
 
Exhausted, Suhayl made his way to his office.
 
Amanda ran up to him in her extra short skirt. Suhayl wondered how HR hadn't told her anything about her short skirts yet. Her skirts were always way too short for a professional environment. 
 
He didn't have the energy to deal with her today.
 
"I heard about what happened!" She exclaimed breathlessly.
 
Suhayl just looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
 
"About Aliya almost submitting the wrong report?" She continued.
 
Suhayl knitted his eyebrows together. "How do you know about that?" He asked.
 
Amanda shrugged. "Everyone knows about it. People have been speaking about it."
 
Suhayl clenched his fists. "Is this a damn corporate office or a drama series?" He asked angrily. "Why are people so interested in our affairs?"
 
Amanda stared at him, flabbergasted. Maybe she had gone too far. She had casually mentioned the story to the office gossip, Tamara, and she knew that within hours, everyone would be speaking about it. "Sorry..." She tried to say soothingly. "At least you didn't give it to the client. That would have been disastrous."
 
"You don't say," Suhayl muttered sarcastically. He took a deep breath and apologised. "Sorry, I'm just really tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."
 
"Why?" Amanda asked in interest.
 
"The stress of everything happening has taken its toll, I guess. HR is still investigating whether the affair is true or not and then this incorrect report happened."
 
"What is Aliya's problem?" Amanda asked. "Is she out to get you? Or is she doing this to get back at you for the times you guys didn't get along?"
 
Suhayl stopped dead in his tracks. That actually made sense... But no. Aliya's eyes were truthful. She didn't seem to be lying. But could he trust her just because her eyes seemed honest?
 
"What's wrong?" Amanda asked.
 
"Nothing," Suhayl said quickly, not feeling like discussing his thoughts with Amanda.
 
"Just be careful. That girl seems to be out to get you. She can very well end your career."
 
Suhayl looked at Amanda and something seemed off.
 
"I'm just telling you because I care about you... I don't want some loser intern to ruin your future."
 
"Uh-huh."
 
"And besides, maybe Aliya wants to drive us out. After everything that has happened, that little girl seems like a snake. Who knows? Maybe I'm next on her hit list. You know, that girl always gave me a bad feeling. She looks at you like she wants to eat you or something."
 
"What are you trying to say?" Suhayl asked, his patience running thin.
 
"I'm saying that Aliya is not as innocent as she looks. Look at everything she has done to you. I'm almost certain that she wants to drive you out of this company."
 
Suhayl sighed. "Are you done speaking about her? I don't really want to speak about her when she is the reason for my issues."
 
Amanda smiled, realising that her plan was actually working. "I'm sorry," she cooed, placing a perfectly manicured hand on Suhayl's shoulder.
 
He wanted to shake her hand off. Instead, he smiled and then pretended that he needed to tie his shoelaces. "I'll catch up with you," Suhayl said.
 
Amanda shrugged. "No, don't worry. I'm not in a rush. I'm thinking... Maybe I can help you destroy Aliya."
 
"Why would I want to do that?"
 
"After everything she did to you, why WOULDN'T you?"
 
"Amanda, look... I don't want to destroy her life."
"Why not? Are you in love with her or something?" Amanda asked in irritation.
 
Amanda's words hit a chord in Suhayl's heart... He hadn't realised it earlier. He had always covered up his true feelings with other feelings...like dislike, irritation and annoyance. But truth be told, he was in love with her. He slowly began to realise that his heart yearned for her.
 
"So are you?" Amanda asked.
 
Suhayl cleared his throat nervously. "Don't be ridiculous," he muttered, irritation lacing his words too.
 
Amanda decided to back off. It seemed like her plan was working but if she pushed the issue, her plan could fail.
 
But what she didn't realise was that all of her words had just triggered Suhayl's thoughts and there was one thing that he was absolutely certain about: He was madly in love with Aliya and every wall that he had built which had been a symbol of a promise to never allow another woman into his heart again had crumbled to the ground.
 
*
 
As the days passed, Suhayl tried to avoid Aliya. He didn't want to confront his feelings, nor did he want to confront her.
 
He wanted to sort through his thoughts, undisturbed. One day, he cancelled his meetings and took the day off. He needed to clear his head. He began to drive, unsure where he was going. 
 
And as he drove, he thought about his conversation with Amanda earlier that week and that same nagging feeling that had kept him up a few nights ago, crept inside his mind. Something was amiss and he was determined to figure out what it was.
 
He took a deep breath and allowed his thoughts to roam in his mind. For a very long time, his thoughts continued to float around, unable to settle. He took a turn on a dirt road and reached a clearing which overlooked the mountainous scenery.
 
As he leaned against the hood of his car, it suddenly occurred to him. Amanda was the first one that told him about the rumour and Amanda somehow knew about the client report. Could that be some sort of coincidence?
 
Amanda also seemed incredibly pushy when they had their earlier conversation. It was as if she was trying extra hard to paint Aliya with a dirty paintbrush and taint her reputation.
 
Suhayl rubbed his head. Could it be possible that Amanda was trying to destroy Aliya? Why would she want to? And besides, it wasn't like this was some kind of movie. This was reality. Could anyone actually be that cruel? Of course, they could, he realised. After all, the last woman he had fallen in love with had been so cruel. She had destroyed him and he was sure that he had been beyond repair. Maybe that’s why the rumour has affected him more than he wanted to admit.
 
But Suhayl couldn't wrap his head around the situation. Did Amanda even have any motivation to frame Aliya? Suhayl tried to think if Aliya had performed badly in any of Amanda's projects but she used to always praise Aliya and her work ethic.
 
It was late by the time he got back to the office. Most of the office seemed deserted. Suhayl parked off and sighed heavily. He didn't know what to do. Slowly, he exited his vehicle and walked towards the elevators. And just after it opened, he almost bumped straight into Aliya.
 
•Chapter 16•
 
"Sorry," Aliya mumbled. They both stepped to the right and then to the left. "Sorry," she mumbled again, not bothering to look at him.
 
Aliya had realised that this place was toxic for her. There was an unknown force trying to drive her out of this company and they were almost succeeding. She was unhappy and miserable - which was in contrast to how she had been feeling just two weeks ago. 
 
"Aliya," Suhayl said as he gave up trying to step out of her way.
 
It was the way he said her name that made her freeze.
 
"I think it's time we talk.”
 
Aliya didn't say anything.
 
"Let's go to the coffee shop. They should still be open."
 
Silently, Aliya stepped back in the elevator and they made their way to the ground floor. The large ground floor had everything. From a convenience store, to a flower kiosk, to a large fountain. They made their way to the coffee store just as they were closing up.
 
"Suhayl!" The barista greeted. "You didn't pay us a visit today."
 
Suhayl smiled warmly. "Are you guys closed yet?"
 
"We are. But I was just about to make myself a cup of coffee. Can I make you one?."
 
"That will be great!"
 
"You don't even have to ask. You're the one that gave me this opportunity. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have a job."
 
"Don't worry about it."
 
"The usual?"
 
"Yes, please." Suhayl thanked him and turned to Aliya. "What would you like to have?" He asked.
 
Aliya shrugged. "Nothing."
 
"Are you sure?"
 
The barista looked at Aliya. "You look like you had a rough day. Let me make you something that will be sure to cheer you up. Any friend of Suhayl's is a friend of mine."
 
"No, I-"
 
"Please. I promise you that my special hot chocolate will make you feel better. People say it's like getting a liquid hug."
 
Aliya smiled at the barista. "Thank you."
 
"You two can have a seat. I'll bring your drinks to you. Do you mind if they're in takeaway cups?"
 
"Not at all," Suhayl responded before finding a seat.
 
Aliya followed him and took the seat opposite him. She had barely glanced in his direction.
 
"Do you want to tell me everything that happened from the time the rumour started?" Suhayl asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
 
"Oh, now you care?" Aliya asked.
 
"Yes."
 
"What difference will it make when your mind is already made up?"
 
"Aliya..." Suhayl sighed. "Can we speak about this like adults?"
 
"You were the one who refused to speak about this! You were acting like a damn child!” Aliya retorted.
 
"You're right. I'm sorry."
 
Aliya stared at Suhayl in surprise. The last thing she had expected was an apology. "Okay... What do you want to know?" She asked carefully.
 
"The day of the rumour - what happened?"
 
Just then, the barista came to the table to hand them their drinks. "Enjoy!" Turning to Aliya, he said, "Let me know if this makes you feel any better!"
 
Aliya smiled. "Thank you." She brought the takeaway cup to her nose and inhaled deeply. The scent of the hot chocolate was incredible! As the scent wafted through the air, she felt warmer. Carefully, she took a small sip. The barista was right. The hot liquid glided down her throat, making her feel like she was in an embrace. It also made her feel as if she had left her worries behind. "Wow!" She whispered, with her eyes closed. Realising that Suhayl was there, she opened her eyes.
 
Suhayl was staring at Aliya in amazement. How could any creature look so perfect? As she closed her eyes and sipped on her hot chocolate, he felt himself falling harder for her. There was no turning back. He was madly in love with the woman in front of him. He had to stop himself from capturing that image. But he knew that this moment would forever be ingrained in his brain. When she opened her eyes, he quickly cleared his throat and looked away.
 
"So where were we?" He asked.
 
Aliya placed her hot chocolate on the table. "I'll tell you exactly what happened. One minute I was doing my work and the next minute you were yelling at me. I have absolutely no idea what happened before that because that was the first time I heard that rumour."
 
"Amanda told me that she heard you telling someone."
 
Aliya almost spat out the hot chocolate that she had sipped. "What? Even if you were hypothetically having an affair with the client, I wouldn't just tell random people. That's firstly, not my business and secondly, it's completely haraam to accuse someone of something so big. I would need all the facts and I would need witnesses. It's a huge deal. I'm not saying I'm perfect. I mean I used to complain about you all the time to my colleagues but that was when you weren't exactly nice to me. And even then, I wouldn't speak to just anyone about you. I don't see how me saying 'Suhayl is not nice to me' changed to 'Suhayl is having an affair with the client'."
 
Suhayl nodded slowly. "And the report?"
 
"I remember that day clearly. I came earlier than usual so that I could check everything and make sure it was correct. I did a few last-minute changes - just to the grammar -  and then I used the printer that's closest to my desk. The office was deserted, I was the only person on the floor. I printed it out and I remember waiting by the printer for it to print. Once it printed, I bound it together and then I came to your office. No one was around and I was about to call you when you sent me a message. I went in and flipped through the report again to make sure that it looked fine. And it did look fine, I'm certain about it. Then I looked around your office and looked at some of your accolades and I remember being impressed. Then I left your office."
 
Suhayl looked thoughtful. "Come with me," he said.
 
"Where are we going?" Aliya asked in confusion.
 
"You'll see." 
 
They made their way to the parking lot and walked towards the farthest corner. It was dark and somewhat eerie. Aliya began to feel afraid. "Suhayl...where are we going?" She asked nervously.
 
Suhayl stopped in front of a door. "Security."
 
"What? Why?" Aliya asked in a worried tone.
 
"Just come on. You'll see." 
 
He knocked on the door and a few seconds later, it flung open. A large man with curly white hair and a big smile greeted them. "Can I help you?" He asked.
 
"I need to see the footage for the seventh floor for about a week or two ago."
 
"Why?"
 
"We almost had a huge confidentiality breach and I need to see who it was."
 
"Okay, come on in. What level are you?"
 
"I'm a senior manager. But everyone just refers to the senior managers as managers."
 
"That's fine. Senior managers don't require approval to view the footage. But I do need some sort of ID."
 
Suhayl showed him his corporate card and his drivers licence and gave him the date and the details of the footage he required.
 
Within minutes, multiple mini screens came up on the large screen. Suhayl scanned it and found the screen that showed the front of his office.
 
"Look," He said to Aliya. "That day my blinds weren't down. Hopefully we can see everything."
 
"I'm so confused," Aliya responded.
 
Suhayl turned to her. "I have a feeling that someone may have sabotaged you." Turning to the burly man, he said, "Please make this screen bigger. Oh and that one." He asked as he pointed to one of the printers.
 
"Why that one?" Aliyas asked.
 
"If my suspicions are accurate, you'll see why."

•Chapter 17•

At first, there was no real activity happening on the screen. But then Amanda appeared on the screen with the printer. She was printing and binding a document.

"I didn't even know Amanda was there that day," Aliya said.

Then Aliya appeared on the screen. She stood in front of Suhayl's office and glanced at the time. Then she pulled out her cellphone and paused before walking into his office. And just like she said, the image showed her paging through the report before placing it on Suhayl's desk. She spent a few minutes looking around and then she left.

They continued to watch the screen but nothing was happening. After a few minutes, they saw someone enter the room. It was Amanda. She picked up Aliya's report before looking around nervously and replaced it with the report she had in her hand. She walked out with Aliya's report in her hand.

Aliya gasped as she watched the screen before her. "But...why?" She whispered.

Suhayl shrugged. "I'm still trying to understand why. I have a feeling that she started the rumour as well."

"What makes you think so?"

"She told me that she overheard you telling someone that I was having an affair."

"Why would she try to create friction between us..." Aliya trailed off and her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh... I knew it!"

Suhayl looked at her quizzically. "Knew what?"

"Amanda is in love with you."

"No, she's not."

Aliya burst out laughing. "Are you serious right now? Have you never noticed the way she looks at you or how hard she tries to get your attention?"

"I did notice that but that doesn't mean she's in love with me."

"For a really smart guy, you're acting really stupid," Aliya said.

"Okay... But that doesn't explain why she would be out to get you," Suhayl said in confusion.

"That's probably because she thought that there's something happening between us."

The security who had been watching the entire ordeal in silence, decided to say something. "Excuse my forwardness but is there nothing going on between you two?"

Aliya shook her head. "No, why would you ask that?"

"Could have fooled me," the security responded with a smile.

Suhayl turned to him. "Will you be able to give me this footage?"

"I don't think so. I'll have to gain approval from the Head of Security."

"How long will that take?"

"I'm not too sure. I'll try to speed it up for you, only because you two provided me with more entertainment than I expected," the security said.

"Okay... Thank you."

Suhayl and Aliya thanked the security and greeted him before leaving.

Aliya turned to Suhayl. "Now what?" She asked him.

"I think I should confront her. She might even admit to starting the rumour."

Aliya remained silent for a moment. "What if I confront her? I feel like she might admit it to me but not to you."

"You may have a point. That actually sounds like a good plan. If she admits it, HR can drop the investigation."

"Okay, great. But what if she admits it to me and then says I'm lying? She can cause more trouble."

"Not if I'm there."

"What do you mean? I thought that we agreed that you won't be present," Aliya said.

Yes, I did. But what if she doesn't know that I'm present? You can pretend to wait for me in my office around eleven. Because that's the time she usually comes to visit me. So wait there and when she pitches up, you can ask her. We'll record everything so that she knows we have something on her."

"Okay... We’ll sort this out tomorrow. I'm exhausted and it's late," Aliya said. They greeted the security guard and walked towards their cars, each in their own thoughts.

"Here's where I'm parked." Aliya motioned towards her car.

"Aliya..." Suhayl cleared his throat nervously. "I owe you an apology..." He trailed off and shifted uncomfortably.

"You can apologise once this whole thing is behind us."

"Of course, but-"

"But nothing, Suhayl. Don't apologise yet. And if you really want me to accept your apology, you can buy me food," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Suhayl flashed her a grin and she felt the butterflies erupt in her tummy. "I'll do one better," he said. "Have you tried the halaal fine dining place called Blue Passion?"

Aliya shook her head. "No, I've heard about it though."

"You have to try it. The food is exquisite."

"My mouth is already watering," Aliya said.

Suhayl winked at her. "You will thank me forever once you try this place."

Aliya smiled back at him. "Okay then. Anyway, let me get going."

"Drive safe, Aliya."

"You too."

*

Aliya got up early the next morning. She was feeling extremely nervous. What if their plan backfired? What if Amanda ended up tainting her name further and she would be forced to resign, or worst, what if she caused so much of trouble for Aliya that she would be fired?

She took a deep breath as she got ready for the day. Her heart was pounding and she felt like crawling back in her bed. She needed this day to be over as quickly as possible so that she could live through the outcome of their plans.

As she slowly drove to work, her mind was racing. All the possibilities that could have come out of this situation filtered through her mind. She needed to stop thinking because the more she thought about it, the more nervous she got.

She parked off and gripped her steering wheel tightly before jumping out of the car. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. She had to do this. She had to at least try to clear her name.

She made her way to the elevator and met Zakiya.

"Aliya!" Zakiya greeted excitedly. "How are you doing on this gorgeous morning?"

"Wow, you're extra chirpy today," Aliya said with a smile.

"It's a beautiful day, how can I not be happy? And besides, it's a Friday!"

Aliya smiled. "Are you going to be busy today?"

"A little. You?"

"Not too busy, hopefully."

"How are things going?" Zakiya asked, her tone changing slightly.

"It's okay. It still sucks but hopefully not for too long."

"What do you mean?" Zakiya asked as the elevator doors opened.

"I'll tell you later."

*

Aliya took a deep breath. The morning seemed to go incredibly fast and all morning she had been trying to practice her breathing. She had this, it was going to be okay.

She walked towards Suhayl's office. It was now or never. When she got there, he looked up and smiled warmly at her. "Ready?" He asked.

Aliya took another deep breath. "I hope so."

"I'll be right here. Don't worry. Would you like to go over things again?"

Aliya shook her head. "No, it may be too unnatural if I practice. I need her to lead the conversation.

"Okay. I'll be behind this pillar." Suhayl said, pointing at the large pillar that stood close to the wall in his office.

Aliya nodded, she was going to sit in the chair but at the last minute, she propped herself on the desk. Trying to look nonchalant, she looked at her nails, pretending to wait.

Like clockwork, Amanda pitched up at exactly eleven.


 •Chapter 18•

"Where's Suhayl?" Amanda asked Aliya as she walked into Suhayl’s office.

Aliya shrugged. "I'm waiting for him."

"Why are you waiting in his office? Are you trying to ruin his life again?"

Aliya looked up. "Because I want to wait here."

Amanda approached Aliya. "Aren't you tired of destroying everything he has worked so hard for?"

Aliya shook her head. "Amanda, you know just as well as I do that I'm not the one that destroyed anything."

Amanda looked slightly taken aback but she quickly regained her composure. "What are you trying to say?" She asked as she came even closer to Aliya.

Aliya jumped off the table and began to slowly walk around Suhayl's desk, her fingers lightly brushing the large oak desk. "I'm saying that it wasn't me who started the rumour and it wasn't me that left the fake report on Suhayl's desk."

Amanda was starting to lose her patience with Aliya. "So who was it?" She asked in a challenging tone.

Aliya clicked her tongue. "Amanda, Amanda, Amanda. How stupid do you think I am? Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out what?" Amanda asked, feigning ignorance.

"That you're the one who started the rumour and you're the one that swapped my report with your fake one," Aliya responded.

"Prove it." Amanda crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't need to prove it."

"Then who will believe you? You're just a little intern who hasn't even been here for so long. I've been here for years. Who do you think people will believe? A little intern who already has her reputation ruined or me?"

Aliya sighed and leaned against Suhayl's desk. "I said I don't need to prove it. I didn't say that I don't have the proof."

Amanda looked shocked. "What proof do you have?"

"Let's just say I have visual proof of the report swap."

"No, you don't!" Amanda exclaimed as nervousness descended upon her.

"Yes honey, I do."

"Where is it?"

"Do you really think I'd tell you that?" Aliya asked smugly.

"Listen here, little girl. I will destroy you if you don't give me that proof. I'm a manager here. I'm not some low life like you. People will never believe that I swapped out that report and they'll never believe that I started that rumour. It was quite clever, I must say. And just the way I destroyed your pathetic reputation within hours, I can do it again! I can say that you staged that proof because you wanted to frame me!"

"Is that a threat?" Aliya asked as she crossed her arms.

"Take it as a threat or take it as a warning. Frankly, I don't care."

"Well, well, well... Let's take this to HR."

"I must say, I'm impressed, Aliya. How did you figure out that I was the one that sabotaged you?"

Just then, Suhayl walked out from behind the pillar, his phone in his hand as he continued to record the conversation. "So you're the one that started that rumour and you're the one that swapped out the report?"

Amanda gasped in surprise. "S-S-Suhayl?" She asked incredulously "What are you doing here?"

"This is my office. And I asked you a question." Suhayl's eyes went dark. His tone was subtle, yet so terrifying.

"I didn't-"

"You just admitted to Aliya that you started the rumour and swapped out her report!"

Amanda tried to cover up her shock by changing her tone. "Oh, Suhayl! Why do you think I'd do something like that? I was just messing around with Aliya. She's been trying to ruin your career so I wanted to see how far she'd go by pretending that I was the mastermind behind all this."

Aliya came closer. "We all know why you did this."

Amanda lifted an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Because you're in love with Suhayl and you thought that I was a threat to - for lack of a better word - your relationship with him," Aliya said.

Amanda spluttered. "I-uh-you-I." Sighing in frustration, she glared at Aliya before turning her gaze to Suhayl. "Yes, I'm in love with you and that's why I want what is best for you but you don't even care!" Her voice was beginning to get higher with every word she spat out of her mouth. "I've been pursuing you for years but all you ever did was maintain professionalism! I've practically thrown myself at your feet but you won't even look in my direction. This little whore pitches up and suddenly you become infatuated with her. What does she have that I don't? She's nothing! She's a little intern with a pea-sized brain! I saw the way you two look at each other. I don't even know why! She's hideous! I may have found her pretty at first but the more I look at her, the more disgusted I get!"

"That's enough!" Suhayl bellowed and Amanda shrunk back. His voice turned low and deep. "Stop insulting Aliya."

Amanda squared her shoulders. "Or what?"

Aliya sighed. "Amanda, I'm done with you. I usually believe that everyone deserves a second chance but I also believe that I need to stand up for myself. I won't allow you to walk all over me. We will be going to HR and we will show them this video that Suhayl has been recording."

Amanda's eyes widened. "Suhayl, please don't do this. I made a mistake. My career will be ruined! I didn't mean to... I'm so sorry!" Tears pooled in her eyes and she tried hard to blink them away.

"So Aliya shouldn't even bother trying to clear her name and it's fine if her reputation is ruined? It doesn't work like that," Suhayl said, his gaze piercing through Amanda.

"I need to clear my name, Amanda. You made your bed and now you have to lay in it," Aliya piped up.

Amanda tried to stare Aliya down but failed miserably as the tears left her eyes. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"You need to tell HR that you started the rumour." Suhayl began.

Amanda raised her eyebrows in shock. "No, no, I can't to that! My reputation will be ruined!" She cried.

Suhayl sighed. "If you do this. I will write you a motivation for your next employer and I will ensure that it is based solely on your performance. I won't mention anything about what you have done."

"But then I'll have to leave!" Amanda said, brushing away her tears in annoyance.

"Yes. Wouldn't it be better if your reputation was only ruined in this company rather than all over the corporate world?"

"I'm up for promotion though!"

Suhayl sighed. "Do you really think you'll get the promotion once word is out about what you've done?"

"Please don't let word get out!"

"What about my reputation?" Aliya asked.

"I...don't know. I can say I was mistaken," Amanda said in a desperate attempt to save herself.

"Look, I don't want to go around and tell people but I will defend myself. If word gets out, so be it."

Amanda let out a long sigh. "Okay. Fine. I'll tell HR what happened, Suhayl. Will you promise to write out a motivation for me?"

"I promise."

Amanda looked down. "This is what I get for loving you," she muttered.

Suhayl took a deep breath. "I'm truly sorry that I don't reciprocate your feelings for me, but what you did was wrong."

Amanda felt terrible. She had never been so cruel before. As her actions were uncovered in front of her, it suddenly occurred to her; she had been wrong. As much as she hated to admit it, she was wrong and Aliya deserved an apology. What overcame her? Why did she try and ruin a girl's career?

Amanda looked down. For someone who was overly confident a few minutes ago, she suddenly seemed to have shrunk into a ball. After a few moments of silence, she whispered, "I know. I know that it was wrong. I wanted to destroy Aliya. It was unprofessional and unkind. I'm sorry."

Aliya stared at Amanda in shock. She wondered if Amanda was being sincere but when she raised her tear-filled eyes to meet Aliya's, Aliya realised that she was being serious. "Thank you."

 •Chapter 19•


Later that day, Suhayl sighed as he sunk into his seat. "Today was a rollercoaster of a day," he said to Aliya.

Aliya nodded. "I'm so glad that it's over. It's finally the weekend and I can relax."

Suhayl put his hands on his head as he leaned back and lifted his legs to rest on the table. "Me too."

Amanda had accompanied Aliya and Suhayl to HR and had explained the situation. Because her allegations regarding the rumour she had started had been so serious, HR had to investigate the situation and they had just concluded their findings. The accusations made against Suhayl were proven to be false and he could finally resume contact with the client. Amanda was reprimanded by HR and given her first warning. But as per her agreement with Suhayl, she had immediately started looking for a new job and she had handed in her resignation.

Aliya sighed. "I hope my reputation will be restored."

"I'm sure it will be. I think Amanda felt so bad that she started telling people that she had started the rumour and swapped the reports because she was sure that you were out to get her. I guess she had to include that last part for her own sanity," Suhayl said.

Aliya shook her head. "I feel kind of bad for her..."

"After everything she did?" Suhayl asked incredulously.

"She was just desperate for your attention."

Suhayl rolled his eyes. "That's not an excuse." He turned his gaze to Aliya and looked at her intently.

"What?" Aliya asked cautiously. "Do I have something on my face?" The way Suhayl was looking at her made her weak in the knees. At least she was sitting down so he didn't notice just how much his single stare affected her.

"I owe you that dinner," Suhayl responded.

Aliya grinned. "Yes, you do."

"Are you free tonight?" Suhayl asked.

Aliya nodded. "I am."

"Good, I'll pick you up at eight."

"Who said I don't want to meet you there?" Aliya asked.

He flashed her a grin. "You like challenging me, don't you?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"Okay, I'll make reservations for eight-thirty. Shall I pick you up or do you want to meet me there?"

Aliya grinned. "You can pick me up."

Suhayl shook his head. "So then why did you say you want to meet me there?"

Aliya's eyes were twinkling. She was enjoying teasing him. And as he stared into those beautiful pools of honey, he felt himself get lost in them. "I just needed to remind you that I have the choice."

Suhayl laughed good-naturedly. "Oh, trust me. I know."

Aliya glanced at the time. "Oh! Would you look at the time. I need to pray Asr."

Suhayl also looked at the time and jumped up. "I also still need to pray. I'll go with you.”

As the two made their way to the prayer room, they were each occupied by their own thoughts.

Aliya walked into the prayer room and took a deep breath. After days of entering this room with burdens on her shoulders, today she felt like she was walking in with carefree shoulders. She felt light and it felt so so good.

She completed her prayers and then raised her hands. She couldn't thank Allah enough for clearing her name. She wondered if she even deserved so much of mercy from Allah. After all, she was a mere mortal with more than enough sins.

"Oh, Allah! Thank you so much for showering Your mercy upon me. It is only because of Your power that my name is cleared. My reliance in You had faltered but You reminded me to rely upon You again and the moment I handed my affairs to You, You cleared my name."

She concluded her prayers and just as she was about to get up, that beautiful melodious voice that sent her into a trance filtered through the thin walls again. The reciter was reciting from the Quraan and Aliya closed her eyes, allowing the beautiful sound to caress her ears. The voice was as smooth as velvet, almost like Suhayl's. Aliya's eyes flew open. That had to be Suhayl's voice. Previously, she had refused to believe that it was him but it had to be! She tried to strain her ears but he stopped reciting. Aliya got up and exited the prayer room. She waited for Suhayl and the moment he exited the prayer room, she pounced on him.

"That was you, wasn't it?" She asked.

"Huh?" Suhayl looked at her in confusion as he ran his hands through his hair.

"You were reciting Quraan loudly now, weren't you?"

"Oh, you heard that?" Suhayl asked.

"The walls are thin. Where did you learn to recite like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like the way you recite?"

"Oh, I learnt it in hifdth classes."

Aliya gaped at him. "You're a haafidth?"

Suhayl nodded. "Yes, I am. My dad is Turkish so it was like it was some sort of requirement. I had to become a haafidth. I didn't have a choice - not that I regret it. That's probably the best thing they did for me. Why are you asking?"

"Just... Your voice..." Aliya trailed off unsure what to say.

Suhayl looked at her quizzically. "Is something wrong with the way I recite Quraan?"

"No, nothing like that. You read beautifully."

They lapsed into silence as Aliya's mind raced.

*

Aliya got into her car and she sighed deeply. Her mind was still on Suhayl and the more she thought about it, the more she began to realise something. Apart from Suhayl's drop-dead gorgeous looks, he was also charismatic, charming... He was amazing. Now that they had sorted out the issues between them, he was being so kind and caring to her. And Aliya knew that she was deeper in than she had thought. She was undeniably in love with him.

She hadn't realised it before. She had blamed her irritation with him on his attitude. But she had been wrong. She had been irritated with him due to her own intense attraction. She was so attracted to him that it had bothered her and that had caused her to say things to him that angered him.

Maybe Amanda was right to be jealous. There was definitely something going on between them. But neither of them had admitted their feelings to each other.

Suhayl's face flashed in front of her again. Those dark blue-almost-black eyes were always intense - so intense that it felt like he was looking straight into her soul. His dark hair brought out the colour of his eyes. If his hair had been lighter, one wouldn't have realised that his eyes were blue. His strong jaw and perfect smile made one weak in the knees. He was so so incredibly attractive, it was almost painful to keep looking at him.

Aliya sighed. He would never feel that way about her though. Aliya glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She had always thought that she was very plain looking. There was nothing exquisite or undeniably attractive about her - or so she thought. But people often told her she was beautiful and she couldn't help but wonder what Suhayl thought about her.

Did he find her beautiful? Was Amanda right? Was there something between them or was it only one-sided? Was she right when she said Suhayl was infatuated by her? But how? Because Aliya had never noticed any infatuation coming from his side. Or had she been too blind to notice it?

She got home and greeted her mother. "I have to rush, mum. My manager and I have a...meeting." Aliya didn't even know what to call their dinner. Was it a meeting? Was it a date? Was it an apology dinner? She couldn't be sure.

Her mother nodded. "Okay. Who is your manager?"

"Suhayl."

"Is he just your manager?" Her mother asked, a sparkle in her eye.

"Yes, mum! I have to get ready. It's a dinner."

"Your manager is taking you out to dinner? That doesn't sound like a meeting."

Aliya sighed. "I don't know what it is. It's an apology. Things were crazy at work. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you but my name was dragged through the mud by someone who wanted to sabotage me."

Fatima's eyes widened. "That sounds like a soap opera."

Aliya sighed. "It felt like one too. It was horrible. But the culprit admitted to everything and now my manager wants to apologise to me."

“Okay, but as a mother, I have to remind you how haraam this is. When a male and female are alone, shaitaan is the third person.”

Aliya looked away. “I know.”

“It sounds like a date.”

“It’s not.”

“Okay, if you say so. But if you’re going to be alone with him, it’s haraam and it’s my duty to warn you.”

 •Chapter 20•


Aliya glanced at the time. Suhayl would be here any moment to pick her up. She looked at her reflection again. She hadn't known what she should wear. Eventually, she settled on a pair of high waisted white pants, a pinkish nude top and a long mauve lightweight jacket. She knew that she didn't look too dressed up, nor too down. Her makeup was light. She had used a beautiful tinted moisturiser that gave her a glow, light eyeshadow, a little bit of blush and some lipstick.

As she stared at her reflection, she wondered if it was too much. But before she could change, Suhayl called her to tell her that he was coming inside.

Aliya gasped. She didn't want him to come inside and just as she was about to tell him so, she heard the doorbell ring. She rushed to the door but her mother beat her to it.

Suhayl stood before her mother, smiling. He looked more gorgeous than he had ever looked before. He was dressed in black from head to toe. He had on a formal black shirt, with the top button undone, a black blazer, black jeans, black shoes and a black belt. Aliya had to grab the wall so that she wouldn’t fall over because she was so taken with his looks.

“You must be Suhayl!” Her mother said with a wide smile. Aliya could see that even her mother was fascinated by his looks. He really was handsome.

“Assalaamualaykum. And you must be Aliya’s mother. I see the resemblance,” Suhayl said.

“Indeed I am. Come on in. Aliya will be with you in a minute.”

“I’m here!” Aliya said before her mother could interrogate Suhayl.

Fatima turned to Suhayl. “So are you two going on a date?” She asked without bothering to be subtle.

Aliya practically choked but Suhayl just smiled. “I owe your daughter an apology for the way I’ve been treating her so I thought I’d do it right.”

Aliya could see that her mother had a liking for Suhayl and she wasn’t surprised. Suhayl had an infectious personality. She smiled to herself, if this was a few months ago, she would have never said that his personality was infectious.

“Don’t stay out too late,” Fatima said as she turned to Aliya. She glanced at Suhayl. “I hope you’re aware that this is haraam. But anyway, if you’re going to continue with it, please look after my daughter.”

“I will protect her with my life,” Suhayl promised. “May Allah forgive us.”

Aliya just stared at him. She didn’t know if he was being serious or if he just said that for Fatima’s sake.

Fatima rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t work like that. We should never intend on committing a sin just because we’re aware that Allah is so merciful.”

Suhayl looked away, clearly embarrassed.

Aliya cleared her throat. “Shall we go?”

They greeted Fatima and headed towards Suhayl’s car. He opened the door for her before walking to his side and jumping in. Aliya stared at him, bemused.

“What was that?” She asked.

“What was what?”

“You acting all gentlemanly by promising my mum to take care of me and opening the door?”

Suhayl shrugged. “I was taught to be chivalrous. My mother made sure that I grow up respecting women.” He remained silent before continuing, “Apparently, I forgot about all of that when we were working together and when I treated you the way I did.”

Aliya nodded silently, she could barely look at him without getting swept into his handsome face. Her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty. Why did she feel so nervous?

And in the back of her mind she was fully aware of her actions and how wrong they were. Yet, she continued with her evening, pushing that nagging feeling to the back of her head.

*

They got to the restaurant and Aliya gasped. It was beautiful. Located on the roof terrace of a high rise building with a city view spanned out in front of it, it was a beautiful sight. The restaurant was decorated with lanterns and fairy lights, giving it an almost romantic feel. It was stunning. The building also offered a terrace walkway, perfect for an after dinner walk.

"Where did you find this place?" Aliya asked.

"I know the owner."

"Why am I not surprised?" Aliya asked with a smile.

Suhayl returned her smile and pulled out a chair for her. "My lady," he said in a teasing tone.

"Why, thank you my dear." Aliya said in a perfectly polished accent.

Suhayl burst out laughing as Aliya took her seat. "You sound like you're speaking to royalty."

Aliya rolled her eyes. "I was going with the flow. So what's good here?"

"Everything. Seriously. Everything on the menu is delicious!"

"What's your favourite?" Aliya asked as the waiter handed her a menu.

"The fillet mignon. And the truffle pasta."

"How do you expect me to choose?" Aliya asked. "My mouth is already watering."

"Order both."

"I can eat but I can't eat THAT much. And the starters and the desserts look good too."

"Can I order for you?" Suhayl asked.

Aliya looked up at Suhayl and then back at the menu. "Yes, please. I really don't know what to order from here."

"Do you eat everything?"

"As long as it's halaal," Aliya said with a smirk.

"Well, you're in luck because this is a halaal restaurant." Suhayl motioned to the waiter.

"Can I please get the battered shrimp and the jalapeno poppers for starters, a fillet mignon with mushroom sauce, the truffle pasta, the gourmet cheese sandwich and the peanut crusted lamb. But please tell the chef that we want it in the miniature portions. For dessert, please may we have the dessert platter with the five mini desserts?" He turned to Aliya. "What do you want to drink?"

"The pomegranate mocktail, please."

"Okay, one pomegranate mocktail and one citrus cooler, please."

The waiter repeated their order before heading off.

Aliya sighed in contentment. This place was beautiful and serene. And she was sitting across from the most handsome man she had ever laid her eyes upon. It almost felt like some sort of fairytale, except for the nagging feeling in the back of her mind. She couldn't quite place her finger on it though.

Suhayl broke the silence. He cleared his throat and turned an intense gaze upon Aliya. "I owe you an apology," he began. "And words cannot describe just how sorry I am for my behaviour, for the way I treated you, for not believing you..." He trailed off and looked at his hands.

"Suhayl..." Aliya began as her thoughts ran wild. "Did you really think that I started the rumour? And did you really think that I would be so negligent?" She finally realised what the feeling that had been creeping up on her was. She was feeling hurt. She knew that she shouldn't so why did she? She was hurt because she was in love with him.

"No. I was so shocked that I couldn't even believe it. I fought with myself for hours, mulling over every detail, asking myself over and over again if you would do any of this. I was trying to find an explanation and eventually, that's what led me to suspect Amanda. If I had really believed it from the beginning, I would have never tried to expose Amanda."

"Is it that or is it because you hoped that I wasn't capable of doing all of those things?"

"A little bit of both... And I owe you an apology for treating you so terribly for months," Suhayl said nervously.

"Well then, why did you treat me that way?" Aliya asked, a hint of frustration in her voice.

For a long time, Suhayl stayed silent. When he looked into her eyes, she saw something there. It was as if he was silently claiming every part of her. As if those intense eyes were silently calling her, telling her that she was his. When he started to speak, his voice had grown husky. He leaned forward. "The thing is, when I met you, something happened. For the longest time, I had stayed away from love because previously, a woman had broken my heart. So when it healed, I promised myself that I would never ever allow another woman to break down the walls that I had built. It had taken me years and I'd be damned if anyone would be strong enough to break them down and enter my heart. But when I met you, everything changed. From the very first time I saw you driving next to me, to the time I met you in the elevator, I began to feel my walls grow weaker." Suhayl sighed as he recalled those moments. "At first, when I was corresponding with you over email, I didn't know it was you. There's always that one intern who thinks they know too much and at first, I thought that was you. But then I met you and you weren't pretending to know too much, you were just trying to grow and make an impact. I became angry because you did what no woman could ever do before, you began breaking my walls. The fact that you had that power, well...it infuriated me. I hated that you had that power. So that's why I was horrible to you. I thought that being horrible to you would help me close my heart but I was wrong... I was so, so wrong..." He trailed off and looked at Aliya. He couldn't read her expression.

After what felt like forever, she whispered, "What are you trying to say, Suhayl?"

They were interrupted by the waiter who had brought their food. They didn't break eye contact as the waiter set the food on their table.

When he walked away, Suhayl sighed. "I...I don't know how to say this."

Aliya leaned forward, her heart pounding. She wanted him to bare his heart to her but he was still holding up those walls. "Just say it," she whispered.

Suhayl leaned forward too, his eyes growing more intense than before. He took Aliya's hand into his and when he did, they both didn't just feel sparks, they felt fireworks. "Aliya Dindar..." He began.

Aliya felt herself getting lost in his eyes. The whole situation was too intense for her.

"I am in love with you." And as he said those words, what was left of his broken walls, came crumbling down. The weight of those words, crushed every last brick into nothing but dust, until his heart was left bare. He could feel vulnerability steep into him and he let out a breath he hadn't realised that he had been holding.


•Chapter 21•

Aliya thought that she was dreaming. This couldn't be real. It was too crazy to be real.

"Say something," Suhayl urged as Aliya just gaped at him.

Aliya shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "What did you just say?" She squeaked.

Suhayl could feel his neck getting hot as his cheeks began to warm up. "I love you," he whispered.

Aliya took a deep breath. She pinched herself under the table and the sharp pain made her realise that this was no dream. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. "I love you too," she whispered.

Suhayl jumped up from his chair, startling her. He punched the air as if he had won the biggest victory of his life.

Aliya watched him in amusement before letting out a small giggle.

He settled back down and took Aliya's hand. "I have never felt this way about anyone ever before. Even when I was in love before, it had never been this intense."

Aliya thought she was dreaming. This was a fairytale moment for her. The man she had fallen in love with, had professed his love to her. Could it get any better? She stared at his handsome face and felt the butterflies in her stomach again. She could feel her heart pounding so loudly, she was sure that he could hear it. She looked deep into his eyes and suddenly, the words began to pour out of her mouth. "For the longest time, I also thought that I hated you. I guess it wasn't hate. It was love that I had incorrectly classified as hate. I didn't know what to do with my feelings, I didn't know how to deal with them. I thought that you were the worst manager under the sun. You were constantly on my mind... Suhayl, I really do love you."

Suhayl smiled and Aliya felt her knees go weak. "And I really do love you too." He let out a happy sigh. "Let's start eating while we carry on chatting." He said, motioning to their untouched food.

Aliya nodded. "I have one question though."

"You can ask me anything."

"Who hurt you so badly before that you had put up all these walls?" Aliya asked innocently.

A dark shadow clouded Suhayl's happy eyes. "I promise to tell you everything. But not right now. This night has been perfect and I don't want to ruin even a second of it."

Aliya nodded before flashing him a grin. "Okay, now let's see what's so amazing about this food." She took a bite of the fillet mignon and closed her eyes in appreciation. "Hmmm..."

Suhayl watched her and felt as if he was falling more and more in love with her. She looked beautiful as she chewed in appreciation. When she opened her eyes, he was looking straight at her.

"What?" Aliya asked. "Was I not supposed to start eating?"

Suhayl shook his head with a smile. "No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" She wiped her cheek, wondering if she had gotten food on her face.

"You're so beautiful."

Aliya's fork clattered onto the plate and she broke her gaze with Suhayl. She had never thought that he had ever found her beautiful. "Really?" She squeaked.

Suhayl looked at her in shock. "What do you mean 'really'? Have you ever looked at yourself? You're the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes upon."

Aliya gaped at him. "What?" She asked, sure she was hearing things.

He took her hand. "Look at me," he whispered.

Aliya looked at him.

"I have stared at this face many times and I drank every single second of it. You are gorgeous. I love the way your eyes sparkle when you know something or the way it sparks up when you tease someone. I love the way you smile, it's as if every part of you lights up and it's hard not to share that smile with you. I love how you unintentionally pout when things don't go your way. I love how your hair falls perfectly every time. I love how your scent wafts through the air when you walk into the room. I love how you giggle when you nervous and how you frown when you're upset. I love how your voice gets a bit higher when you're angry and how you bite your lip when you're in deep thought. I love how you wring your hands when you're nervous and how you shift uncomfortably. I love every little thing about you. I love you when you're happy and when you're sad. I love you when you're giddy and when you're mad."

Aliya felt as if she was on cloud nine. How did such feelings of euphoria even exist? Is this what people felt when they were in love? Because if this is how people in love felt, she would never want to be out of love. She felt as if she was floating and as if happiness was caressing her. The butterflies in her tummy had made their way to her heart, causing her heart to flutter in ecstasy. She was certain of one thing, she had never felt like this before. Heck, she hadn't even liked a man this way before. When she was younger, she had silly teenage crushes on the males that were on tv or those in the media. She had never ever felt this way before. It was almost like a drug and she was already addicted.

She couldn’t help but wonder if all this was an illusion though... Could it be the illusion of the devil, tempting her to enjoy the sin that had consumed her? She tried to reason with herself and tell herself that it was only a dinner. But that thought brought her no contentment so she shoved it to the back of her mind. She didn’t want to think about her actions. And deep down, she knew that no matter what her reasoning was, she could never justify her wrongdoings.

She breathed out happily. "I love the way you look, I love the way your jaw clenches when you're angry, I love the way your eyes hold this intensity that draws people in. I love your smile that is so perfect, it hurts to look at. I love the way you tap your foot when you're impatient or how you give a crooked grin when you're teasing. I love how your eyes dance when you're excited... But most of all, I love how you recite Quraan."

Suhayl flashed her another perfect smile and Aliya was sure that she was going to float away on her happy cloud any second.

But Suhayl too felt a sharp pang in his heart. He was committing a sin by merely being in her presence, especially because he was so attracted to her. But in that moment, Suhayl didn’t want to think about his actions.

*

They concluded their dinner and Aliya gazed at the city sprawled beneath them. Suhayl got up and held out his hand. "Shall we?" He asked.

"Where are we going?" Aliya asked.

"For a walk along the terrace walkway. The view is beautiful."

Aliya took his hand and felt her heart explode with more fireworks. How did he make her feel that way every single time? He led her towards the walkway and they slowly started to walk.

"So how is your brother? I've been meaning to get hold of him."

"He's good. He always asks about you but I always complain about you," Aliya responded with a glimmer in her eye.

Suhayl laughed. "Pass my salaams to him."

"I will... What about your family? I haven't heard about them."

"I guess I never got a chance to really speak about them. My mum is Indian and my dad is Turkish. I have two sisters who are both younger than me. Mariam and Asma.

"How old are they?"

"They're twins, they're both twenty."

"Oh wow! That must be so exciting."

"It is. But when they were younger they used to pretend to be each other. It was frustrating for everyone but us. We can easily tell them apart. Do you have any other siblings except for Ameer? And what about your dad?"

"No, it's just me and Ameer. My dad is a financial advisor."

As they continued to chat, Aliya realised again that tonight had been a date and as wonderful as it had been, it had also been completely haraam. She shook her head, she didn’t want to think about her actions right now.

A soft wind blew and Aliya's hair lifted in the breeze.

"Just stand right there," Suhayl said.

"Why?"

He pulled out his phone. "You're a vision. I have to capture this moment." He snapped the picture and looked at it. "Wow," he breathed. "Look at this. This is picture-perfect."

Aliya looked at it. She had to admit that it wasn't a bad picture. She looked kind of nice. "Not bad," she said.

Suhayl looked at her incredulously. "Not bad? You are perfect."

"Thank you. Aliya smiled as they walked along. "So maybe Amanda was right to be jealous," she said lightly, as she tried to change the subject before things got too intense again.

•Chapter 22•

Suhayl laughed. "I think so. It's our own faults though. We used to exchange many secret looks when we started to get along."

Aliya giggled. "I know. But she really tried hard to get your attention. You just didn't give in. You must be used to all the attention you get though. You can't tell me that you're oblivious to your incredibly good looks."

Suhayl sighed. "How do I say this without sounding like I'm full of myself? Okay, so I always was aware that I wasn't ordinary looking. I would have loved to be unaware of it but ever since I was little, people would always compliment me. At first, I thought it was normal but then people would say things like 'he is the most beautiful child I have ever seen' or things like that. People would favour me and I started to realise that. I hated it. I didn't want to be favoured based on the way I look. So I always felt like I had to work extra hard. And I did. I felt like I needed to prove myself. And still, I try to ignore all the attention I get. It can get incredibly uncomfortable. I hate walking into a room and every person turns to stare. I hear the whispers, I see the pointed looks. I've learnt to live with it and ignore it. In fact, I've become such a pro, I don't notice when girls throw themselves at me anymore. I thought Amanda was throwing herself at me because that's her personality. I didn't think she was in love with me. And that's the thing. A lot of people fall for me, based solely on my looks. Not for the person I am. I am so much more than my outer appearance. Allah has blessed me, I know and I am grateful. But life is not only about the physical features of someone."

Aliya nodded. "Well, I hate to admit that when I saw you for the first time, I couldn't help but stare. And then I had to tell my friend, Zakiya, about you. Turns out that you're well-known at the office and very well-liked. She already knew that you're Turkish-Indian and single. Every single female at the office has a crush on you."

Suhayl sighed before flashing a grin at Aliya. "Does that make you jealous?" He asked teasingly.

Aliya swallowed nervously. "Actually, it kind of does. Knowing that the man I...love is loved by everyone else. It's nerve-wracking. It's a hit to my self-esteem. I feel like I'm lucky to be your chosen one."

Suhayl turned serious and turned to face her. He took both his hands into hers. "Don't ever feel that way. If anything, I am the lucky one. And I promise you one thing, I am faithful. I will never break your trust. I will never be unfaithful."

"You could be if you want to. You could be a playboy."

Suhayl laughed. "That's not me. Trust me. I was never one to jump from woman to woman."

Aliya nodded thoughtfully. "I still feel like I am so so lucky to be the one you chose. I never in a million years thought that you would choose me."

"No. Because you're the one who chose me. You made me the lucky one. I didn't think that you would ever reciprocate my feelings."

Aliya raised her eyes to meet him. " Really?" She breathed.

"Yes, really. You are my dream girl. You are everything that I have ever wanted. You're strong-willed, you stand up for what you believe in, you're kind, you're caring, you're incredibly intelligent, you're a hard worker, you're innovative, you're beautiful... And your smile... Your smile is the single most beautiful thing on this planet. When you smile at me, my world stops."

Aliya broke into a grin. "You're the first person I have ever fallen in love with."

Suhayl looked at her in shock. "You're kidding."

"I'm serious."

"You can't tell me that guys haven't fallen all over themselves for you."

Aliya laughed. "My life is not like yours. Yes, there were guys that liked me but I was never interested. I was a nerd. I only cared about academics."

"Well, I'm glad to know that I am the only owner of your heart."

"What exactly do we do now?" Aliya asked.

"If I mention the M word, will it scare you off?"

"Marriage?" Aliya asked

"Yes."

"No, it won't."

"I'm not getting much younger and my mum has been begging me to get married. She said back home there are so many suitors who are ready to marry me but I’m not interested and I’ve never been interested. She'll be thrilled if I tell her that I found someone."

Aliya laughed. "I'm still young and my mum tells me the same thing."

Suhayl smiled. "We can get to know each other better if you'd like - before we speak about marriage again. But if we’re in love, I want to get married soon because we can’t continue to indulge in sin."

"I think that's a good idea."

*

Later that evening, Suhayl dropped Aliya off. Aliya turned to face him. "I had an incredible time," she said softly.

"Me too. Thank you for this," Suhayl said before taking her hand into his.

"Thank you. The food was amazing but the company was even better."

"I love you," Suhayl whispered.

"And I love you," Aliya whispered back. She looked at her house and then looked back at Suhayl. I think it's time for me to go," she said, not bothering to make an effort to leave.

Suhayl smiled. "I don't want to let go. Monday seems so far away."

"I know. I have never waited for a Monday before."

Suhayl sighed. "I want to be with you every minute of every day."

"Me too... Wait, what are we going to do about all the projects we're working on together?"

"It shouldn't be a problem because I won't give feedback on you. I'll ask the directors to do that. We'll probably have to finish everything we're already working on together before they tell us that we are no longer allowed to work with each other."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll miss you as my manager."

"Suhayl laughed. "Did you really hate working with me?"

"You have no idea. And then things improved and I loved it. Well, before Amanda caused all those issues."

After a few minutes, Aliya and Suhayl bid farewell and as Aliya walked into the house, guilt washed over her. Every moment that she had spent with Suhayl tonight was haraam. She knew that...and she felt guilty. But at the same time, she knew that she was too weak to walk away.

Suhayl too, felt guilty. He didn’t want to indulge in haraam. He knew he should be more cautious. But sometimes, humans err before they realise their mistakes.

*

Monday couldn't come fast enough. Aliya was giddy with excitement. She couldn't wait to see Suhayl. She practically ran to the elevators. But today, those elevators seemed to be taking extra long to open up. The moment they opened up, she pressed the number seven and the close door. But just before the elevator closed, someone's hand stopped it. Aliya inwardly groaned until she saw who it was.

She burst into a smile as Suhayl entered the elevator.

"The love of my life," he said as he stared at her, a smile coming to his face.

Aliya blushed. "This weekend was painfully long."

"I know. It just wouldn't end. I missed you so much." He put his briefcase down and took Aliya's hand into his.

"What if someone sees?" Aliya asked worriedly.

"Sees what? That I’m in love with you? Let them. I want to tell the world that I'm in love with you!"

Aliya giggled. "Yes, but we first have to let them know that we're together. We don't want to get into trouble."

Suhayl sighed. "You're right." He dropped her hand.

"I missed you too, by the way," Aliya said with a grin.

Suddenly the elevator jerked and came to a stop. Aliya and Suhayl exchanged glances.

•Chapter 23•

"We're stuck in the elevator again," Suhayl said with a gleam in his eye.

"I'd rather be stuck here with you than with anyone else. Remember the first time we got stuck? We started fighting."

"We were always fighting," Suhayl said with a laugh.

"For such a huge company, I'm surprised they have this many elevator issues," Aliya mused.

"Tell me about it." Suhayl looked into Aliya's eyes. "I want to hug you," he whispered.

Aliya could no longer contain herself. She pulled him in for a hug and felt as if her world had exploded into little clouds. "I love you," she murmured.

His strong arms encircled her waist. She was clearly standing on her tiptoes, trying to gain some height but she only reached Suhayl's chest. He took a deep breath as her scent infiltrated his nose. He could stay like this forever. "I love you too." He slowly released his arms from around Aliya. “We can’t do this, not yet.”

She pulled her arms away. “I know.”

“I love you so much! But no matter how much we love each other, we can't allow ourselves to get caught up in the moment. Not until we're married,” he said with a wink.

Just then, the elevator jerked again and the two stepped away from each other. When the elevator doors opened, they stepped out.

Aliya felt breathless. She tried to act nonchalant but it was so hard. She had a goofy smile on her face and when she looked at Suhayl, he also had a wide smile on his face.

"Wipe that smile off your face," Aliya whispered to Suhayl as they walked together.

"I can't."

Aliya tried to hide her smile. "People are going to wonder what happened in there if we both keep smiling like this!"

Suhayl laughed. "I'll see you later," he whispered in her ear. "Love you."

A giddy shiver ran through Aliya as she slowly walked to her desk. Suhayl had such a crazy hold over her, it was almost unbelievable.

Zakiya took one look at Aliya and knew that something was up. "So are you going to tell me what's going on or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean! You look like someone who just won the lottery."

Aliya grinned. "Ask no questions, hear no lies!"

"Oh no... You're not going to keep this to yourself. Now spill!"

"Okay, okay, okay. So I don't know if you heard but on Friday, Suhayl and I exposed Amanda. Turns out she set me up."

Zakiya rolled her eyes. "I know. You told me that on Saturday!"

"I did?"

"Yes! I called you! Don't you remember?"

Aliya smacked her head. "I completely forgot."

"So what else has you this happy and this absentminded?"

Aliya could no longer contain herself. "Suhayl and I went out on Friday."

"You didn't tell me this on Saturday!"

"I know. I was keeping it to myself. So initially, he took me out to apologise for everything. From the way he acted to the way he treated me, to not believing me... Anyway, we basically admitted our feelings for each other."

"WHAT?" Zakiya practically shouted as she gained a few annoyed looks from people around her.

"Shhhh..."

"Sorry," Zakiya whispered. "What do you mean by your feelings for each other?"

"We're in love with each other!"

"WHAT?"

"Can you please keep it down?" Aliya said with a grin.

"Sorry... When did you realise that you were in love with him?"

"On Friday. After everything happened. I realised that I've been crazy about him for a long time. I just refused to confront my feelings!"

"I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Aliya asked.

"I knew you had a thing for him! It was so obvious! I was wondering when you'd finally realise it! Does he make you happy?" Zakiya asked.

"Happier than I have ever been," Aliya whispered.

"Then I hope you two get married!"

Aliya grinned. "Who knows? That could happen sooner than we thought."

"What do you mean?"

"If things go well, we don't want to wait too long before we decide to get married."

Zakiya squealed in delight and Aliya blushed. "Shhhh! We can't make it public yet!"

*

Aliya got home one day, a huge smile on her face. "Assalaamualaykum!" She sang as she entered the house.

Ameer looked at her suspiciously before responding to her greeting. "What's going on with you?" He asked.

"Nothing. What would be going on?" Aliya asked innocently.

"A few days ago you looked like you were ready to hurt someone and now you look ready to hug someone."

Aliya grinned. "Can't I just be happy?"

"I'm happy that you're happy but I can tell that something is going on. Not too long ago, your work life sucked and now everything seems like it's hunky-dory."

Aliya sighed happily. "Okay, fine! I'll tell you. But listen before you say anything okay?"

"Fine." Her brother crossed his arms and looked at her questioningly.

Aliya began by explaining what had happened with Amanda and how she had been framed.

Ameer blew out a breath. "Wow..."

Aliya nodded. "So things are finally good again."

Ameer narrowed his eyes. "But that's not the only reason you're so happy."

"Ugh! Fine!" Aliya said, crossing her arms. She could never hide anything from Ameer. "My relationship with Suhayl has improved..."

"By how much?"

Aliya looked away. "So much so that we fell in love."

Ameer fell silent and Aliya looked at him, afraid of what he may say. For a long time, neither one of them said anything. Ameer finally broke into a grin. "So when is the wedding?"

"Shhh! I haven't even told mum and dad yet!"

"You should! You have a great guy. I can personally vouch for him."

Aliya grinned. "Don't say anything to mum and dad yet."

"I won't but you have to promise to tell them soon."

"I will! I promise!"

"So how exactly did you guys fall in love?"

Aliya sighed happily. "Turns out that my hatred towards him was misdirected and misinterpreted."

"And his hatred towards you?"

"Pretty much the same thing. He mentioned something about promising himself to never fall in love again..." Aliya trailed off. "He still didn't tell me why though."

"Oh yes... He’ll tell you when his ready."

Aliya looked down at her hands. She had tried to bring up the subject but each time she did, Suhayl would quickly change the subject. Aliya was beginning to grow more and more curious.

•Chapter 24•

The days passed by and Aliya was permanently on cloud nine. She and Suhyal were almost always seen together and people began to think that they were actually together. They knew that they would eventually have to make their relationship public. And once it was public, they couldn't keep it a secret from anyone much longer. Their directors knew so they were still safe.

Suhayl and Aliya were eating lunch one day when Suhayl said, "So, I told my parents about you. My mum is so so happy. She can't wait to meet you. They want me to ask your parents for your hand in marriage."

Aliya broke into a grin. "That's good to hear."

"They want to come this weekend."

Aliya gaped. "That's in three days!"

"I know."

"But...I'm not ready!"

"Ready for what?" Suhayl asked.

"Marriage!"

"Why not? I love you and you love me. We want to spend our lives together. We both financially stable, we know each other well and we still love each other. We've discussed our future in detail. Besides, you know as well as I do that our relationship is completely haraam. What more are you waiting for?"

Aliya crossed her arms. "For starters, you still haven't told me what happened the last time you were in love."

Suhayl stiffened. "I promised that I would tell you."

"So tell me now."

"Why do you want me to ruin this moment?"

"You keep saying that and deflecting!" Aliya cried in frustration.

Suhayl sighed. "I know and I'm sorry but I'll tell you. Just not now."

"Then when? After we're married?"

"No..."

"So then when?" Aliya asked, pushing the issue.

"Soon."

Angrily, Aliya pushed back her chair and got up. "It seems like you're hiding something!"

"No, I-"

She spun on her heel and walked away. She was upset. Did he not trust her enough? Did he not want to share his secrets? Was is really that bad?

For the rest of the day, she avoided Suhayl. He tried to call her multiple times but she refused to take any of his calls. Eventually, he tried emailing her.

Suhayl: Can we please talk?
Aliya: Now you want to talk?
Suhayl: Aliya... Look, I'm sorry. I know that I should tell you.
Aliya: So then why won't you?
Suhayl: I don't like speaking about it.
Aliya: I understand but you did say that you would tell me.
Suhayl: I'll tell you tomorrow...

Suhayl sighed. Eventually, he would have to face his demons. He would have to tell his story out loud. He had never told anyone his story before. It made him feel vulnerable, it made him feel as if he was letting his guard down and he wasn't sure how he could protect his heart. It was weird, because it almost felt like his silence was the armour for his heart. He had bared so much with Aliya, and if he had to reveal this secret of his, he would be baring his heart, his soul, his entire essence. It was unnerving but he also knew that he had to do it. If he wanted to spend his life with Aliya, he had to share his secret. For both of their sanities.

Aliya felt frustrated. She knew that she was acting slightly out of character by throwing a tantrum over this but she had had enough. Suhayl always deflected the conversation when she brought it up. She wanted to know what happened that was so bad. What had happened that forced him to close his heart to love all of these years? Because if she could, she would protect him. She would protect his heart and she would ensure that he never felt that way again.

*

The next day, Aliya waited for Suhayl in his office on the plush sofa. He had scheduled a meeting with her before office hours so that he could tell her everything. He walked into the office with two coffees in his hands.

"Good morning, beautiful," he murmured as he handed Aliya one of the coffees. "Here you go, just the way you like your coffee. One creamer, a dash of vanilla syrup and one sugar."

Aliya couldn't help but smile. He already knew her so well. "Thank you," she whispered before breathing in the delicious scent that wafted through the air with Suhayl's arrival. It was a mixture of fresh coffee and Suhayl's intoxicating cologne.

"Feeling better today?" He asked.

"Well, that depends on you," Aliya replied.

Suhayl took a deep breath and slowly lowered himself on the sofa. "Here goes," he muttered to himself.

Aliya looked at him expectantly.

Suhayl looked at his coffee and began speaking. "I was just nineteen years old when I fell in love. It was with an older woman. A much older woman. For the first time, it had felt as if someone had liked me because of me and not only because of the way I looked. I thought she listened to me, I thought she loved me for me. I thought she loved the way I thought. But I was just a nineteen year old kid. What did I know? I was convinced that I would marry her, I was convinced that she was the perfect woman for me.

And then one day, my whole world came crashing down. I had proposed to her. I bought her a ring and everything. It was a small ring with a tiny diamond. At that point, it was all I could afford and I had still found it expensive. And that day, as I was on one knee, proposing to her and baring my heart to her, she laughed in my face.

She told me that I was just her play toy but I was too stubborn to get intimate with her. But that wasn't the worst of it. She dropped a bomb when she told me that she was married. She said that she could never love me for me. That I was an immature kid and she needed a man. She told me that she just loved me for my physical features. Then she called her husband and told him that I was pursuing her and I refused to leave her alone even though I knew she was married. It was all a lie though. I had never known that she was married. She had told me that she was single. She made me believe that love was nothing but an illusion.

And that’s why I took the rumour so badly. Because something similar had happened in the past. But the difference was that I didn’t know she was married."

Suhayl paused and took a deep breath as he recalled the story. "I was devastated and she didn't care. Her husband came to me and he threatened me. He told me that he would kill me if I continued seeing his wife. He beat me up pretty well. I had a blue eye for weeks. How could I tell people that it was the husband of the woman that I thought that I had loved?

I had believed that she had a pure heart, but I was so so wrong. She played dirty. She ripped my heart out and crushed it. And she enjoyed every second of it.

And then four years ago, she approached me again. I was older and a little more wiser. She told me that she and her husband were divorced and that we could finally be together again. She said that she had said she didn't love me because she was sure that her husband was listening in on her conversation. She said that everything she told me, was only for her husband's benefit. So that he would believe that she was not having an affair.

I almost believed her but then I remembered everything that she had said to me. I remembered how I had fallen in love with a woman who had lied to me. I remembered that she was the reason I was involved in someone's marriage. I went to her husband and told him what had happened and he told me that his wife wanted to leave him for years. That they weren't actually divorced and that she wanted me to be the reason they got divorced. When she came to me again, I shut her off and told her that I didn't want to have anything to do with her. She got angry. She threatened to kill me. But I didn't care. Eventually, her husband came to collect her and they left.

I haven't seen her since then. Last year, I learnt that she had met up in an accident and that she had died.

All those years I had believed that I was in love with her. But I don't think it was love. I was in love with the idea that she loved me for me. Because now that I've experienced true love, I know what love is. It's unconditional, it's what I feel for you."

•Chapter 25•

As Aliya watched Suhayl speak, her heart went out to him. She knew that he was baring his soul to her, she knew that it was probably very very hard to talk about. So when he finished speaking, she silently pulled him in for a hug.

"I promise to look after your heart," she whispered into his ear. "I will never allow you to feel that way again. I can promise you that. Thank you for telling me. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to relive those moments."

Suhayl untangled himself from their embrace and took Aliya's hands. "Thank you for listening. I feel like a giant burden has been lifted off my shoulders. I thought I'd feel more unsafe but I have never felt safer. Thank you for being the one who has calmed and destroyed the volcano in my heart. It was always there, albeit dormant. And then you came and you got rid of it completely."

Aliya smiled. "I love you so much, Suhayl. You're the only man that has ever infiltrated my heart and claimed it the way you did." She looked down, feeling horrible about how she had acted yesterday. "I'm so so sorry for yesterday and for always pushing you to speak about this."

"No, don't apologise. I'm glad you got me to speak about it. I always thought that it would ruin my mood and make me feel terrible but on the contrary, I feel a thousand times lighter. Thank you for pushing me to face my fears."

Aliya cleared her throat and looked down shyly. "Are we really on for this weekend?"

Suhayl smiled. "That's if you still want me."

Aliya looked into his eyes. "I will never stop wanting you."

"Then tell your mum to expect a call from my mother tonight. They'll come down for the weekend and we'll probably come over on Sunday afternoon."

Aliya nodded as a blush creeped up her neck. "I'm kind of excited," she whispered.

Suhayl laughed. "As am I. Now I think it's time to make our relationship public."

Aliya gaped at him. "What? Now?"

"Yes, it's the perfect time."

"But then people might have a lot to say."

"They can say what they want. I've been thinking of resigning and starting my own company. Over the years, I've made some good investments. I'm thinking of going into property development. With the knowledge and experience I've gained over the years, I'm sure that I can do this. And I don’t think this is the environment I want to spend my life in."

Aliya broke into a smile. "That's amazing news!"

"And if you want, once your internship comes to an end, I could use your skills and expertise in the business."

"So you always want me to work for you?" Aliya asked teasingly.

Suhayl laughed. "Once we’re married, you'll probably be the boss so I'll be working for you."

"Hey!"

"Don't mention my plans to anyone just yet."

"My lips are sealed."

*

Later that day, Aliya called Ameer.

"I want to tell mum and dad about Suhayl and I'd like it if you and Naseeha are there," she told her brother.

"It's about time! Okay, what time?"

"Say around five?"

"Has he spoken to his parents?"

"Yip, and they want to come over for a formal proposal this weekend."

"Okay, what's Suhayl's number? I want to have a chat with him."

Aliya gave Suhayl's number to her brother and hung up. A few minutes later, Ameer called Aliya.

"So, I'm coming to your company in ten minutes to meet Suhayl. You're more than welcome to join us."

"Okay..." Aliya said in surprise. "Why?"

"Hey, even if the guy my sister is interested in was my friend, I need to make sure he actually deserves her."

Aliya smiled. "Awww!"

"Don't get all mushy on me now," Ameer said jokingly.

"My big brother actually cares about me!"

"Okay, okay... I'll see you in a few."

Aliya hung up and took a deep breath, hoping that this would go well.

A few minutes later, she saw Suhayl walking towards her.

"Are you joining me and your brother?" He asked.

Aliya nodded. "Yeah, but you go on ahead. I'll give you two a few moments to bond."

Suhayl looked at Aliya and smirked. "You want us to bond or you want your brother to interrogate me?"

Aliya shrugged innocently. "Same thing."

Suhayl rolled his eyes good naturedly. "See you soon, babe."

"Shhhh!"

"What?"

"Don't call me babe so loudly!" Aliya whispered.

Suhayl winked. "Why not? You're my soon to be wife."

Aliya glared at him before breaking into a smile. "Okay, okay. Now go!"

She watched with bated breath as Suhayl walked away. She was itching to join them but she wanted to give them a few minutes. It was years since they last saw each other.

After about fifteen minutes, Aliya made her way to the coffee shop on the ground floor. Suhayl and Ameer were laughing away, a clear indication that the two really were friends.

Cautiously, Aliya made her way to their table and smiled. She suddenly felt nervous. "I see you two have met," she said as a joke, hoping to calm her own nerves.

Ameer laughed. "So this is the guy you couldn't stop speaking about?" He asked his little sister.

Aliya felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment. "I didn't speak about him...that much."

Ameer turned to Suhayl. "My sister was always speaking about you. Whether it was complaining about you or telling me how much she hates you or saying she wants to marry you... You've always been a topic of conversation."

Aliya glared at her brother as Suhayl laughed.

"Looks like embarrassing our little sisters are part of our natural composition," Suhayl said to Ameer.

Aliya turned to glare at Suhayl. "I can see the two of you were friends."

Ameer's face softened as he turned to Suhayl. "So I hear the two of you want to get married?"

Suhayl nodded slowly before leaning on the table and interlinking his hands. "Ameer, look... Aliya and I may not have always gotten along. But we both realised that it wasn't hatred. It was love. I'm in love with your sister and I promise that I will spend my life taking good care of her. She is everything to me. When she hurts, I hurt. She's the girl of my dreams. She's my whole life." As he said those words, he turned his gaze from Ameer to Aliya.

And when Aliya returned his intense gaze, she felt like the entire world disappeared. It was jus the two of them and their hearts were occupied in a passionate dance.

Ameer leaned forward. "Okay, you two. Calm down! I'm still here."

Aliya looked away, embarrassed. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Ameer sighed. "I know you, Suhayl. And I know people that know you. No one has anything bad to say. The only person who has ever said anything bad about you was my sister. So the fact that she can overlook all of that, I can too."

Aliya grinned at her brother. "Does that mean you're happy for us?"

"Yes. I couldn't have chosen someone better for you. But I have one request."

Suhayl looked at Ameer quizzically. "What is it?"

"Get married soon. Your relationship is haraam. Save your blessings for your marriage. I understand that you work together, but try and stay away from each other. You don't want the blessings to leave you relationship."

Suhayl nodded in agreement. "We can make nikaah in a week."

Aliya choked. "What? A week?"

•Chapter 26•

Aliya took a deep breath and looked at Ameer. Suhayl was going to come with his parents any moment. When Aliya had told her parents about Suhayl three nights ago, her parents had been ecstatic. Ameer added his positive input as well and Aliya's parents were stoked that their daughter was finally considering marriage.

The doorbell rang and Aliya took another deep breath. Her mother opened the door and ushered the Demir family in. Aliya stood up and made her way to greet them. It was the first time that she was going to meet their family. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Suhayl's twin sisters. Good looks definitely ran in their family. They were the most beautiful girls she had ever seen and both of them had large, excited smiles on their faces.

They all looked at Aliya curiously and she quickly smiled at everyone except Suhayl. She knew that if she looked at him, she might just lose her senses.

Suhayl's mother, Zainab, embraced Fatima, Naseeha, and then Aliya. She looked at Aliya in appreciation. "Is this the beautiful Aliya?" She asked.

Fatima nodded. "This is my Aliya. And this is my son, Ameer, and my daughter in law, Naseeha."

Zainab grinned. "This is Suhayl and these two are my daughters, Mariam and Asma."

Fatima greeted everyone and then ushered them to the lounge. Once everyone was settled, an awkward silence followed before Suhayl's father, Hasan, spoke up in his heavy Turkish accent. "As you are well aware... Our son, Suhayl, wants to...uhhh...marry your daughter."

Suhayl looked away, awkwardly. He wasn't sure how this was meant to work. He glanced at Aliya who was also shifting uncomfortably. Another moment of silence followed before Adam, Aliya's father, spoke up in a stern tone. "I assume the two of you made istikhara already?"

Aliya looked at Suhayl, wondering if he did. She had completely forgotten to discuss that with him. She shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat. "Ummm, I did."

Suhayl looked at her in surprise, he had no idea that she did. "I did too and alhumdullillah, it was positive.”

"What do you do, Suhayl?" Adam asked.

"I'm a senior manager at Rone. I'm hoping to branch out and start my own company one day, In-Sha-Allah."

Adam nodded approvingly. "Well, my son has only good things to say about you and he knows you well enough to give a good reference."

Zainab then turned to Aliya with a big smile. "How did you and Suhayl meet?"

"At work. I was actually assigned to one of his projects. We actually didn't get along very well at first."

"Now they can't live without each other," Ameer added.

Aliya and Suhayl both turned to look at him, unsure what to say.

A long silence followed and then Mariam let out a small giggle. Everyone turned to stare at her as she began to laugh loudly. Asma joined her and before long, everyone else had joined in.

"The look on both your faces!" Asma said, bursting into a fit of giggles again.

"Suhayl went as red as a tomato!" Mariam chimed in.

After everyone calmed down, Suhayl cleared his throat nervously. "I guess I have to do this right." He turned to Adam. "Uncle Adam, Aunty Fatima, will you allow me the honour of marrying your daughter and will you give me your blessings?"

Fatima broke into a huge grin and even Adam looked impressed. Adam spoke up, "Yes, Suhayl. You have our permission to marry Aliya and you have our blessings."

"Now that that's out of the way, when do you two want to get married? Fatima asked.

"We can have a small nikaah next week," Suhayl said.

Aliya's jaw dropped open. She didn't think that Suhayl had been serious when he said that earlier. "Next week?" She squeaked.

Asma squealed in delight. "Yay! I can't wait for a family wedding."

"But I don't even have a dress-"

"You'll find one." Fatima interrupted. "Next week it is."

*

Aliya sighed. She was on her way to work and her thoughts were running crazy in her mind. She had no idea why everyone had agreed on such an early date. She felt overwhelmed and unprepared. She needed a dress, she needed to prepare... There was so much to get done.

She parked her car and jumped out just as Zakiya pulled up next to her.

Aliya waited for her friend to park and get out of the car before she pounced on her with her big news. "You will never guess what happened!"

Zakiya stared at her. "What?"

"Suhayl came to propose, my parents love him and we're getting married next week," Aliya said in a rush, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

Zakiya dropped her keys in shock. "WHAT?" She let out an excited squeal. "I'm so excited!"

Just then, Suhayl walked up. "Excited about what?" He asked.

"Congrats!" Zakiya chirped happily. "I'm so happy for the two of you! It's about damn time that you tie the knot."

Suhayl looked at Aliya with a teasing smirk. "I see you're excited to tell people now?" He turned to Zakiya. "Yesterday she was freaking out."

Aliya glared at Suhayl. "I just told Zakiya. She's not people. She's been my best friend since we were little."

Zakiya nodded. "I'm the one that knows everything about her, in case you want to know anything," she said with a wink.

Aliya rolled her eyes. "How is it that two of my favourite people bother me so much?"

"It's because we love you," Zakiya said.

Suhayl grinned. "She's not wrong."

*

Within hours, the entire office knew that Aliya and Suhayl were getting married in a week. Most of the girls had been incredibly jealous, but were pretending to be happy for Aliya. She had heard some of the things they had said. Aliya groaned and put her head in her hands.

"What's wrong?" Suhayl asked in concern as he walked up to her desk.

Aliya just groaned again before mumbling something.

"I can't hear you."

She looked up. "I knew a lot of people wanted you but I didn't know just how much."

"What do you mean?"

"All morning girls are congratulating me but saying things they think I can't hear."

"Like what?"

"Like I was always so desperate for your attention and I did things to make sure you noticed me and silly things like that."

"Pay no attention to them. You know how much people like to gossip in this place."

"I know. I just wish that they knew that we both fell in love with each other. Not that I made you fall in love with me with ridiculous tactics."

Suhayl cleared his throat and loudly said, "Hey everyone!"

"What are you doing?" Aliya asked.

"I'm making it clear that I fell in love with you," he whispered. He turned back to the office. "I'm sure most of you heard that Aliya and I are engaged. I would appreciate it if you stop making assumptions about our relationship. And besides, I fell in love with her a very long time ago. Now please, continue working and stop using this office as a gossip channel."

There was a soft murmuring after Suhayl spoke. Aliya looked at him and groaned again. "Now they going to think that I can't fight my own battles."

"Why do you care what they think?"

"Because my name has been dragged through the mud one too many times in this place."

Suhayl glanced at her. "No one, and I mean no one, can say something about you and get away with it. I promise you that I will hold them to account."

Aliya smiled at her fiancé. He always knew just what to say to make her feel better.

"Besides, don't we leave all of these matters in Allah's hands? Have tawakkul."

•Chapter 27•

Aliya and Suhayl's wedding had been a beautiful, intimate affair. Fatima and a highly pregnant Naseeha had organised everything. In a purely elegant style, their back yard held a large tent which was draped in layers and layers of soft ivory tulle with simple flowers decorating the place. Soft fairy lights were placed strategically within the layers of tulle, giving it a magical feel.

Large flower garlands hung from the tent, creating an even more beautiful atmosphere. The attention to detail was shocking. From the way the flowers were tied together to the encrusted embellishments that lightly decorated the wooden tables.

Aliya gasped when she saw how beautiful everything looked. She had no idea that her mother and sister-in-law and put in so much of effort into her reception. Naseeha caught Aliya staring at the tent in awe.

"Aliya! Come on! You need to get ready!"

Aliya gaped in wonderment at her surroundings. "How did you do all of this? And you're pregnant! This was probably taxing in you!"

Naseeha laughed. "No, it wasn't. I literally sat the whole time while I gave the catering guys all my orders."

Aliya turned to her sister-in-law with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much. Everything is so perfect. You're a gem of a person and I'm so lucky to have you in my life."

Naseeha smiled. "I love you. Now it's time for you to get ready. Don't make me boss you around too!"

As Aliya allowed herself to be fussed over by her mum, Naseeha and Zakiya, she gave a sigh of contentment. Everything was perfect.

But there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head which she finally unravelled.

Allah had blessed her with Suhayl even though she was so flawed. After all, she had worked with Suhayl when he wasn't halaal to her, she had touched him, she had spent time alone with him, she had looked at him with an intense attraction. She knew that it was all haraam and she prayed for forgiveness.

After all, Suhayl was meant for her. Even if she had lived at the opposite end of the earth, she was still meant to marry him. So why had she sinned? Why had she allowed her desires to take over her heart?

It is only human nature to sin. But just like it is human nature to indulge in wrongful acts, it is also human nature to feel the guilt of indulging in forbidden acts and asking Allah for forgiveness.

And how merciful is our Lord? We sin and we anger Him, yet He still grants us happiness.

*

Aliya took a deep breath before bracing herself to see her husband for the first time since their nikah was performed. Suhayl was waiting for her in the tent, along with both of their families.

Aliya looked beautiful in her simple lace gown. Her hair was perfectly pinned up and her makeup was natural. She sighed softly as her heart began to pound in her chest. She was excited and nervous to see Suhayl.

She slowly walked in and had to suppress her gasp as her eyes met Suhayl's. Perfectly dressed in a three-piece suit, he looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine. Aliya was certain that she had never seen a more beautiful human being than him. He gazed at her with those intense eyes, calling her heart to meet his.

And as Suhayl watched Aliya elegantly walk towards him, he felt his breath get caught in his throat. A wave of emotions overcame him and he couldn't help the single tear of happiness that began to slip out of his eye. He quickly wiped it away as his heart began to pound even faster. The closer Aliya got, the crazier his heart went.

The world disappeared in their union. They stared into each other's eyes, unaware of their audience. And when Suhayl smiled at Aliya, she thought she would faint from the intense feeling of ecstasy.

How could anyone love someone the way she loved Suhayl? Was this type of love even real? Did it even exist or was it just a mere illusion? The intensity of her feelings were overwhelming. Suhayl's love claimed her heart over and over again and she was sure that a love this intense was sinful.

But there is no better love than a love between a husband and wife. Because Allah created this perfect union and it is a union that if broken, shakes Allah's throne. Oh, how beautiful is the relationship between a husband and wife?

"I love you," he whispered.

"And I love you!"

*

Aliya sat on the bed and looked at her husband. Today had been absolutely magical. It was the perfect day and she couldn't have asked for anything better.

"Are you happy?" Suhayl asked her.

"No. Because happy is an understatement. I'm ecstatic. Today was perfect."

Suhayl grinned. "I got to marry the best person I know."

"You really think that?" Aliya asked.

Suhayl took his wife's hand into his. And once again, Aliya felt the fireworks with his touch. But this time, those fireworks were halaal. They were no longer tainted by a haraam relationship. "I think you are the best person I know. You opened my heart when I was so sure that it was permanently closed. You broke down walls of steel and crawled into my dark heart, making it light again. You made me bare my soul to you and instead of feeling vulnerable, I felt safe. You have a power over me. And it's such a beautiful power, I relish in it. I love you, my perfect wife."

Suhayl pulled Aliya into a hug and Aliya was sure that her heart would burst at any second. The feelings that coursed through her were nothing short of magical. She struggled to pull away from his warm embrace but she needed to.

"And you unknowingly entered my heart, making me believe that I hated you. I had fallen for you from the moment I had laid my eyes upon you but as I got to know you, I began to fall deeper and deeper in love with you until I thought that I wouldn't survive. But then you professed your love for me and suddenly, I was no longer drowning, I was soaring. I love you so much, my perfect husband."

Suhayl sighed. "You know, I learned something important."

"What's that?"

"Putting your full reliance in Allah is powerful."

Aliya nodded. "Absolutely..." She trailed off and looked up at her husband. "I remember the day I handed over all my worries to Allah. After that, everything just fell into place."

"Promise me that as long as we live, we will always remind each other to rely in none other than Allah. From today onwards, we will try to never worry because we will hand over all of our affairs to Allah."

"I agree. I love that," Aliya said.

Suhayl smiled. "I wish I could describe how I feel for you."

"I feel the same way so I understand..." She trailed off. "Did I tell you the first time I heard you recite Quraan? You were leading the maghrib prayer."

"Oh?" Suhayl asked questioningly.

"It was the day you and I left the prayer room after maghrib. The same day my car battery died. I remember hearing your voice and falling in love with it. At that moment, I didn't know it was you. It was so melodious, so smooth and velvety, so incredibly effortless. I remember feeling so calm as I listened to you, your voice was soothing and it was just what I needed on that stressful day. And since that day, my ears yearn to be caressed by that voice again. Please recite something for me."

Suhayl smiled at his wife and sat down. He closed his eyes and began to recite the Quraan and as the perfect words filled the room, Aliya wondered how life could get any more perfect. She watched as Suhayl recited the Quraan with earnest concentration and she was sure that at that moment, she was falling even more in love with him.

•Epilogue•

10 years later

The bright morning light streamed into Aliya's office as she took a deep breath, readying herself for her training class. As she got up, her three kids clamoured into her office, giggling loudly. They were followed by her brother's two kids.

Zaina and Zaira were seven-year-old identical twins and Zayyaan was five-years-old. Ameer's two kids were ten and eight and they often loved playing with their cousins.

Aliya gave them a warm smile. "Where's your grandmother?"

"Muhammed, Ameer's ten-year-old, paused as he tried to catch his breath. "She's coming. We climbed the stairs and she's coming in the elevator."

Anisa, Ameer's eight-year-old daughter giggled. "We having a race."

Aliya shook her head. "Why do you always do that do your granny?"

"It's fun!" Zaina and Zaira said in unison.

Just then Suhayl walked in. "Why didn't anyone call me for the party?"

Aliya grinned. "There's no party. I have a training class in ten minutes!"

Aliya was working in Suhayl's successful property development company, which he had named AYILA Properties. The company was actually named after Aliya, with the word Aliya spelt backwards and Suhayl knew that it was the perfect name.

The company was growing every day and it was already making waves in the business world. The two had decided to host a range of business classes, ranging from free classes, to classes that required fees. They had a wide range of classes such as business classes for the female who wanted to empower herself, free female start-up business classes for the single mother, business management for males who work in the informal sector... the list went on.

Aliya would run most of the female classes, with help from Naseeha, Mariam and Asma. As the CEO, many were impressed that Suhayl would actually run some of the free classes. Nobody expected it but it was something he was truly passionate about.

Suhayl grinned. "I'll walk with you to the auditorium." Suhayl had built a huge office building with multiple facilities. His business had become so successful, it had won multiple awards, especially during the start-up phase.

As Fatima, Aliya's mother, walked into the office, clicking her tongue at her grandchildren, Aliya smiled in contentment.

"You can relax in the playroom if you want," she told her mother. "We recently put a bed there for you so that you can lie down while these kids do their own thing."

Fatima nodded. "I think I will. Is Ameer in his office?"

"Everyone is here today," Aliya said.

"Good, I'll stop there and then take these kids to the play room.

Aliya waved to her family and took Suhayl's hand. The two made their way to the auditorium. Today she was giving a free class to single mothers who wanted to start their own home businesses.

She turned to her husband, beaming in happiness. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Suhayl mirrored her expression. "And do you have any idea how much I love you? I can't believe that we are already married for ten years."

Aliya nodded. "So much has changed..."

"Are you referring to how we used to fight before we got married to how we barely fight now?"

Aliya laughed. "Well, that's one thing that's changed. But also how we both had started off in someone else's company to having our own. How we both grew and gained wisdom..."

Suhayl smiled. "It's been an amazing ten years and I wouldn't change a single second of it."

"Me too." Aliya glanced at her watch. "Okay, class is about to start soon. You better get going before all the ladies start drooling over you."

Suhayl winked. "Will you get jealous?"

Aliya rolled her eyes. "You're the one that refuses to come into the female classes."

"And you refuse to come into the male classes. Which is just as well. I don't want random men staring at the most perfect woman in the world."

"You're so cheesy sometimes."

"You like it when I'm cheesy."

Aliya grinned. "Yeah, yeah. I really need to start setting up for this class. It's going to start soon."

"I love you." He pecked his wife on the cheek before he walked away.

"Oh, and Suhayl?" She called.

He turned around. "Hmmm?"

"I'm not jealous because I know you're mine."

Aliya turned away and walked into the class, her heart feeling happy and light. As she began setting up for the class, her mind wandered.

There was a time when nothing seemed to be going her way. It was only when she placed all of her reliance on Allah, did she start to notice such big changes in her life. Her name was cleared and she eventually married the love of her life. She had completed her internship and then began working with Suhayl. And every single time things weren't going okay, Suhayl and Aliya would remind themselves and each other to have tawakkul.

For we are mere mortals and a mere mortal cannot even breath, cannot even see, cannot even hear without the will of Allah. We rely on our Lord, without even realising it. We rely on Him to breathe, to see, to hear, to eat, to walk... But because we are humans, we sometimes forget that we are relying on Allah. Sometimes, we think that we are powerful enough to look after ourselves. We forget that it is Allah who is allowing our hearts to pump and it is Allah who is allowing our lungs to take in air.

For He is Allah. He has to say "be" and it is. He is the Most Powerful, the Infinitely Powerful. And He reminds us to rely on Him in the beautiful Quraan:

"…And upon Allah rely, if you should be believers.” [Quraan 5: 23]

“…Rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” [Quraan 3: 159]

“…And whoever relies upon Allah — then He is sufficient for him.” [Quran 65: 3]"

“…So worship Him and rely upon Him.” [Quraan 11: 123]

Our Nabi (SAW) also reminds us in a beautiful hadith about tawakkul:
“If you all depend on Allah with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return with [a] full belly at dusk.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2344]

When Ebrahim AS had reliance in Allah, the fire became cool. When Yunus AS had reliance in Allah, he survived the belly of a whale. When Yusuf AS had reliance in Allah, he was saved from the well. Are these not lessons to our flawed selves? Are these not reminders that reliance in Allah can make the impossible possible?

Aliya sighed happily. It is only because of Allah that she was where she was. After all, it is He who is Al Qayyum, the Sustainer of all that exists, Al Qadir, the All Powerful, Ar Razzaaq, the One who provides abundantly, Al Wakeel, the Disposer of affairs.

“To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.” (Quraan 4:171)

***End***

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5 comments:

  1. Absolutely hooked... Beautifully written.. Can't wait 4 more.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I don't know if you read the full story yet. I have to still upload it on the blog

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  2. Simply love your stories and this one is as brilliant as the rest!! Too impatient to wait for the chapters to come out on Facebook. You are an incredible author. You need to publish your work!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed the full story!

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  3. Wow so beautiful

    Had me hooked frm the begging

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