ALIYA

Chapter 23 - Aliya

When few days ago Bilal called me on phone I wasn't really surprised the fact that his company had a copy of my documents with them, he could get my contact from there. But the moment he referred to me as Fawad's girlfriend, I became so perplexed because I didn't expect such statement from him.

I wanted calling him after he terminated the call in order to ask him to repeat his words but somehow, I decided not to waste my time. If there was anybody I should query then it had to be Fawad because he might have told Bilal we were dating, but why would he even do that? Well I don't think he would do that.

It might be that Bilal was just teasing me or trying to know my relationship with Fawad. Well there was absolutely nothing between us, we were just like brothers and I loved Fawad just like anybody would love his / her younger sibling. We had known each other since childhood and I could still recall our past.

"Good morning, Aliya" Fawad yawned as he walked over to me in the dining area, he had just came out of his room wearing a shorts and singlet. By the way, he looked like someone that just woke up from sleep.

"Morning" I said sipping the coffee in my hand. "Are you just waking up?" I asked.

"Not really," He said serving himself. "You think I am a sleeping beauty like you huh?"

"Sleeping beauty? I don't sleep that much!" I protested, glaring at him as he began laughing at me. "What's funny?" I asked.

"Nothing" He continued laughing.

"Mtsww, you see why I asked you that day whether you've started drinking or not right?" I said making him to drop his madness.

"If I am drinking, a lot of bad things would have happened in this house" He uttered.

I might not know what exactly he meant by his words but I knew he loved dirty talks, no wonder he chose to be a nurse. He must have been so good in Biology at school, lol. Men like the subject actually, I don't know why but that's where they used to learn dirty talks.

"Bad things are not allowed in this house" I rolled my eyes at him as I took my bag from the table and stood to my feet. "If Balaraba comes out of her room, tell her I am off to work and that she should pound yam today"

"Okay, but why not wait for me to finish so I can give you a ride to..." He said as I cut in. 

"No, thank you!" I said walking towards the door. "I would be late if I should wait for you"

"Okay, how about..." He said as I cut in again.

"That too, thank you!" I said.

******

The time now was quarter to 8am, and just as the cab I boarded dropped me at our Head Office I paid the cabman off and alighted from the vehicle as soon as possible. I disliked being late, not because I might face query but because I loved starting my work in time especially on busy days, and today was Monday!

"Good Morning, ma" The securities greeted me as I walked into the gate, thus I politely replied them and guess what? My eyes landed on Bilal's car at the parking lot, it seemed he had returned back to work. He ought to!

I went to my office and embraced my work until later around 1 in the afternoon the General Manager, Amirah came and began disturbing me with unnecessary gists. She was so loud that I had to tell her to decrease her voice which she amicably did. "How about now, am I still loud?" She sarcastically asked.

"Yes" I sarcastically replied.

"See you" She rolled her eyes at me.

"Thank you" I scoffed at her.

Hence she continued gisting me until she was later called on phone. She left as fast as she could, perhaps it was a call from the upper floor. I huffed and continued my work.

When it was time for Zhur I went into the bathroom in my office, performed ablution, stepped out of it, spread my prayer mat close to my bookshelf and prayed.

After that I left my office to get something to eat. There was a restaurant by the roadside, I used to eat there but not often. Sometimes I just don't used to feel hungry, you know?

Immediately I was outside our Head Office, I spotted Amirah, Bilal, and some staff from engineering department talking. I thought I could walk past them unnoticed but I was so wrong, Bilal dismissed everyone and then stopped me. "Going home already?" He asked gently walking over to me. He had changed actually. I mean, he looked fairer than ever.

"No!" I said taking my eyes off him.

"Okay, where to?" He asked.

"Iya's restaurant" I said hoping to be left alone.

"Oh, okay. Let me escort you" He said and quickly continued. "Please don't say no!"

"But why?" I glared at him, didn't he know I disliked being in the company of his likes?

"Because I want us to talk about something" He huffed, and without uttering another word to him I began walking away. "Hmm, let me take that as a positive gesture" I heard him said.

The restaurant was opposite our premise, which means we would have to cross the busy road that divided us with the place. I knew how to cross roads but not busy roads, after all I was chubby. How on this earth would I be able to cross that road without being hit?

"Novice?" Bilal said pulling me out of my trance, had he been staring at me or what?

"No, I'm not novice" I lied turning my face away from him. And before I knew it, he held my hand firmly and dragged me into the busy road. "Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun..." Was all I kept saying until we finally crossed the road, thus I angrily gave him a dirty slap on his face. What was he really thinking? Was he trying to kill us both or what? What if a moving vehicle had hit us both? Didn't he value his life? Well I valued my own life!

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Good day everyone, how was the chapter?😄

Sorry for the errs, as usual🙏💖