Check at the end of this chapter to find the meaning of foreign words used here.

Enjoy!

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"I have tried, I have tried my best.

But it seems that moving on from here is something, I can't do!"- Ayan Siddique...

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Ayan's POV:

Hope, is the one word I am relying on. Hope, that one day one of my words will affect you. I don't want any confirmation of your feelings. It's just that, one reaction from you, will be enough for me.

The thought that you forgetting my existence for someone else kills me from inside.

Why don't you ever understand Ayaah?

I meant it when I said my breath was stopping the cause of not hearing her voice. But I fear to admit it, I don't wanna ruin what we have!

"Excuse me, Mr. Siddique?" A girl said as I broke out of my trance. I figured out that I was looking at a painting of Ayaah for I don't know how long.

As we are in an art exhibition.

Did I tell you she is an amazing artist?

I see that Ayaah is busy with the people here, showing them her arts.

"You are Mr. Siddique, right? Ayan Siddique?"

Another girl came and asked.

I nodded calmly.

Just then two other girls came to greet me.

What am I? A showpiece in a museum?

"Oh my god! I am a fan of your style. You have looks that can kill. But you look more handsome in real."

I looked at them amused. Well, I know I am good looking and all but never knew I had fans! I was just gonna say thank you and shrug them off. But I see from afar that my tigress is fuming looking at us. I smirked.

Alright, this is gonna be fun!

"Aww! Thanks, darlings, you guys don't look any less pretty!" I said with a cheeky smile. And I could see all of them blush at my comment.

"That's so nice of you Mr. Siddique. Can we get a picture with you?" I could see Ayaah approaching us and I said to them, "Of course!"

They were gonna get their phone out but Ayaah already came there and stood in front of me.

"If you guys don't mind, I would suggest you guys move there. Cause the more interesting paintings are there. And unfortunately, he is not a painting here!" She said to them with a tight smile on her lips.

"Sure." One of them said uninterestingly and irritatedly.

They went to the other side and Ayaah turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on Ayaah! Why did you shoo the pretty girls away? They were interesting." I said biting the inside of my cheek to control the chuckle.

"Mr. Ayan, this is my art exhibition. And you're ruining it!" She said Angrily.

"Sure you were fuming because of that?" I asked smirking

"Ya, what were you thinking?" She said looking here and there

"Nothing, I was just thinking of making one of those girls as my first girlfriend," I said looking at her expressions.

"Ya Allah! Now don't start again! Have some fear of Allah."

"Come on woman. Having a girlfriend doesn't mean that I will do haraam things with her. Of course, I intend to marry her. That's why I am so choosy." I see her expression changing.

"Well, then you aren't gonna marry anybody! Cause your choices are awful"

"Ahh! What made you think that?" I said faking a shock.

"Well the girl you showed interest in last time, says that Twilight is BETTER than Harry Potter! Can you believe it? She should've been buried alive!"

She whispered yelled.

"I guess it's better?" Well, I am not a fantasy kind of person.

"You know what! You should be buried alive with her!" I chuckled as she said that.

Her madness with Harry Potter!

********

I can't get my eyes off of her as she is talking to someone. The way she talks, the way she smiles, her antics when she is nervous, her confidant, her modesty, her rosy cheeks, and her eyes when it sparkles, everything makes her herself.

Ya Allah forgives me, but why did you have to make someone so beautiful?

I have tried, I have tried my best to be away from her, to move on from her. But I guess moving on from her is something I can't do!

Just then my phone rings, I pick it up still in a daze.

"Hello... who's this?" I asked.

"Firoz Siddique." I heard a deep voice.

"Ya, hello Mr. Siddique," I say still looking at Ayaah as she smiled and greeted someone.

"GADHE KE BACHE! Tera BAP hun main"

(You son of a donkey! I am your father)

My eyes got wide! Ya Allah, save me!

"Ya, dad! Salam Alaikum..." I couldn't complete my sentence when my father interrupted,

"You idiot! Where are you? Have you seen the time!"

I checked the time and.. oh shit! It's 11.

"Ya dad, I was just going to the office. It's just that Ayaah couldn't get any cab so I came to give her a lift!"

My dad is way too strict in the matter of business. No matter how well I do in this field, punctuality and discipline are still important for him. So according to him, I should be in the office sharp at 8 a.m. And I am in trouble cause it's 11 now.

"You giraffe sized donkey! Are you planning to drown my company? Don't you know you have a meeting at 11:30... who's gonna be there? Your father?"

I heard his angry voice

"Dad I am coming, just let me say bye to Ayaah"

I said whining.

"Come fast, and don't be late. If I hadn't asked your assistant about you I wouldn't know that you were drowning my company like this!"

"Dad, no one is drowning your company!"

"Ya, don't argue with me now." I sigh,

"And listen, tell Ayaah to come to our home for lunch." I heard him say.

"Okay, I will tell her."

"Oh, and one more thing... remember the verse from the Quran 'Lower you gaze'? Apply that to yourself too!" I could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

I scratched the back of my neck and smiled.

How does he know me so well!

"Okay," I muttered and cut the call smiling.

"Hey, Ayh! " I called her from afar.

"Yeah?"

"I am leaving now. Need to go to the office.. and come home for lunch."

"I will try." She said.

I was leaving, when I remembered something,

"Oii, Ayh!" I called her, as she turned to me,

"We are good right?"

She gave a deadly chuckle, DAMN!

"Ya, we are good." She replied.

"Okay woman! Peace out." I said as I left from there.

*******

I take off my shades as I come out of my car. My bodyguard following me from behind. I don't tag along with my bodyguards when I am with Ayaah as she hates that.

I entered the building and my PA came greeting me. I calmly greeted her back.

"Sir they have just arrived, and waiting for you."

"Tell them to wait a little more I am arriving," I said with my usual poker face as I took long strides and entered the lift.

As we entered the top floor all the employees greeted me with their usual nervous voice. I could see some of them chatting but ignored that, if it would've been some other day I would've fired them. But I am in a good mood today. I don't wanna create a scene.

I entered the meeting room after some time to see

The mains of the other company seated there.

Two women, whom I don't know.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Siddique, I am the CEO of the Iqbal industry, Mahira Iqbal," One of them said with a smile forwarding her hand.

Well, I never met Mahira before but heard of her a lot, but I must say she looks like a confident businesswoman.

"Ayan Siddique," I replied with a straight face but didn't shake my hand with her. I might be in the business world but I maintain my religious values. Islam says not to touch the non-mehrums unless you are married.

She took her hand back with an awkward smile. Well, I don't care if she feels awkward or not, I ain't compromising.

"Please take a seat. And would like to inform you. I am a practicing Muslim so I don't shake hands with the opposite gender/non-mehrums. Sorry if you minded." I said with a poker face.

"No, it's completely okay!" She replied.

"Let's start our meeting then!" I said as the meeting started.

********

The meeting ended on a good note. Mahira has good skills in the matter of business.

"It was nice meeting you, Ms. Mahira. I must say it will be my pleasure to work with you." I said and looked at her.

She seems to be in a trance as I see her smiling looking at me.

"Ms. Mahira?" I said as she seemed to come out of her trance.

"Oh, ya it was nice meeting you too!" She smiled.

"Oh, I will be seeing you tomorrow at the business party I guess?"

"You will, surely!" I noticed a smirk on her face, but I choose to ignore it.

I bid her bye and headed for the masjid as it's already Duhr prayer time.

I don't know why, I felt something odd about Mahira. But I think it's just my hallucinations. The one I should be worried about is Ayaah.

********

Third Person's POV:

Someone on the phone, "I want every information about him, today. Did you get it?"

The call ended...

"I want you!"...

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Some words you may not know:

From the Prologue, 'Nikkah'- An Islamic marriage contract

'Haraam'- which is forbidden in Islam

'Halaal'- which is permitted in Islam

'Inshallah'- If Allah wills it

Duhr- A prayer time.

Salam/salam Alaikum/ Assalamualaikum- May peace be upon you

Wa Alaikum Assalam- May peace be upon you too

Non-mehrums- the people that Islam permits you to have a marriage with.

Mehrums- Husband/wife and the people Islam doesn't allow you to have a marriage with.

Like (Mom, Dad, step-Mom/dad, own blood sister/brother, step-sister/brother, grandma, grandpa, uncles and aunties from both sides of the parent's, a woman who breastfed you,)

These are pretty much the people who are mehrums.

Important note:

Cousins are non- mehrums in Islam. In Islam, you can marry them.

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