He pushed the door opened, revealing his parents on the dinning eating. Making his way towards them, he greeted them with a salam.
"Brother Amir welcome back," his brother Siddiq said pulling the chair for him. Amir sat down while his Mom thrust the food in front of him.
"Eat up," the woman said with a smile. Total silence was maintained as they eat their food only the sound of plate chattering could be heard. When they're done eating, he helps their Mom with washing the plates, he loves helping his mom. When he was a child, he used to wash plates and help his mom with the cooking. Yasmin stared at her son while he works in the kitchen. Her troublemaker son.
Siddiq came behind her. "Brother is doing the dishes again?" he asked Yasmin turned to her other son.
"Yes, why don't you go and help him" she ushered. All the while Amir didn't notice them standing behind him until he felt a presence by his side.
"Brother let me help you" Siddiq started, taking the bowl that was already halfway washed. Amir watched his brother in surprise. Siddiq is known as the bookworm, he barely gets out room his talk less of helping their mother, he let out a smile seeing this side of his brother. Siddiq is 16 years old, five years younger than Amir.
"Did my brother decided to stop being lazy" Amir pinch the bridge of his nose slightly. Siddiq pressed his face in a fake frown.
"You have started your trouble again like Aunt Zara right?" the boy said, arranging the plates in its rightful place. Talking of Zara, the event of today flashed in his mind, he chuckled remembering how they turned down the whole place with their paint battle. Fishing out his phone, he texted her.
'Hey besty, having a good rest?' The reply came in almost immediately.
'Don't even mention, every joint in my body are in pain right now and instead of Fawwaz to sympathize with me, he decided to tease me more' He remembered their little talk with Fawwaz the other time, how he acted when he asked about the reason he's not interested in having a girlfriend, at that time, he knew he has to step back, he might be the troublemaker as they said, but he knows his limits. He's not the type who gets angry at small things rather a type who try to bring smiles to the faces of people around him. One of the things they have in common with Zara is how friendly they are, you'll hardly see them fight with someone unless that person did something inappropriate to them.
"Make sure you clean up the kitchen when you're done" he patted him on his back while he left the kitchen walking upstairs while replying to Zara.
"Amir" he heard his father's voice. Raising his head from the phone, his father was seated on the couch, with papers laid on the center table. He suddenly felt bad for not noticing his father. trekking to where the man is, he sat down beside his father, keeping the phone inside his pocket, making a mental note to reply to her later.
"Have you gone through the files I gave you the other day?" the father asked.
"Yes Dad, there's nothing you'll ask that I wouldn't give you the answer to" he stated proudly.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," he grinned.
"Okay, then my work will be easy. The meeting has been postponed to Tomorrow so get ready. I want you to prepare your best, you're going to meet a lot of people which I assumed, you read about them" Amir listened while his father explained. To be honest, he's all nervous about the whole thing. Will he do well? What if he messes up?
"I have my full trust in you son, I'll leave this in your hands" he pointed to the papers laid on the center table. Rosing up from his sitting position.
"All your troubles should be on hold for now" he added. Amir chuckle at his father's words.
"Right away father. Good night" The man waved his hands as he glided up. Amir let out a sharp breath. He'll be the managing director of AD hotels within 24 hours. It feels so surreal, seeing his father managing the hotel since his childhood, he took a liking for it and knew one day he'll also work in the office like his father, and the day has finally come. Alhamdulillah. He muttered. He felt the need to share the news with Zara, pulling out the phone, he was about to dial her number when a call came in from an unknown number. His brows cringed in confusion.
"Who could it be?" he muttered sliding the green button and place it to his ear. He heard silence from the other end
"Assalamu Alaikum," he said getting no answer. he repeated again still, he was about to hang up when he heard a slim female voice.
"Wa Alaikum salam," she said in a tiny voice. Curiosity got him again hearing a female voice, where did she get his number from?
"Who is speaking please" he inquired.
"It's sumayya" the lady answered. Sumayya. He repeated. the puzzle suddenly kicked in.
"Oh sumayya, the lady we met at the building the other day right?"
"Yes, Zara gave me your number" Amir's lips form a thin line. So Zara is serious about giving her his number,
"Oh" that's the only word that came out of his lips. An awkward silence fell on them each one with his thoughts. Amir's mind was completely off. He finds himself thinking about her again, The only woman who tangle his heart, the woman he thinks about day and night. He doesn't think there's any woman who can melt his heart because his heart was stolen already by another.
"Hello," he heard her faint voice. He rubbed his hands on his temples, he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he forgot that he's on the phone.
"Yes Sumayya," he said.
"I just wanted to say hello. Good night" her voice came out as a whisper.
"Thank you. Goodnight" pressing the end button, he inhales a sharp breath. Sumayya seems like a nice person. Now how will he tell her, he has someone without hurting her feelings because he knows Zara told her about the matchmaking thing. Suddenly an idea popped up. He dialed Zara's number and she picked up at the second ring.
"Hey besty, sleeping already?" he asked resting his back on the couch.
"Not yet, I'm getting a massage right now" she answered Amir felt something tug at his heart.
"From who?"
"Aunt of course, what are you up to in this night" He heard her talking to Fawwaz about something.
"Preparing for tomorrow, I'll be introduced as the managing director" he feels light-hearted now telling her about it.
"Really?" he could sense her happiness. He hummed in return.
"Masha Allah I'm really happy for you. Then we need to celebrate for both of you"
"With you too for opening up your bakery", he heard her chuckle from the other end.
"Okay then. I wish you good luck make sure you put your troubles on hold for the time being " Amir finds himself smiling. She said the exact things as his father.
"You too. When I start working at the office I'll be coming over every day for my lunch"
"But that's too far from your office and you'll have to pay first"
"What?" he asked sitting more comfortably.
"Yes you heard me, I won't give you lunch free until I find out about the girl you're hiding from me" his smile widen more.
"Okay keep trying and you'll never know her, she's engraved in my heart that no one can see her"
"Whatever, I don't want to talk to you goodnight" she hung up before he could reply. Amir shakes his head, Zara acts childish sometimes. She's really bothered about the girl,
Swiping to his camera roll, he stares at her picture, what he does almost every day before going to bed. He ran his thumb on the picture.
"Good Night" he muttered.