His Royal Bodyguard

18: A trip down memory lane

Lailah Dk

After the encounter, I had with Haidar at Hajarahs wedding two weeks ago. I began acting weird around him. By weird I meant, I was behaving extremely professionally. I acted like the dance never happened. Though it was just a dance, the feelings that came with that experience were something I had never felt. Speaking of Hajarahs wedding, she was now leaving with Junaid, her husband in Canada where he resided. I was happy she was happy and couldn't wait to see her soon in sha Allah.

Presently, we were inside Haidar's fathers sitting room. He said he wanted to see Haidar and me. The fact that he added and Dk made me feel uncomfortable. I knew he was a nice man, but now I was feeling uncomfortable around Haidar. It was annoying and I hated the feeling.

"Asalamualaikum" I heard his father's voice. Haidar immediately stood up, I was already standing so there was no need for me to stand again. We both responded to his salam in unison. He smiled at me cheerfully.

"Lailah, it's been a long I've seen you. How have you been my dear?" His father said. I could see the smile on Haidar's face as his father spoke to me. He looked like he had won a lottery or something. What a crazy man.

"I've been good sir," I said.

"Quit with the sir, I'm like a father to you aren't I?" He said and I nodded while muttering a yes.

"Speaking of the word father, How are your parents?. Don't you wish to go and visit them?" He asked. I felt puzzled, the air in my lungs seemed to have begun choking me.

"Uhm, they are D..d..dead your Majesty" It took everything in me to declare that my parents were dead. It had been a long since someone had asked me these questions.

"Oh my Allah, I'm sorry. What happened to them?" He asked. I'm sure he was asking out of care but I wish he had never asked. I looked at Haidar and he looked puzzled. His expression was priceless.

"T...t..they were m..murdered." it took everything in me to push back my tears as I spoke.

"Allahu Akbar (God is great)!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry about that." I heard Haidar say calmly. I looked at him and his eyes looked sad. He didn't look at me but sat there staring at the carpet that lay in the room.

"Uhm Your Highness. Can you please excuse me, I left my phone in the room." I said. I didn't even wait for his reply. I ran out of the living room immediately. I couldn't let the guards see me cry, so I walked at a fast pace towards Haidar's part of the palace. The moment I arrived in the Living room, I collapsed on the floor as tears filled my eyes. The thought of my parents made me sad, the way they were brutally murdered. I will never forget the experience that I had to go through.

"Lailah" I saw a figure walk in. My name rolled out of his mouth in a melodious tone. I looked up and saw Haidar standing before me.

"I...I'm sorry" I uttered. I was still sitting on the ground while wiping my tears. The more I wiped them, the more they flowed. I found myself sobbing a little Loudly and suddenly I was engulfed in a hug. Yeah, Haidar was holding me tightly. I found myself crying more as I held him.

"It's okay. Things happen for a reason."
He said. He patted my back slowly as he said that. He then help my cheeks and raised my chin using his index finger.

"Don't cry, you do not look good when you do. You look like plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants." He said and I burst into laughter. And so did he.

"That's more like it, you look better like this." He joked and I chuckled while we both stood up.

"T...thank you" I managed to say. He patted my shoulder and said, "Anytime."
He smiled genuinely before walking back outside and shutting the door.

At first, I felt like I was seeing a different human. But when I still perceived his perfume on my body, I knew he was truly the one. I couldn't help but smile, his hold made me feel safe. Something I had not felt in a while.

*~*

I was seated in my room. Today when I was reminded of my parent's death, I immediately picked up my diary. It was a blue hardcover book that I have had since I was twelve. In that book, I write letters to my family. Whenever I did that, I feel very close to them. And it felt like I was speaking to them. I began writing. I expressed how I felt and what I went through today. The minute I was done, I felt at ease.

A knock came on my door. I immediately hid my diary under my pillow and stood up. I opened it and saw Haidar standing there and staring at me. "Lailah!" He called my name. This left me wondering how he came to know my name. So I asked, "How do you know my name?"

He chuckled. then said, "I heard my father call you that, and it's so much better than Dk," he said and I chuckled as well. Everyone had told me this.

"Oh!" I muttered.

"I came to inform you that we are leaving for Dubai tomorrow. So please pack your bags, my dad said he will never allow me to move without you." He said. He looked quite annoyed, for a second there I thought he had made away with this side of him. I simply just found myself smiling as he spoke.

"Okay your highness, I will pack my bags," I said to him. He seemed like he was expecting another reaction from me. I knew he thought I would give him a blunt reply like always. But at this moment I wasn't in the mood for any of that. I felt happy. And one thing was that I couldn't wait to go to Dubai, I was going to finally see Salim. I will most definitely book him a flight to Dubai first thing when I get there. I missed my little brother a lot.