UNTAMED PRINCESS

•Chapter 5•

NA'EEM'S POV

Huda was on a phone call with a client when I arrived at her house so I just picked Nadeen to go home because I'm honestly too tired to wait for her.

"Are you okay peach?" I ask Nadeen because she is being awfully quiet. She nod her head but didn't even say a word. "You won't even talk to Papa about it?" I ask taking her small hands in mine as I drive with the other.

"You didn't bring back Annem" she says in a whisper her mouth in a little pout. I wait for a while not knowing what to tell her exactly. "Do you want another Mommy?" I ask and she quickly shakes her head. "Only Annem" she looks up at me expectantly, like I can give her what she wants.

"Will the new Mommy be as good as Annem?" The sudden question came. "Will she look like her?" She ask again, her eyes glinting with hope, a smile spreading on her lips. "You want someone like your Annem?" And she nods. "We can't find one like her" I shook my head with a sad smile. "No?" She asks and I nod. She didn't say more as she folds her arms and back to her sulking stage.

"I don't like my Nannies" Nadeen mutter after a while. "Oh yeah?" I ask glancing at her, her hand still in mine. "Yes" she nods. "Victoria Combs my hair painfully and Rumaisa doesn't let me play in the garden, she forces me to eat too" She complains and I didn't say a word. Nadeen has had a series of Nannies ever since her mother and she seems to not like any of them.

"Papa?" She called. "Yes peach?" I reply with a smile. "Annem won't come back" It was a question on her side but it sounds like a statement, like she's finally accepting everything that happened 10 months ago.

"You'll get a new Annem soon" I promise bringing her small hands to my lips and she smiled a little without saying a word. Naturally, Nadeen doesn't speak much and with everything that happened months ago, she's only getting quieter which is starting to bother me.

A Yawn escapes her mouth as I round the junction that leads us home. "Sleepy?" I ask. "Mhmm" she nods stifling another yawn and she giggle while I chuckle lightly.

"You had a lot of fun this weekend?" I ask and she nods. "We play a lot after coming back from Islamiyya and Ammah gives a lot of popsicles" She smiles referring to Huda as Ammah since it's what her kids call her.

"That's so fun" I smile. "Should we ride this weekend?" I add and she claps excitedly nodding her head. "Okay then" I smile.

Horse riding is one of the few things I and Nadeen love and do together. We go to the farm house on Fridays or weekends to ride for some time before going back home.

Minutes later, we're back home and Nadeen is fast asleep. I changed her into her PJs because she's not a heavy sleeper and going to throw a lot of tantrum if she wakes up to find her nannies doing that.

After tucking her in bed, I make myself a cup of tea and start replying the mails I couldn't attend to over the weekend. Tomorrow is going to be hectic because I have a lot of files to review on my table and a series of meetings with a new client and board members.

For a second, I start to remember my encounter with the fiesty Sa'adah before I pushed it to the back of my mind and back to what I was doing before.

The next hour passed in a blur and after praying my nafils, I got ready for bed.

~

"Excuse me Sir, Mrs Tafida is on the line, should I connect her?" My P.A, Abdussamad asks. "Please do" I sigh. I know it's going to be a long conversation I don't want to be part of, but it's also a sooner or later thing. I might as well get past it now.

"Ina kwana Mammah" I greet immediately we got connected. "Lafiya Lau Na'eem, how was the trip, ance kazo da safe Ina bacci" she answered. "Eh wallahi, everything is good" I reply. "Mashaa Allah" she muttered.