"Mukhtar, Ababa's waiting for you in his room" emani said gently looking away from him, "I'll be right there" he said not looking away from his laptop
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"I think since they like each other why delay it? I mean we are both good families and delaying it might just make them lose interest in the marriage and they are not young" he persuaded
"I'll hear from my Asma, she needs time to accept it, she can be strong headed Alim, they'll meet a few more times and when they are comfortable with each other get married"
"why wait? We'll get them married in two weeks then she'll move in with him anytime she wants, in a month or two, whenever they are ready"
"Alim, two weeks? It's too close"
"you know why I need this, for my son, you're a father too, you know how I feel, please" he spoke almost out of desperation
"only the daurin aure will happen, they'll have loads of time to get to know each other" he pushed on
"no Alim, maybe in two months" he disagreed
"you know why I'm doing this, the sooner the better" after long discussions they agreed just as Mukhtar walked in
"you called me?" he stood looking him dead straight in the eye "almost thirty minutes ago and you are just coming" he tried to keep his cool
"I was doing something more important" he said "more important than my call?" he dared him to answer "yes" he said without a falter
"I just finished speaking with Shagrem, Asmau's father.." he thought a bit 'we've met a few times before' he thought, he started before he cut him off "we are not interested in each other, I never told you I wanted to get married, don't waste your time" he stood up to leave "you are getting married in two weeks, by Friday in sha Allah" he stopped in his track
"no, I won't" he said looking at him "at least not this friday and not to her" he walked out
Alim could only stare at the door, his disrespect was increasing day by day, he sighed
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Hatred, that was what she felt for her father she has loved for nineteen years, she was scared to admit it but she knew she hated the man she was willing to take a bullet for, what is she thinking? A missile, two weeks was all the time she had before she's under another man, is that how much he wants to get rid of her?
She sobbed silently, the painful type, all he said was she is getting married in two weeks and probably moving out in two months, that was all. Why was her dad being controlled? Because she's sure as hell he wouldn't do that to her, was he being compelled to do so? Her thoughts were breached by the ringing of her phone... Sayf
She read before picking the phone call, one person that would be honest with her "asalamualaikum hoor" he greeted calmly, it sounded as if he was going to continue in Arabic "Sayf I... I.." she croaked
"what's wrong?" he asked and she could hear the worry in his voice
"Sayf I'm tired I just want to leave" she cried
"why are you still crying? You're almost done, no more stress" he laughed a bit remembering how she would call him and vent out her school and books fraustration then end up crying
She kept quiet a bit, how was she going to tell him "it's not that Sayf, I hate everyone here, they are all bad people" she was almost inaudible due to the tears
"what did they all do" he laughed which made her heart swell, this was why she liked talking to him, he wouldn't make her feel more down than she already was, he'd make jokes and laugh at them
